Chapter 19 - The Forest Dragon

Reiko recovered shortly after that person left, a little scared she asked, "What was that!?, such a terrifying aura, not even my father's aura is that frightening."

This time Amanitore answered her, "He is a paladin of the Emerald Dragon God of Space and Time, specifically a draconic paladin, and as for his aura, he is a Spiritual Palace grade three, advanced stage, what I don't know is why he emanates such a powerful aura."

Feicui Long looked at Amanitore with interest and said, "I didn't expect you to know so much about the temple of the Emerald Dragon God of Space and Time, by the way, that girl, even though she is only at the Palace Realm grade 3, could defeat all the peak Spiritual Palace experts in this city, including the duke."

Amanitore said doubtfully, "How do you know?"

Feicui Long answered, without explaining everything, he only gave her a half-truth, "Because that shield you see is made from a sinful dragon, that dragon on her back is an obsidian dragon, and it was a variant, a reactivated obsidian dragon, she killed it recently and came to receive its blessing at the temple, based on the power it emanated, it must have been at the peak of the seventh grade of the Spiritual Palace, and that girl killed it alone."

Amanitore thought for a moment and suddenly recalled a wild dragon that had been attacking villages behind Vienna, it was called the Obsidian Nightmare, it was too powerful and dangerous, no one dared to hunt it, and the Union had sent several experts, but none had returned, it wasn't until yesterday that news arrived stating that a mysterious expert had eliminated it overnight, everything matched with this girl since she had never seen her before, although there were several Spiritual Palaces in Vienna, there were actually very few, for a city of 3 million inhabitants, there were barely about 250, and each one was well-known throughout the city, she didn't know any like her.

Feicui Long added, "What I find interesting is that with that enormous talent, she could have easily passed through the first method to be worthy, but still chose the third method."

Amanitore, after thinking carefully, realized that Feicui Long's statement was true, which only confused her even more. Frowning, she said, "If that's the case, then why the hell would someone with such monstrous talent and combat power choose to be a paladin of the God of Power, to obtain power?"

Reiko looked at them even more confused than they were, not understanding much, and said, "What's so strange about choosing to be a paladin? And what is so special about being able to pass the first method to prove if one is worthy or not?"

Amanitore patiently explained to her, "My lady, the thing is that out of the three methods, the most difficult is the first one, because the trial must be passed without tricks, without special artifacts, with nothing but what the Emerald Dragon God grants you. And that trial is against yourself, you will face yourself at the exact same power level, a version of yourself from just a few seconds ago. It's extremely difficult because both of you know what the other will do, your fighting style, and your weaknesses. Very few have ever passed it."

Amanitore added shortly after, "So few, in fact, that only a handful of people in all 35,000 years of the Union have passed this trial, and all of them have become great figures. One of the known ones is the Dragon Empress of the Oceanic Divine Dragon Empire, a Supreme-rank force. Two other leaders of Supreme forces have also passed it, and they too belong to the neutral faction. But perhaps the most talked about case is that, according to legend, the founder of the Union passed the evaluation with the highest possible rank, obtaining a great blessing that allowed her to forge the body of a dragon and enhance her already supreme general special constitution. Although the full evaluation and reward remain unknown, what is certain is that she entered a temple, underwent the evaluation, and emerged more powerful than ever."

Feicui Long, upon hearing this, was quite intrigued. He didn't know about this, and it filled him with a mix of curiosity and a slight sense of fear to meet this founder. Passing the evaluation with the highest score... perhaps only a handful of people had done so when he was alive. The first to pass it in such a way back then had become someone extremely powerful, with great influence and renown throughout the entire universe... and that person was also one of his disciples.

While Feicui Long was analyzing that, Amanitore continued explaining to Reiko, "Besides that, the first method has the advantage that the power obtained is gifted and can be used freely, while in the second method, you have to sacrifice a part of yourself, something that can be difficult to recover. It can only be restored with pills created by yourself or an expert alchemist, incredibly valuable treasures, or by reaching the Pure Realm to reform your body, none of which are easy. As for the reformation, it can only be done once. Technically, you could use other methods, such as the Goddess of Life, but you would lose your powers for receiving external assistance."

