When!
Sparks flew, and a few drops of purple venom landed on the scorching surface of the shell, gradually vaporizing.
The hardness of the Elder Dragon's head shell far exceeded the swordsman's imagination, leading to an unexpected deflection.
But he only took a step back. The swordsman, who had recoiled, quickly stabilized himself and assumed a sword-holding stance.
Just as the two sides were in a standoff, preparing to engage in a second round of combat, the Zorah Magdaros's shell suddenly tilted backward.
Crack! Crack!
The restraining anchors embedded in its shell began to break loose, one by one.
The Zorah Magdaros's two pillar-like forelegs lifted off the canyon floor.
"The Zorah Magdaros is going to stand and move! Retreat quickly!"
Li Fan immediately issued a warning.
Once the Zorah Magdaros completed its standing, the angle of its entire shell would become nearly vertical.
The rocks that had been shattered and scattered from the front of its shell would also roll down in large quantities.
Roar!
Before Aiden and the swordsman could respond, the Nergigante let out a roar.
Then, it plunged its head into the pit created by its forelegs and picked up a fragment of the Kushala Daora's horn.
Whoosh~ Whoosh~
With a flap of its wings, the Nergigante slowly ascended.
Roar! As its silhouette receded, a roar echoed through the canyon.
To Li Fan, its meaning was: Wait for me.
At this moment, Eudora floated over and shot out a silk thread.
Li Fan grabbed the thread, Aiden held onto Li Fan's thigh, and the swordsman gripped Aiden's ankle.
The four of them quickly retreated from the steaming shell.
When the Zorah Magdaros completed its standing, only four restraining anchors remained embedded near its hind legs, their limiting effect reduced to a minimum.
Bang! Bang! Crash!
With heavy footsteps, the wooden walls hastily erected for the capture operation were touched by the Zorah Magdaros and immediately collapsed. The remaining restraining anchors were also dislodged.
After watching the Zorah Magdaros depart, the swordsman on the side wall rubbed his wrist and lamented, "Is it because I'm getting old? I feel like my reflexes have declined."
"You were already incredibly skilled," Aiden praised.
"I heard that a hunter from the Fifth Fleet, in order to craft Zinogre armor, completed over a dozen commission requests in one go. Could that have been you?" the swordsman asked tentatively.
"Haha, yes, that was me," Aiden replied.
"Hmm, a new force full of vigor. I look forward to your future performance," the swordsman affirmed.
The Zorah Magdaros capture plan had undoubtedly failed.
However, the related cleanup work still needed to continue.
Commander Flea summoned everyone, assigned various tasks, and decided to return to Astera Base camp overnight to prepare for the upcoming operations.
Material recovery, transportation of the injured, and collection of residual traces.
The canyon soon became a scene of bustling activity again.
After hearing the subsequent deployment, the team returned to the Ignis.
"Li Fan, did the plan to lure the Nergigante succeed?" Eudora asked tentatively.
"Alas, it succeeded," Li Fan sighed with melancholy before giving his answer.
"So the Nergigante went to find the Kushala Daora, meow? Will Huihui be in danger then?" Dilo exclaimed with surprise.
"Alas, yes."
"Hmm, why do you always sigh before speaking? Did something troublesome happen?" Eudora asked curiously.
In fact, many people knew that the Zorah Magdaros capture plan would fail, but this opportunity was too rare.
Therefore, Eudora didn't believe Li Fan would be worried about this matter.
"Alas, no. I'm going to rest. Dilo, remember to wake me up for dinner," Li Fan said.
"Okay, meow." Dilo responded.
Li Fan entered his cabin bedroom and took off his Thunder Dragon armor. The left gauntlet, with a貫穿裂口 (piercing rift), was placed aside separately.
Lying on the bed, unable to sleep for a long time, he began to ponder the cause of the Nergigante's peculiar behavior.
Nergigante reproduced asexually. Every spine detached from its body could potentially become a new embryo.
Of course, the probability of this was very low. Otherwise, the investigation team that had been on the New World for forty years would not have only had a few sightings.
Perhaps the formation of an embryo was itself a form of mutation.
