Oath and the Imprint
The starry void seemed to hold its breath. Before the immense, weary consciousness of the Dragon God, Yao Xuan felt a profound insignificance, yet his spirit did not bend. The nine-colored aura of his Ancestral Dragon Martial Soul unfurled around him in the psychic space, a smaller, younger echo of the majesty before him.
"Dragon God," Yao Xuan began, his mental voice firm despite the awe. "I am, like you, a scion of the Ancestral Dragon. We share the same primordial origin."
The Dragon God's will focused, its chaotic eyes swirling as it sensed the aura. "Ancestral Dragon... yes, the bloodline is true. Yet you are steeped in human essence. A contradiction. Explain."
"Because I am human, in this life," Yao Xuan conceded, offering no deception. "But that is the vessel, not the essence. More importantly, Senior, why have you called me here?"
A wave of ancient sorrow and residual defiance emanated from the phantom. "Inheritance... The legacy of the Dragon God. Meant for my purest descendant. Yet you are human. I cannot... should not..."
'An incredible opportunity!' Yao Xuan's mind raced, even as he maintained outward calm. 'But his hatred is palpable. He fell to a human god—the Asura God. Yet his true enemies are the gods of the God Realm, the very ones who now exploit this world and oppose me. Common ground exists.'
He met the phantom's gaze squarely. "Dragon God, I know you fell to a human god of the God Realm. Your hatred is justified. But understand this: the gods of that realm and the humans of Douluo Continent are not the same. We are their slaves, our world bled dry by their greed. We share an enemy."
He poured conviction into his words. "Grant me your inheritance. I swear to you, when I possess the power, I will hunt down the Asura God who slew you and bring you vengeance. This I vow."
"Truth?" The single concept pulsed with skeptical hope. In its prime, the Dragon God would have incinerated the very notion. But now, it was a fading will, its legacy on the brink of eternal silence. This human-dragon hybrid, bearing the Silver Dragon King's mark and a kindred bloodline, was perhaps the universe's last, ironic chance.
"Truth," Yao Xuan affirmed. "I swear upon my Dao Heart." He then added, leveraging the deepest connection he had. "Moreover, Dragon God, the Silver Dragon King—the part of yourself you cast off—she is my heart's chosen. You can sense her presence upon me."
The will stilled, probing deeper. "...Yes. Her essence is there, intertwined with yours. A profound bond." A long, timeless moment of contemplation passed in the void. Resignation, then a flash of pragmatic acceptance, washed over the spectral form.
"What a fate," the will murmured, its voice a sigh across epochs. "My inheritance, meant for a bloodline purer than the Silver Dragon King herself, set to a threshold even she could not reach in her wounded state... Yet, the threads of destiny are knotted around you. A shared enemy. A shared bloodline. A bond with my other half... Very well."
"Thank you, Senior!" Elation, sharp and brilliant, flashed through Yao Xuan.
"Swear it formally, child. Swear upon your Dao Heart: vengeance upon the Asura God, and the restoration of my children—the dragons, the soul beasts. Their plight, I can feel it even in my dissipation."
Yao Xuan did not hesitate. His voice rang with absolute certainty in the psychic expanse. "I, Yao Xuan, swear upon my Dao Heart: When I have the strength, I will slay the Asura God to avenge the Dragon God. Furthermore, I will change the fate of soul beasts and restore the glory of the dragon race. Should I break this oath, may my Dao Heart shatter, and my path end forever."
"Good... Good." The Dragon God's will seemed to solidify slightly, a flicker of approval in its ancient eyes. "Then, my legacy is yours. But your current vessel is too fragile. It would break under the flood. I shall place the inheritance imprint within your sea of consciousness. It will unlock in stages, as your strength grows."
It pondered. "By your human measures... at the Soul Sage rank, you may receive the first fragment. At Titled Douluo, the second. At Limit Douluo, the final piece. Touch the imprint with your mind when the time is ripe."
A final thought was conveyed, carrying a hint of its former mighty pride. "This Dragon God Slab is not merely a vessel. It is a divine artifact of the God-King tier—my primary weapon. Its mastery is detailed within the inheritance. Now... go forth."
With a final, surging motion, the nine-colored phantom dissolved into a stream of concentrated, radiant consciousness and flowed into Yao Xuan.
He gasped, his physical senses crashing back. The scent of damp earth and potent life, the sight of the worried, awestruck faces of Di Tian, Gu Yue, and the others by the Lake of Life. He was back.
'I did it. The Dragon God's inheritance... a God-King's legacy!' The thrill was electric, humming in his veins alongside his Ancestral Dragon blood.
He immediately turned his attention inward. Within his expansive sea of consciousness, amidst the familiar structures of the system and the simulated battle space, a new, brilliant nexus had taken root: a swirling, nine-colored sigil of breathtaking complexity—the Dragon God Imprint. It pulsed gently, radiating an aura of immense, dormant power and profound knowledge. The information was clear: three locks, keyed to his growth.
Not only that, the mere integration of the imprint had sent a tsunami of pure spiritual energy through him. His spiritual power, previously at 262 points in the mid Spiritual Connection realm, surged violently, breaking through barriers and solidifying at 362 points—firmly into the late stage. Furthermore, he could feel the imprint's passive effect, a constant, gentle refinement and acceleration of his spiritual growth.
He opened his eyes, the nine-colored light slowly fading from their depths. He found himself the absolute focus of every gaze.
Di Tian's golden eyes were wide, burning with a mixture of desperate hope and raw reverence. Xiong Jun looked stunned, his earlier brute force assessment completely overthrown. Zi Ji's hand was over her mouth, her violet eyes shimmering. Bi Ji wept silent, joyful tears. They had all felt the Slab's reaction, seen the phantom merge with him.
But it was Gu Yue's reaction that anchored him. She stood closest, her silver eyes searching his face, wide with a torrent of emotions—shock, dawning comprehension, overwhelming pride, and a fierce, protective love. She saw not just the successful test, but the weight he now carried. Without a word, she stepped forward and took his hand. Her grip was tight, a silent message: 'I am here. We bear this together.'
"Well?" Di Tian's voice was uncharacteristically hushed, almost afraid of the answer. "Young friend Yao Xuan... what... what happened?"
Yao Xuan took a deep, steadying breath, feeling the solid warmth of Gu Yue's hand. He looked at the Beast God, then at the expectant, ancient faces of the soul beasts' sovereigns.
"The Dragon God," Yao Xuan said, his voice clear and carrying a new, subtle weight, "has acknowledged me. His legacy is mine to claim, in time." He glanced at Gu Yue, a softness entering his eyes. "And he has blessed the bond between his Silver Dragon and his heir."
A profound, reverent silence descended upon the shores of the dying Lake of Life. For the first time in tens of thousands of years, a flicker of undiluted, radiant hope ignited in the hearts of the world's oldest guardians. The winter break had just begun, but the journey had already irrevocably changed course, hurtling towards a destiny woven from dragon scales, human resolve, and a vow sworn in a sea of stars.