A Mountain of Bones

"Has he lost his mind?" Everyone was stunned by Tian Fan's behavior, wondering if he sought death. Even the despairing dragon, who had closed its eyes, opened them in astonishment to gaze at the frenzied human below.

In that moment, Tian Fan stepped forward, his face marked by sorrow and anger. The tragic appearance of the golden dragon and its unyielding eyes were deeply etched in his heart. His soul seemed to conjure one harrowing scene after another, particularly the last image which felt like a knife twisting in his heart.

Just then, the retreating demonic hand halted and split into another tendril of demonic energy, forming a second hand that reached down to grab Tian Fan.

"Seventh Brother!" Long Yuyun cried out, attempting to rush forward but was held back by Long Teng Aotian.

"Don't go, it's dangerous!" Long Aotian warned, surprisingly not intervening. The National Teacher, busy healing himself, couldn't react in time.

The black mist enveloped Tian Fan, emitting a chilling coldness and eroding his flesh. Inside Tian Fan, a faint white glow emerged, sacred light gently covering his body, protecting him from the black mist.

"Darn it, I must be cursed!" Tian Fan exclaimed, finally snapping out of his frenzy. His head felt increasingly heavy, and after recalling the recent events, he cursed in frustration before passing out.

The mist, carrying both the golden dragon and Tian Fan, sunk deeper into the Magical Forest, eventually disappearing from sight. The National Teacher, after a moment of stunned silence, sighed and left the forest.

"Is Seventh Brother really dead? Why did he run out there?" Long Yuyun lamented, looking in the direction where the black mist vanished.

"Of course he's dead! Did you think someone like him could survive?" The eldest prince scornfully remarked, his disdain for Tian Fan evident. The second prince laughed mockingly in agreement.

"Let's go, we're leaving." Long Aotian, seeing the National Teacher depart, led the way back with a look of disappointment, not because of Tian Fan's presumed death, but due to the unfruitful outcome of their journey.

Long Yueying glanced at the direction where Tian Fan disappeared, sighing deeply, a stark contrast to her usual lively demeanor. She gently pulled the grieving Long Yuyun away.

The air cleared of the destructive aura, as if nothing had happened. Only the uneven pits in the ground and some fragmented dragon scales soaked in dragon blood silently narrated the epic battle that had taken place.

After an unknown period, Tian Fan slowly regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and sat up, only to be shocked by the sight before him. He lay back down, unwilling to believe what he had seen.

"This can't be real. I must be hallucinating..." Tian Fan muttered, struggling to accept the reality. He finally opened his eyes again, only to be shocked once more by the sight of countless bones scattered around him.

"Damn, this is insane!" He jumped to his feet. Before him lay a vast expanse of bones, a mountain of skeletal remains extending for miles. The sight was more shocking than the terrifying demonic hand he had witnessed earlier.

Looking up, Tian Fan noticed something amidst the dense white mist at the peak of the bone mountain. This same mist, which perennially shrouded the Magical Forest, seemed to emanate from this very spot.

Suddenly, a noise from his left startled him. Turning, he saw the injured golden dragon struggling to move on the ground. Both he and the dragon had been captured by the black hand and brought to this place.

Even after experiencing the dragon's formidable power during its awakening, Tian Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity in this strange and desolate environment.

"Are you alright?" Tian Fan asked the dragon, showing genuine concern. After all, they were fellow captives.

The golden dragon blinked heavily, then opened its eyes, seeming to recognize Tian Fan as one of the humans who had accompanied the National Teacher. It had charged out in a frenzy and was subsequently captured.

"Are you okay?" Tian Fan asked again, then realized the absurdity of expecting a response from a dragon. However, the dragon replied, much to his surprise.

"I'm temporarily fine..." The weak voice of a woman came from the dragon, unexpectedly melodious.

"You can talk?" Tian Fan asked in astonishment.

