"Come on. Come on. Just a little further."Chen Mo's voice was a ragged whisper, his breath coming in sharp, desperate gasps. Meng Yao's body was a dead weight on his back, her arms limp around his neck, her face pressed against his shredded shoulder. She wasn't moving. She wasn't speaking. She wasn't doing anything except bleeding."I know you can hear me," he said. "I know you're still in there. So just hold on. Hold on and don't let go."Behind him, the mountain was burning.The Inspector's chariot carved through the sky like a falling star, leaving a trail of golden fire that melted the rock and turned the ancient pines to ash. Chen Mo could feel the heat on his back, could feel the pressure of the Inspector's power pressing down on him like a physical weight."You can't outrun me!" The Inspector's voice echoed across the peaks. "Your legs will give out before my chariot runs out of fuel!""Then I'll run faster."He forced his Dragon-Spine to ignite. White-hot lightning raced alon

"Please. I'm begging you. She's dying."Chen Mo's voice was raw, broken, stripped of every last shred of pride. He was on his knees in the mud, Meng Yao's limp body cradled in his arms, her skin burning with fever, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps."Get back, vagrant. This is sacred ground."The Academy guard's voice was cold, dismissive. His hand rested on the hilt of his blade, ready to strike if Chen Mo came any closer. Behind him, the massive gates of the Azure Dragon Academy rose into the sky, their ancient stone walls carved with dragons and phoenixes and symbols of power that had stood for thousands of years."I don't have anywhere else to go," Chen Mo said. "Please. Just let us in. Just let someone look at her.""We don't take in strays. And we certainly don't take in fugitives.""I'm not a fugitive. I'm just... I'm just someone who needs help."The guard's eyes narrowed. He looked at Chen Mo's torn clothes, his shattered scales, the blood that was still seeping from

 "Step forward, applicant." Chen Mo's boots felt heavy on the stone floor. The testing chamber was vast, filled with rows of students and elders, their eyes fixed on him with varying degrees of curiosity and contempt. At the center of the room stood the spiritual testing stone, a massive obsidian pillar that pulsed with ancient power. "Place your hand on the stone," the examiner said. "Do not resist. The stone will measure your potential." "I understand." Chen Mo stepped forward. His scales were hidden beneath layers of wraps. His Dragon-Spine was suppressed. He looked like nothing. An ordinary man in a room full of gods. "Wait." A voice cut through the silence. "Before we begin, I want to know who he is. Where he came from. Why he's here." Chen Mo turned to see a tall, arrogant student in pristine white robes. His eyes were cold, calculating, fi