If this mutation method could be mastered, could Nergigante be mass-produced?
No, if that were to happen, the ecosystem couldn't sustain it.
Li Fan knew very well that the ecological damage caused by Nergigante itself was limited. However, once it began hunting other Elder Dragons, the chain reaction would be unbearable for the ecosystem. If they appeared in large numbers, the local ecosystem would quickly collapse.
Since the formation of an embryo was extremely rare, it was highly likely that even the Nergigante itself was unaware that one of its spines had successfully developed into an embryo.
What was even more bizarre was that the reproductive behavior was linked to its attack methods.
Without the habit of raising young and a scarce population, their lineage inheritance should be relatively rare.
This was somewhat similar to the habits of the Khezu, except that the Khezu abandoned their eggs after laying them.
The Nergigante, on the other hand, couldn't even determine which of its spines could successfully develop into an embryo.
As for whether it could distinguish its own offspring, based on the intelligence gathered so far, a conclusion could not be drawn.
After a period of contemplation, Li Fan had a general understanding of the reasons behind this Nergigante's abnormal cognition.
Because their lineage inheritance was weak and there was no nurturing, Nergigante grew up independently through various unconventional means until adulthood.
Therefore, their understanding of the world varied wildly.
Just like Xi Xi, who ate the body of a water beast that fell from the top of the Sky Tower, she believed it was being fed to her.
Thus, she developed feelings for Huihui that transcended species and overcame her fear of Dragon attribute monsters.
Li Fan speculated that something similar had happened to the Nergigante, leading to a severe deviation in its cognition.
The other party seemed to stubbornly believe that as long as their abilities were similar, they could form a mate.
The cause was probably understood, but Li Fan currently had no clue on how to resolve the misunderstanding.
"Alas, don't mess with me. This kind of thing can actually lead to death," Li Fan muttered.
With a sigh, the tired Li Fan fell asleep.
"Dinner time, wake up, meow!" Dilo's call sounded in his ears. Li Fan opened his eyes and saw that the sky outside the porthole was already completely dark. He got up and went to the deck.
Eudora and Apo were already sitting at the dining table, discussing food-related topics with great enthusiasm.
"Li Fan, you're awake. I have a new theory about the Zorah Magdaros," Apo announced excitedly.
"Go ahead," Li Fan replied.
"You suggested I investigate based on age before, right? Through observations during this operation, I suspect this Zorah Magdaros might be in its twilight years and about to die," Apo stated her theory.
"What's the reason?"
"It's in its posture when moving. According to my observations, when the Zorah Magdaros stood up, all the embedded restraining anchors were broken free, and the wooden walls were easily breached. This shows that it could overcome obstacles. However, standing up was a very difficult or energy-consuming action for it, which is why it was blocked by the walls for so long. Only when the Nergigante appeared and it felt a sense of crisis did it manage to stand up. I believe only elderly individuals would exhibit such weakness," Apo explained earnestly.
"I was on its shell during the operation and didn't feel much, but I think your theory has some merit," Li Fan agreed.
"Looking at it this way, accumulating too much shell isn't entirely a good thing. The Elder Mountain Dragon seems more reasonable," Eudora mused.
The Zorah Magdaros's current defense power could be said to have reached its peak.
However, its heavy shell had clearly affected its mobility.
If Apo's theory was correct, then its weakening physical functions in its twilight years would make its movements even more difficult.
"It's a pity that if my theory is correct, the mystery of the Elder Crossing will be even harder to explain," Apo said with some disappointment.
"Why?" Eudora asked, confused.
"Because during this Elder Crossing, the Kushala Daora, Teostra, and Lunastra also visited. They did not exhibit signs of old age," Apo stated her reason.
"Perhaps their purposes were all different?" Li Fan inquired.
"However, large-scale migrations usually have relatively unified reasons, such as the influence of Dragon Energy on the Valstrax and the Hundred Beast Night. If each Elder Dragon had different purposes, why would they choose to come to the New World at the same time?" Apo reasoned.
At this point, Li Fan couldn't offer any further suggestions for research direction.
He hadn't figured out the specific reasons why these Elder Dragons, belonging to the Black Dragon group, came to the New World.
