“Human…” Its deep, resonant voice rolled across the cavern. “You barged into Dragonmere and stole the Draconian Sovereign Relic. Do you realize the gravity of your act?”
The final syllable had barely faded when a crushing pressure swept over the area like a falling sky. The force was strong enough to drop a High Immortal Realm Level Nine cultivator to his knees on the spot.
Jared didn’t move a muscle. He lifted his chin and met the golden pupils head-on, his gaze steady. “Crime? And what crime would that be?”
A faint flicker crossed the dragon’s eyes. This human is actually standing under pure draconic might?
“Human, your nerve is considerable…” The bass voice rolled on. “But know this… This is the Draconian Forbidden Zone. Any who lack Draconian Bloodline meet death.”
It spread its jaws wide, gathering a beam of golden dragon breath between gleaming fangs. Hearing this, Jared laughed. “Those without Draconian Bloodline die, you say?”
He eyed the dragon, the corner of his mouth angling in a teasing arc. “Then look closely… Do I count as Draconian Bloodline or not?”
The words still hung in the air when power surged through his veins.
A phantom of the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon burst into being behind him. The image gleamed pure gold, five claws razor-bright, horns jutting proud, eyes blinking with ocean-deep authority.
The phantom tipped back its head and roared; the sound slammed through the cavern like a tidal wave. The dragon’s own aura shattered in an instant under that roar.
“F-Five-Clawed Golden Dragon?!”
The pupils pin-pointed, the vast eyes locking rigidly on the vision. It stared at the phantom behind Jared without blinking, and its massive frame began to quake.
Out of the dragon’s maw tumbled a broken whisper. “Impossible… This can’t be happening….”
Still muttering, it added, “The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon stands at the very top of our race. That bloodline vanished ten thousand years ago… How could you….”
Jared withdrew the golden phantom and regarded the beast with a cool gaze. “So… Do you still think I’m merely human?”
The great dragon offered no response.
Time stretched before it finally spoke again. The iron weight that had filled its voice earlier had leaked away; the words slipped out low and careful,
“You… You are you the Successor of the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline?”
Jared let the question hang. “And you? Who are you, and why are you here inside Dragonmere?”
After a pause the dragon answered, its tone deep and steady. “I am Darian, an Elder of the Sky Dragon Clan… Ten thousand years ago I was ordered to guard this pool and wait for the Successor to appear.”
Jared’s brow lifted. “Waiting for the Successor of the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline, huh?”
Darian nodded, a flicker shadowing those vast eyes. “A millennium ago, Emperor Deragon foresaw calamity. He hid the Draconian Sovereign Relic in secret realms and left a prophecy when the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon returns, the race will rise again.”
The dragon fixed its gaze on Jared, the huge pupils bright with expectation. “I never imagined the prophecy would come true after all this time…”
Jared listened in silence, his expression unchanged.
Darian went on. “Successor, within Dragonmere lie the Sky Dragon Lineage’s treasures and legacy. Since you have arrived, they belong to you.”
It paused, the direction of its words shifting. “Before that, however, there is something you must know…”
“What is it?”
Darian’s eyes drifted toward the deepest part of the pool.
Jared followed the look and spotted a strange black patch on the floor of the tarn. That region held no draconic energy, only thick stillness and an ominous chill.
“What is that?”
“The Demon Dragon Bloom,” Darian replied, its voice dropping.
“The Demon Dragon Bloom?”
Darian inclined its head. “Back then a faction betrayed Emperor Deragon and sided with demons. Using their own flesh they bred a black flower that feeds on draconic energy… Wherever it blooms, that energy vanishes and Draconians die…”
“The Emperor personally wiped out the traitors, yet the flower itself could not be destroyed. It was sealed at Dragonmere’s lowest depth, and I have watched over it ever since.”
Jared’s gaze lingered on the dark zone, his brows knitting together. He sensed a force there one entirely opposed to draconic energy, thick with decay and misfortune.
“That thing is still down there?”
Darian gave a slow nod. “The seal remains, and the Demon Dragon Bloom cannot break free, but after ten millennia the bindings have begun to loosen… Successor, when your strength is sufficient you must annihilate it. If that bloom returns to the world, not only the Draconians but the human race will face ruin.”
Jared continued to listen, offering no comment. He stared at the blackened water, a thoughtful light flashing behind his eyes. “Demon Dragon Bloom…. Interesting…”
Seeing the silence, Darian assumed he had been rattled and offered reassurance. “There is no need concern. The seal will last an thousand years. With your talent you will reach True Immortal long before then and can destroy it.”
Jared’s focus snapped back; he nodded. “Understood…”
He looked up at Darian and suddenly asked, “You mentioned that Dragonmere holds the Sky Dragon Lineage’s inheritance. Where is it?”
Darian’s enormous eyes curved, almost smiling. “Successor, the nine items you took were only appetizers. The true inheritance is here.”
The dragon opened its cavernous jaws, and a fist-sized golden Dragon Orb drifted out. The orb was pure gold, runes rippling across its surface while a faint dragon’s roar echoed inside.
“This is the Legacy Dragon Orb of our lineage. It carries ten thousand years of techniques and secret arts. Once you draw in its energy, the complete inheritance will be yours.”
Jared studied the orb, a bright glint shooting through his eyes. He could already feel that the energy sealed within far exceeded anything he had imagined.
If he absorbed it, his cultivation would leap forward!
