Chapter 22 : The Three Trials of the Dragon Clan

Jin stood alone in the surreal realm—an expanse of floating islands drifting in an endless void of swirling mist and radiant energy. The air crackled with ancient power, thick enough to press against his skin, yet alive with a primal force that set his blood singing.

Above him, spectral dragons soared in majestic spirals, their translucent forms shimmering with starlight, remnants of a once-glorious clan whose legacy now lay in ruin. Their eyes, ageless and wise, seemed to weigh him, measuring his worth with silent judgment.

Then, the voice thundered—deep, resonant, and commanding, reverberating like the roll of distant thunder through an empty canyon.

"First Trial: Combat."

A sudden burst of brilliant, almost blinding light coalesced into a towering figure clad in shimmering silver armor forged with dragon motifs—scales interlocking like the skin of a celestial beast. The warrior's eyes shone like molten gold, fierce and unyielding, his presence radiating a raw power that pressed on Jin's very soul.

"You who bear the fragmented blood of the dragon," the warrior intoned, voice ringing with ancient authority, "prove your worth through strength and spirit."

Without warning, the dragon knight lunged.

Time slowed as Jin's body tensed, instincts flaring to life. He barely summoned the golden glow of his Tyrant Body – Silver Form before the knight's fist, crackling with raw energy, slammed into his chest like a thunderclap.

The impact hurled him backward, his body crashing against a floating boulder, shards of stone exploding in all directions. Pain blossomed in his ribs; blood bubbled from his mouth. The spectral knight pursued relentlessly, each step shaking the realm itself, blade aflame with ethereal energy.

Jin staggered to his feet, muscles screaming. The weight of the trial bore down like the crushing atmosphere of a storm-wracked mountain. Yet he refused to yield.

Wind whipped fiercely around him, responding to his call as he unleashed Wind Surge, spinning through the air with razor-sharp precision. The currents sang as he dodged the knight's sweeping blade, the metal grazing his robes by mere inches.

Gathering every ounce of strength, Jin clenched his fists, channels of blood qi roaring through his veins. With a feral yell, he unleashed Fury—his cultivation blazing, body alight with crimson power.

His eyes glowed a hellish red, fangs elongating, aura erupting like a volcanic tempest.

The knight faltered, startled by the sudden explosion of force.

Their clash erupted into a breathtaking ballet of power and speed. Fists collided with sword strikes; energy crackled like lightning, illuminating the void with sparks and roaring blasts. Islands shattered beneath their feet, fragments tumbling into the abyss.

Time seemed to stretch and compress—each moment an eternity as Jin poured his soul into the fight.

Finally, with a primal roar, Jin gathered the last surging qi in his blood and drove both fists forward, piercing the knight's chest with the force of a hammer and the precision of a blade.

The warrior staggered, eyes wide with a mix of respect and resignation.

Then, bowing his head, the spectral figure dissolved into a cascade of silver light, scattering like dragon scales on the wind.

"You pass the First Trial."

The world shifted again.

The Second Trial: Loyalty began with a cruel twist.

Jin found himself stripped bare of power, standing powerless in a shifting illusion that wove itself like a tapestry of memories—and nightmares.

Before him played out a haunting vision.

Lana knelt, bloodied and broken. Arielle struggled against heavy chains, eyes filled with despair. Sarah lay unconscious, her body frail on a cold, dirt floor.

On a distant throne, Jin himself sat—older, hardened, eyes cold and empty—a tyrant cloaked in darkness.

Whispers slithered around him like serpents.

"To grow strong, you must lose all you hold dear."

The illusion-Jin sneered.

"Sacrifice loyalty for power."

The vision replayed the moment his enemies fell—but so too did those he loved.

The crushing weight of loneliness pressed down on him like a suffocating shroud.

But Jin's resolve blazed like a beacon.

He shook his head fiercely.

"I won't become that man."

Stepping forward, his eyes locked on Lana's wounded but unwavering gaze.

"I protect my family. I don't sacrifice them for strength."

The illusion pushed back, darkness clawing at his heart.

But with every step, the chains of despair unraveled.

Lana smiled faintly, pain and pride mingling in her eyes.

Then Arielle and Sarah stepped forward, their forms glowing with radiant light.

One by one, they transformed—becoming ethereal flames of loyalty and love.

"You chose love over power. Loyalty over conquest."

The illusion shattered.

Then came the Final Trial: Vision.

Jin stood within a vast temple crafted of crystal and light, the walls adorned with intricate carvings depicting dragons through the ages—ancient battles, majestic flights, the rise and fall of empires written in stone and spirit.

At the heart of the temple floated an immense mirror, its surface swirling with cosmos and stars.

From it emerged a colossal dragon composed of shimmering starlight, its eyes vast pools of eternity.

Its voice thundered with ancient wisdom.

"What future do you seek, descendant of dragons?"

Visions cascaded into Jin's mind—

Him as a solitary ruler, feared and isolated atop a throne of cold stone.

Him hiding, weak and hunted, as those he loved suffered endlessly.

Him dying alone, the tears of Lana, Arielle, and Sarah falling like rain.

Then, a final vision—a powerful image of himself standing tall, not above others, but beside them.

Guarding them.

A leader who wields strength not to dominate, but to protect.

Jin's breath caught.

His voice was steady as steel.

"I choose them."

"I choose to protect."

The dragon nodded, cosmic light flooding the chamber.

"Then walk your path, Dragon Prince."

Light engulfed Jin, energy surging through his body in waves that danced beneath his skin.

Dragon runes flared across his flesh, etching ancient symbols that pulsed with the rhythm of his blood.

[Dragon Bloodline Resonance: 37% Achieved]

[Elemental Insight Gained: Ice, Wind, Fire, Earth]

[New Skill Unlocked: Dragon Soul Resonance (Incomplete)]

[Tyrant Body Progress Increased: Approaching Gold Stage]

[Level Up +2]

[Magic Power +200 | Strength +10 | Vitality +5 | Agility +6]

[Blood Demon Bloodline: 8% → 10%]

His eyes snapped open—glowing with fierce dragonfire, a living blaze of power and purpose.

Back in the cavern, the pedestal pulsed with an otherworldly glow.

Lana, Arielle, and Sarah watched in awe as Jin rematerialized—clothes torn, breathing steady, but his presence transformed.

No longer a boy.

No longer just a cultivator.

A dragon among men.