Chaos and monsters begin with the red dragon's clone.

Crater lava lake.

Zhang Xun suddenly opened his eyes and stood up. His dark red scales reflected a metallic luster in the heat of the magma and flames. His body, about the size of a deer, had smooth lines, and his muscles bulged slightly beneath the scales, showing the strong physique of a red dragon hatchling.

Looking down at the dragon's body, he felt a great sense of security.

A true dragon fears nothing!

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

Suddenly, it spread its wings, the crimson membranes shaking off the molten lava and fanning out the flames and heat.

The fledgling dragon thrashed and staggered to the rocky shore, scratching at the rocks with its claws, digging out pieces and crunching them as it looked around, finally gazing at the thin gray mist in the night sky above the volcano.

"This world may be more dangerous than we imagine. Even as a great red dragon, we cannot be careless."

"Not to mention, I am just a fledgling dragon now, and I am still quite a distance away from mastering the power of a true dragon."

Dragons are legendary creatures; even if they do nothing, they can gain immense power once they reach a certain age.

Even the older they are, the stronger they become, progressing in the order of hatchling dragon, young dragon, teenage dragon, youth dragon, adult dragon, mature dragon, old dragon, gay dragon, ancient dragon, prehistoric dragon, and primordial dragon.

The people's lives have become basically stable, at least they no longer have to live in fear and anxiety.

Zhang Xun then had the leisure to think about the future of the Red Dragon Body, while in Feilian City, everyone feared the Fog Zone like a tiger.

We must become strong as soon as possible!

The fastest way for a dragon to become powerful is through growth, and rapid growth requires excellent food.

"I wonder if that beast meat will be of any benefit to me?"

Thinking of the meat in the butcher shop, the fledgling dragon chewed on the rock in its mouth, finding it increasingly tasteless and difficult to swallow, and a sense of restlessness rose in its heart.

"Damn it! To think that I, the mighty Red Dragon, have been reduced to eating dirt? What a disgrace!"

The thought arose, and Zhang Xun paused, feeling that something was wrong. But after thinking about it, he realized there was nothing wrong, so he put it aside and started thinking about the next question.

"First, we need to grow as quickly as possible; second, we need to explore the boundaries of the foggy area."

"Whether it's growing into a young dragon or honing its innate abilities, including flight, it all takes time."

"And this time cannot be wasted. If there are powerful fog demons outside the crater that can fly, or if they block my way and attack, then I won't be able to get out of the crater either, therefore..."

Zhang Xun's eyes darted around, surveying the surrounding bright red rock walls, selecting a suitable location to dig a hole.

Digging a burrow is equivalent to building a nest. In the dragon race's mind, building a nest is a matter of course. When they are young, they build nests to avoid danger, while when they are adults, they build nests to display their power. And volcanic craters are the most suitable nesting sites for red dragons.

The current location is excellent. With just a few minor modifications, such as digging a tunnel to the outside and allowing direct flight from the top, it will be basically complete. No, no, as the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. It would be best to dig two tunnels, one open and one hidden, for added security. Digging is almost effortless for dragons. They don't need to carry the excavated soil and rocks; they can just eat them without hesitation, thus solving the biggest problem. All that's left is time.

Once Zhang Xun had conceived the idea and set the next stage goal for the Red Dragon body, his attention drifted back to the human body in Dongluo Town, where he began to struggle with a dilemma.

Now that the problem of physical training has been solved, what about the money and food needed for training?

*

*

*

Dongluo Town, evening.

After another day of arduous training, Zhang Xun left the boxing academy exhausted and went home.

As we turned into the slums and passed the entrance to a dirty alley, a chilling wind swept through the area, carrying the faint sounds of women crying, men roaring, and the clatter of bodies being beaten and struck.

He paused, about to hurry away.

A shout came from the other side.

"Brother Biao, Zhang Xun is back!"

"Oh, tell him not to run away, I'll be right there!"

It was the voice of Liu Biao from the Sanlian Gang and his henchmen. The words had barely left his mouth when...

A thug with red, yellow, and blue strips of cloth tied around his arms ran out of the alley, blocked the way, and gave a malicious smile.

