Lu Mingfei, who had read Dragon Clan before slaying the dragon

"You..." Herzog was stunned.

Herzog was so shocked by Lu Mingfei's words that he was even dazed and speechless. Just when he came to his senses and was about to say something, he was interrupted by Lu Mingfei again.

"Of course you can't kill me. It's not that you can't, but you don't dare... because I'm your only hope now." Lu Mingfei said slowly, "For you, I'm the only one who can replace Eri, right? No, I should say that I'm a more suitable choice for Eri."

"Now in your eyes, I am the most unacceptable person. Am I right? A few words of anger are nothing compared to your grand plan. Even if I were to revile your entire family and insult them, you would still endure it silently." Lu Mingfei smiled. "Yes, you have endured it for more than 20 years... No, you have endured it for your entire life, a lifetime of being a coward. You have waited your entire life for such an opportunity, so of course you will not let it go. To realize your ambition, you can give up anything."

"How is it possible? How is it possible? How do you know all this? You are bluffing!" Herzog couldn't help but yell, and there was a hint of...fear in his surprised voice.

"Bluffing?" Lu Mingfei smiled to himself, "Maybe. After all, if you want to kill me now, I have no power to fight back."

"You know I'm not a descendant of the White King, and you can easily detect my physical condition. I can tell you directly that I've had my blood transfused," Lu Mingfei said bluntly. "The blood in my body isn't mine. You want Eri to be your 'vessel,' but I can't accept that. So, I prepared a 'medicine guide' for you that's even better and more perfect than Eri's."

"When you got my blood test report, you must have been overjoyed, right?" Lu Mingfei's lips curled up in a sarcastic arc beneath his mask. "Let me guess, were you so excited that you cried tears of joy? Or did you do the Soviet tap dance while holding my blood sample? Did you feel like you had found a lost treasure and were glad you didn't kill me the moment you got hold of me?"

Former Soviet Union?

How could the word "former Soviet Union" appear in this young man's words?

Is it a coincidence? Or...

impossible!

Absolutely impossible... That is a secret that no one in the world knows, except Herzog himself. That dusty past had been buried in that unknown port in the far north on that foggy night twenty-one years ago, along with the crowd that lit up the sky. Even Herzog himself rarely recalled it over the years.

Herzog was completely stunned. This thoughtful old man could never have imagined that Lu Mingfei would say such a thing. He racked his brains but could not understand the current situation... Herzog was shrouded in an inexplicable fear that had never happened before. He actually had the illusion that he was seen through.

For a conspirator, the most terrifying thing is to have his inner thoughts seen through by others. This feeling is even more terrifying than having a knife held to his neck!

Lu Mingfei's next words completely broke down Herzog's psychological defenses.

"Aren't you thanking me? After all, this is a gift I prepared specially for you," Lu Mingfei said softly. "Use my blood. Don't let me suffer the pain of a blood transfusion in vain. The purity of my bloodline should be higher than Eri's, right? It's more than enough for you to filter out the toxicity of the 'Sacred Remains', right?"

"Who are you! Who are you!" A huge fear exploded in Herzog's heart. He asked loudly, "How could you know my plan! How could you know my plan! Who on earth are you! What on earth are you!"

With a roar, Herzog pulled off Lu Mingfei's mask. He stared at the face under the mask, as if the person in the mask was no longer Lu Mingfei.

The dazzling light fell from above his head. After staying in the dark environment for too long, Lu Mingfei's vision could not adapt to such a bright light for a while, and he squinted subconsciously.

Lu Mingfei is still the same Lu Mingfei, but he looks a little disheveled now.

Lu Mingfei's face was pale, and purple-black veins had spread from his neck to the lower half of his cheek. Because of Herzog's revenge just now, there was blood at the corner of his mouth, and his body was covered with hideous bloody wounds.

Chapter 590 Dr. Jung von Herzog

But unlike his miserable appearance with bruises all over his body, Lu Mingfei's expression seemed very calm. This calm attitude was too abnormal, as if it was not him who had just been tortured and abused by Herzog. He was also unaware that his safety and life and death were in the hands of others.

