While everyone stared at the great tripod in astonishment, greed, and disbelief, another change appeared above it.
A white cloud abruptly materialized above the altar. A crimson figure flashed through it and vanished at incredible speed. No one managed to see it clearly. When everyone glanced toward the sky, the red shadow flickered again, leaving behind only the image of a crimson serpentine form in their eyes.
What was that?
Ever since Liu Bei finished reciting the sacrificial text, one change after another had stirred everyone's hearts. This new development naturally drew everyone's full attention as they tried their hardest to see exactly what the thing was.
The crimson figure flashed past again. It was moving far too fast—only a blink, no more than a third of a second. Everyone could make out only a pair of sharp claws resembling an eagle's.
Everyone held their breath. There were several hundred people gathered at the enormous site, yet it was now so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
The crimson figure flashed past again. The serpentine form rolled, and something resembling a deer's antlers appeared briefly within the clouds before vanishing once more.
This repeated itself until the figure had appeared nine times in total: a camel's face, deer's antlers, rabbit's eyes, ox's ears, a serpent's body, a clam's belly, carp's scales, eagle's claws, and tiger's paws.
Seeing this, everyone instinctively came to the same conclusion: wasn't this a dragon?
When that thought surfaced in their minds, everyone was shocked pale. If their wills had not been strong, they would nearly have cried out. Even Liu Bei himself stared blankly up at the sky, his face filled with disbelief. Could I really be the Son of Heaven's Mandate?
Amid a dragon's roar that shook the universe, the crimson figure