Year 23, Day 72
After more than eighteen years in the sect, I have finally reached the peak of the Nascent Soul realm.
In my home world, this would have been an extraordinary speed worthy of the greatest geniuses, but here, it's nothing.
Since my arrival, I have been transferred to an outer branch of the sect.
Like all other outer branches, it is located in a three-star superior world. There are even several elders of the Expansion realm (rank 9) guarding the sect.
From what I know, there are nearly fifty outer branches of the Thousand Swords Sect.
There are even six inner branches in four-star superior worlds. As for the sect's headquarters, I have no idea where it is.
In any case, this world is sufficient for me.
The spiritual energy here is so rich that any person or animal possesses the strength of a wild beast at birth, and most reach the level of a war beast by adulthood, and this without any form of cultivation.
...
About twenty figures soared into the air and left the student army camp at high speed.
They flew at more than 1500 kilometers per hour, and if the spiritual energy hadn't pushed back the sound barrier, they would have caused a huge racket on their way.
...
At the same time, forty kilometers to the southeast, the detachment of the student forces was at the gates of the village.
"Release our brothers immediately!" shouted the guard at the top of the gate.
A quarter of an hour ago, they had received orders to break camp and go to the village with the prisoners.
If it were up to James, he would have already smashed the gate and demolished this village, but unfortunately, he had orders to follow.
"Oh damn, I'm tired of this, we don't even speak the same language," replied James.
"What do you want from us?" roared the guard, seeing the lack of reaction from the troops.
While James and the guards were shouting at each other, the villagers had gathered en masse on the village walls and behind the gate, anxiously brandishing their weapons.
"The elder is here, make a way!" shouted a villager.
Immediately, the crowd parted, and the scaly men opened a path.
A draconian who looked like an old man slowly advanced.
Like Ylaran, he had a large pair of wings, a long tail, and long horns, but they seemed much larger and more majestic than the prisoner's.
His back was hunched, and his red scales had long lost their brilliant luster.
He wore an old black tunic and moved with an old cane made of an unknown wood.
Under the anxious and hopeful gazes, he approached the foot of the more than twenty-meter-high gate and spoke in a clear voice that contrasted sharply with his appearance.
"Open the gate!" he said to the guards beside him.
"A...Are you sure, elder?" the guard seemed hesitant and stuttered.
No matter how he looked at it, it seemed absurd to open the gates to an unknown army.
"Open this damn gate," growled the elder. "If these people wanted to enter, you couldn't stop them."
The guard stood still for a moment and then resolutely grabbed one of the gate's battens.
He undid the few security and protection measures, then with some difficulty pulled the large iron frame open.
Even with his strength as a great Warrior, it required some effort.
When the gate opened, the two groups faced each other in silence.
As James was about to advance, he felt a disturbance at the edge of his spiritual sense and turned to the right.
Under the influence of the rank 4, everyone turned to the right and looked at the sky.
About twenty small black dots quickly grew larger, and before they realized it, they were in front of them.
Five enormous wyverns and a large drake hovered above the crowd before assuming humanoid forms, while the others landed directly.
"Reporting, Marshal Sylvera!"
The commanders quickly gave a military salute and greeted their superiors.
This crowd included the elite of the armies, with Sylvera, Isabella, Nevra, Ruvia, a dozen other generals at the peak of rank 4, the orc chief and his deputy, as well as the detachment of elder wyverns, not to mention Ylaran being dragged by the high priestess.
Sylvera wasted no time and quickly extended his spiritual sense to its maximum, covering a radius of more than 10 kilometers.
As he analyzed what he sensed, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.
Nevertheless, he quickly regained his composure and approached the old man under the suspicious gaze of the draconians.
Holding his trusty lance in his left hand, he extended his right hand toward the village elder.
"My name is Sylvera Nagaïa, I am the Marshal of the Great Army of Alandal and the temporary leader of the allied armies. I apologize for the way our meeting has unfolded."
The old man looked at his hand with a strange expression, not quite knowing what to do.
"You should shake it, it's a sign of politeness among us."
The elder's eyes widened, and he jumped slightly before scanning the surroundings.
Unfortunately, he found nothing and, after quickly weighing the pros and cons, decided to shake Sylvera's hand in return.
...
At the same time, forty kilometers to the northwest, Liam smiled gently in the command room.
Even though he wasn't really allowed to intervene, it was fine as long as he didn't directly influence events. Even if they discovered it, the professors wouldn't say anything.
"Why are you smiling, did I say something wrong?" asked Lucie.
It was only then that Liam remembered he was in the middle of a conversation and that the other incarnations were looking at him strangely.
"No, no, sorry, I was thinking about something else haha."
...
The moment he touched Sylvera's hand, a large amount of knowledge about a new language filled his brain.
Nevertheless, his mental strength as a spiritual warrior was enough for him to quickly regain his composure.
"My name is Shindaran, and I am the elder and protector of this village. May I know the reason for your visit? Also, could you please release my men?" asked the old man.
