The bad value system is measuring values.

Chapter 126 Uninhabitable Environment

The dragon roared, its enormous body flashing like a black lightning bolt across the thick clouds.

As if summoned by some force, the lightning in the clouds struck the dragon. However, when these violent lightning bolts hit the dragon's hard scales, they did not cause any damage. Instead, they seemed to inject it with a continuous stream of energy, making its already powerful aura even more terrifying.

After a long flight, they finally arrived at a vast and boundless region.

Surprisingly, this area is centered around an erupting volcano and surrounded by dense forests.

From the air, the volcano resembles a sleeping giant, spewing out thick smoke and scorching lava from time to time.

In the dense forest at the foot of the volcano, an ancient castle can be vaguely seen standing there.

The castle is built in the typical medieval Gothic style, with its towering spires, gloomy walls and closed gates, all of which evoke images of the legendary abode of vampires.

Qiao Xiao gazed curiously at the scenery below, deeply attracted by its mysterious atmosphere.

Surviving in such a unique environment would surely be an extraordinary experience, and she looked forward to what new and exciting things would happen there.

As they got closer to the ground, Qiao Xiao began to suspect that she might be thrown off at any moment.

Qiao Xiao: I'm not afraid of heights, really, but this descent seems a bit too fast...

The dragon suddenly accelerated and swooped down, hurtling towards the ground like a missile that had gone out of control.

With a deafening roar, the dragon crashed heavily onto the flat ground in front of the castle, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Immediately afterwards, less than half a meter above the ground, the dragon suddenly released its claws and threw Qiao Xiao down without warning.

Qiao Xiao undoubtedly got a mouthful of dust. She struggled to stand up slowly and then gently patted the dust off her clothes.

However, her head remained fuzzy, as if bound tightly by an invisible force, and her thinking became sluggish, making it impossible for her to react effectively to what was happening before her eyes.

Qiao Xiao slowly turned her head, and in that instant, the entire appearance of the legendary evil dragon was revealed to her without reservation.

Qiao Xiao couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "What beautiful dragon scales!"

This dragon was completely different from the image she had previously conceived. It was not the enormous, majestic dragon of traditional Eastern mythology, but a typical Western dragon.

Sharp, pointed teeth protrude from its wide-open mouth; its long neck is flexible and powerful; a pair of huge bat wings are spread out on its sides; and a tail shaped like an arrowhead trails behind it.

The dragon's entire body was a deep and mysterious black, yet it did not give people any feeling of oppression, dullness, or suffocation.

On the contrary, the dragon scales covering its entire body resembled countless crystals shimmering with captivating light, constantly refracting a dazzling array of colors as the light changed.

However, judging from its not yet fully mature body, this dragon is currently still in the growth stage.

Just as Qiao Xiao was intently observing the dragon, it suddenly let out a deafening roar at her. The roar was like rolling thunder, echoing through the sky.

At the same time, the dragon's blood-red vertical pupils stared intently at Qiao Xiao, like two crystal-clear yet hostile water droplets. Its sharp fangs gleamed coldly, seemingly exerting pressure on Qiao Xiao, warning her not to act rashly.

Just moments later, the evil dragon flapped its wings without a word, turned and flew away into the distance, quickly disappearing into the horizon.

Qiao Xiao was left standing there, staring blankly in the direction the dragon had gone, and asked in confusion, "It just left like that?"

She shook her head slightly, deciding to find some fun for herself here.

The castle was enormous, but it was completely deserted, making it seem exceptionally desolate and silent.

Her light footsteps echoed in the corridor as Qiao Xiao curiously wandered between the rooms, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

There are countless rooms here, each with its own unique characteristics.

Some are decorated in a magnificent and luxurious style, like a royal palace; others are decorated in a simple and elegant style, full of artistic atmosphere.

Qiao Xiao wasn't attracted to the most luxurious rooms; she had other ideas in mind.

After some searching, she finally arrived at the top floor of the castle. This floor was about five stories high, and from here, one could overlook the vast surrounding scenery.

