Losing to the pressure, Lu Ran knelt on the ground. However, Lu Xiaoran and Roman refused to give in. They faced the pressure and looked at the creature floating high above in the clouds.
The creature had a long, serpentine body that might be several kilometers long. Its body was wider than a dozen meters. It had a lizard-like head, snake-like scales, and cyan blue skin. Its eyes resembled a hawk's and it had four claws as sharp as an eagle's. The hide around its head was more majestic than a lion's, and long antler horns adorned its head like a crown.
Yes, in front of Lu Xiaoran and Roman was a real dragon, not some lesser species with thin bloodlines, but the legendary kind. At that moment, one thought filled their minds: "We need to run."
They had underestimated the situation. Now, members of the Lin family had summoned a real dragon whose cultivation level was beyond the comprehension of those present. Its mere presence sent chills to anyone who dared to look up at it. This included even the ancestors of the Lin family.
Yet, they couldn't retreat, especially under such immense pressure. They felt stuck, as if trapped in a swamp engulfing them slowly. This was just a side effect of the dragon's presence.
They couldn't fathom standing in front of such a being. Fortunately, the dragon did not notice them; to him, they were just tiny insects on the ground. His main focus was the blue sky. He moved his serpentine body up and down in the clouds, seemingly playing in the sky. From his behavior, it was clear he hadn't seen the sky for a long time.
Both Lu Xiaoran and Roman pondered their next move, but Lu Ran, still kneeling, said, "Don't worry. That dragon is a myth. Lu Xiaoran, it is the guardian deity of the Azure Mountains. It is a good dragon."
Lu Xiaoran listened to his father. He had heard stories about that dragon and the heavenly bead, but according to those tales, the dragon was supposed to have returned to heaven. Yet here it was, sealed in the Azure Mountains. Who sealed him, and why? He had many questions, but his main focus was on the Lin Yang people, for they held the answers.
In the group of kneeling Lin family members, Lin Yang stood still, looking up at the dragon. Holding the heavenly bead in her hand, she said, "Ancestors, your descendant has finally freed you. Please accept this gift from us. Grant our Lin family prosperity and restore our true place. Let our bloodline be pure again and let the world witness the true strength of our blood."
As she spoke, changes began to happen to her body. Scales slowly appeared, two horns emerged from her head, and her pupils shifted to vertical slits. She transformed into a human-dragon hybrid. This change was not limited to her; almost all members of the Lin family were undergoing a similar transformation.
Seeing this, Lu Xiaoran realized they must be descendants of the dragon. However, he questioned how dangerous this situation could be.
When Lin Yang spoke, the dragon finally noticed the Lin family group kneeling on the ground. It dove from the clouds toward them. As it approached the ground, it looked at Lin Yang, who appeared as small as a fly.
The heavenly bead flew from her hand toward the dragon. When it hovered above the dragon's head, it shone and transformed into a crown-like ornament, resting on the dragon's head. At that moment, a hint of happiness flickered in the dragon's eyes.
The dragon then gazed at Lin Yang and those behind her. He snorted, releasing powerful winds through his nostrils. An ancient voice echoed in everyone's minds, reverberating through heaven and earth as if it were from primordial times.
It said, "YOU INSECTS DARED TO CALL YOURSELF MY DESCENDANTS!"
With these words, a heavy pressure descended upon the Lin family group. Unable to withstand it, most members fell unconscious. Only the ancestors and the leader of the Lin family managed to hold their ground. Lin Yang faced an even worse fate, vomiting blood from the pressure of the dragon.
But it did not stop there. Those who had fainted faced an even greater pressure, and soon their bodies flattened to nothing, as if gravity sought to erase their existence. With that, 90% of the Lin family perished without a sound.
Seeing the severely injured ancestors and elders of the Lin family, the dragon declared, "THOSE WHO SURVIVED ARE QUALIFIED TO BECOME MY SERVANTS."
Somehow, Lin Yang survived the ordeal. Injured, she surveyed her family, only to find flat remnants where once there had been bodies. She was shocked; how could her ancestors do this to them?
A distance away, Lu Xiaoran and Roman watched in hiding. Witnessing the massacre caused by the dragon, they were certain this beast was not as benevolent as the legends claimed.
Meanwhile, back in the catacombs, Vik examined the bones of a dead bird, trying to uncover why he felt they were special.
Pov: Vik
I don't know why, but every time I looked at this skeleton, I sensed it wasn't normal. Something was off, and I didn't quite understand it.
Determined, I crawled closer to the bones, searching for hidden power within them. But when I touched them, I felt only the hardness of the bones, nothing more. These were just regular bird bones.
Just then, a wave of pressure swept over the whole mountain. Along with it, the copy of the Heaven suppressing zone I had created was destroyed. I reverted to my human form, but the pressure had already weakened the catacombs. Rocks began to fall from the cave ceiling.
I easily dodged the falling rocks since they didn't harm me. However, I was surprised to see that the stones landing on the skeleton did no damage. They shattered upon impact, as if striking an iron wall.
Realizing this, I decided to lift the skeleton. However, to my astonishment, even after using all my strength from void refining and the other two power systems, I couldn't lift it.
I was now certain that this skeleton held incredible power. So, I employed the Maya manifestation technique while touching it. This time, I focused on circulating the technique to unveil the truth of the skeleton and learn the story of the bird, much like earlier when I accessed my own story.
A flood of information surged into my mind, and once again, I found myself in that white space. But this time, a screen appeared before me, displaying a story.
The story was about a bird named Chakor. It was an ordinary bird, without any special powers or bloodlines, yet it flew to the moon.