He subtly shifted his foot, and his dragon claw quietly brushed the ground; the stone slab instantly vanished without a trace.
"He... he's alright?!" Rabisargos incredulously checked his companion's vital signs.
The remaining insects had lost their vitality, adhering to the scales like ashes.
He suddenly looked up at Nefarian, his eyes a mix of gratitude and confusion, "What was that power you just used?! I've never seen any other Five-colored Dragon use it."
"This isn't the place for explanations."
Nefarian was unwilling to say more; he gestured for Rabisargos to help him lift the still-unconscious blue dragon, "Let's take him to a safe place first."
Rabisargos did not hesitate, immediately cooperating with Nefarian.
One dragon lifted Andestrasz's heavy head, and the other supported the tip of his thick dragon tail, working together to steadily lift the unconscious blue dragon.
"A safe place... Yes! To the East District that Vinagosa is responsible for! It should be safe there!" Rabisargos said eagerly, leading the way with the dragon's tail towards the passage exit.
Inside the passage, the remaining grayish-yellow swarm buzzed with even greater frenzy and unrest, like an agitated beehive.
They displayed a cunning far beyond ordinary insects, actively dividing into several smaller swarms, attempting to outflank them from different directions and block their retreat.
Nefarian snorted coldly, his dragon claw making a grasping motion, and a small ball of holy flame once again ignited in his palm, becoming a beacon in the darkness.
He suddenly swung the flame forward, and the scorching light instantly dispelled the several swarms of insects rushing towards them, forcefully carving out a path in the polluted air!
"Go!"
With the holy flame clearing the way, the two dragons, struggling to carry their unconscious companion, finally rushed out of the arcane gate of Andestrasz's area and returned to the relatively open valley platform.
Fresh air filled their lungs, but the sense of urgency remained undiminished.
Rabisargos did not stop, immediately spreading his wings and taking to the air with effort.
"Follow me! The East District isn't far!" he growled, adjusting his posture, and with great difficulty, turned east with his heavy burden.
After crossing a low mountain ridge, the scene before them suddenly opened up.
The East District's terrain was noticeably more open, the ground sloping sharply downwards, extending all the way to the sparkling coastline.
A building, quite similar in style to what they had seen earlier in the North Valley, was built into the mountain, standing quietly before them.
Its surface flowed with brighter blue-silver runes than those on Andestrasz's side.
"It seems everything's normal here!" Rabisargos visibly sighed in relief, even his flight speed slowing slightly.
They slowly descended onto the platform in front of the main hall.
The air lacked the nauseating insect swarm scent of the North Valley, and there were no obvious signs of corruption.
The main hall's door was ajar, and inside was a deep silence; no sounds could be heard.
Rabisargos lowered his dragon tail, cautiously approached the door, and called out in a hushed voice: "Vina? It's me, Rabi. Andi's in trouble; we brought him here!"
His response was a cold, wary, and powerfully oppressive female voice, coming from deep within the door's crack:
"Stop—you are not a dragon."
Before her words finished, a blue-and-white barrier, composed of pure arcane energy, suddenly emerged from behind the door, completely sealing it!
Immediately after, a slender, steady, and elegant adult blue dragon slowly strode out from the shadows within the door.
Her gaze pierced directly at Nefarian, her voice resolute:
"Strange black dragon. You are not one of us. And I have never received any notification of outsiders being permitted into this forbidden area."
Rabisargos immediately stepped forward, his huge dragon wings flapping urgently in a gesture:
"Vina! He is Nefarian! Neltharion's offspring!"
"We found a corrupted swarm at Andi's place; it's NZoth's lingering poison! He saved Andi's life! Andi is unconscious right now!"
Vinagosa's eyes suddenly changed: "What did you say? Swarm? NZoth's... corruption?"
"A corrupted swarm twisted by NZoth's lingering power."
Nefarian met her gaze, his tone steady and authoritative, "I don't have time to waste on needless questioning. Andestrasz is severely injured and urgently needs placement and further treatment. Let us in."
Vinagosa's sharp gaze swept back and forth between Nefarian's calm face and Rabisargos's anxious expression, finally settling on the unconscious Andestrasz, carefully protected between the two dragons.
After a few seconds of silence, she deftly waved her front claw.
Hum—
The arcane barrier sealing the door silently dissipated like a curtain of water.
"Come in quickly!" Vinagosa stepped aside, opening the passage; the wariness in her voice had not completely vanished, but it had transformed into urgent concern.
When she clearly saw Andestrasz's dull scales and the ash-like traces of dead insects clinging to them, her composed expression finally completely broke, and she gasped: "...He's always been the most cautious one..."
Before she finished speaking, she had already hurried forward.
The two blue dragons immediately worked together, carefully lifting the heavy Andestrasz inside the main hall of the East District.
The scene behind the door was similar to the North Valley, also a wide passage leading directly underground.
Vinagosa led the way, a hint of barely perceptible apology in her voice: "I'm sorry, just now I... was overly nervous."
"It's your duty, understandable."
Nefarian casually brushed it off, not taking her initial defensiveness to heart.
Because his thoughts had already returned to NZoth and the corruption he left behind.
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