Just as he screamed, Miao Han’s eyes snapped open as he woke abruptly, his breath uneven as the memory shattered. He looked around and saw Lin Xiao Tian crouched beside him, calmly feeding him a few pills.

He pushed himself up at once, his movements hurried as if trying to escape something unseen. Seeing this, Lin Xiao Tian gave him a grin and began speaking casually.

"So you also decided to go dragon farming today, huh—" he stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Miao Han’s pale face and strange expression.

Miao Han steadied himself quickly and forced his face back to normal, his voice controlled despite the lingering tremor. "It’s nothing, Master, I was just exhausted and a bit shaken."

Lin Xiao Tian looked at him for a moment before nodding lightly, his tone relaxed as always. "Alright, take care of yourself and stabilize first."

Miao Han turned and walked away, his steps unsteady despite his effort to hide it. Lin Xiao Tian watched him go, his expression calm, yet his gaze lingered slightly longer than usual.

This lad is hiding something heavy.

He shifted his attention toward Xiaoshan, who was sitting nearby while Yan Feng and Li Qingyuan worked on bandaging his shoulder. Bai Xue stood beside them, carefully feeding him pills as they tried to manage the injury.

Lin Xiao Tian rubbed his chin lightly as he observed and began to brainstorm.

Getting that arm back will be troublesome... but not impossible if I handle it right.

Xiaoshan suddenly frowned as the bandage tightened, his face twisting in discomfort as he complained loudly. Yan Feng only grinned and gave it another firm tug, clearly enjoying the reaction.

"You were acting all heroic saving junior sister Bai Xue earlier, what happened now, did her beauty confuse you?" he said with a smirk.

Xiaoshan blinked at him in confusion, clearly not following, while Bai Xue lowered her head slightly, her face turning red.

Lin Xiao Tian’s face twitched faintly as he watched the exchange, his gaze shifting between them.

I really ended up picking a strange group instead of proper protagonists... every one of them comes with their own story.

He exhaled lightly and turned his eyes toward the fallen dragon, his expression settling as he rubbed his hands together. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

At least this one is worth it.

Looking back at the disciples resting around, he clicked his tongue and raised his voice. "Alright, enough resting, everyone except the injured get up and move."

The disciples groaned quietly but still pushed themselves up, their eyes drifting toward Miao-Miao as if waiting for her to step in. She remained exactly where she was, completely unbothered, not even sparing them a glance.

For a moment, a shared thought passed through their minds.

Wake up, Senior Sister Miao-Miao... fight for justice... at least pretend to help.

Lin Xiao Tian waved his hand dismissively. "If we do not strip this thing now, then no one is eating today."

That was enough as they moved reluctantly toward the dragon, gathering around its massive body as they began working on it together.

It was not a simple task, and progress came slowly as time passed, each part requiring effort to separate properly.

They gathered around the dragon’s corpse, its massive body still radiating heat as blood soaked into the fractured ground.

For a brief moment, no one moved, then Yan Feng stepped forward and struck first without wasting time.

His blade scraped hard against the scales, sparks jumping as the edge failed to bite through properly. He adjusted his stance and struck again with more force, yet the scale only shifted slightly under repeated effort.

Xiaoshan stepped in beside him despite his injury, gripping his halberd with one hand as he drove it down along a loosened edge. The impact forced a crack through the surface, opening just enough space for the others to follow.

Miao Han moved in silently, his spear sliding into the gap before he pried upward with steady pressure. The first scale tore free slowly, the sound rough as it separated from the flesh beneath.

Once the outer layer began to give, they worked together without pause, prying and cutting each section loose one by one. Every scale required effort, their weapons grinding and levering against the dense surface before finally pulling it away.

The exposed flesh beneath was thick and resilient, forcing them to cut carefully as they divided it into equal portions. Each piece was measured and separated cleanly, then stored away without waste.

Blood coated their hands and weapons as the work continued, the pace steady but tiring. Even the bones resisted them, each one requiring repeated strikes before breaking apart into usable sections.

They collected everything nothing was left behind as scales, meat, and bone were all taken and stored properly.

Not far away, Tianhe stood with the black heart in his hand for a moment before turning and leaving without a word.

Night settled quietly as their work finally ended, the air cooling while the scent of sizzling dragon meat spread across the area.

The disciples sat in a loose circle, their exhaustion easing slightly as they watched Lin Xiao Tian cook.

The fire crackled steadily as pieces of meat turned over the flame, releasing a rich aroma that drew every gaze without exception. Even those barely able to move leaned forward slightly, their focus fixed on the food.

Tianhe returned without notice as he simply appeared near the edge of the group, his presence quieter than before, yet not entirely stable.

A half-formed horn flickered on his head, appearing and fading as if it could not settle, while the scent of raw dragon meat clung to him heavily.

Lin Xiao Tian glanced at him once before handing over a bowl without comment. Then he wrinkled his nose slightly and waved his hand.

"You are not sleeping with us today," he said plainly.

Tianhe paused, then groaned faintly before swallowing the entire bowl without a word. He turned and left immediately, sitting at a distance as he began to cultivate again.

Lin Xiao Tian watched him for a moment and let out a quiet chuckle.

Looks like the heart did some job... but if he does not stabilize, I might just rip that horn out myself.

He shifted his gaze toward the others.

The disciples were already eating, their earlier tension easing as they spoke quietly among themselves, though traces of strain still lingered beneath it. Despite everything, their eyes still carried a clear trust when they glanced toward him.

Lin Xiao Tian clicked his tongue softly.

All naive souls indeed.