That very night, the silence that had taken over the village of Fengyuan now felt heavier. The flames danced in the darkness, casting a threatening light over the village. The fire consumed the wooden houses, and the scent of smoke and destruction mixed with the cold night air. The bandits, wielding blades and mocking everyone around them, spread terror, but Wei Long was no longer there to passively witness it.
He felt a deep transformation within himself, as if the current of his life was being redirected by a force he still didn't fully understand. Looking at the medallion the old man had given him, Wei Long felt the weight of the object, as if it were more than just an ancient piece of jewelry. The medallion seemed to hum with mysterious energy, as if it were an extension of Wei Long's very destiny. Runes softly glowed, almost as though responding to the touch of his skin.
"This... belongs to you," said the old man, his voice carrying immense wisdom.
But Wei Long, still stunned by the man's presence and what had just happened, merely stared at the medallion and then at the old man. The words of the man echoed in his mind, like a whisper he couldn't shake off.
"Who are you? Why are you giving me this?" Wei Long asked, his voice barely a whisper, trying to make sense of what was happening.
The old man smiled enigmatically, his expression calm as the surface of a lake. His eyes, however, seemed like storms about to burst. What Wei Long saw was more than just an old man — there was something deep and mysterious in his presence. Something that both attracted and scared him at the same time.
"My name doesn't matter," the old man replied, his voice deep and resonating in the air. "But I know who you are. The fate of the continent rests on your shoulders. You are the Ascendant Dragon."
The world around Wei Long seemed to stop for a moment. The old man's words hit him like a thunderclap. The Ascendant Dragon. Those words, although new and bewildering, seemed to resonate in his soul, as if he had always known them but wasn't ready to accept them.
The Ascendant Dragon. The name sounded grand, imposing, something Wei Long had never imagined for himself. He, Wei Long, son of the blacksmith, from a village lost in the mountains, destined to be... the Ascendant Dragon? It felt like a burden he never imagined carrying.
The old man looked at him with an indescribable intensity. His eyes sparkled as if carrying the weight of a thousand years of knowledge, and Wei Long felt a wave of understanding he couldn't yet articulate. There was something within him, something awakening. He didn't know what it was, but he knew his life was changing with every second that passed.
The village burned in the background, but the fire didn't touch Wei Long's heart. The fear, the confusion, and the insecurity were still there, but now there was something else. A mysterious force rose within him, a growing flame that could not be extinguished. He felt as if the answer was right in front of him, just waiting to be discovered.
"The Ascendant Dragon..." Wei Long murmured to himself, repeating the old man's words. He still didn't understand, but a part of him knew it had to do with his destiny. Something was about to be revealed, and he couldn't turn back.
Before he could speak further, the old man leaned slightly, as if preparing to leave. The figure of the hooded man seemed to dissolve into the darkness, like a shadow fading into the night. The wind blew once again, and the sound of fire and cavalry seemed distant, as if time had slowed around him.
"What should I do?" Wei Long asked, not really knowing what he was asking. But deep down, he knew that this was the question that would define his future.
The old man looked at him, and his eyes shone with a kind of ancient wisdom.
"The first step is to believe that you have a destiny," the old man said, his voice grave and resonant. "The second is to choose which path to follow."
The old man, in his simplicity, spoke with the gravity of an oracle. Wei Long remained silent, absorbing the words that seemed to echo in his mind. He didn't understand everything, but the meaning was clear. He needed to believe in something greater than himself. He needed to believe in the destiny that was being revealed, even though he didn't yet know how to follow it.
As the old man disappeared into the shadows, Wei Long felt the weight of the medallion in his hands. He looked at the object more closely now. The runes, which had been softly glowing, began to shine more brightly, as though responding to his presence. The medallion seemed to vibrate, as if it had a life of its own.
Wei Long felt a chill run down his spine, but at the same time, a sense of clarity overtook him. He knew he was no longer alone. Something was with him, something that transcended the boundaries of the village of Fengyuan. And with it, something within him ignited. The fire that had once burned only in his heart now seemed to expand, illuminating his soul.
He looked around at the bandits who were still trying to regroup, at the chaos that was taking over the village, but Wei Long knew that now things were different. He could no longer remain still. He could no longer be the blacksmith's son, a mere observer of destiny. He had to act, he had to fulfill the role the old man had suggested, even if he didn't yet know how.
Wei Long raised the unfinished sword he held with a firm hand. The weight of the metal still felt strange, but he sensed that his connection to that blade was deeper than he had ever imagined. The sword seemed to be part of his destiny, an extension of the power that was about to awaken within him.
Before moving forward, he looked at the medallion one last time. He felt that this object carried all the power of the Ascendant Dragon within it, and perhaps it was the catalyst for awakening a power that still lay hidden inside his soul. He knew that the road ahead wouldn't be easy, but he was ready to face it.
With one last look at the burning village and the bandits who still threatened his home, Wei Long took the first step. His determination was what guided him. He didn't know where the path would lead, but he knew there was something far greater awaiting him beyond the mountains that surrounded the village of Fengyuan. He, the Ascendant Dragon, was about to rise.
And the world would never be the same.