***
Nine Heavens Sovereign Domain (九天至尊界)
A strange incident occurred on the top of one of the scattered mountains outside the 'Dragon's Spine Mountain Range' in the 'Dragon Vein Territory' area of the Dragon Throne Citadel. On the top of that particular mountain, a human leg, then a waist, chest, head, and gradually everything appeared like a ghost, and took the shape of a ten-year-old child. Although it was strange, after a while, the child's movements made it clear that he was alive.
For a few moments, Xia Jiutian had forgotten his own existence. Then, when his consciousness returned, he opened his eyes slowly, with worry and fear for his uncertain new journey.
There was also deep sadness hidden in his heart; for the first time in his entire life, he was able to spend time alone with his father, and when he was about to talk to his father openly, such a big accident happened.
In the game of destiny, he became alone again.
So, is it his fate to be alone forever?
He held back the surging emotions that had suddenly arisen in his chest and looked around, but he couldn't see anything very well because of the purplish fog surrounding him, except for a few areas above his head where the dark sky filled his entire vision.
The entire sky was covered in dark clouds, and lightning was striking the earth, along by heavy rain.
And through the small gaps in those dark clouds, slight moonlight occasionally filtered through, making the purple mist look even more mysterious. But for some reason, the raindrops were not falling on him; this was because of the black with gold protective royal garments he was wearing.
Jiutian immediately tried to feel something with his clumsy fingers and found it. It was a special storage ring that even an ordinary mortal could use only through their focus. Finding it, a new light of hope arose in his mind to survive in an unfamiliar environment.
Even though Xia Jiutian comes from an extremely high background, he was just an ordinary mortal whose Spiritual Roots Awakening Ceremony was held about an hour before the disappearance, and because of that incident, he suddenly arrived here. So, at least protective garments and the special items in his grey ring are essential to making his journey easier.
Now, keeping his head somewhat cool, he walked forward very carefully to identify his location. After walking for a while, he found a small area where the surrounding purplish fog cleared up a lot.
Jiutian looked left and right through the gap in the purplish fog but couldn't see anything because the distance was still covered in fog. However, when he looked up and down, he was once again terrified because he suddenly found himself on the top of a large, long mountain, whose peak was covered with a purplish mist like a cloud, and his position was at the very edge of the peak. Perhaps if he had gone a few more steps, he would have started his journey straight to death.
Jiutian, frightened again, returned to his previous position in the middle of this particular mountain peak.
After a while, fighting with his mind to better understand his position in this ghostly environment, he went a little further and tried to look ahead through the gap in the fog.
After half an hour of searching, Jiutian found a specific spot from which he could see clearly ahead of him.
As a result, he finally saw something clearly ahead. Then, what Jiutian saw with his naked eyes was no less than his previous fear. He could not believe his eyes seeing the clear and terrifying environment from so far away, so he wiped his eyes and looked forward again. A few kilometers distant from his position, his entire vision was filled with a circular ball of dense purple gas atmosphere that spanned around tens of thousands of kilometers, due to which the surrounding purple fog was being emitted.
This circular, purple fog area was surrounded by long, sky-touching mountain ranges that were located side by side, forming a formation.
Seen from a distance, it would look like a very large purple rose surrounded by large thorns. However, that thing was even more terrifying in Jiutian's eyes. In Jiutian's eye, it was a city-sized massive fireball, whose energy radiation and intensity were so high that even Jiutian's heavenly fire was trembling violently from a distance. But what was even more terrifying was that Jiutian felt a familiar connection from that completely strange, hellish place, which increased his fear several times over.
—
***
Somewhere in the 'Nine Heavens Sovereign Domain'
On the same day of the same year (888 Years of the Lunar Dragon Cycle), but countless kilometers away.
A vast, uneven land with no end, the entire area is filled with reddish colors in the light of the crimson moon, surrounded by black clouds in the sky.
And the most surprising thing is that, throughout this long, uneven land, there are countless small and large swords embedded in the ground, surrounded by their own powerful sword energy of different colors. If any of them come out of this mysterious land into the world, then all the powerful forces would start a bloodbath to get them.
