The heavens split apart.
Erdi, the Hall Chief, Max, and countless soldiers of Aiden Hall clashed head-on with the Earth Dragon Clan. A war unlike any in centuries erupted—the skies turned crimson, the ground shook, and the once-vast forest drowned in the blood of millions.
Dragons roared, tearing through armies. Cultivators screamed, their lives extinguished in waves. The land itself howled in misery, transforming into a scarlet sea of corpses.
Amidst the chaos, Azren fell.
His robes were torn, his body trembling, his dragon seal dim. The last threads of his Essentia had burned away. His gray eyes fluttered, darkness claiming his vision.
Within his sea of chi, Kravon's voice thundered, fierce and savage.
"Brat, you've collapsed. Leave it to me!"
Kravon's remnant soul burst forth in a phantom blaze, shielding Azren even as his body fell limp.
From the battlefield, Regia's crimson figure streaked forward. Her arms caught Azren's body, her face pale but determined. "I've got you…"
With the winds at her back, she fled deep into the forest, vanishing from the dragon's sight.
The Earth Dragon roared furiously, its golden eyes raging. The seal… that cursed seal! Its fury boiled, shaking the heavens, as the battle raged on without mercy.
---
Far from the bloodshed, Regia carried Azren into the heart of the forest. There, half-buried beneath moss and vines, stood an ancient, crumbling temple. Though forgotten by time, it pulsed faintly with a terrifying density of Essentia.
She laid him gently upon the stone floor. "Azren… this place… if you refine it, you may yet live."
Azren's body trembled, his dragon seal flickering faintly. His breath was ragged, but his spirit refused to fall. Slowly, he crossed his legs, sinking into cultivation.
At once, the ancient temple stirred.
A flood of dense Essentia poured into him like a river unleashed. The air howled, the walls trembled, and his dragon seal blazed brighter than ever before.
If he could refine it all—he would not simply recover. He would step directly into Soul Illumination, skipping every middle stage.
Regia stood at the entrance, her crimson aura flaring as she guarded him with all she had.
---
Time passed. Two days.
The temple's glow dimmed, the vast ocean of Essentia nearly depleted. Azren's body was surrounded by a vortex of wind and water, but his form shook violently, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Then—
A shadow emerged.
A beast, towering and clad in human form, stepped from the darkness. His aura burned at the peak of Spirit Convergence. His eyes glimmered with bloodlust as he raised his clawed hand.
"Human… die."
He lunged for Regia.
Her ruby eyes widened—her crimson flame surged in defiance. But the gap in strength was vast. His strike broke her guard, sending her body crashing to the floor.
Blood splattered across the cracked stones. Her breath faltered, and her body went limp.
"No…" she whispered weakly, her vision dimming.
The beast's claw descended once more—
BOOOOM!
The temple erupted.
Wind howled like razors, water crashed like a tidal wave. At the center of the storm, a man in black rose to his feet, his torn robes snapping like banners of war. His gray eyes gleamed like storm clouds split by lightning.
Azren's voice cut through the chaos, cold and murderous.
"How dare you… hurt her."
The temple shook violently, its ancient walls splintering as Azren rose from the floor.
His eyes snapped open.
In that instant, the world itself seemed to collapse into silence.
Darkness spread across the chamber, drowning every glimmer of light. The oppressive weight of his aura filled the temple, pressing down so heavily that the very stones wept cracks beneath him.
Soul Illumination.
The threshold had been shattered.
But this was no ordinary breakthrough.
From Azren's body, a thick, black Essentia poured outward, seeping into every corner of the temple. The familiar yet dreaded dark chaos Essentia—the very power he had once sworn not to reveal—now surged freely, its presence as heavy as death itself.
The beast staggered back, its claws trembling midair. Terror filled its eyes as its body convulsed. "Wha—what is this power…? A Soul Illumination… no, worse… far worse…"
Before it could flee, Azren's gaze sharpened. One intent.
A single thought was enough.
The beast's chest caved in, its body collapsing with a hollow crash, lifeless before it touched the ground.
Silence.
The only sound was the low hum of the chaos Essentia, writhing and coiling around Azren like serpents of shadow.
---
From within his sea of chi, Kravon's form appeared, his eyes narrowed with rare seriousness.
"Brat! Don't be reckless!" His voice boomed like thunder. "This chaos Essentia… it is not ordinary. You must suppress it as much as you can—or it will consume you."