However, in sharp contrast to Lu Mingfei's calmness, Herzog's face was filled with fear. It was clearly he who had lifted Lu Mingfei's mask, but his previous confident and confident aura was gone forever. After Lu Mingfei said those words, the positions of both parties were invisibly reversed. Herzog no longer had any way to threaten Lu Mingfei. Instead, he seemed to be the one whose life and death was controlled by the other party.

Gradually, Lu Mingfei's vision got used to the brightness of the light. He slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was a high-intensity spotlight. The pale light poured down from above his head. Lu Mingfei was lying on a steel plate similar to an operating table. His hands, feet and neck were tied tightly to the operating table with special leather straps. Only his torso and head could move slightly.

This is a relatively spacious space, but the ceiling height is very limited. The originally spacious space is filled with various electronic instruments, laboratory tables and carts, which makes it seem a bit cramped. On the carts are a wide variety of surgical instruments, pliers, scissors and scalpels of various sizes. In the corner of the room is a wooden desk and a clothes rack. The desk is filled with cowhide-covered books, files and manuscripts. The manuscripts are densely written in Russian. On the clothes rack are hung uniform white coats and several white leather masks.

If Lu Mingfei's location is the experimental area, then the area in the distance should be the snow harvesting area.

The other half of the room was filled with half-human-high statues of gods and Buddhas and erotic paintings painted in oil pens. The statues were old objects, having been passed down from at least the Nara period, while the erotic paintings were classic. It was obvious that the collector of these things must be an old man with a rich sense of nostalgia.

Along the wall stretched an absurdly wide built-in bookshelf, on which were placed more than five thousand rare and precious books, some of which were even single copies. In the closet windows were more than six thousand out-of-print vinyl records and more than one thousand expensive brand-name watches. The records included the beautiful voices of Pavarotti and the popular Elvis. The watches were all Patek Philippe, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin, and they were all anniversary or collector's editions. The limited edition Montblanc that Uncle Lu Mingfei had always dreamed of did not even qualify to be displayed among them.

Easter eggs made by Fabergé, the Tsar’s personal jeweler, nine-eyed Dzi beads from China that fetch sky-high prices, famous swords and armor handed down from Japan’s Warring States period… Antiques, luxury goods, and artworks are collected in this room in all their glory. All the wealth that the human mind can imagine and that can fit in the room is found here. This is the ultimate splendor and the ultimate extravagance. If only two words could be used to describe this room, it would definitely be… greed.

Yes, greed, this was the thought that flashed subconsciously through Lu Mingfei's mind, just like the dragons who love to collect gold and glittering jewels.

The owner of this room will also collect the things he thinks are most valuable and hide them in this room... This is the owner's secret base, just like a dragon's lair, it is an extremely private place. Under normal circumstances, no one will bring strangers to their private lair, not even close friends will allow it.

But Lu Mingfei appeared here, which meant that Herzog was no longer wary of him... This was not to say that Herzog regarded Lu Mingfei as someone with whom he could share secrets, but that Herzog had no intention of letting Lu Mingfei leave from the beginning.

This is also normal, because Lu Mingfei knows very well in his heart that all the words that Herzog promised him about sharing a new era are bullshit. Before knowing that the blood in Lu Mingfei's body can act as a "container", once he knew the whereabouts of Eiry, Herzog would kill Lu Mingfei without hesitation... This kind of vengeful and ambitious person would not allow Lu Mingfei, a thorn in his side, to exist.

Lu Mingfei slowly shifted his gaze, finally stopping at the figure standing in front of him.

It was a man wearing an ancient Japanese noble mask, standing less than two meters in front of Lu Mingfei. Lu Mingfei slowly turned his head and met the man's eyes... The pale and colorless mask was outlined with vermilion lips, evil eyes and black teeth. This was a role in a Noh performance, and it looked hideous and terrifying, but Lu Mingfei looked at the man calmly and fearlessly. Instead, the man wearing the Noh mask couldn't help but tremble slightly after feeling Lu Mingfei's gaze.

Unbelievably, a look of fear appeared on the pale mask. This devil-like man was actually frightened by Lu Mingfei. He even took a step back in fear, as if Lu Mingfei was the man-eating demon.

