"I….am a father."
As his word fell. For a full heartbeat, the world stopped.
And then—Chaos. The minds of everyone present exploded.
The reaction was instantaneous and overwhelming.
The gasps turned into cries.
The whispers became shouts. People staggered, their minds reeling, struggling to process what they had just heard. Some clutched their chests, as if physically struck by the weight of the revelation.
A few even fell to their knees, stunned.
Even the immortals those whose hearts were supposed to be untouched by mortal sentiment were left speechless.
The White Lotus Demon Sword… had a child?!
Dai Long… was a father?!
The implications were staggering.
One of the most powerful beings in the Three Chaos Worlds had an heir.
A child carrying the blood of the Dragon of the Eclipse.
A child carrying the legacy of the White Lotus Demon Sword.
No one was exempt from the surprise. Not the elders, whose lifespans stretched beyond millennia. Not the warriors, who had trained their bodies and minds to be unshakable.
Even Cai Shen, who had been so deeply shaken before, found himself truly breathless.
His heart pounded. His hands trembled.
Not even Mo Li, whose unwavering loyalty had never been questioned—until now, when he stood frozen, dumbfounded by what he had just heard.
For the first time in ages, his thoughts stalled, his usually sharp mind struggling to register the weight of the revelation.
And then—
"PFFT—HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Laughter burst from his chest, a deep, thunderous sound that rattled the bones of those near him.
Mo Li clutched his stomach, his entire body shaking with uproarious amusement, the sheer insanity of the moment cracking his usual composure.
But just as his voice boomed across the throne room—
"Quiet. I'm not done."
Dai Long's voice bellowed, and the throne room froze.
The atmosphere shifted instantly, from raw excitement to a silence so thick it was suffocating.
Even Mo Li's laughter died in his throat.
He snapped his mouth shut and practically threw himself back into his seat, lest he risk getting slapped into another realm.
Dai Long's gaze swept over the gathered dragons, measuring, weighing, judging.
And then, he continued.
"He's old enough."
His voice was calm—too calm.
"He's talented enough."
The weight behind those words settled like iron chains on everyone's chests.
"He can already compete with the younger generation—even as they are now."
A chill ran through the gathered prodigies, the so-called elites of the dragon race.
They felt it.
The unshakable certainty in Dai Long's voice.
And then—
"In fact, I believe he is the most talented young person in all of the True Chaos Beast Universe!"
The entire throne room felt as though it had been struck by divine thunder.
Gasps.
Eyes widening.
The words of the Sage did not fall lightly.
Dai Long had spoken, and that meant it was law.
But he wasn't finished.
"And even the humans, the devils, and all the other races in existence…"
His crimson eyes glowed ominously, a promise burning in their depths.
"…will have much to fear from him."
Silence.
Not just any silence.
It was a silence that felt like the calm before the storm. A silence that felt like the universe itself was holding its breath.
And then Dai Long grinned a bit as he continued.
"And so, I came here to announce…that once the Grand Dragon Assembly begins…he too shall participate."
BOOM.
The reaction was instant.
It was as though an earthquake had erupted in the throne room.
The gathered dragons—mighty, arrogant, battle-hardened beings—felt something primal surge within them.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Rage.
The prodigies in attendance, the finest of their generation, felt their pride smoldering like a dying flame.
Dai Long had just declared that his son. A boy none of them had ever seen or heard of—would not only compete, but was superior to all of them.
A sense of Tension flooded the room. It spread like wildfire, crackling like lightning, the air thick with unsaid challenges.
Dai Long let it linger. And then, as if to fan the flames, he stood.
Towering over everyone here. Commanding absolute respect. Absolute domination.
Looking down at them all, he let a smirk pull at the corner of his lips.
"I can see that many of you do not believe me."
He could feel it. The heat of their resentment.
The simmering disbelief. And he intended to shatter it.
"So, I'm going to let all of you in on a little secret."
The weight of his words descended, pressing into their very souls.
A secret. A truth that would never leave the Dragon Realm.
His next words carried an edge, a whisper of death, sending an icy spike of fear into the hearts of the weak-willed.
"…My son…
"…he has Extreme Dao—"
The moment the word left his lips, the throne room imploded. The seven Dragon Tribe Leaders—proud, unshakable titans—felt their souls tremble. Their eyes widened to the point of nearly bursting from their sockets.
Their breath caught in their throats.
Even Yu Shen, the calm and composed figure who rarely reacted to anything, felt a visible flinch, his mouth parting in shock.
Extreme Dao.
It was not a word spoken lightly.
It was a concept that shattered limitations.
It meant that Dai Long's son was not simply talented. Not simply a genius. He was something far beyond that.
Something that should not exist. Something that could not exist.
And yet—he did.
Dai Long's smirk deepened.
"I do hope…"He let his words sink into their bones, with a slow, deliberate pause.
And then he said, "…that all of you will survive it."
This was the final blow.
The moment those words were spoken, the throne room felt smaller.
