Chapter 6: The Guardian of the Immortal Tomb
Chapter 6: The Guardian of the Immortal Tomb
A sudden tremor shook the ancient chamber.
The golden runes etched along the walls flared to life, their glow intensifying as if responding to an ancient command. The entire room rumbled, and in that instant, an incomprehensible presence descended upon the chamber.
Xiao Chen froze.
A suffocating aura swept through the air, crashing into him like an unstoppable tidal wave. It was vast, boundless—so powerful that it seemed to surpass the very heavens themselves.
His entire body locked up.
A sharp, stabbing pain erupted in his bones, his very soul trembling beneath the overwhelming pressure. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, his forehead slamming against the cold jade tiles.
His breath turned ragged, sweat poured down his face, and his heartbeat thundered in his ears.
At that moment, he felt like an ant standing before an eternal being.
And then—
A voice rumbled through the chamber, carrying the weight of countless eons.
"A mere mortal dares trespass upon this sacred tomb?"
The moment the voice reached him, a roaring surge of draconic might burst forth. Xiao Chen instinctively gasped, his breath stolen by the suffocating dominance.
Yet, with indomitable will, he gritted his teeth and forced his head up, his entire body screaming in defiance.
What he saw left him utterly awestruck.
Hovering above the stone coffin was a monstrous dragon, its colossal form composed entirely of pure golden energy, radiating an overwhelming, divine presence.
Its gigantic head alone was larger than a house, its eyes like twin suns—burning with ancient wisdom and boundless might. Each golden scale shimmered with ethereal brilliance, inscribed with celestial markings that pulsed like the very rhythm of the universe.
Two massive horns curved backward like divine lightning, flickering with raw power, while its snout exhaled mist-like energy, distorting the surrounding space. Long whiskers flowed like celestial rivers, carrying the weight of endless time itself.
Its wings—though ethereal—seemed vast enough to eclipse the sky. Folded inward, they created a cocoon of golden light as the dragon gazed down upon Xiao Chen, its gaze so sharp and penetrating that Xiao Chen felt his entire soul laid bare.
The dragon's golden pupils contracted, a deep, reverberating hum echoing from its throat.
"You… possess the bloodline of a mortal clan, yet you carry the scent of the Yin-Yang Path… Fascinating."
Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat.
Bloodline? Yin-Yang Path?
He had no time to ponder as the dragon's aura surged once more, its immense head lowering, scrutinizing him with cold, piercing eyes.
"Unworthy. Weak. A mere child who has yet to comprehend the vastness of the heavens."
Xiao Chen clenched his fists, trembling under the dragon's words. There was undeniable truth in those words—but even so, he refused to bow.
As if seeing something within Xiao Chen's defiant gaze, the dragon exhaled a deep, ancient sigh.
"Hmph. I see the same stubbornness in you… that he once had. Moreover, you wouldn't have gotten this far if he hadn't willed it."
The dragon lifted its head slightly, its gaze drifting into the past.
"Long ago, I was known as the Golden Chaos Dragon King. My ancestor was the Heavenly Yin Yang Dragon—a divine beast born of primordial chaos, before the heavens and earth fully formed. I was not merely a dragon—I was an Immortal Beast, a manifestation of balance itself, bestowed with the legacy of my Ancestor… a being who governed the forces of Yin and Yang."
Xiao Chen's eyes widened in shock.
A being born before the formation of the heavens? That was beyond legendary.
"In my youth, I was untamed—a divine force of nature that even the celestial gods feared. But then… I met a man."
The dragon's voice softened, carrying traces of nostalgia.
"His name was Long Tianyi, the only human to ever defeat me in combat."
Xiao Chen's breath hitched.
The immortal buried here… had once fought a divine beast of the Immortal Realm?
The dragon's eyes glowed with a mixture of reverence and bittersweet nostalgia as it continued.
"He did not slay me. Instead, he extended his hand… and offered me a contract. At that time, I was proud and arrogant. How could I—a Dragon—submit to a human? I could not accept that fate."
Its deep voice trembled slightly.
"But he was no ordinary human. He was different. He carried the pure bloodline of the Heavenly Yin Yang Dragon—the blood of my Ancestor. Even if I claim the Heavenly Yin Yang Dragon as my forebear, our bloodline had long since been diluted by the passage of countless eras. Yet, I had no idea how Long Tianyi possessed such purity…"
"For the first time in my existence, I felt the presence of a being who did not seek to conquer… but to understand."
A long pause followed, the ancient dragon lost in memory.
"Thus, I swore an oath—to serve as his companion, his guardian, and his blade through the ages. We traversed the heavens together, forged through endless battles, and pursued the ultimate truth of existence."
Xiao Chen could hear the deep reverence in the dragon's voice, the weight of countless years embedded in its words.
"For millennia unending, he sought to break the chains of fate itself—to unravel the mysteries of samsara and the heavenly dao. And in the end…"
The dragon's radiant aura dimmed, sorrow flickering in its golden eyes.
"…He achieved his goal. But at a cost I could not bear."
A deep silence fell upon the chamber, suffocating in its intensity.
Xiao Chen could feel the weight of history, the grief of a companion who had lost his master.
Yet, the dragon's gaze suddenly sharpened, piercing through the haze of the past.
"And now… here you stand. A mere mortal, standing in his tomb."
"Tell me, boy… Do you seek power? Do you desire to walk the path that Long Tianyi once walked?"
The air grew heavy, the golden flames flickering wildly as if the entire chamber was holding its breath, awaiting his answer.
Xiao Chen inhaled deeply, his eyes burning with resolve. Then, with unshakable determination, he raised his head—
And spoke his answer.
But just as the words formed in his mind, another question gnawed at his thoughts—one he could not ignore.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied his voice and asked:
"If your master was truly an Immortal… why is his tomb in the mortal world?"
The moment his words fell, an oppressive silence swept through the chamber.
The dragon's golden eyes narrowed sharply, a suffocating weight pressing down upon the air. The golden flames danced violently, casting eerie shadows against the intricate runes on the walls.
Xiao Chen tensed, feeling a dangerous shift in the dragon's aura.
"Hmph. Mortal child, do not indulge in knowledge beyond your reach."
The dragon's voice was cold, carrying the heavy weight of an undeniable warning.
"There are truths in this world you are not yet ready to comprehend. Ask no more."
Xiao Chen felt a chill run down his spine, but he gritted his teeth and lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment. The dragon's words were not merely a refusal—there was a hidden weight behind them, a veiled warning that unveiling the truth would bring forth consequences far beyond his understanding.
After a long, tense silence, the dragon's expression softened slightly, and it spoke once more.
"Since fate has brought you here, you have been granted an opportunity."
"I, the Golden Chaos Dragon King, shall bestow upon you the inheritance of my master—Long Tianyi."
Xiao Chen's heart pounded wildly.
The inheritance of a Supreme Immortal?
His fists clenched tightly as his breath quickened. This was an opportunity beyond any fortune he could ever imagine.
The dragon's ethereal body shifted, golden energy flowing like a celestial river. Then, with a deep, rumbling voice that shook the chamber, it commanded:
"Step forward."