Azren's gray eyes flickered, but instead of fear, a faint smile curved his lips.
"Suppress it?" His voice was calm, steady, unshaken. "For twelve years… I've trained nothing but control. Don't worry."
The dark chaos aura swirled violently, but under his will, it bent, folding back into his body like shadows obeying their master.
The temple, though shattered and dim, stood in silence once more. And within it, Azren—black-robed, gray-eyed, and now a Soul Illumination cultivator—stood as though the world itself had bowed.
The temple stilled, the last echoes of chaos fading. Azren drew a long breath, his aura tightening, and with one final pulse, he suppressed the raging chaos Essentia back into his core.
Then—
WOOOSH!
The dragon seal on his chest flared, greedily devouring the shattered essence of the fallen beast. The absorbed energy hissed into him like fire into dry wood, vanishing into the depths of his bloodline.
But Azren's gaze wasn't on himself.
In a flash, he was gone—vanishing from where he stood and reappearing beside Regia, who lay motionless on the cracked temple floor.
Her crimson robes were torn, blood staining her pale lips. Her eyes fluttered faintly, her breath barely clinging to life.
Azren's voice broke as he dropped to his knees, his arms trembling as he pulled her close.
"Hold up! Don't you dare leave me!" His gray eyes burned red, wet with fury and desperation. "You're the only one in this cursed world who treated me… like a human. Don't leave me now!"
Her lips parted faintly, her voice softer than a whisper, almost lost to the world.
"Az…ren…"
Her hand twitched weakly, brushing against his torn robes before falling limp.
---
Within his sea of chi, Kravon's form appeared, his expression grim, heavy with a sorrow even his savage soul could not mask.
"Brat…" His voice echoed, deep and merciless. "The beast's strike—it wasn't just physical. It pierced her life force directly. She… she can't be saved."
The words struck Azren like thunder.
His breath stopped. His mind blanked. For a moment, the world itself seemed to collapse in on him.
"No…" His whisper shook, his grip tightening on her frail body. His chaos Essentia surged violently, threatening to erupt once more. "No, I won't accept this… I WON'T!"
The temple walls cracked as his aura flared uncontrollably, darkness swirling like a storm of madness.
Azren's knees slammed onto the cracked temple floor, dust scattering around him as he clutched Regia's limp body against his chest. Moonlight poured through the shattered ceiling above, cutting through the drifting haze of smoke and blood. Her crimson robes were torn, stained dark, her pale skin glowing faintly under the trembling golden light of his dragon seal.
His gray eyes burned red as tears streamed down his face, his voice echoing like thunder against the ruined pillars.
"You're the one who gave me life! You're the one who saved me, who pulled me back from despair! And now… now you're leaving me?" His grip tightened around her, his body shaking violently. "How can I face anyone—my Grand Master, the Hall Chief, Max… and even my master, Her Highness Asthough? She told me to become powerful enough to protect everyone I love… and I won't let you go!"
The temple walls trembled, the stone carvings of forgotten dragons along its walls seeming to weep under his cries. His chaos Essentia erupted like a storm, shadows swirling around the broken altar behind them, while the dragon seal on his chest blazed with blinding light.
Then—
A voice. Deep, gentle, echoing from the dragon seal itself.
"My son… your mother will never let you drown in the sea of sorrow."
Golden energy exploded outward, flooding the ruined temple, wrapping both Azren and Regia in its embrace.
"Stop crying. Be strong. If you wish to save her—then rescue me."
Azren's heart stopped. His eyes widened, shock mixing with desperate hope as the light surged. He bent lower, whispering hoarsely:
"The most important thing… is saving the one I love."
And then—he pressed his lips against hers. A desperate, trembling kiss that carried all his grief and love into her.
The golden light flared brilliantly, and a delicate pink dragon symbol bloomed on Regia's shoulder, mirroring the one etched onto Azren's body.
Their fates had intertwined.
Forever.
Time flowed slowly in the shattered temple.
The golden light that had engulfed Regia finally dimmed, retreating back into the dragon seal on Azren's chest. The mark on her shoulder still glowed faintly pink, proof of the bond that had formed.
Regia's lashes fluttered. Her crimson eyes slowly opened, hazy but alive. She took in the scene—Azren's torn robes, his trembling arms around her, his eyes red from crying.
Her lips curved weakly into the faintest of smiles.
"…Azren… I'm okay now."
