We traveled through time together, but I'm the only dragon? The others are all beautiful girls?

The death energy extracted from her body, like a docile dog seeing its true master, joyfully pounced into Ying's palm, merged into it, and disappeared.

A moment later, Akalion and Luminous simultaneously withdrew their hands.

"All right."

"Really...it's all resolved?" Hu Tao felt an unprecedented lightness and warmth within her body, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.

Those heavy burdens that had accumulated over the years, which she herself had never even noticed, were completely cleared away in just a few breaths.

No wonder he's the Emperor's disciple! He's practically the perfect employee tailor-made for the Hall of Rebirth!

However, having been helped so much, she couldn't very well shamelessly insist on joining their operation.

So she could only keep winking at Zhongli beside her, hoping that the guest elder could put in a good word for her.

However, Zhongli simply picked up his teacup and turned his gaze to the stage as if no one else was around, seemingly completely immersed in Tian Tiezui's wonderful storytelling.

"Speaking of which, it's getting late. How about we grab a quick bite to eat?" Seeing that her plea for help was hopeless, Hu Tao had no choice but to take matters into her own hands again. She enthusiastically suggested, "Let's go to Wanmintang! It's on me!"

Half an hour later, in a private room on the second floor of Wanmintang.

The table was already laden with a dazzling array of dishes, from classic boiled black-backed sea bass to elaborate golden shrimp balls—almost all of Wanmintang's signature dishes had been ordered. Hu Tao diligently served everyone, taking exceptional care of Akalion.

"Duke Akalion, please try this Jueyun Rice Crust. It's Xiangling's specialty! It's fragrant, crispy, and spicy!" She picked up a piece of golden rice crust, trying to steer the conversation back to her goal.

Akalion remained unmoved, simply enjoying his meal in silence.

Ying smiled and stopped Hu Tao from speaking: "Master Hu, one should not speak while eating or sleeping."

"Hey, Ying, you're being too polite." Seeing this, Hu Tao turned her attention to Paimon, who was currently battling a [Big Plate Chicken]. "Little Paimon, what do you think? Come with us to deal with the Demon God's lingering resentment. There will definitely be plenty of wild game you haven't tried before along the way!"

Zhongli quietly sipped his tea and finally spoke: "Master Hu, there is nothing you can learn from Akalion's way of doing things. It is purely his special characteristics as a visitor from another world."

Zhongli's words were like a final verdict, leaving Hu Tao utterly deflated. She poked at the rice in her bowl, her disappointment almost overflowing.

Paimon, who had already eaten her fill, let out a burp and finally noticed Hu Tao's listless appearance. She flew to Hu Tao's side and looked at her curiously.

She could sense that the always smiling and quirky hall master seemed somewhat lonely at this moment.

(It's not because Walnut secretly slipped me a check for 880,000 moanas and asked me to put in a good word for her! Absolutely not!)

Paimon cleared his throat, flew to Bright's side, and said in an unprecedentedly serious tone, "Bright! I think we should bring Walnut along!"

"Hmm?" Ying was somewhat surprised.

“Look, Hu Tao… although she always says strange things, she’s really serious about seeing off the dead! And, managing such a large shrine to the deceased all by herself, facing life and death every day, she must be… must be very lonely! Having another companion will make the journey more lively! Right?”

By the end, Paimon was almost moved by his own words, which were full of friendship and care.

Upon hearing this, Hu Tao suddenly raised her head and looked at Ying with a watery, expectant gaze.

Ying glanced at Paimon, then at Kurumi, and finally set her gaze on Akalion.

Akalion met her gaze, letting out a helpless sigh. He had never been able to refuse Luminous, his other self, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Yay! Walnut, we can go together!" Paimon spun around in the air with joy.

Dinner ended in a cheerful yet slightly whimsical atmosphere.

By the time everyone left Wanmin Hall, night had fallen in Liyue Harbor.

Zhongli declined the suggestion of traveling with everyone and walked slowly alone towards the Hall of Rebirth.

Akalion's gaze followed his solitary, upright figure.

In the bustling and brightly lit Liyue Harbor, this ancient deity who has protected this place for 3,700 years is like a solitary rock isolated from the world. His silhouette is stretched far and long by the lights of thousands of homes behind him. The loneliness that is ingrained in his bones cannot be diluted in the slightest by the loudest voices.

