CHAPTER 111 — The Dragon Realm Opens, and the Second Ancient Rises
The golden shockwave of the Primordial Dragon's roar carved through the heavens like a tidal wave of light. Abyssal clouds evaporated. Corrupted qi scattered like frightened insects. Even the abyssal crack trembled—forced to retreat a fraction.
Every cultivator on Cloudsky Peak shielded their eyes.
Even the Immortal Spirit braced himself.
But Lin Xuan did not look away.
He couldn't.
Because as the radiant shockwave spread, reality itself began to bend.
A thin line of golden flame tore open behind the colossal dragon—
not vertically, like the abyssal crack—
but horizontally, like a horizon being peeled apart.
A world of gold lay beyond it.
A realm of dragons.
---
1. The Dragon Realm Opens
The tear widened, revealing mountains made of radiant crystal, rivers of molten gold, and storm clouds glowing with lightning the same color as Dragon-Bai's eyes. The air itself pulsed with pure spiritual pressure, thick enough to crush mortals flat.
A realm untouched by mortals.
Overseen by sovereigns.
Guarded by blood older than gods.
The Primordial Dragon turned his head slightly, his massive mane undulating like liquid fire.
> "THE DRAGON REALM OPENS FOR NO MORTAL."
"NOT EVEN FOR IMMORTALS."
He paused—
and looked directly at Lin.
> "BUT IT WILL OPEN… FOR YOU."
Lin inhaled sharply, every muscle tightening involuntarily.
Mu whispered in disbelief, "Brother Lin… he's inviting you inside a dragon realm…"
Wen tightened his hands around his blades. "Not even legends— not even ancient records—mention humans entering a dragon realm alive."
The Sect Master simply bowed his head.
"Let this moment be carved in the sect's history."
The Immortal Spirit exhaled, a faint smile forming.
"It seems the Solar Empress's world seed chose well."
Lin looked down at the unconscious Dragon-Bai.
The tiny dragon's golden glow pulsed in rhythm with the Dragon Realm's opening.
There was no mistake—
This place was calling him.
Calling them both.
But the moment seemed to stretch unnaturally—
and the colossal dragon's expression suddenly twisted.
Violently.
---
2. The Second Ancient Awakes
Every living creature felt it.
An oppressive force.
A freezing pressure.
A fury older than nations.
From the far north, the sky turned blood red.
Not crimson.
Not scarlet.
Blood red.
The clouds there churned into a vortex, compressing into a spear of concentrated killing intent that pierced the sky.
Lightning crackled— but not heavenly lightning.
Something darker.
Hungrier.
Twisted.
The Primordial Dragon snarled, horns sparking with golden fire.
> "IT IS HIM."
Lin's grip tightened. "Who?"
The colossal dragon's wings unfurled with fury capable of splitting continents.
> "THE BLOOD-BORE DREADWYRM."
"FIRST OF THE CORRUPTED."
Even the Immortal Spirit stiffened.
"That thing… still exists?"
The Primordial Dragon growled.
> "HE WAS ONE OF OUR OWN."
The abyssal crack overhead pulsed in violent delight.
The Abyssal Ancestor's laughter thundered through the sky:
> "YESSS… LET HIM COME."
"THE WYRM CRAVES THE WORLD SEED AS MUCH AS I DO."
Mu stepped back, trembling. "There's… two ancients now?"
Wen swallowed hard. "Then we're dead."
The Sect Master's expression hardened, but even he looked grim.
Lin asked quietly, "What is the Dreadwyrm?"
The Primordial Dragon answered without looking away from the northern horizon.
> "A DRAGON WHO ATE CORRUPTION."
"AND BECAME CORRUPTION."
Lin felt his blood go cold.
The dragon continued.
> "THE SOLAR EMPRESS BANISHED HIM TO THE FROZEN ROOT OF THE WORLD—
NEVER TO WAKE."
The distant horizon shattered—
massive glaciers exploding outward.
Lin watched in horror as something colossal pulled itself free from ice older than civilizations.
A serpentine silhouette.
Dark scales like obsidian armor.
Wings shaped like blades.
Eyes burning with madness and hunger.
