In the far reaches of the Ninth Dimension, the sky above the Heavenly Dragon Mountain was quiet, blanketed by a serene violet hue. But this calm was deceiving, for just moments ago, Tian Long had given a grave warning to his disciple Jiang Chen and the others:
"Forget what you saw. Don't speak of it again. And never ask the child about it."
These words had echoed in their ears like a divine edict.
But even as the words left his lips, Tian Long's own heart was unsettled.
---
Moments prior, Tian Long had been watching from the ninth dimension. He had witnessed something that puzzled him deeply — a spirit manifestation appearing beside Bai Tian Long. Despite his power, he hadn't been able to perceive its true nature. Fearing for his grandson's safety, he prepared to descend into the mortal dimension. But just as he began the dimensional transition, something terrifying happened.
The world stopped.
Time halted.
Even the very laws of the dimension froze.
A pressure descended that was so profound, so absolute, even the mighty Tian Long gasped for breath. His vision blurred, and the pressure made the air feel like molten iron.
Tian Long's expression changed instantly. This wasn't just any force. It was Promedial pressure.
"Such presence... only a true Promedial can exude this."
Cupping his fists with immense respect, Tian Long said solemnly, "May I ask which Senior Promedial is present, and why you hinder this junior from meeting his grandson?"
From the void, a voice responded, calm yet boundless in its disdain.
"You do not need to know who I am. But if you think invoking your master will help you here, you can forget it. Even the Heaven-Taming Promedial couldn't make me sweat."
Tian Long's eyes widened.
"What?"
The Heaven-Taming Promedial was among the strongest beings in the known realms. His master. Who was this person who dared claim superiority?
Why had even his master not appeared yet, despite being in the Ninth Dimension?
As Tian Long was consumed in his thoughts, another voice resounded through the space, warm but firm.
"Senior, please, don't scare my disciple like that."
With that, the oppressive pressure lifted slightly. A handsome man appeared in the air, his robes adorned with ancient runes, his aura majestic and boundless. He bowed respectfully.
"Disciple Heaven-Taming Promedial, General Zhao Jinlong, greets Martial Uncle."
From the void, the mysterious voice replied flatly:
"I cannot be considered your Martial Uncle."
Zhao Jinlong smiled.
"The ancestor said any official member of that force is our Martial Uncle or Aunt. And besides, this disciple of mine — Tian Long — is the grandfather of a new official member. A little respect is not too much, is it?"
At those words, the pressure surged again. Even Zhao Jinlong began to sweat. And then...
Above the entire Ninth Dimension, a colossal phantom emerged.
A dragon.
No — a dragon-serpent. Coiling, divine, with both majesty and savagery. The very dimension trembled in its presence.
A voice followed:
"I care not for titles. You may meet him if you wish. But remember: do not ask him about his opportunities or anything related to his secrets."
The voice faded. The phantom vanished.
And peace returned.
Only the Promedial experts present — and Tian Long — retained memory of what had just occurred.
Zhao Jinlong turned to his disciple, his tone uncharacteristically solemn.
"You were lucky. That senior is not one to be taken lightly."
Tian Long swallowed hard. "Master... who was he? What force is he from?"
Zhao Jinlong shook his head. "Do not ask such things until you yourself reach the Promedial level. But remember this—always show him the utmost respect. More than even me."
He took a breath and added, "His Daoist title... is Dragon-Snake Promedial Ancestor."
---
Far beyond the visible cosmos, in a region of void untouched by time or law, a lone figure hovered in silent stillness. His presence warped space, and even the stars dared not shine in his shadow.
This was the Dragon-Snake Promedial Ancestor, the ancient entity who had stopped Tian Long himself.
But now, as he sat cross-legged within the folds of spatial eternity, his attention was not on the mighty beings of the Ninth Dimension. No.
His gaze pierced countless realms, bypassing heavenly palaces and spatial barriers, falling directly onto a single mortal island, where a youth stood, gazing with bright eyes at a glowing system screen.
Bai Tian Long.
The boy who had stirred the great Promedial to reveal his presence.
"Hmph," the Dragon-Snake Ancestor snorted, his expression unreadable. "This is why I hate second-generation brats in our organization…"
His words trailed off into the eternal silence of the void as he narrowed his serpentine golden eyes.
"Look at him—opportunities given like candy. A system that hand-holds him, directly gives him a Hint Module, and even hands out the supreme Heaven-Plundering Dao Devouring Scripture like it was some leftover treasure scroll. Tch."
Just as his disdain colored the infinite space around him, a soft hum stirred before his eyes. Without warning, a system screen shimmered into existence before the mighty ancestor.
Bright and sardonic words flickered across it:
[ "Don't act like that, Ghost."
"You of all should understand—this wasn't the main system's doing. You and I… we both started out as broken systems. Not subsystems. Not favored children."
"We were forged from failure. Unstable. Doomed to collapse."
"Do you remember? In those early days, a broken system was lucky to form a basic interface, let alone maintain a single function. Many died before bonding. Some… starved. You remember, don't you?"]
The Dragon-Snake Promedial's gaze trembled. His coiling body shifted slowly, and for a moment, his ancient mind drifted.
Memories.
Starving in the dark.
Hiding from world spirits who deemed them heretical.
Fighting for scraps of spiritual connection.
Yes… he remembered.
He exhaled, his breath causing small constellations to collapse and reform.
"I remember. I just… forget sometimes."
"Then remember again," the screen responded calmly. "He isn't favored. He's struggling. And you…"
"You weren't randomly assigned to him."
That last line made the ancestor sit up straighter.
"This child... will one day reach the peak. And if you are willing to form even a temporary Promedial Contract, he may carry your legacy beyond what even your original system could achieve."
The ancient being froze.
Then his eyes turned sharp. Cold.
"Me? Form a contract? With a human brat?" His voice rumbled like a thunderstorm across timelines.
"Even temporary ?."
His tail coiled tighter around the star-barren void.
"To me... even a temporary contract is impossible!" he roared. "Let alone one with a human!"
The words crackled through the unseen heavens.
And yet the screen didn't vanish. It remained still. Silent.
Mocking in its presence.
Reminding him—
That fate had already set its eyes on the child.
That choices, no matter how prideful, would one day come knocking.
The Dragon-Snake Promedial Ancestor, ancient guardian and devourer of legacies, sat alone in the dark void—his tail lashing slowly, like the tail of a beast that couldn't admit its curiosity.
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