Chapter 25 - Inherited Blood Essence
After a long time, Ling Xi suddenly sat down on the Dragon Seal scripture like she was exhausted. Her eyes rolled up; she was still in deep thought about how to unlock the seal. “Xiao Xi, how’s it going?” Long Chen asked expectantly.
One hour had passed since Ling Xi had begun to study the seal. Long Chen was growing impatient. The secret of the Dragon Seal was related to Long Qinglan’s dying wish; it was also the key to him becoming a Dragon Warrior. “You interrupted me, asshole!”
Ling Xi glared at him but she wasn’t actually angry. “Well, it’s a good time for you to rest too. My heart aches when I see you tired like this. Well, why don’t you explain the seal to me? I always hear you talking about it but you’ve never told me.”
Ling Xi saw his curious expression and knew it was finally her chance to show off. Proudly, she explained, “A seal is a delicate way of arranging Qi in a specific array. A martial artist who only knows how to fight, like you, might not know how to perform such a delicate skill. Laying a seal is like embroidery and unlocking it is like looking for the end of the thread, slowly pulling the threads apart according to how it was initially sewn.
Then again, unlocking a seal is much more difficult than frogging an embroidered picture. That’s because it’s very difficult to identify the key spots to undo. And even if I make a small mistake, I have to start all over again.”
Long Chen finally understood. His impression of Ling Xi had changed instantly. He was surprised that this ditzy girl knew how to unlock a seal.
When she saw his shocked expression, Ling Xi knew what he was thinking and she pouted in anger. “Don’t underestimate me! Like I said before, although I never put in much effort into cultivation, I’m an expert in seals! I’ve exceeded my father and everyone around me in both skill and achievements!”
Long Chen believed her but feigned a nonchalant expression. “Is that so? Then why haven’t you unlocked this seal yet?”
Ling Xi panicked. “Do you think this is as simple as eating a bowl of rice? The seal on this stupid thing is quite ancient too, I’ve never seen anything like it and definitely don’t have experience unlocking one. That’s why I need more time! Wait two more hours and I guarantee it will be done!”
Ling Xi was stressed when she believed that Long Chen was underestimating her, and she plunged back to work immediately. Long Chen, on the other hand, was snickering to himself. This girl will believe anything! I won’t let her leave me. With her here, even treasures with seals will be mine!
Ling Xi worked away at the seal. An hour later, Long Chen could already sense a mysterious, micro light array floating above the Dragon Seal.
Ling Xi worked on the light array with full concentration. Long Chen was surprised to sense an ancient, majestic aura radiating faintly from the light array. There was even a slight scent of blood.
The mixture of auras strengthened with time and Long Chen felt his heart rate increasing. In the midst of the ancient and desolate feeling, he suddenly had the urge to kneel. Even the bloody aura made his eyes redden.
Although he wasn’t facing any opponent, his killing intent slowly increased.
Long Chen was utterly shaken. A faint aura from the Dragon Seal was enough to affect his heart and mind. Furthermore, this was something Long Qinglan had taken seriously. With his mysterious identity, of course something he cared about wouldn’t be simple! “Long Chen, be careful. It’s almost done …”
Ling Xi’s voice came from faraway. When he heard her voice, he came to his senses. However, the aura from the light array was getting thicker. The bloody aura also spread through the entire cave.
Long Chen’s eyes slowly turned red as he began to hallucinate. He clenched his fists tight, green veins bulging, and his body started to tremble slowly. It was clear that he was trying his best to control himself.
Ling Xi was working on the most crucial component, performing the last step with full concentration. She didn’t see Long Chen’s odd behavior. What the hell is the Dragon Seal’s secret … Why can’t I control my body … But Father wouldn’t harm me … Long Chen, you must stay strong, do not let the visions cloud your mind …
Long Chen used the thought of his father as an anchor while the ancient bloody aura crashed into him like waves. Long Chen bit his lip hard until it bled, the pain clearing his mind. “Get ready, it’s about to open. I don’t know what’s going to happen either …”
Ling Xi’s voice said faintly. The bloody ancient aura slowly stained the air red.
Ding! The light array turned to dust in front of Ling Xi. She looked exhausted, and she returned to the Ling Xi Sword in the blink of an eye. Only Long Chen and the changing Dragon Seal scripture were left in the cave.
Long Chen stared in shock. The scripture, which was made of parchment, was slowly turning blood red. He watched the patch of red spread until the entire scroll had turned red.
The cold and bloody aura reached its peak. Long Chen was as pale as a ghost as he quivered.
The aura was strangely concentrated within the cave. The rest of the Desolate Mountains remained peaceful and quiet. “Long … Long Chen, what the hell is this? I’m … I’m scared … It feels like I’m going to be eaten up …”
Ling Xi’s shaky voice spoke in his ear.
Long Chen was extremely nervous too. His only anchor was that his father would never let him come to harm. “It’ll be alright!”
Long Chen was filled with fighting spirit at the thought of his father despite being in such a terrifying situation. “I don’t care what you are! I’ll take it!” As if it heard Long Chen’s voice, a blurry image appeared on the Dragon Seal scripture.
