Chapter 20: The Blood That Opens the Past

The sun hung low in the sky, casting golden rays across the mountainous cliffside. Before Jin stood a towering stone wall, etched with age-old dragon runes — mysterious symbols that pulsed faintly with dormant power.

He extended his hand and pressed it flat against the stone.

Nothing happened.

"Huh?" Jin frowned. "Not enough?"

He clenched his fist and struck the stone.

Crack—!

A ripple echoed through his bones. Blood oozed from his knuckles. But the wall remained unmoved.

Then, where his blood had splattered on the runes… they shimmered.

But only for a second.

"Maybe…" Lana stepped forward. "You need to use more of your blood. Let the inheritance recognize your bloodline. You're not just anyone anymore, Jin."

Taking a deep breath, Jin drew the dagger at his waist and sliced a thin cut across his palm, letting his blood drip directly onto the center rune.

The moment his blood touched it, the entire wall began to glow.

The runes lit up like burning coals — red, gold, and brilliant azure. Wind roared, and the earth trembled slightly. A hidden seam in the wall split open vertically, light bursting through like dawn through a storm.

A pulse of ancient energy radiated from within.

Jin's heart raced.

He turned to look at Lana, Arielle, and Sarah — the three people now bound to him by fate and battle.

  "Let's go."

The four stepped forward.

And the wall sealed behind them, leaving no trace it had ever opened.

The Hidden Realm of the Dragon Clan

Inside, the world changed.

Lush glowing moss lined the walls. Carvings of dragons in battle, of clans and kingdoms long forgotten, sprawled across the stone. The air was rich with spiritual energy — denser than anything Jin had ever felt. Strange glowing veins pulsed beneath the floor, like the land itself was alive.

Arielle stared, wide-eyed.

  "This is… no ordinary ruin. This must've belonged to a Dragon Sovereign. Maybe the last of their kind."

Jin approached a vast mural. It depicted dragons fighting against celestial beings, then falling one by one. At the bottom was a single dragon encased in ice, with his wings folded in defeat.

Treasure piles shimmered faintly in the background. Coins of unknown materials, crystals of pure elemental essence, weapons embedded in obsidian racks.

But near the mural grew ancient herbs. Herbs long thought extinct.

Sarah's eyes widened. "Those are… Spirit Orchid Roots… and Frozen Heart Petals…"

Just as they stepped closer—

"WHO DARES ENTER THIS HOLY DOMAIN?"

A thunderous voice echoed.

The air froze. Even the walls trembled.

A hazy blue spirit form began to take shape in the center hall the translucent projection of a massive, ancient dragon. His horns curled like a crown, his eyes glowed with divine awareness.

  "If you stand here, it means you passed the bloodline test. Then prove your worth."

The dragon's voice echoed through the cave.

"You. The one with Azure Dragon blood. Step forward."

Jin walked cautiously toward the raised stone pedestal. The dragon's spirit nodded.

  "Place your blood upon the pedestal. Let your fate be judged."

Jin cut his palm once more and let the blood fall.

The moment it touched the stone, it flared with blue light, and Jin was sucked away in a swirl of wind and flame.

  "JIN!" the girls cried.

The spirit's voice boomed calmly.

  "He is being tested. Do not fear. If he is worthy, he shall return… stronger. If not… the mountain will bury his name."

Only then did they slowly relax.

Meanwhile… In the Hidden Trial Realm

Jin landed in an ethereal world of floating islands, glowing lakes, and dragons soaring above like gods of old.

The pressure hit him instantly.

He dropped to his knees, breath knocked from his chest.

[System Upgrade Complete.]

[Displaying Summary of Progress During Dormancy…]

 Attributes Enhanced

 Magic Power Level 2 Reached

 New Skills Gained

 Affection & Bonded Companions Updated

 Dragon Bloodline Awakening: 35%

 Ice Affinity Acquired

 Demon Bloodline: 8%

 Techniques Gained: Frost Requiem, Blood Devour Sutra

 Cultivation Advanced to Blood Refining Stage – Vein Tempering Level 2

EXP Accumulated: 1800 / 1500 – Level Up Available

3 Lost Manuals Registered

 Title Gained: Wolf King

 Current Mission: Survive Dragon Might

[Daily Missions: Unavailable – System Just Restarted]

Jin barely had time to celebrate.

Because that's when it came.

A thunderous roar shook the skies. A massive dragon with scales like obsidian and eyes like dying stars descended toward him.

Trial One: Withstand the Pressure of a Dragon.

[Survive for: 30 minutes]

Jin's knees bent under the sheer dragon might.

Every breath was like inhaling molten iron. He activated:

[Tyrant Body – Silver Form]

His skin gleamed, muscles surged. But even with his enhanced physique, the pressure was monstrous.

He gritted his teeth.

"This… is what it means to walk the path of dragons…"