Arc 2: Chapter 1 — Arrival & the Echo of the Dragon

If I land like this, he thought bitterly, I'll become nothing more than a human omelet.

A desperate curse caught on his lips as he braced for impact.

He crashed through the roof of a humble home, wooden beams splintering, tiles shattering like brittle bones. Pain exploded through his body as he hit the floor, blood filling his mouth. For a moment, he lay dazed, the world spinning around him.

"I'm… alive…" he croaked, even as warm blood pooled around him.

A deep, ancient voice echoed in his mind, stirring something primal in his veins.Come to me. Find me.

But the pain was overwhelming. The world blurred, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

The house he had crashed into belonged to a young girl named Ziyan. She had lived there alone for two years, ever since her parents disappeared without a trace, leaving her an orphan. Ziyan was around Fen Hao's age—fourteen—with hair like bright moonlight, silver-white and flowing, and eyes as red as fresh blood.

The crash startled the village. Ziyan was beloved by all—an innocent, gentle spirit despite her loss. The villagers gathered quickly, confusion and worry etched on their faces. Among them was a young man with black eyes and hair, about seventeen or eighteen. He stepped forward, brows furrowed.

"Ziyan, what happened?" he asked.

Ziyan glanced at the unconscious boy amid the rubble. "I… I don't know," she said softly.

The young man, named Nam Nam, was the son of the village chief. He had feelings for Ziyan since childhood, though she only saw him as an older brother. Nam Nam knelt beside Fen Hao, frowning. "We should move him somewhere safer," he said.

But Ziyan shook her head, determination flashing in her crimson eyes. "He's badly hurt. I'll take care of him."

Nam Nam hesitated, then nodded. The villagers helped repair Ziyan's roof as best they could. Thus ended Fen Hao's first day in this new world.

Three days later, in the dead of night, Fen Hao awoke. Cold sweat clung to his skin as he blinked in the darkness. Moonlight poured through the window, casting a pale glow across the small room. The first thing he saw was a girl with hair like silver moonlight, her delicate features bathed in the ethereal light.

For a moment, he thought he saw a fairy—a vision too beautiful for the mortal world. Her beauty rivaled that of Linyun or Nanyun, with lips so…

Wait, what the hell is this situation?

He sat up, disoriented, eyes flicking to the girl sleeping soundly at his bedside. A small smile tugged at his lips. Who is she? he wondered. Without thinking, his hand reached out to brush the silken hair that had fallen over her face.

Ziyan stirred, her red eyes blinking open. Their gazes met—his blue eyes, her crimson ones—and for a moment, the world seemed to hush.

"Ziyan…" he murmured, the name slipping out like a sigh—half agony, half wonder.

She looked at him, surprised. "Oh, so you know my name?" she said with a small smile. "And what, you're already sitting up?"

Her smile was bright, warm, and gentle, and Fen Hao's temper flared. Is she crazy? he thought. How can she smile like that at a time like this? Does she have no idea how dangerous the world is?

Or is she secretly powerful?

He studied her delicate face and thought, I could probably defeat her with one hand. The thought almost made him laugh.

Shaking off his musings, Fen Hao rose from the bed and looked out the window. The moon hung full and bright, casting silver light over the quiet village. He turned back to Ziyan. "Where am I? What is this place called?"

Ziyan met his gaze. "This is the Demon Realm," she said softly. "This village is under the protection of the Nam family—one of the Eight Great Families. Our village is called Nam Village because our chief's surname is Nam."

Fen Hao frowned. "This isn't the mortal world?"

Ziyan smiled slightly. "It is, but the mortal world has two realms: the Human Realm, where humans live and their sects flourish, and the Demon Realm, where beings like me exist." She tilted her head curiously. "Is your head still spinning, young man?"

Fen Hao scowled. "Stop smiling," he snapped.

Ziyan's shoulders hunched, and she looked down like a scolded rabbit. "Okay," she murmured softly.

Fen Hao watched her reaction, irritation fading. That's not it, he thought, sighing. Ah, whatever. He rubbed his temples. "So I'm in the Demon Realm. And you… you're a demon?"

Ziyan nodded, curiosity clear in her crimson eyes. "Yes."

Fen Hao looked at her, a flicker of confusion and amusement crossing his face. "What is this? Why are demons so… cute?" He immediately punched his own cheek lightly. "Stop thinking nonsense," he whispered.

Ziyan's eyes widened. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

Seeing the worry in her expression, Fen Hao relaxed slightly. "Are you always like this with strangers?"

Ziyan considered him, feeling the strangeness of it all—how this boy, a complete stranger, made her feel calm. Why wasn't her heart wary or afraid? And why did she feel a spark of happiness whenever they talked?

Fen Hao noticed her silence and, on impulse, brushed aside a lock of her silvery hair that had fallen across her face. Ziyan blinked, cheeks warming. She stood and turned away.

"Don't jump around," she said softly. "Let's talk in the morning…" Her voice faltered. "Also… I'm not…"

Fen Hao tilted his head. "Not what?"

Ziyan hesitated. "I'm not like this around others… hm." She lay down on the floor, silver hair spilling over the mat.

Fen Hao lay back on the bed, a small smile playing on his lips. He wondered what the future held and what the mysterious voice meant. Even now, he could feel it—a distant echo in his heart, calling him to seek it out.

Under the full moon, Fen Hao fell asleep, sharing a quiet room with a girl who both comforted and confused him.

