"Time and space are like a tree; the past is the roots buried deep underground, the present is the growing trunk, and the future consists of the countless branches that this tree might sprout." Emerald pointed toward one branch that was noticeably thicker than the others. "What you saw was this 'main trunk.' It gathers the current greatest momentum, and countless tiny threads of Karma point toward it, which is why it is clearest within the 'vision' of time."
The Wind Dragon King stood to the side with her arms crossed, cyan strands of wind spiraling quietly around her; she clearly understood this principle as well.
Yue scratched his head, appearing to only half-understand.
The Emerald Dragon King continued to explain, her gaze falling upon Arthur. "But the 'main trunk' is not eternally unchanging. New Destiny, powerful wills, unexpected variables, and so on are all like giant boulders thrown into the river of time. They can cause the 'main trunk' to shift or even give rise to entirely new and more powerful 'branches.'"
"The images you just saw mean that within the current threads of Karma, a powerful 'momentum' pointing toward that result is forming. I do not know what you saw, but this 'momentum' is likely what you perceived." Her tone carried a warning. "However, mistress, precisely because you have'seen' it, you have become the greatest 'variable.'"
"Your knowledge, your will, and every bit of effort you make toward this hereafter are all shaking that 'main trunk' and injecting possibilities into other 'branches.'" The Emerald Dragon King's phantom leaned forward slightly, her glazed eyes looking directly at Arthur.
"The future is never set in stone, especially for someone who can glimpse 'possibilities' and is determined to change them. The ruins you saw are not so much an inevitable ending as they are the severest of alarms."
The past cannot be undone, but the future can be changed?
Arthur sank into deep thought. He would definitely go to stop it; that was a major city with a population of a million.
Originally, he hadn't felt much urgency. After all, it seemed like something that could be easily resolved just by informing Shrek Academy in advance.
But now it seemed that perhaps it wasn't that simple.
"I understand." Arthur bowed his head. "Thank you, Senior, for clarifying my doubts."
Next, they continued their journey.
"Where is this Senior Guang you mentioned?" Arthur asked.
The Wind Dragon King and the Emerald Dragon King exchanged a glance.
After a long pause, the Wind Dragon King spoke, her tone somewhat complicated. "Brother Guang... his situation is rather special."
"Special?" Arthur was puzzled.
The Emerald Dragon King sighed softly and took over the explanation. "Back then, when the Dragon God fell, the Dragon Clan suffered a backlash. Brother Guang burned his Origin to personally endure thirty percent of the backlash for the entire Dragon Clan, and his soul body suffered the heaviest damage. Although his Dragon bone remains in the Dragon Valley, his Dragon soul has almost entirely dissipated."
Yue's dragon tail also drooped, a flash of dejection appearing in his dark gold vertical pupils. "We tried to wake him, but his soul body is too fragile; he has been in a deep slumber."
The Wind Dragon King raised a claw and pointed toward the deepest part of the Dragon Valley, where the seven-colored halo was densest, almost condensing into a physical substance. "Right beneath the remains of the Dragon God. The Dragon God's residual divine force formed a natural barrier, preserving his final remnant soul. However, we cannot enter, and Guang cannot come out."
Arthur looked in the direction she pointed.
In the very center of the Dragon Valley, beneath that seven-colored Dragon bone that spanned the valley, there was indeed an area shrouded in a seven-colored halo so dense it was inseparable.
As the halo flowed, one could vaguely see a pure white light flickering slightly inside, but that light was extremely faint, like a candle in the wind.
"So," Arthur understood, "you actually want me to try and see if I can enter using the Dragon God Imprint?"
"Yes." The Wind Dragon King nodded. "The Dragon God Imprint might be the key. But we aren't sure if Guang still has consciousness or if he is willing to give his Spirit Bone to you."
Yue leaned in and lowered his voice. "But you're in luck, kid. That guy Guang has the best temper among the Nine Great Dragon Kings, and he values the future of the Dragon Clan above all else. You have the Dragon God Imprint on you, and you're the mistress of the new Dragon God. He shouldn't refuse."
Arthur glanced at him.
He looked at the area shrouded in the seven-colored halo, thought for a moment, and said, "Then let's go try."
Four people—or rather, one person and three Dragon souls.
They flew toward the deepest part of the Dragon Valley.
The closer they got to the Dragon God's remains, the stronger the Dragon pressure became.
Even with the seven-colored light spots protecting him, Arthur could still perceive that pressure, which was as vast as a sea of stars, as if every inch of air was solidified with the will of a god.
Gu Yue and Na'er were still suspended in mid-air. The gold and silver light screens had already solidified like cocoons, completely enveloping them. Through the light screens, two figures could be vaguely seen resonating, and a brand-new, vast aura was being nurtured.
Arthur only took one look before withdrawing his gaze.
He stopped his pace before the seven-colored halo barrier.
The pure white light inside the barrier seemed to sense his approach and jumped slightly.
The Wind Dragon King, Emerald Dragon King, and Yue all stopped behind him, watching with solemn expressions.
Arthur took a deep breath and raised his hand to press against his brow.
The seven-colored light spots within his Sea of Consciousness suddenly brightened, and a gentle yet supreme aura radiated from his body, creating a resonance with the seven-colored halo in front of him.
The barrier rippled like water, revealing an entrance just large enough for one person to pass through.
Arthur stepped inside.
The barrier closed behind him, isolating the inside from the outside.
This was a space composed purely of light.
There was no ground, no sky, only endless soft white light.
The white light was not blinding; instead, it carried a warm and holy aura, as if it could cleanse all filth and fatigue.
In the center of the space floated a pure white Dragon bone.
The Dragon bone was not massive—it was even much smaller than the skeletons of the Mountain Dragon King and Wind Dragon King—but every single bone was crystal clear, as if condensed from the purest light, with holy runes flowing over the surface.
At the position of the Dragon bone's chest, a point of pure white soul flame, so weak it seemed it could go out at any moment, burned quietly.
The seven-colored light spots provided information.
That was the Holy Dragon King, Guang.
He presided over light and prayer, and managed the creation of life within the Dragon Clan.
He could be considered the patriarch of the Dragon Clan.
Arthur approached and stopped before the Dragon bone.
He gave a respectful bow. "Junior Arthur greets Senior Holy Dragon King."
The pure white soul flame flickered slightly, and a gentle but extremely weak voice rang out directly in Arthur's mind:
"The Dragon God's Mark... and the auras of Mountain, Wind, and Emerald..."
"Senior," Arthur said truthfully, "Junior has come here seeking to obtain Senior's Spirit Bone."
The soul flame burned quietly, not responding immediately.
After a long time, that gentle voice rang out again. "I feel it. You have a holy aura on you, similar to my Origin yet different."
"I have been watching. Yue gave you his torso bone, Wind gave you her wings, and Emerald gave you her skull; in truth, they all approve of you."
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