"Garen, are you able to locate the way back out? I have a bad feeling about progressing any further with just the two of us."
Lancelot stopped in his tracks and turned around to ask Garen while he took out his spear from the spatial ring.
"The marking I left behind was erased without me noticing it, something must have happened in the few minutes we spent walking through the path."
Garen nodded his head and approval as he gathered his mystical projectiles around him again, forming them into the shape of an eagle before sending it into the path they came through from.
The eagle was able to enter the path smoothly, but all Garen could see through it even with the provided light source was pitch blackness and the next moment, a tugging force pulled his eagle into the ground and destroyed it, causing him to suffer a backlash.
Vomiting a mouthful of blood, Garen took out an elixir from his spatial ring and swallowed it immediately while getting into a resting position to navigate the effects of the recovery elixir within his body to speed up the recovery process.
Lancelot who had been awaiting Garen to express his thoughts calmed himself down and waited patiently knowing that there was only one way out now.
They had to make it through the path which managed to destroy Garen's vision scouting projectiles without even giving him any reaction time.
Garen might be weaker than him, but it was the same concept as him wanting to take out Garen immediately and silently, he lacked the strength to and would never achieve that.
That was the disparity in strength between him and the mysterious being or force which they had to face as a duo. It was impossible for them to make it out safely, or even make it halfway through.
The ruin had a mind of its own and was forcing them to advance further, Lancelot even had a feeling that if they decide to remain here any further, they might get into further danger considering that the ruin was pressuring them to not even retreat.
Lancelot wanted to contact those outside by causing a commotion here, but this would only enrage the ruin or being behind all this or even cause the entire ruin to collapse on them which would lead to disaster befalling them.
There was a secret behind these ruins which has never been revealed to anyone. In fact, even the officials who declared that this was their dimension had no clue about its dark past.
In the past, this was a dimension ruled by the half blood dragon species, they were half human and half dragon, resulting in them being shunned by both species.
But it was also this reason which led to the rise of the half blood dragon species, from the moment they discovered that they were able to cultivate with innate talent higher than humans and absorb the effects of cultivation resources more quickly and efficiently.
Unlike the true dragons that had to be of a certain cultivation realm before they even took on the human form, this species was able to take on both the dragon form and human form while utilising combat tactics from both species, resulting in their unparalleled combat strength.
Every single half blood dragon had combat strength, a major realm above them and even in the Saint realms, they were able to defeat opponents three sub realms above them at the very least though that was a feat only accomplished by the true demons.
Yet, the most terrifying half blood dragon from their species was the reason why everyone began to fear this race deep down, it was an innate fear they had for a bloodline more noble than theirs, including the true dragons who feared them as well.
Their leader, who has been missing with the entire half blood dragon species since thousands of years ago.
That leader of theirs took the Divine realm by storm through his own efforts when he defeated a Martial Saint as a third grade Minor Saint, completing the legendary feat which none could replicate even after thousands of years had passed.
In fact, even the strongest of geniuses that stood at the top of the ladder, and rose above everyone of their generation, including those demons who once fought alongside them, none was able to even contend against a ninth grade Martial Saint without suffering defeat after exchanging for a few moves at his cultivation realm.
Every youth who wanted to challenge their limits tried to surpass him, but none of them were able to get close to the peak he created, yet by the time the cultivation world had made the decision to eliminate the half blood dragon race, they vanished.
Even leaving behind a note which terrified everyone, they were unsure if the leader would stick true to his hearts, but they still hoped that the leader would never return.
[The dragon race, the human race, all other races, all of you shun us away as though we are ghosts from the underworld. Since things have already come to this stage even though it was you humans and dragons who created us, then wait for our revenge, the day we return, we will rewrite history when he appears, the chosen one who's bound to exceed my peak]
That was the only part which was found by them, many years later, after everyone had forgotten about this matter, a wandering cultivator from the Divine realm found the second part of their message and shared it to the cultivation realm.
He was heavily rewarded and ever since that day, his cultivation soared miraculously and he was already in the first ladder of the Divine realm without anyone noticing it ever since that day.
Everyone knew that this was definitely related to the half blood dragon species, but none wanted to challenge him since there was no reason to risk their own lives against a foe with formidable strength they could not comprehend.
The second message however, was the reason why the Divine realm had been conducting a search on the half blood dragon species up till this day to no avail, in fact, none knew about the first half blood dragon came into existence against the forbidden rules.
[The chosen one will be the one who rewrites history in the cultivation world and brings the world to light, allowing us to cultivate and find the purpose behind cultivation in a world of higher dimension which definitely exists out there. Remember, the chosen one will definitely be part of us and he'll also be the one who defeats everyone of the golden generation]
Everyone had expected the golden generation to never come, but to their disarray, it had already arrived and even though the legendary youths have yet to be cast in stone, there were four of them who everyone held high hopes for.
Four who would step into the Martial Saint realm before the age of twenty five which was impossible, yet it was truly happening before their eyes with these youths building the most stable foundation for themselves in the cultivation world, even though it would take others years and years of effort.
This was the story of the half blood dragon race and how they were tied to this dimension and the present time period itself. They might still exist, who knows?
Maybe one day when the cultivation world decides that it's time for justice to prevail and rules to be rewritten, they'll return alongside the chosen one, who might or might not exist before the cultivation era comes to an end miraculously against all odds.
*Lancelot and Garen*
"Garen, how are your injuries right now?"
Lancelot squatted down and asked in concern as he took out another bottle from his spatial ring.
"It's fine, the backlash only affected me because of the sudden shock which was transmitted into my body from my eagle drone which caught me by surprise. If I had been more aware of my surroundings with the eagle, I might have avoided the impact."
Garen explained as he stood up from the ground and revolved his projectiles in a defensive pattern around him while Lancelot was prepared for any unexpected ambushes or traps that laid in the mentally extended path ahead.
They had to advance deeper into the ruins and there was one thing Lancelot was concealing from Garen, not because of his selfishness, but because he didn't want Garen to panic for him.
As a senior, this was the least he could do by bottling up his worries and fears to himself. Especially when he's the only one without a family.
Alexander had Abby who shared a history with him since they were children, only to reunite years later out there on the battlefield.
Ray had Chloe who had reunited with him unexpectedly because of Alexander's personal agenda and motives for the development of the Nirvana Sect.
Garen had a fiancee who only he doesn't know about because of the inheritance he received from the Legacy Paladin of the Paladin Haven.
Max and Ruby had each other and were constantly able to stay by each other's side.
Luke was a loner, but at least he had a father and family who still cared for him even when he was a cultivation cripple.
Yet him, he had nothing besides the sect. As such, giving up his life for the sect was all he had in life.
"Come to the end of the ruins if you wish to leave this place, if you desire strength to seek the new path of calamity."