The pain was unlike anything he had ever known.Chen Mo's body arched off the ground, his mouth open in a silent scream, his scales burning with a light so bright it illuminated the entire chamber. The Sovereign's soul was flowing into him, ancient and powerful and absolute. It was like trying to hold a star in his hands. It was like trying to swallow the ocean."Breathe," the Sovereign's voice echoed. "You must breathe.""I can't." Chen Mo gasped, his chest heaving. "I can't. It hurts too much.""You can. You will. You are stronger than you know.""I'm not. I'm not strong. I'm just...""You are the Dragon Lord. You are the heir to the Primordial Bloodline. You are the one who will change everything.""I don't want to change anything. I just want the pain to stop.""Then let it in. Stop fighting it. Let it become a part of you."Chen Mo closed his eyes. The pain was overwhelming, consuming, absolute. He could feel the Sovereign's memories flowing into him, his knowledge, his power, hi

The weight of a thousand mountains crashed down on him. Chen Mo's knees buckled. His spine screamed. His scales cracked under the pressure. The sealing array had activated, and it was unlike anything he had ever faced. It wasn't just physical. It was spiritual. It was designed to crush his will, to drain his hope, to destroy his desire to fight. "What... what is this?" he gasped. "The grand sealing array," a voice boomed. "Designed by the greatest cultivators in the world. Powered by the combined might of the Imperial Army and the Three Great Sects. You cannot escape. You cannot survive." Chen Mo gritted his teeth. The pressure was overwhelming. He could feel his bones grinding against each other, his muscles tearing, his blood boiling. The array was trying to crush him from the inside out. "Mo!" Meng Yao's voice was distant, muffled by the barrier. "Mo, hold on!" "I'm trying!" he shouted. "I'm trying!" "You can't hold on," the voice said. "No one can. The array is absolu

"The Imperial Army is destroyed."The messenger's voice trembled as he knelt before the throne, his forehead pressed against the cold marble floor. His armor was dented, his face pale, his hands shaking. He had ridden for three days and three nights without rest to deliver this news."Say that again." The Emperor's voice was quiet. Too quiet. "Say that again, and this time, I want you to look at me when you say it."The messenger raised his head. His eyes were filled with terror. "The Imperial Army is destroyed, Your Majesty. The Three Great Sects are annihilated. The Dragon Lord... he... he tore through them like they were nothing.""Nothing?" The Emperor rose from his throne. His golden armor gleamed in the dim light of the throne room. "My army? My sects? The greatest military force in the world? Destroyed by a single boy?""Not a boy, Your Majesty. A monster. A demon. He broke the sealing array with his bare hands. He killed the Inspector. He killed the Sect Masters. He killed eve

"You're going to die for what you did to me."The words hung in the air like a blade, sharp and final. Chen Mo stood before the captured elders of the Eternal Bloodline Clan, his scales burning with golden fire, his eyes blazing with amber light. Behind him, thousands of coalition soldiers watched in silence. In front of him, the men who had ruined his life knelt in chains, their faces pale, their bodies trembling."Please," Grand Elder Chen Jue begged. "Please, we were just following orders. We were just doing what we thought was right.""Following orders?" Chen Mo's voice was cold. "You threw me into the stables when I was five years old. You beat me. You starved me. You told me I was worthless every single day of my life.""We were wrong. We know that now.""Too late.""We can help you. We can give you information. We can tell you about the Emperor's plans.""I don't need your information. I'm going to destr

"We're not going to make it through that."Chen Mo's voice was quiet, but the weight of his words pressed down on the entire coalition. Before them, stretching across the horizon, stood the outer wall of the Imperial Capital. It was a hundred feet tall, forged from enchanted iron, its surface covered in ancient runes that pulsed with a sickly green light."We have to," Meng Yao said. "There's no other way.""There's always another way.""Not this time. The wall surrounds the entire city. There's no way around it. No way under it. No way through it.""Then we'll make one."He stepped forward. The coalition watched in silence. Thousands of warriors, outlaws, and nomads. They had followed him across the continent. They had fought beside him. They had bled for him. And now, they were watching him face the impossible."Mo," Meng Yao said. "Mo, wait.""What?""There's something you need to know abou