Chapter Three: A Dragon's Breakthrough
Long Tian met his father's gaze and nodded. "As you already know, I don't understand everything about this place yet, or the full consequences of its power. But before we delve into that, let's start with the house itself."
As if on cue, they glanced around, truly taking in the spacious interior furnished with beautiful wooden pieces.
"This floor and the one above are what you'd expect from an ancient family's home—not much different from our own mansion. But the most fascinating part is below us." He smiled before continuing. "There's an alchemy laboratory down there that the Alchemist Association couldn't even dream of, and a separate room designed for inscription work. Outside, connected to the house, is a forge. The tools here are of unbelievably high quality; I'm certain even a simple hammer from that forge would be considered a Divine Artefact in the outside world."
"So, you're saying we have weapons of that power here?" Long Qingxiao questioned, his interest sharpening. He used a war hammer in combat and understood the value of such a tool.
"I know what you're thinking," Long Tian said, seeing his father's disappointed expression. "But there's a fundamental rule: nothing native to this space can leave it." He paused, letting the limitation sink in before offering the loophole. "However, anything created here with its tools... that can cross the threshold." His father nodded, grasping the implication.
"But that's just one limitation; there are others. Take the farmland, for example. It can grow any herb or crop endlessly. The soil itself improves quality slightly, but if we use water from the lake, the quality becomes the highest possible." He paused, looking at their shocked faces. "I'm theorizing, but it's very possible an herb grown this way could rival the Alchemist Association's pills. The food might even increase soul force, though the effect would be negligible for powerful cultivators. The water itself can purify, cure, and enhance anything it touches."
"Tian, if this is true, the water is unbelievable," Zi Rou said, her voice full of wonder. "But we can't take the water itself out, correct? As you pointed out."
"You're right. I can't remove the water itself; it's generated by the space. But it can be used here, and anything it enhances can be taken out." He saw them scowl slightly, likely imagining the benefits for their own cultivation. "But there's another limitation: the water cannot directly aid human cultivation." He knew this because he had drunk it himself, feeling only its minor healing on some superficial cuts—a secret experiment he would keep to himself.
"Well, the enhanced herbs and food are a boon enough. We can't have everything," Long Qingxiao said, his tone one of frustrated acceptance.
Zi Rou smiled at her husband's reaction before turning back to her son. "What other limitations does this space have?"
"Time," he stated. "I can accelerate its flow. I could make a single day equal a full harvest cycle. But during that period, no human—not even me—can remain outside this house. The ambient energy becomes chaotic and potentially fatal, and I have no intention of testing that theory." His parents nodded, their expressions grave. "As for the rest of the domain," he continued, "the mountains are rich with minerals—high-grade, but common. Enough for masterwork forging, but not for the kind of divine weapons legends speak of. The forests provide pristine lumber, but its applications are similarly mundane. I believe that entire area is intended to serve as a habitat for demon beasts, who can thrive here perfectly well, even during time acceleration."
"Is it dangerous for you?" Zi Rou asked, her maternal concern surfacing.
"Not from the environment, I believe. And after Father's soul pressure outburst earlier, I'm confident that not even other humans can harm me here." He said this calmly, then moved to his next point.
"And then there's my authority over this realm," he continued, gesturing to the pile of books and scrolls that had just appeared with a wave of his hand. "This is how I know so much about our family's techniques. It's because I know the surface of everything inside it. Let me demonstrate."
"Take anything from the table. I will close my eyes, and I will tell you everything about what you are holding," he proposed.
Without hesitation, Long Qingxiao selected a small white scroll and opened it. His face showed interest. "Very well. I have one of the parchment scrolls—a blue one."
Long Tian smiled, his eyes still shut. "No. You have an alchemist pill recipe on a white scroll. Its creator was named Long Muxin. The formula calls for one five-year-old Moss, a five-year Purple Bamboo stalk, a five-year Wood-Water Yellow Mushroom, five-year-old Purple Sun Grass, and five-year-old Holy White Grass. It is a powerful antidote; the text says that depending on the herbs' potency, there may be no poison it cannot cure. It is called the Holy Sun Pill." He opened his eyes to his father's stunned expression and his mother's amused one.