The air grew heavier, and the reality of the situation was clear.
Dai Long had not come here to simply boast about his son.
He had come to warn them. To let them know that something monstrous was about to be unleashed. Something that could change the balance of the universe itself.
And there was no one who could oppose it. No one would be able to stand against his son.
Everyone was shaken.
None more shaken than the Dragon Emperor himself.
Cai Shen sat on his throne, his unshakable composure showing the faintest cracks.
For the first time in centuries, his mind raced in disarray, struggling to grasp the full magnitude of what had just been revealed.
His fingers curled into the armrests of his throne, the dragon-forged stone creaking beneath his grip. His knuckles were bone-white, betraying the turbulence within him.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears like the drums of war.
A part of him felt as though he had been stripped bare before his people, his might called into question in ways he had never imagined.
He was even slumped, just slightly, his posture betraying a weakness few had ever witnessed. The only reason he could even breathe properly again was because Dai Long had reined in his presence, lessening its effect on the world around them.
But as the weight lifted, a new sensation crawled down his spine, coiling around his core.
An emotion he could not name.
Was it fear? Doubt? Disbelief? Or was it something even more dangerous—-Happiness?
And then came the word….Extreme. It was like a weight had been planted in his soul once he heard that word come out of Dai Long's mouth.
He knew what it was.
But his mind—his Dao—refused to accept it as truth.
No. He could not believe it.
He would not.
His dragon soul trembled with an instinctual rejection of the mere possibility.
Cai Shen remained motionless, his body locked in a silent war with itself.
Then, like a bolt of lightning striking his consciousness, a thought emerged—a simple, terrifying realization.
His lips parted before he could stop himself.
"How… how old is he?"
The words cut through the throne room, severing the growing murmurs and whispered discussions among the gathered dragons.
For a moment, silence reigned once more.
Dai Long turned his gaze toward him, his expression unreadable.
Then, after a pause, he answered.
"Not a day over ten years."
The words slammed into Cai Shen like a divine tribulation.
His breath hitched.
His face reddened, not with anger, but humiliation. He knew exactly what Dai Long had just implied. That no one in the younger generation could hope to match his son.
That even his own son, the crown jewel of the Dragon Empire, stood no chance.
'Bullshit!'
His mind roared in defiance.
Yet—
The moment the thought surfaced, something else appeared alongside it.
A small, almost imperceptible thing.
A seed of doubt. And it burrowed deeply with all of them.
The young dragon prodigies, warriors of unrivaled talent, stood frozen.
Their bodies refused to move.
Their souls resisted the meaning behind Dai Long's words, yet the truth wrapped around them like unchained fate.
And then there were the six remaining Dragon Tribe Leaders.
They were even more shaken.
Their experience, their vast millennia of wisdom, allowed them to see past the surface.
They understood. They knew all too well how terrifying the combination of Yu Bai and Dai Long truly was. Yu Bai had not simply been strong—she had been a true force of nature.
One of the top three sword immortals of her time. A woman whose very name could make immortal realms tremble.
And her teacher…the image of a massive broadsword entered their minds like an anvil.
A shadow of pure dread slithered through their veins as they realized something.
If he finds out she had a son…if he learns of his in–name grandchild…then—all hell would break loose.
The pit in their stomachs grew heavier.
And yet, this was only part of the problem.
Because this was not just any child.
This was a boy whose father was Dai Long, a member of the royal bloodline.
A sage-level cultivator feared across entire universes and realms.
A being whose might had already shaken history.
And if what Dai Long said was true, not that they doubted him, but if it was indeed true.
Then his son was likely even more fearsome than the young Dragon Emperor himself.
Even though Cai Shen's son possessed the Grand Dao Overlord Physique—one of the most terrifying physiques in existence—it no longer seemed so absolute.
Extreme.
That word resurfaced again.
That cursed word. And fear followed in its wake, curling around their throats like a serpent of fate.
Mo Li, usually the most carefree of them all, was unnaturally quiet.
But his eyes…
His eyes were alight with revelation.
Slowly, he turned his gaze toward his adopted son, Mo Wujin.
A decision crystallized in his mind. He would make sure that Wujin followed Dai Long's son.
No—he would ensure that he became his right-hand man.
Because if Dai Long's son did not fall…if he truly grew into the monster his father believed him to be…then Mo Wujin could ride that wave to ascension.
To Origin.
Mo Li's lips parted in the slightest grin, an unfamiliar hunger gleaming in his eyes.
He was practically salivating at the thought of the future.
While the other Tribe Leaders felt cold sweat dripping down their backs, already formulating their own contingencies, alliances, and escape routes…
Only one among them remained eerily calm.
Venerate Dong Mei sat on her throne, eerily composed.
She had not spoken.S he had not reacted. She simply… watched everyone lose their minds.
Her gaze lingered on Dai Long for but a fleeting second, filled with an unreadable depth.
And unknown deep emotion filled her black eyes.
