"So, what does this have to do with dragons?" Lu Mingfei asked, taking the test report.
"You can try dripping a drop of blood onto it," Fuyama Masashi suggested.
"My blood?" Lu Mingfei looked up at him.
"The blood of a Half-blood," Fuyama Masashi said.
"Half-blood?" Lu Mingfei was puzzled; a new concept had emerged.
Guderian then remembered that he had forgotten to introduce Lu Mingfei to the knowledge of Half-bloods. He slapped his forehead:
"Fingel will fill you in on that later. For now, just understand that it's the blood of people like us."
Lu Mingfei nodded and turned to see Fuyama Masashi handing him a blood lancet.
Lu Mingfei took it, hesitating for a moment. Firstly, he couldn't find where to drip the blood, and secondly...
He was a little afraid of pain.
"There's a small hole in the bottom right corner," Fuyama Masashi said, understandingly.
After a moment of hesitation, Lu Mingfei still pricked his finger and dabbed a drop of fresh blood into the hole.
In the quiet study, the sound of the blood drop falling was exceptionally piercing.
The next second, the white ribbon in the double-layered glass casing vibrated violently, like the slime tentacles Lu Mingfei had seen in his notebook—sticky yet nimble.
A section of white ribbon, about the length of a badminton racket, extended from the hole, standing straight up as if made of metal.
Lu Mingfei was startled by the movement and retreated two steps, afraid that at any moment, this thing would sneak into his mouth, or somewhere else, when he wasn't paying attention.
Fuyama Masashi gently pressed against his back, signaling him not to be nervous:
"As long as you don't touch it, it won't escape."
Lu Mingfei then calmed down, straightened his body, and observed carefully.
"In its current state, can it pierce a person?"
"More than that," Fuyama Masashi said, "In its current state, it can cut through iron like mud."
"Tests have shown that in this state, it can even pierce through a one-meter-thick concrete wall without any bending."
"Can it pierce through the dragon scales from earlier?" Lu Mingfei asked.
"If the dragon scales actively collide with the ribbon, no," Fuyama Masashi shook his head.
"What if the ribbon actively collides with the dragon scales?" Lu Mingfei asked, drawing an inference.
"No one has tried that. A former experimenter once voluntarily held this section of ribbon, and the result was that he lost half of his palm." Fuyama Masashi smiled wryly:
"It's too sharp."
"Then isn't it just as useless as a chicken rib bone?" Lu Mingfei complained.
The two opposite him were momentarily stunned, not understanding Lu Mingfei's meaning.
Lu Mingfei realized that neither of them were Chinese and quickly explained,
"It's a Chinese idiom. Chicken rib bones are tasteless to eat but a shame to throw away. It usually refers to something that is meaningless but you're unwilling to give up."
The two suddenly understood.
"Indeed, it's no different from a chicken rib bone," Professor Guderian said.
Fuyama Masashi, however, shook his head, "For us, it might be a chicken rib bone, but for an S-rank, it could be a divine weapon."
"This thing was brought back by the Headmaster. According to him, he used it to cut down many Dragon Descendants in the pyramid, which is why we dared to hold it directly during later experiments."
"Ah, I see." Lu Mingfei instantly understood Fuyama Masashi's unspoken meaning.
"Let's skip it today. Isn't this something that can only be viewed after applying? This, let's not use it casually without applying."
"Indeed," Fuyama Masashi said with a smile, letting the matter pass.
"So, back to the main topic, what exactly does this thing have to do with dragons?"
"The most direct connection is that it must be an alchemical creation. In an age where alchemy methods are almost lost, only dragons could craft such a magical item."
Fuyama Masashi took a bottle of liquid from the box and poured it onto the white ribbon. The white ribbon instantly wilted, shrinking back into the glass casing.
"On another note, it came from a pyramid. In Egyptian mythology, Anubis is known as the god of embalming."
"And what does that have to do with dragons?" Lu Mingfei asked.
"Most national myths are connected to the ancient Dragon race. This ribbon, at least two thousand years old, and detected to have only one year of life, is highly likely related to Anubis, which is to say, a pure-blooded Dragon race," Fuyama Masashi explained.
Lu Mingfei's eyes were opened. He hadn't felt such intense curiosity in a long time.
It was like a new single-player game had been released, and he was exploring its controls, settings, and mechanics.
"Next?"
Fuyama Masashi was already prepared and promptly opened the last box.