"So, you can be an alchemist now," his mother said.
He shook his head. "Not without practice, like anyone else. I would have a vast amount of theoretical knowledge, but the practical techniques? The precise hand movements? The actual herbs?" He shook his head again. "I could point out a Holy White Grass in a field, but my knowledge ends there. The practical skill of how to process it is something I'd have to learn like anyone else. I have no idea who Long Muxin was; he isn't mentioned in the ancestors' book." Long Tian then took what seemed to be the oldest book from the pile. "This is the book I mentioned. I know all its contents, but I only grasped the subtext when I tried to read it. My power... it's like I can see the surface of the lake but not the depths. Here," he said, handing the tome to his mother. "It was a very frustrating read."
"And Father," he continued, turning his attention. "These scrolls are the original cultivation techniques of the family." He separated seven scrolls from the pile, each a different color that mirrored the eye-color system he had described earlier. "The green one is for the Wood Branch. The technique our family uses now is flawed, perhaps even incomplete. With your pure Wood attribute and a perfectly resonant Demon Spirit, you should have already reached Black Gold. How many years has it been?"
Long Qingxiao took the scroll, a hint of nervous energy about him. "Three years," he said before unrolling it. "I was already at the Second Star when you were born." He began to read silently, and halfway through, his soul began to stir. It was a familiar, yet long-absent, feeling—a dam was breaking. He knew what it was. He was breaking through, and something ancient was roaring to life within his soul.
Boom.
When he opened his eyes, he saw his son's proud smile and his wife's emotional, tearful one. A broad, genuine grin spread across his own face. He had done it. He had reached the stage his father was destined for, the stage he himself had been deemed less talented to ever achieve.
A fleeting thought of vengeance surfaced, but it was instantly washed away as he focused on the faces of his family. Vengeance? Not interested.
"Congratulations, Father. I knew you would break through," Long Tian said happily.
"Tian... thank you," the Patriarch said, his voice thick with emotion. "What you have shown us today will change everything. This technique alone will restore our family, to say nothing of the rest."
"There's no need for thanks between family," Long Tian countered. "I only did what was right. You reached this point on your own merit."
"Just accept it, son," Zi Rou said softly. "Your father has carried the weight of this family for ten years, terrified he was not enough, that the tragedy of his father's generation would repeat itself. What you did today lifted that weight from him. You gave him a path he long believed was closed—the chance to lift his family back up." She was happy, perhaps as happy as the day her son was born. Though a commoner by birth who cared little for lost titles, she understood the pressure her husband was under, the weight of his role, and from the moment she married him, she chose to shoulder it with him. Now, she dared to hope they wouldn't just reclaim their former glory, but surpass it, returning to the legendary days of the city's founding.
The soul pressure from his father's breakthrough subsided as his mother's heartfelt words settled over him.
"I... understand," Long Qingxiao said, his voice firm with new resolve. "We will work not just to rise again, but to not repeat the mistakes of the past—provoked by others or otherwise. And with that in mind, we need to test your Soul Realms. I felt your soul almost Soul Forming."
"Soul Forming?" Zi Rou inquired, her curiosity piqued once more. She still hadn't had the opportunity to open the book her son gave her. "Like that phenomenon they say geniuses experience in moments of high emotion? The texts at the institute described it as a testament to soul purity and talent."
"Yes and no. Here." He took another book, equally ancient, and his father intercepted it before his mother could. "This book details the methodology of Soul Forming. It's old, really old—one of the reasons I believe our family is far more ancient than recorded. It doesn't have much information beyond that specific concept, so I only skimmed it." Long Tian noticed the confused look on his father's face as he opened the tome. "Why are you confused? It's pretty straightforward. It explains how one can train to use their soul form to exert pressure over an enemy. This technique cancels any possibility of the opponent fusing with their demon spirit, but the user also cannot use their own spirit. It's typically used to fight above your rank, whether because your cultivation technique is superior or because your physical body is stronger than the enemy's. That's the summary."
"Tian..." Long Qingxiao said, flabbergasted, looking from the incomprehensible script to his son. "This book is in a language I have never seen in my life."
