"Where am I? Where am I?"
Aurelian Dragon found himself walking in a dim world, surrounded by churning clouds, rising and falling, thick clouds of varying thickness swirling and swirling around him, never reaching him. It seemed that if they came close to his body, they would immediately dissolve and then regenerate somewhere ahead. And so it went on endlessly.
"Am I dead?!"
Aurelian Dragon suddenly had such a thought, but then he denied it. He thought to himself that he hadn't done anything good. They say "evil deeds live for a thousand years." Although he didn't quite reach the level of evil, he certainly didn't belong to the category of "short-lived." He shouldn't die young in his prime.
Thinking of this, Aurelian Dragon suddenly remembered the Eight Golden Phoenix Guards who died for her. If she were to die as well, she would surely see them. Where are they?
A flash of light appeared ahead, piercing through the thick, cloud-covering clouds and revealing a bright spot. Aurelian Dragon's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately ran in that direction.
Only then did he realize with surprise that he was actually standing on clouds. Beneath his feet were thick, dark clouds that looked quite frightening, but felt extremely soft and comfortable to step on.
The more he ran, the brighter it became, and the more lightning flashed ahead of him. Some of it seemed to strike right next to him, tearing through the thick clouds around him and letting the light in.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared ahead, and Aurelian Dragon was stunned by the scene before him.
The world unfolding before him was an incredibly strange space. Aurelian Dragon felt himself standing on some unseen boundary. To his left was complete darkness, devoid of any light, save for howling winds and raging lightning. To his right, however, was an exceptionally bright sky, with gentle breezes and sunshine, and the occasional wisps of white clouds drifting by like cotton wool, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and peace.
With a deafening roar, Aurelian Dragon turned his head and saw a bolt of lightning tearing through the darkness on his left, followed by the emergence of an enormous figure.
A woman—Aurelian Dragon's eyes immediately lit up.
This was an incomparably beautiful woman, unlike any woman Aurelian Dragon had ever seen before. Her beauty was captivating and alluring, especially her mature and seductive charm, which could easily arouse a man's most primal desires.
Her skin, as white as snow, seemed never to have been touched by the sun, revealing a slightly sickly beauty. Yet, the stunning curves of her voluptuous body, tightly encased in light black armor, were enough to make any man lose control.
But what shocked Aurelian Dragon the most was the woman's back. Looking up from her flawless shoulders, there was a pair of enormous wings of light behind her. These were six black wings of light, and when they flapped, a fierce wind arose, making it unbearable.
Aurelian Dragon thought for a long time before remembering the patterns she had seen in the temple when she was a child. Those murals depicting the war of the gods seemed to have a goddess who looked just like this, and she was one of the first few murals.
As the goddess flapped her black wings of light and raised the lightning in her hand—yes, the weapon she held was indeed flickering electricity—the undulating bolts of lightning trembled and hummed in her grasp. The once clear and beautiful half of the sky began to change strangely, as if countless meteors were rushing in from the boundless horizon, emitting terrifying whistles as they fell in a flurry. The sky gradually turned blood red, and the darkness of heaven and earth expanded in this direction, seemingly opening its gaping maw to swallow it whole.
Aurelian Dragon stared in disbelief at everything, as if he were both present in the scene and yet standing outside of it, watching what was happening before his eyes. The falling meteors would vanish completely just before reaching him, as if to say that it was all an illusion.
Boundless white clouds surged in, blocking the violent winds sweeping from the dark world. Then, the clouds parted to the left and right, revealing a goddess identical to the previous dark-winged goddess. There was not a single difference in form, appearance, figure, or attire, except for one thing: the wings behind this goddess were a brilliant color—snow-white wings emitting countless golden rays. Furthermore, the goddess with the snow-white wings exuded a gentle and holy aura, giving off a calm and serene feeling, inspiring an impulse to worship.
In an instant, Aurelian Dragon understood that what he was seeing was a scene from the legendary "War of Creation," but it seemed that no such image had ever appeared in the murals of the temple. How did he end up here? What did this mean?
Just as Aurelian Dragon was filled with doubt and uncertainty, the goddess "Moon," with dark wings, and the goddess "Wind," with snow-white wings, began a fierce battle in the air. The battle between the gods was so terrifying; the turbulent atmosphere seemed to threaten to destroy the entire world. Although they didn't use any fancy moves or magic, every time they raised their lightning bolts, the entire world trembled and shook. Aurelian Dragon could clearly feel the ground beneath her feet shaking and swaying.
Aurelian Dragon could hardly believe his eyes. What was going on? How had he stumbled into the battle of the gods? If this was a dream, his sensations shouldn't be so intense and real; the surging energy was even making his skin sting. But if this wasn't a dream, why couldn't the whistling meteors, the falling fragments, and the terrifying lightning bolts strike him? It was as if an invisible barrier stood before him, keeping everything that posed a danger out of his reach.