Then Amanitore looked down the stairs and said, "The third method is the second-best option after the first because the second method has another weakness: the power granted is very limited or small in proportion to what you sacrifice. On the other hand, in the third method, you are given immense power, so much that it is very likely to kill you. Although the third method involves being willing to give up your life, it is not an instant death after achieving your goals. Instead, there is a 95% probability that your body will not be able to withstand the damage caused by the power overload. Most people do not choose it unless they are desperate, due to their innate desire to survive. And yes, those who survive can keep the full power, as they are considered worthy of carrying it for being able to endure."

Feicui Long, after finishing his analysis of the possibility of encountering the founder, heard this and added something else, "There is also another possibility with the third option, and that is to offer one's life to the Emerald Dragon God, though this is the least desired choice."

Reiko looked at him and said, "I suppose offering your life basically means serving him, but why would it be the least desired?"

Amanitore replied, "That is because there are several ways to join the Temple of the Dragon God of Space and Time. The four main ones are as a core member, inner member, outer member, and through this third method. If you chose to serve as an inner or outer member, you would have some or a lot of freedom. But for the core membership and this third method, the circumstances are similar, you have to sign a contract. It is an improved slavery contract, meaning it lacks some restrictions but is even stricter in others, making it slightly worse in some ways. Most people would not choose it."

Then Amanitore continues: "Additionally, depending on the area in which you requested power, you would end up joining different divisions. These range from joining the war division as a combatant in some role, becoming a paladin, or taking on a supportive worship role like priests or priestesses. You could also enter the administrative, commercial, judicial divisions, or support roles such as alchemy, among others."

Amanitore quickly added to avoid being misunderstood, "I don't mean that all of them have to sign this contract. In fact, many of the draconic paladins don't have these restrictions or such a severe contract. From what I understand, only a third of them do, and that includes those who are part of the core members and those of the third method. Meanwhile, another third has a much lighter contract, though still very strict compared to those of other gods, and the last third has the lightest one of all, but they are also the ones who receive the least power and blessings. That is why choosing the third method is to become something worse than a slave. You will have to serve the Emerald Dragon God for your entire life or eternity in exchange for that power. That's why it makes no sense for her to choose the method that harms her the most."

Feicui Long coughed Cough and said, "I want to clarify that the temple does not only have that type of paladins. The temple is divided into four branches, each representing an individual aspect that the Emerald Dragon God governs. That is, dragons and power, space and the Space Clan, time and the Time Clan, and finally, the leading branch, which encompasses the general aspect, merging everything."

Feicui Long then explained in detail the reality of the temple, "Each branch has its own types of members and paladins with different names. Certainly, they also sign a similar contract, but in the case of space and time, those of the lowest rank have the fewest restrictions, being much freer than the draconics, though they still have a contract. The ones with the most restrictions are actually those of the main branch, but they are responsible for protecting the most important places or carrying out the orders of their god. Besides, it is a fair price. No other god will grant so much power without something similar, or they simply won't do it at all."

Amanitore wanted to deny it, but she knew that Feicui Long was telling the truth. After all, obtaining such power for free would be difficult. Unless you were the god's child or chosen one, they wouldn't give it to you without any conditions, not even in dreams. Many, even if they were capable of doing so, wouldn't, since gods are not obligated to be generous.

Seeing that the explanation was finally over and now understanding everything, Reiko asked Feicui Long one last question, "I don't understand, but why does the Emerald Dragon God allow one of his paladins to kill someone they are supposed to protect?"

Feicui Long looked at her and calmly said, "That is because his duty is to protect the entire dragon race and ensure its well-being, not individuals. Besides, it is not so frowned upon to kill a dragon within the Dragon Clan. The hierarchy of the Dragon Clan is complex and I won't explain it in detail, but one of the five things they value the most is strength and power. If someone has enough strength to kill a dragon, then that simply proves that the dragon was weak. Furthermore, it would be unfair for the temple to hunt down those who kill dragons. Imagine killing a dragon to defend your kingdom from being destroyed, would you then be hunted down and killed alongside your kingdom just for protecting it? For these two reasons and a few more, it is not forbidden for members, even those from the Space or Time Clans, to kill dragons. However, it would be a different matter if it were a dragon hunter who only killed dragons. That would make them an enemy of the temple."

Feicui Long added something else, "Besides, that dragon was a sinner, a savage, a barbarian."

Reiko looked at him and curiously asked, "So, does that mean dragons hate wild-type dragons?"

Feicui Long shook his head, "No, they don't hate wild-types. The Dragon Clan, along with some beast clans, shares the same proportion as the Divine Clan and others, where the majority are civilized types. That is true, but it doesn't mean they see their wild brothers as inferior. They see them as equals because they still represent the essence of what it means to be a dragon."