He is actively separating himself from the thing he created.

What kind of big job is Master Zhongli going to pull off?

Or is he really just tired? His words and demeanor lately don't seem to suggest it...

“Let’s go,” Akalion said softly, withdrawing his gaze.

He didn't immediately transform back into his dragon form; in this densely populated metropolis, his enormous size would only cause unnecessary chaos. He held Luminous in one hand and Walnut in the other, with Paimon hanging around his neck.

As a dragon of the D&D class, he possesses the innate ability to shapeshift, and his physical attributes still maintain the strength of a dragon.

Therefore, his choice was to use psionic energy to solidify the ground, and then with a powerful leap, he jumped into the air. Akalion's body then transformed into its enormous original form, which was thirty meters long and had a wingspan of forty-five meters.

He carried the three girls (Paimon could be considered a girl too?) on his back, just as he was about to take off.

Paimon's voice could be heard.

"Oh no, Hu Tao has fainted."

"Is it unable to withstand the acceleration due to gravity?"

Ying immediately used her wind elemental power to heal Hu Tao.

"Impossible, my biofield is still intact!"

Akalion immediately refuted this and sped up, not wanting Master Zhongli to know about it.

"Indeed, she must have fainted from fright."

Ying touched Hu Tao's forehead; the feedback from the wind elemental force indicated there were no problems.

Didn't you say to close your eyes?

"Maybe not."

Akalion paused for a moment in flight before accelerating to an even higher speed.

"It's not that it seems like it doesn't exist, it's that it doesn't exist at all!"

Paimon flew into the air and stomped her foot. With the force field present, she didn't have to worry about being blown away by the howling storm and could walk safely on Akalion's back.

"Okay, it's decided. Of the 880,000 Mora that Hu Tao had, you'll only get 200,000. The rest will be split equally between Ying and me!"

Volume 1 Snowfield Dragon Lord: Chapter 108. The Crossroads of Fate

Liyue Harbor gradually transformed into a dazzling golden starry sky.

The sea breeze howled high in the sky, blowing the girls' hair and clothes.

Perhaps it was the cold wind at high altitude and the stable flight attitude that had an effect, or perhaps it was the soothing effect of the wind elemental power of Yingna.

After Akalion deliberately slowed down its flight, the unconscious head of the Hall of Rebirth finally woke up.

She opened her plum blossom eyes in confusion, and what came into view was the deep, inky night sky, and a dazzling Milky Way that stretched across the sky, formed by billions of stars.

Beneath me was a smooth yet firm, warm touch, like the finest jade.

"I...where is this?"

"You're awake?" Paimon immediately came over, a concerned smile on his face. "You were so scared by Akalion's attack that you fainted."

"Eh?!"

Hu Tao's face flushed red instantly.

She sat up abruptly, looked at Ying beside her with a helpless expression and at the dragon's back, which was as broad as a plaza, and showed an embarrassed expression.

This was the first time she had ever had such a thrilling experience, almost like an out-of-body experience.

Her feet left the ground in an instant, and the world suddenly became tiny in her eyes—she had thought Akalion flew like a fairy in a novel.

"It's alright, Master Hu." Paimon stepped forward and patted Hu Tao on the shoulder with an air of wisdom, comforting him in a tone of someone who had been through it all: "Try it a few more times, and you'll get used to it!"

“It’s always like this the first time.” Ying’s lips curled into a meaningful smile. “Akalyon still thinks of himself as that little dragon that needed a run-up to take off, completely ignoring the feelings of those who didn’t ride him the first time.”

"Little Dragon?" Hu Tao's curiosity was instantly ignited. "The past? How long ago? What was Akalion like when he was a child?"

Ying pondered for a moment, glanced at Akalion who was focused on flying, and then slowly said, "About four months ago, he had just hatched and was only a little taller than me. However, when his wings were spread, he was eight meters wide, and his body length, including his two-meter tail, was a total of six meters. He grew very fast!"

"..."

Hu Tao fell silent; her mind seemed to freeze for a moment.

She looked at the enormous, sky-covering creature beneath her, and then recalled the time unit of 'more than four months'.

This isn't just growing fast, it's growing incredibly fast!

