Dragon Kingdom.
City of Dragon.
...
Rumble... Rumble... Rumble...
Thunder's roar continues to reverberate while lightning continues to flicker over the city skyline, making the dark night seem as bright as day.
All dragon city dwellers are seen shaking with nervous expressions as they gaze at the magnificent palace in the middle of the city
Above the palace, golden flames seemed to be pushing against each other with a green light that formed the shadow of a dragon.
Even though the dragon's shadow looked very majestic, it was clear that it was being suppressed by the golden flames.
And as time passed, the dragon seemed to be getting smaller and smaller as the golden flames continued to press down on it. Just a moment later, the dragon's shadow was completely destroyed while golden flames began to engulf the entire palace in the middle of the city.
Seeing that, the trembling residents of Dragon City could no longer hold back their fear. One by one, they started falling to the ground.
"The Dragon Kingdom is finished." Some of the residents spoke sadly.
"The Phoenix clan is absolutely outrageous, the king has treated them very well all along. He even made an engagement between his daughter and young master Phoenix. Who would have thought they were going to rebel."
"I wish the Dragon Princess would be okay. As long as she can live, I'm willing to die right now."
....
In the courtyard of the palace.
There were more than a hundred people lying helpless.
In front of them, a middle-aged man with a crown on his head was seen kneeling while his mouth vomited several mouthfuls of blood. The green robe he was wearing looked tattered while his body was covered with burns.
Behind the middle-aged man are two women. One looks the same age as a middle-aged man while the other is a young girl who looks just seven years old.
The young girl has white skin, blonde hair, and eyes as blue as diamonds.
Despite her very young age. Just by looking at her face now, even the best artists can't imagine how beautiful she will be when she was grown up in the future.
The man in front of her and the woman hugging from behind her are clearly her father and mother.
At this time, the family of three stared at the middle aged man in a red robe who was standing not far in front of them.
What's surprising is this: behind the middle-aged man there is actually a young man who looks the same age as the young girl in front
The girl and the young man looked at each other.
While the young girl stares with a sharp eye, the young man is seen bowing his head with an expression of shame.
"Zaden, I never thought that you would reach the Nirvana King stage." Said the man who was kneeling.
"But I once said you could be king if you wanted. In order for you to betray me, I'm sure you have other goals." He stared at the man in the red robe, who was called Zaden.
"Hehehe." Zaden chuckled.
"Lydan my best friend, you really know me best." Zaden answered.
Zaden then turned his gaze to the young girl behind Lydan.
That young girl is the girl known as the Dragon Princess.
"The fact that your daughter was born with a Dragon soul proves your Dragon clan is truly a descendant of a Dragon that descended from Heaven. This evidence is much stronger than any Dragon cultivation technique you guys inherited." He spoke while glancing up at the sky.
Whether it was the Dragon clan or the Phoenix clan, both of them possessed mysterious cultivation techniques that they inherited from their ancestors. That's what made them a little sure that they really were the descendants of the legendary Dragon and Phoenix.
It's just that, so far, there had never been anyone who could cultivate that technique properly. Few people could master it, but when released, it was even worse than ordinary techniques.
If it weren't for those techniques being so mysterious, people would have thought they were just trash techniques.
Rumor has it that the technique can only be mastered if one has a Dragon or Phoenix soul.
What's mysterious about the technique is that it doesn't actually pass down from people. It was actually passed down directly through the bloodlines of the Dragon clan and Phoenix clan members. As long as they were from those two clans, that technique would naturally appear within them when they reached certain stages. So far, they would have obtained one technique for each cultivation stage.
"If your clan is really the Dragon clan, that means my Phoenix clan is also a descendant of the Phoenix." Zaden looked at Lydan.
"But, while your daughter was born with a Dragon soul, why doesn't my son have a Phoenix soul?" He said, glancing briefly at the young man behind him.
"Zaden, isn't there a record in your clan that Dragon and Phoenix souls are only for those who are fated?"
"That's true. But there is one thing I never told you." He then showed a smile that made Lydan feel bad.
"In my Phoenix clan records, it is written that a Dragon soul can help awaken the Phoenix soul of the Phoenix clan.
As long as someone from the Phoenix clan refined a Dragon soul, they could turn that Dragon soul into a Phoenix soul.
