Clang! Clang! Clang! The black iron hammer weighing almost a hundred jin came raining down again and again, sending sparks flying.
Long Yi, only eighteen years of age, already towered over two meters tall. His crew cut hair stood taut like steel wires, pointing up at the sky. Under the reflection of the forge fire, his body was like a suit of cast iron. A smile adorned his face, as he poured all of his concentration into hammering away at his workpiece on the anvil.
This was a blacksmith's shop, located in a part of a small town market and was not very large in scale.
Such ordinary smithies were quite commonplace, with two others in the market. This one was the smallest. It couldn't produce any legendary weapons, so it didn't keep stock. It only produced on demand.
But, the goods piled up on the side showed that the business was still decent.
"Bajie, bring more fire." Long Yi commanded.
From a corner hunched in shadow, a beefy figure waddled towards him, blowing a burst of flames towards the item on the anvil.
The flames illuminated the figure, revealing a dragon, almost as tall as Long Yi. It was large, fat, boasting robust limbs, and seemed lackadaisical – it had no wings.
In this world, dragons were not unusual, almost everyone had some interaction with them. However, just like humans, all dragons were unique in their own ways.
After belting out a burst of dragon breath, the fat dragon lazily retreated to a corner, grabbing a roasted leg of beef. He opened his mouth wide and sprayed out a small burst of flame, charred the meat, and began to eat it while it was hot.
With the item in his hand still hot, Long Yi once again swung his hammer, the constant ding-dong ringing out.
At that moment, the crowd outside the market suddenly erupted in excitement. Even the fat dragon, who was tucked away in a corner, cracked open his squinted eyes. It peered at the sky concealed by the rooftop and then closed its eyes again. The leg of beef in its claws was placed promptly into its mouth and devoured. The din from outside grew louder and louder.
"White Dragon! Look, it's the White Dragon! That must be an Imperial Knight, right?" An excited child, holding onto his father's hand, asked.
"Haha! The White Dragon Knight is our White Dragon Empire's Guardian Knight. The pride of our Empire!" The child's father looked up at the sky, his face filled with excitement.
Being able to witness the symbol of the White Dragon Empire - the White Dragon, in a remote small town was both an exciting and a fortunate occasion.
"Dad! Dad! When I grow up, I also want to be a White Dragon Knight!" The little boy shouted to his father, his wide eyes reflecting the White Dragon soaring in the sky. Both of his small hands were raised high as if trying to seize the White Dragon.
"Hahaha, silly boy. The White Dragon Knight isn't an ordinary Dragon Knight. Only those with the purest of dragon soul and bloodlines have a chance! We common folk, even being able to become an Earth Dragon knight would be quite an achievement!" The words of the father were filled with sentiment. He dared not dream of becoming a White Dragon Knight.
The truth is, he wouldn't even dare to dream of riding any kind of Sky Dragon Clan, not just the White Dragon.
As a commoner, the concentration of Dragon Soul 'bloodline' in his body was virtually insignificant. If a family could produce an Earth Dragon Knight, it would already be a great honor.
"Okay, when I grow up, I will definitely become an Earth Dragon Knight. I will surely make dad proud!" The little boy declared earnestly. The father began to laugh heartily, lifting his son high onto his shoulders, so the boy could get a clearer view of the White Dragon.
Unconsciously, everyone around stopped speaking, silently watching the White Dragon soaring in the sky.
But the White Dragon was not just passing by - after flying around in the sky, it dived straight down!
The crowd was stunned. It wasn't possible that the White Dragon Knight would attack here. Could it be, his destination was here?
The White Dragon moved with exceptional speed and before long, was already hovering above the small town.
The White Dragon was a medium-sized dragon, its wingspan over twenty meters in length. The enormous wings cast a vast shadow on the ground. There was a small square at the center of the marketplace, and the White Dragon began to circle above it. People within the square quickly understood that the Dragon Knight was preparing to land there.
In less than ten seconds, the entire square was cleared.
At this point, everyone caught sight of the knight sitting on the dragon saddle. A full set of silver armor obscured the knight's figure and face, but their physique was slender. A five-meter long Dragon Spear was hung on the left side of the saddle, and on the right was a two-meter long Dragon-slaying Sword. The crowd couldn't help but be awe-stricken.
This was the pride of the entire White Dragon Empire: the pure white giant dragon!
This was the Dragon Knight who shared life with the Dragon Clan, an indomitably strong Dragon Knight.
Immediately, everyone spontaneously knelt down.
"Welcome Dragon Knight of the White Dragon!"
In the entirety of the White Dragon Empire, apart from the Emperor, only the White Dragon Knight could win such heartfelt adoration from the public.
Because they represent the strongest of the Empire!
The Dragon Knight jumped off the saddle. She pressed a spot on the neckline, causing a light sound as the helmet's lock opened. Then, she took off her helmet, and instantly, a head full of pure white hair cascaded down like a waterfall. At the same time, an exquisitely beautiful face that left one breathless was revealed.
"You all need not pay such great respect. My visit here is purely personal, and I apologize for the interruption. I will only stay for five minutes. Please, ensure your children do not approach the White Dragon, even though it's friendly." As she spoke, the female knight gave a knightly bow to the surrounding public.
Even though the female knight seemed somewhat anxious and spoke rather quickly, her enunciative speech and mannerisms were still polite.
This was a real aristocrat, a real knight, who would never act arrogantly because of her own nobility, nor look down on anyone because of their lowly status.
The crowd just stared at the female Dragon Knight. Nobody moved, not out of awe, but because they were utterly stunned by her beauty. The female Dragon Knight gave a helpless bitter smile, having obviously seen this reaction before.
The female Dragon Knight murmured a few words to the White Dragon behind her. The dragon nodded subtly, then raised its head high, looking off into the distance under the sunlight, like a gigantic statue, not even the slightest movement.
Dragons are not humans. They are a proud race, so proud that they scarcely bother conceiving of the notion of pride. Apart from Dragon Knights, no other being exists in their eyes.
The Dragon God created the world, and the Dragon Clan taught humans Fighting Aura and magic. It can be said that this world was built together by the Dragon Clan and humans.
After cautioning the White Dragon, the female Dragon Knight stepped forward. Clearly, she was anxious, but she still maintained her elegant pace, without any affectation.
It was only after the female Dragon Knight had departed that the crowd finally woke from their stupor. Still, no one spoke. The beauty of this female Dragon Knight was so overwhelming; people even felt it blasphemous to talk about her behind her back!
"Brother Long!" A crisp call, and the female Dragon Knight clad in silver armor rushed into the blacksmith's. Long Yi had long since put down the hammer in his hand, grinning as he watched the female Dragon Knight enter. On seeing Long Yi, the female Dragon Knight's face seemed to flicker and her steps faltered but there was no further demonstration.
"Elsa, you're here."