According to the game's plot, Zorah Magdaros came to be buried in the瘴气之谷 (Miasma Valley), and then was lured to the Dragonator Crystal Land by a mass scam text from the冥灯龙 (Nergigante).
There was no reason given for the Kushala Daora, Teostra, and Lunastra.
However, based on the actual classified observation intelligence, all of this was influenced by the Black Dragon.
As for himself and the Monster Squad, they were currently considered members of the Ancestral Dragon group.
Their goal was to suppress imbalance, and their target was definitely the Nergigante.
If their goals converged...
Wait a minute, could it be that the Zorah Magdaros wasn't coming for a grave at all?
The scam text couldn't affect it at all. Its purpose was to reach the core ley lines and plunge the New World into ecological destruction.
Li Fan suddenly thought of a possibility. Because if the investigation team hadn't intervened, this was an inevitable outcome.
Huihui had only said that the Nergigante claimed to be king and there was no information about it luring the Zorah Magdaros.
It was time to re-examine the movements and behaviors of the Elder Dragons.
"Li Fan, did you think of something?" Apo asked tentatively, seeing Li Fan's solemn expression.
"Nothing, just thinking about some trivial matters," Li Fan said with a relaxed smile.
The culinary team quickly served the dishes, and the three of them began to have dinner amidst the lively atmosphere.
The next day, the only two airships on the entire New World capable of high-altitude flight were tasked with exploring the end of the canyon.
In fact, as the Zorah Magdaros moved, the mountain range at the end of the canyon would be opened up within a week.
Once the obstruction disappeared, the land route connecting Astera Base camp and the Coral Highlands would be completed.
However, Li Fan still decided to speed up the progress, because if the next interception operation failed, the New World might be in danger.
Leading the investigation team to advance more quickly towards the Coral Highlands would mean more preparation time.
After a continuous flight of one day and one night, the Ignis successfully crossed the towering peaks at the end of the canyon.
"Everyone, come and see, meow!" Dilo, standing on the railing, let out a cry of surprise.
Li Fan, Eudora, and Apo immediately rushed over to observe.
As far as the eye could see below, the landscape was covered with coral forests, predominantly in shades of blue and pale pink.
A large amount of pink dust floated in the sky, and the scattered coral forests, resembling terraces, gave an unreal, dreamlike impression.
"This is the Coral Highlands visited by the Third Fleet," Apo exclaimed in awe.
"Even the wyverns flying in the sky here are pink!" Eudora said in surprise.
"Those are the Pukei-Pukei. The investigation reports sent back by the Third Fleet mentioned that they were blocked here for twenty years. I wonder how they've been doing," Apo introduced, and then her expression turned worried as she thought of the Third Fleet's plight.
"Don't worry. Ecological research has never stopped during these twenty years. It's just that information transmission has been severely hindered," Li Fan said. He had seen many ecological investigation reports from the Third Fleet at Astera Base camp, so he had some understanding of their current situation.
Under the leadership of the Third Fleet captain, the investigation had been proceeding in an orderly manner, but the problem of material shortages had not been resolved.
"Everyone, first observe the surrounding airspace. If you spot any suspended airships, please inform me," Li Fan instructed. The three of them and the cat immediately separated to observe the surrounding airspace.
However, the observation was not as easy as imagined, because no one knew the location or hovering altitude of the Third Fleet's research base.
At the same time, the terrain of the Coral Highlands had large elevation differences, creating various obstructions that limited visibility.
Ascending to a sufficient height to observe, the colorful coral sea below became increasingly dizzying and made it impossible to determine directions.
Soon, two hours passed. Apo's eyes were bloodshot from straining, but there was still no progress.
"I can't anymore, I'm getting so dizzy," Eudora, holding her forehead, was the first to give in.
"Dilo, teach Eudora the eye exercises I taught you to help her relieve it," Li Fan instructed.
"Not yet, meow..." Dilo, holding a telescope, was intently staring in one direction.
"Did you find something?" Li Fan asked curiously.
"Yes, meow! I found a dark blue wyvern with wings like a butterfly... so beautiful!" Dilo informed him.