When morning came, Fen Hao lay in bed, eyes open but unfocused. "To hell with sleep," he grumbled. "I can't stop thinking about Ziyan… and everything else…" He sighed and buried his face in his arms. "Aahh… I'm so tired.....

In the morning, Fen Hao sat up and got out of bed. Ziyan also rose, leading him to the village well so he could wash his face. Fen Hao noticed his entire body was wrapped in bandages and figured it must have been Ziyan who tended to his wounds. Carefully, he removed the bandages covering most of his body but kept the one around his forehead, since the injury there was still healing.

The well was the main water source for the village. As Fen Hao washed his face, a group of village women arrived and began talking, unaware that he was there.

"I can't believe Ziyan's fiancé is such a weak man," one of them said disdainfully. "He fell through the ceiling and got injured like that? Poor Ziyan—her parents are gone, and now she has a fiancé who's so feeble. I doubt he can survive under Nam Nam's watch."

Hearing this, Fen Hao's blood boiled. Fiancé? he thought, bewildered. Who the hell is Nam Nam? Some kind of fly? Even if I have no qi, my body has the strength of a Golden Core cultivator. There's no way I'd lose to him… And why do I have to defend her anyway? She's using me as her fiancé?

Stepping forward, Fen Hao revealed himself. The women turned pale, shocked not by his sudden appearance but by the murderous aura radiating from him. His blue eyes had turned red, and the killing intent in them was so chilling that only someone who had taken dozens of lives could emit it. Terrified, the women quickly scattered.

Fen Hao returned to Ziyan's house, calming down when he saw her cooking for him. The women who followed him realized something in that moment: Never provoke Ziyan again.

—

Fen Hao and Ziyan sat down to eat breakfast together. Fen Hao decided to speak first. "My name is Lingu," he said calmly, hiding his true identity as his father had always told him. "I'm fourteen, a human… and your so-called fiancé. So now, it's your turn."

Ziyan looked at him with her crimson eyes and replied softly, "My name is Ziyan, I'm also fourteen… and a demon. Sorry about the fiancé thing," she said, glancing away. "I only said it so Nam Nam wouldn't try to take you to his house."

She explained how, after they had repaired the roof, Nam Nam had started insisting that Fen Hao should come live with him, claiming a young woman couldn't stay alone with a man. Knowing Nam Nam's real intentions, Ziyan had lied and said Fen Hao—Lingu—was her fiancé to protect him.

Hearing this, Lingu took a deep breath, then began asking her about the Demon Realm. Ziyan explained it like a walking history book. She told him that after the Demon-Immortal War, the demons had retreated to the mortal realm, as they could no longer return to their home in the Immortal Realm. Any demon found there would be killed by the Immortals.

Currently, the strongest demons were at the Deity Transformation level—eight of them, the ancestors of the Eight Great Families. They were known as the Demon Kings. The current Demon Lord had ascended to the throne by killing the previous Demon Lord and absorbing his cultivation. It was rumored that he had already stepped into the Immortal King realm, matching the Immortal King of the Immortal Realm.

"All demons have spirit beast bloodlines," Ziyan added, her voice soft. "No one knows why. I have the blood of a plant spirit. I'm a Foundation Realm cultivator… much stronger than you, who has no qi at all," she teased with a smile.

Lingu chuckled, amused. Ziyan continued, explaining that after the Demon Lord ascended to the throne, he killed all of his own bloodline and absorbed their cultivation. That was two years ago, and she believed a war would break out once the secret realm trial ended.

Lingu frowned thoughtfully. "You don't have to know all this," Ziyan said softly. "Just live your life. You have no reason to ever meet the Demon Kings or the Demon Lord."

Fen Hao silently agreed with her, though neither of them could foresee the storm about to come to their doorstep.

—

A week passed. Fen Hao—still going by the name Lingu—and Ziyan had grown closer, playing the role of lovers in front of the villagers. At night, they would fall asleep together.

One midnight, Lingu suddenly started screaming. Ziyan, startled awake, hurried to his side. She saw that his hair had turned white, and his eyes were wide open, glowing a deep blood red. A golden tattoo had appeared on the left side of his face. In that moment, his features looked just like Ziyan's, if not for the mark.

In his unconscious state, he was crying out, mumbling, "Ziyan… wake up. Don't joke… please… Dragon, save her. You're a Chaos Dragon now, save her… save her, anyone… please…"

Seeing him in such agony broke Ziyan's heart. She rushed to him and hugged him tightly. In his delirium, Lingu suddenly bit Ziyan's neck and began drinking her blood. Though it was an unconscious act, it was something deeply important to Ziyan—her blood was precious. But she decided to let it go if it could calm him.

After drinking her blood, Lingu slowly calmed down and fell asleep again. Ziyan stayed with him until morning.

—

When Fen Hao awoke the next morning, he found himself tightly hugging Ziyan. He was shocked, glancing around the room until he noticed the mark on Ziyan's neck—a vivid kiss mark, he thought.

Blushing furiously, he scolded himself. I'm a beast… but I will take responsibility!

He gently woke Ziyan. "Ziyan, wake up. It's morning. I'll take responsibility, so don't worry," he said seriously.

Ziyan was happy to hear this, but she also knew he didn't understand demon customs. She smiled softly. "We didn't do anything, so don't worry," she said, though her heart felt like it was breaking again.

Lingu felt like he had been rejected, his shoulders slumping. But Ziyan's bright smile lifted his spirits. "Let's start our day," she said, opening the door.

Standing outside was an army of demons, their black flags bearing the mark of the Demon Lord...