The Dragon Heart awakened within Ying Li like a dormant sun reigniting. Energy she'd sealed away years ago flooded back through channels in her spirit that had remained empty all this time. Power coursed through her body, transforming her relationship with the water surrounding her.
Her feet found purchase on the lake bottom as if she stood on solid ground. The crushing pressure that should have made breathing impossible simply... didn't matter anymore. The Great Protector's gift made the underwater realm as natural as air.
The dragon's voice resonated directly in her mind, bypassing sound entirely. "Ying Li, if I am not mistaken, you should have died."
The words carried certainty rather than question. Ying Li realized with a start that the Great Protector hadn't just suspected her death—it had known. The Dragon Heart bloodline wasn't merely power granted to warriors. It was the dragon's own essence, woven into human genetics across generations. Through that connection, the guardian could sense every bearer's life and death.
"There is a divine dragon in the outside world," Ying Li replied, her thoughts forming words the dragon could hear. "My husband, Wenwu, made a wish before it to resurrect me."
The Great Protector's eyelids, which had been half-closed in drowsy contemplation, snapped fully open. Ancient eyes that predated human civilization focused on Ying Li with sudden intensity. Pressure rolled off the massive creature—not hostile, but overwhelming in its focused attention.
"A dragon from the outside world?"
Ying Li drew upon the Dragon Heart's power, shaping golden energy into a three-dimensional image. The construct took form in the water before them—a serpentine body stretching endlessly, scales of green and gold, eyes that held cosmic awareness, antlers branching like lightning frozen in time.
The Great Protector studied the image with obvious fascination. Its massive head tilted, examining the construct from multiple angles. The represented dragon certainly looked authentic—undeniably draconic in form and presence. But the claim that it could resurrect humans dead for over a decade sparked something like surprise in the ancient guardian's demeanor.
"Lord Guardian Dragon," Ying Li asked carefully, "are you familiar with this outside dragon?"
The question hung between them. If the two dragons knew each other, if they were somehow connected across the dimensional barrier separating Ta Lo from the mortal world, it could change everything. An alliance between guardians, coordination against threats like the Dweller-in-Darkness...
"I do not know any dragons from the outside world," the Great Protector replied, its mental voice carrying what might have been regret. "I have guarded Ta Lo since your ancestors first arrived in this realm. My purpose is here—preventing the Soul Devourer from breaking its seal."
The dragon's gaze remained fixed on Shenron's image, studying details with clear interest.
"If you can see this Shenron again in the outside world, invite him to Ta Lo for conversation. I would speak with him, learn if we share origins or purpose. Perhaps we could coordinate our protections."
In Ta Lo village, Ying Nan laid out two battle suits on a polished wooden table. The garments gleamed in afternoon light filtering through paper screens—one predominantly red with gold accents, the other silver-blue with white trim. Dragon scales had been woven into the fabric with artisan precision, each scale overlapping its neighbors in patterns that would deflect blades and absorb impacts.
"I believed you would return to Ta Lo one day," Ying Nan said, addressing Shang-Chi and Xialing. "These are the gifts I prepared for you."
Wenwu stepped closer, examining the craftsmanship with obvious appreciation. Dragon scales contained tremendous mystical energy. Weapons forged from them could cut through conventional armor like paper. Battle suits constructed with them offered protection exceeding modern military-grade equipment while remaining flexible and comfortable.
And these were masterwork quality. Ying Nan had clearly commissioned Ta Lo's finest artisans, sparing no expense or effort.
Shang-Chi and Xialing exchanged glances, then bowed to their aunt. "Thank you, Aunt Nan. These are incredible."
"Go try them on, children," Ying Nan said warmly. "I want to see how they fit."
The siblings gathered up their respective suits and departed for changing rooms. Once they were alone, Ying Nan turned her attention to Wenwu. "Can you tell me more about the dragons in the outside world?"
Wenwu studied his sister-in-law for a moment, weighing what to share. Finally, he reached into his jacket and withdrew a folded paper—a sketch he'd drawn during the flight to Ta Lo. He'd spent hours on the plane attempting to capture Shenron's appearance from memory.
Ying Nan unfolded the drawing, her eyes widening. "This is the divine dragon from outside? It looks like it could block out the sky and sun!"
"When the dragon appeared, the sky and earth changed color," Wenwu confirmed, his voice carrying the weight of genuine awe—rare for a thousand-year-old warlord. "I estimated its size at approximately five hundred meters long."
"Five hundred meters?" Ying Nan's voice cracked slightly. She'd never awakened the Dragon Heart, had never been permitted to meet the Great Protector directly. But she'd read every text in Ta Lo's archives about their guardian. The historical records described the Great Protector as one hundred meters in length—already impressive by any standard.
But five hundred meters? That was incomprehensible. A creature that massive would dwarf mountains.
"No wonder it possesses resurrection abilities," Ying Nan murmured, almost to herself. "Perhaps it's simply a matter of the power contained within such a massive body."
