Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

"You’re not the All-Immortal Dragon, but her...daughter?" Yan Zaizen had been running off the assumption that the All-Immortal Dragon was the target of the Ruin Emperor and others. Supposedly, this was something that Celestial Seers deduced. They were seen as nearly all-knowing existences.

Yri was absolutely confident of this, but now that he thought about it, the Seers were wrong or sometimes incorrect yet not. For example, the Soul Source Path’s direction and difficulty. They were right in that it was a path, from Divine to Immortal, but he was also living proof that they were not.

It seemed they could only glimpse into the workings of some things and not others, at least not accurately.

"No. I’m ’an’ All-Immortal Dragon, but that’s our Race, not us individually. In much the same way that you’re a Lycah, but other Lycahs aren’t you. I won’t call you Lycah, only the first of your kind." The woman explained patiently. It seemed this misunderstanding made her a little frustrated as she curled her lips. A trace of crimson blood seemed to follow and drip down.

Yan Zaizen wasn’t shocked that she knew his race, but he was shocked that the All-Immortal Dragon was a race, not an individual.

"Doesn’t that mean you and your mother isn’t the only of your kind?" Yan Zaizen understood there were a few preconditions for a species to give birth to a race of individuals. The most important was that there had to be a male and female in the race. Otherwise, it would just be called a mutation.

The lycahs wouldn’t call a green-colored skinned full-blood baby a new race. That would be ridiculous.

The woman revealed a light of compliment in her eyes, "Yes. I am my mother’s youngest, with eight other siblings. However..." that light swiftly shifted to one of sadness and pain. It wasn’t concealed but clearly revealed, despite her bloody appearance and nakedness, Yan Zaizen felt a sudden urge to hug and console a delicate flower.

That thought went out the window as quickly as it came. If he did that, who knew if this woman would slap him to death.

A silence permeated the air. This air was filled with a sense of tragedy. Yan Zaizen lightly coughed, attempting to break this atmosphere. Only then did the woman snap out of her thoughts and regained her smiling demeanor.

"My name’s Saphira All-Central." She finally introduced herself.

’All-Central? Interesting name.’ Yan Zaizen thought quietly. He knew there had to be a deeper meaning within her name, but now, he felt it was best to leave such deep, intimate questions for later.

"Yan Zaizen," he also introduced himself.

"Oh? Yan? Zen?" Saphira revealed a look of shock. This was the first time Yan Zaizen had seen this expression and was even more shocked by what caused it. He knew that by humanoid standard, especially Lycahs, they had a unique naming sense.

For Lycahs, they would often use a format of: Ancestral Name -> True Name + Family Name.

Ancestral meant their families name in general. For example, Ya and Yan was meant for their overall bloodline. As for True Name, it’s the name unique to them. Yan Zaizen’s family and Pinaka often called him Zai or Zai’er. Family name meant the branch of their bloodlines.

Yan Zaizen meant he was from the Yan Clan and the Zen Branch. It allowed a greater sense to determine a person’s origin and status.

"Haha!" She started to laugh softly. It sounded like the hymn of water dragons, smooth and refreshing. "Fate is such an interesting thing. To think you’re ’his’ descendant, incredible is the workings of fate. Not even the heavens can control it."

"His? Are you talking about my Ancestor?" Yan Zaizen knew that his Ancestor likely left the Mimicry Regalia of the Heavens; after all, he had his bloodline and thereby can cultivate in it. Otherwise, even glimpsing into the law of mimicry was like seeing the Law of Nothing - IMPOSSIBLE.

"Yes, your Ancestor, " Saphira laughingly stated. "Do you know who your Ancestor is?"

Yan Zaizen felt a throb in his heart. He didn’t. The clan was small, nearly insignificant and small, located in a small Xiantu Realm. How could it be extraordinary? How could the All-Immortal Dragon’s daughter know of his ancestor?

In fact, Yan Zaizen wasn’t even sure of his name, but he knew some clues. However, none of it was or could actually verified.

After all, the Yan Bloodline was related to the Heavenly Law of Mimicry. A law so profound that it defied the heavens. Truthfully, he suspected that it was the law of heaven as it didn’t have an Avatar before. However, he had gained a little control over the Law of Heaven and therefore knew that wasn’t the case. At least, it wasn’t that type of law of heaven.

