Chu Feng stirs awake.
As his memories rush back, his eyes snap open wide.
He looks around frantically.
Then he sees him.
Biyun sits on the floor, playing with wooden toys.
"Biyun."
Chu Feng calls out.
The boy lifts his head.
Turns.
Sees him awake.
Joy spreads instantly across his face.
He runs forward on his small legs.
Reaches the bedside.
"Uncle Chu Feng, are you okay?"
Chu Feng pauses.
Then remembers.
His injuries.
Severe.
Near-fatal.
After using that forbidden technique,
The dragon consciousness inside him had taken over.
Everything after that is a blur.
He immediately spreads his spirit.
Checks his body.
And freezes.
Only minor injuries remain.
His wounds,
Gone.
Chu Feng is stunned.
He knows how serious those injuries were.
Even with the best healing elixirs,
It should have taken a year to recover.
But clearly,
A year has not passed.
He looks at Biyun.
"Yun… where are we?"
Biyun's eyes brighten.
"We are in my father's home!"
Chu Feng's expression tightens.
"Your father?"
Biyun nods eagerly.
"The uncle who brought us here said he is my father."
"He even showed me a painting of him marrying my mother."
Chu Feng's thoughts grow cautious.
Uncertain.
Are they truly in the Duan Family residence?
Or is someone deceiving the child?
He asks again,
"Where is Uncle Yang?"
"Uncle Yang went outside."
Chu Feng nods slowly.
Thinking.
He needs to confirm his situation.
He needs to step out.
But before he can move,
The door opens.
Duan Yueqing steps inside.
"Biyun, it's time to eat."
Then she notices Chu Feng.
"Chu Feng, you're awake."
Biyun runs to her immediately.
Wraps around her leg.
"Aunty Yueqing, what did Uncle Ren cook for me?"
Yueqing smiles faintly.
She gently pats his head.
"All your favourites."
Chu Feng looks at her steadily.
"So… Marquis Merin rescued us."
Yueqing nods.
"Yes."
"Cousin brought the three of you back to Dragon City."
Chu Feng exhales softly.
"Can I meet him?"
Yueqing shakes her head.
"I don't know."
"After bringing you back a week ago, he entered seclusion again."
Silence lingers.
Then,
Chu Feng sneers slightly.
"Your cousin hasn't changed."
"Not even willing to spend a moment with his own son."
Yueqing's expression stiffens.
A trace of embarrassment appears.
But she quickly composes herself.
"You don't understand our situation."
"We are standing between heaven and hell."
"If my cousin makes even one mistake…"
"Our entire family will fall into ruin."
Chu Feng watches her.
But he does not fully grasp the weight of her words.
Yueqing does not explain further.
She sighs softly.
"You should rest."
"I'll take him to eat."
Chu Feng nods.
Biyun looks back once.
Then leaves with her.
The room becomes quiet.
Chu Feng closes his eyes.
His dantian is filled with energy.
Dense.
Refined.
He begins to circulate it.
Slowly converting it into his own power.
A few hours later, Chu Feng opens his eyes as the door creaks open.
He looks up.
Shi Yang steps inside.
Shi Yang notices him and pauses slightly.
"You're awake?"
Chu Feng nods.
"I woke up a few hours ago."
Shi Yang gives a small nod and walks across the room.
He sits down on the other bed.
Chu Feng studies him briefly.
"When did you wake up?"
"A day ago," Shi Yang replies.
"This morning I went out to check the city."
"And for the past few hours, I was comprehending the power of the Dragon Totem."
Chu Feng's brows draw together.
"Dragon Totem?"
Shi Yang leans back slightly.
"There's a Dragon Totem at the centre of the city."
"Anyone can go there and comprehend its power."
"It's a Soul Transformation stage totem."
Chu Feng's expression changes instantly.
Shock flickers through his eyes.
Soul Transformation,
Only one step below the Saint Stage.
He recalls what he read in the records of the Four Seas Pavilion.
The Dragon Totem,
Formed by Merin.
By combining nine totems into one.
Which means,
Even six years ago,
Merin's Law had already reached the Soul Transformation level.
Chu Feng's thoughts turn heavy.
He asks,
"Anyone can comprehend it?"
Shi Yang nods.
"Yes."
"Anyone who enters the city."
Chu Feng falls silent.
If it were him,
He would never allow such a thing.
Such a treasure would be controlled.
Restricted.
Used only for his own people.
But Merin…
Chu Feng narrows his eyes slightly.
He does not believe Merin would act without purpose.
There must be a reason.
A benefit.
Something deeper.
But he cannot see it yet.
Shi Yang stretches slightly.
"I'll go again after my spirit recovers."
Chu Feng nods.
"Then I'll go with you."
Shi Yang glances at him.
"The totem's power…"
"It might be more compatible with you."
A few hours later, they step out of the house.
From outside,
Chu Feng can already see it.
The head of the Dragon Totem rises above the buildings.
Massive.
Majestic.
Even from a distance, it radiates presence.
They walk toward the city centre.
As they approach,
The surroundings change.
Tall pavilions encircle the area.
Crowds gather everywhere.
People sit on the ground.
On platforms.