The Dreadwyrm.
A corrupted ancient dragon.
Dragon-Bai whimpered in Lin's arms, instinctively burrowing into his chest.
The Primordial Dragon bared his teeth.
> "HE WANTS THE SEED."
"HE WANTS YOUR WORLD."
"AND HE WANTS THE WHELP TO REPLACE HIS LOST LINE."
Lin whispered:
"…He wants to steal Bai?"
The Primordial Dragon snapped:
> "HE WANTS TO EAT HIM."
Lightning cracked violently in the sky.
---
3. The Ancients Clash Without Moving
For a moment—
The world held its breath.
Two ancient forces stared at each other across thousands of miles:
The Primordial Solar Dragon, glowing like a god of the heavens.
The Blood-Bore Dreadwyrm, seeping corruption into the air.
Neither moved.
But the pressure between them—
It was like two worlds grinding against each other.
Mountains split.
Rivers reverberated.
Clouds shredded apart.
Even the abyssal crack warbled.
Finally—
The Dreadwyrm spoke.
Its voice was a guttural hiss, dripping with hunger:
> "THE SEED… THE DARLING OF THE EMPRESS… GIVE IT TO ME…"
Lin stepped forward.
"No."
The Dreadwyrm's head snapped toward him.
For the first time, something like surprise flickered in its abyssal eyes.
> "YOU… A MORTAL… REFUSE ME?"
Lin held Dragon-Bai close.
"He's my partner. My family. And my world is mine."
The Dreadwyrm roared—
A roar that reduced mountaintops to dust.
But the Primordial Dragon roared back—
A roar that pushed the shockwave away from Cloudsky, shielding the sect.
The Dreadwyrm hissed.
> "YOU ALWAYS INTERFERE, SUN-WHELP."
The Primordial Dragon snarled:
> "AND YOU ALWAYS CRAWL FROM PITS YOU DON'T BELONG IN."
The sky began collapsing under the weight of their combined auras.
---
4. The Choice
The Primordial Dragon finally turned to Lin.
His eyes glowed with solar fire.
> "MAKE YOUR CHOICE, CHILD OF THE SEED."
Lin's grip tightened.
"My choice?"
The colossal dragon leaned closer—
his breath like a solar wind—
> "ENTER THE DRAGON REALM NOW."
"AND TAKE THE WHELP WITH YOU."
Lin blinked.
"What? Why?"
> "BECAUSE IF YOU REMAIN HERE—
THE DREADWYRM WILL DEVOUR YOU BOTH."
The Immortal Spirit spoke up.
"He's right. The Dragon Realm is the only place the Dreadwyrm cannot force his way into."
Mu grabbed Lin's arm, voice shaking. "Brother Lin… you'll be alone. We can't go in."
Wen clenched his fists. "We'll fight here—but you'll have no backup in that realm."
The Sect Master nodded slowly.
"But if you stay here… we will lose you. And we cannot lose you."
Dragon-Bai opened his eyes weakly.
"…Lin…?"
Lin looked at the tiny dragon.
Then at the Primordial Dragon.
Then at the incoming shadow of the Dreadwyrm.
He knew the truth:
There was no choice.
Not if he wanted Bai to live.
Not if he wanted his inner world to survive.
Not if he wanted the Ancestor denied.
And not if he wanted to grow strong enough to kill them both.
Lin exhaled.
"I'll enter."
The Primordial Dragon bowed his massive head just once.
---
5. The Step Into the Golden Rift
Golden light surged around Lin.
Mu reached out.
Wen called his name.
The Sect Master raised his blade in salute.
The Immortal Spirit crossed his fists across his chest.
But Lin didn't look back.
He stepped toward the glowing rift—
Dragon-Bai cradled safely in his arms—
his spear blazing with solar fire.
The Primordial Dragon's voice thundered across realms:
> "ENTER, CHILD OF THE SEED."
"THE DRAGON REALM AWAITS."
Behind Lin—
The sky cracked open.
A giant corrupted dragon screamed.
Ahead—
The golden realm pulsed with eternal power.
Lin stepped into it—
And the rift snapped shut.