"You came from the Thirty-Three Heavens, the ultimate expression of the Law of Mimicry." She smiled, but her smile contained a hint of mocking and disdain.

"What?!" Yan Zaizen mind was blown. "What...what do you mean?" He didn’t know why his heart was beating faster by the minute. It was as if her words would answer a long-time question of his: What is the Thirty-Three Heavens?

Unfortunately, she didn’t continue. Her eyes stared at Yan Zaizen. Those deep, jet black eyes seemed unfathomable. She only said in a very solemn voice, "Your fate is trying to shift..."

Those eyes contained an incomparable seriousness. Even her teeth clenched as she showed her canine teeth. They were sharp. Actually, they could be called dragon teeth. It seemed habits of her dragon form couldn’t be removed as her throat growled slightly. She almost looked like a ravenous dragon ready to attack.

Yan Zaizen was startled.

Was his fate changing? What did that mean? Just as he was about to demand an answer, his brain became a rumbling tornado of thoughts and conflicting actions, his body convulsed as he clutched at his heart and head.

"Garhhh! W-why..." His entire body started to experience an acute sense of pain. It was like a quintillion needles jabbing and twisting in his nerves. It was excruciating. His senses sweep his body only to find nothing out of place or happening. Even his soul was calm, but his body continued to experience pain randomly.

A light of realization emerged in her eyes as she softly muttered, "I see...you can’t learn this from me. Haha, interesting." She didn’t seem too bothered by Yan Zaizen’s pain. In fact, she just calmly waited for a while analyzing his body and casually commented, "To think, Ancestor of the False King, beloved by a universe, created from those two, and you even have ’it’. Glaurung didn’t lie to me!"

Yan Zaizen’s pain didn’t subside. In fact, just from hearing her words his body was experiencing a mode of flight or fight. His eyes widened, and his heavenly might exploded. A surge of paragon soul force emerged, surging like an endless tornado protectively around his body.

An amber-gold light highlighted the outline of his body. A powerful, unyieldingly tyrannical dao energy circulated rapidly.

Red lines, crimson and bloody, emerged in his eyes as if strained to its absolute limit. His brain, his physical brain, was literally screaming to its utmost. It told him one thing: Do something!

This something was vague but he knew it was run away or fight to the death. It was as if not doing so would lead to his immediate demise.

A manifestation of a golden sphere appeared behind him. It was a Heavenly Manifestation, one that was too familiar to him. It was the actual Law of Heaven avatar, including all Mortal and World Laws.

Sephira’s eyes brightened, "Yan! Zen! Fascinating, not only did you do it, you even inseminated your bloodline with the key! The celestials will definitely do everything to obtain it...and everyone else will...haha, haha, fate! Truly fate! A river of blood and gold, trial of three lives, and the savior of the Dragon Race!!" Her voice became faintly hysterical, spouting off various things. It was uncharacteristic to her maternal and gentle voice earlier.

"Argh!!!" Yan Zaizen felt his body was tottering, feeling as if it was going to explode. He tried to plug his ears, but dragon language was unique and directly entered his soul through a special frequency.

"Why are you doing this?!" He didn’t know why listening to this would shift his fate and why it would cause him to feel like death was a breath away. However, he wouldn’t back down. Even if his body wanted him to run or fight, it was his choice, his will, and he would never allow something or someone dictate his actions. Even the Non-Verse only gave him helpful hints, and he could choose to act on it or not.

"Haha, fine. I won’t say anything about those matters again. I swear the Oath of Kasi." Her words were said carelessly, even had a little dissatisfaction in it. However, those words were like literal magic as Yan Zaizen felt immediate relief.

His body went from 0 to a 100 and then back to 0 incredibly quick. He bent his waist, his breathing heavy, and his mind circulating endlessly.

He imprinted her every word to his heart. Luckily, he wasn’t stupid enough to ask more.

"Since that’s the case, I’ll get to the point. I need you to send separate a portion of your soul, cleanse it of all traces, and enter it into this." She extended her jade-like hand and flipped her palm. An egg appeared within.