Yun Ruoyan’s spirit slowly detached from her body, following Li Mo. The all-seeing mirror in front of them had already been activated, and Li Mo entered the trial with Yun Ruoyan.

She retraced her previous path, leading Li Mo to her oasis. “It’s right at the bottom of this lake.” Yun Ruoyan pointed at the lake, and both of them dove in.

As their spirits got close to the bottom of the lake, the eyes on Yun Ruoyan’s snake ring began to flash. The first elder’s gaze landed on the ring, and his expression turned severe. For some reason, he had a premonition that the Chenyuan continent would soon fall once more into the throes of war.

As Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo approached the bottom of the grotto, Yun Ruoyan was propelled forward by an unseen force. On the other hand, Li Mo was pushed backward, as though he were being treated as an unwelcome guest.

“Little fellow, you’ve finally returned?” A low voice rang out from the bottom of the pond, one that both Li Mo and Yun Ruoyan could hear. Compared to the voice of the demonic eyes, this voice felt even more aged and ancient. “But you’ve also brought an unwelcome guest with you…” 

“Who are you?” Yun Ruoyan asked.

“I’m the first elder of the demonic dragon clan. Little fellow, we’ve waited for you for an entire millennium, and you’ve finally shown up.”

Along with that voice, an illusion sprang up above the grotto—a sea of flames, one that filled her whole vision. Countless black dragons swam through the flames, calling out in sorrow and despair. The voices sounded so solemn and stirring that Yun Ruoyan began to grieve in sympathetic resonance.

Conversely, Li Mo saw countless fierce black dragons rushing at him. They bared their fangs and released their overpowering aura, roaring for him to leave.

“Yan’er, the concentration of spiritual energy here is too strong, and it might hurt even our spirits!” Li Mo twisted his head and shouted to Yun Ruoyan, but she didn’t seem to hear him. Instead, her eyes were glued to the illusion before her.

Li Mo tried to bring Yun Ruoyan away, but a black dragon suddenly surged forward and pounced at him.

“Yan’er!” Li Mo shouted, his spirit shredded and dissolving due to the sudden attack.

Li Mo woke up in shock, sweating profusely and spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

“Xun Mo, what’s going on?” the first elder hurriedly asked. Based on Li Mo’s cultivation, he wouldn’t spit out such a large amount of blood even if he had received heavenly punishment.

“What strong demonic energy! There’s a demonic dragon grave at the bottom of a lake in the trial grounds.” He turned to Yun Ruoyan, who lay motionlessly by his side. Her eyes were still tightly shut, and her face emotionless. “That spiritual energy seemed to reject my presence, but it pulled Yan’er forward.”

Li Mo extended a hand, trying to wake Yun Ruoyan, but the first elder quickly stopped him.

“Wait! Her spirit’s trapped in the secret realm, and if you forcefully wake her up, it could severely damage her spirit. Based on what you’ve mentioned, Yun Ruoyan’s unlikely to be in danger, so let’s wait and see what their plan is for her.”

Within the demonic dragon grave, the elder dragon continued speaking. “A millennium ago, the demonic dragon clan fell amidst great turmoil. None were spared, none but one. We’ve waited here for a whole thousand years for the sole remaining descendant of the demonic dragons, who will revive the clan’s glory!”

“Do you mean that I carry the demonic dragon bloodline?” Yun Ruoyan was incredulous. “You must surely be mistaken! I’m a scion of the Yun family, and I’m sure I wasn’t descended from dragons!”

“Child, you must believe me,” the voice continued. “None but a descendant of the bloodline would cause the dragon ring to respond to your call. You must have demonic dragon blood in you! You must be responsible for our rise!”

“Without any proof, I can’t believe your words.” Yun Ruoyan really couldn’t accept this new identity that had been foisted on her. “If this ring belongs to you, please take it back.”

She waited for a response, but none was forthcoming. Just as she was about to lose her patience, the demonic dragon finally spoke again. “I can temporarily take back the ring, and I won’t force you to accept your identity immediately. However, if you don’t believe my words, you can investigate your parentage for yourself. When you affirm your identity, return and find me. Make sure to keep this a secret, lest you attract the attention of our sworn enemies. And as for that lad you brought with you—stay away from him, he’s from a different clan!”

Yun Ruoyan slowly opened her eyes, and Li Mo’s concerned expression appeared in front of her.

“Yan’er, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Yun Ruoyan shook her head, then glanced at her right hand. Somehow, the dragon ring on her hand had vanished.

