Volume One, Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Young Dragon

When the black fire had finally smelted the entire iron wall into a massive lump of metal, four death-gold weapons emerged upon its surface, seeming to draw the entirety of the black flames’ attention. The dark flames surged from the metal, gathering and encircling the four blades.

A roaring sea of fire closed in, transforming the weapons into four clusters of flame. As the black flowers of fire flickered, the blades began to twist and writhe. A louder buzzing came from the heart of the flames, shaking the walls of the room with its resonance.

Seeing the commotion grow ever more intense, Mode considered withdrawing the black fire for now. The passage ahead was open, and it would be wise to leave the four death-gold weapons and reconsider their fate later. Yet, as if possessed by an obsession with death-gold, the fire-control technique within Mode spun wildly, and even he could not halt its frenzy. Seeing this, Mode could only acquiesce, letting the black flames continue their smelting.

At last, a curved death-gold blade was the first to falter, its sharp edge burned through by the fire, leaving a gap. Then, like a balloon losing air, the entire blade quickly began to crumble and melt. An invisible presence was driven from the blade by the black fire and was swiftly incinerated. Mode felt a torrent of highly pure exotic particles escape, soon filling the entire dark chamber.

The remaining three blades also shattered one after another. After burning away the ethereal presence from each, the black fire released three more surges of exotic particles. As the chamber filled with these highly pure particles, they began to flow outward through the gap in the wall.

“Carry me over and seal the hole,” Mode heard Muqing’s voice as the warm fingers on his ear withdrew.

Cradling Muqing, Mode hurried to the breach in the wall. Muqing retrieved assorted items from her storage ring and piled them at the opening, completely blocking the escape route for the exotic particles.

“Absorb as much as you can. Such a high concentration of pure exotic particles is a tremendous boon for anyone,” Muqing reminded Mode.

“What about you?” Mode asked, puzzled, seeing she had no intention of absorbing the mass of exotic particles.

“My abilities are now tightly sealed by this thing; taking in more exotic particles would only fuel the fire.” Muqing tapped her tea-colored sunglasses, indicating her powers were entirely suppressed by the black fire.

“I’ll help you resolve the black fire within you as soon as I can,” Mode said softly, gazing at the girl in his arms with earnest determination.

“Stop trying to act tough—start absorbing,” Muqing suddenly struggled to rise. After some rest, her strength had partially returned.

The moon swayed and ascended. Mode quickly set Muqing down, worried that his own blood might surge again after just calming.

He sat cross-legged, resting the sheath of the boundary-stone blade across his knees, closed his eyes, and began to absorb the vast sea of exotic particles in the chamber. Part of the pure particles surged into his body, supporting the endlessly flowing fire-control technique; the rest coursed through his limbs and bones, slowly advancing his cultivation.

Muqing, meanwhile, sat beside him, hugging her knees. The four clusters of floating flames had merged, their death-gold smelting nearly complete. A sphere of pure pale golden liquid condensed as it shrank.

Watching the quietly burning black flame overhead, Muqing felt no longer the dread she once did.

Because, at this moment, that person was by her side.

The raging storm of exotic particles poured into Mode from every direction, yet vanished as if into the sea, causing no ripples. His serene expression was proof of his ample capacity. An ordinary variant would never dare absorb such a massive quantity of pure exotic particles so fiercely.

Sensing Mode’s steadily rising cultivation, Muqing couldn’t help but sigh—this fellow’s physical resilience was remarkable, almost catching up to her own at the same realm in years past.

To know that Muqing’s unreasonable strength was inherited from her own mother. Within the same realm, Muqing had always been undefeated, thanks to her terrifying body and unmatched combat power.

Unlike her innate bloodline, Mode’s body bore traces of modification—a past he still hesitated to share with her. Yet, after days spent together, the discordant remnants within him had gradually faded, his form becoming ever more pure through the tempering of the black fire. Perhaps the black cord left by Li Changsheng was meant to erase the hidden dangers laid by past alterations.

The uproar of exotic particles diminished, and as Mode absorbed the last of them, Muqing rose and retrieved the items blocking the breach.

Mode stretched lazily, feeling invigorated, brimming with vitality—the strength within him seemed inexhaustible.

He extended his fingers, and a copper button’s golden glow appeared once more, weaving around his digits as a thin thread. As his realm advanced, he knew the copper button he had absorbed into his body would inevitably re-condense.