But Lu Mingfei was clearly tied up, and he was in an unprecedented state of weakness. Lu Mingfei was tied tightly to the tilted operating table, staring motionlessly at the masked man in front of him... But it was this look that made the man feel afraid.

Lu Mingfei's eyes were too cold, without a trace of emotion. He looked at the hideous mask without feeling any fear, as if he had known that he would see such a face when the mask was removed... Lu Mingfei looked at the masked man as if he was looking at a dead person.

"It's you! It's you! It's really you!" The masked man stared at Lu Mingfei's face and said in disbelief, "You are Lu Mingfei? Are you really Lu Mingfei?"

"I'm right in front of you, aren't I?" Lu Mingfei said calmly. "Didn't you ask someone to bring me here? You looked so smug when you were talking to me just now, but now that you've taken off my mask, you don't recognize me?"

"Why do you have such an expression on your face?" Herzog stared at Lu Mingfei, whose face was as cold as ice and eyes as still as dead water. The surprise and fear in his eyes became more and more intense. "Why do you have such a familiar expression on your face? Do I know you? Have I seen you before? When did we meet? Where?"

"Let's be honest with each other," Lu Mingfei whispered. "Before asking about my identity, shouldn't you reveal your own first? Are you planning to keep talking to me with a mask on? Or are you just such a timid person, as cowardly as a rat that hides from the light?"

"Mask?" Herzog was visibly stunned, and said blankly, "Who told me that I was wearing a mask? Kazama Ruri? But how is that possible? That guy has clearly never seen me without the mask..."

"It's not Fengjian Liuli." Lu Mingfei shook his head. "There's no point in having a fake conversation with you. People like you are sensitive and suspicious. You've already said enough. I've made your attitude clear. I can't get anything more out of you by probing you any further."

"What do you mean? What do you know?" Herzog's eyes became alert. "No, you can't know, you can't know... My secret has been hidden for so many years, and no one has ever been able to explore it. How could you, who is visiting Japan for the first time, know this?"

"I understand, I understand!" Herzog suddenly calmed down. "You're trying to trick me, right? You actually know nothing. I've checked your resume. How old are you? You lived in China until you graduated from high school, then entered Kassel College. You became a key specialist in the executive department. You've been to many places, but you've never been to Japan. You don't know me at all, and you don't know what 'Wang Jiang' stands for. You're just guessing and making assumptions."

"I think it must have been Fengjian Liuli and Minamoto Chisheng who told you, right?" Herzog smiled confidently again. "I once told my student Fengjian Liuli a story. It was a story that happened twenty years ago in an unnamed seaport in Arctic Siberia. Fengjian Liuli must have told you this story, right?"

"Now that I think about it, it's not surprising you know all this. Based on what Fengjian Liuli said, and my own subjective guesswork... I was almost fooled by you." Herzog's mask of an ancient noble lifted the corners of his vermilion lips. "Since you're trying to trick me, I don't mind revealing some things to you in advance... But Mr. Lu, considering our fate, I have to give you a friendly reminder: can you really withstand it mentally? You have to know that when you learn certain truths, you will also pay a price."

In response to Herzog's words, Lu Mingfei responded with an expressionless face. He just looked at Herzog quietly, waiting for Herzog to reveal some truth from his mouth.

"Mr. Lu, you should feel honored. After all, even my student Fengjian Liuli doesn't know about this." Herzog said slowly, "You are the first and only person who knows this secret."

Under Lu Mingfei's gaze, Herzog slowly took off the hideous human skin mask on his face, revealing a familiar face.

That was a face that would silence the entire Japanese underworld. If he appeared in the current Sheqi Eight Families, everyone would think they had seen a ghost... because this was a person who should have died.

Tachibana Masamune.

The former patriarch of the Sheqi Eight Families, he was once the teacher of the current patriarch, Gen Chisheng. He was the supreme ruler of the entire Japanese underworld and the most powerful and prestigious figure in Japan. After retiring, it was rumored that he was assassinated in the family's intensive care unit by Chu Zihang of Kassel Academy.

But Tachibana Masamune just appeared here. He looked full of vitality, with a rosy complexion and a loud voice. He didn't look like a ghost or a dead person who had come back to life.

