Chapter 7:Beneath the Dragon’s Shadow
The Azure Sky Sect's underground prison exuded a chilling stillness. The cold air clung to the stone walls, thick with suppression runes and spiritual chains. There, in a reinforced cell at the far end of the corridor, Ye Tian sat bound. Shackles etched with divine runes latched his wrists and ankles, humming softly with sealing power. Though uninjured, the wounds on his pride ran deeper than any blade could reach.
His head hung low. His heart, once filled with dreams of transcending this lower realm and ascending to immortality, now throbbed with bitter resentment.
Suddenly, the rhythmic echo of approaching footsteps pierced the stillness.
Thump. Thump.
They were slow, deliberate—a sovereign's gait.
Ye Tian's head lifted, and his eyes widened.
A golden aura spilled into the prison chamber, casting away every shadow. Ling Tianxiao entered, robes flowing like celestial silk, his expression as calm as still water. Behind his back, his hands were clasped casually. His golden eyes surveyed Ye Tian as if peering at an insect pinned beneath glass.
Ye Tian tried to speak, but his throat was dry.
"You came," he rasped, mustering defiance. "To mock me?"
Tianxiao said nothing at first. He merely stopped outside the cell, eyes resting lightly on Ye Tian's shackled form. Then, in his mind—a soft chime.
---
[System Notification]
> Fate Plundered: 3 Points absorbed from Ye Tian
Total Fate Value Accumulated: 3/???
Cause: Public defeat, loss of reputation, bloodline suppression.
---
Tianxiao hummed faintly. "Three points? So you still have cards hidden."
"Status window," he whispered.
---
[Ye Tian - Status]
Title: Heaven's Chosen of the Lower Realm
Cultivation: Core Formation (Peak)
Fate Value: 157 (Fluctuating)
Golden Finger: [Dragon Ring - Remnant Soul of Ancient Supreme Cultivator]
Luck: High Tier Protagonist
Hidden Quest: [Defy the Heir of the Ancient Dragon Clan] - Failed
Condition: Fate Crippled / Suppressed Destiny / Spirit Chained
---
"Heaven's Chosen?" Tianxiao scoffed softly. "Heaven must be blind."
Ye Tian clenched his fists, the chains rattling weakly.
"You're not from this world," he hissed. "You're something else."
Tianxiao smirked, stepping closer. "You're right. I am the world's correction."
Then he turned away, his voice calm.
"I came to see what Heaven looked like after it lost its favor. Pathetic."
Behind him, Ye Tian bit his lip till blood ran.
He had challenged the Heir of the Ancient Dragon Clan.
And lost.
---
Part 2: Veiled Glances and Unspoken Fire
Qing Yue stood in the sect master's private hall, dressed in sky-blue robes that shimmered like moonlight on water. Her silver hair, usually tied neatly, flowed freely down her back today. When Ling Tianxiao stepped through the doors, her violet eyes brightened subtly—an expression she would never have allowed others to see.
"Back so soon, young master?" she asked with a coy smile, her voice soft as a spring breeze.
"He was dull company," Tianxiao replied, stepping beside her and pouring himself a cup of spiritual tea. "I prefer more stimulating company."
Her smile widened, and she leaned in. "Should I take that as a compliment, or are you merely deflecting flattery with grace?"
Tianxiao met her gaze. "You're the only one in this realm who doesn't tremble when I look at them. That earns my attention."
"And yet," she replied, circling him like a predator testing her prey, "you still haven't told me what you want."
He turned, golden eyes catching hers like a net of sunlight.
"When I know, you'll be the first to find out."
For a moment, their gazes lingered. The tension wasn't hostile. It was something far more dangerous.
"By the way," she said, breaking the silence as she moved to sit gracefully on the raised platform, "I have news."
Tianxiao raised a brow.
"The ring on Ye Tian's hand. It houses a soul. A woman—once a supreme-level cultivator. Her aura is cloaked in dragon essence."
Tianxiao's smile faded slightly.
"Dragon Clan?"
She nodded. "She recognized your bloodline. Her presence trembled in my perception. It feared you."
"Interesting," he murmured.
He finished his tea in a single, elegant motion, then turned toward the window.
"Looks like the little protagonist has more secrets than I gave him credit for."
"Should I dispose of him quietly?" she asked sweetly.
"No," he said, voice low. "I want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes."
---
Part 3: Echoes of Submission
In the void of Ye Tian's consciousness, the air felt thick and slow. Time dragged like molasses as he sat in meditation, trying desperately to connect with the soul in his ring.
Then finally—a whisper.
"Ye Tian..."
His eyes snapped open in his mindscape, where the form of a beautiful woman stood. Her presence, even weakened, exuded elegance and ancient majesty. Long obsidian hair trailed behind her, and golden dragon tattoos coiled around her translucent arms.
"Master!" Ye Tian said, bowing hurriedly.
Her voice was shaky. "You fool. I warned you. He is not someone you can challenge."
"He's just one man! I still have you, master. With time—"
"No," she cut in, gaze heavy. "Even in my prime, I would not dare face someone who bears that mark. He is the Heir of the True Bloodline. The Ancient Dragon Clan bows to that authority."
Ye Tian paled. "You said we could rule the realms!"
"Only because I believed you were the chosen one," she whispered, now kneeling softly before a memory of Tianxiao's golden presence. "But that one... that is fate incarnate."
She trembled.
"I once stood among the stars. I thought myself supreme. But before that aura... I was reminded that I am nothing before the True Dragon."
Ye Tian clenched his fists.
"Then help me grow stronger! Help me steal it from him!"
The woman hesitated.
Then, almost reverently, she said:
"If you wish to steal fate from a dragon, Ye Tian... then be ready to lose everything first."
In the prison cell, Ye Tian shivered.
The true battle had only just begun.