However, his heart was still in turmoil.
And soon, when the Li family moved again, trouble struck their household.
The elder from the Li family at the Elder Council was scolded and temporarily relieved of his duties.
This incident was a severe blow to the Li family. While they were still scrambling to pull some strings to see if there was any room for negotiation, they received a warning.
And the one who warned them was none other than Marshal Bruce of the First Legion.
“It was the elders from Dragon Island who revoked the Li family elder’s position. They appeared on the main star and expressed their displeasure with your attempt to control the legions.”
Bruce’s expression was serious. He hadn’t anticipated that what began as an inhibitor incident would escalate enough to involve those old folks from Dragon Island.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Li family members turned ashen. “How is this possible? How could an elder from Dragon Island be involved?”
The head of the Li family suddenly widened his eyes as something dawned on him.
“His Majesty has been supporting the Ruan family all along!”
They recalled Almer’s favoritism toward Ruan Xiao at the previous meeting, as well as the unusual posts he’d made online that seemed to hint at the presence of that daughter from the Ruan family. In fact, those posts were exceptions he’d only made because of her.
“It’s that daughter of Ruan Xiao!”
The Li family head ground his teeth as he spoke, though he still couldn’t figure out one thing: why would the old folks from Dragon Island help the Ruan family?
Could it simply be due to the relationship between His Majesty and that Ruan girl? Given the dragons’ tendency to protect their own, it wasn’t impossible, but His Majesty was not the type to report such minor matters to his elders.
Moreover, the elders from Dragon Island weren’t the kind to leave their island and come to the main star for trivial matters.
“Don’t think too much about it.”
A shadow flickered in Bruce’s eyes. “Regardless of their reasons, the Li family’s attempt to use inhibitors to control the legions has already crossed a line. If this issue continues to develop unchecked, the royal family will see the Li family as a threat.”
Hearing his words, the Li family head finally snapped out of his profit-driven mindset, realizing with regret just how foolish and short-sighted he had been.
“I apologize; we were too eager. We wanted that mutated little kumquat tree too desperately.”
A mutated plant with zero pollution level that could stabilize unstable Jingshen—who wouldn’t want it? Even Bruce had been coveting it.
However, he was more strategic, staying behind the scenes, feigning ignorance of the Li family’s small maneuvers. If the Li family managed to get their hands on the mutated kumquat, it would be ideal. But if the plan failed, he could easily distance himself from the whole affair.
He hadn’t expected those elders from Dragon Island to get involved, which left him no choice but to warn the Li family. He didn’t want to see them slaughtered in fury by those old folks; after all, he had numerous collaborative efforts with the Li family.
Still, the real reason for the elders’ presence on the main star piqued his curiosity.
At this moment, the Dragon Island elders who were on Bruce’s mind numbered only three.
But even just these three were influential enough that their mere presence could shake the entire Star Beast Empire.
Typically, these elders from the Dragon race were incredibly lazy and never liked to go anywhere but Dragon Island.
Yet now, three of them had arrived.
Indeed, they had come for that mutated orchid.
However, they hadn’t expected to be played by the youngest member of their clan, who dumped a mountain of Star Beast Empire affairs on them and then snuck away.
However, in light of the mutated orchid, the three elders decided to let the little dragon’s antics slide.
They had arrived discreetly, without alarming anyone, and spent most of their time in the lab with Director Hao, observing the orchid.
Under the Institute’s careful care, the little orchid finally bloomed shortly after the three elders arrived on the main star. As the petals, sculpted like white jade, unfolded, a delicate fragrance filled the lab, lifting the spirits of everyone present.
It had been countless years since they last felt so relaxed. Their bodies seemed to grow lighter as if all lingering ailments had vanished, and the air itself felt extraordinarily fresh.
Of course, this sensation faded once they left the room and moved beyond the range of the orchid’s scent.
However, when they examined Almer’s physical condition afterward, they found that the euphoric fragrance had no side effects. Even the three elders—dragons who had lived for thousands, maybe tens of thousands of years—felt a subtle relaxation in their usually sealed Jingshen without any adverse impact.
To prevent Jingshen collapse as they aged, dragons would seal off their Jingshen once they reached a certain age or sensed their power waning. This was one reason why the elders remained on Dragon Island, seemingly lazy and unwilling to venture out.
No one wanted to become a Fallen Beast, least of all a dragon, whose sheer strength meant they could destroy planets. Nobody wanted elderly dragons wandering freely; on Dragon Island, there was at least a chance of containment. Beyond it, they posed a catastrophe to other worlds.
After confirming that the orchid’s fragrance had no side effects and allowed their minds to relax, the three elders took over the lab where the orchid was housed.
This was theirs, a gift from their young kin!
Now, even Director Hao needed their permission to see the orchid, highlighting the dragons’ possessive and domineering nature.
Director Hao: How does a species like the dragons still exist in this world?!
The orchid had become a universal “catnip,” except it was even more potent—creatures of all kinds, not just felines, would likely adore it.
So, every day, the three elders would come to “inhale” the orchid.
They developed quite a fondness for the Ruan family, who had sent them this treasure. Recalling what the young dragon had told them about the Li family’s inhibitor scheme, they kept a close eye on the Lis and unhesitatingly intervened to suppress their activities.
When Almer returned and found the three elders, they were blissfully “inhaling” the orchid.
As he opened the door, the sight that greeted him was surreal. The three dragons, each about the size of a tiger, lay around the orchid with abandon, bellies exposed, scratching their necks with their hind legs and sprawling with unguarded, blissful expressions.
Almer closed the door, expressionless, and took a step back.
He must have opened the door wrong. Otherwise, why would he see such undignified, shameless dragons?
These couldn’t possibly be the dragons from Dragon Island, those prideful beings who prided themselves on their fierce, imposing demeanor!
After taking a moment to brace himself, he opened the door again.
They had shifted positions, but…it wasn’t much different.
Almer: “……”
If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, he’d have mistaken those three for dogs—some breed with a bit of husky lineage!