Sylvera gave a quick nod to Alice and James, and with a gesture from the Valyr, the magical chains fell to the ground, freeing the prisoners.
They looked at each other with uncertainty, not quite sure what to do.
It was only when they saw Elder Shindaran motioning for them to come that they left the student armies' detachment without hesitation and rushed into the village.
Seeing the scene, Sylvera smiled, exposing his razor-sharp teeth.
"Now, Elder Shindaran, it seems we have a lot to discuss, but this place does not seem very appropriate."
...
A few minutes later, Sylvera and Isabella were facing the old draconian in a large, beautifully decorated room.
At the same time, Ylaran stood back near the door, waiting for his turn to speak.
The elder sat comfortably in his armchair and invited the two rank 5s to do the same.
"Now that we are alone, I think it's time you tell me the reason for your visit," said Shindaran calmly.
Sylvera nodded.
"In fact, it's the woman to my left who is concerned. I am here only as a representative of the allied armies."
At these words, Isabella smiled and spoke.
"I had already noticed this before with Ylaran, but it seems to be a general fact. I'm not quite sure how, but our clan and your village are connected by blood. If I'm not mistaken, you are also descendants of the giant dragons, aren't you?"
Shindaran nodded, not surprised.
"That's right. It's what we call bloodline resonance. The dragon bloodline is one of the most powerful in the universe, and almost every race can merge with dragon blood. I imagine this prevents us from killing each other, even though I don't really know the underlying principle," replied the old man.
Isabella nodded, while Sylvera just listened, a bit lost.
"In that case, why did this kid throw himself at my feet and want to submit?" she said, pointing to Ylaran. "Dragons aren't supposed to swear loyalty to those who are more powerful. Although there is a hierarchy, it's nothing as extreme."
The old man smiled kindly at the question.
"I don't know if you know, but there are three types of dragon descendants. First, there are you, the direct descendants. You could say that your draconic bloodline has degenerated and lost its purity, which has led to your different form, reduced strength, and more limited potential."
Even though it annoyed her that a mere rank 4 was saying her bloodline wasn't pure, she didn't get angry and continued to listen. After all, she knew there was some truth in the old man's words.
If it were a young wyvern or a daring elder instead, they would have already stood up to fight in honor of their race.
"Nevertheless, your path to ascension is quite simple because you just need to purify your bloodline and enhance it to evolve into a higher form. From wyvern to drake, then from drake to giant dragon."
Isabella could only nod.
"Next comes the second case, the mixed dragons. They often appear when a giant dragon or one of its direct descendants decides to mate with another species. At that point, their offspring will inherit the characteristics of both races, depending on the degree of dragon blood the fetus can handle," the old man continued.
"So, sometimes we have eagle dragons, draconic lions, draconic dwarves, and much more. For these creatures, even though their basic potential is improved, they will mostly be stuck after a certain time. The only exception is for those whose bloodline is compatible with dragons, who can, in turn, develop their dragon blood and enhance their bloodline. They will then gradually transform into dragons, although the process is much longer and more complicated to implement than in the first case because they literally have to change their own race."
The old man paused briefly and pointed to Ylaran and himself.
"Finally, after the direct descendants and the mixed dragons, there is our own case: the draconians. Our case is similar but yet different from the mixed dragons. Unlike the mixed dragons, our draconic bloodline does not come from our genes but from the voluntary incorporation of this bloodline into the body of another race," the old man resumed his explanation, trying to be as clear as possible.
"Most of the time, it happens when a dragon or a direct descendant gives us their blood and includes us in their family. At that point, the two beings become connected. If the dragon dies, the draconians of his blood will be weakened, but if he progresses, they will be strengthened. Conversely, draconians are limited by the dragon's bloodline and will become loyal followers of the dragon, as will their children and their children in turn. One could say it's a one-way relationship, but it's more of an equivalence relationship. The dragon gains henchmen he can trust, while the draconians gain a strong bloodline and a guarantee for their descendants."
Isabella nodded. Even though she had never experienced all of this, she felt deep inside that the old man was telling the truth.
"Old man, even though you've taught me a lot, it doesn't answer my question," she said, frowning.
The old man looked at her deeply, and she thought she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes for a moment.
"Imagine that suddenly, all the important members of a certain family die. Time passes, and one day, the still loyal old servants and soldiers meet a distant member of this family, no less powerful than their first masters. Unconsciously, the servants will seek to serve him to ensure their safety and resurrect the honor of the family."
The old man let out a deep sigh, and his eyes filled with tears as he remembered the past.
Isabella and Sylvera remained silent for a while, while Ylaran struggled to understand what he was hearing.
"So, if I understand correctly," said Sylvera in a dark tone. "You're telling me that your former masters are all dead? While your people have all the characteristics of several draconic species? That means, what, at least twenty direct descendants killed like that?!"
The more he spoke, the more he realized he might have underestimated the danger of this world.
"No, you're wrong," Shindaran shook his head, and this time, they both saw the deep sense of sadness on his face. "It wasn't twenty, but hundreds of direct descendants and even a true giant dragon who died that day."