In the next instant, Bolite's figure disappeared, replaced by a massive, bloody Dragon.
Pale white bones were exposed, and the flesh and skin had been washed away and dissolved by the River of Time, leaving a crumbling, ruined body.
But! Her will remained firm; she was still tenacious and unyielding!
Jona Velli dared not hesitate, lunging forward with all her might, finally reaching that location.
Splash—
Huge splashes erupted because of her, and Jona Velli's shattered body collapsed and crumbled, sinking into the River of Time.
In a daze, Jona Velli's peripheral vision caught sight of a massive golden palace, and there, a red-haired woman seemed to be standing... A red-haired woman dressed in black robes stood upon the glittering Hall of Time, looking down at the magnificent River of Time, her gaze fixed on the most distant and inconspicuous tiny tributary.
A trace of reluctance and emotion appeared in her red pupils.
Just then, a pair of fair, small hands wrapped around her from behind, embracing her waist.
"Hey! What are you looking at?"
A playful voice rang out, and the red-haired woman didn't turn her head, a slight smile curving her lips.
"Looking at... our past, that time when we were weak but happy.
Hey, Jona Velli, why did you fight so hard back then? You could have waited until you got stronger and simply traveled through space and time..."
As Friel spoke, the hands around her waist tightened, and a playful face peeked out nimbly from behind her.
Jona Velli said with a grin.
"Who knows? You'll have to ask the guy who calls me 'Shouyu'! Hehe~"
A blush spread across Friel's fair cheeks, but she didn't say much, instead gazing into the distance again.
"That truly was unfortunate.
Or... fortunate."
..."I, a weak Young Dragon, might have died long ago."
The familiar voice entered her ears, and Jona Velli blinked.
"Where is this?"
"So... I am very grateful to you."
Jona Velli's heart trembled. She raised her dragon head and saw Gris, who wore a determined expression.
Her crystal-Blue Dragon eyes blinked after she clearly saw the scene before her.
The previously somewhat sluggish Jona Velli's Dragon eyes widened.
"I succeeded!"
Jona Velli suddenly became emotional and roared.
Gris and Friel were stunned. They exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
"Older Sister, what... what's wrong with you? Are you going crazy..."
Before Gris could finish speaking, a sudden immense force struck, and the two Dragons were pulled into Jona Velli's embrace.
The two Dragons' expressions froze, followed by confusion, and finally... "Hey! Older Sister, what are you doing! I belong to Sasha, don't even think about it..."
"Jona Velli, why are you suddenly acting crazy? You..."
'So... so happy! She's hugging me. I never thought I'd be able to embrace her before seeking revenge. This is... amazing!'
At that moment, the two Dragons stopped speaking, because they felt Jona Velli seemed to be... trembling.
Jona Velli's scale-covered shoulders hitched repeatedly, and soft sobs could be heard.
Friel was the first to realize something was wrong. She quickly pushed Jona Velli away and saw tears welling up in her crystal-Blue Dragon eyes.
Gris also noticed that Jona Velli seemed very unlike herself. Before he could ask, Friel's voice, frantic yet suppressing anger, rang out.
"Who bullied you? Why are you..."
Friel spoke almost through gritted teeth, her Dragon claws clenched tight, the muscles on her arms bulging.
Gris chimed in from the side.
"Yeah! Older Sister, tell me who made you unhappy, and I'll go kill him right now! I'll turn him into an Arctic Cup and give it to those Dwarves, and I'll blast his butt open!"
At this moment, Jona Velli used her Dragon tail to wipe away the tears she couldn't stop, forcing out an ugly smile.
"It's truly wonderful to see you again.
Hearing your voices again proves that everything I did was not in vain!"
Hearing Jona Velli's baffling words, Gris scratched his dragon head, completely puzzled.
"Older Sister, why are your words so strange? I just don't understand them.
Haven't we been together all this time?"
Friel also frowned. Jona Velli's sudden words were too strange, and she refused to believe that Jona Velli had suddenly developed a mental problem.
Just as she was thinking, Jona Velli hugged the two Dragons again, crying with tears in her eyes.
"If there are difficulties, we face them together. If there is pain, we bear it together. Promise me, don't hide things from me and do anything foolish, because... I don't want to lose you again... You are my most important family, friends, and treasure."
Before the two Dragons could even think, Jona Velli pulled their consciousnesses into her Spiritual Space.
The two Dragons did not resist, so the process was completed easily.
Amidst the endless ice-blue lake, the Three Dragons stood in the center of the surface.
"Older Sister, why did you pull us in here?"
Jona Velli did not answer, but instead released the two Dragons.
Then, she displayed the memories of her experiences before the two Dragons in the form of a projection.
Since the Three Dragons were all materializations of spiritual power, as soon as the memories appeared and were accepted, they instantly understood the contents.
Outside.
The Three Dragons slowly opened their eyes, and the scene fell silent.
Gris could not calm down for a long time.
"So, did I... still fail?
Was there actually someone else who killed my mother back then?
That hateful Green Dragon..."
Gris clenched his Dragon claws, and his bones cracked loudly.
Friel next to him also wore a complicated expression. Based on what she knew about her hateful Dragon Mother, the only way a male Blue Dragon would enter her territory was if she had entered her mating season.
It was also possible that she threatened the Blue Dragon to come when she was trying to gain Dragon Bloodline Inheritance.
Jona Velli saw through the thoughts of the two Dragons and spoke solemnly.
"So, after seeing your fates, are you still determined to go your own way?"
Sniff—
Jona Velli sniffled, then continued speaking.
"I'll state my position first. If you insist on doing this, I absolutely will not enter the River of Time again. Instead, I will slowly develop until I can travel through space and time with my physical body, and then I will arrest you on the spot."
Don't doubt me; I definitely have that ability."
Traveling through space and time with the physical body and traveling with consciousness are two completely different concepts.
The strength required for a physical body to withstand the power of time is immense.
Jona Velli had actually thought about using [Looking Back] to rewind all time, but she couldn't do it. That level of [Looking Back] was beyond her capacity; she simply couldn't achieve it.
She hadn't awakened the ability to travel through space and time, so she could only step into the long River of Time and swim upstream.
It is worth mentioning that it was during that sleep that Jona Velli learned that the power of time within her was not an awakening, but a recovery and restoration.
That's right. For unknown reasons, her father sealed her Time Talent, and she could only slowly recover it by increasing her strength.
What was even more frustrating was that Legendary Dragon Species are born Legendary, but for reasons unknown, her father forcibly suppressed her to the initial Bronze stage.
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