The Grass-Growing Dragon Sprite

Early the next morning, Haotian awoke to the sound of tinkling laughter. Turning his head, he saw Sally, his maid, sitting at the bedside, happily playing with the adorable dragon sprite, Doris, who resembled a tiny, exquisite doll. They were having a delightful time together.

Noticing Haotian was awake, Sally asked, "Young Master, where did this little one come from? She's so cute!"

Before Haotian could respond, Doris wriggled free from Sally's embrace, flitting over to perch on Haotian's pillow. She affectionately nuzzled his cheek with her delicate face. Once he sat up, she expertly settled onto his shoulder, gently holding onto a lock of his hair and occasionally nuzzling his ear. Sally watched, filled with envy at their closeness.

"She's a dragon sprite," Haotian explained with a smile. "I nurtured her from a gem last night and named her Doris."

"Doris, Doris…" the little sprite chirped happily. Seeing Haotian extend his hand, she obediently flew over, sitting on his palm with her tiny feet swinging.

The sight melted Sally's heart. "So, she's the legendary dragon sprite! I wondered why her ears were pointed like Alleria's."

Sally was amazed, knowing dragon sprites were as rare as elemental spirits, seldom seen on the mainland. 

"From now on, she's part of our family," Haotian declared, looking fondly at the tiny sprite on his hand. She seemed so fragile that he almost didn't want to involve her in the Dragon Canyon conflict. But he quickly dismissed that thought; despite her cuteness, she was formidable—a high-level demigod.

With Doris on their side, the plan for Dragon Canyon was more promising.

---

After Sally assisted Haotian with his morning routine, Doris remained close, either flying beside him or perched on his shoulder, her curiosity evident. When Haotian brushed his teeth, she tried mimicking him, ending up with foam all over her face and bubbling cheerfully.

The day started on a joyful note. After breakfast, Haotian headed to the **City Hall**, where the Windrunner sisters awaited, ready for the territorial war. They were surprised to see Doris, especially Alleria, whose emerald eyes widened at the powerful aura emanating from the sprite.

"Lord Haotian!" Alleria respectfully inquired, "What is our task today?"

Haotian briefed them on the mission. "Over a thousand kilometers away lies Dragon Canyon, home to numerous evil undead, including two demigod-level beings. Your mission is to conquer the canyon and strengthen yourselves. No rush, though; wait for my preparations."

"Understood, Lord Haotian!" Alleria responded, eagerness in her voice, mirrored by Sylvanas and Vereesa, who were keen to advance their ranks to demigod as well.

---

Meanwhile, the Royal Gryphon Knights and Ancient Treant army had already set out to clear nearby undead. Some Gryphon Knights were dispatched into the desert to find kingdom-level strongholds. Eliminating or conquering two more such forces would complete a side quest, earning Haotian a random unit structure blueprint.

After leaving the City Hall, Haotian entered the Dragon's Graveyard, where the undead dragons, including the Sky-Swallowing Python King, awaited. Suddenly, he heard an excited cheer—it was Doris. The little sprite, flitting around the massive dragon tombs, seemed ecstatic as if she were home.

Then, to Haotian's astonishment, Doris waved her tiny hand over a tomb, causing vibrant Dragon Soul Grass to sprout rapidly. With another wave, more grass flourished around another tomb, soon creating a field of thousands of plants.

"She can grow Dragon Soul Grass?" Haotian was stunned, then delighted. With no need for the grass to nurture Doris now, he could sell it for a fortune in Forest City, where it was a rare commodity.

After sprouting several thousand plants, Doris seemed tired, fluttering back to Haotian's shoulder and blowing little bubbles. Recognizing her magical exhaustion, Haotian knew he could easily replenish her with spring water.

At that moment, the Python King reported, "Master, we've reassembled twenty-one complete dragon corpses from the tomb. The remaining remains were too damaged for reassembly."

"Twenty-one is excellent!" Haotian replied, eyeing the dragon corpses stacked neatly. There were twenty-nine in total, including eight fallen zombie dragons from the territory, their bones reassembled from various fragments, ready for summoning bone dragons.

Without hesitation, Haotian buried the dragon corpses, and moments later, undead dragons emerged from the graves. Witnessing this, he marveled at the incredible power of the **Dragon's Graveyard**, truly turning the decayed into something extraordinary.