"I'ma keep practicing and try to reach the peak of the Body Awakening stage…"
Aries then continued to cultivate, pushing his body and mind beyond their limits. Hours turned into days as he sat cross-legged, absorbing energy from the atmosphere, allowing it to flow through his meridians.
Suddenly, a strange sensation crept over him.
"Huh?... Why is my blood starting to flow faster—and why is it starting to glow??"
He couldn't comprehend the transformation overtaking his body. It felt unnatural… overwhelming.
"AH! What the hell?! It hurts—every bone in my body feels like it's being pulled apart and put back together constantly!"
Unbeknownst to Aries, he was beginning to awaken a hidden power sealed deep within his bloodline—The Heaven-Defying Emperor Bloodline.
This was no ordinary lineage. It was a divine inheritance so ancient and profound that even the oldest records had long forgotten it. This bloodline granted Aries the potential to command the power of the Five Divine Beasts:
Celestial Dragon Airheart, ruler of the skies
Divine Phoenix Kartha, reborn in fire and flame
Sage Toad Kwanchi, master of alchemy and wisdom
Guardian Fenrir, the eternal protector of realms
And Velmir, the God of Light, whose presence could purify even the darkest soul
Alongside this came an overwhelming advantage: his cultivation speed would now be 1,000 times faster than the average cultivator.
But such power didn't come without limits.
Though Aries had awakened the bloodline, his current cultivation realm was far too weak to withstand its full might. The power of the Divine Beasts remained sealed within him, restrained by ancient laws that protected both him—and the world—from their unimaginable force. If he tried to draw too much power too soon… his body would be annihilated.
"AHHHHHHHH!!! This pain—it's unbearable! I can't breathe… I can feel my organs twisting, my bones breaking and healing over and over... I'm starting to lose consciousness…"
His vision blurred, and his mind teetered on the edge of collapse.
"No! NO! I won't give up! I won't die here! I will rise above all! I will soar through the heavens and destroy anything that dares stand in my way!" Aries roared with defiance, his eyes burning with unwavering will.
A radiant light erupted from his body. The earth split, the air vibrated with ancient pressure—and then, silence.
Aries collapsed, panting and drenched in sweat. "Finally… the pain is fading… That was… insane…"
But before he could catch his breath, his consciousness was ripped from reality—drawn into a vast, endless sky of swirling stars and golden clouds.
"Wh—what is this place…?"
He stood barefoot on a floating platform of crystal, surrounded by celestial winds and a glowing horizon that pulsed with power. Then, the clouds above parted—and he appeared.
A colossal figure descended slowly from the sky, his wings spanning the heavens themselves. His scales shimmered like polished sapphire laced with starlight, and his eyes held the depth of billions of years.
The Celestial Dragon—Airheart.
"Aries," the dragon spoke, his voice echoing like thunder woven with eternity. "You have awakened the first layer of your bloodline."
Aries stumbled back. "You… you're one of the Divine Beasts! Airheart?!"
"I am," the dragon confirmed, his breath swirling with stardust. "And you… are the first in over three billion years to bear the Heaven-Defying Emperor Bloodline."
Aries' breath caught in his throat. "Three… billion?"
"Yes," Airheart said solemnly. "Not since the dawn of the first Celestial Era has this bloodline stirred. You are a flame born in the void—a spark where silence reigned. Now that you have awakened it… everything will change."
Aries' fists clenched. "Why me? What is this bloodline really capable of?"
The dragon's eyes gleamed.
"You were chosen by fate, perhaps… or by something far older than it. As for power—our legacy is one of dominion. Each of us commands a fundamental force of reality. Destructive. Divine. Absolute."
He began to list them, and as he spoke, the air trembled:
"I, Celestial Dragon Airheart, command the Wind of Calamity. With a single breath, I can erase continents. My storms shatter space, my flight bends time. I am the storm beyond storms."
"Divine Phoenix Kartha wields the Flame of Rebirth and Ruin. Her fire does not burn—it unravels. What she incinerates cannot be remade. Even gods cannot return from her ash."
"Sage Toad Kwanchi holds the Venom of Creation, capable of altering reality itself. His alchemy can twist matter, melt laws, and forge life—or obliterate it—in a single chant."
"Guardian Fenrir, the hound who devours destruction, holds the Chains of Annihilation. He can bind worlds or crush them beneath his jaws. Where he walks, war becomes silence."
"And Velmir, the God of Light… He commands the Judgment Ray, a holy force that sears both flesh and soul. His gaze alone can cleanse or condemn an entire realm."
Aries could barely speak. His body trembled not from fear—but awe.
"If all that power is sealed inside me… what am I supposed to do?"
"You are to grow, Aries," Airheart said. "As your cultivation deepens, the seals will weaken. The stronger your soul becomes, the clearer our voices will be. Eventually… you will be able to call on our powers—and speak with each of us."
"But why can I talk to you now?"
"Because I am the first," Airheart said. "You carry my mark at the core of your awakening. For now, you may draw upon a whisper of my breath—the lightest wind of my will. Do not overreach. Until you ascend, even that could destroy you."
Aries nodded slowly. "I'll earn it. All of it. I'll rise until I can stand beside you all."
Airheart's mouth curled into a proud smile. "Good. I have waited for countless eons to speak these words again."
He began to fade, but his voice remained:
"Rise, Aries of the Heaven-Defying Bloodline. Learn our power. Master it. And one day… remake the heavens in your image."
Aries' eyes snapped open.
He was back, a faint silver wind coiling around his limbs like a sleeping dragon. It vanished into his skin.
He sat still for a moment, feeling the beat of something ancient inside his chest.
"…This isn't just power," he whispered."It's destiny."