Azren froze, staring into her eyes as though he couldn't believe she had truly returned. Then, without hesitation, he pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face against her shoulder. His arms trembled, holding her as if he feared she might vanish again.
"You scared me…" his voice broke, low and raw. "I thought I lost you."
But even as relief washed through him, his thoughts turned inward, replaying the voice that had echoed from the dragon seal.
My son… your mother will never let you drown in the sea of sorrow.
If you wish to save her—then rescue me.
Azren's gray eyes darkened. Who was that voice? Was it truly… my mother?
The question echoed in his heart like thunder, refusing to leave.
And deep within his dragon seal, the golden glow pulsed faintly—as though watching him.
A faint laugh echoed through the ruined temple.
"Ahh…"
From Azren's sea of chi, Kravon's figure stepped out, his presence sharp and overbearing even in spectral form.
Azren and Regia both turned, their consciousness snapping back to the world around them.
Kravon's eyes narrowed, his grin carrying both mockery and warning.
"Brat… woman… do you think this temple is the whole world?" His voice rumbled like distant thunder. "You've been so lost in yourselves, so changed, that you've forgotten what lies beyond these walls."
His expression darkened, and his words struck like a blade.
"Out there, the battle rages still. The war between Aiden Hall and the Earth Dragon Clan hasn't stopped. A very large number of people are dying this very moment."
The temple fell silent once more, his words sinking like knives into the air.
Azren's embrace on Regia loosened slightly, his gray eyes trembling. Her crimson gaze hardened, her lips parting as if to speak—but the weight of Kravon's truth pressed on them both.
The world outside hadn't paused for their grief. Blood was still being spilled.
Azren's jaw tightened, his gray eyes burning with conflict as Kravon's words sank into his heart. For a moment, he looked down at Regia in his arms—her breath weak but steady, her crimson eyes still dim from the wounds.
He clenched his teeth.
"…I can't stabilize her now." His voice was low, heavy with decision. Slowly, he shifted her body, turning toward Kravon. "Kravon… take her. Protect her. Head straight to Aiden Hall."
Regia's eyes widened faintly, her lips parting in protest, but Azren pressed a hand gently against hers. His voice softened, trembling slightly beneath the steel in his tone.
"You're the closest one to the Life Emperor… no one will dare harm you inside the Hall. You'll be safe there. Trust me."
Kravon narrowed his eyes, studying Azren. Then, with a faint snort, he folded his arms.
"Hmph. You're finally speaking like someone worth following, brat. Fine. I'll take her. But if you die out there, don't expect me to save you a second time."
Azren smirked faintly, though his eyes betrayed the storm within.
"I'm not planning to die. Not yet."
The dragon seal pulsed, and Kravon's spectral form wrapped around Regia, lifting her gently as she closed her eyes, clutching Azren's hand until the very last second.
Azren stood alone in the ruined temple, the faint glow of the dragon carvings flickering around him. His torn black robe fluttered in the Essentia wind, his aura sharp and heavy.
He turned toward the battlefield in the distance, where blood and fire still raged.
Time to face it.
The battlefield was hell itself.
Mountains cracked, rivers boiled, and the blood of millions pooled across the scorched earth. The clash between the Hall Masters of Aiden Hall and the Tribe Masters of the Earth Dragons had torn the land apart.
At the center of it, the Hall Chief stood bloodied, his robes shredded, his body trembling. Each breath rattled, but his lightning aura still raged as he forced the colossal Earth Dragon back.
Yet even as the crowd watched in awe, despair spread across the ranks. The Earth Dragon's power far surpassed expectations. It was only through the Hall Chief's sacrifice that Aiden Hall still stood.
But the tide was shifting.
From the skies, a wind dragon and a water dragon suddenly appeared, their roars splitting the heavens as they struck—not against Aiden Hall—but against the Earth Dragon itself.
The battlefield froze.
Max's eyes narrowed sharply. His crimson aura flickered as he caught sight of the one commanding them. A lone white-clothed figure stood tall amidst the carnage, his long gray hair flowing like silk in the storm, his black eyes sharpened into blades. No longer did he look like a youth of eighteen. He was like a god who had stepped into the world of mortals.
Who else could it be… other than Azren?
Max's pupils constricted, his lips parting in disbelief.
"How… how could he be this powerful already?"
---
The Earth Dragon Clan's chief narrowed his eyes, then burst into a deadly laugh. His aura rippled, suffocating all within reach.