"Zhang Xun, don't walk so fast. Wait a minute, Brother Biao wants to talk to you."

Zhang Xun's eyes narrowed slightly, and he stopped abruptly. Living in this poor, unsafe area on the outskirts of town meant he was bound to deal with gangs. Besides, he had already made preparations.

A moment later, Liu Biao emerged from the alley, his eyes narrowed, scanning Zhang Xun's blue robes—the attire of a formal disciple of the Flying Stone Fist Academy—with a dangerous glint in them.

"Oh, it's Brother Biao, hello." Zhang Xun greeted him with a smile.

"Xiao Xun, I heard you've mastered the basics of boxing and officially joined the inner academy of Flying Stone Fist. You've really made something of yourself! You're one of the most talented people in this area. You're really getting on in years." Liu Biao said with a forced smile.

"Brother Biao is joking. I've only just begun to learn after a year of practice. What future do I have to speak of? Besides, if it weren't for the guidance of a senior brother from the inner courtyard, I would hardly have been able to get started on my own. He knew that many people in the slums had been robbed a few days ago, and he even gave me a Zhao's Jade Pendant. I'm really so grateful to my senior brother."

Zhang Xun took out a round jade pendant with the characters "Zhao, San" and a small building pattern engraved in the center.

The Zhao family owns restaurants in several neighboring towns and is a prominent family in those towns. This is Zhao Shaoting's private jade pendant.

Liu Biao's gaze swept over half of the jade pendant, his eyes flickering, and he chuckled dryly, "Xiao Xun, you've already climbed into a wealthy family, and you still say you're useless? What happened the other day..."

Zhang Xun chuckled and picked up the thread: "What could have happened the day before yesterday? If it weren't for Brother Biao's patronage, which reduced my family's fees significantly, I might not have been able to train to where I am today." He paused, then said resentfully, "If my aunt hadn't looked down on me the day before yesterday, this misunderstanding wouldn't have happened."

"Haha, that's right, it's good that the misunderstanding has been cleared up."

Liu Biao chuckled a few times and stepped aside.

He watched Zhang Xun leave and disappear into the distance.

His face darkened, and he gave instructions to his two henchmen.

"This kid can't be allowed to live! Go to the gang and find out if any criminals have come here recently, or find some reckless strangers." The other party was already on guard and couldn't possibly not hold a grudge against him, but since the other party had just become a formal disciple of the Flying Stone Fist Academy and had the Zhao Family Jade Pendant, he would definitely suffer retribution and be unable to be resurrected if he made a move. But did he think that would leave him helpless?

Liu Biao sneered.

After Zhang Xun walked away and saw no one following him, he loosened the dagger he was holding in his sleeve and let out a deep sigh of relief.

"I've pulled off a double act. It might make them wary for a while, but who knows what will happen later? I can't stay here any longer! I didn't want to trouble Senior Brother Zhao; I've already incurred too many favors. But I have no choice..."

After returning home and closing the bedroom door, Zhang Xun immediately said to Yao Cuiling, "Mother, pack your things tonight, and tomorrow have someone ask the leather workshop for a day off so we can move out immediately."

"what?"

Yao Cuiling was taken aback, then realized what was happening and exclaimed in panic, "Is it Liu Biao and the others?"

"Mm." Zhang Xun nodded.

"Where should we move to? We don't have enough money, and we haven't found a place to rent yet!" Yao Cuiling was panicked and worried, at a loss. "How about we go to your aunt's place first?" She went to the Gao family again; her sister-in-law's attitude had improved a lot, but…

"No, I've already found a place for the boxing academy," Zhang Xun said in a deep voice.

The next morning, he went to the boxing academy to find Zhao Shaoting. Without saying a word, Zhao Shaoting helped him find a house next door that same day. Zhang Xun and his mother were able to move their luggage there smoothly, and only then did they truly breathe a sigh of relief.

The boxing academy is right outside the gate. No one, not even Liu Biao or anyone from the Sanlian Gang, would be so bold as to sneak into the vicinity of the academy and kill its disciples.

"This is not a long-term solution; we still need to work hard to improve our strength and become stronger..." Zhang Xun let out a long sigh.