Chapter 2

Qilong guided her to the back their castle. When he pushed a mobile marble rock at the expansive gravel entrance, the stone door lifted, unveiling a long corridor that stretched into darkness. The next second, their presence was greeted by a gentle flood of light, making its way to the far end and illuminating the entire walkway beneath the vault.

Xue'er stepped in, her eyes fixed on the iced cuboids nailed into the wall behind every two ionic pillars. She glided her touch across the coffins and sliced her finger on the sharp edge, drawing blood into view.

A ritual to remind herself of the pain and suffering they had gone through.

She extended her hand toward the illuminating azurites hovering above the coffins. A soft wave of blue radiance emanated from her palm, gracefully streaming towards the stones and intensifying their ethereal glow.

Preserving their dragon bodies was the only thing Long Sheng Jie could do.

"Come on, Xue'er." Qilong's echo came through.

She withdrew her force and headed over to her master.

The center—Ring of Deity—branched into four segregated paths, each leading to unrevealed passages behind the large white stones ahead. Though Qilong wore a smile, it was only when she held his hand that she realized the shades of hesitation her master was trying hard to hide.

"I'm going to be alright, Master," she whispered. A glint of white shone through her palm as she stroked the racing pulse surfacing under his skin. "Don't worry."

"Thanks, Xue'er." He squeezed it back, and they walked toward the last channel on the left.

Behind the white stone, wispy clouds drifted to their feet. The moment they stepped on them, the clouds gracefully parted, enveloping them in a woolly embrace while guiding them to the border of the mortal world. Xue'er sensed her master tighten his grip on her. However, this time, she pursed her lips and stared ahead, pretending like she didn't notice.

As Qilong brushed away the clouds hindering their path, a lonely wooden bridge came into view. Xue'er had yet to set foot on it when thousands of dragons, struggling to escape the border, materialized before her eyes. Among them was Xiao Xun—his cracked blue scales drenched in blood, his eyes pleading to be saved.

"Stay back," Qilong instructed, snapping her back to herself.

At the far end of the bridge, the entrance to an ascending cliff began to distort, transforming into a vortex. Pulsating waves crackled within, their swirling currents releasing a strong gust of air, beckoning the next target to step through.

"We're right on time." Qilong took out a glowing red potion from his white sash. "Drink this."

"What's this?"

"You'll find out if the time comes." He flashed her a benign smile.

At the sight of that, Xue'er's expression softened, and she gulped it down without hesitation. She knew her master would never harm her; after all, only in front of him could she free the weakling in her.

As soon as she finished it, something foreign ignited in her. She could feel it—something crawling under her skin, coursing through her blood, searching for a place to settle. It wasn't painful or sweet, but rather a neutral sensation, to which her body seemed to be overreacting. The tingling lingered for a few seconds, a whisper of something new, before it gradually faded away.

"Nice." Qilong patted her head and stroked the fine silver chains tucked behind her ears.

Silver belonged to dragons, blue belonged to TinXi—the border keepers—and gold belonged to the Almighty Dragon King, Long Shen. The more chains one possessed, the higher their status.

Right then, he thrust his hand toward her chest, drawing out a radiant white glow. It was too sudden. Her body arched like it had been pulled forward by a strong wave of energy. She staggered to regain her balance.

Fixing his eyes on the tenuous puff in his hand, Qilong began chanting long phrases of random words that Xue'er couldn't understand. He gently pushed the left lapel of her cross-collar shirt aside and placed his palm just below her collarbone.

Light flashed. Her body went numb.

It took a while for the dragon-shaped mark to fully emerge—the breath of her immortality.

"Kneel before me, Xue'er," Qilong commanded.

"Yes." She got down on her knees and bowed.

"Under the alias Miracle Watson, you'll live among a group of TinXi and disguise your identity by enrolling in Stellaerio High School. You'll stop Mynheex from feeding on mortals' hearts, crush the fallen angels' hopes of claiming the world of mortality, and, last but not least, keep the mortals away from them at all costs. Do you hear me?"

"Yes."

"This mark darkens every time you use your elements without external protection and when the mortals suspect your identity. The mortal world has long been contaminated with evil energy. Our mark can no longer stay hidden in their world. So you have to hide it from mortals, lest they get suspicious. You can't afford any unnecessary darkening to it, especially with the evils still going strong out there. Now, Miracle Watson, do you obey these with no regrets?"

"Yes. I obey them with no regrets."

"All right, you're good to go."

Xue'er brushed the new white bulge on her skin as Qilong helped her up. "I'll never let the mortals find out."

She was only one stride away from stepping onto the bridge when her master suddenly pulled her back for a hug. This time, it was much longer.

"Come back alive, my white dragon," he whispered. "Come back before the mark turns fully black."