Feicui Long then provided more context, "On the contrary, sinners, savages, or barbarians, depending on what you want to call them, are those who go against everything that it means to be a dragon. Not only that, but they also destroy or cause harm to the most important things for the Dragon Clan, such as dragon veins, dragon fruit trees, or dragon blood fruit, among other things. They are hated by every member of the Dragon Clan, regardless of their inclination. Perhaps you don't know this, but even though the Dragon Clan was created by the Clan Above the Skies, it is a clan inclined toward the neutral path. However, there are also species or individuals inclined toward the demonic or righteous paths. But even so, regardless of their path, they all hate them. Even those on the demonic path would be willing to stop whatever they are doing just to kill them if they are nearby."

Feicui Long concluded his explanation, clarifying the matter of the paladin, "That is why that girl killing that dragon would not only not be frowned upon for the previous reasons, but she would also be even more respected and it would be expected of her to do so."

Reiko was satisfied with the explanation and took Feicui Long's arm, pulling him closer to her.

But then, a pale woman with a delicate and graceful appearance emerged. Although she was not a great beauty, she was not ugly either. The woman wore embroidered robes with the same colors as the statues and figures on the door.

This woman asked them, "Good morning, do you need anything?"

Feicui Long politely replied, "Yes, priestess, we have come to visit the statue of the Emerald Dragon God. We hope we are not disturbing you."

The priestess, happy, said, "Very well, you may enter. You and the girl who came yesterday are practically the only ones who have visited. I'm glad that there are still people interested in coming to see the Emerald Dragon God."

Feicui Long nodded, and along with the two women accompanying him, he proceeded to enter. On the way, Feicui Long said to Amanitore, "Miss Amanitore, I didn't expect you to know so much about the temple of the Dragon God of Space and Time."

Amanitore, slightly embarrassed, said, "The thing is, in the land I originally come from, the only god worshiped was the Emerald Dragon God, and I grew up believing in him like everyone else. I still worship him, though not as much as before."

Feicui Long, curious, asked, "Oh, I see. But have you never been to this temple before?"

Amanitore replied, "No, I haven't, because I don't always have free time, and I also have my own altar dedicated to him that I brought with me from my homeland."

Feicui Long, satisfied with his curiosity, and having arrived, pointed to a statue similar to the ones outside but much more detailed and larger, emanating bursts of power. He then said, "Alright, Reiko, you're going to do as I say. Sit in front of the statue and take out the Forest Anaconda and the bottle. I will sit below the statue, and you will imitate everything I do, understood?"

Reiko looked at him, concerned, and responded, "But wouldn't it be disrespectful to climb onto the temple's statue?"

Feicui Long looked at the priestess and asked, "If I manage to climb up and sit, will there be a problem?"

The priestess said, "If you manage to do it, no, there will be no problem, as it would be the will of the Emerald Dragon God."

Feicui, without waiting any longer, simply approached the statue. The bursts of power emanating from it, which were strong enough to disintegrate him, did nothing to him. They let him pass as if nothing had happened, and Feicui Long then placed his hands on the statue's platform and climbed onto it. He then sat cross-legged, facing Reiko.

Reiko and Amanitore looked at him with wide eyes, though for different reasons. One because she hadn't expected permission to be granted so easily, and the other because she hadn't thought Feicui Long would be able to withstand the emanating bursts of power.

Reiko quickly obeyed, sitting in front of the statue and taking out her anaconda. It was a very large snake, about 7 meters long and approximately 25 cm wide and tall. Its body was green, covered in vines, and above its eyes, it had something resembling horns. Its tail ended in a leaf.

Reiko carefully took out the bottle and looked at Feicui Long, who signaled her to pour it into the snake's mouth. The snake, without hesitation, opened its mouth wide and drank all the contents, including the paper.

At that moment, a glow began to radiate from the snake as energy started to gather around it. Feicui Long then began to make hand signs. Reiko, having been distracted for a few seconds, immediately started copying them. With each symbol, the energy accumulating around the snake grew stronger until a thick layer of dragon energy, a clearly visible green color, formed a kind of cocoon that covered the snake's entire body.

But Feicui Long did not stop. He continued making several hand signs, and Reiko did the same, though she found it difficult to keep up with his pace. Despite being several realms above Feicui Long, his speed was such that by the time she looked, another symbol had already been formed.

