Xiao Yan stood in the center of the forbidden cave and honestly, he was wondering if it was too late to turn around and pretend he was lost. The cave didn't just smell like old stone; it smelled like time. The air was so thick with pressure that his new silk robes were sticking to his skin, and every breath felt like he was inhaling liquid lead.
Ahead of him, the darkness shifted. Two massive, glowing blue orbs—each the size of a carriage—snapped open.
"WHO DARES DISTURB MY TIME?"
The voice didn't just hit Xiao Yan's ears; it rattled his teeth and made his stomach do a slow roll. A massive head, covered in scales that looked like polished sapphires, lunged out of the shadows, stopping just inches from Xiao Yan's face. The dragon's breath smelled like ozone and ancient rain.
"Uh... hi?" Xiao Yan said, his voice cracking just a little. He gripped the Sword of Heaven and Earth so hard his knuckles turned white. "I'm Xiao Yan. I kind of just... fell in here? The mountain is a bit of a mess right now."
The Azure Dragon narrowed its giant eyes, a low growl vibrating through the floor. "A human. A messy, smelling-of-spider-guts human. You think you can just walk into the seal of a God-Beast? Begone, little ant, before I turn you into a snack."
(Michael, help. He's looking at me like I'm a chicken wing,) Xiao Yan thought frantically.
[Master, stay cool. He's bluffing. Look closely—he's a spirit body. He's translucent. He can't eat you, but he can definitely blast your soul into next Tuesday.]
Xiao Yan took a deep breath and stood his ground. He noticed the dragon was shimmering. It wasn't solid flesh; it was a ghost of a god, trapped by massive, glowing chains that hummed with a golden light.
"You're stuck," Xiao Yan said, his fear turning into that usual stubbornness. "And you're bored. And from the look of those chains, you've been stuck for a long time. I have a feeling you need me more than I need a grumpy lizard."
The dragon's neck snapped back, shocked by the audacity. "A lizard? You dare?! I am the Azure Dragon of the East! I have seen empires rise and fall while you were still a thought in the void! I will never be a 'pet' to a mortal!"
"Who said anything about a pet?" Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. "I don't even have enough food for myself, let alone a dragon. But look at you. You're a spirit. You're fading. If you stay here, you'll eventually just... pop. Gone."
The dragon went quiet. The anger faded into a bitter, heavy sadness that filled the cave. Xiao Yan felt it in his chest—the loneliness of millions of years. It was the same loneliness he felt back when everyone called him trash.
"The boy is right," the dragon muttered, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "My prime is gone. Without a physical vessel, I am but a memory." He looked at Xiao Yan again, but this time, he sensed it. The aura. The deep, hidden power of the Balance Breaker and the Trinity Path. "Wait... your soul. It's... chaotic. It's balanced. How?"
"I'm a work in progress," Xiao Yan joked weakly.
"Human," the dragon said, reaching out a ghostly claw. "I need a new body to walk this world again. You need power to survive this mountain. Let us make a pact. I will dwell within your sea of consciousness, lending you my strength, until we find a way to forge me a new form. But warn you, I am a demanding guest."
"Fine by me," Xiao Yan said. "Better a demanding guest than a dead host."
As they touched, a blinding blue light exploded. Xiao Yan felt like his veins were being filled with liquid fire.
[Breakthrough Detected!]
The energy from the Azure Dragon surged through Xiao Yan's Trinity Path. The barriers between the stages didn't just break; they evaporated.
10th Stage... 11th Stage... Xiao Yan fell to his knees, his skin glowing with red lightning and blue dragon-fire. He felt his Body, Soul, and Spirit paths merging, tightening, becoming one solid pillar of power.
12th Stage! Peak Mortal Realm!
He was standing right at the edge of the Divine Realm. His hair grew a bit longer, his eyes sharpened, and the Sword of Heaven and Earth hummed with a new, terrifying frequency. The mountain, which had been shaking like an earthquake, suddenly went dead silent. The dragon had been claimed.
"Whoa," Xiao Yan whispered, standing up. He felt light. He felt like he could punch a hole in the moon. "That's... that's a lot of power."
"Don't let it go to your head, boy," a voice echoed in his mind. It was the dragon, sounding slightly annoyed but firmly attached to Xiao Yan's soul. "We have company. And your friends are about to become lunch."
The darkness was thick, but the red glow of demon eyes was thicker.
Shi Lieya was back-to-back with Jinyao. They had somehow been teleported to the same spot, and to their surprise, Yan Bingxue was there too, standing a few feet away with her ice sword drawn.
"Stay behind me," Bingxue commanded, her voice cold but steady.
"I can fight my own battles, Ice Queen!" Lieya snapped, though her hands were shaking. They were surrounded. At least fifty young demons, led by a high-ranking commander, were closing in.
"Oh, look at this," a voice drawled from the side. It was Shi Wuheng, the pursuer from Iron Mountain. He was leaning against a tree, looking more annoyed than scared. "A bunch of girls and a masked freak. Don't worry, Lieya, I'll save you. But you're going to owe me big time after this."
"Wuheng, shut up!" Lieya yelled. "There are fifty of them! Do something useful instead of talking!"
"They're too many," Jinyao whispered, her hands glowing with a shield spell that was already flickering. "Where is Xiao Yan?"
The demon commander stepped forward, a massive axe dragging on the ground. "The 'Red Spark' isn't coming for you. He's likely dead in the forbidden zone. Now, who wants to die first? The loud one or the pretty one?"
The demons lunged.
Bingxue unleashed a wave of frost, turning the first row into statues, but the demons just kept coming. Wuheng tried to stab with his spear, but he was quickly pushed back, his face turning pale as he realized he was outmatched.
"Xiao Yan!" Jinyao screamed as a demon claw reached for her.
CRACK-BOOM!
A bolt of red and blue lightning slammed into the center of the clearing, sending dirt and demon limbs flying in every direction. The pressure was so immense that every demon was forced to their knees.
As the smoke cleared, a figure stepped out.
Xiao Yan looked different. His silk wrap was still there, but his aura was heavy—like he was carrying the weight of the sky. The Sword of Heaven and Earth was crackling with a power that made the air itself hiss.
"Sorry I'm late," Xiao Yan said, his voice echoing with a strange, draconic resonance. He didn't even look at the demons; he looked at Jinyao and Lieya. "Did I miss the party?"
"Xiao Yan?" Lieya gasped. "You... you feel different. Did you get taller?"
"Maybe a little," Xiao Yan grinned, then turned to the demon commander, who was trembling. "Now, about that 'lunch' you mentioned. I think I'm the one who's hungry."
The battle was about to break, and for the first time, the demons looked like the prey.
To be continued!!!