A moment later, she came to her senses, her plum-blossom eyes gleaming with a light as if she had discovered a new continent. Hu Tao abruptly stood up, climbed onto Akalion's dragon head, and solemnly announced in a tone as if presiding over a funeral:

"Akaglion! I'm older than you, so you should call me Sister Kurumi!"

Akalion, which was flying steadily, almost stumbled and fell off the clouds upon hearing this.

"I spent much longer inside the egg before I hatched than you are!" Akalion retorted helplessly as he turned around.

“How can you calculate time inside an egg!” Hu Tao retorted, hands on her hips. “You’re just a four-month-old baby dragon! Since you’re younger than me, you have to call me ‘older sister’!”

She pulled Paimon and Ying aside, trying to form a united front.

"You agree, don't you?"

Paimon immediately looked at Ying, believing that on such a crucial issue, Ying's opinion should be taken as the standard.

Looking at Hu Tao's enthusiastic expression, and then at Akalion's huge dragon head covered with the word "resistance," Ying couldn't help but feel a little amused. She had been the younger sister for a long time, so being the older sister for once seemed... quite interesting? Although this was 'me,' it felt very novel.

"Akaglion, I also want to hear you call me sister."

"?"

Akalion's vertical pupils suddenly turned oval. No, if we're going to play this kind of game, why don't we just play it in private? Why do we have to get involved in Kurumi's antics?

"fluorescent--"

"Longbao, just call out once!"

Hu Tao smiled and gently patted Akalion's dragon horns.

"..."

Akalion stared silently at Luminous, his eyes asking, "Are you serious?"

After confirming that Ying had no intention of changing her mind, Akalion turned his head and focused on flying, ignoring Kurumi's attempts to entangle him.

"Dragon Treasure—"

Akalion finally had no choice but to compromise after Ying also started calling him that.

"Okay, okay, okay! But you're not allowed to call me Longbao anymore."

Akalion's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, almost inaudible, but for the three extraordinary girls, it was the most beautiful music in the world.

They smiled at each other contentedly, lay side by side on Akalion's warm and broad back, admiring the dazzling starry sky that seemed within reach, and chatting about everything under the sun.

When the towering Wangshu Inn came into view, the bright moon had already risen into the sky.

Akalion descended, preparing to land directly on the inn's most spacious rooftop platform.

"Hey, hey! Won't you collapse someone's roof if you go down like that?" Hu Tao asked with some concern.

“Don’t worry, the power field is there.” Akalion adjusted his landing position and said, “Unless I want to, there won’t even be a scratch on the floor.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his enormous body landed silently on the roof of Wangshu Inn, as if it were a weightless feather.

Paimon effortlessly pulled out the token that Zhongli had given them at the tea stall from his pocket—a square seal formed from pure rock elemental power and Zhongli's immortal power, with Akalion's dragon-shaped statue on it.

She held the token high, and the next moment, a dark blue figure appeared before everyone.

"Three-Eyed, Five-Manifestation Immortal, Xiao, heed my summons and come forth!"

Beforehand, the Emperor had informed Xiao via a long-distance message that two people would be visiting and asking her to assist them in thoroughly cleaning up the remnants of the demons in Qiongji Wilderness. Therefore, she had been waiting here for a long time.

However, when she actually saw these people, her heart, which had long been calm and still due to endless killing, couldn't help but experience a violent fluctuation.

The Emperor's disciple's gaze was really too strange.

Why are you surprised?

Xiao quickly checked his clothes to make sure there was nothing wrong with them and that there was nothing strange on them.

The answer to the question is both related to and unrelated to Xiao.

In Akalion's and Ying's memories, and in 'Lan Si's' memories, the Guardian Yaksha General, Demon-Slaying Great Sage, Three-Eyed Five-Manifestation Immortal Xiao should have been a slender young man.

The man before them was not tall, with short, dark green hair that was neat and sharp. His calm face was like a piece of jade that had been sealed in ice for a thousand years, cold, aloof, and devoid of any human emotion.

However, her chest, which should have been flat, now had a slight bulge, a fuller curve than Walnut's, but it suited her temperament perfectly.

It gives Akalion and Ying the feeling of a young widow who has just lost her husband and is being bullied to the point of being speechless.