Herzog put on the human skin mask, stayed on for a few seconds, then took it off, put it on again, and took it off again, repeating this several times... The last moment he was the hideous and terrifying "evil ghost" king, and the next second he was the respected patriarch of the Eight Families of Sheqi. Similar smiles hung on two completely different faces, and he was complacent and elated.

This dignified old man had never shown such an expression in the past twenty years... Perhaps he had laughed wildly and unscrupulously when no one was around, but as he said, this was his unknown secret, and this was the real him.

The images of Tachibana Masamune and Ohsho overlapped at this moment. They were actually the same person, with only the difference in the mask... If the Japanese underworld knew about this, they would fall into great chaos in an instant, and those underworld believers who believed in Tachibana Masamune and Ohsho would suddenly collapse. The Snake Eight Families and the Oni Shu were originally incompatible with each other, but their leader was the same person. The conflicts, losses and bloodshed between the two largest underworld organizations in Japan over the years were all instigated by this one person.

The entire Japanese underworld was instigated and divided by one person, and was played with in the palm of his hand... Isn't this the saddest thing?

"This is the most exciting scene. Surprising, right? You thought you had pieced together the truth, right? But you could never guess the most crucial point." Herzog shook his head and said, "Kazama Ruri's teacher, Gen Chisheng's teacher, the leader of the Snake Eight Clan and the Demonic Clan are all the same person. I led the Demonic Clan to attack the Snake Eight Clan, and in turn aroused the hatred of the Snake Eight Clan towards the Demonic Clan. They all thought I was a great leader, obeyed my orders, and were even grateful to me. But none of them realized that they, who were of the same origin, were instigated by an outsider to fight against each other!"

"Do you understand now? No, I think you must be so shocked that you can't speak. You simply can't fully understand that I don't need to waste my energy. I just need to be able to act. Act, understand? My student who loves acting can't even stand up to me." Herzog said loudly, "And the assassination of Tachibana Masamune. Your senior brother Chu Zihang must have had a hard time recently. Now that you see me, you should be able to understand, right? I simply gave up an identity, and the eight Sheqi families that you worked so hard to win over were easily pushed to the opposite side by me."

"This is wisdom, this is status. I've spent a full twenty years using my wisdom to ascend to the highest position. Do you think you can bring me down with your cleverness and tricks?" Herzog suppressed his smile. "How about guessing now? Do you think I'm Tachibana Masamune? Or a royal general? Or someone else?"

After saying these words, Herzog hung the human skin mask in his hand on the hanger, and then slowly took off his white coat. He was wearing a military uniform underneath, but unlike a normal military uniform, this army green clothes was only for keeping warm, and there were no medals or military ranks on his shoulders and chest.

Herzog polished out a silver cigarette case from the pocket of his military uniform. The case looked old and had no logos or marks on it.

Chapter 591 The Clown

Herzog took out an old Russian-made cigarette from the cigarette box. He knocked the cigarette butt on the silver cigarette box and pinched the position of the cigarette holder... Just from this one action, it can be seen that this old man with a Japanese-mixed appearance is by no means a pure Japanese.

This is an action often done by Russians, especially the elderly who lived north of Moscow in the last century. Because the geographical location is too far north, the climate is cold all year round, and the atmospheric temperature is often below minus degrees Celsius. The tobacco and cigarette holder will be frozen very hard, so experienced smokers usually knock on the cigarette butt before lighting it to loosen the tobacco and make it easier to burn. Pinch the cigarette holder to make the frozen cigarette holder easier to put into the mouth.

Seeing this action, it is easy to conjure up a picture in one's mind: a top scientist affiliated with the Soviet government has just finished an all-night research. He walked out of the laboratory. Outside were low-hanging white clouds and a washed-out blue sky. A biting cold wind mixed with snowflakes drifted over the dome of the Gothic building. In the distance was a steel-like city and a bustling military factory. The scientist casually handed his white lab coat to the assistant beside him, took out a cigarette box and paper from his pocket, lit the cigarette skillfully, and took a deep puff, using the smell of nicotine to dispel his fatigue from a sleepless night.

