The Price of Recklessness and Ancient Secrets

“Pfft.” Su Han coughed out a mouthful of clotted blood. “I never imagined that a Corpse Explosion Art, activated by igniting one’s own body, could wield such immense power!”

In that very moment, Su Han finally grasped the profound truth of the adage: ‘the formidable fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear those who have nothing left to lose.’ Never provoke a madman; desperate individuals are truly terrifying. The retribution unleashed at any cost is indeed horrifying.

‘Fortunately, I overextended my stamina to cast Time Stagnation!’ she thought. ‘However, it seems I won’t be able to use it for the entire next month.’ Though it failed to confine the explosion itself, the spell had successfully frozen the space around Su Han, allowing her to narrowly escape death.

Su Han brushed the dust from her clothes, then rose to survey the area where the explosion had flung her.

Beside her lay a six-pointed star array, intricately woven with strange symbols. Judging by the magical elemental fluctuations, it appeared to be a necromantic magic pattern, though its specific grade remained unknown.

Following the tropes of fantasy novels, Su Han boldly decided to experiment. She dripped her fresh blood into the center of the six-pointed star array.

Immediately, a flash of white light enveloped her, and Su Han vanished.

The six-pointed star array then dimmed.

“Hmm? Why do I sense a familiar aura?” Zhan Ling flapped his wings, soaring over the six-pointed star array. He suddenly caught a familiar scent, prompting a flicker of confusion.

A single, frost-white dragon horn lay before her, over a foot long and perfectly intact. It was crystalline, almost transparent, shimmering with specks of light—mysterious and eerie, unsettling the heart.

Dense, intricate runes were carved across the dragon horn. Upon closer inspection, they revealed themselves as peculiar, ancient characters, covering both its front and back, numbering in the tens of thousands!

“These characters include ancient dragon script, primeval demon tongue, and even the handwriting of gods!” Su Han remarked, her voice trembling as she read the archaic words, unable to calm her racing heart. “However, they all seem to be incomplete magic spells…”

“And here… this is human language!” she exclaimed, her eyes widening. “It appears to record ancient secret histories!”

“Destroyer Dragons enslaving the Dragon Race? High Elves enslaving the Elf Race? Gods enslaving humanity? The War of Titans and Dragons, Abyssal Demons clashing with the Gods, the rise of the Asura Race, primordial magical beasts…” The more Su Han read, the more her heart pounded with dread.

She had never imagined that this single dragon horn would chronicle so much of the continent’s hidden past!

As Su Han continued her study, the pristine, jade-white dragon horn suddenly radiated a chilling, bone-piercing killing intent, becoming unbearable.

“What’s happening? Can I not continue reading?” she wondered, her gaze fixed on the horn. “Is it an earth-shattering secret, or is my strength simply insufficient?” The horn glowed with a crystalline luster, yet its terrifying killing intent threatened to cleave her soul.

At that moment, Su Han felt as though she stood in a land of extreme cold, the chill biting to the bone. It was as if she faced millions of wailing souls, with mountains of corpses and seas of blood manifesting before her eyes.

By the time Su Han snapped back to reality, she was drenched in a cold sweat. She promptly placed the dragon horn into her storage ring for safekeeping, intending to examine it in greater detail another day.

Unbeknownst to her, the text on the dragon horn was quietly devoured by the Nine Netherworld Flames within her storage ring, transforming into its own nourishment. Having accomplished its task, it once again lay dormant.

“By the way, where exactly am I?”

Su Han cast her gaze around.

She saw countless gravestones standing tall, while eerie, terrifying ghost flames drifted eerily between them. Accompanied by the mournful whispers of the cold wind, an involuntary shiver ran down her spine.

The entire graveyard was carved within a hollow mountain belly. A single glance revealed thousands upon thousands of gravestones, with faint phosphorescent fires hovering above the tombs, like countless pale green fireflies. From a distance, the scene was bathed in a ghostly green glow.

Wind occasionally swept through the vast mountain interior, its sounds rising and falling, like whimpers or groans, sending shivers down anyone’s spine.

“A familiar scent…” Sensing the faint wisps of dragon prestige, Su Han gasped, “This is the Dragon Graveyard! The Dragon’s Slumbering Ground!”

Observing the colorful gems embedded in the gravestones, which periodically shimmered with alluring light, she knew without a doubt that these were the crystal cores of giant dragons.

Feeling the pervasive dragon prestige in the air, Su Han immediately confirmed their identity as dragon crystal cores.

“But, who built this Dragon Graveyard?” Su Han understood that she had arrived at the legendary dragon burial ground, the final resting place for all deceased giant dragons.

However, these gravestones clearly weren’t natural formations; they must have been man-made. This raised the question: who had constructed this mausoleum?

Just as Su Han pondered this, she suddenly felt a terrifying magical fluctuation permeating the surroundings.

Without any warning or sign, the normally docile and calm magical elements inexplicably turned violent in an instant. It felt as though a serene, sunny day had suddenly erupted into a furious storm.

