Ice Dragon Inheritance

"Sacred Source Bloodline... it has finally arrived..."

An ancient voice echoed through the ice cave, as though it had traveled across a thousand years. Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger both took a step back in unspoken accord, staring warily at the ice-carved giant dragon that had suddenly come to life.

The Dragon Soul Jade floated before the giant dragon, emitting a gentle white glow. The ice dragon's eyes were like two sapphires, gleaming with intelligence. Though its enormous body remained frozen in ice, its head could already move slightly.

"Who are you?" Ning Xiaochuan asked bravely, shielding Su Linger behind him. Little Dragon nervously gripped his shoulder, all his scales standing on end.

The ice dragon let out a deep dragon roar, shaking icicles loose from the ceiling of the cave. "I am the Guardian of Ice, the Sacred Origin Tribe's last dragon sentinel."

Its voice resounded directly within their minds, carrying endless ancient weariness. "A thousand years... Since Bai Li left, no one has set foot here again."

"Bai Li?" Ning Xiaochuan's heart raced. "You knew my mother?"

The giant dragon's gaze fell upon Ning Xiaochuan, as though it could see through his soul. "Her aura flows within your bloodline... along with the power of the Primal Dragon. Though faint, it truly exists."

Enduring her pain, Su Linger stepped forward. "Senior, we did not mean to offend you. We were merely harmed by villains and had no choice but to jump into the Frozen Abyss..."

"I know." The giant dragon interrupted her. "That traitor of Xuantian Peak has colluded with the Dark Source Soul Hall, intending to perform a Sacred Spirit sacrifice when the Twin Moons are in the Sky." It snorted coldly. "Wishful thinking!"

Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes—the ice dragon knew everything happening outside!

"Senior," Ning Xiaochuan said respectfully, bowing, "please guide us on how to leave this place and stop the Grand Elder's scheme."

The ice dragon fell silent for a moment, then a trace of approval flashed through its eyes. "No hurry. Since you have come here, it is fate's arrangement. First, you must undergo a trial."

"A trial?" Ning Xiaochuan asked in confusion.

"The Sacred Source Trial," the giant dragon explained. "Only by passing the trial can you obtain a way to leave the Frozen Abyss, as well as... the power to fight the darkness."

Su Linger asked cautiously, "What kind of trial?"

"The Trial of the Heart." The dragon's gaze deepened. "Face the deepest fears and obsessions in your heart. Only by overcoming yourself can you grow."

It looked at Ning Xiaochuan. "As one with the Sacred Source Bloodline, your trial will be even more difficult. Are you ready?"

Ning Xiaochuan took a deep breath and turned to look at Su Linger. Her face was pale, and blood still stained the corner of her lips, yet her eyes remained resolute. He nodded. "I'm ready."

"Good." The dragon opened its jaws and exhaled a cloud of icy blue mist that enveloped them both. "The trial begins..."

The mist contained a peculiar source energy. Ning Xiaochuan only felt darkness fall before his eyes, and his consciousness sank into endless blackness...

When Ning Xiaochuan regained consciousness, he found himself standing on a vast white snowfield. The bitter wind howled, sweeping snow through the sky, and visibility was less than ten paces.

"Su Linger?" he shouted, but his voice was immediately swallowed by the wind.

Little Dragon had vanished as well. Only the Dragon Soul Jade on his chest still gave off a faint glow. Ning Xiaochuan tried to circulate his source energy, only to find his meridians completely empty, as though he had returned to the state before awakening his source soul.

"So this is... the trial?" he muttered, trudging through the snow with uneven steps.

After walking for an unknown length of time, a blurry figure suddenly appeared ahead. Ning Xiaochuan quickened his pace and discovered it was a little boy—about seven or eight years old, thinly dressed and shivering in the wind and snow.

When the boy raised his head, Ning Xiaochuan was struck as if by lightning—it was himself as a child! The useless third young master of the Ning Clan in Qingyun City, unable to awaken a source soul and mocked by everyone!