A cylindrical glass bottle was placed in front of Lu Mingfei, like the kind of bottle teachers used to store specimens in biology class.
Lu Mingfei's mouth fell open, revealing a shocked expression.
With the previous build-up, he now had reason to believe that what was before him was a, Dragon!
Soaking in a pale yellow formalin solution was an animal that looked very much like a lizard, yellowish-white, with a long tail curled up like a fetus in a womb. Its long whiskers by its mouth slowly swayed in the solution, and its closed eyes made it look as serene as a baby.
【Red Dragon Hatchling】
Lu Mingfei's mind was enlightened once again.
"This is a Red Dragon hatchling, discovered in India in 1796. Fortunately, this Red Dragon hatchling was probably swallowed by a giant python right after it hatched. Local farmers killed the python and retrieved this hatchling from its belly," Fuyama Masashi explained.
"Look at its details, the patterns on its scales—no artist could create such a perfect masterpiece."
Lu Mingfei stood in front of the glass bottle, unconsciously lowering his head to look at the young dragon at eye level.
He couldn't help but reach out to touch the body of the glass bottle.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone's attention was drawn to such a perfect creation.
The young dragon's membrane wings and long whiskers floated in the solution, as if suspended in clouds.
Fuyama Masashi was right; such a creature could only exist in the shadows of history, at the limits of human imagination, and within this sealed glass bottle.
"Is it still alive?"
Lu Mingfei couldn't help but ask. At this moment, he stared at the thin membrane covering the dragon's eyes, thinking of Lu Mingze's fervent Golden Eyes, as if the door to a new world was beckoning him.
The Red Dragon hatchling soaking in the formalin solution suddenly opened its eyes, golden-yellow eyes.
It stretched its neck and roared at Lu Mingfei; scorching dragon flames ignited deep in its throat and shot out!
It spread its wings, about to break free from its current confinement. It had come alive. Its cat-sized body carried the majesty of a dragon, commanding one to prostrate themselves!
As if provoked, golden light surged in Lu Mingfei's eyes. Ancient majesty emanated from the void, and the hammer of a god struck down.
The faint dragon flames extinguished in an instant. Formalin solution poured into the dragon hatchling's throat, making it cough painfully like a drowning person.
At the same time, it failed to break through the glass bottle. It powerfully vibrated its membrane wings, but hitting the glass wall didn't even leave a mark.
Fuyama Masashi and Professor Guderian's expressions changed drastically, both somewhat flustered.
"It moved just now, right?" Professor Guderian swallowed hard.
Fuyama Masashi nodded nervously.
"Its awakening date was calculated to be 2077, which should be the cyberpunk era!" He suddenly raised his voice, almost screaming:
"They're going to get people killed by mislabeling like this! It just sprayed dragon flames! Dragon flames!"
"Fortunately, the nano-materials were replaced a few years ago," Professor Guderian said, his forehead covered in cold sweat. "Its awakening date was calculated by Manstein and me together; it shouldn't be wrong... unless... unless it's a Bloodline Summon!"
He suddenly remembered the golden light that had appeared in Lu Mingfei's eyes just now—such majestic Golden Eyes, almost instantly quashing the Red Dragon's intimidation.
Professor Guderian's gaze was burning, enthusiastically directed at Lu Mingfei:
"Mingfei! It's your bloodline summoning it! Not only did you summon it, but you also suppressed it! You are truly the most promising freshman I have ever seen!"
Fuyama Masashi also cast the same gaze.
"Lu Jun, you are truly the most promising S-rank student I have ever seen! As infinitely promising as the head of the Yuan family!"
Lu Mingfei had never been subjected to such fervent gazes before; it made him feel uncomfortable all over.
He quickly lowered his head, not looking at Professor Guderian's expression.
Professor Guderian realized he had lost his composure and then awkwardly rubbed the tip of his nose,
"After watching for so long, the 'Free Day' closing ceremony is probably almost done. Mingfei, why don't you head back to the dorm first? I'll send you the course selection form and everything later by email."
"We'll also do the physical fitness test tomorrow."
"We can clean up here."
Lu Mingfei looked back at the scene outside the window. Indeed, as Professor Guderian said, most students were walking towards the dormitories.
He took a deep breath, bid farewell to Professor Guderian and Fuyama Masashi, and fled the study without looking back, as if escaping.
He really couldn't stand Professor Guderian's intense gaze anymore.