Fusion

As dusk settled, the sun hung as a faint halo on the horizon, reluctant to leave, as if unwilling to let the night engulf the world.

Qi Bei, who had been lying down, had somehow sat up. Wisps of faint golden mist emanated from his pores, swirling around him before being reabsorbed through his nostrils. This cycle repeated.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed from Qi Bei's abdomen. Simultaneously, the black longsword beside him began to tremble.

The rumbling in his abdomen was the sound of his inner force boiling, signifying that his entire being—spirit, energy, and vitality—had returned to its peak state.

Qi Bei's brows furrowed deeply. In his clear, empty state of consciousness, he felt a voice incessantly calling to him. The voice was ethereal, as if originating from the void, carrying an irresistible majesty.

In a daze, a pitch-black door appeared before him. It was a hundred feet tall, with faint, blurry patterns flickering on its surface.

Qi Bei moved forward involuntarily, like a puppet on strings.

A puppet!

Qi Bei's heart jolted. His soul trembled violently, and he snapped out of his daze.

Opening his eyes, Qi Bei slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. He felt his clothes, from inside out, were soaked. However, the inner force within him had become much more potent, and the vortex in his middle Dantian had reached six, achieving the peak of an intermediate warrior.

Qi Bei hopped off the bed and into the bath in the inner room.

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

"Was it you? You? You? Or you?" Qi Bei murmured to himself. To his left was his left palm, adorned with the Divine Dragon Imprint, with the mysterious black longsword thrust beside it. To his right floated the gray Chapter of Fear, and furthest to the right was a black Spatial Ring, taken from Venerable Wutian's finger. Some magical accessories and the skull scepter he had looted were also stored within it.

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

In the entire Nord Family, only the patriarch, Kodi, possessed one, and its internal space was no larger than half a room.

However, Venerable Wutian's Spatial Ring possessed a vast interior, divided into ten compartments the size of private rooms. Nine of these were sealed, and Qi Bei could only freely access one, which was filled with low-grade magic crystals and miscellaneous items.

After a while, Qi Bei's eyes lit up. Didn't this mysterious black longsword absorb dark restrictions? If he put it into the Spatial Ring, could it break all nine seals?

Venerable Wutian was a Saint-level Mage! His Spatial Ring must contain some peerless treasures.

Qi Bei became excited. He immediately placed the black longsword into the Spatial Ring.

As expected, the moment the black longsword entered the Spatial Ring, it reacted.

However, without the sword in his hand, Qi Bei could not sense any information from it.

After a long while, Qi Bei shook his head in disappointment. He could feel the black longsword absorbing the seals within, but at an incredibly slow pace, unlike the swift absorption of the three dark soul restrictions in Marquis Lanling's manor. He surmised that the seals within must be of an extremely high level, and it would take a long time for the black longsword to absorb them.

Qi Bei withdrew his consciousness and his gaze fell upon the gray Chapter of Fear before him. Apart from initially stirring the deep-seated fears within him, this item seemed to have no other special properties.

Just then, Qi Bei felt an unusual heat emanating from the Dragon Imprint on his left palm. The roaring golden divine dragon writhed in the mist, and within it, another golden shadow danced along the dragon's tail, like golden flames suddenly sprouting from its tip.

Suddenly, the Chapter of Fear emitted waves of gray light, its mysterious runes flickering one by one.

Soon, the entire page of the Chapter of Fear began to melt, transforming into threads that drilled into the Dragon Imprint.

Qi Bei felt an intense chill spread through his body, as if he had been plunged into an ice cave. Starting from his palm, a grayness began to spread across his entire body.

Qi Bei's hands rapidly swelled, covered by golden dragon scales. He involuntarily activated the First Transformation of the Divine Dragon. Even more astonishingly, outside the golden dragon scales, faint wisps of gray fear energy flickered.

The Chapter of Fear had merged into the Dragon Imprint. He wondered what impact this would have on his attacks.

In just a few breaths, his hands returned to their dragon claw form and then rapidly reverted, as if nothing had happened.

By the time Qi Bei put on his clothes and went outside, the sky was filled with stars. His courtyard was packed with people and piled high with various items.

"You brat, if you didn't come out any sooner, I would have broken down the door," Huaian Nord said with a smile, playfully punching Qi Bei's chest.

"Big brother, what's with all this fanfare?" Qi Bei asked, somewhat bewildered.

Huaian Nord looked at Qi Bei as if he were a monster and reached out to touch his forehead. "You don't have a fever. Did you go crazy from cultivating? Tomorrow is your engagement day with Princess Mingyue, and you have to start preparing tonight."

Qi Bei was stunned. Tomorrow was the engagement day? Time really flew by.

However, should he inform the clan about the matters concerning Marquis Lanling?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Qi Bei made his decision. This matter was too significant; he didn't want his family to know about Nan Wuya and Venerable Wutian.

It seemed he needed to find an opportunity to have a talk with that old fox, Marquis Lanling...

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

Qi Bei didn't understand and was too lazy to figure it out, so he resigned himself to being manipulated like a puppet.

After two hours of bustling activity, the night was already deep, and Qi Bei's side had finally finished their preparations.

"Qi Bei, after tomorrow, you'll be going to West Spirit City. The old man said he's assigning you two hundred and fifty Black Armored Army soldiers. Go to the camp when you have time and personally select your officers," Huaian said, patting Qi Bei's shoulder.

"Heh, big brother, don't be too reluctant if I pick you then," Qi Bei chuckled.

"As long as you fancy them, I'll let them go," Huaian replied with a smile. He knew very well what kind of place West Spirit City was; without strength, it was incredibly difficult to establish oneself there.

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

"We're brothers, why be so formal?" Huaian said. He paused, then continued, "Qi Bei, you've been cultivating in your room for a day and a night, so you probably don't know that Katie of Tongtian Mountain, Princess Mingyue's master, had another direct disciple arrive in the capital yesterday. I heard they got along very well."

"A man?" Qi Bei raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, he's about Princess Mingyue's age and is already a King Grade Mage of the lightning element. I heard he strongly advised Princess Mingyue against marrying you," Huaian said coldly.

(A word to everyone: above the synopsis of Dragon Imprint, there are votes for Annual Work and Annual Author. Although Heaven is definitely out of the running, more votes would at least bring some honor. If any brothers and sisters are willing to vote, please vote for Annual Work. Everyone should have some free votes, no need to spend money to buy them. Thank you!)