"After considerable effort, I finally gained entry to the Pterosaur Clan. I waited outside their mountain valley for three days before finally meeting their Chief. Ultimately, their Chief agreed to a compromise! That is, the Rocky Empire must send fifty youths under the age of eighteen to participate in the Pterosaur Selection Trials hosted by the Pterosaur tribe within the Frozen Demon Garden! If they successfully pass the trials, the Pterosaur Chief will rescind the decision to recall all their Pterosaurs!" Vena continued.

It was the first time Nasha heard the full story, and suddenly she understood everything. No wonder Vena had been so gloomy these past few days; now she knew the reason!

A youth under eighteen who had already reached the cultivation level of a Fourth-Order Fighter was considered exceptionally talented. To pass the cruel trials set by the Pterosaur Chief, the probability of success was certainly no more than one in ten! It seemed the Pterosaur Chief's so-called compromise was merely a perfunctory excuse!

"Alas! Any clear-sighted person can see this method is deliberate obstruction! But there's nothing to be done. The Pterosaur Chief refuses to budge, claiming the Dragon Riders' cultivation is too low to adequately protect his people! Naturally, the Fenlai Empire cannot afford to fall out with the Pterosaurs! Although the Pterosaurs are merely a distant branch of the Dragon Clan, they still carry Draconic blood. If we break ties with them, who knows if the Dragon Clan will step in to support them?" At this, Vena sighed deeply.

Chen Feng, hearing the mention of the Dragon Clan, interjected, asking, "Are the Dragon Clan very powerful?"

Vena’s somewhat dim eyes suddenly widened as if looking at an idiot upon hearing this question. "Powerful...? What joke are you making? The Dragon Clan cannot be described merely as powerful! Over 150 years ago, the structure of the continent wasn't four nations, but five. Back then, the four great empires—Rocky, Fenlai, Corte, and Tony—were evenly matched. The fifth, the Snow Peak Empire, was the strongest, and its King, Sbihal, was a man of immense ambition. Just as they were ready to unite the five nations with their might, Sbihal, for reasons unknown, offended the Dragon Clan. At that time, only ten members of the Dragon Clan appeared! A single Snow Peak Empire thus exited the stage of history! It vanished completely from the continent! Afterward, the four great empires seized the opportunity to divide the Snow Peak Empire's territory, leading to the current situation of four nations coexisting! Don't you even know this history?"

"Ten people wiped out an empire…" Chen Feng felt his breath catch, his eyes wide, swallowing hard, finding it almost impossible to believe his ears!

He hadn't expected the Dragon Clan to be so overwhelmingly strong. Although he didn't know the strength level of those ten individuals within the Clan, achieving such a result was unprecedented. Now, thinking of the power he had gained through the favor of Senior Tuoyan Long, an inexplicable excitement surged within Chen Feng…

"Hoo!" The dark energy vortex in Chen Feng’s Dantian circled his body once, easing the tension in his heart. He couldn't rely on this power yet; his cultivation was too low. Over-reliance wouldn't benefit his growth!

Furthermore, Chen Feng had realized that unless he faced a life-or-death situation, the memories of the Fist Emperor in his mind would not unlock to grant him the Fist Emperor techniques. Without the Fist Emperor techniques, how was he supposed to proceed on his future path?

As his thoughts turned, he had already considered the pros and cons clearly.

Seeing Chen Feng breathing heavily, Vena responded, "Exactly! What race dares to offend one so powerful?" He then continued with a tone of lingering awe, "It's precisely because the Pterosaurs share a trace of bloodline with the Dragon Clan that the Rocky Empire dares not use force!"

Hearing this, a thought suddenly struck Chen Feng: While the Pterosaur Knights were powerful, they weren't strong enough to compete against those at the Third-Order Battle Master level and above! Even with a full complement of a thousand personnel, they would be useless against formations comprised of Magicians and Battle Masters! Yet, they are the trump card the Rocky Empire relies on to contend with the other empires? Could it mean… if a real fight broke out, the people from the other three empires wouldn't dare to decisively engage and eliminate these Pterosaurs?

Yes! That must be it! With this realization, a sudden clarity washed over Chen Feng. No wonder the Rocky Empire placed such importance on the Pterosaur Knights, and no wonder the Pterosaur Chief would throw such a tantrum over the loss of a few dozen Pterosaurs!

Perhaps, in the eyes of the King of the Rocky Empire and the Pterosaur Chief, the Pterosaur Knights were merely a product of a transaction! What the Rocky Empire needed was merely a signal of friendly relations with the Pterosaur Clan, and the Pterosaurs only needed to send out some of their kin to gain experience in the world to reap considerable profit!

Understanding this, Chen Feng once again marveled at the sheer power of the Dragon Clan! Because the Rocky Empire was merely signaling a desire for amity with the Pterosaurs, the other three empires were afraid of offending them based on even a slight probability, thus maintaining a delicate balance! This level of deterrence… was truly terrifying!

Vena then continued, "Since we dare not use force, we must submit! But finding fifty youths under eighteen with decent cultivation and talent is no easy task! The Rocky Empire searched for a full half-month and only managed to gather forty-nine! That’s why… when Nasha mentioned your various eccentricities, I rushed to meet you! After meeting you, I realized that those youths previously considered boundless in potential pale in comparison to you!"

Nasha clearly hadn't expected Vena to hold Chen Feng in such high regard. Her beautiful eyes were fixed intently on the slightly lanky figure before her, as if trying to see through the cloak to glimpse the person beneath!

Chen Feng, having concealed his cultivation and age, hadn't expected such high praise and felt somewhat at a loss.

At that moment, Vena stepped out from behind the square table and approached him, saying, "I hope you will participate in this Pterosaur Selection Trial!"

In keeping with Chen Feng's usual disposition, he was about to reply that he wasn't interested, when Vena suddenly threw his arms around him, tears streaming down his face!

"I beg you, save our people!"

Chen Feng froze, the words caught in his throat. Vena was a kind old man; even if something displeased him, asking for a favor shouldn't warrant such a display! He stopped him and asked, "Save your people? What's wrong?"

Vena wept torrentially, "His Majesty Suomen uses us to maintain contact with the Pterosaurs, but fearing we might be bought off by other empires and defect, he has detained all of us Dragon Speakers! Now, the only Dragon Speakers alive and not under control are just Nasha and me!"

"After this incident, His Majesty Suomen has promised that if we can ensure the Pterosaurs remain in the Rocky Empire, he will release all the Dragon Speakers! Otherwise, not only will people like us become useless, but we will also face the danger of being exploited by other empires. Given his personality, he will undoubtedly wipe out our entire race!" Vena said sorrowfully!

Hearing him finish, Nasha’s eyes also reddened, on the verge of tears!