"......," I looked toward Jiuyou Chongyang and the Priestess, taken aback by their exaggerated reactions. "Is the Guardian Beast of the Temple really that powerful?"

"......," Yueyao and the others stared blankly at Jiuyou Chongyang and the Priestess.

"More than just powerful," the Priestess struggled to calm herself, continuing, "The Guardian Beast of the Divine Dragon Empire was the ultimate divine beast specifically tasked with protecting Nine Dragons City in that era. Its power is absolutely beyond imagination."

"Ultimate divine beast," I exclaimed, startled, subconsciously fiddling with the box in my hand. "If it’s really that formidable, why was it so underwhelming in the Crimson Moon Demon Lair?"

"Bad guy!" A dissatisfied voice echoed in my mind. "In the Crimson Moon Demon Lair, I couldn't even muster ten percent of my strength. If I were in Nine Dragons City, I certainly wouldn't be so weak."

"Ha!" I became genuinely interested. "Does your power depend on the location you're in?"

"Of course. I was created to guard Nine Dragons City, after all," the little fellow boasted proudly. "Inside Nine Dragons City, even the Demon Dragon Cult Master wouldn't dare provoke me lightly. I was quite magnificent in those days."

"Big talk," I voiced some doubt!

While I was communicating with the little fellow here!

On the other side!

"Just how strong is it? Can it stand against the Thunder General?" Yueyao asked nervously.

"In short, very, very strong," the Priestess replied. "In the ancient Divine Dragon Empire, three terrible rebellions occurred. The last one was the largest: an army of nearly nine million soldiers, led by over sixty heavily armored generals, reached the outskirts of Nine Dragons City and nearly annihilated the Divine Dragon Empire. Yet, in the end, they could not breach Nine Dragons City. Not only that, but more than half of the nine million rebels were killed or wounded, and most of the heavily armored generals who managed to enter the city were slain! Only a very few managed to escape!"

".........." I was stunned. Sixty-plus heavy armored generals and an army of nine million. "What scale of battle was that?"

"Did the Guardian Beast of the Temple kill them all?" Yueyao murmured.

"Indeed," Jiuyou Chongyang confirmed. "It was the Guardian Beast of the Temple that repelled the rebels and protected Nine Dragons City."

"Good heavens, looks can be deceiving," I muttered, gazing blankly at the iron box in my hand. "This little guy is actually this formidable."

"Now you know," the little fellow chirped smugly in my mind. "When I was in Nine Dragons City, you couldn't even touch a hair on my head."

"But why were you so weak in the Crimson Moon Demon Lair?" I asked, curious.

"My power comes from the Dragon Vein energy of Nine Dragons City. But there is no Dragon Vein energy in the Crimson Moon Canyon, so I could only absorb the magical power from the Great Tidal Surge caused by the Crimson Moon season, which allowed me to materialize and become the Crimson Moon Demon. That's why my power in the Crimson Moon Canyon naturally wasn't as great as it was in Nine Dragons City."

"Dragon Vein energy," I was confused again. Does this world also have the concept of Feng Shui?

"It seems Your Highness also knows about Dragon Vein energy," the Priestess said, somewhat surprised.

"The little fellow told me," I quickly clarified.

"Then what is Dragon Vein energy?" Yueyao was also very curious.

Even more terrifyingly, after the disaster caused by the Demon Dragon Cult Master, the originally stable Dragon Vein Qi became extremely chaotic! The previous chaos in the Dragon Vein Qi also caused terrifying mutations in the creatures of the Demon Dragon Continent! The once peaceful Nine Dragons Continent was transformed into a horrific land overrun by demonic beasts! This situation was exactly like the terrifying continent recorded in myths—the Demon Dragon Continent—so the Nine Dragons Continent was once again referred to by its ancient name from the mythological era (the era of the Ancient Mafa Empire): the Demon Dragon Continent!"

"So that's how the Demon Dragon Continent got its name," I finally understood.

It could be said that the appearance of the Demon Dragon Cult Master and the Dark Demon Dragon Cult Master, along with the ensuing chaos in the Dragon Vein energy, directly led to the unrest that plagued the Mafa Continent for the next ten thousand years."

"........" I was stunned. "I never realized the influence of the Dragon Vein energy was so profound."

"After the Dragon Vein energy became chaotic, the creatures of the Nine Dragons Continent also began to undergo various terrifying mutations, turning the original paradise of the Nine Dragons Continent into a world rife with demonic beasts, which is why the Nine Dragons Continent later came to be called the Demon Dragon Continent."