Then—
She flicked her index finger. A silent pulse shot forth, slipping into the void like a phantom whisper.
No one saw it. No one knew where it went.
Except Dai Long, but he didn't care too much about it.
And then, with an imperceptible smile, she leaned back—her calculations shifting, her mind weaving new possibilities. Because as she plotted for the chaotic storm on the horizon…
Her father's words echoed softly in her ears.
"It would seem Sage Hundred Eye's Dragon was right. This is the golden age of Dao!"
And now, as she sat on her throne, hearing Dai Long's words. She couldn't help but agree with her father. Though she wondered, would this son of his symbolize good fortune for the Dragon realm? Or would he be an omen of destruction?
…
Dai Long inwardly laughed, a deep, resounding mirth that stirred his very soul.
He hadn't felt this alive in years. His chest swelled with exhilaration, a sensation long buried beneath the weight of duty and power.
His plan had unfolded perfectly.
Now, all that was left was to ensure that Tao became a force of nature.
Unstoppable. Terrifying.
His blood red eyes gleamed with untamed ambition as he looked upon his dumbfounded brothers, their expressions a mixture of shock, denial, and growing unease.
And he couldn't help but laugh. A deep, thunderous laugh that echoed through the grand hall like a dragon's roar.
They should have known better. This was just the beginning.
His clone's body began to shimmer, the fabric of its existence unraveling as it prepared to vanish.
Yet, just before it completely faded, Dai Long suddenly paused.
His gaze lifted toward the heavens, piercing through the very fabric of reality, past the throne room, past the endless cosmos, and into the dark void beyond.
He saw them. The ancient eyes were watching. Their old claws were reaching.
The dusty, withered hands stretched toward what was his.
And he mouthed a few words.
A whisper. A decree. A death sentence.
"Fight me if you will. I don't give a damn. Use your minions all you want. But if any of you dare reach your rotting claws toward my son…"
His lips curled into a vicious smirk.
"Well… It's been a while since the last Culling of the Wyrms."
At that moment—
A deep, guttural hiss resounded from the abyss, an ancient warning from something unfathomably old.
The stars dimmed. The air stilled.
And then—
BOOM!
Dragon Sage Might erupted from Dai Long like a celestial storm.
A phantom dragon's head emerged behind him, vast beyond comprehension, its very presence warping the sky and darkening the heavens.
It was a massive white dragon, its forehead marked by a black eclipse, an omen of absolute dominion.
Its piercing blood red eyes flickered with such boundless killing intent that the entire Chaos Beast Universe shuddered in fear.
Even the Will of the Universe itself seemed to shrink in its presence, as if afraid to acknowledge the monster before it.
Dai Long let his presence suffocate the void for just a moment longer before delivering one final message.
"I know you old bags of bones are arrogant—rightfully so. But…"
His voice dropped, the weight of eternity pressing into every syllable.
"If you don't believe me… well…"
His blood red eyes flashed, daring them.
"You can try me."
His words were not a boast. They were finality.
A warning. A promise.
And then—He was gone. The heavens stilled.
The world lurched back into its natural rhythm. And the universe exhaled, as if it had just barely survived a catastrophe. No one even knew what had just happened, besides Yu Shen, who sat just as dumbfounded as the rest of them.
The silence that followed was deafening.
No one dared speak. Then—Without a word, the Dragon Emperor turned and left.
He did not dismiss the court. He did not acknowledge anyone.
He simply vanished, his figure a blur as he stormed away, his very being trembling with rage, shame, and denial.
The Seven Dragon Tribe Leaders wasted no time as well. They each grabbed their prodigies and departed. Their minds were racing, their strategies already shifting, their plans rewritten in mere moments.
Each of them had their own agendas. Each of them had their own plots.
But there was one undeniable truth shared between them all—they had just witnessed the birth of something monstrous. And they would not be caught unprepared.
As for the other young dragon prodigies, the ones who were in the stands looking on. They stood frozen in the empty throne hall, their fists clenched, their eyes burning with a newfound fury.
Their pride had been shattered. Their titles, their reputations—reduced to dust.
Dai Long's son had not faced them. He hadn't even acknowledged them. Hell they haven't even seen him.
And yet, in a single moment, he had redefined the entire generation.
A fire ignited in their bellies, a flame they had never felt before.
They would not be humiliated. They would rise. They would fight.
And when the day came—they would face Tao. They would prove themselves.
Or they would be trampled beneath his feet. Yet, the one at the center of it all. The boy who had unknowingly shattered the balance of power. The storm that would change the very fate of the Dragon Realm.
Well...he was in a deep sleep.
Tao slumbered in the depths of his training chamber, his breath steady, his mind drifting in a world of dreams and sword intent.
Completely oblivious, and unaware that he had been made public enemy number one.
Unknowing of the firestorm he had set ablaze.
The night was deep, but the realm would not be sleeping tonight.
For the world had just learned a terrible truth. A new challenger had appeared.
And in five years' time…he was coming for them all.