In that note, this method is considered as a forbidden way, but who cares as long as my son can get the power of the Phoenix."
"What." Lydan looked very surprised when he heard Zaden's words. "Your goal is?"
Before Lydan could finish his question, Zaden had already continued his words.
"Even though there are some conditions, unfortunately between your daughter and my son actually fulfilled all of those requirements since they were born."
"Ha ha ha ha." He started laughing out loud.
"My goal is to use your daughter's Dragon soul to awaken my son's Phoenix soul."
When Lydan and the Dragon clan people heard Zaden's words, their expressions all turned very bad.
"Zaden, you dare to do that. My father will definitely not let you go if you dare to hurt his granddaughter." The woman who was hugging the Dragon Princess shouted hoarsely.
"Oh Resha, I remember your father is the great elder of the Full Moon Temple, is it not." Zaden looked at the woman called Resha who is the wife of Lydan.
"But as far as I know, the cultivation of the great elder of the Full Moon Temple is only at the seventh layer of the Nirvana realm which means he is just a low-level Nirvana King just like me.
Even if the lord of the Full Moon Temple, who is said to have the cultivation of mid-level Nirvana King, I still have no fear of them."
After saying that, Zaden looked back at his son.
"Alright boy, now is the time we start the ceremony." He said while pulling his son's back collar.
"No, I won't do that. I won't take Princess Elizabeth's Dragon soul." Shouted the young man. He tries to rebel when his father pulls him towards Dragon Princess or Princess Elizabeth.
He and Princess Elizabeth have been engaged since they were born. But more than that, they have been best friends since they were very young.
Regardless of their very young age, they know that they love each other. How could he hurt the woman he loved just for the sake of strength.
"Don't be naughty, kid, once you awaken your Phoenix soul, you won't regret this."
Zaden shook his son's body to calm him down.
"Zaden, I won't let you do that." Lydan who was kneeling tried to stand up to block Zaden's path.
But Zaden just casually waved his palm. His palm didn't even hit Lydan but only a gust of wind from his palm, which immediately threw Lydan several tens of meters into the distance.
"Zaden, why are you doing this? Is it because of that?" Resha who hugged her daughter looked at Zaden with watery eyes.
"Hehehe." Zaden chuckled once again.
"As the saying goes: Everyone for themselves, and the Devil takes the hindmost. In a cultivation world where strength is everything, is it wrong to take someone else's luck to increase one's own strength?" Zaden replied with an indifferent expression.
After he said that, he pointed his hand towards Princess Elizabeth.
Resha wanted to block Zaden's hand but with only Zaden's casual movements, she was immediately thrown to Zaden's side.
Only Princess Elizabeth was left there. She stared at Zaden with a scared expression. However, deep within her eyes, there was an unbearable hatred.
"Lass, I know you love my son. But as a person born with a Dragon soul, you are destined to fly across the skies.
My son may be talented, but at most he can only become the King in this tiny Holy Light Continent. How can you be together if your differences are destined to be so great.
Therefore, if you want to continue to be with my son, you better sacrifice your soul for my son's awakening. Since then, your soul will always be with my son." Said Zaden, looking at Princess Elizabeth.
After he spoke, he immediately took action. He pointed his hand towards Princess Elizabeth before channeling spiritual energy into her tiny body.
Roar...
Right after Zaden's spiritual energy entered Princess Elizabeth's body, an angry roar suddenly resounded from within Princess Elizabeth's body before a giant Golden Dragon shadow appeared behind her.
Even though it was only a shadow, it emitted a majestic aura that made people feel like worshiping it.
It stared at Zaden with cold and indifferent eyes like a god staring at a tiny ant.
"Hehehe." Zaden didn't show a frightened expression as he was stared at by the dragon. Instead, he even chuckled casually.
"What a great being. But unfortunately right now you are just a weak little soul. I may be just a Nirvana King but I can still suppress you." He said.
Zaden then pointed his hand towards the shadow of the Dragon which is the dragon soul of Princess Elizabeth.
BuzZz....
Red spiritual energy gushed out from his hand and it instantly drowned the Dragon's soul under the surge of spiritual energy.
"Roar..."
The dragon roared trying to break free but the surge of spiritual energy was like an iron chain holding it back, rendering it completely immobile.