"Go away!" Little Ning Xiaochuan suddenly shouted at him. "I don't need your pity!"

Ning Xiaochuan froze. "I... I came to help you."

"Help me?" Little Ning Xiaochuan sneered, his childish face filled with hatred. "You're just the weak part of me, here to persuade me to give up!"

The surrounding snow suddenly turned Blood Red. Little Ning Xiaochuan's figure twisted and expanded, becoming Ning Yuan. "Trash will always be trash. Don't ever dream of turning things around!"

Ning Xiaochuan instinctively stepped back, only to discover that people had filled the space behind him at some point—the elders and younger generation of the Ning Clan, all looking at him with contempt as they shouted, "Trash!" "The family's disgrace!"

What hurt him most was the disappointment in his father Ning Zhantian's eyes. "Xiaochuan, you have disappointed me too much..."

"No... it isn't like that..." Ning Xiaochuan covered his ears, but those voices rang directly in his mind. "I've already awakened my source soul! I'm not trash!"

"Sacred Spirit Young Dragon?" Ning Yuan's voice turned sinister. "That will only make you die faster! No host of a Sacred Spirit Young Dragon has ever lived past thirty. You won't be an exception!"

The scene changed again. Ning Xiaochuan saw himself lying in a bed, gaunt and on his last breath. Su Linger stood by the bed, her eyes filled with disappointment. "I thought you could change your fate... It seems I misjudged you."

"No!" Ning Xiaochuan shouted. "I won't admit defeat like this!"

He struggled desperately, trying to approach his bedridden self, but the ground suddenly split apart beneath him, and he fell into endless darkness...

In the darkness, a voice spoke. "This is your deepest fear—being denied, being abandoned, and ultimately dying alone."

Ning Xiaochuan knelt in the void, clutching his head in both hands. "Who are you?"

"I am you." A person identical to him emerged from the darkness, except his gaze was gloomy. "I know all your secrets. You are not from this world at all. You're only an impostor, a transmigrator occupying someone else's body."

Ning Xiaochuan was struck as if by lightning. His most deeply hidden burden had been laid bare.

"So what?" After a long while, he raised his head, flames blazing in his eyes. "I did come from another world, but my feelings for this place are real! My father's care for me, Su Linger's trust in me, and Little Dragon... all of it is real!"

He rose to his feet and faced his other self. "No matter where I came from, I am Ning Xiaochuan now! The Sacred Spirit Young Dragon chose me, and the Dragon Soul Jade acknowledged me. That is enough!"

The darkness began to collapse, and his other self revealed a gratified smile. "You finally understand? Remember, identity is not important. What matters is the kind of person you choose to become."

The scene changed once more. Ning Xiaochuan found himself standing upon a tranquil lake, its water so clear that it reflected the Stars filling the sky. Little Dragon had returned to his shoulder at some point, affectionately rubbing against his cheek.

"Congratulations on passing the trial, Son of Sacred Source." The ice dragon's voice came from All Directions. "Now, go help your companion."

Ripples spread across the lake's surface, revealing Su Linger's image—she was kneeling amid a sea of flames, holding a Little Girl in her arms as tears streamed down her face. Collapsed buildings and countless corpses surrounded her, a horrifying sight.

"This is... Su Linger's trial?" Ning Xiaochuan's heart tightened.

"Her inner demon is deeper than yours," the giant dragon sighed. "She needs your help."

Ning Xiaochuan did not hesitate. "Send me to her!"

A scorching blast of air hit him head-on, and Ning Xiaochuan found himself standing amid burning ruins. Not far away, Su Linger was kneeling on the ground, clutching a Little Girl of about ten as she wept uncontrollably.

"Linger!" Ning Xiaochuan rushed over, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.

"Big Sister... run..." the Little Girl said weakly. "Leave me..."