Long Chen could faintly make out a dragon from the ancient legends!
According to the Eryayi Encyclopaedia: The dragon is a long, scaled creature. Descriptions include: head like a cow, antlers like a deer, eyes like a shrimp, ears like an elephant, neck like a snake, abdomen like a snake, scales like a fish, claws like a phoenix, paws like a tiger. There are eighty-one scales on its back in multiples of nine. Its voice resembles a bronze gong. There are whiskers next to its mouth, a pearl under its tongue and a scale that points in the opposite direction beneath its throat. There is a hump on its head called a chimu. A dragon cannot fly without a chimu. It exhales clouds that can turn into water or fire.
Long Chen was staring at a dragon exactly like in the descriptions!
The dragon disappeared in a flash and the redness on the scroll slowly contracted into a single dot. The dot became a drop of dark red blood floating in front of Long Chen’s eyes!
The drop of blood contained an aura that made Long Chen’s body tremble uncontrollably with an ancient, bloody aura thousands of times more intense. Long Chen suddenly felt like his head was about to explode. His eyes widened and he yelled.
Ling Xi also screamed in fear.
Long Chen could slightly make out that the drop of blood seemed to contain a vast world. That world was filled with red as far as the eye could see, with blood-red skies and oceans.
Long Chen knew that there wasn’t enough blood to create an ocean like this even if the entire human race were massacred. He was now in the sea of blood himself!
He watched in great fear as waves rolled across the infinite sea of blood. There seemed to be a gargantuan living creature hiding beneath, one that was large enough to fill the whole ocean.
Long Chen flew into the sky, watching the sea beneath as he trembled. There was a shadow within the ocean, one whose size was beyond Long Chen’s comprehension. The shadow curled up. Could it be … a dragon?
The surface of the ocean turned violent as the gigantic shadow within slowly lifted its head. A dragon’s roar traveled beyond space and time, booming in Long Chen’s ears.
Long Chen’s eyes sprang open. He was shocked to find that he was still in the cave and the drop of blood was still floating in front of his eyes.
And there was a dragon twisting and roaring within the drop! A wave of shock crashed through Long Chen!
“Father, what is this all about? I’ve only heard something about the green and red dragons in the legends, also the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon that was at a higher level but I’ve never heard of a blood-colored dragon?!”
“Is that the Ghost Blood Dragon from the legends? No … It couldn’t be!” Ling Xi wondered aloud in his ear.
While he was still in shock, the drop of blood melted into the space between Long Chen’s brows at lightning speed!
He instantly felt a coldness spreading across his whole body!
Long Chen was completely defenseless against such a terrifying presence. He couldn’t do anything against the drop of blood. If it had any intention to kill him, he would’ve died without leaving a corpse!
The drop of blood spread quickly across his body like poison. Long Chen tasted death itself!
He also knew that the drop of blood was too superior of a presence. Even if it had no intention to kill him, Long Chen would still die!
As the blood spread across his body like a spreading rot, Long Chen suddenly had a thought. Long Qinglan wanted him to get the Dragon Seal but didn’t ask him to become a Dragon Warrior yet. If he had never met Ling Xi, Long Chen definitely wouldn’t have the ability to unlock the seal. Long Qinglan must’ve thought that by the time Long Chen met a person who could unlock the seal, he would be strong enough to withstand this drop of blood. Yet, Ling Xi, the seal-unlocking genius, had appeared too soon!
Long Chen was in extreme danger!
Long Chen knew that his life was slowly dissipating as his consciousness faded away.
In the face of death, he thought about many things. Is this … the Inherited Blood Essence …
The dragon of the legends is a terrifying presence indeed …
Without me, Ling Xi can’t live either. It’s all my fault …
As these thoughts surfaced, a strong attachment grew in his heart. He was not content to die like this, there were too many things he hadn’t done!
The jade pendant in his sea of consciousness suddenly vibrated. The dark dragon pattern glowed with a faint black light and then generated a vacuum! The drop of blood in his body roared in anger!
That was the roar of a dragon! Long Chen could hear it very clearly!
The dragon jade pendant helped Long Chen regain consciousness despite being on the brink of death. He faintly felt the dragon blood that had spread throughout his body quickly moving towards one spot as if something were sucking it up.
The dragon's blood concentrated into a drop once again, then disappeared from his body. In the next moment, it reappeared in Long Chen’s sea of consciousness under the mysterious jade pendant!
The Inherited Blood Essence remained obediently. It looked like the pendant was suppressing it!
That dragon continued to roar within the drop of blood! “What the hell is this mysterious dragon jade pendant? It suppressed the terrifying Inherited Blood Essence!”
Long Chen finally regained full consciousness. After escaping from death, he heaved a sigh of relief. However, he felt that the blood hadn’t been completely removed. A thousandth remained in his body!
Even though the rest of the Inherited Blood Essence was gone, this tiny particle absorbed Long Chen’s blood and swelled in a flash, then crashed like a wave across his body!
The mysterious jade pendant remained quiet. Long Chen started to feel a prickling pain along his skin.
Doge & Chacha's ThoughtsEverything is falling into place huehuehue
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