“When you awoke just now, your ring vanished. Yan’er, what did you see in that demonic dragon grotto?”

Yun Ruoyan wanted to reveal everything, but the dragon elder’s voice sounded in her ear once more: “Don’t reveal your identity, or you’ll invite danger! Exercise caution, caution!”

In the end, she only said, “They removed the ring from my grasp, asking where I had obtained it. I replied truthfully, telling them that I found it within the imperial realm, and then they let me leave.”

“Is that it?” the first elder seemed somewhat disbelieving.

“Yes, nothing else.” Yun Ruoyan leaned weakly against Li Mo’s shoulder.

Li Mo caressed Yun Ruoyan’s cheek tenderly. “Everything’ll be fine. It’s better for the ring to have vanished. If that’s all, Master, I’ll bring Yan’er to get some rest.” 

Before the first elder could respond, Li Mo carried Yun Ruoyan away. The first elder glanced at Li Mo’s back, a sudden glinting in his eyes. He brought her to a dark bedroom and tucked her in bed.

“Li Mo, don’t leave!” Yun Ruoyan pulled on his hand.

“Sleep. I won’t leave.” Li Mo patted her shoulder and stayed by her side, his head resting on the bed. Only then did Yun Ruoyan close her eyes in relief. Owing to her exhaustion, she quickly fell asleep.

“Yan’er, Yan’er!” In her dreams, a voice called out to her—her mother’s familiar voice.

“Mother, where are you, Mother?” Yun Ruoyan followed that voice into the Lin manor’s peach blossom grove.

“Yan’er, come over here.” Lin Yuemei’s voice grew closer and closer, and Yun Ruoyan ran in its direction. She fell down midway and climbed back up again, and she eventually found Lin Yuemei underneath a large peach blossom tree.

“Mother, I’ve found you! I’ve found you!” She ran toward Lin Yuemei’s lap. After taking two steps forward, however, she suddenly discovered that there was a man sitting beside her. His back was to Yun Ruoyan, and he was dressed in a silvery-white robe. Dark, inky hair draped his shoulders.

Although she couldn’t see the man’s face, Yun Ruoyan could sense that the man didn’t seem to belong in the mortal world.

“Mother, who is he?”

“Come.” Lin Yuemei extended a hand to Yun Ruoyan. “Meet your father.”

“What?” Yun Ruoyan stilled, hesitating. “He’s my father?”

Although she could only see the man’s back, Yun Ruoyan was certain that the man wasn’t Yun Lan.

“Mother, are you mistaken? My father’s the head of the Yun family, Yun Lan!”

“You silly child, I was the one who gave birth to you! How could I be mistaken? Come, let your father have a good look at you.” Lin Yuemei continued to smile as she motioned at Yun Ruoyan.

Yun Ruoyan slowly walked over, mystified. Right then, the man slowly turned his body around, revealing a blurry, indistinct face that Yun Ruoyan couldn’t make out. She walked closer in an attempt to see that face clearly, but it suddenly began to shift. Black scales slowly covered up the man’s face, and two black horns sprouted from the man’s head like bamboo shoots after rainfall.

Yun Ruoyan froze up in shock as she watched the man complete his transformation. Finally, he opened his blood-red eyes, and words poured out of his mouth: “Yan’er, I’m your father!”

“Argh!” Yun Ruoyan shouted loudly as she awoke from her nightmare, her head beading with sweat. Li Mo had left the side of her bed, but she could still hear some voices in the adjoining room outside.

Yun Ruoyan tried to calm down as she crept out of bed.

“Your Highness, the madam wanted me to ask when you’ll be taking action.” That was a stranger’s voice, polite and deferential.

“Please tell the madam that an unexpected event has delayed my plans,” Li Mo replied.

Madam? Who was this supposed madam? Was Li Mo married?

 Yun Ruoyan stopped in her tracks, listening quietly.

“Your Highness, the madam had me relay a message.”

“What did my mother say?”

“She reminded you not to forget the Beast King’s death, nor the sacrifices of his hundred thousand soldiers that day on the battlefield. Your personal affairs are incomparable to the needs and desires of the country at large.”

After a momentary silence, Li Mo replied coolly, “Tell my mother that I haven’t forgotten anything that shouldn’t be. My present actions are all for the purpose of my final goal.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Yun Ruoyan’s body slumped against one wall, cold sweat once again trickling down her forehead. A cold breeze blew, and Yun Ruoyan shivered. She faintly heard footsteps from outside and rushed back into bed, pretending that she was still asleep.

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