The feast today was held to celebrate the birth of a new member of the Dragon Clan. Once everyone had gathered, the Grand Elder wasted no words — a few brief sentences, and all raised their cups in a communal toast.
The wine was Dragon Saliva Wine, a specialty of Dragon Island, personally brewed and aged three thousand years by the Grand Elder himself. Its aroma was rich and mellow, so prized that even the Grand Elder rarely indulged on ordinary days. Today, however, dozens of jars had been laid out, a clear intention to ensure no one left sober — a testament to the joy in his heart.
The food and spirit fruits arranged on the tables were no common fare either. Everything on Dragon Island was the envy of the outside world; even an Emperor Realm cultivator would benefit enormously from consuming them. Any unrelated outsider who witnessed this scene would be clutching their heart in agony — these were all rare, priceless treasures of heaven and earth, yet the assembled dragons were gobbling them up without a care. Anyone watching would be screaming about the waste.
Cups were raised and drained, the atmosphere growing lively. Fu Zhun's face wore a constant smile, and she had drunk a few cups herself, her pale cheeks flushing a lovely red that made Yang Kai click his tongue in amazement.
He had never imagined this woman could have such a side to her.
Several dragonesses took the floor and danced gracefully, drawing cheers and applause. The whole of Green Wood Island resonated with dragon song.
Yang Xiao sat above, looking rather bored. Children were naturally lively, and though the atmosphere was festive, it wasn't something he could participate in. He quietly tried to sneak a cup of wine from Zhu Yan, hoping to have a taste, but Fu Zhun snatched it away and whispered a few stern words in his ear, leaving the boy looking thoroughly dejected.
Seeing this, Fu Zhun's heart softened immediately. She drew him close and murmured soothing words until he perked up again.
After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes, the main event began.
Just as Zhu Qing had said, since this was Yang Xiao's celebration, the elders naturally had to present their gifts.
Yang Xiao was clearly eager. After receiving permission from the Grand Elder, he immediately hopped down, walked up to Yang Kai, and cupped his fists in a bow. With a bright grin, he said: "Greetings, Godfather! What precious gift has Godfather prepared for me today?"
The remark drew laughter from every dragon in the hall.
Zhu Yan laughed and scolded: "You shameless brat, who goes around demanding gifts like that?"
Yang Xiao was unabashed: "A son asking his father for things is perfectly natural — what's wrong with that? If Godfather has anything good, would he really leave me out?"
Yang Kai tapped a finger against the boy's forehead and smiled: "No grand gift, but I do have a few bottles of pills. Want them?"
Yang Xiao's eyes rolled thoughtfully: "That depends on what kind of pills. If Godfather's gift doesn't satisfy me, I might have to decline."
"Take a look for yourself." As he spoke, Yang Kai tossed over a space ring.
He had plenty of valuable things on hand, but at this stage, the most useful item for Yang Xiao was undoubtedly Dragon Blood Pills. The boy had only just been born — this was the critical time to refine his bloodline and accelerate his growth. Both he and Zhu Qing had prepared several bottles of Dragon Blood Pills, enough to last Yang Xiao a good while.
Yang Xiao caught the space ring, pulled out a jade bottle, and without any ceremony opened it right in front of Yang Kai. A delicate fragrance immediately wafted out. He peeked inside, and delight spread across his face: "Thank you, Godfather!"
He tried to slip the space ring onto his finger, but his fingers were too small to hold it securely, so he tucked it into his robe instead. Then he turned and bowed to Zhu Qing: "Greetings, Godmother!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the expressions of the assembled dragons turned rather odd. Yang Xiao calling Yang Kai "Godfather" was one thing — after all, Yang Kai wasn't a member of the Dragon Clan. But Zhu Qing was. By seniority, she was a full generation below the Grand Elder and Second Elder, the same generation as Yang Xiao himself. Yet this title of "Godmother" elevated her by an entire generation overnight, placing her on equal footing with the Grand Elder and Second Elder.
The relationships were getting thoroughly tangled.
Minor details, though — no one paid them much mind.
Shortly after, Yang Xiao received more Dragon Blood Pills from Zhu Qing and accepted them with beaming delight.
Next, the little fatty went around paying his respects to every elder, sibling, and fellow clansman among the dragons. Each had prepared a lavish gift in advance, and before long the boy's hands were practically giving out from holding everything, his grin stretched so wide it nearly reached his ears.
After all, these were the offspring of the Grand Elder and Second Elder — how could the Dragon Clan's gifts be anything less than extraordinary? Every present was a cherished personal treasure. Anything too modest would have been embarrassing.
Even Qiongqi didn't escape. The old beast had been sipping Dragon Saliva Wine when Yang Xiao suddenly appeared before him. With a pained expression, he produced a pearl and handed it over.
It was an Emperor Grade Pill — and judging by the aura emanating from it, it was one Qiongqi had condensed himself, meaning it contained a full-force strike from the ancient beast sealed within. For Yang Xiao, still in his infancy, this was nothing short of a life-saving talisman. Yang Kai wasn't entirely sure of the full extent of Qiongqi's power, but it likely wasn't far behind a ninth-rank dragon.
It was a truly generous gift — probably given only for Yang Kai's sake.
After completing his circuit, Yang Xiao had amassed a collection that would make ninety-nine percent of the world seethe with envy. One had to admit — birthright was a powerful thing.
With the gifts out of the way came the real centerpiece.
Today wasn't only about celebrating the Dragon Clan's newest member — it was also time to test what elemental attribute the new member possessed.
Dragon Clan attributes were incredibly varied, but there was no denying that regardless of the element, a dragon that grew to its full potential wielded tremendous power. Most great dragons fell within the Five Elements — like Zhu Qing's Red Dragon form — though some transcended them entirely, such as Thunder Dragons and Green Dragons.
The area was quickly cleared. Zhu Yan retrieved an object from his space ring and placed it on the open ground. Yang Kai squinted and saw what appeared to be a small altar of some kind, its surface encircled by numerous dragon-shaped patterns in a dizzying array of colors, looking strangely otherworldly.
A quiet question to Zhu Qing revealed that this was the sacred artifact used to test the elemental attribute of newborn dragons — a treasure passed down through generations of the Dragon Clan, so ancient that even the Grand Elder couldn't trace its origins. Every newly born dragon had to undergo this trial. Only once their attribute was determined could they begin developing in that direction.