Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence

Chapter 146: Chapter 140: Storm Knights and Mammoth Knights

One man and his griffin patrolled south along the Black Water River, covering nearly a thousand kilometers.

The vast expanse of water reflected the sky like a mirror.

Raylo gazed into the distance, his Spiritual Power spread out to its maximum extent, carefully searching for any possible clues.

However, the Eternal Giant Turtle seemed to be nothing more than an ethereal legend. No matter how hard he searched, he could not find a single trace of it.

Although the river was teeming with powerful Aquatic Magical Beasts, and even a few Giant Beasts the size of small islands, none of them were his target.

Before he knew it, evening was approaching.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the clouds on the horizon a magnificent orange-red and cast a golden halo over the vast Black Water River.

’It seems I’ve come up empty today.’

Raylo felt a slight sense of regret but didn’t force the issue.

Such legendary creatures could only be chanced upon, not sought out.

He turned Baofeng around, preparing to head back.

Just then, a sudden rustling sound from a shoal in the river bend below caught Raylo’s attention.

He focused his gaze and saw a dozen or so figures emerging from the reeds by the riverbank.

These creatures had humanoid upper bodies, their skin covered in fine, cyan scales, while their lower bodies were thick, serpentine tails.

Most of them held poisoned Bone Spears or Curved Sabers. They moved silently, exuding a cold and sinister aura.

’The Demon Serpent’s Fangs.’

Raylo’s brow furrowed. It seemed to be a small unit sent from the Jade Swamp to search for the Eternal Giant Turtle.

The leader was a relatively tall Snake-man Priest. It wore a crude crown made of animal bones and feathers and held a black Magic Staff entwined with a small snake.

The Snake-man Priest seemed to sense the eyes upon it from high above. It snapped its head up, its cold, slitted pupils locking onto Raylo and Baofeng in the sky.

It let out a series of rapid, hoarse syllables, raising its Magic Staff high. The small snake on the staff’s tip suddenly reared its head, flicking its crimson tongue as a dark wave of Magic Power began to gather.

’Trying to cast a spell?’

’Too late.’

”Baofeng!”

SCREECH!

Without another word needed, Baofeng already understood.

It let out a furious screech that could pierce clouds and shatter stone, tucked its wings, and then dove from the sky like a bolt of yellowish-brown lightning!

Gale-force winds howled, and the air pressure plummeted!

The Magic Power the Snake-man Priest had just begun to gather had yet to take form when its mind was violently shaken by the terrifying power descending from the heavens.

Its vision blurred, and an irresistible Giant Strength descended upon it.

CRACK!

A sickening crack of bone echoed.

Baofeng’s massive talons, as hard as Refined Steel, seized the Snake-man Priest’s head with the precision of iron pincers. With a slight squeeze, its head was crushed completely!

Red and white matter splattered everywhere. The headless corpse collapsed limply to the ground, its Magic Staff rolling to the side.

The entire process was as fast as a lightning flash. The other Demon Serpent’s Fangs hadn’t even registered what had happened before their leader was dead.

Having succeeded in one strike, Baofeng didn’t pause. With a powerful beat of its wings, it carved an elegant and deadly arc through the low-altitude air.

At the same time, dozens of pale cyan Wind Blades materialized from thin air, whistling toward the panicked Demon Serpent’s Fangs like spinning discs of death.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

Where the Wind Blades passed, blood sprayed.

How could these ordinary Demon Serpent’s Fangs withstand the Magic released by a Storm Griffin King?

Screams rose one after another, only to be abruptly silenced.

In the blink of an eye, the dozen or so Demon Serpent’s Fangs were all sliced to pieces, their corpses strewn across the ground. The thick stench of blood quickly filled the air by the riverbank.

Baofeng deftly hooked the Snake-man Priest’s corpse with its talons, casually tossed it into the Black Water River, and watched it make a small splash before sinking out of sight.

Only after doing all this did it let out a low, slightly smug cry.

Raylo patted Baofeng’s neck feathers in praise.

With this little interruption dealt with, the man and his mount delayed no longer, flying toward Black Stone Castle bathed in the twilight glow.

The scenery below sped backward, and the Black Water River gradually disappeared behind them.

「The next day.」

The first light of dawn broke, and golden sunlight crept up the battlements of Black Stone Castle.

Raylo was in his study handling a backlog of the territory’s affairs when Ed walked in hastily.

