Transmigrating into a dragon clan experimental subject, is that even possible?

“This is the most terrifying place,” Chu Zihang said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding mountain walls and vegetation as if searching for some hidden danger. The heat of the earth had subsided, but this only made him more vigilant.

"Don't scare yourself." Tian gripped his gun, feigning nonchalance, but his eyes, like Chu Zihang's, were warily observing the surroundings. "The enemy isn't showing themselves, probably because they're not ready yet. When they do, it'll probably be the real nightmare."

Caesar stood at the front of the group, runic sword in hand, a flippant smile playing on his lips, but his eyes were as cold as a winter blade. "Don't let your guard down. This place is definitely not simple. It seems quiet, but it's probably just the calm before the storm."

Chu Zihang nodded, about to give the order to continue advancing, when suddenly his gaze locked onto the distant horizon. Under the moonlight, the once calm ground began to undulate slightly, as if something was moving underground. The earth trembled slightly, and small stones slid down the mountainside.

"They're here," Chu Zihang said in a low voice.

Lu Mingfei's heart leaped into his throat. He instinctively gripped the hilt of his knife, his back soaked with cold sweat. "When you said 'coming,' what...what has come?"

No one answered him. Because the next second, the earth suddenly cracked open, sending dirt and rocks flying, and a scorching heat rushed towards them. It was an overwhelming presence, as if the entire mountain was groaning softly.

From a crack in the ground, a gigantic claw slowly emerged, followed by a pair of eyes burning with intense light, opening from the depths of the earth and staring directly at them. It was the King of Earth and Mountains, its body as hard as rock, the surrounding air distorting at its appearance. It did not attack immediately, but slowly rose fully from the earth, its massive form resembling a moving mountain.

"This is too outrageous..." Lu Mingfei almost threw the short knife in his hand. He looked up at the behemoth, his face almost drained of color.

Chu Zihang's eyes were calm; his hand was already gripping Murasame, the blade reflecting a cold light in the moonlight. "Prepare for battle."

Caesar quickly adjusted his stance, his sword glowing with runes and emitting a deep hum, as if responding to the behemoth before him. Tian, ​​eager to try, had his gun already cocked and muttered, "This is finally getting interesting!"

The king of the earth and mountains let out a deep roar, a sound that seemed to come from all directions, carrying an irresistible pressure. The surrounding terrain began to change, with sharp stone spikes rising from the ground, forming natural barriers that attempted to trap them.

Chu Zihang quickly assessed the situation and whispered, "Lu Mingfei, provide support! Cover the enemy! Caesar, follow me and attack head-on!"

"Understood!" Caesar chuckled softly, gripping his sword and swiftly charging forward like a golden lightning bolt. His blade sliced ​​through the air, carrying with it scorching runic energy, and slashed directly at the giant beast's forepaw.

The King of Earth and Mountains moved slowly yet with immense pressure. It raised a massive claw and slammed it down on Caesar with tremendous force. In that instant, Chu Zihang also moved. His speed was so fast that he almost became a blur, and Murasame's blade slashed precisely at the side of the behemoth.

The behemoth let out a deafening roar, the ground trembled violently once more, and the surrounding stone walls began to collapse, raining down debris upon the four. Seeing this, Lu Mingfei hurriedly retreated, raising his short knife to barely deflect several flying stones.

While firing, Tian shouted, "Lu Mingfei, why don't you do something useful! Standing around waiting to die is not a good idea!"

Lu Mingfei gritted his teeth, cursing everyone in his mind, but still raised his short knife, trying to find an opening. His palms were sweating, and his gaze remained fixed on the enormous figure of the beast. "What can I do? I'm just a tool..."

However, just when he felt powerless, a familiar figure suddenly swept past from afar, like a shadow in the night. It was Xia Mi.

Her appearance made Lu Mingfei's eyes widen. His heart tightened, and he subconsciously called out, "Xia Mi? What are you doing here!"

But Xia Mi ignored him. Her figure nimbly dodged the falling rocks and quickly approached the battlefield. She didn't directly participate in the battle, but stood silently not far away, her eyes fixed on the giant beast's movements.