"I see now," I comprehended.

"Now, over ten thousand years have passed," the Priestess sighed. "The chaotic Dragon Vein Qi has long since stabilized. Although six of the Nine Great Dragon Veins were destroyed, the remaining Dragon Vein energy is still incredibly potent. After establishing the nation, our ancestors deeply desired to retrieve the original Guardian Beast of the Temple. This led to the divine Ranger quest to find the Dark Dragon Spear, followed by the Ranger quest to slay the Demon Dragon Cult Master on the Earth Rankings." The Priestess continued, "We always knew it was likely futile. If even the Phoenix Sky War God and the Guardian Beast of the Temple couldn't deal with the Demon Dragon Cult Master and the Dark Demon Dragon Cult Master, how could the power of the Ranger World possibly match them? The original intent of issuing these quests was merely to search for traces of the Demon Dragon Cult Master and the Dark Demon Dragon Cult Master, as the Guardian Beast of the Temple disappeared after battling these two monsters. Our ancestors analyzed that if they could find either of the Cult Masters, perhaps there would be clues to the whereabouts of the Guardian Beast."

"So the so-called Dark Dragon Spear and the quest to slay the Demon Dragon Cult Master were just a smokescreen," I realized then.

"Naturally, those two are not so easy to deal with," the Priestess agreed.

"It's just that we never expected the Crimson Moon Demon residing in the Crimson Moon Canyon turned out to be the Guardian Beast of the Temple we were searching for." At this, Jiuyou Chongyang looked at me with deep emotion. "It can only be said that everything is the will of heaven. Perhaps only you could find the Guardian Beast of the Temple."

"As expected of Your Highness the Divine True One," Yueyao marveled greatly. "Truly, fortune always follows him."

"."

"Even heaven is on our side," the Priestess declared. "With the Guardian Beast of the Nation, we now have the strength to resist the Church."

"........" I felt somewhat lost. Damn it, did my luck just spike again this time?

"We should quickly release the Divine Beast Lord now," Jiuyou Chongyang urged.

"Oh! Ah! Divine Beast Lord!" I was surprised that Jiuyou Chongyang used honorifics for the little fellow!

"Nonsense. The emperors of the Divine Dragon Empire throughout the ages treated this dignified Guardian Beast of the Nation with the utmost respect," the little fellow boasted.

"Is that true?" I couldn't quite believe it, and at the same time, I hesitated. What if I released him, and he decided to settle old scores? I'd be finished.

"Petty," the little fellow grumbled discontentedly in my mind. "Am I that small-minded a beast?"

"You can't be sure," I retorted without restraint. "This is Nine Dragons City, it has Dragon Vein energy. If I let you out, and you become even stronger, and then turn around to settle accounts with us, everyone here combined wouldn't be enough to stuff your teeth."

"What do you take me for?" the little fellow huffed angrily. "I am, after all, the dignified Guardian Beast of the Divine Dragon Empire, and you are the descendants of the Divine Dragon Empire. No matter what, I have no reason to attack you. You must know I am exceedingly loyal, or how else would I have been selected as the Guardian Beast of the Temple?"

"Heh, that's true," I admitted with a trace of guilt. "Are you truly willing to help us?"

"Absolutely," the little fellow affirmed resolutely. "As the Guardian Beast of the Temple, it is my duty to protect Nine Dragons City, even at the cost of my life. This is my sacred calling."

"Good, very good. I believe you."

Damn it, I have no choice but to believe him, this little guy is our last straw!

"The little fellow has agreed to help us," I continued.

"What little fellow?" the Priestess grew extremely tense and quickly snatched the box from my hands. "Divine Beast Lord, please do not be angry."

"Thank you, Divine Beast Lord," Jiuyou Chongyang also looked utterly fearful and respectful.

They repeatedly bowed to the iron box!

But this scene just felt bizarre!

"Hmph!" A dissatisfied hum came from my mind, but alas, the Priestess and the others couldn't hear it. "The reason why the former Demon Dragon City was called Nine Dragons City has a history," the Priestess explained. "In the era of the Divine Dragon Empire, the Demon Dragon Continent was known as the Nine Dragons Continent!"

"It was called the Nine Dragons Continent because there were nine colossal dragon-shaped mountain ranges on the continent, forming a unique, winding pattern! And this city was built precisely at the convergence point where these nine dragon-shaped mountains coiled

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