Arc 2: Chapter 4 — The Altar's Blood & the Dragon's Whisper
The ancient altar shuddered under Fen Hao's touch—its stone veins pulsing with light, runes flickering like the last breath of a dying star.
A voice coiled through the darkness. At the same time, Fen Hao's soul was pulled into a different space.
It was a male voice, bright and young, filled with an unexpected happiness:
"Finally… ahem, boy—I've been waiting for you. Too slow… or are you some kind of slow monkey?"
Fen Hao's breath caught in his throat. The voice was unlike the Demon Lord's power or the old man's laughter—It was light but strong, radiating a strange, almost mischievous joy.And in that moment, he saw it: a dragon's form shimmering in the darkness—golden scales that glowed softly, and red eyes that burned like distant stars.
Fen Hao swallowed hard, forcing out the question:
"Who… are you?"
A low chuckle echoed, smooth and confident:
"Who? Ha! I am the mighty young master of the Lin Dragon bloodline—Chaos Realm's most powerful genius! Your so-called demons? They are my creations. They have my blood. And you, little mortal… you also have my blood, don't you?"
Fen Hao's eyes widened. He had always known there was something different in his veins, but never imagined it would be the blood of a dragon—the blood of a demon.
"Dragon blood… or Demon blood…? How is that possible?"
"Possible? Of course it's possible!" the dragon soul snapped, amusement dripping from each word."You drank that demoness's blood… well, congratulations on your early marriage."
Fen Hao stiffened, a faint flush rising to his cheeks despite himself.
"Marriage…? What are you talking about?" he muttered in his mind.
"Oh, nothing—just the ancient tradition of the blood-drinking bond," the dragon soul hummed, clearly enjoying itself."You may not remember it, but you bit her, drank her blood, and in doing so, awakened a thread of fate. From now on, you're bound—like it or not."
Fen Hao's mind spun. He drew in a shaky breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts.
"Why are you here? Why me?"
"Hmph! Because it's fun, and…" The dragon's voice paused faintly, as if he had remembered to say something—then shifted the topic with a flick of amusement."Well, I was the most powerful genius—born of the Lin Dragon bloodline, proud and unmatched. I even had a lover in the Phoenix clan… she was the most beautiful woman in all the Chaos Realm. But some fools plotted against me, and… here I am, sealed in this state."
The dragon's soul let out a small, rueful laugh before his tone turned serious again:
"My bloodline slumbers in you. If not for my blood—well, for that demoness giving you her blood too—you might be dead already. That's why I tried to call you here as soon as I sensed you… but you were too weak and fell into unconsciousness."
Fen Hao's brows drew together. A chill ran down his spine as he absorbed every word.
The dragon's voice turned sharp, almost lecturing:
"Listen well, boy. Your body carries devil blood and immortal blood—blood that brushes the edge of divinity. I suspect one of your parents was immortal, and the other… a devil. Both of those bloodlines in you are incredibly powerful. Your immortal blood is nearly divine already. Your devil blood? It's of divine-level strength."
A pause, then a soft snort of amusement:
"Do you know why I said you might have died if it weren't for that little girl's blood? It's because your immortal and devil bloodlines are so strong—and so ancient—that they could have devoured you from the inside when they awakened."
Fen Hao clenched his fists.
"So… how can I create that space? And how can I recover your body? Why do I even need to bring you with me?"
The dragon snorted lightly, his tone almost mocking but not unkind.
"Heh, you boy… Well, I will help you activate your immortal bloodline and create that space. As for recovering my power… we'll see that later. But listen—I can give you information, secrets you could never imagine. Don't you want to know more about yourself… and this world?"
Fen Hao hesitated, but the weight of the dragon's words—and the flicker of curiosity in his heart—decided it for him.
"Alright," he said quietly. "I agree."
The dragon let out a soft laugh of satisfaction.
"Good boy."
The dragon's soul laughed softly, then reached out—its phantom hand forming a single finger that tapped Fen Hao lightly on the forehead.
"Here," it said, almost teasing. "Let me see your full potential properly."
A wave of power surged through Fen Hao's arm, up to his chest. He gasped as dragon-shaped patterns bloomed across the skin of his left hand, glowing with a silvery light. The same color etched faint patterns beneath his left eye, shimmering like moonlight in shadow.His hair turned white as snow, and his blue eyes burned red in the darkness.
"This is ridiculous—ha ha ha!" the dragon soul laughed, a note of wild delight in its voice."See this, you crazy bastards? Some crazy monster is about to be born!"
Then its tone turned grave, voice low and cold:
"The moment you reveal it, the realms will tremble. Even the Demon Lord fears what you might become."
Fen Hao swallowed hard, feeling the weight of those words settle in his bones. But a small smile tugged at his lips—like Ziyan's quiet presence, and the echo of the six-year-old promise he carried in his heart, it was enough to steady him.
"So what if it's dangerous?" he thought."I won't run from it."
Continue....