"No! I will never abandon you!" Su Linger's voice was heart-wrenching, utterly unlike her usual calm and composed self.

Ning Xiaochuan had never seen Su Linger like this—fragile, despairing, shattered. He pounded desperately against the barrier. "Linger! Look at me! This isn't real!"

Su Linger seemed unable to hear him. She only held the Little Girl tightly. "It's all my fault... If I hadn't sneaked out to play, Father wouldn't have sent people to look for me, and the family wouldn't have let down its guard... It's all my fault!"

Ning Xiaochuan suddenly understood—this was Su Linger's memory, the night the Dark Source Soul Hall attacked her family!

"Listen to me!" Ning Xiaochuan shouted with all his strength. "This isn't your fault! The Dark Source Soul Hall is to blame!"

This time, Su Linger seemed to hear something. She raised her head and looked westward blankly. "Who...?"

"It's me, Ning Xiaochuan!" he continued shouting. "This is a trial! You have to defeat your inner demon!"

The Little Girl in Su Linger's arms suddenly turned into a cloud of black mist and coiled around her neck. "No, it is your fault... You got everyone killed... You should die with us..."

"No!" Ning Xiaochuan's eyes split with rage. The Little Dragon source soul on his shoulder suddenly flew up and charged at the barrier alongside the Mysterious Ice Phoenix, which had appeared at some point.

The two currents of source energy merged, erupting in a dazzling light. Cracks appeared in the barrier, and Ning Xiaochuan seized the chance to rush inside, pulling Su Linger into his arms. "Wake up! This isn't real!"

Su Linger trembled in his embrace, and the despair in her eyes gradually faded. "Ning... Xiaochuan?"

"It's me." He held her tightly. "It's all over... You're not alone. I'm here."

The sea of fire around them began to recede, turning into specks of starlight that scattered away. The two stood in a void, embracing each other. Su Linger buried her face in Ning Xiaochuan's shoulder, her tears soaking his clothes.

"That was my younger sister..." Her voice caught in her throat. "On the night the family was attacked, when I found her, she had already... Her last words were telling me to run..."

Ning Xiaochuan gently stroked her back. "It wasn't your fault. The Dark Source Soul Hall was the killer."

Su Linger slowly calmed down. She gently pushed him away and wiped her tears. "I... I've never been like this in front of anyone."

"It's okay." Ning Xiaochuan smiled. "We're partners, remember?"

Su Linger looked at him, a complicated emotion flashing through her eyes before she finally nodded softly. "Mm."

Just then, the two source souls suddenly flew back to their respective hosts, then unexpectedly switched places—the Little Dragon source soul merged into Su Linger's body, while the Mysterious Ice Phoenix flew into Ning Xiaochuan's chest!

"What is this...?" they cried out in unison, immediately sensing an unprecedented energy circulating through their bodies.

The ice-carved giant dragon's voice rang out again. "Source Soul Resonance. Your hearts are connected. Congratulations on passing the trial."

The void around them began to collapse. Their vision went dark, and they returned once more to the ice cavern at the bottom of the Frozen Abyss.

The ice-carved giant dragon still stood where it had been, but the blue light in its eyes shone brighter. "In a thousand years, you are the first pair to pass the Sacred Source Trial together."

Ning Xiaochuan moved his body and discovered that his injuries had completely healed, while his source energy had grown even more abundant. Su Linger's condition had clearly improved as well, and color had returned to her face.

"We... passed?" Ning Xiaochuan asked uncertainly.

"Yes." The giant dragon nodded. "Not only did you overcome your inner demons, you also achieved the initial stage of Source Soul Resonance. Now, it is time to grant you your reward."

It opened its dragon jaws and spat out two beams of light, which entered Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger's foreheads respectively. In an instant, a massive amount of information flooded their minds—a source technique cultivation method called Ice Crystal Dragon Armor!

"This is... a defensive source technique?" Su Linger asked in surprise.