She raised her hand, and something in her sleeve flashed with a faint light. Then, her lips moved slightly, as if she were chanting some incantation.

In an instant, a strange power emanated from her body. The scorching heat in the air seemed to be suppressed by some invisible force, and the giant beast's movements faltered slightly, as if it sensed a threat. Chu Zihang and Caesar seized the opportunity, and Murasame and the Rune Sword fell simultaneously, their sharp blades slicing through one of the giant beast's defenses.

Xia Mi's eyes were calm and profound. She stood at a distance, a complex rune light faintly appearing in her hand. All of this was too brief; apart from Lu Mingfei, no one noticed her movements.

Lu Mingfei's mind was a complete mess. He stared at Xia Mi's retreating figure, an unbelievable thought surfacing in his mind, yet he couldn't be entirely sure. He could only stand there, gripping the dagger tightly, his gaze fixed on her with a complex expression.

Xia Mi stood at a distance, her gaze calmly fixed on the enormous monster before her, a faint smile playing on her lips. She still appeared to be that bright, lively girl, as if all the danger and chaos were irrelevant to her. Lu Mingfei, however, watched in a daze, his mind filled with doubt. He couldn't understand why Xia Mi could remain so calm and even seemingly leisurely in this situation.

"Lu Mingfei, be careful—" Chu Zihang's cold voice suddenly came from the battlefield.

Before he could even turn his head, he saw the behemoth suddenly raise its massive forelimbs and slam them down towards him. Terror instantly overwhelmed his thoughts; his body seemed frozen in place, unable to move an inch. His mind went blank, and even a scream was stuck in his throat. Just as the enormous shadow was about to engulf him, a swift, black shadow swept in from the side.

Lu Mingfei felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, as if he had been struck by a heavy object, and his consciousness was instantly swallowed by darkness. Before losing consciousness, he vaguely saw the dark figure with a familiar outline, its eyes complex and gentle, like Xia Mi, yet not like Xia Mi.

When Lu Mingfei slowly woke up, all was quiet around him. He found himself lying in a pile of rubble, his head throbbing and his mind still a little foggy. He subconsciously raised his hand to touch the back of his neck, the pain making him frown, but he couldn't remember what had happened.

He looked around blankly, only to find that the battlefield had long since returned to calm. The enormous figure of the beast had vanished, leaving only lingering dust and cracks in the ground. A soft footstep came from not far away. He turned his head and saw Tian leaning against a rock, holding a gun and a faint smile on his lips.

"You're awake?" Tian asked casually, his tone as relaxed as if he were discussing the weather. "I thought you'd be unconscious until tomorrow."

Lu Mingfei looked at her blankly, raising his hand to rub his head: "What...what happened to me? Where's the monster?"

"The monsters have been dealt with," Tian shrugged, her tone nonchalant. "It was mainly Caesar and Chu Zihang who took them down. As for you..." She paused, a mocking smile playing on her lips, "You stood there like a block of wood, and eventually fainted. Lu Mingfei, you weren't really scared to death, were you?"

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth, unsure how to refute. He truly remembered nothing, only vaguely recalling the roar of the giant beast and a familiar aura brushing past him. He shook his head, trying to shake off these strange thoughts.

"I don't think I fainted from fright..." he muttered to himself, his voice so soft that he could barely hear it.

"Then tell me, how did you get dizzy?" Tian raised an eyebrow at him.

"Maybe...maybe I'm just too tired," Lu Mingfei made up a flimsy excuse. He didn't even believe it himself, but he was too exhausted to think about it any further.

Tian chuckled and turned to walk towards Caesar and Chu Zihang. Lu Mingfei stood there, watching the three of them exchange hushed conversations, occasionally casting scrutinizing glances at them. He felt something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

After they finished assessing the situation on the battlefield, the group headed down the mountain together. Along the way, Lu Mingfei kept looking back, trying to find Xia Mi, but he couldn't see her. His unease grew; blurry images flashed through his mind—that fleeting shadow and familiar scent made him restless.