Chapter 21: The Trial of Dragon Might
The pressure came like a mountain.
No — it was an entire continent pressing down on Jin's body and soul.
He collapsed to his knees, the cold stone beneath trembling with the sheer weight of the ancient dragon's spiritual might. Mist thickened, swirling into a turbulent storm that cloaked the spectral realm. Above him, the translucent form of the Azure Sky Dragon hovered, its eyes twin stars — brilliant, ancient, and cold — watching him with the indifferent patience of millennia.
Jin's breath caught, his lungs struggling against the suffocating weight. His bones cracked, muscles trembled, and blood boiled beneath his skin.
But he would not break.
[System Notification]
Upgrade Complete.
The familiar cold voice echoed in his mind even as the invisible force increased tenfold, slamming him hard to the ground.
[Trial Objective: Withstand the Might of the Azure Sky Dragon for 300 seconds]
[Current Time Endured: 11 seconds]
His teeth clenched until his jaw ached, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Perfect timing," he muttered, voice rough and strained.
A rumbling laugh, deep and resonant, echoed across the void like rolling thunder.
"Little one… you dare challenge the legacy of dragons?" the dragon's voice boomed — ancient and mocking.
Jin's only answer was silence.
His limbs trembled violently, sweat dripped from his brow, but his spirit burned brighter than ever.
He understood this was no mere test of strength or endurance.
It was a crucible of spirit — a judgment on his soul's mettle.
The very essence of the dragon's legacy — fierce, eternal, and unyielding — was weighing him.
[System Summary — Dormancy Rewards Processed]
EXP Gained: +2,450
Spirit Cores Collected: 7 (Total: 12/15)
Blood Demon Bloodline Awakening: 5% → 8%
Dragon Bloodline Awakening: 35% → 37%
Ice Element Affinity Gained
Fire and Earth Elemental Insights Sharpened
Passive Trait Unlocked: Draconic Fortitude (Greatly enhances constitution and stamina in ancient domains and pressure zones)
New Skill Acquired: Dragon's Vein Resonance
Your bloodline resonates with ancient dragon veins, granting minor stat boosts when fighting in pressure zones or ancient domains.
Tyrant Body – Bronze Form Mastery Increased: 56% → 72%
Title Updated: Wolf King → Dragon Kin Vanguard
Jin's lips curled into a bitter smile.
"Not now…" he muttered through clenched teeth.
He felt the familiar warmth of the Tyrant Body silver aura swirling around him, golden light rippling across his limbs like molten metal flowing through veins.
His skin thickened, muscles tensed with renewed power.
Still, the pressure remained a relentless, crushing force — enough to rend lesser men in two.
His lungs burned, each breath a struggle.
His heart pounded like a war drum in his ears.
Elsewhere — The Dragon Ruins
Deep within the cavernous halls, Lana, Arielle, and Sarah huddled near the roaring fire.
The flickering flames painted vivid shadows over the ancient murals — dragons soaring, battling titans, and finally succumbing to mortals wielding divine weapons.
Lana stirred the embers anxiously.
"He's been gone too long," she murmured.
Arielle's eyes remained fixed on the fire.
"I can still feel his qi," she said softly. "It's wild… chaotic… alive."
Sarah moved along the wall and stopped beside a mural depicting a dragon kneeling before a mortal woman.
"Look," she said, voice hushed, "this tells of a dragon who passed his legacy to a mortal — but only after they endured his wrath."
Arielle stiffened.
"That must be Jin's trial."
Suddenly, the air shifted.
The cavern walls trembled.
Sarah's gaze snapped toward the source of the vibration.
"Did you feel that? Something moved."
Capital — Royal Palace, Moon Lotus Kingdom
In a shadowed chamber, Second Queen Molana slammed a crystal goblet against the marble wall.
Red wine spilled like blood.
"Gone. Vanished into the mist!" she hissed.
Her silken robes swirled as she paced with barely contained fury.
A tall man, her father, stood silently nearby, his silver-streaked hair framing a sharp, weathered face.
"The assassin failed," Molana spat. "Young Lord Han is dead."
Her eyes burned.
"And my spies lost him near the Verdant Cliffs."
The old duke inclined his head.
"Then it is time. The king weakens every day. We strike during the council meeting. The crown will be yours."
Molana smiled cruelly.
Across the capital, rumors festered.
Prices soared.
Merchants whispered in shadowed halls.
The king had not appeared publicly for weeks.
The Royal Council met behind closed doors, murmuring of rebellion.
That night, Molana lay entwined with Rodgers, her favored consort.
"You're useless in war," she whispered against his ear.
"But in bed… at least you are useful."
Back in the Trial Realm
Jin's roar shattered the silence.
His arms pushed against the crushing, invisible force, muscles tearing and healing in a brutal cycle.
Seconds stretched like hours.
His breath came ragged.
Vision blurred with crimson.
[Current Time Endured: 243 / 300 seconds]
The Azure Sky Dragon's spectral eyes bore into his soul.
"Your spirit is strong… mortal," it rumbled, voice like grinding stone. "But is your will unbreakable?"
Blood dripped from Jin's lips as he activated the Fury skill.
His Blood Demon bloodline surged — eyes glowing crimson, fangs lengthening in a savage snarl.
His aura exploded outward.
Jagged wings of blood qi and lightning unfurled from his back, swirling like a storm.
[Tyrant Body – Bronze Form Mastery: 56% → 72%]
[Blood Demon Resonance: 8% → 10%]
[Trial Objective Complete: 300 / 300 seconds]
With a final defiant roar, Jin straightened.
The crushing pressure evaporated like morning mist.
The world around him cracked—fractures glowing with pure energy like veins of light spreading across shattered glass.
Then the realm itself shattered — as if a mirror struck by a stone.
Voice of the Ancients
Jin found himself suspended in an infinite void.
A glowing pedestal hovered before him.
Coiled protectively around it was the silhouette of an ancient dragon, eyes closed in solemn meditation.
"You have withstood the trial," the voice echoed — deep, eternal, and reverberating through the cosmos.
"The legacy may now begin."
Jin stepped forward.
"Then grant me your power."
The dragon's eyes opened — pools of fiery wisdom and infinite patience.
"No," it replied, voice gentle but resolute. "You must earn it. One trial remains."
Light engulfed him once again.
Epilogue
Back in the ruins, Lana, Arielle, and Sarah exhaled collectively, relief mingled with apprehension.
Arielle looked toward the swirling mist guarding the trial realm's entrance.
"He's passed the first step."
Lana smiled softly, pride shining through her eyes.
Sarah nodded, thoughtful.
"But the real test… is yet to come."
And far away, in the capital, shadows lengthened.
Molana's machinations deepened, and the game for the throne grew ever darker.
The fate of Jin—and the kingdom—hung on a razor's edge.