Besides these powerful swords, there are silently and firmly scattered everywhere without making any noise.
Countless lightning strikes from the sky repeatedly attack these swords and pagodas, as if a blacksmith is shaping new swords with a hammer.
In this vast land, the collision of lightning and sword energy has created a powerful electric current and small and large thunderstorms across the entire landscape, which exist on the ground just as they do in the sky.
As a result, in this long, reddish, uneven land, powerful energy coiled like a thunder snake, prevailing everywhere, such that any powerful lifeform that is not allowed to enter here will vaporize instantly.
Actually, this kind of hellish environment, more terrifying than hell, is nothing but heaven for sword cultivators.
And in the very heart of this place, there is a gigantic, 1,000-story golden pagoda with an ancient, dragon-like mythical beast. Its body is entirely composed of a thunder-lightning form and is more than tens of thousands of kilometers long, coiling from the pagoda's feet to its head. It was as though a giant lightning rod had summoned a devastating, massive thunder from the sky.
Actually, this thunder dragon's tail was rolling on the ground, and its upper body was covered by dark, gloomy clouds in the sky.
And this 1,000-story building is surrounded by another 100 buildings with 100 floors in a specific formation, which, when seen from a distance, looks like a celestial mountain range higher than the sky.
---
Suddenly, the long, hundreds head of the dragon, which had previously been covered by clouds, descended from the sky and roared downwards with a loud, piercing sound.
ROOOOOOOAR!?!?!?!!
The sound of this roar was vibrating so loudly from the center of the kneeling man downwards that if anyone heard even a thousandth part of this roar from a distance, they would think the world was about to be destroyed.
The long, loose, purple robe of the man kneeling on the ground in front of the towering structure also started to move in the wind as a result of its vibrations.
BOOOOOOOM!!!
The residual energy vaporizes the surrounding thunderstorm and electric current thousands of meters from the structure.
At the same time, the man in a loose purple robe, kneeling in front of the thousandth-story pagoda building, spoke softly. Although his face could not be seen clearly, his voice was very slow, yet serious, expressing his concern.
Supreme One, the Star Celestial Dragon-Bane Sword has already accepted a new, fateful one as its master. So... we...
Before the man could finish speaking, a clear voice from the tallest pagoda spread across the vast land. The power of the voice alone was so monstrous that the collision of all kinds of energy in the area, which had been going on for an unknown years, stopped for a moment. But the voice was actually so gentle and warm that any anxious or tense person's heart would melt when they heard it.
"Child, I know what you are concerned about, and yes, your thoughts are correct. They have violated the rules again. But don't be sad about it; whatever is destined to happen has already happened."
He closed his eyes, trying to hold speaking, the man on his knees nodded, a glimmer of hope with his eyes. you, he whispered. The warm again. Please, Supreme One, have mercy on my suffering. Let me go there. I want to see for myself those lunatics who dare to put after their names."
As soon as the words ended, that sage-like voice, in the softest tone, echoed throughout the entire area.
"If you go yourself, a flood of blood, darker than the Red Sea, will start in this entire realm, which is not good for all living beings. And 'Immortal,' hasn't he already proven that?
Furthermore, the forthcoming final 10th Cycle (years 901-1000) concludes a Grand Cosmic Aeonic Cycle (1 Aeon = 1,000,000 years).
Because 999,888 years have elapsed since the Aeon began, there are only 112 years remaining to finish a whole Aeon.
[999,888 + 112 = 1 Full Aeon]. So, a decade later, the final 100-year (10th Chaos Dragon) cycle of this calendar will commence. After that, an Aeon Cycle finishes, and a new Aeon Cycle begins.
According to the Ultimate Prophecy, a series of cataclysmic catastrophes will occur in this realm during the next 100 years, resulting in a complete Primordial Reset of the oncoming new Aeon! During this difficult period, mortals may transform into dragons, dragons into mortals, and the entire realm will be reforged. This transformation will dwarf all previous cataclysms.