"What control over Essentia… brat, you have some nerves. But it is unfortunate for you." His voice was venomous, like the hiss of a serpent. "Your end is already written—by me."
The air trembled. His cultivation flared like an abyss. Late stage of Celestial Harmony.
And the dragon beside him—its eyes gleaming with fury—let out a roar that shook the battlefield. Its aura surged, revealing its cultivation: Essence Refinement, mid-stage.
The two together were a lineup strong enough to wipe Aiden Hall from the map.
The Hall Chief clenched his teeth. His lightning flared again, but even he was only at Essence Refinement, early stage.
---
The Earth Dragon lunged. Its massive claw slashed down with terrifying speed, the space around it collapsing into nothingness.
Azren raised his hand, but the strike landed before he could react.
BOOM!
His body was hurled back, sent flying a hundred steps through the sky, blood spraying from his lips.
"Azren!" voices cried from below.
The Tribe Chief's eyes gleamed with killing intent. In a blur, he followed up with a strike, aiming to erase the overpowered youth before he could rise again.
But before the blow could land, lightning split the skies.
CRASH!
The Hall Chief intercepted, his body shaking violently as he blocked the attack. "Not while I still breathe!"
---
The Earth Dragon turned its gaze back toward Azren, its golden eyes burning with hatred. It roared, its voice echoing like thunder.
But then—
Azren's chest blazed.
A golden light erupted from within him, scattering across the battlefield like a sun piercing through storm clouds. His aura flared violently, surging to heights none had expected.
From early Soul Illumination, his power leapt—
Later Stage, though only temporarily.
The Earth Dragon froze mid-roar, its massive body trembling as its ancient eyes widened in horror.
"Impossible…" Its voice cracked like thunder. "A golden dragon's aura… How!? How could there be a member of the Golden Dragon Tribe still alive!? They were all slaughtered… a hundred years ago!"
The battlefield fell silent.
All eyes turned to Azren—his white robes fluttering, his gray hair shining in the golden light, his dragon seal burning like the mark of a god.
The secret of his bloodline had been revealed.
The Earth Dragon's colossal eyes narrowed, its voice thunderous, carrying the weight of ancient hatred.
"So… you are the last survivor of the Heavenly Dragons… the Golden Dragon Clan." Its words were venom, dripping with fury. "Then hear me well, boy. You should die as early as possible—for your survival is a curse. Forget about your loved ones… you can't even protect yourself. Let me end you now!"
The battlefield quaked beneath its roar.
Azren staggered, his robes torn and body bloodied, yet his gaze never faltered. He clenched his fists, his gray eyes burning with defiance.
"Don't bother with your fate and destiny talk," he spat, his voice cutting through the chaos. "I've never accepted being the fated one. I only want to protect the ones who are important to me!"
The dragon seal on his chest erupted, blazing brighter than ever. Wind and water surged violently as his twin dragons—the Storm Dragon and Tidal Dragon—roared to life once more. Their forms shifted, their scales shining brighter, their power evolving alongside Azren's will.
Yet even with their strength, the Earth Dragon's might was overwhelming. The twin dragons clashed with its colossal body, but their strikes only froze it for a brief moment—no more.
The clash of titans lit the skies, leaving even the Hall Chief and the masters stunned in silence.
"Such power…" the Hall Chief muttered, his bloodied lips trembling. His voice cracked like thunder as he roared, "Everyone, retreat! NOW!"
The soldiers and disciples of Aiden Hall obeyed without hesitation, their broken ranks fleeing toward the city.
Azren gritted his teeth, his aura raging wildly as he pushed his dragons to hold the Earth Dragon back. But his heart sank as he realized the truth.
The gap… it's too vast.
With the Earth Dragon momentarily frozen, the survivors fled. But the battlefield behind them was a graveyard—the bodies of millions strewn across the forest, blood soaking the land in crimson sorrow.
Azren's eyes stung with tears. His fists trembled. This loss… this destruction… it's my recklessness that brought it here…
But before grief could consume him, the Earth Dragon's body trembled and steadied. Its golden eyes gleamed with murder as its aura flared once again.
"ENOUGH!"
Its massive maw opened wide, Essentia condensing into a cataclysmic blast.
The heavens screamed.
The attack descended—aimed straight for Azren.
Even the Hall Chief, his body already battered and failing, could not move fast enough to save him.
And in that moment, as the soldiers fled in terror and despair, Azren stood alone, the dragon's apocalyptic strike descending upon him.