The tremors beneath my feet grew more and more intense, as if the entire world was about to turn upside down.
Aurelian Dragon awoke from her astonishment to find the battle between the two goddesses in the sky growing increasingly fierce. Each clash of lightning unleashed a burst of intense light, illuminating the heavens and earth. The overflowing streams of light and electricity created incomparably beautiful patterns in the endless sky.
"It's too dangerous, let's get out of here quickly!"
The terrified man immediately turned his thoughts into action, quickly turning around to prepare to use all his strength to escape the terrifying battlefield before him.
Suddenly, a deafening tremor that seemed to tear the heavens and earth apart came from behind. A blinding white light illuminated everything, and a terrifying, piercing shriek and an incomparably powerful shockwave filled the entire world.
"No!" The thought had barely crossed Aurelian Dragon's mind when the world beneath his feet collapsed, and his body plummeted into the boundless darkness below.
Amidst screams, the unfortunate man turned to look at the battlefield behind him. What he saw terrified Aurelian Dragon; he closed his eyes and thought to himself, "It's over!"
Unbeknownst to him, the two goddesses who were fighting had transformed into two dazzling beams of light, flying rapidly toward him.
"boom!"
The unfortunate man who became the point where the two beams of light intersected let out a horrific scream. Aurelian Dragon's body trembled violently. He felt as if his body had been torn in two, or as if a herd of wild horses without bridles were trampling wildly inside him. Every muscle and every inch of skin was enduring unbearable pain.
In his drowsy state, he vaguely saw Phoenix Vane's captivating face appear before him, giving him a deep smile before walking forward.
"Don't go! Please help me!"
Seeing a glimmer of hope, the man let out a shout with all his might.
※ ※ ※
The next moment, Aurelian Dragon woke up with a start, feeling weak all over, as if she had felt powerless when she was a child during a serious illness.
"Aurelian, you're finally awake!"
He heard a sweet voice that he knew very well but could hardly believe, a voice that was melodious and pleasant to the ear, like a spring breeze caressing his soul.
Aurelian Dragon slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was a breathtakingly beautiful face, though a hint of weariness was faintly visible on his once radiant countenance. Indeed, it was the exquisite face of Phoenix Vane, the beautiful war goddess he had imagined countless times and whose image was deeply etched in his heart.
Aurelian Dragon raised her weak hand and gently wiped away the tears on Phoenix Vane's face, asking in a low but steady voice, "Where am I now?"
Phoenix Vane smiled sweetly, but her beautiful eyes were filled with tears she couldn't hold back. She said softly, "We've returned to Esnia. This is the Phoenix Palace where you used to live. You've been in a coma the whole time, and everyone was so worried about you."
Aurelian Dragon paused for a moment, then asked, "Are they all alright?"
Phoenix Vane nodded, and Aurelian Dragon breathed a sigh of relief. So everyone had finally returned safely to the imperial capital, Esnia—that was wonderful. He had been truly worried that Lynette Quill and Obsidia Shade might have met with misfortune after the attack; that would have been an irreparable loss.
Remembering something, Aurelian Dragon looked at Phoenix Vane's fair face and said, "How did you get here? Didn't you say you were going to attack Sirius Pass in Asura?"
Seeing that Aurelian Dragon's condition was becoming increasingly stable and her spirits were improving, Phoenix Vane was also in high spirits. She smiled slightly and said, "After I conquered Sirius Pass, I traveled all night to find you. Fortunately, I finally caught up with you..." As she spoke, she couldn't help but recall the perilous situation, and a wave of emotion washed over her. If she had been even a fraction of a second later, who could have predicted what the outcome would have been?
Thinking of this, Aurelian Dragon couldn't help but feel sorry for her and said, "Phoenix! You've lost a lot of weight!"
Phoenix Vane's beautiful eyes were misty with tears, but she said softly with joy, "Look at you, I'm not that naive." Then she turned around, took a bowl of thick ginseng soup, scooped it up with a silver spoon, and held it to Aurelian Dragon's lips, whispering, "Here, drink this!"
Lynette Quill and Obsidia Shade practically flew in from outside the door, rushing straight to Aurelian Dragon's couch, their beautiful faces beaming with undisguised joy.
Seeing Aurelian Dragon's spirits improving, Lynette Quill said with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, "Aurelian, do you know? You've been unconscious for seven whole days since the day you and the Eight Guards encountered the enemy at the lake!"
After taking a sip of ginseng soup, Aurelian Dragon exclaimed, "It's so bitter!" Then he asked in surprise, "Have I really been unconscious for seven days? I only remember being attacked by the goddess warriors at that beautiful little lake, the Golden Phoenix Guards and the others..." As he spoke, a look of grief and indignation appeared in his eyes, and a pang of pain shot through his heart. He couldn't help but gasp for breath.