This "evil ghost" who originally wore a hideous human skin mask became the patriarch of a Japanese underworld family after taking off the mask. Now he has transformed into an authentic Russian... Maybe he is not a native Russian, but he must have lived in that country for a long time, so long that he has forgotten his hometown and has been assimilated by the land in the far north.

But it was this old man who exuded Russian style in his bones, but disguised himself as a Japanese and successfully deceived the entire Japanese underworld for twenty years... Herzog was right, he was really good at disguising himself, he regarded his life as a stage, his acting skills were so superb that even Japan's youngest Kabuki master Kazama Ruri could not match him. Over the past twenty years, he has studied Japanese history, practiced Japanese culture, and finally really brought himself into the role of Tachibana Masamune.

It was no wonder that Herzog was so arrogant and conceited, because he had deceived everyone. In the field of bloodline and dragon research, he was already a well-deserved expert, and he was also very skilled in manipulating people's hearts.

Herzog... or rather, Tachibana Masamune, looked at Lu Mingfei with an excited or rather oblivious look. He was revealing to the young man the truth that could cause a huge earthquake in the whole of Japan... Often in a drama, one of the important criteria for measuring its quality is its reversal.

The more unexpected the reversal, the more shocking it will be to the audience. This is the most exciting scene in the drama that Herzog has painstakingly directed and participated in for twenty years, so of course he hopes that Lu Mingfei can give him the reaction he wants.

Herzog was looking forward to seeing Lu Mingfei's surprised expression... No, not surprise, but horror. The fear must be greater than the surprise.

Herzog wanted to hear Lu Mingfei's heartfelt scream, wanted to see his distorted expression due to excessive fear, wanted to hear his panicked questions due to the continuous shocks... If this was a movie currently in theaters, then the reaction of Lu Mingfei, as the only audience member, would be the box office of the movie. The more intense Lu Mingfei's reaction, the more sense of accomplishment Herzog, as the director and starring actor, would gain.

Herzog looked at Lu Mingfei with a smile on his face...but the next moment, his smile froze on his face inch by inch.

Herzog imagined countless reactions from Lu Mingfei: surprise, panic, even struggle... but the situation before him was completely beyond his expectations.

Lu Mingfei looked at the face of Tachibana Masamune on Herzog's face expressionlessly. He was neither surprised nor frightened, his face was as calm as a pool of stagnant water... or it could be said that Lu Mingfei's expression had not changed from beginning to end. He did not show any emotional fluctuations because of the true identity revealed by the old man after he took off the mask. It seemed that no matter whether the person in front of him was the king general, Tachibana Masamune, or anyone else, it was not worth him showing a surprised expression.

"What's your reaction? What's your reaction?" Herzog shouted in disbelief. "Why are you looking at me like that? Why are you looking at me with that expression? Have you forgotten my face? Tachibana Masamune, I am Tachibana Masamune, the head of the Tachibana family, the former patriarch of the eight Snake families! I'm the one who should have died!"

Herzog pointed at his own face and roared at Lu Mingfei, but Lu Mingfei still did not react at all. This attitude was undoubtedly a huge irony for Herzog. Herzog actually had an absurd illusion... The young man looked at him as if he was looking at a jumping clown!

But then Herzog realized that his intuition was not an absurd illusion... In the eyes of the young man, he was indeed a clown.

"You think this is a brilliant play, but it's just a black comedy that couldn't be worse. In my eyes, you're not some unparalleled actor... You're just a sad joke." Lu Mingfei shook his head. "You think I'll be scared by you, but I don't want to act with you... Have you had enough? It's been so long, a full twenty years. Your desire to perform should have been satisfied, right?"

"What...what?" Herzog said bluntly, "What are you talking about? Do you know what you are talking about?"

"Don't you understand? Then I'll put it more bluntly." Lu Mingfei's lips curled into a mocking arc, his tone sarcastic and sharp. "You used this sad country as your stage, and the millions of people on this land as your extras. You deceived the students and younger generations who admired and loved you, and you sacrificed your subordinates who were willing to die for you. You deceived everyone with your acting skills, but in the end, you got nothing."

