"Essentially, this is the only spot I could find that's suitable for laying the mines. Instead of waiting for luck to strike and have it step on them accidentally, it’s better if we actively lure it over, rather than pinning all our hopes on fortune... Sigh."

After saying this, Chu Xuan let out a deep sigh. To Overlord and Wang Xia, he seemed no different from usual, but to Zheng Zha, who knew him inside and out, this sigh was almost unbelievable. He actually sighed.

Zheng Zha clapped Chu Xuan on the shoulder. "Are... are you alright?" Chu Xuan shook his head. "It's fine. Let's focus on getting through the immediate hurdle first... Truthfully, we were too reckless this time. The difficulty of this side quest clearly surpasses what we are currently capable of handling. To be frank, the challenge here is far greater than when you fought the Scorpion King. At least for that side quest, you were the only one receiving the rewards, but here, everyone who participates gets something... I only give the Dragon a thirty percent chance of stepping on the high-yield gravity mine buried in the canyon. Frankly, I don't have much hope for this plan."

Zheng Zha gripped the Judgment Spear tightly, gave Chu Xuan's shoulder a hard thump, and then looked at the other two. "Let's go. Thinking too much won't do any good. We might as well get everything done that needs doing now. If we succeed, it’s heaven’s blessing; if we fail, it’s my fate.

Do we really need to be complaining about destiny like this? Let's go!" Zheng Zha appeared incredibly resolute as he spoke, which surprised the other three, but clearly, this version of him gave them a sense of security.

Overlord let out a hearty laugh and punched Zheng Zha lightly on the shoulder.

Even Wang Xia, usually the serious and upright one,

actually delivered a solid whack to Zheng Zha’s shoulder too. Only when Chu Xuan approached did he say calmly, "Your shoulder is bruised, but the bone isn't broken... I'll remember this hit."

With that, he coldly stepped onto the Green Goblin Glider.

Silently waiting for the other three to set their tripwires.

Zheng Zha shivered.

He muttered to the other two, "Don't you think he seems terrifying? I never expected Chu Xuan to hold a grudge..." As he spoke, the Green Goblin Glider lifted into the air.

Soaring towards that massive canyon.

The twenty-four-hour time limit was quite generous; at least no one had to rush the final touches.

So, the group split into two shifts. Overlord partnered with Wang Xia to set the timed explosives and bury the mines, while Zheng Zha and Chu Xuan continued to monitor the Dragon’s movements.

The Dragon was clearly lazy. After consuming the Tyrannosaurus Rex's carcass, it rolled around a few times in the mud, then settled onto a huge pile of leaves and branches and started sleeping. Its massive snores could be clearly heard by the group several kilometers away, which left Zheng Zha and the others utterly speechless, somewhere between amusement and exasperation.

By the time Wang Xia’s bombs and mines were all set, the Dragon showed no intention of stirring. After a brief discussion, the group felt they should seize the opportunity. While the Dragon slept, they could attack it with missiles. Even if the missiles had no real effect, it would still lure the beast towards the canyon to step into the high-yield gravity mine trap, negating the need to wait for it to wake up before attacking.

Zheng Zha was the first to stand on the Green Goblin Glider. He said to Chu Xuan and the other two who were about to board: "You guys find a concealed spot to hide. Since long-range technological weapons are useless anyway, having more people won't necessarily harm the Dragon much. The objective is just to lure it deep into the canyon. Let me handle this alone; besides, I still have the Judgment Spear, and perhaps that spear might actually inflict some damage on the Dragon."

Overlord and Wang Xia were stunned. They glanced at their respective weapons and fell silent. Chu Xuan nodded straightforwardly. "That's right. Our weapons are very likely ineffective against this Dragon. Moreover, too many people will decrease the Glider’s speed and maneuverability. You should complete this task alone. However, remember not to fly too high when luring it, because if the Dragon can fly, ascending too high might prompt it to take to the air as well. Distance and speed aren't critical requirements, just make sure you lead it straight toward the canyon."

