The Awakening of the Chimera

The two days that passed since Rudhra entered seclusion were transformative for everyone in the Mystic Realm. As the leaders and their groups settled into their chosen spots, they focused on their breakthroughs, channeling the spirit qi they had gathered into their cultivation. The air was thick with the tension of change as one by one, the young geniuses began to step into the Spirit Realm.

For the first time, these prodigies could channel their spirit qi into their weapons and soar through the air, their movements now fluid and graceful as they tested their newfound abilities. Swords gleamed as they streaked through the skies, leaving trails of energy in their wake. The leaders of each group gathered in mid-air, their auras radiating power and confidence.

Among them, Zeyan, the leader of the Celestial Heaven Sect, was feeling particularly proud of himself. His breakthrough had been flawless, and now, with the Spirit Realm firmly under his belt, he felt invincible. Hovering above the others, he looked down with a smirk and addressed the group.

"We should hunt the dragon now," Zeyan declared, his voice carrying an air of authority. "Only the leaders need to go. If we all combine our strength, even if we can't kill it, we can always retreat. After all, we've all just broken through. It's time to test our limits."

The others exchanged glances, gauging the proposal. Mael, the Netherworld Sect leader, narrowed his eyes but eventually nodded. Despite his contempt for Zeyan, this was an opportunity to prove his own strength. The two sects had a long-standing rivalry, and neither leader was willing to back down from a challenge, especially one that could bring them glory.

With a consensus reached, Zeyan puffed out his chest, his ego swelling as he assumed the role of the de facto leader. He descended toward the common disciples, his every movement exuding arrogance. "Stay back, all of you," he commanded. "This is a battle for the true geniuses."

As the group of leaders approached the volcano, they didn't see the fire dragon. Zeyan's eyes narrowed, but instead of admitting uncertainty, he began to fabricate. "The dragon must be inside the volcano, resting. It's only a matter of time before it shows itself. We'll wait for it here."

Mael couldn't hold back a sneer. "Or maybe it sensed your arrogance and decided it wasn't worth the trouble."

The tension between the Celestial Heaven and Netherworld leaders was palpable, but the others ignored it. These two had always been at each other's throats, and now was no different.

As they waited, the days dragged on with no sign of the dragon. Kavya, the Raksha princess, was the first to lose her patience. "This is ridiculous! We've been sitting here for two days. I'm not going to waste any more time!" she snapped, throwing a tantrum that made the others wince.

Just as Kavya started marching toward the volcano, the ground began to tremble. A presence unlike any other filled the air, thick and oppressive. Inside the volcano, Rudhra's spirit was evolving. The intense qi around him surged into the two small bumps on the lion's head, pushing them to grow.

As his bloodline spirit took its final form, Rudhra found himself in a strange, dreamlike state. He stood on a tall mountain, gazing upon a majestic, gigantic devil lion. But this was no ordinary lion. It had two additional heads—a goat and a dragon. The dragon's head was attached to its tail, and it had six wings that seemed to tear through the elements and time itself as they moved. The lion's presence was overwhelming, as if it commanded the very fabric of reality.

Rudhra watched in awe as the dragon-snake head swallowed whole universes, its power beyond comprehension. The sight was too much for him to bear; his nose and eyes started to bleed, and his vision blurred. Unable to withstand the sheer force of the creature's presence, he lost consciousness.

Outside, the leaders felt a sudden, terrifying surge of energy. The presence of an emperor beast, something they had never encountered before, descended upon them. It was so powerful that within seconds, they were forced to their knees. There was no killing intent, only a sheer force of nature that demanded submission. The oppressive aura lasted for two minutes, but it felt like an eternity to those who experienced it.

When the pressure finally lifted, the leaders struggled to rise, their legs trembling from the aftereffects. Strangely, Kavya was the first to stand. She looked around, her eyes wide with both fear and excitement. "What was that?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "That wasn't the dragon… there's something else here, something far more powerful."

Panic set in as the group quickly decided to retreat. If there was a beast stronger than anything they had ever encountered, staying would be suicidal. As they began to leave, a strange sight stopped them in their tracks—a small monkey with golden fur and gleaming eyes, holding a stick, casually strolling toward them.

Zeyan, already on edge and embarrassed by the earlier display of powerlessness, saw this as an opportunity to reclaim his dignity. Without thinking, he channeled his qi and lunged at the monkey, aiming to strike it down in one blow.

The monkey's eyes glowed with a sharp intelligence as it saw the attack coming. With a swift movement, it gathered its stick and swung it at Zeyan. The impact was immediate and devastating; Zeyan was sent flying back, crashing into the ground with his clothes torn and his hair disheveled.

The shock was palpable. The proud leader of the Celestial Heaven Sect had just been humiliated by a monkey. Kavya burst into laughter, unable to contain her amusement. Even Aelina allowed a small smile to escape.

The monkey, completely unfazed by the attention, strolled over to Aelina and stretched out its tiny hand. Understanding the gesture, she took a qi pill from her bracelet and handed it to him. The monkey accepted the pill with a satisfied nod. This was Miko, Rudhra's pet.

Zeyan, humiliated and enraged, gathered his qi once more, determined to kill the monkey. His face was a mask of fury as he prepared to unleash his attack.

"Stop!" Rajan called out, stepping forward. "That's Rudhra's pet."

Zeyan sneered, his anger barely contained. "Why should I care? I am the young master of Celestial Heaven! I'll kill whatever I damn well please!"

Aelina and Rajan prepared to defend Miko, their auras flaring as they stood their ground. But before the situation could escalate further, Miko suddenly started jumping up and down, laughing in excitement. His eyes were fixed on something behind Zeyan.

Zeyan turned, his fury giving way to confusion as he saw Rudhra standing there, looking as refined and expressionless as ever. There was something different about him now—his presence was bottomless, like the abyss. He had just broken through and hadn't yet fully adapted to his new condition, but even so, his power was undeniable.

Without a word, Rudhra made a simple hand-grabbing motion. Zeyan felt his throat constrict as an invisible force lifted him off the ground, gripping him by the neck. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break free. Rudhra's expression didn't change as he casually threw Zeyan to the ground. The Celestial Heaven Sect leader crashed with a loud thud, the impact reverberating through the earth.

Kavya, ever the bold one, ran up to Rudhra with wide eyes. "I saw you coming out of the volcano just now," she exclaimed.

Rudhra looked at her and simply said, "I broke through." With that, he moved past her, making his way to Miko and Aelina, his expression as calm as ever.