Wenwu filed away the information. If Ta Lo's guardian measured only one hundred meters, perhaps that explained its limitations. Kunlun's dragon Shou Lao could resurrect the recently dead, though the price was steep and the time window narrow. But Ta Lo's Great Protector apparently lacked even that capability.
Maybe size really did correlate with power. In Wenwu's estimation, Shenron probably viewed the Great Protector as a juvenile—impressive for its age, but still developing.
The conversation shifted to the Fraternity as Ying Nan asked questions about the outside world. Wenwu kept his answers measured, discussing the organization's philosophy and general structure without revealing operational details. Brotherhood business stayed in the Brotherhood.
Footsteps announced Shang-Chi and Xialing's return. Both wore their new dragon-scale armor, the garments fitting perfectly despite never having been measured for them. The silver blue suit enhanced Xialing's presence, while the red complemented Shang-Chi.
"So handsome," Ying Nan said, genuine pride in her voice. "Those suits were made for you."
The door opened again, and Ying Li entered. Her hair was still damp from the lake, and her expression carried the weight of significant conversation. But when she saw her children in their armor, maternal pride overtook everything else.
"My children look wonderful in those clothes," she said warmly.
Wenwu immediately moved to her side. "How did it go?"
Ying Li smiled, touching his arm. "The Great Protector reactivated my Dragon Heart. And it agreed to test Xialing and Shang-Chi, to see if they can awaken the bloodline."
Relief flooded Wenwu's features. With the Dragon Heart's power protecting her, Ying Li possessed genuine self-defense capabilities. She could channel the guardian's energy, manifest dragon-scale weapons, move with superhuman speed and strength. The outside world's dangers would find her a far more difficult target now.
Ying Nan beamed at the news. "Sister, take Shang-Chi and Xialing to the Great Protector quickly. I hope they can both awaken the Dragon Heart."
Ying Li nodded, gesturing for her children to follow. The three of them departed for the sacred lake, leaving Wenwu and Ying Nan to discuss logistics for the village integration.
At the Fraternity headquarters in New York, Smith Doyle emerged from the Gravity Chamber with sweat soaking through his training clothes. The session had pushed him harder than usual—extended periods at fifteen times Earth's gravity while practicing Kaio-ken multiplication and energy control techniques.
His muscles ached in that satisfying way that indicated productive training. Power level increases came through consistent effort, not sporadic intensity. Every day spent in the chamber, every hour channeling ki through increasingly complex patterns, contributed to gradual but measurable improvement.
Puar materialized from the shadows, shifting from mist to his natural cat form while carrying a white towel in his mouth. The shape-shifter had perfected the art of anticipating Smith's needs after years of partnership.
"Master Smith, towel," Puar said, hovering at eye level.
Smith accepted the towel with a genuine smile. "Thank you, Puar."
He wiped sweat from his face and neck, feeling his body temperature gradually normalize. The Saiyan metabolism processed extreme exertion efficiently, but recovery still required time and proper care.
Puar floated in lazy circles, his tail twitching thoughtfully. "Master Smith is really too hardworking. You're already so strong, but your training intensity remains incredibly high."
"Strength is relative," Smith replied, draping the towel around his shoulders. "Something will come soon. I need to be ready."
But even as he spoke, his mind was already planning the next training phase. Puar's compliment was appreciated but misplaced—compared to what Smith intended once Senzu Bean production increased, his current regimen was practically recreational.
The real training would begin when he had enough beans to risk serious injury.
He'd studied Goku's training methodology extensively through his past knowledge. The Saiyan way involved pushing beyond normal limits through near-death experiences, then recovering to emerge stronger. Zenkai boosts from critical injuries provided exponential power increases that conventional training couldn't match.
The Medical Pods could handle injuries, but they required time and careful monitoring. If Smith miscalculated during solo training and inflicted damage beyond his ability to reach the pod... that would be a stupid way for Earth's protector to die.
But Senzu Beans changed the equation completely. A single bean could restore someone from the brink of death to full health instantly. With a reliable supply, Smith could replicate Goku's training cycle: charge a full-power Kamehameha, blast himself with it at point-blank range to induce massive damage, then immediately consume a Senzu Bean for complete recovery.
Repeat that cycle enough times, and the power increases would be dramatic.
Of course, even with Senzu Beans, the risk remained substantial. Goku had nearly killed himself during his journey to Namek using this exact training method. The margin for error was razor-thin—too much damage and you'd die before managing to eat the bean, too little and the training became pointless.
Right now, Smith only had one Senzu Bean saved. Korin had replanted the other three from the first harvest, and they were growing but not yet mature. Until the next batch finished cultivation and Smith had accumulated a proper reserve, attempting death-defying training would be recklessly premature.
So he'd continue the conventional approach—Gravity Chamber sessions, Kaio-ken practice, energy control refinement. Building a solid foundation before attempting the truly insane training regimen.
But soon. Once those Senzu Beans matured, he'd give Goku's method a try.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~