"No, it can't be. I opened it and read a bit," he insisted, watching as his mother took the book from his father.
"Yes. It is in a completely different language," Zi Rou confirmed, her voice thoughtful. "That 'knowing everything' inside the space just became even more fascinating. Do you understand what this means? Glory City has archives filled with lost records from fallen empires. The knowledge you could uncover with this..."
"Oh... This is huge," Long Tian breathed, the implications dawning on him. "Mom, your cultivation technique is probably flawed, just like Father's was. But you can't use a technique from our family; ours are too overbearing. Even with a matching attribute, your soul form would clash. These techniques were created for a very specific synergy of form and attribute. But with this..." He gestured to the book, his excitement growing. "I can translate those old texts! I could find a technique that's perfect for you." It was one of his primary concerns. He had no techniques to offer her beyond the family's draconic paths, and from his observations over the last two years, those techniques were almost useless to most of the clan. Very few members still had the classic eye patterns; it was a mixed bag now, likely a result of integrating commoners—but that was a thought for another time.
The pure joy on their son's face brought heartfelt smiles to their own. The past two years had been a blessing since the nightmares ceased, but it was still a rare sight to see him so unguardedly happy. He was often thoughtful, and while he smiled more freely now, this kind of exhilaration was unique.
"Speaking of which, let's get back to the tests, shall we?" he said, a mysterious smile playing on his lips as he brought the conversation back on track.
"Tian, you said a pure Soul Crystal is needed," Zi Rou said, taking the bait. She knew he had them; his expression gave it away. It was a pity they couldn't be sold outside. "If you don't have any in the ring, then we don't have any at all."
As she predicted, two crystals materialized in the air and dropped in front of her and Long Qingxiao.
"The lake produces them; the bottom is filled with them," Long Tian explained, a look of disappointment crossing his face. "Unfortunately, they can't be taken out."
"What do we do then, son?" the Patriarch asked.
"Just what is normally done. I will observe and tell you what I see. I already know all the recorded soul forms and attributes; these books contain them." He levitated the relevant texts to show his parents. "Let's start with you, Dad."
His father did as instructed. First, the soul realm color—a solid, unyielding Yellow, as they knew. Then came the form. It was a majestic, serpentine dragon whose body was not of scale and sinew, but of the rough, deeply textured bark of a millennia-old tree. Patches of softly glowing, bioluminescent moss and resilient fungi clung to its crevices, pulsing with a quiet, vibrant life. Its wings were vast and semi-transparent, intricately veined like a leaf, designed to capture light itself. Finally, his soul attribute was confirmed as Pure Wood, and the crystal flared with a soul power of over 100,000—the potent, stable energy of someone who had recently broken through to the 1-star Black Gold Rank.
Seeing the look on his parents' faces, he said, "You noticed, right?"
They nodded, and Long Qingxiao said, a hint of awe in his voice, "Yes, after the color... that form. I have never seen or felt anything like that. What was it?"
"Your soul form is powerfully ranked among the wood dragon types, far more so than the Demon Spirit you fused with. It is a Moss-Bark Ancient Dragon. It speaks of deep, enduring resilience and strength that grows in silence. It fits you perfectly," Long Tian said with a satisfied smile.
He then turned to his mother, who was intrigued. "Your turn, Mom." And she poured her soul force into the crystal.
The color was Green, as known throughout the city. Then came the form of the Luminous Veil Fox, a creature of ethereal beauty, its body seemingly woven from solidified moonlight and the finest silver mist. Its fur rippled with a soft, internal luminescence, and its multiple tails moved in a graceful, hypnotic dance. After came the attribute, a complex and captivating energy that blurred the lines between reality and perception, creating a shimmering, mirage-like aura around the form.
He concluded and said to the two looking in his direction, "A Luminous Veil Fox as a Soul Form and a Luminous Veil Attribute. Both are rare. Luminous demon beasts are very difficult to find, even more so for someone whose power is inclined towards illusions."
"Is it any good?" Zi Rou asked, a bit apprehensive.
"It is good. It's just going to be rare to find a compatible Demon Spirit. A cultivation technique may be easier to find with the translation ability from the space." Now he was curious; by all accounts, his mother should be at least Gold Rank. "By the way, what is the Demon Spirit you are fused with?"