Inside structures.
All focused on the Dragon Totem.
Comprehending.
Absorbing.
A long line stretches outward.
Waiting for a chance.
Chu Feng and Shi Yang join the line.
Time passes.
Slowly.
After several hours,
Their turn arrives.
They step forward.
Sit down near the Dragon Totem.
The moment they settle,
They feel it.
A vast power.
Ancient.
Deep.
Pressing down gently.
Inviting,
Yet overwhelming.
Deep beneath the totem, inside the cave, Merin opens his eyes for a brief moment.
Then closes them again.
Something has changed.
He senses it clearly.
A familiar principle,
The principle of Angel.
And alongside it,
A new one.
The principle of Dragon.
The Angel principle is higher.
More complete.
More refined.
But for Merin, at this moment,
It is not what he needs.
What he needs,
Is the Dragon.
He stores the traces of the Angel principle.
Records it.
Sets it aside.
Then focuses entirely on the Dragon principle.
He begins to comprehend.
Time passes.
For a few hours, the principle remains clear.
Accessible.
Alive.
Then,
It fades.
Disappears completely.
Merin understands why.
Because Chu Feng had been comprehending the Dragon Totem.
When Chu Feng was comprehending the Dragon Totem.
While doing so, Chu Feng instinctively analyses the power of the totem using his own Law.
That interaction,
Creates traces.
Fragments of principle.
The totem captures those traces.
Reflects them.
That is what Merin senses.
The reason it appears so clearly,
Is because Chu Feng's Law is not yet complete.
It is still forming.
A mixture.
Fragments of hundreds,
Perhaps thousands,
Of different principles from various Laws.
Only when Chu Feng reaches the Soul Awakening realm,
And faces the true pressure of heaven and earth,
Will his Law take shape?
Or he will be lost within the endless principles.
It is possible to form a Law without facing that pressure.
But such a Law is incomplete.
Like an unrefined weapon.
The pressure of heaven and earth,
Forces all scattered principles to fuse.
To become one.
Complete.
What Merin extracts from Chu Feng,
Are fragments.
Water.
A vast, dead ocean.
Control over the weather.
A will that resists heaven and earth,
To become a dragon.
But these are only pieces.
Incomplete.
They cannot form the whole.
Merin does not rush.
He calms his mind.
Waits.
Chu Feng will return.
He will comprehend again.
And more fragments will appear.
While waiting,
Merin's thoughts shift.
A new direction forms.
He begins to consider,
Those who do not believe in the Dragon Totem.
Can he still connect with them?
Even if they do not directly comprehend the totem,
If they cultivate the Virtual Dragon Technique,
Then through that,
Their understanding,
Their interpretation,
Can still be obtained.
He traces the logic.
Seeks a method.
Only one path becomes clear.
Cause and Effect.
If learning his technique is the cause,
Then transmitting their understanding back to him,
Must become the effect.
A binding.
Invisible.
Absolute.
Merin begins to deduce.
Can the Law of Cause and Effect,
Be woven into his technique?
His mind sinks deeper.
Into calculation.
Into creation.
High above Dragon City, Duan Lei stands at the parapet of the Duan Family castle built along the mountain slope, overlooking the vast lake and the ever-expanding city below.
He stands in silence.
Yet his mind is anything but calm.
Turmoil churns within him.
Soft footsteps approach from behind.
He does not turn.
He already knows who it is.
His wife.
She walks to his side.
Her face is pale, weakened by lingering illness.
Duan Lei speaks without looking at her.
"You've taken your medicine."
"You should be resting."
His wife exhales softly.
"Don't be stubborn."
"Go ask for his help."
"After all… he is your nephew."
Duan Lei remains silent.
His gaze stays fixed on the city.
She continues, her voice gentler now.
"Didn't you once ask for his help because of my illness?"
Duan Lei finally responds.
"That was a different matter."
"This… is not the same."
She opens her mouth to argue further,
But he raises his hand.
Stopping her.
"No need."
"I will not ask him."
"I will break through the Soul Awakening Stage with my own strength."
He turns to face her.
His expression is firm.
Resolute.
"I will enter seclusion."
"And I will not come out…"
"Until I succeed."
Without waiting for a response,
He walks away.
Descending the stone steps into the castle.
She remains where she stands.
Watching.
Then slowly turns her gaze back toward the city.
The snow-covered landscape stretches endlessly.
The city grows larger with each passing day.
A presence forms beside her.
She hears a familiar voice.
"He didn't agree?"
She shakes her head quietly.
The First Elder sighs.
"Don't worry."
"I will inform Merin."
She turns toward him.
Her eyes soften.
Pity flickers within them.
The aura around the First Elder is fading.
Faint traces of death qi linger.
He failed to break through the Sublimation Realm.
His spirit was damaged.
His end is approaching.
"Thank you, First Elder."
The old man notices her gaze.
But he does not react.
His life has already been decided.
His only goal,
Was to see the Duan Family rise.
And now,
That rise has surpassed even his greatest expectations.
He speaks again.
"Biyun is visiting."
She nods.
"I'll let Caiyun play with him."
They fall into silence.
Standing side by side.
Watching the city below.