After some hesitation, Mode withdrew the golden glow at the blade sheath’s mouth as well. The black fire was his ultimate trump card—a weapon best used sparingly unless absolutely necessary.

With a wave, Mode summoned the cluster of fire overhead, absorbing it into the black cord on his wrist. As the flames vanished, the smelted metal sphere dropped down.

He reached to catch it but was nearly toppled by its weight. Though the sphere was only fist-sized after the black fire’s tempering, it was remarkably heavy. When Mode infused it with his own exotic particles, it became much easier to lift.

He stowed the sphere within the boundary-stone blade sheath, along with the large alloy block smelted from the iron wall. Muqing followed closely, and together they moved toward the destination beyond the iron wall.

The door behind the wall had been smelted away by the black fire, leaving only the concrete walls intact. Finally able to enter through the main entrance, Mode illuminated the surroundings with a glowing rod, stunned by the sight before him.

A metallic dragon spirit lay in the center of the room, its wings unfurled behind. Though its bony armor was dull and lifeless, it still exuded a majestic, ferocious beauty of power.

The dragon spirit coiled its head and tail around a skeleton, protecting it in its embrace. The skeleton sat leaning on the dragon’s left claw, one hand resting atop the dragon’s head, as if patting it.

Nourished by the dragon’s power, the skeleton had not crumbled, retaining its lifelike posture. Its bones, rather than being corroded to ash by time, glimmered with a faint metallic sheen.

Mode saw a boundary-stone ring on the corpse’s finger, identical in style to the one found outside the iron wall.

Exchanging a glance, Mode and Muqing understood. The one outside the wall had knelt for countless years before the iron wall, most likely because of this person behind it.

Since he could not take her out, he chose instead to accompany her.

The skeleton seated upon the dragon’s claw gazed toward the iron wall, as if longing for another glimpse of that figure.

Beside the skeleton, the dragon spirit was like a knight guarding its princess. After she fell into eternal slumber, it remained submissive, enjoying her gentle touch.

It lay quietly here, unmoving, until time and years claimed its life, and darkness swallowed its consciousness.

It never stirred.

Perhaps it wished to guard the princess’s dreams, shielding them from any disturbance.

Behind the dragon spirit was a shattered glass chamber, apparently where the metal dragon spirit had been confined. Despite the passage of countless years, the glass chamber remained intact, proof of its former strength—yet ultimately, it was broken and torn apart by the young dragon.

Every detail combined, piecing together the events of the past.

After capturing a newly hatched metal dragon spirit, the people here brought it back for study. Some wished to observe its feeding and growth. The young dragon, fed time and again, accumulated strength and slowly matured.

In the end, humanity paid the price for their arrogance—the young dragon’s power, bolstered by metal and energy, far surpassed the researchers’ expectations. When it tore through the chamber and emerged, terror engulfed everyone.

Yet the dragon spirit surprised them once again. Instead of rampaging, it stayed meekly by its caretaker, frolicking around her like a puppy recognizing its master.

From the moment it first gained consciousness, it was this woman, wearing a stone ring, who had tended to it with care. After breaking through that transparent barrier and regaining freedom, the young dragon naturally wanted to remain with its owner.

All watched in disbelief. The woman was surprised, but soon calmed the powerful metal spirit.

Before long, the higher-ups sent an order: seal the dragon spirit here and evacuate all personnel.

No one could guarantee the woman’s ability to control the dragon spirit forever, for their bond was one-sided. To everyone, the powerful creature was a bomb ready to explode.

The details of what happened next are unknown, nor whether the woman acted willingly or was coerced. But when the laboratory doors closed, the woman and dragon were left together, listening quietly to the sound of molten steel sealing the entrance from outside.

Perhaps she could have forced her way out with the dragon before the iron wall was finished, but she never did. She simply sat upon the dragon’s claw, quietly stroking its head and confiding all she wished to say.

When death-gold was melted into the iron wall, the young dragon finally reacted to the repugnant aura from outside, but all its agitation was soothed by the woman’s gentle touch.

“Do you think he’ll come when he hears the news?” Perhaps the woman asked the dragon thus.

“I’m sorry. I came too late.” Perhaps the man grieved outside the wall, blaming himself in agony.

Maybe events unfolded differently, for the truth is long lost, buried in the distant past.

Here and now, only two skeletons remain, and a young dragon lying quietly in death.