Chapter 9 Dragon's Blood Trail
The Dragon Emperor’s voice sounded full of surprise as Ren Ji stared at the demon core floating before him. Inside that blood-red orb, a small black dragon was curled up like a sleeping baby.
The dragon was very small, but the aura it emitted made Ren Ji’s heart beat faster.
The aura felt so familiar; for some reason, he sensed a mysterious connection between himself and the little dragon. “Sir… is that really a dragon?”
There was a moment of silence, then the Dragon Emperor let out a long sigh. “No, at least not entirely.”
Ren Ji frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It’s merely a trace of dragon blood—a very faint remnant of its lineage. Perhaps this monster’s ancestors once consumed dragon blood or lived in the territory of ancient dragons,” said the Dragon Emperor.
Ren Ji looked back at the demon core; even though it emitted only a faint trace of aura, it was still extraordinary.
Meanwhile, the demon bear’s body outside continued to tremble violently, with more and more cracks appearing. Time was almost up.
“Hurry up and absorb that core! If you’re too late, we’ll all die!” ordered the Dragon Emperor.
Ren Ji nodded immediately; he raised his hand, and the black vortex reappeared. The Sky-Devouring Technique began to spin.
However, just as the vortex touched the demon’s core, something unexpected happened. A dragon’s roar suddenly echoed inside his mind.
Ren Ji’s eyes widened as the shadow of a small dragon within the core slowly opened its eyes.
With sharp, authoritative golden eyes, the dragon stared directly at Ren Ji as if it were still alive. “What—?”
A wave of energy erupted from the demon’s core, and Ren Ji’s entire consciousness was swept into a pitch-black void. There, he witnessed a sight that took his breath away.
The sky was ablaze, mountains crumbled, a sea of blood flooded the earth, and high above, thousands of giant dragons battled a radiant figure clad in golden armor.
Each of their collisions shattered mountains; their attacks split the sky, and Ren Ji stood frozen in place. “What kind of war is this?”
“The war to exterminate the dragon race!” replied the Dragon Emperor in a tone filled with such sorrow.
Ren Ji’s heart pounded wildly as he watched dragon after dragon fall from the sky. Their bodies were pierced by golden spears, burned by heavenly fire, and slaughtered without mercy.
Then Ren Ji’s vision focused on a giant black dragon; its body was so massive it blocked out the sun. Its eyes were filled with rage, and the moment he saw it, he recognized it immediately. “It’s you…!”
The Dragon Emperor fell silent; the giant black dragon in the vision was none other than his past self. Suddenly, the entire vision shattered like glass.
Ren Ji’s consciousness returned to the real world; he was gasping for breath. Cold sweat drenched his body, but the demonic core before him began to dim. It was as if its last bit of energy had been exhausted.
“Absorb it now—don’t waste this opportunity!” the Dragon Emperor’s voice sounded cold.
Ren Ji nodded; this time he had no more doubts, and the Sky-Devouring Technique spun ever faster. The demon core’s energy surged into his body, and spiritual Qi filled all his meridians.
One by one, his energy channels opened; his body felt as if it were on fire. Yet this time, Ren Ji endured it. He did not scream or complain, and continued to devour until the demon core finally shattered.
A massive wave of energy erupted from Ren Ji’s body, and his spiritual aura\
spiked sharply. The fourth level of the Body Purification Realm immediately broke through to the fifth level, then the sixth.
Only then, as the energy began to settle, did Ren Ji slowly open his eyes. His eyes emitted a faint golden glow. “Amazing…”
“You’ve achieved this very quickly, boy,” said the Dragon Emperor, sounding pleased.
“Really? Doesn’t this make me strong enough to defeat the hunters yet, Master?” Ren Ji asked, full of curiosity.
“You have a lot to learn! And one more thing—don’t daydream too much when your enemies are coming!” advised the Dragon Emperor.
Ren fell silent; he couldn’t deny what the Dragon Emperor had said. Sometimes, being too amazed or startled would leave him speechless, and before he realized it, enemies would be threatening his life.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tire of being your mentor, my boy. There’s no way I’d leave you alone—you’re my successor,” said the Dragon Emperor, reassuring Ren Ji.
Ren Ji smiled, but before he could answer, he suddenly sensed something. Someone was approaching—and not just one person, but dozens of powerful auras moving swiftly toward them.
The Dragon Emperor’s expression immediately turned serious. “They’ve found you, Ren Ji.”
Ren Ji quickly stepped out of the dead demon bear’s body; a moment later, several figures clad in black robes landed in the devastated forest area.
Standing before them was an elderly man with a stern face, his gaze as sharp as a sword. As soon as he saw the corpse of the three-eyed bear and Ren Ji standing in the middle of the battlefield, the old man’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The old man was none other than Elder Mo, and for the first time, his gaze was fixed entirely on Ren Ji.
Ren Ji was taken aback for a moment, but it lasted only a few seconds. He held the old man in the highest regard. Then he bowed. “Elder Mo, you’ve arrived.”
Elder Mo did not answer; he now turned his gaze to the corpse of the three-eyed bear. It wasn’t that he didn’t know. But his question was: How could Ren Ji have defeated that three-eyed demon?
“Be careful, Elder Mo,” whispered one of the elite disciples.
Elder Mo raised his hand. He took two steps forward, prompting Ren Ji to immediately step closer and bow once more, as he didn’t want the old man to find out about the Dragon Emperor’s legacy.
