Hot.
That was the only thing Tianyu could feel when his fingertips touched the surface of the massive golden crystal.
But it wasn't ordinary heat—it was a burning sensation that consumed him completely. Even his soul felt scorched by it.
Just as Tianyu tried to pull his hand away from the crystal, he felt a sudden shift. The heat that had seared like molten lava changed. It became warm... comforting.
The warmth slowly spread through his entire body, bringing a deep sense of calm that seeped into him.
The golden light radiating from the crystal began to spread around him. That sacred golden light moved like waves, sweeping across every corner of Tianyu's sea of consciousness.
The dragon tattoo that had long slumbered on Tianyu's back trembled slightly, as if responding to the divine power now flowing from the golden crystal. The scales of the dragon illustration lit up one by one, emitting the same golden glow as the aura from the crystal.
Then...
ROOAARRRR—!
A dragon's roar echoed through his sea of consciousness, shaking the skies and causing the water's surface to ripple violently. The roar didn't come from outside... it came from within him. From the tattoo.
Tianyu was stunned, his heart pounding wildly. The sound, though terrifying, also felt strangely familiar. As if there was a deep connection between him and the legendary creature represented by the tattoo. In an instant, Tianyu began to recall the dream in which he had met the Golden Dragon.
And at that very moment, faint memories from that dream—when he met the Golden Dragon—came rushing back. But this time, the dragon's voice was no longer drowned in mist. Words that had once been inaudible now rang clearly, shaking his soul.
"I... am the Golden Dragon King... burned by the betrayal of the gods. My body destroyed, my soul shattered, my power lost. But... my God Core endured. And you—you are me. My reincarnation. My chosen vessel to survive."
"You cannot awaken fully. The gods would sense it. But this... this is the legacy I hid within the God Core. By touching the Golden Crystal, you've accessed it once again. This is a part of who you truly are. A symbol of your real identity."
The golden light radiating from both the tattoo and the crystal now merged, swirling around Tianyu to form an ancient symbol that pulsed gently across several parts of his body, as if marking the beginning of an unstoppable awakening.
"And you shall rise again. But be careful... the gods will begin to take notice. Do not be hasty. Follow your plan—follow the destiny you've carved for yourself."
After saying this, the image of the golden dragon vanished, and the vision before Tianyu returned to his sea of consciousness.
Tianyu stood still for a moment after the Golden Dragon King's memory faded. He clenched his small fists, feeling the golden energy still pulsing gently within his body.
"So... I am a god's reincarnation," Tianyu thought. "Maybe the golden light my mother spoke of earlier today was me—or perhaps what remains of the Golden Dragon King's soul in the process of reincarnating."
Qian Renxue looked at Tianyu with a deep gaze. "Tianyu, do you understand what just happened?"
Tianyu nodded slowly. "Partially. I now know I have a grudge that must be avenged."
Qian Renxue gently stroked Tianyu's hair, her voice as soft as a breeze. "Even if I don't know who your grudge is aimed at, there's one thing you must always remember, Tianyu. A grudge is like fire—it can warm you, but it can also burn you to ashes."
After a short pause, she continued with a firmer voice, "Tianyu, will you become my disciple?"
Tianyu lifted his face, his small lips pursed for a moment before finally forming a faint yet meaningful smile. "Sister Xue, would you still accept me as your disciple after knowing who my enemies are?"
Qian Renxue didn't respond immediately. Her violet eyes stared intensely, as if piercing through Tianyu's soul. "Your enemies won't change my decision," she said at last, her voice trembling with strong resolve. "I will guide you not to exact revenge, but so you will have the power to choose your own path."
Tianyu took a deep breath before revealing his greatest secret. "Sister Xue… my enemies are the gods of the Divine Realm."
Qian Renxue fell silent for a moment. "The… gods?" she whispered, her voice low and barely audible. Her fingers unconsciously clenched the fabric of her robe.
Tianyu nodded slowly, the red light in his eyes flickering with sadness. "They're the ones who destroyed the Golden Dragon King. I… I can see it in my memories."
Silence engulfed them. Tianyu turned toward her, concern written all over his face as he noticed Qian Renxue remained speechless. Her expression had drastically changed—her usually calm face now filled with a storm of emotions she could barely contain.
"What's wrong, Sister Xue?" Tianyu asked, worried.
Qian Renxue suddenly laughed—a cold laugh, full of determination. Her delicate hand lifted Tianyu's chin. "Perhaps… our meeting was destined, Tianyu." Her eyes gleamed with pain. "I too carry a grudge against the gods."
Tianyu was stunned by Qian Renxue's confession. "Sister Xue, you also hold a grudge against them? What did they do to you?"
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, her violet eyes glinting with memories of the past. "It all began with Spirit Hall, ten thousand years ago," she said in a low voice.
"Spirit Hall?" Tianyu nodded slowly. "I've heard of it. A powerful organization that nearly conquered the entire continent, but was eventually defeated by the Shrek Seven Monsters led by the Sea God Tang San. People say it was an evil organization."
Qian Renxue sighed, her fingers clenching unconsciously. "What you don't know, Tianyu, is that Spirit Hall was actually founded by my ancestor—the first generation Angel God." Her voice trembled with emotion. "For thousands of years, we served and worshiped the gods faithfully."
"Ten thousand years ago, I inherited the throne of the second generation Angel God, while my mother inherited the throne of the Rakshasa God. The reason we sought to unite the continent was because…"
She paused, swallowing hard. "We only wanted to create a better world. But then Tang San…" Her voice turned cold. "He came with his army, called us evil, and rewrote history with his own version."
"And now?" Qian Renxue laughed bitterly. "He's hailed as a hero, while we're remembered as villains."
Tianyu felt the tension thick in the air. "So, you believe history was distorted? That you weren't as evil as people say?"
Qian Renxue nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "We only wanted to free the continent from endless war, but all our efforts were deemed treacherous. We were forced into hiding, and many of us were killed. Now, I am the only one left of that bloodline."
Tianyu felt a deep empathy. "Sister Xue, I don't know what to say. This is all so unfair."
Qian Renxue looked at Tianyu with eyes full of light, her voice trembling with conviction. "Injustice may be part of life, but that doesn't mean we must accept it." Her hand clenched tightly. "I will rewrite that history—to reveal the truth they tried to bury."
She extended her hand with a gesture full of meaning. "Will you still be my disciple, Tianyu?"
The flame of resolve burned in Tianyu's eyes. Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees. He bowed deeply three times, his forehead touching the cold floor of the consciousness realm.
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