"More than that," the giant dragon explained. "When your hearts are connected, the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon and the Mysterious Ice Phoenix can form perfect defenses, blocking attacks from opponents two major realms above you. As your cultivation rises, its defensive power will grow as well."

Excited, Ning Xiaochuan tried circulating the source technique he had just learned. A thin layer of ice crystal immediately covered his arm, with milky-white patterns flowing within it. "This is amazing!"

"Now, you must leave." The giant dragon suddenly became solemn. "In seven days, when the Twin Moons are in the Sky, the Grand Elder will open the Frozen Abyss seal at the summit of Xuantian Peak and perform the Sacred Spirit sacrifice. You must stop him."

Su Linger frowned. "But isn't the Frozen Abyss a forbidden ground? How do we get out?"

The giant dragon looked toward the ice wall on one side of the cavern. "There is a secret passage there, leading directly to the Tianyuan Sect's rear mountain. Bai Li left through it back then."

Ning Xiaochuan walked to the ice wall and indeed found an almost imperceptible crack. "Mother walked this path..."

"Time is running out." The giant dragon's voice began to weaken. "My strength is about to be exhausted. Remember, the Sacred Spirit sacrifice concerns not only your lives, but the fate of the entire Open Source Continent."

Its gaze fell upon Ning Xiaochuan. "As the last Sacred Source Bloodline, you must find the Land of Origin and complete Bai Li's unfinished mission."

"What mission?" Ning Xiaochuan asked urgently.

But the ice-carved giant dragon's eyes had already dimmed. It left behind only one final sentence: "The Dragon Soul Jade will guide you..."

As the giant dragon fell silent, the ice cavern began to tremble faintly, and icicles continuously fell from the ceiling.

"The passage is opening!" Su Linger grabbed Ning Xiaochuan's hand. "Quick, go!"

The two rushed toward the crack in the ice wall and indeed saw a flight of upward stairs faintly visible within the Ice Layer. Ning Xiaochuan looked back one last time at the ice-carved giant dragon, silently swearing in his heart that he would complete his mother's mission.

The stairs wound upward, seemingly without end. After climbing for who knew how long, the two finally saw a sliver of daylight. Pushing aside the camouflaged Stone Slab at the top, they found themselves standing in a hidden cave, with lush forest outside.

"This is... the rear mountain's forbidden area?" Ning Xiaochuan looked around.

Su Linger nodded. "It isn't far from Xuantian Peak. We have to proceed carefully. First, we'll return to Xuanyu Peak and find Master."

The two had just stepped out of the cave when they suddenly heard footsteps and voices coming from nearby. They immediately ducked behind a Giant Rock and held their breath as they watched.

The newcomers were two Tianyuan Sect disciples, dressed in inner sect robes and speaking in low voices.

"Elder has us patrolling day and night. What exactly are we guarding against?"

"I heard there have been disturbances in the Frozen Abyss. It may be related to the ritual seven days from now..."

"Shh, keep it down! We can't talk carelessly about this!"

Only after the two had gone far away did Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger let out a breath.

"It seems the Grand Elder has already taken control of most of the sect's forces." Su Linger looked deeply troubled. "We need to find a way to contact Master."

Ning Xiaochuan touched the Dragon Soul Jade against his chest. "How about we go to that Old Zhou's apothecary you mentioned first? Father said he could be trusted."

Su Linger pondered for a moment. "That works. Although Old Zhou is from the Ning Clan, he has known Master Xuanyu for many years. Follow me. I know a small path that can avoid the patrols."

Under the cover of night, the two quietly slipped toward the outskirts of the back mountain. From time to time, Ning Xiaochuan looked back at Xuantian Peak. It was brightly lit, with shadowy figures moving about in the distance.

Seven days later, when the Twin Moons hung in the Sky, a struggle that would decide life and death would unfold there. And he, the last of the Sacred Source Bloodline, bore a mission even he himself had yet to fully understand...