Depths of the Cradle – Scorched Earth Valley
Lightning coiled across the sky as Ren and his companions stepped into a charred wasteland, the air heavy with scorched magic. The shadows around his feet crawled forward like hunting hounds—uneasy.
Even they could feel it.
"This is his domain," Yanyue murmured, the Crystal Swan at Ren's side. "The oldest of them all. The tyrant among soul beasts."
The Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King.
A beast so powerful, it had once rivaled the gods. A soul beast that lived longer than entire civilizations. And it hated humans with every fiber of its being.
Perfect.
Ren smiled.
Dragon's Roar – A Challenge
The ground cracked beneath their feet. From the heart of the valley, molten rock surged—and then came the roar.
It wasn't just sound.
It was history.
A roar that once made the heavens tremble and drove sea beasts mad.
And then he emerged—scales black as a starless void, wings spanning the sky, golden eyes burning with ancient wrath. His presence turned the wind to knives and the sky to thunder.
"You dare enter my domain, human?" the dragon's voice echoed into Ren's soul.
"I do more than that," Ren answered, his eyes glowing with the Monarch's shadow flame. "I've come to make you mine."
The dragon laughed—a sound like grinding mountains. "You dare claim me?"
Ren didn't flinch. "You are powerful. But you are alone. They feared you. Chained you to this realm. I'm offering freedom. Legacy. A place by my side."
The dragon lunged.
Ren welcomed it.
Battle of Ancients
Shadow met flame.
The dragon's breath was a nuclear storm, but Ren's Monarch energy devoured it in an instant. He weaved through the onslaught, striking with his blade cloaked in shadow flame, every strike pushing back the ancient king.
Yanyue, Mei, and the others watched from the cliffs, prepared to intervene—but they didn't need to.
Ren wasn't losing.
He was enjoying it.
Then finally, as his final strike echoed across the valley, he stood atop the beast's neck, blade plunged into the ground beside its eye.
"Choose," Ren said. "Die forgotten... or live eternal—by my side."
A New Pact
There was silence.
And then… the dragon shifted.
The great body shrank, condensed, until before them stood a tall man cloaked in black scales, his golden eyes still fierce—but no longer defiant.
"I am Long Tian," he said. "The Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King. I submit… to no one. But I will follow you."
Ren extended his hand.
Long Tian clasped it.
Shadow Citadel – A Growing Court
With Long Tian's arrival, the palace changed. Larger halls. A new chamber carved from obsidian and fire. The former tyrant now stood guard alongside the other shadow generals.
But he wasn't just a warrior.
He had chosen to walk in human form—to understand Ren's world. And he wasn't the only one watching him closely.
Yanyue smiled at the newest arrival.
"Strong, silent, and proud," she whispered to Mei. "I wonder how long until he chooses more than loyalty."
Mei smirked. "He's already staring at you."
Meanwhile – God Realm
Tang San knelt in the God Realm's central temple, his face grim.
"He has the dragon," he said, voice tight with fury. "One by one, the pillars of this world bend to him."
The gods said nothing.
Because some… were beginning to wonder if they should stop Ren at all.
End of Chapter 54To be continued…