The Oracle Ruler

Steam slowly curled into the air as the warm water of the jacuzzi rippled around him.

A young handsome boy leaned back against the marble edge, his muscular frame half-submerged in the water. A dull smile rested on his handsome face, yet his eyes carried a strange confusion, as if he was chasing a thought that refused to be caught.

It felt like he was on the verge of understanding something important.

Something ancient.

Something forgotten.

But no matter how hard he tried, the concept remained just beyond his reach.

He exhaled softly and shook his head.

"Forget it..."

Closing his eyes, he tried to relax and let the thought drift away.

Then,

BOOOOM!

A terrifying vibration shook the air.

Before he could react, a beam of golden light descended from the heavens like divine judgment. It pierced through the roof of his mansion as if the solid structure were nothing more than mist.

The beam struck directly between his brows.

"AHHHHH!!!"

He screamed at the top of his lungs.

The golden light surged into his body like a raging river of fire. It rushed through his veins, raced along his nerves, and flooded every corner of his being.

His muscles tightened.

His bones trembled.

His soul burned.

The golden beam spread through his entire body before finally sinking deep into the core of his soul.

And then, it merged with him.

Completely.

A mechanical voice echoed within the depths of his mind.

[Ding]

[Host has successfully merged with the Cosmic Strand of the Universe.]

[Initiating memory retrieval from a previous system host...]

The young man who's name was Bradley barely had time to process the words before his vision shattered.

The world around him dissolved.

His consciousness was violently pulled away from Earth and thrown into a completely different plane of existence.

When his senses returned, Bradley found himself standing in a world that looked like it had come straight out of ancient legends.

Towering mountains pierced the heavens.

Endless seas of spiritual energy flowed through the air.

Warriors soared across the skies.

Dragons roared among the clouds.

Everything he had once believed to be fantasy cultivation, magic, martial spirits, divine beasts was real.

Bradley looked down at himself.

But something felt... wrong.

No one noticed him.

No one reacted to his presence.

It was as if he didn't exist.

And then he saw him.

A boy.

A child who looked exactly like him.

Bradley froze.

The boy possessed the same face, the same eyes, the same features but he wore royal robes embroidered with golden dragons.

Memories flooded Bradley's mind.

This boy...

Was Justin Lane.

The Crown Prince of the Divine Lane Empire which was the most powerful empire in that world.

And for some reason Bradley couldn't understand, he was bound to the prince's side like a silent ghost.

Day after day.

Week after week.

Month after month.

Years passed as Bradley helplessly watched the life of his ancient counterpart unfold.

He experienced everything Justin experienced.

Every victory.

Every lesson.

Every expectation placed upon the shoulders of the empire's greatest prodigy.

Until finally, the day arrived.

Justin Lane's 16th birthday.

The day every cultivator awaited.

The day of Martial Spirit Awakening.

A massive ceremonial altar had been constructed from rare cultivation minerals that radiated powerful spiritual energy.

Thousands gathered across the imperial capital.

Emperors.

Generals.

Sect Masters.

All had come to witness the awakening of the greatest prodigy the world had ever seen.

At the center of the altar sat Justin Lane.

Behind him stood two figures.

One was a man whose presence alone could suppress the heavens themselves.

The Emperor of the Divine Lane Empire.

Justin's father.

The other...

Was Bradley.

Or rather, the foreigner from Earth, watching everything unfold like a ghost trapped between worlds.

The Emperor stepped forward, his voice echoing across the entire capital.

"People of the Divine Lane Empire!"

His powerful voice shook the heavens.

"Today, you will witness the birth of a dragon among men!"

The crowd erupted with excitement.

"Since birth, my son has been recognized as the greatest prodigy this world has ever seen!"

The Emperor placed his hand proudly on Justin's shoulder.

"And today... he will awaken a Martial Spirit that will shake the heavens themselves!"

Cheers thundered like an earthquake across the empire.

The Emperor's gaze swept across the crowd.

"From this day forward, the young generation of this world will stand in the shadow of my son!"

The Emperor stepped back.

Justin slowly stood.

He closed his eyes.

Then he began chanting an ancient incantation.

A language older than time itself.

The moment the chant began, the sky changed.

The blue heavens turned pure gold.

Golden clouds spiraled across the sky as if the universe itself had awakened.

Thunder roared.

GRRRRRRR!!!

Lightning cracked across the heavens.

Yet strangely, Bradley could see everything clearly.

Nothing affected him.

He stood outside the laws of that world.

Then it happened.

A beam of golden light descended from the golden sky like a divine spear.

Bradley's heart nearly stopped.

Because he recognized it immediately.

It was the exact same golden beam that had entered his body moments ago.

The beam crashed into Justin.

"AHHHHH!!!"

Justin screamed in agony.

Golden energy flooded his body.

His veins glowed.

His bones trembled.

And then, a terrifying phantom appeared above him.

A massive black dragon materialized in the sky.

Its scales were as dark as the void.

Yet streaks of golden scales shimmered along its body like fragments of the sun.

The dragon opened its ancient eyes.

And roared.

ROOOOOOOOAR!!!

The roar shook the heavens.

Even the Emperor's face filled with shock.

Bradley stared in awe.

"A dragon Martial Spirit..."

But then something caught his attention.

Golden lines began spreading across Justin's body.

Thin at first.

Then growing larger.

Cracking across his skin like fractures in glass.

Bradley's eyes widened in horror.

"No... something's wrong..."

The golden lines spread faster.

Justin's body began to swell with uncontrollable energy.

Bradley rushed forward instinctively.

"Stop! You're going to...!"

But before he could reach him,

BOOOOOOOOM!!!

Justin's body exploded.

Gone.

Reduced to nothing.

Only the golden beam of light remained.

Silence consumed the entire capital.

Then,

"JUSTIN!!!"

The Emperor's anguished scream tore through the sky.

Bradley stood frozen.

His mind blank. The golden beam slowly turned.

And faced him.

"Oh no..."

Bradley tried to run. But it was too late.

The beam shot toward him.

And entered his brows.

"AHHHHH!!!"

"Why are you screaming, Bradley?"

A gentle female voice echoed through the room. Bradley suddenly jolted awake. He was back in the jacuzzi.

Water rippled around him.

Standing near the doorway was a woman holding a tray of food.

"Is something wrong?" she asked with concern.

Bradley rubbed his forehead.

"I'm fine, Maya. Just... leave the food there."

"Okay, Bradley."

She nodded and left the room.

Bradley leaned back into the water again. His heart was still pounding violently.

"What kind of weird dream was that..."

He closed his eyes slowly.

But deep inside his soul, something ancient had already awakened.

And the faint sound of a dragon's roar echoed in the darkness.