Meanwhile, in a hidden corner of the Fourteenth Firmament, a mist-shrouded valley cradled an ancient palace. The entire structure was built of green stone, every block carved with lifelike dragons frozen in mid-roar.
Inside the great hall, six figures sat cross-legged in silent meditation. All appeared to be middle-aged men in gold robes, yet their auras lay as deep as the sea.
Had Jared been present, he would have noticed the concentrated draconic energy rolling off them. They were Draconians, members of the Sky Dragon Lineage.
At the seat of honor sat an elder with silver-streaked hair. His features held unbending authority, and every time his eyes opened, cold light flashed; his power had reached the True Immortal Realm.
This was Roland, the current Clan Chief of the Sky Dragon Lineage. Roland had been resting with eyes shut when they suddenly snapped open, brilliance erupting within.
“That aura…” he breathed.
The other five men paled at the same instant.
“Clan Chief, you felt it too?” Bruno blurted, urgency sharpening his voice. “That… That is the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline!”
Roland rose slowly, walked to the hall’s threshold, and looked toward the distant horizon. The line of sight pointed straight at Cloudhaven City.
“The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon…” He murmured, “Ten thousand years have passed, and the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline returns to the world at last…”
One elder asked in a low voice, “Clan Chief, what does its return signify?”
After a brief silence Roland answered, “It signifies Emperor Deragon’s prophecy is about to unfold…”
He pivoted, his stare scorching as it swept over the hall. “Send the order. Dispatch scouts to Cloudhaven City and trace the source of that aura… Remember, spare no effort-find the one who carries the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline!”
“Understood!” The six figures bowed in unison. Roland kept his eyes on the faraway sky, the light within them tangled and unreadable.
Dragon Sovereign Bloodline…
Roland mouthed the words under his breath, the syllables humming against the vaulted ceiling of the hall.
Ten thousand years earlier, the Dragon Emperor had led the entire Draconian race into battle against the demons. He fell in that last clash, yet before his final breath he spoke a prophecy, the moment the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon returned to the world, the Sky Dragon Clan would rise again.
That prophecy had just come true. Roland understood that the re-emergence of the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline promised more than revival, it also promised upheaval.
Inside the Draconian race, plenty of factions had no desire to see the Emperor return. The descendants of those who once betrayed the Emperor and sided with the demons were still hiding in the dark. If the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline appeared, those descendants would strike without hesitation.
Roland drew a long breath, a hard shine flashing behind his half-lidded eyes.
Whatever happened, the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline had to end up in the hands of the Sky Dragon Lineage. That duty defined the lineage and, for the bold, it was also a chance.
***
Deep inside Dragonmere, Jared knew nothing of the stir his presence had caused outside.
Guided by Darian, he roamed through every bend and crevice the lake could hide. Dragonmere proved far larger than he first guessed; the pair needed a full three hours to cover it all.
Beyond the nine treasure-laden stone pillars, scattered relics glittered under the water. Jared swept them up without a hint of restraint and tucked each one away.
Darian watched the haul vanish as though a swarm of locusts had passed; the corners of its enormous mouth kept twitching.
For a moment the guardian wondered why this new Dragon Emperor looked every bit as acquisitive as the greedy dragons of legend. Still, it held its tongue and followed half a step behind.
At last Jared finished the sweep, clapped the dust from his palms, and nodded in satisfaction. “That should do. Time we got out of here.”
Darian blinked. “Your Majesty, you are leaving already?”
Jared inclined his head. “There are people outside waiting on me.”
He glanced back at Darian. “What about you? Will you stay, or come along?”
Darian stood silent for a beat, then shook the towering head. “I cannot leave, Your Majesty…”
Its gaze slipped toward the black stretch at the lake bottom. “Someone must watch the seal on the Demon Dragon Bloom, and if I abandoned Dragonmere, outsiders would soon circle like sharks.”
Jared nodded once, forcing nothing on the great dragon. Darian hesitated, the massive chest plates rising and falling, then spoke up. “Your Majesty, may I ask one favor?”
“Speak…”
A gravelly rumble filled the water. “When you meet members of the Sky Dragon Lineage, please stay on guard. Submission is not guaranteed.”
Jared lifted one eyebrow. “Oh?”
Darian let out a sigh that sent ripples across the lake surface. “After the Emperor fell, the race splintered. Many clans have grown used to answering to no one. Our sudden arrival may look like a chain them.”
The dragon paused, then added, “Especially the Sky Dragon Lineage. Our standing sits just below the royal line. Over these ten millennia they have crafted their own order. Winning their allegiance will not be simple.”
Jared listened without shifting his expression.
After a long silence, a laugh slipped from him. “Darian, do you know something?”
He fixed the dragon with a wry glint. “Trouble is the last thing that scares me.”
He turned toward the glimmering exit. “If the Sky Dragon Lineage wants to come, let them come.”
The words drifted back, quiet yet edged with iron, “I’d like to see how much spine the Draconians still carry after ten thousand years.”
Darian watched the departing figure, reverence pooling in its golden eyes.
This new Dragon Emperor truly walks a different path…
A spark of anticipation kindled, one day those proud Sky Dragons might kneel before this man. That sight would be priceless.
Jared stepped through the light curtain and vanished from Dragonmere. Darian stared after him and murmured, “Your Majesty, this subordinate will wait for that day…”
