Fusion

At this moment, dusk had fallen. Only a faint halo of sunlight remained hanging on the horizon, yet it still lingered reluctantly, as if unable to bear seeing the world shrouded in night.

Qi Bei, who had been lying down all this time, had somehow sat cross-legged. Wisps of faint golden mist seeped from his pores, lingered around him for a while, then were drawn back in through his nose. The cycle repeated over and over.

Suddenly, a peal of thunder rumbled from Qi Bei's abdomen. At the same time, the black longsword beside him began to tremble lightly.

The thunderous rumble in his abdomen was caused by the boiling inner force in his Dantian. It represented his essence, energy, and spirit having returned to their peak condition.

Qi Bei's swordlike brows drew tightly together. In his clear and empty state of mind, he sensed a voice calling to him incessantly. The voice was ethereal, as if it came from the void, carrying an overwhelming majesty he found difficult to resist.

In his daze, a pitch-black gate appeared before him. The gate stood a hundred yards high, and vague patterns flickered faintly across its surface.

Qi Bei involuntarily began walking slowly forward, like a puppet on strings.

A puppet!

Qi Bei was suddenly shocked deep within, and his soul trembled violently. He immediately awakened from his daze.

Opening his eyes, Qi Bei slowly exhaled a breath of foul air. He felt that his clothes were soaked through from inside out. However, the inner force within his body had grown much richer, and the vortex in his middle Dantian had already reached six, bringing him to the peak of a middle-grade warrior.

Qi Bei jumped off the bed and lay down in the bathing pool in the inner room.

Within the hazy mist, Qi Bei's ink-black eyes flickered uncertainly.

"Is it you? You? You? Or you?" Qi Bei muttered to himself. On the left was his left palm, where the Dragon Imprint flickered with the image of a divine dragon. In the center was the mysterious black longsword. Beside it floated that page of the gray Chapter of Fear. Furthest to the right was the black Spatial Ring he had removed from Venerable Wutian's finger. The magical jewelry he had looted from him, along with the skeleton staff, had all been placed inside.

Spatial Rings were rare objects. With the decline of space mages and alchemists, they had grown increasingly scarce.

Within the entire Nord Family, only the family head, Kodi, possessed one. Its space was no larger than half a room.

However, the space inside Venerable Wutian's Spatial Ring was extremely vast. It had been divided into ten spaces the size of side rooms. Nine of them were sealed with restrictions, and Qi Bei could freely enter only one. It contained some low-grade magic crystals and various odds and ends.

After a while, Qi Bei's eyes lit up. This mysterious black longsword could absorb dark restrictions. If he put it into the Spatial Ring, could it break through all nine restrictions?

Venerable Wutian was a Saint Mage. There had to be plenty of peerless treasures inside his Spatial Ring.

Qi Bei grew excited at once and immediately placed the black longsword into the Spatial Ring as well.

Sure enough, the moment the black longsword entered the Spatial Ring, it reacted.

However, once the sword left his hand, Qi Bei could no longer sense the information it transmitted.

After a long while, Qi Bei shook his head in disappointment. He could feel that the black longsword was indeed absorbing the restrictions inside, but its speed was extremely slow, unlike the swift absorption of the three layers of dark soul restrictions at Marquis Lanling's residence. The restrictions inside must be of an extraordinarily high level; even the black longsword would need more than a single day to absorb them.

Qi Bei withdrew his consciousness and turned his gaze to the gray Chapter of Fear before him. Aside from initially provoking the fear hidden deep within his heart, this thing seemed to have nothing special about it.

Just then, Qi Bei felt the Dragon Imprint in the palm of his left hand suddenly grow scorching hot. The roaring golden divine dragon surged through the clouds and mist, while another streak of golden light danced along with its tail feathers, as if golden flames had suddenly sprung from the dragon's tail.

Suddenly, the Chapter of Fear radiated waves of gray light, and the mysterious runes upon it flickered one after another.

Before long, the entire page of the Chapter of Fear began to melt, transforming into strands that burrowed into the Dragon Imprint.

Qi Bei suddenly felt a chill spread through his entire body, as though he had been thrown into an icy cavern. Starting from his palm, a gray hue began to spread throughout his body.

Qi Bei's hands rapidly swelled, and golden dragon scales covered them. He unleashed the First Transformation of the Divine Dragon completely beyond his control. Even more astonishingly, wisps of extremely faint gray fear power flickered beyond the golden dragon scales.

That page of the Chapter of Fear had actually fused into the Dragon Imprint. Yet no one knew what effect it would have on his attacks.

After only a few breaths, the Dragon Claws form swiftly receded, and everything returned to how it had been before, as if nothing had happened.

By the time Qi Bei dressed and went outside, the sky was already filled with stars. His courtyard, however, was packed with people and piled high with all kinds of items.

"You brat, if you didn't come out soon, Big Brother would have broken down the door." Huai'an Nord laughed as he stepped forward and thumped Qi Bei once in the chest.

"Big Brother, what's with this huge commotion?" Qi Bei asked in confusion.

Huai'an Nord looked at Qi Bei as if he were a monster, reached out to feel his forehead, and said, "You don't have a fever. Did cultivating turn you stupid? Tomorrow is your engagement ceremony with Princess Mingyue. You have to start preparing tonight."

Qi Bei froze. Tomorrow was already the engagement ceremony? Time really did fly.

But should he tell the Lineage about what had happened with Marquis Lanling?

The thought flashed through his mind only briefly before Qi Bei made his decision. The matter was too significant, and he did not want the Lineage to learn about Nan Wuya and Venerable Wutian.

Looks like I'll have to find a chance to talk to that old rabbit, Marquis Lanling...

For a formal engagement ceremony between a direct descendant of the Nord Family and a royal princess, there were countless rules and formalities.

Qi Bei did not understand them, nor did he care to. He could only let others manipulate him like a puppet.

After two hours of bustling activity, the night had grown deep before Qi Bei's side finally finished arranging everything.

"Qi Bei, after tomorrow, you'll be going to West Spirit City. The old master said he would assign you two hundred and fifty members of the Black Armored Army. When you have time, go to the barracks and personally select your commanders," Huai'an said, patting Qi Bei on the shoulder.

"Hehe, Big Brother, don't regret it if I happen to choose you," Qi Bei said with a laugh.

"As long as you take a liking to someone, Big Brother will definitely let him go," Huai'an replied with a laugh. He knew exactly what kind of place West Spirit City was. Without sufficient strength, gaining a foothold and establishing a position there would be extraordinarily difficult.

"Big Brother, thank you," Qi Bei said sincerely.

"We're brothers. Why say such polite things?" Huai'an replied. He thought for a moment, then continued, "Qi Bei, you've been cultivating inside for an entire day and night. You probably don't know that Katie of Tongtian Mountain—the other personal disciple of Princess Mingyue's master—arrived in the Imperial Capital yesterday. I heard he and Princess Mingyue had a very pleasant conversation."

"A man?" Qi Bei asked, raising a brow.

"That's right. He's about the same age as Princess Mingyue and is already a King Grade Mage of the lightning element. I heard he strongly urged Princess Mingyue not to become engaged to you," Huai'an said coldly.

(I'd like to tell everyone something. Above the introduction for Dragon Imprint, there are votes for Annual Work and Annual Author. Although Heaven definitely has no chance, having a few more votes would still be a point of pride. Brothers and sisters, if you're willing to vote, please vote for Annual Work. Everyone should have varying amounts of free votes. There's no need to spend money buying votes. Thank you!)