And, in this Great Cataclysm, survival hinges on our actions. Whether this rebirth brings ruin or opportunity depends entirely on how we prepare, starting in this final decade.
So calm yourself down, get rid of all your and prepare yourself to carefully make the right decision for the next adverse situation.
All for now, and when the right time comes, you will know for sure.
After the words were finished, the man on his knees, putting aside all his sadness and worries, said firmly, "It will be done according to your orders, Supreme One."
After finishing speaking, the man started walking straight through this hellish environment towards the opposite side of the thousandth-story pagoda, but no thunderstorms, no clash of sword energy, and no electric lighting coiling like snakes across the entire area dared to approach him. Even the rain that had been falling continuously for a thousand years did not dare to wet his clothes.
Each of his steps was so fast that, within a few moments, he had disappeared from this vast land. Within a few moments of his departure, the dragon's roar was heard again, but the sound was not coming from below, but from the very top of the clouds where the Peak Floor of the 1,000th Pagoda was located. Even from about 10,000 kilometers above, the dragon's sound made the environment below even more chaotic.
1000th floor: highest peak of the pagoda.
A gigantic dragon's huge head was screaming towards the highest floor.
The man inside the room spoke again in his warm, sage-like, gentle voice, but it was so silent this time that no air around him could hear him, except the dragon.
Are you also afraid of this prophecy?
"I know, I know you don't have to say it anymore, but you're acting like a snake...
Roar?! ROOOOOOOOOARRRR….
"Hahaha, okay, I won't make fun of you. Besides, didn't I tell you before that no matter what, even if this whole prison is destroyed into nothingness, I'll take you out of here quickly?
Roar... ROAR...
"Oh, are you talking about that young friend now?"
That young friend is still in his final tribulation period. I don't know exactly how long it will take because it will depend entirely on him. But don't worry, I'll protect him if anything happens from the outside.
"But if he succeeds in his Final Troubulation, then we will ask him for help in the next hunt. And when the time comes, you will tell him this matter clearly, okay?
"Hahaha, okay. Then, this is the deal between us."
And so, in this hellish environment, where everyone else is absorbed in deep meditation, a man and a beast are passing the time by arguing with each other.
—-----
—End of the Prologue: Part 2
Extra
The Tenth Great Aeon has been omitted for explanation, as it seemed more troublesome. In fact, the Tenth Aeon was currently passing, and the new one is the 11th Aeon. Originally, the future was predicted based on the events that happened in the last hundred years before the completion of this entire Great Aeon.
!!!!
The Celestial Dragon Millennial Calendar
[1 Great Aeon = 10 Aeon!]
[1 Aeon = 1,000,000 Years = 1,000 Millennia]
[1 Millennia = 1,000 Years = 10 Dragon Cycle]
[1 Dragon Cycle = 1,00 Years]
*****
Cycle Period. Cycle Name
1st Cycle(1-100 years). Azure Dragon
2nd Cycle(101-200 years). CrimsonDragon
3rd Cycle(201-300 years). AdamantDragon
4th Cycle(301-400 years). Earthen Dragon
5th Cycle(401-500 years). Storm Dragon
6th Cycle(501-600 years). Blood Dragon
7th Cycle(601-700 years). Frost Dragon
8th Cycle(701-800 years). Solar Dragon
9th Cycle(801-900 years). Lunar Dragon
(Current 888th Years)
10th Cycle(901-1000 years). ChaosDragon
(The Ultimate Prophecy will commence in 12 years.)
*****
Author's Note:
Phew! What a chapter! So many questions have been answered, but even more have been raised! The Dragon Sealing Realm is even more mysterious than we thought, and now we know of a new power and a terrifying prophecy that will shape the fate of everyone—including Xia Jiutian! What is this "Primordial Reset," and what is the "Final Tribulation" that our young friend is undergoing? And who is this mysterious "Supreme One"? Let me know what you think in the comments! Don't forget to add this novel to your library and come back tomorrow for the next chapter. Your support keeps the legends flowing!