A day passed in a flash. Morning light pierced the thin mist over Wushan Town and spilled onto its bluestone roads, yet failed to dispel the fear etched on the townspeople's faces. The carnage in the wilderness west of town yesterday had become the talk of the entire town, and even the boys on the training grounds had lost their usual playfulness.
At first light, the training grounds behind Baruch Manor were already packed with youngsters. Clutching a wooden sword, Hadley gestured wildly, spittle flying as he spoke. "My dad said that Velociraptor was over twenty meters long! Its scales were hard enough to stop arrows, and one sweep of its tail smashed the mercenary company's wagon straight into splinters!"
"You're making that up! Your dad didn't even see it!" someone beside him retorted with a curl of his lip. "Captain Hillman was the one who saw it. He said it was a Seventh-Level Magical Beast, and there was a seventh-level Earth Element mage too, who could blast a huge crater with a wave of his hand!"
Voices rose one after another, but Linley remained silent in a corner. With a five-kilogram iron weight strapped to his back, he swung his wooden sword through each movement. Sweat slid down his temples and dripped onto the ground, spreading into small damp patches. The trembling earth and piercing screams of yesterday seemed to echo in his ears still, making him tighten his grip on his sword-only by growing stronger could he keep others from trampling him at will.
Just then, Hillman approached with his hands behind his back, pale silver Battle Qi flickering faintly around him. After his breakthrough to Ninth-level Warrior yesterday, his presence had grown even steadier. His gaze swept over the noisy boys, and his voice carried authority. "Morning practice is not a time for idle chatter."
The children instantly fell silent and formed orderly ranks. Seeing Linley drenched in sweat, a trace of satisfaction flashed in Hillman's eyes. Then he said gravely, "You've all heard about what happened yesterday. A Seventh-Level Magical Beast and a mage could easily raze Wushan Town. But remember, strength is never something you're born with. You earn it through sweat, day after day!"
He drew his Fine Iron Long Spear and thrust it sharply forward. Its tip sliced through the air with a fierce whistle. The boys' eyes shone at the sight, their enthusiasm for training instantly ignited, and the synchronized sounds of wooden swords chopping rang across the training grounds. Linley gritted his teeth even harder, swinging faster and faster. The dormant dragon blood within him actually began to stir faintly.
After morning practice ended, Hillman called Linley over.
It had suddenly occurred to him that morning that the Baruch Clan was now well-off thanks to its merchant association business. With Hogg no longer selling off the family property as he had in the original story, Linley had never thought to hunt for treasure in the ancestral house. The Coiling Dragon Ring that concealed Doehring Cowart's soul-or rather, the damaged Sovereign Artifact that was the key to Linley's future rise-still lay hidden in the rear quarters of the clan's ancestral house, abandoned for years.
If events continued along their current course, the ring might remain dormant in the ancestral house for many years, until time buried it completely. He had to create an opportunity for Linley, allowing this fortuitous encounter to arrive on schedule.
"Linley." Hillman patted his shoulder, his tone calm. "The rear quarters of the clan's ancestral house have been abandoned for a long time. No one has tended to them all these years. Dust has piled up, and weeds have almost swallowed the corners of the walls. If you have nothing to do this afternoon, go clean the place up. Think of it as doing your part for the clan."
Linley paused, then nodded firmly, his young face full of earnestness. "All right, Uncle Hillman! I'll make sure it's spotless!"
He was somewhat puzzled-the ancestral house was remote and dilapidated, and hardly anyone ever set foot there-but he had always trusted Hillman's words. Besides, being able to do something for the clan left him faintly excited.
The afternoon sunlight was rather hot as Linley carried a broom and a bucket to the ancestral house in the deepest part of the manor.
The courtyard walls of the ancestral house had long since become mottled and worn, covered in lush green vines. When he pushed open the half-closed wooden door, it let out an aged creak. A smell of dust mingled with rotting wood greeted him. In the courtyard of the rear quarters, weeds stood half a person tall, thick dust coated the stone table and stools, and discarded farm tools and broken wooden crates lay piled in a corner. Desolation pervaded the place.
Without the slightest hesitation, Linley picked up his broom and began cleaning. First, he crouched down and pulled out all the weeds in the courtyard. Then, carrying his bucket, he wiped the stone table and stools clean before going to clear away the discarded wooden racks piled inside the house.
Most of these wooden racks were badly rotted, shedding splinters at the slightest touch. They held worn-out clothes, rusty farm tools, and a few yellowed old books. Linley sorted through them one by one, preparing to gather them together and take them to an open space outside the manor to burn.
Just as he moved a heavy wooden rack, a sharp crack rang out. Its rotten base suddenly split apart, and something rolled out from inside, landing on the bluestone floor with a clear clink.
Linley stopped what he was doing and bent down to pick it up.
It was a ring, black all over.
"This ring looks rather nice," Linley muttered. Without giving it much thought, he turned, picked up the broom, and continued sweeping the dust from the courtyard.
He did not know that this seemingly ordinary Coiling Dragon Ring actually harbored a mysterious soul.
Nor did he know that it was a damaged Sovereign Artifact from his ancestor, the Azure Dragon Sovereign, containing three drops of Sovereign's Might and one drop of azure dragon essence blood. It would change his life completely, opening a door to the pinnacle of power and beginning an immortal, legendary journey belonging to a Dragonblood Warrior.
Meanwhile, in the manor's front courtyard, Hillman stood by a window, gazing toward the distant ancestral house. The corners of his mouth slowly lifted into a faint smile, and a trace of relief flashed in his eyes.
The ring had finally reached Linley's hands after all.
All that remained was to wait for the eaglet to spread its wings and soar into the heavens.
Before you continue