chapter 10: the dragon sovereign's legacy

Shen Tian stood at the precipice of a new world, the abyss having disintegrated into golden light. The air was thick with the presence of ancient power, yet, something felt… different.

"This is the true beginning," the Dragon Sovereign's voice echoed through the cosmos. "You have chosen to accept the path of the forbidden. Now, you must walk it."

As the light faded, Shen Tian found himself in an entirely new realm—a place beyond time and space. The surroundings were endless, infinite plains of white stone stretching into an ethereal horizon. Massive dragons, their bodies shimmering with celestial essence, flew across the sky, their roars resonating like the song of creation itself.

The Dragon Sovereign's Realm.

Here, in this place where the laws of the universe barely existed, Shen Tian could sense an overwhelming presence of ancient powers—powers that had once shaped the fabric of existence itself.

"This is where I fell."

Shen Tian turned to see the Dragon Sovereign standing behind him. His appearance had changed slightly—his hair now flowed like rivers of silver, his robes were adorned with the symbols of ancient dragons. But his eyes still carried the weight of countless lost battles.

"You fell?" Shen Tian asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Dragon Sovereign nodded solemnly.

"I sought the same goal you now desire—the transcendence of existence itself." His voice grew heavy with regret. "But I was too early. I overreached, and in my hubris, I was banished from the very fabric of reality."

Shen Tian frowned.

"So, you want me to repeat your mistake?"

The Dragon Sovereign smiled bitterly.

"No. I offer you the knowledge I gained in my fall. The forbidden techniques I discovered and the secrets of existence that I grasped with my final breath. If you succeed, you will become something even greater than I ever was. You will be the one to transcend Creation."

Shen Tian's gaze sharpened.

"So, you are asking me to climb the same mountain you fell from?"

The Dragon Sovereign stepped forward, his aura flaring.

"Yes. But I offer you my legacy, my power, and my wisdom to help you avoid the mistakes I made."

With a wave of his hand, the Dragon Sovereign summoned a massive altar of golden light, covered in ancient runes.

"This is the Dragon Soul Forge. Only those who possess the purest of wills can use it to unlock the ultimate truths of the universe. Your first trial begins here."

Shen Tian stepped toward the altar, his heart steady. He had no hesitation.

The Dragon Sovereign's figure began to disintegrate into light, his voice the last remnant of his existence.

"May you transcend what even I could not."

And with those words, Shen Tian placed his hand on the altar.

The Trial of Transcendence

The moment his hand made contact, time itself seemed to halt. The world around him rippled like a shattered mirror, and he was pulled into the void.

In this void, there was nothing—only him, floating amidst an ocean of infinite darkness. The very concept of reality felt warped, as though the universe was a dream within a dream.

A voice rang out from the void.

"Do you seek power beyond your comprehension?"

Shen Tian didn't flinch. He had already passed through countless trials in his quest for strength, and this one would not be different.

"Yes," he replied simply. "I seek to surpass everything."

A sudden pressure pressed down upon him. The darkness seemed to close in, and a deep rumble shook the fabric of his mind.

"Then prove your worth."

The void before him shifted, and before he knew it, he was standing in the middle of a vast arena, surrounded by the glowing eyes of beings that transcended time.

At the center of the arena stood a massive dragon—its scales dark as night, yet glimmering with the stars of a thousand galaxies. Its eyes burned with ancient fury.

This was no ordinary creature. It was a manifestation of the very concept of existence—a being that could shatter reality with a single thought.

Shen Tian's heart raced, but his resolve remained unshaken.

"You wish to transcend me?" the dragon boomed, its voice shaking the heavens themselves.

Shen Tian narrowed his eyes.

"No. I wish to surpass everything."

With a single thought, Shen Tian's body flared with radiant energy. He had transcended his limits once before, but this… this was a battle to transcend all limitations.

The ground beneath him cracked as he vanished, reappearing before the dragon in an instant. His fist collided with the dragon's chest in a cataclysmic explosion.

BOOM!

The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the void, and the dragon roared in rage. Its claws lashed out, ripping through space itself.

But Shen Tian was already there—his body moving faster than the mind could comprehend.

Every strike, every movement, was a shattering of reality itself.

The dragon's power was immense, but it was not infinite. Shen Tian's willpower had grown far beyond the ordinary. Every step he took, every breath he drew, made him more unstoppable.

And at that moment, he realized—

He wasn't just fighting a dragon.

He was fighting the concept of existence itself.

With one final strike, Shen Tian's fist shattered the dragon's heart, and the arena collapsed into a sea of infinite light.

End of Chapter 10