"Oh, it's a Crimson-Plumed Roc," she said. It was a beast known for its speed and fierce physical attacks, utterly devoid of any illusory properties.
Long Tian scowled. "We need to find one that has at least some affinity for illusions. I'm sure that even if we don't find a perfectly suitable cultivation technique soon, you will still break through to the next realm more easily with a better match."
"So, with this, we end everything?" Long Qingxiao asked, a contemplative and complicated look on his face as he held the silver-grey parchment.
"Are you going to show it to Great-Grandmother?" Long Tian asked curiously.
"I'm considering it. Her eyes are metallic, aren't they? So she's probably from the Metal Branch, but..." He paused, his expression troubled. "Our relationship hasn't been the best since she helped me secure the council."
"Yeah, I've heard Mom talk about it," Long Tian said. "I think it's a good idea. We need her support, you know?"
"What do you mean?" Long Qingxiao looked at his son.
"Everything we have here..." Long Tian began, then took a breath. "My original plan was for the three of us to hide, to get powerful enough that we couldn't be bothered by others plotting against us. Then, eventually, we would reveal it to the rest of the family. But I've changed my mind."
"Oh? What do you think we should do now, then?" Long Qingxiao looked curious, even putting the parchment back on the table to give his son his full attention.
Zi Rou was also paying close attention, letting the ancient book she held rest on the table.
"We need to bring the family in on this. At least, the elders on the council." The conversation had made him realize he was being naive. His original plans had been selfish.
He had planned to include his parents, sure, but he was still thinking in terms of them growing in the shadows, avoiding all attention. He had thought that when the so-called protagonist, Nie Li, eventually appeared, that would be the time to bring the family into the light. But looking at his parents now, at the burdens they carried... he realized he couldn't ask them to hide their strength, to conceal this hope.
What would they think?
Grandpa Long An would be so disappointed—to know they had the power to help but hid it for themselves? Aunt Long Hui would be heartbroken. How could her best friend, Zi Rou, keep such a secret? The Resources elders would be furious, counting every copper coin while he sat on a mountain of gold.
And the Disciplinary Branch... they were serious people. They wouldn't depose a Black-Gold expert, but they would make his father's life in the council a living hell.
The twins might understand, but the sting of distrust would remain. And the uncles... Long Jian would demand a vote for deposition on the spot. It wouldn't pass, not against a Black-Gold patriarch, but the schism it would create... the damage to their unity would be immense.
Risking so much trust for what? A possible future he didn't even know would happen? He didn't truly know Nie Li; he only knew a rash, reckless boy from the first twenty chapters of a story. A boy who threw himself at his enemies out of anger and revenge. Was that someone to bet his family's entire existence on? And what if this wasn't even Nie Li's timeline? What if the city's destruction is imminent? Would it be right to have the power to help and do nothing? To let people die, just to protect a secret for a future that might never come?
No. It wouldn't. Hiding was what the old family did. He would not repeat their mistakes.
"Tian?" His mother's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how to frame it," he said, his mind now clear. "Father, you need to call a council. We show everyone, everything."
"Are you sure?" Long Qingxiao asked seriously.
"Yes, I am," Long Tian stated firmly. "Let's stop the old family habit of hiding, at least from our own. You'll have to reveal your cultivation in the council, and then we reveal the truth of the Sacred Family's plot."
"You know that will lead to something your father doesn't want, right?" his mother countered gently. "Vengeance."
"Yes, I know. But maybe we can do it our own way. It's better for everyone to make this decision together, than for it to be just ours," he said.
A heavy silence descended on the room, but it was short-lived. Long Qingxiao looked from his son to his wife, and for the first time in ten years, the weary grief in his eyes was replaced by a cold, sharp glint. The strategist was reawakening.
"I don't want revenge," he stated, his voice resonating with an authority she hadn't heard in years. "But the others will. That is a certainty. Grandmother has lost too much to let this go. You're right, son. We will not hide. We will do this our way—united." He stood, the vulnerable father receding and the Patriarch of the Heavenly Dragon Family taking his place.
"It is time for a council."