"No matter how grand the setting or how ingenious the twists, if the ending disgusts everyone, then it's a bad show." Lu Mingfei put away his mocking expression and spoke in a serious tone. "You want to become the new 'God', but that illusory power is destined to be just a pipe dream."

"I suddenly remembered a line from a Japanese waka poem. Perhaps you've heard it before." Lu Mingfei narrowed his eyes and sang, "Perhaps it's because I don't understand dreams... The displaced are chasing after illusions."

Herzog's body trembled suddenly. He had expected Lu Mingfei to show a frightened reaction, but in the end he was the one who was frightened... The expression on Herzog's face gradually changed, from initial complacency to surprise, then to disbelief, then to distortion, and finally back to the original fear.

"General, Tachibana Masamune..." Lu Mingfei shook his head slowly. He looked at Herzog, "Do you want me to call you by your real name? No one has called you that in the past twenty years, right?"

Herzog was overwhelmed by a strong sense of uneasiness. He finally realized that this young man was not pretending to be calm, nor was he a coward... This guy named Lu Mingfei was mocking him for not being able to become the new "God". This young man really knew something... some secrets that he had kept in his heart for more than 20 years!

"Do you know me?" Herzog asked Lu Mingfei loudly and cautiously, "No, no, how could you possibly know me? How old are you? You're only twenty years old. You've never been to Russia or Japan..."

"Of course I know you." Lu Mingfei interrupted Herzog. He looked into Herzog's eyes and said word by word, "Herzog... or rather... Dr. Jung von Herzog."

pat!

The silver metal cigarette box fell to the ground. Herzog subconsciously broke the cigarette in his hand, his fingertips digging into the flesh. He looked at Lu Mingfei, his pupils dilated beyond the limit, his steps retreated uncontrollably, his lips and entire face trembled... A huge fear exploded in Herzog's heart!

Twenty years... A name that no one had called for twenty years, but was called out by the young man in front of him!

This was completely illogical and beyond Herzog's understanding, but his remaining rationality made him subconsciously find a reasonable explanation... A light bulb went off in Herzog's mind, and he seemed to suddenly remember something.

"I see. Ruri Kazama must have told you the story I told him, right?" Herzog said quickly, "The character Herzog appeared in that story, as did Major Bondarev. Do you think I deceived Ruri Kazama by telling him that Major Bondarev killed Dr. Herzog in the end? You saw through the lie in the story and guessed that Dr. Herzog would win in the end, right?"

"Dr. Jung von Herzog, born in Germany, was once the youngest scientist at the Third Reich Academy of Sciences. After the defeat of World War II, he was captured by the former Soviet Union. The military valued your research ability, and you became the chief scientist of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. You were also the first person in the Soviet Union to study dragons at the time, and the sole person in charge of that nameless seaport." Lu Mingfei interrupted Herzog again, saying slowly, "No, that's not an unnamed port. That port in the far north of Siberia actually has a name. It's called... Black Swan Port."

Herzog's calm expression, which had been restored with great difficulty, was shattered once again. He looked at Lu Mingfei with horror, as if he had seen a ghost. Herzog asked in a hoarse voice, "Who are you? Who are you?"

But Lu Mingfei ignored Herzog's words and continued to narrate on his own.

"The Black Swan Port is shrouded in ice and fog year-round. Only once a month does a cargo ship emerge from the Black Sea fog, bringing in supplies for daily life," Lu Mingfei said slowly. "In 1991, the year the Soviet Socialist Republic collapsed, a young officer traveled from Moscow to Siberia on a cargo ship. He disembarked at the Black Swan Port, carrying with him knowledge and intelligence about the dragon race, as well as lofty ambitions, and entered Herzog's experimental base."

"Bondarev..." Herzog muttered absentmindedly, "Major Bondarev..."

"Yes, that young officer is called Bondarev, a major in the Soviet military," Lu Mingfei said. "Surprisingly, Major Bondarev possesses even more knowledge than Herzog. He understands the dragon race better and possesses richer and more complete information about them. He also possesses even greater ambitions."