Zaden then pulled the Dragon's soul towards him.
The dragon's soul size got smaller and smaller the closer it got to Zaden. When it reached his palm, it had shrunk to the size of a baby bird.
Zaden gripped the Dragon's soul in his palm before extending his hand towards his Son.
"Swallow this, boy." He said.
"No." His son tried to refuse. But under the force of Zaden's spiritual energy, the little youth couldn't do anything as Zaden directed the Dragon's soul into his mouth.
And when the Dragon's soul was in front of his mouth, bursts of mysterious energy suddenly surged from within the young man's body. The mysterious energy immediately enveloped the Dragon's soul, and it was seen trying to draw the Dragon's soul into the youth's mouth.
"Hahahaha. Look, I'm sure it's the power of a Phoenix soul. According to the records, a Phoenix soul will only awaken after a Dragon's soul is fully refined.
But apparently it awaken faster. Ha ha ha. I'm sure your Phoenix soul is a mighty Phoenix soul." Zaden burst out laughing. He couldn't hide the joy on his face.
As that mysterious energy enveloped the Dragon's soul, the Dragon's soul that previously seemed unable to put up a resistance suddenly emitted a mysterious energy that looked similar to the mysterious energy that came from Zaden's son.
While emitting that energy, the Dragon's soul, which was previously immobile under the pressure of Zaden's spiritual energy, began to engage in resistance.
Dragon Soul is seen moving backwards towards Princess Elizabeth who appears unable to move.
"Want to put up a fight. Unfortunately your strength is still too weak." Said Zaden before releasing more spiritual energy.
Under Zaden's power, the Dragon's soul that was just starting to put up a resistance, was once again suppressed, and it began to be drawn again into Zaden's son's mouth.
"Alu, please don't do that." Princess Elizabeth, who had been silent, finally spoke.
She stared at Zaden's son called Alu with teary eyes.
Alu's body immediately shook when he felt Princess Elizabeth's gaze. But, under the mysterious power coming from his own body, Alu couldn't stop his actions. Worse, the mysterious power even made him feel the urge to swallow Princess Elizabeth's dragon soul.
The deeper the dragon's soul goes into Alu's mouth, the stronger the resistance that comes from the dragon's soul. But the mysterious power that came out of Alu's body also didn't run out of ways to swallow up the dragon's soul.
Even though that mysterious power could not completely engulf the dragon soul, it began to dismember several parts of the dragon soul's body. Some of the parts then went straight into Alu's throat before heading to his stomach.
"Cry...."
A Phoenix scream suddenly echoed from within Alu's body right after several parts of the dragon's soul entered Alu's body.
"It's awake." Zaden looked surprised before excitement filled his face.
Bruzzzz...
Flames then surged from Alu's body before a majestic shadow appeared behind him.
However, when people saw the shadow and flames burning from Alu's body, they couldn't help but be surprised because they discovered that the flames and shadow were actually black in color.
And the appearance of that shadow also made Alu's hair and eyes, which were previously brown, turned dark black.
Even Zaden looked surprised because it was common knowledge that the Phoenix and its flames were always red.
"Devil phoenix, it must be a devil phoenix. Zaden, you have done forbidden things, and turned your son into a devil." Lydan who was lying on the side screamed when he saw the appearance of the black Phoenix.
Zaden looked dazed when he saw his son's Phoenix soul, but Lydan's words immediately woke him back up. He then glanced at Lydan with an indifferent expression.
"Even if it really is a Devil Phoenix, it is still better than nothing. Also, in this World of Hundred Miracles, even devils will receive people's respect as long as they are strong." Said Zaden, which made Lydan speechless.
After saying that, Zaden looked back at his son who had begun to swallow the dragon soul.
After the awakening of the Phoenix soul, the mysterious power that came out of Alu's body became even stronger, which made the Dragon's soul start to be drawn deeper into Alu's mouth.
Alu, who previously was still trying to refuse to swallow the dragon's soul suddenly directed his own strength to help attract the dragon soul. Alu doesn't want to do that, but the awakening of his Phoenix soul makes him desire to swallow the dragon's soul even more intense.
"No, I can't do this. If I swallow the dragon's soul, Princess Elizabeth will definitely die." Alu once again tried to refuse. Unfortunately his refusal was only in his heart. His soul could not resist. His actions ended in vain.