Qiao Xiao walked into one of the rooms, opened the window, and a fresh breeze rushed in, but the room was unusually cold and damp, as if a forest had once lived there, with a bone-chilling cold.

Looking out the window, she noticed that the entire castle seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious protective shield, with a transparent barrier faintly visible, and some scattered undercurrents on it.

Qiao Xiao tried to leave the castle. When she reached the door, she found that the magic barrier was like a tightly locked door, and no matter how hard she pushed or knocked, she could not open it.

Qiao Xiao frowned, her eyes scanning her surroundings as she began searching for other exits from this place.

But after some searching, she finally realized she was hungry.

Qiao Xiao: Is there no food here?

After a painstaking search, she finally found a place that resembled a kitchen and contained cooking utensils, but the room also had a strong, damp smell.

Everything here seemed shrouded in moisture, appearing unusually damp, several times more humid than the rooms in the tower.

Although she thought it might be because they were in a rainforest, the overgrown weeds in front of her still surprised Qiao Xiao.

Qiao Xiao was struggling internally. She searched the kitchen with some disgust, trying not to miss any corner or cabinet where food might be stored.

However, the result was disappointing—there wasn't a single trace of food in those basements.

The thought of coming into contact with those moldy items sent chills down Qiao Xiao's spine and made her feel unwell all over.

Qiao Xiao couldn't help but mutter to herself, "How did the last person who was kidnapped survive?"

At that moment, the system's voice rang in her mind: "Host, the last person to be kidnapped was hundreds of years ago."

Hearing this, Qiao Xiao didn't quite process the information. She wondered if she had misheard. "Several hundred years?"

The system reiterated its statement definitively: "That's right, it's several hundred years. The reason the dragons kidnap members of the royal family is that when they reach adulthood, that is, when the young dragons have grown to five hundred years old, their bodies undergo a transformation, turning them into true dragons. However, this transformation process is fraught with danger and could very well lead to the dragons' demise. The royal bloodline has a certain connection with the bloodline of the ancient dragons, and this blood relationship can help them bear some of the damage and successfully complete their transformation from young dragons to adult dragons."

Qiao Xiao: "Oh, I see."

"Who are you talking to?!"

Suddenly, a powerful voice came from afar. Although Qiao Xiao had never heard this voice before, she keenly sensed its presence.

Qiao Xiao thought to herself: It's that dragon.

"You're not too stupid."

Qiao Xiao: Huh? Was I mocked by a dragon?

The system warned, "Master, it seems to be able to hear your inner thoughts, but it cannot hear my voice."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Xiao consciously tried to control her thoughts and said loudly, "Talking to myself, but I'm hungry. There's not even anything to eat here."

As a result, there was complete silence, and no further response was received.

Qiao Xiao thought to herself, "Does it only hear me when I speak in my mind? Is this dragon illiterate, completely oblivious to what I'm trying to say?"

"How dare you speak ill of me!"

Qiao Xiao felt that the dragon was a bit arrogant for some reason. She said calmly, "If you don't give me food, I will die."

"What a fragile and ugly thing."

For the first time, Qiao Xiao's face contorted in pain from the other party's rude words.

Qiao Xiao: This dragon is too arrogant. In my eyes, you are also incredibly ugly.

"What did you say?!"

Suddenly, a dark figure appeared in front of me.

Qiao Xiao: "Let's talk this out. Don't show your face here. This castle can't accommodate you."

"I know without you saying it."

The black dragon transformed into the form of a young man, his body resembling a noble young master in the dark night, bathed in the bright moonlight, surrounded by a cold and ancient aura.

His face was like a black lotus quietly blooming in the abyss, every feature containing indescribable power and beauty.

His eyes were deep, like a pool of blood, a blend of crimson and darkness, as if they could see through the essence of all things in the world and contain boundless wisdom.

Qiao Xiao caught the emotion in his eyes—indifference and disregard.