Chapter Thirty-Two: Fusion

"This speed... it's enough to make a dragon envious!" Huang Ze watched as the Phoenix rushed toward him—it truly was "like fire," its entire body a blazing crimson, streaking through the sky like a living inferno. It was both impressive and practical, making any dragon jealous.

"It's time to try out the missiles... Otherwise, I might get too caught up in the fight and forget to fire them." Huang Ze thought to himself. As the Phoenix drew near, he hurriedly launched the two PL-12 missiles mounted beneath his belly.

The result, of course... was a miss.

The Phoenix was simply too fast, easily reaching speeds of eighty or ninety meters per second at least. The PL-12's performance had been drastically reduced, so hitting the target was mostly a matter of luck.

Still, Huang Ze wasn't too disappointed. After all, this was the first test launch. Both he and the Academy of Sciences had set their expectations low—success meant simply firing the missiles. The main goal was to help the dragon get a feel for it, gain experience, and collect trajectory data, paving the way for the development of missiles better suited for dragons.

"Squawk! Squawk!"

Despite the Phoenix's aggressive manner and the fact that it had just dodged two missile attacks, its feathers bristling in fury, it still didn't attack the black dragon immediately. Instead, it circled menacingly, uttering angry cries in an attempt to drive the black dragon out of its territory.

It was clear the Phoenix was no simple beast; its intelligence was not low. It could assess the situation and seemed to realize that this black dragon was not to be trifled with, so it hesitated to act rashly.

"Roar!"

The black dragon let out a thunderous roar, its tail whipping in a violent spiral as it lunged at the Phoenix.

Whether it was an inherited enmity etched into its very bloodline, or simply a grudge against any creature that could outfly it, the black dragon burned with an urge to fight the Phoenix with all its might.

But, of course, the attempt to pounce failed—the gap in speed was simply too great. However, this only served to enrage the Phoenix further. Its body blazed brighter, its air sacs swelling and contracting as it spat fireballs over forty centimeters in diameter. The initial velocity seemed impressive, at least two hundred meters per second.

Naturally, the black dragon couldn't dodge them all; it took several direct hits. And then—

It couldn't help but marvel, "Such heat, such explosive force... What a shame this Phoenix isn't working at a steel mill or a power plant!"

Indeed, the Phoenix's magical attacks were utterly ineffective against the black dragon's defenses. The dragon even opened its jaws wide and swallowed a fireball whole, surviving what was essentially a deep-throat attack from the Phoenix without so much as a scratch—just a couple of coughs.

"Am I really this tough?"

This sight stunned not only the Phoenix, but even the black dragon itself began to doubt its understanding of what it meant to be a dragon.

Although the Phoenix's hasty magical attacks weren't of the highest caliber—no more than third or fourth tier—even the most basic tier-three spell packed a punch equivalent to over a kilogram of TNT. To put that in perspective, a hand grenade contains about a hundred grams of explosive. The black dragon had just swallowed the equivalent of ten grenades and was completely unfazed. Even a Transformer wouldn't dare try that!

"It seems Academician Ding was right... I truly underestimated my own strength!"

With this realization, the black dragon unleashed its full draconic might, its fighting spirit surging as it charged at the Phoenix in a frenzy.

But the Phoenix was a sixth-tier extraordinary creature with powerful bloodlines and strong resistance to draconic pressure. With its advantage in speed and ranged magic, it managed to maintain the upper hand in their battle.

Huang Ze, however, was in no hurry. Now he understood why Ding Xuewen had chosen a Phoenix as his second challenge: it was to provide a worthy opponent. The Phoenix, with its overwhelming speed, could pummel and dominate him, pushing his limits, provoking him, and stirring the latent power in his blood.

The method was undeniably effective.

The two mighty extraordinary beings soon fought in earnest, clashing fiercely in the skies. The longer they fought, the hotter the black dragon's body became, and the more terrifying its aura grew. Its immense power awakened within, and in the heat of desperate combat, the human soul and the dragon's body finally achieved a truly perfect union...

"Exhilarating! Exhilarating! The thrill of battle is truly intoxicating for a dragon!"

The black dragon spat out a mouthful of feathers and laughed heartily. The battle with the Phoenix raged on for over two hours, with no end in sight.

The dragon had been slashed by the Phoenix's talons countless times, its back gouged by the iron beak, leaving scales torn off and flesh laid bare, wounds deep enough to expose bone.

Yet the black dragon's body and spirit only grew more excited, more invigorated.

A dragon—born for battle!

Huang Ze suddenly understood. The dull, numb nerves within his body were becoming more active than ever before.

His heart pounded powerfully, the dragon's soul burned hot within him, and his blood surged as if charged with lightning, electrifying every vein, every muscle, every organ...

A storm of power brewed within him. A tempest of the spirit had already begun to rage—

I am the king!

The dragon let out a low growl, part proclamation, part soliloquy.

The Phoenix sensed an unprecedented danger. Panic set in. Though it was only a sub-adult, it had fought dragons before and was experienced and worldly.

But never had it seen anything like this—a dragon that grew more fearsome the longer the fight went on, as if undergoing some profound evolutionary leap. It was enough to terrify any bird!

Time to run... If I can't win, I can at least outrun!

The Phoenix made its decision. With a burst of speed, it darted past the black dragon, ready to flee the battle.

Suddenly, the previously steady aura of draconic might changed. An unknown force surged forth, and a massive bolt of lightning materialized out of thin air, stunning the Phoenix for a fraction of a second!

In a clash between extraordinary creatures, a split second was all that was needed!

The black dragon lashed out with a mighty tail, ensnaring the Phoenix. With a toss, it brought the bird to its jaws, and with a powerful bite, its sharp teeth pierced the Phoenix's body. Golden blood sprayed into the sky, falling as a rain of gold, accompanied by a piercing, mournful cry...

Oops... Maybe that was a bit too much—I may have just injured a protected species...

The black dragon realized belatedly and eased its grip, though it didn’t let go entirely. After all, it didn't know if the Academy wanted the Phoenix brought back for research.

Carrying the Phoenix, the black dragon flew to its nest atop the flaming tree and finally had a chance to check if it was still alive.

Fortunately, the Phoenix lived up to its name—its vitality was astonishing. Even after such a heavy bite, it still clung to life.

Of course, its fighting spirit was gone. Whether from terror or pain, the Phoenix trembled helplessly in the dragon’s jaws, offering no resistance.

"Sorry... I got a bit carried away and bit too hard," the black dragon apologized with some embarrassment, gently licking the Phoenix's wounds with its tongue.

But after a few moments, it suddenly froze—

Licking things with my tongue... Isn't that a bit too dog-like? Why would a dragon have such a bad habit?