"At the time, Dr. Herzog's research was solely focused on using super genes and cloning technology to create powerful hybrid warriors. The blood gene sample originated from the super hybrids of the Eight Clans of Snake in Japan. In the ancient history of Japanese hybrids, such super hybrids were called 'Emperors,'" Lu Mingfei said. "But Major Bondarev had even greater ambitions than Dr. Herzog. His goal was to locate the remains of the White Emperor buried on the seabed of the Eastern Japanese Islands."

"That's the ancient underwater city of Takama-ga-hara. Buried within Takama-ga-hara are the Sacred Relics, which hold the White Emperor's bloodline and power. Those who obtain the Sacred Relics will gain the power of God and become the new emperor of this world," Lu Mingfei said. "This is something you've never encountered before, Dr. Herzog. You listened with skepticism as Major Bondarev recounted this myth-like tale, but he wasn't just talking nonsense. Immediately, Major Bondarev brought out everything he knew about dragons: cuneiform writing, Mayan civilization, Greek mythology, precious medieval parchment scrolls, ancient alchemy, and dragon blood."

"Anyone would believe it," Herzog said suddenly. "A great civilization, buried in the dust of history, is being revealed to you bit by bit. You can't help but believe it. Even though dragons sound like fairy tales, they really exist. Even today, their descendants remain in this world. They have left countless relics in corners of the world. Those who find the relics will receive a precious gift, and those who understand the secret of their bloodline will gain supreme power!"

"These aren't what Major Bondarev told you. These are the conclusions you reached on your own through studying Bondarev's notes and materials," Lu Mingfei said to Herzog. "Bondarev has brought you new knowledge, and at the same time, you've developed new ambitions. Conquering the world with soldiers of super genes is no longer enough for you. You want to hold power in your own hands. You want to follow the path of evolution, replace the deceased White King, and become the new dragon clan."

"Everyone would think so. Power you can grasp is always more reliable than power you can indirectly control." Herzog was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Besides, technology was developing too rapidly at the time. Infrasonic weapons, nuclear weapons, biological and chemical weapons... The idea of ​​conquering the world with super soldiers was already outdated."

Chapter 592: Historical Events

"Working in isolation will only lead to falling behind," Lu Mingfei said. "Although the former Soviet government valued you and gave you an isolated environment where no one could find you, the world's technology has advanced rapidly in the past few decades, and you have fallen behind. Perhaps during World War II, a super-hybrid army of a thousand people was enough to conquer the world, but in modern society, a single atomic bomb is enough to turn them all into ashes."

Herzog opened his mouth, as if wanting to refute or defend himself, but in the end no words came out.

"Of course you can't build an atomic bomb. Although you're the former Soviet Union's chief scientist, you specialize in genetic modification and human anatomy. It's too late for you to study nuclear weapons now because you're already very old. Even Dr. Herzog could only achieve excellence in one field throughout his entire life." Lu Mingfei said, "But you've been given a great opportunity. Major Bondarev's arrival has made you realize how advanced and cruel the world is today. But at the same time, you've also found a new goal."

"The path of evolution," Herzog whispered.

"Yes, you want to complete cross-species evolution and become an ancient race like dragons. Although dragon civilization predates human civilization, their strength is undeniable," Lu Mingfei said. "And you don't just want to be an ordinary dragon. Your goal is the supreme throne, the only two emperors among the dragon race. Now that the Black King is dead, the resurrected White Emperor is the most powerful ultimate creature in the world."

"Through Major Bondarev, you already know the existence and location of the 'Sacred Remains'. However, that is in the 'Abyss', eight thousand meters below the ocean. With current human technology, it would be difficult to find the 'Sacred Remains' at such a depth and remove them from the Abyss within decades," Lu Mingfei said. "But you are lucky. Black Swan Harbor happens to contain the remains of an ancient dragon. Its bloodline is very noble, even worthy of a knighthood among the dragon clan."

"You're even luckier because the ancient dragon isn't truly dead. The more noble a creature is, the closer it is to eternal life. The ancient dragon has given birth to a new embryo, which is now nestled within the remains." Lu Mingfei said slowly, "So you thought of using this ancient dragon embryo as nourishment and sacrifice to resurrect the White Emperor and allow her to crawl out of the Abyss on her own."