Dark clouds gathered, thunder roared, and lightning flashed. Surging magical fluctuations, like howling gales and raging tides, instantly conjured a magical storm within the Dragon Graveyard!

Su Han clearly saw that less than a hundred meters from her, the golden-haired youth she had seen earlier was holding a staff, chanting obscure and incomprehensible incantations. The tempestuous magical fluctuations emanated directly from him.

In that moment, Su Han could scarcely believe her eyes. She simply could not fathom that this golden-haired youth, who appeared to be no more than seventeen or eighteen, somewhat slender with a pale complexion, and seemingly always wearing a gentle smile, wielded such formidable magical power.

The Dragon Graveyard was dim, yet blazing magical elements surged, painting the sky a fiery red, like a perpetual sunset. The magical afterglow warmed her body, making her feel a comforting heat.

The golden gem at the tip of the staff shimmered, and the trembling magical fluctuations emanated from Luo Shang. An immense, orange sun abruptly appeared above the Dragon Graveyard, radiating searing magical energy.

The sheer terror it invoked was palpable, and its magical majesty even overshadowed the dragon prestige within the Dragon Graveyard, surpassing it entirely!

Luo Shang, who had raised his staff, slowly lowered it. The orange sun descended in tandem, and with a resounding boom, the holy spirit magical elements crashed outwards in towering waves, impacting everything in their path.

Entire legions of skeletal dragons were instantly pulverized by this colossal magical strike. No, it would be more accurate to say that not even dust remained!

“The battle here is over. Now it’s Bai Que’s turn!” Luo Shang retracted his staff and descended from the air, landing precisely beside Su Han. “Why are you here?”

…On the other side

Within the swirling black smoke, a tall figure suddenly appeared. From a distance, it seemed to be a young man in his early twenties, clad in a black cloak, with a pale face. An aura of elegance and composure enveloped him, much like the high-ranking elven nobles of the fabled Dark Ages.

However, his eerie, blood-red eyes immediately betrayed his true nature: this individual was undeniably a genuine, high-level vampire.

“I, Noikot, the great God Child of the Blood Race, have finally returned!” Noikot howled. Then, he paused. “Hmm? Strange, how did humans get here? Weren’t they all suppressed by the Gods…”

“Lord Noikot, it seems you haven’t quite woken up yet~” Bai Que smiled faintly.

“Hmm? Have those gods all died out then?”

“Whether the gods are dead or not, I wouldn’t know. But I am certainly not human, so open your eyes and take a good look!” With these words, the captivating black flames on Bai Que’s back reignited, shooting towards Noikot with blazing speed.

“Hmm? Soul-burning black flames? Oh, so it’s a young one from the Asura Race~ However,” Noikot’s eyes sharpened instantly, and he roared, “Isn’t it rather disrespectful for a junior to attack an elder?”

“Heh, Noikot, you’re nothing but an insignificant pawn in Yuan’s hands. Why talk to me about seniority?” Bai Que scoffed, a sneer gracing his lips.

“Nonsense! I am Lord Yuan’s most beloved subordinate!” Hearing the name Yuan, Noikot’s emotions stirred uncontrollably.

“He sent you to guard the Dragon Graveyard, but his main purpose was actually to banish you~”

“I am a God Child under Lord Yuan!”

“You needn’t try to sow discord among us blood kin; it’s useless,” Noikot declared. “I, Noikot, am Lord Yuan’s most loyal subordinate!” With that, he transformed into a swarm of blood-red spirit bats, lunging at Bai Que.

“Sow discord among the blood kin? I never intended to,” Bai Que chuckled. “After all, Yuan… he is my master!” Bai Que smiled, then met the swarm of blood-red spirit bats head-on.

“Within my clan, I had no talent; I was scorned,” Bai Que narrated calmly, recounting his past. “If I hadn’t met him, I would likely have remained a cripple.”

“I don’t know any flashy techniques, nor any magic, nor do I possess any combat aura talent. My bloodline concentration is merely high, and I know a few bloodline skills, like Soul Devouring Black Flames,” he continued. “But I only have one fighting style, and that is martial arts!”

“I was devoid of talent in every aspect, save for martial arts,” Bai Que explained. “He taught me the strongest martial arts, and so I created my own. Although I currently only have one move, it’s more than enough to deal with you!”

“Enough with the pointless chatter!” Noikot impatiently frowned, then transformed into a streak of blood-red light, launching his offensive against Bai Que.

“Asura Style One!” Bai Que declared, then moved. His physical body surpassed its perfect limits, completely shattering the spatial barrier, and directly pierced through the spatial wall to suddenly appear before Noikot.

With a single sweep of his large hand, Noikot was obliterated into dust.

“One move, and you’re finished!” Bai Que said, sweat beading on his forehead.

“After this move, Bai Que will be weakened for a month, utterly devoid of combat prowess,” Luo Shang calmly explained from the side.

“What?!”