This continued until, at a certain point, Feicui Long began to float while still seated without realizing it. The energy gathered around him, lifting him like a floating platform. At the same time, he suddenly began to recite words incomprehensible to Reiko, "Mehset, Unsate, liberum, Uhm greazen admirirla, so delu almutan thes dalehzo zet bimir suprameh, uhm am renacitment alzi muhtahar al dracomir, tehala nadmicir!"

Each of these words was confusing to Reiko, and the more she tried to understand them, the more they caused her a headache. So she decided to pretend she wasn't hearing them while continuing the hand signs.

Meanwhile, the priestess stood there, her jaw completely dropped. At one point, she suddenly ran off, despite her dress getting in the way. Amanitore did not understand her urgency, so she simply ignored her and focused all her attention on her young lady.

Five minutes passed, ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour, and soon an hour, but Feicui Long did not seem tired. On the contrary, he looked more revitalized than ever, whereas Reiko could not say the same. She was already feeling exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Behind her, a crowd of temple members watched them in awe, especially the figure standing in the center, accompanied by the priestess who had received them. She observed every movement of Feicui Long with wide-open eyes, every phrase he uttered in the strange language, as if closing her eyes for even a moment would make her miss the greatest event of her life.

Feicui Long, having reached the highest point of levitation above the statue's head, performed the final symbol, a symbol that Reiko was able to recognize. It was the rune, the rune from the paper and the rune at the center of the statue. Both she and Feicui Long formed it at the same time, pointing toward her forest anaconda.

When the rune touched the energy cocoon, all the other symbols cast during the past hour lit up, unleashing a light that overshadowed all others, almost as if it were stealing the very light itself. From within that light, a strange phenomenon emerged, an image, an image of a colossal golden dragon, which appeared for a second before shifting into a platinum dragon, then into an emerald dragon, vastly different from the one on the statue. Each of these images emerged and then sank into the cocoon, disappearing from everyone's sight.

The cocoon soon stopped glowing and solidified into a thin, solid white shell, from which cracks began to spread everywhere. Reiko, who had grown nervous because, for a moment, she had been unable to feel her connection to her anaconda, finally calmed down.

Then, as if hatching from an egg, a part of the cocoon broke, revealing first a large head with an oval jade embedded in its forehead, possessing a powerful jaw, a pair of whiskers, a majestic mane, and two pairs of antler-like horns. But it did not stop there. Soon, the incredible creature shook its body, breaking through the rest of the cocoon and rising into the air. Its size had more than doubled, and it barely fit inside the temple only because it coiled its body, and even then, it was clear that it had only partially adjusted its own size due to its inexperience with its transformed body.

Feicui Long grinned from ear to ear and slowly descended from the air. When he touched the ground, he could only see Reiko, extremely happy.

Curious, Feicui Long used his third eye to examine her:

"Name: Mori no Kiyohime – Sex: Female – Age: 25 years

Racial Clan: Beast Clan – Dragon Clan – Species: Eastern Forest Dragon – Subspecies: Green Eastern Forest Dragon / Jade

Variant: Jade Green Eastern Forest Dragon

Mutation: None

Bloodline: Jade Green Eastern Forest Dragon

Type: Civilized

Special Soul: Soul of the Jade Green Eastern Forest Dragon

Special Constitutions: General Special Constitution of the Jade Green Eastern Forest Dragon

Abnormal State: None.

Blessings: Blessing of the Emerald-Golden Dragon God of Space and Time.

Cultivation Realm: Earthly Palace – Grade 9 – Peak – Near Breakthrough

Cultivation Path: Dragon Path, Forest Path

Skills: Jade Green Eastern Forest Dragon's Breath, Forest Breath, Jade Breath, Green Dragon's Breath, Dragon's Roar, Forest Regeneration, Flora Growth, Plant Swim, Flora Communication, Forest Connection, Jade of the Forest, Forest of Jade, Dragon Strength, Dragon Rage, Dragon Wrath, Dragon Fury, True Dragon Essence, Dragon Instinct, Dragon Nature, Dragon Power, Dragon Fear, Dragon Horror, Dragon Terror, Dragon Might, Dragon Aura, Dragon Steps, Dragon Claws, Shape Change [(Human) (Mixed Combat Form) (Dragon Form)], Partial Size Change [(True Size) (Size Reduction)], < Awakening Soon >

Cultivation Techniques: None

Battle Techniques: None"