The dragon seemed taken aback by his question. "Once I reached the Divine Dragon realm, I can transform into a human form, so of course, I can speak," she explained.

Noticing Tian Fan's puzzled look, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

Tian Fan wryly smiled, gesturing for her to look behind. The dragon, with his help, managed to turn her head and was equally stunned by the sight of the bone mountain.

"I don't understand either," Tian Fan admitted. "When I woke up, this was the scene that greeted me. By the way, what happened to that black demonic hand? I can't sense its presence since I never cultivated. Can you feel if it's still around?"

The dragon, still in shock from the sight of the bone mountain, took a moment before responding. "The aura of that demonic hand has completely vanished. It's as if it never existed, which is strange. Where did it go?" Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and asked Tian Fan, "You said you never cultivated?"

"That's right," Tian Fan replied. "Is there a problem? I've been unable to cultivate since birth."

"That's impossible..." she murmured, then asked, "Can I taste your blood?"

"My blood? What for?" Tian Fan asked cautiously.

"Don't worry, I won't harm you. And in my current state, I'm hardly a threat," the dragon reassured him.

"Okay, then." Tian Fan agreed, reasoning that he had nothing to fear from a dragon. He bit his left middle finger, and a drop of bright red blood emerged.

"That's it, that's the aura!" The dragon recognized the same sacred aura she had felt around Tian Fan earlier.

Simultaneously, as Tian Fan's blood flowed, the entire bone mountain erupted. The ground trembled, and countless skeletal remains began to emit a dazzling light.

"Damn it, what's happening now!" Tian Fan exclaimed, leaping to his feet. In front of him, the bone mountain stretched out, a sea of bones as far as the eye could see. At the summit, amidst dense white mist, something seemed to be hidden.

"Ssshh..." A hissing sound startled him from the left. He turned to see the golden dragon, still struggling to move, lying on the ground.

Despite his knowledge of the dragon's formidable power, Tian Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship in this bizarre environment.

"Are you alright?" he asked the dragon again, this time more cautiously.

The dragon, seeming to understand Tian Fan's concern, blinked and then opened her eyes. She was puzzled at first but then realized that Tian Fan was the man who had charged out recklessly and had been captured along with her.

"You're okay?" Tian Fan asked, realizing the absurdity of expecting a dragon to talk. To his surprise, the dragon responded.

"I'm temporarily fine..." A weak, feminine voice came from the dragon, surprisingly melodious.

"You can talk?" Tian Fan asked in amazement.

The dragon seemed taken aback by his question. "Reaching the Divine Dragon realm allows me to transform into a human form and speak," she explained.

Then she seemed to notice Tian Fan's puzzled expression and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Tian Fan smiled wryly, gesturing for her to look behind them. The dragon, with his assistance, managed to turn her head and was equally shocked by the sight of the bone mountain.

"I don't understand either," Tian Fan admitted. "When I woke up, this was the first thing I saw. Where did that demonic hand go? I didn't sense it when I regained consciousness. Can you feel its presence?"

The dragon took a moment to compose herself from the shock and then focused on sensing the aura. "The aura of the demonic hand is gone. It's as though it never existed. Strange. Where did it go?" Then, remembering something, she asked Tian Fan, "You said you never cultivated?"

"That's right," Tian Fan confirmed. "Is there an issue? I've been unable to cultivate since birth."

"It's impossible," she repeated softly and then requested, "Could I taste your blood?"

"My blood? What for?" Tian Fan asked cautiously.

"Don't worry, I won't harm you. I'm powerless in my current state," she reassured him.

"Alright, then." Tian Fan agreed, seeing no harm in it. He bit his left middle finger, and a drop of bright red blood emerged.

"That's the aura!" she exclaimed upon sensing the sacred aura in Tian Fan's blood.

At that moment, the entire bone mountain began to tremble, and the ground shook as Tian Fan's blood flowed. Countless skeletal remains emitted a blinding light, creating a spectacle both awe-inspiring and terrifying.