Cold marble stretched across the vast awakening hall of the Heavenly Frost Dragon Empire.
Thousands stood in silence.
Nobles. Elders. Sect masters. Royal bloodlines.
At the center of it all knelt a boy of ten years his black hair falling loosely over calm unreadable eyes.
Prince Xue Lin.
The Third Prince of the empire.
Begin the awakening.
The crystal pillar flared with blinding light as spiritual energy poured into the boy's body. Runes spun wildly testing talent fate and destiny itself.
Gasps erupted.
[Primary Ability Detected]
Rank: S
Element: Ice Magic
For a moment hope sparked.
Then the crystal flickered again.
[Secondary Abilities Detected]
Rank: D
Rank: D
Rank: D
Rank: D
The hall fell deathly silent.
Whispers spread like poison.
Only one high rank ability Magic instead of pure cultivation All the rest D Rank
An elder scoffed.
A wasted prince.
Prince Xue Lin rose calmly his expression unchanged but the verdict had already been passed.
In a world where cultivation talent determined one's worth, magic was seen as inferior slow, inefficient, and reliant on fragile mana instead of immortal qi.
An S Rank ice ability meant nothing when shackled by weak foundations.
The Emperor's gaze lingered on his third son for only a moment before turning away.
Dismissed.
Snow fell silently in the outer palace.
Xue Lin sat alone cross legged beneath a dead spirit tree his breath steady as he circulated qi through his meridians.
D Rank
So that is my fate
Suddenly.
Pain exploded through his chest.
His heart thundered as golden heat clashed violently with freezing mana. His blood felt like molten metal, roaring through his veins.
The ground cracked.
The air trembled.
A golden dragon silhouette burst from his shadow, coiling around his body before sinking back into his flesh.
A voice echoed ancient, deep, and absolute.
"Bloodline recognized.
Gold Dragon Lineage Awakening.
Xue Lin screamed as scales briefly surfaced across his arms, glowing gold before fading away.
His qi transformed.
His mana froze solid then shattered reforming into something far colder far purer.
[Bloodline Unlocked]
Gold Dragon Bloodline (Dormant Active)
Dragon Qi Acquired
Ice Magic Evolution Detected
The snow around him stopped midair.
Frozen in place.
Not by temperature.
But by authority.
Xue Lin opened his eyes.
They glowed faintly gold rimmed with icy blue.
He slowly stood, unaware that his mere presence was crushing the surrounding spiritual energy into submission.
He whispered softly:
So this is why.
High above the palace, ancient guardian beasts stirred uneasily for the first time in centuries.
The empire had just awakened something it was never meant to control.