"Zaden, since all you want is to resurrect your son's Phoenix soul, why don't you stop now and let my daughter go." Said Lydan once again.
"Humph."
Hearing Lydan's words, Zaden responded with a cold snort.
"Do you think I'm stupid, Lydan?" He looked at Lydan.
"The resentment between them has already formed, if the grass is not cut down to the roots, who knows what will happen in the future.
Besides, just refining a little of the dragon's soul made my son awaken his Phoenix soul.
If my son can completely refine your daughter's dragon soul, won't my son's Phoenix soul become even stronger."
"Zaden, you really go too far. Heaven will definitely punish you." Lydan became very angry when he heard Zaden's words.
"Your Majesty, if we can save the Dragon Princess, we will do anything even if it costs our lives."
The dragon clan people shouted. They didn't seem strong when they saw the condition of Princess Elizabeth who could die at any time. Even some residents of Dragon City who were not far from the palace who saw the whole incident also shouted.
"Your Majesty, I would rather die than become a citizen of that traitor demon. If we can save the Dragon Princess, we have no objection even if we have to sacrifice our lives." Shouted the residents of Dragon City.
After that shout, one by one the townspeople joined in screaming so that the entire city echoed with shouts to save the Dragon Princess.
"Humph." Zaden who heard that gave a cold snort.
"In front of a Nirvana King, even if you all join in, you won't be able to do anything in front of me." Zaden spoke in a loud voice so it could be heard by everyone in the dragon city.
"Lydan, we can use the formation my father gave us." Resha who was lying beside Lydan suddenly spoke.
"Resha, you." Lydan couldn't help but be shocked when he heard his wife's words.
"I'm sure everyone feels the same way. As long as our daughter can live, there is still a chance for revenge. But if our daughter dies, we will all only live under that demon's shadow." Resha answered with a firm expression.
"Lydan, there is no other choice and no time to think, our daughter could die at any time." Resha started raising her voice when she saw that her husband was still looking uncertain.
Scolded by his wife, Lydan didn't dare delay. He quickly took out a formation disk from his storage ring. He then threw the formation disk at his daughter.
"Oh, what is this?" Zaden was surprised when he saw that. However, her expression quickly turned ugly as she watched the disc emit a light that instantly enveloped the entire city.
The light then descended on the people in the city who kept screaming for the king to save the Dragon Princess.
And when the light enveloped their bodies, their screams suddenly changed. It was replaced by a scream of pain as the light enveloping them suddenly scattered their flesh and blood.
It happened to everyone in town. Even kings and queens are no exception.
"Shit, this is a blood formation." Zaden cursed.
If it was only Nirvana King's power, even if that Nirvana King was stronger than him, it would still not be able to escape Zaden. However, blood formation? By sacrificing the millions of people within the city, it was able to gather a power that far surpassed a Nirvana King like Zaden.
Even though that power wasn't enough to injure Zaden, it should still be enough to help someone escape from him.
Whoosss..
In just an instant, blood already covered the city sky as a seemingly boundless wave of blood rushed into the formation disk that was currently on Princess Elizabeth's neck.
Princess Elizabeth's eyes became very red as she watched the bodies of her father and mother begin to scatter into blood.
There were no tears in her eyes, but the pupils that were once blue as diamonds began to turn a blood red color.
Roar...
Her dragon soul residing in Alu's mouth suddenly let out a loud roar while a burst of enormous power suddenly erupted from the dragon soul.
The dragon soul that had previously been trapped by Phoenix's soul force and the power of Alu's father, was suddenly able to free itself in just an instant.
After exiting Alu's mouth, the dragon's soul size returned to its original size. However, the dragon that was previously golden had turned a blood red color.
The dragon's eyes stared at Zaden coldly and indifferently.
Unlike before, when his gaze met the dragon's blood-red eyes, Zaden couldn't help but shiver.
While the dragon's soul stared at Zaden, Princess Elizabeth stared at Alu.
Previously Princess Elizabeth looked at Alu with sharp eyes. But right now her eyes looked blank as she stared at Alu.
Drop.
A drop of blood fell from her eyes. She didn't speak, but no one could imagine the pain she felt.
....