Phoenix Vane gave Lynette Quill a reproachful look, then took Aurelian Dragon's hand and said softly, "Aurelian, don't be too upset. I'm also very sad to have lost the Eight Guards, but since it's already happened, you should focus on getting better first!"
Lynette Quill nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, Aurelian, you should take care of yourself first. Your older sister has been so worried about you, staying by your side almost every day, and she won't leave you even at night!"
Phoenix Vane glared back at Lynette Quill and said coquettishly, "But isn't there someone even more capable than me? I don't know how many times they've shed tears in secret, yet they still make fun of others."
Lynette Quill, with an air of self-righteousness, said generously, "Of course. If I don't cry for the man I love, am I supposed to cry for another man?"
Deeply moved by the beauty's kindness and affection, Aurelian Dragon gazed at the two stunning women before him. He grasped Phoenix Vane's delicate hand with his other hand and held Lynette Quill's small hand, saying with emotion, "God has been so kind to me, Aurelian Dragon, allowing me to meet you!"
Phoenix Vane glanced at Obsidia Shade, who had been standing silently to the side, and shook his head with a light laugh, saying, "Aurelian, the best person for you isn't either of us, but someone else!"
Aurelian Dragon was taken aback. He glanced at Obsidia Shade, whose bright eyes were sparkling with interest as she lingered with him, and blurted out, "Who is that person?"
Lynette Quill pushed Obsidia Shade in front of the Aurelian Dragon and said, "That person is naturally our little sister Obsidia Shade! You know, she was willing to destroy herself and unleash forbidden magic to destroy everything for you!"
Obsidia Shade's pretty face showed an embarrassed expression as she said, "I almost made a terrible mistake. At that time, I really thought that you, sir, had already..." She suddenly stopped speaking, swallowing the rest of her words.
Aurelian Dragon knew what Obsidia Shade was about to say. She was afraid that saying the word "death" to his face would make him uncomfortable. He couldn't help but shake his head and said to Obsidia Shade with a smile, "You seem to have lost a lot of weight. Could it be that you were secretly crying?"
Lynette Quill chuckled and said, "Do you really think you're that likable? It's one thing to have a silly woman like me crying for you, but to have our little sister Obsidia Shade heartbroken for you too? You're too self-absorbed!"
Phoenix Vane said softly from the side, "Obsidia Shade suffered a great loss of internal energy and physical strength because she used that forbidden magic. She is much better now, but back then she looked like a person who was about to die. It was terrifying."
Aurelian Dragon glanced gratefully at Obsidia Shade, who said somewhat apologetically, "Young Master, don't listen to my elder sister's exaggeration. My condition isn't as serious as she makes it out to be. I've just been overexerted, and I'll be fine after a few more days of rest. It's you, Young Master, whose injury is quite strange. Several streams of energy within your body are entangled and won't be subdued no matter what method you use. Almost all the healers say they've never encountered a situation like this before."
Aurelian Dragon was taken aback. He secretly circulated his qi to check his condition. It would have been better if he hadn't circulated his qi. As soon as he did, he felt his blood and qi churning inside his body. His internal energy surged wildly like a storm. Several completely different and powerful true qi were rushing around inside him, like a herd of wild horses charging around. It was an unbearable pain, as if his soul was about to be expelled from his body. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure it.
Seeing Aurelion Dragon's sudden change in expression and the beads of cold sweat on his forehead, Phoenix Vane and the other two were greatly surprised. Phoenix Vane quickly channeled his inner energy into Aurelion Dragon's body through his clenched hand, urgently saying, "Aurelian, relax quickly, stop circulating your energy!"
Lynette Quill and Obsidia Shade hurriedly stepped forward and each used their own energy to suppress the violent energy within Aurelian Dragon. After a while, Aurelian Dragon slowly returned to normal, looking at Phoenix Vane with a pale face and saying, "What happened? How did I become like this?"
Phoenix Vane gave a wry smile and said, "We don't know what happened either. You've been like this ever since you fainted that day. After we returned to the capital, we found the best healers in the country, but they were helpless. His Majesty even sent his own royal court healer, but still there was nothing he could do. Fortunately, apart from being unconscious, your condition has not worsened and everything is normal."
Aurelian Dragon felt a darkness engulf her vision. Was she destined to remain like this forever, unable to circulate her qi or use martial arts?
Lynette Quill added, "My elder sister even asked the dragons and gods, but they couldn't explain your current state either. All we know now is that the uncontrolled energy within you includes the dragon's inner energy, the dark energy of the Dark Clan, and the true energy of the wind spirit. Other chaotic energies are not as powerful as these three."
Aurelian Dragon was even more furious. If what Lynette Quill said was true, and that he was now just a big shell filled with all sorts of different kinds of energy, wasn't that a complete hodgepodge?