”My lord, a messenger has arrived from Count Gao Wen of Red Leaf Territory with an urgent letter.”

Raylo’s brow twitched slightly.

”Count Gao Wen? Let him in.”

A short while later, a travel-worn messenger was led into the study.

He wore the standard-issue Leather Armor of Red Leaf Territory, his face etched with the weariness of a long journey. Upon seeing Raylo, he immediately knelt on one knee, presenting a letter sealed with wax with both hands.

”Lord Baron, Count Gao Wen ordered me to deliver this letter to you personally.”

”You’ve worked hard. Rise.”

Raylo took the letter.

He broke the wax seal and pulled out the paper.

Gao Wen mentioned in the letter that Stone Creek Territory, a neighboring Baron’s Domain of decent strength, had been completely annihilated overnight by a Demon Serpent Battle Group that surged out from the depths of the Jade Swamp. The Lord was killed in battle, his people were dragged into the swamp as food, and very few managed to escape.

Gao Wen was deeply worried by this, fearing that with the main forces of the Northern Lords about to be dispatched for the war with the Fiery Sun Kingdom, leaving their territories vulnerable, the Demons of the Jade Swamp would take advantage of the vacuum and wreak even greater havoc.

Therefore, Gao Wen proposed that the Allied Army of the Northern Lords gather in Red Leaf Territory half a month early.

They would use this half-month to conduct a large-scale purge of the Jade Swamp’s outskirts to intimidate the Demons within, weaken their effective forces as much as possible, and secure the stability of their rear.

The letter specially emphasized that this matter already had the support of Lord Luke.

If they encountered a Tier Five Magical Beast during the purge, Lord Luke would personally intervene to deal with it.

Raylo put down the letter, his fingertips tapping lightly on the desk.

Gao Wen’s proposal coincided with his own thoughts.

The threat from the Jade Swamp was growing more severe by the day. Taking the initiative was better than passive defense.

Clearly demonstrating the resolve and strength of the Northern Lords to the Jade Swamp would undoubtedly curb its ambition to expand into and plunder human territories.

’If we could use this opportunity to heavily damage or even annihilate one of the Jade Swamp’s main battle groups, the effect would naturally be even better.’

Raylo thought to himself.

He said to the messenger, ”Relay to Count Gao Wen that I agree with his proposal. The troops of Black Stone Territory will arrive at Red Leaf Territory ahead of schedule.”

”Yes, my lord.”

After the messenger left, Raylo was once again lost in thought.

The winds of the Northern Territory seemed to be growing ever tighter.

He had to increase the overall strength of Black Stone Territory as quickly as possible, especially its high-end combat power.

The territory currently had a considerable number of combatants at Tier Three or higher. In addition to his own mount, Baofeng, and the four Earth Knights, he possessed eleven Storm Griffins and two adult Shadow Griffins. He also had eleven Mammoths remaining after giving half the captured adults to Lillian, as well as the Iron Armor Rhino Mother Beast newly tamed by Moonlight the previous night.

One could say the numbers were already quite massive.

But these powerful Magical Beasts were all under his direct control; only he could command them, which prevented them from forming an effective fighting force.

Raylo thought for a moment, then called out.

”Ed!”

”Select twenty of the most promising and loyal Great Knights from the territory’s Knights. Have them assemble in the Black Stone Castle square this afternoon.”

”Yes, my lord.”

The afternoon sun was warm and pleasant.

On the grand square before Black Stone Castle, twenty Knights stood solemnly, their postures as straight and tall as pine trees.

Raylo walked slowly onto the high platform in the center of the square, his gaze sweeping over the Knights before him.

Among them were many familiar faces—subordinates who had followed him through life and death, who had proven their valor and loyalty on the battlefield.

Ed’s judgment was indeed sharp. Every one of these twenty men was a top-tier Black Stone Knight, their potential and loyalty beyond reproach.

”Greetings, my lord!”

The twenty Knights knelt on one knee in unison.

Raylo raised a hand, signaling for them to rise.

”Gentlemen, I have summoned you here today for a new appointment.”

His voice was calm. The Knights held their breath, their gazes burning as they watched him.

”From this day forward, you will become my Personal Guard Knights. Ten of you will receive Storm Griffins as your mounts; the other ten will receive Mammoths as your partners.”

As soon as he said this, a wave of low gasps and suppressed, excited murmurs swept through the square.