The wind carried the scent of divine blood and scorched earth. The mountains had bowed to his sword, and the beasts of the wilderness hid in trembling silence.
Lin Feng stood alone beneath a crimson sunset, his robes torn, his body marked with shallow cuts — but his eyes burned with unyielding light.
Within his chest, the True Dragon Bone pulsed like a second heart.
Each throb released waves of ancient power, reshaping his flesh and spirit alike.
Boom—boom—boom!
Every beat was a hammer striking the anvil of his soul. The pain was immense — as if molten gold flowed through his veins — yet Lin Feng gritted his teeth, refusing to scream.
"If this is the price of power…" he whispered hoarsely, "…then I'll pay it gladly."
He sat cross-legged amidst the broken stones, forming a hand seal. Azure sword intent and golden dragon aura spiraled together, fusing into a storm that engulfed the canyon.
Thunder rolled. Clouds gathered. The heavens trembled as lightning descended like celestial wrath.
And within that chaos — Lin Feng began to transform.
---
Inside his dantian, a golden ocean boiled. Waves of draconic essence surged upward, crashing against the walls of his soul sea.
From within that ocean, nine colossal dragon heads emerged one by one — each more majestic and terrifying than the last.
The first head glowed crimson — representing Dominance.
The second shimmered silver — Wisdom.
The third was black as the void — Destruction.
The fourth blazed blue — Sword Intent.
The fifth gold — Sovereignty.
The sixth white — Purity.
The seventh emerald — Life.
The eighth violet — Mystery.
The ninth… a swirling storm of all colors — Transcendence.
They circled him, their roars merging into a chorus that shook both heaven and earth.
ROOOOAAAAARRRR!!!
Lin Feng's body levitated, golden scales spreading across his arms and chest. The Azure Sword rose beside him, trembling violently, as if kneeling before its master's rebirth.
Then, from deep within the golden ocean — a faint rumble echoed.
A tenth presence stirred.
It was embryonic, fragile, but its aura dwarfed all others.
A single breath from it distorted reality.
"A… tenth head?" Lin Feng whispered, eyes wide.
The nine dragons bowed slightly toward the newborn shadow. And from the depths of his mind, an ancient voice — solemn and divine — spoke:
"Heir of the Dragon Lineage.
The True Bone has recognized your blood. The ancient power forgotten by the heavens now flows once more."
Lin Feng's consciousness trembled.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice echoing within the boundless void.
"I am the memory of the First Dragon Sovereign — the origin of your Nine-Headed Lineage. You have awakened what slumbered for countless eons. When the Tenth Head fully opens its eyes… even gods will tremble."
The voice faded, leaving only silence.
Then — the pain returned, fiercer than before.
Every bone, every drop of blood screamed as his mortal vessel struggled to contain divine essence.
Lightning tore across his body, fusing the power of sword and dragon. His aura expanded endlessly — breaking through the barriers of his realm.
"Celestial Realm… Peak!"
"No… higher!"
The air itself recoiled. The heavens bent.
And for a brief instant — Lin Feng's aura touched the threshold of the Divine Ascension Realm, before stabilizing.
The storm above shattered. The clouds dissipated.
When Lin Feng opened his eyes, they gleamed gold and blue — draconic and divine. His breath alone made the earth tremble.
He stood, calm and unhurried, as the waterfall nearby exploded into mist merely from his presence.
His reflection in the water showed faint golden scales beneath his skin and pupils shaped like twin dragon slits.
But behind that power, there was something else — a deep, tranquil certainty.
He clenched his fist — the air screamed.
"This… is the strength of the awakened Nine Heads."
His sword floated beside him. He sheathed it slowly, each motion resonating with the rhythm of the dragons within.
The Azure Sword Art – Seventh Form: Dragon Sovereign Ascension completed its evolution, merging his swordsmanship with the divine will of dragons.
"The sword and the dragon… no longer separate."
He turned his gaze toward the horizon — toward the distant peaks of the Heavenly Sword Palace.
For a long moment, he stood in silence, feeling the calm after chaos. The wilderness lay quiet beneath his feet, every beast bowing instinctively.
"I entered these lands as a disciple seeking tempering," he murmured. "Now, I return as a storm the heavens cannot cage."
Golden light flared behind him — faint outlines of nine colossal dragon heads rising from his back, roaring silently at the sky.
He took a single step — and the ground beneath his foot shattered.
He walked into the air, each stride leaving ripples in space, each heartbeat shaking the winds.
The heavens darkened once more — not in defiance, but in acknowledgment.
And from the distance, a voice whispered through the clouds, soft and distant, as if from an unseen watcher:
"The Nine-Headed Dragon Sovereign… has returned."
Lin Feng didn't look back.
He ascended toward the horizon, golden light fading behind him — a lone figure walking into legend.