Zheng Zha nodded heavily and burst out laughing. He launched the Green Goblin Glider into the sky. After waiting for Wang Xia to initiate the countdown on several timed explosives and for everyone to retreat to a safe distance, he piloted the Glider toward the Dragon’s location. The flight from the canyon edge took barely a minute. There, he saw a colossal black Dragon sprawled out on the leaves and branches, looking sound asleep.

Zheng Zha pressed the missile attack button on the Green Goblin Glider. Instantly, three small air-to-ground missiles shot out from the Glider's core, whistling down from the sky toward the Dragon’s head.

A violent explosion erupted. The Dragon’s entire head was engulfed in fire, and even the surrounding leaves and branches caught alight. But suddenly, the Dragon sat bolt upright. Zheng Zha quickly looked closer. There wasn't the slightest scratch on the Dragon’s head—not even a trace of the explosion's firelight remained. Missile attack... declared a failure! The Dragon glared wildly around. When it spotted Zheng Zha suspended in mid-air, the giant black beast let out a ferocious roar that echoed across the distance. Zheng Zha felt his head suddenly drop heavy, and he immediately activated the first stage of his Gene Lock, focusing all his attention to pilot the Green Goblin Glider rapidly away.

After its roar subsided, the Dragon rose and charged straight toward Zheng Zha. While its ground speed was indeed fast—around 120 to 150 kilometers per hour—it was significantly slower than the Green Goblin Glider. Out of necessity, Zheng Zha had to reduce his speed repeatedly, constantly "waiting" for the Dragon. After several cycles, the Dragon began to grow impatient, letting out low growls, and wisps of pale smoke started puffing from its nostrils.

Just as Zheng Zha prepared to slow down again to wait for the Dragon, a fierce premonition of danger suddenly struck him. This warning was so intense it nearly rivaled the strongest feelings of dread he had ever experienced. Without a second thought, he stomped hard on the Glider, changing direction and dashing sideways. In that instant, the Glider’s superior performance was fully demonstrated; it shot from over a hundred kilometers per hour up to over three hundred kilometers per hour in a single second. The inertia almost threw Zheng Zha clear off the craft, but he immediately flattened his body onto the board, clinging tightly as they surged forward.

Simultaneously, the Dragon suddenly sucked in a massive breath, inflating its chest considerably, then unleashed a torrent of fire from its mouth. This fiery wave scorched past mere meters from the Green Goblin Glider. Zheng Zha stared dumbly at the immense power of this fire stream. From the Dragon's position outwards, a swath of scorched forest appeared—about ten meters wide and a hundred meters long. This section of forest hadn't truly burned; it had been instantly incinerated by the extreme heat, leaving behind only the lingering warmth from prior combustion.

(What terrifying power... If I were caught in that, it would be instant death, wouldn't it? Is this also the power of magic? I wonder how the temperature and destructive force compare to the black flames the clone used back then.) Zheng Zha was still deeply shaken. When he saw the Dragon turn its head back toward him, he sharply spun the Glider around and accelerated forward. This time, he maintained a distance of at least two to three hundred meters from the Dragon before daring to ease up slightly on the throttle. Even so, he absolutely dared not let his guard down around this beast. Its strength truly matched its appearance as a Western Dragon.

After flying for a short while, Zheng Zha finally managed to lure the Dragon from its sleeping spot to the entrance of the canyon. He then piloted the Glider straight into the chasm, and the Dragon charged in without hesitation behind him. Just ten seconds after it entered, a brilliant flash of light erupted tens of meters ahead of it. This light transformed into fire, engulfing the Dragon. As Zheng Zha looked back, another stream of fire erupted from the fireball, frightening him into speeding up and flying deeper into the canyon.

The Dragon emerged from the ball of fire with its body completely intact. The tremendously powerful explosion clearly hadn't harmed it, but more obviously, the blast had affected it; at least soot and smoke residue were visible on its scales. Compared to the earlier missile attack, it seemed close-range explosions did have some effect.

As the Dragon continued to charge forward, it was enveloped by another burst of fiery explosion. When the beast burst out of the flames this time, it seemed absolutely maddened. Although it didn't unleash another stream of fire, the Dragon roared deafeningly, and its wings began beating as it continued its charge toward Zheng Zha’s position. It was rapidly approaching the gravity high-yield mine: fifty meters, thirty meters, ten meters... Jump!