Chapter 28: The Golden Era’s Gambit

  I lifted my gaze toward the horizon,as if reading a map of destinies yet to be written.

  The Golden Era will become a battlefield between humans and demons—and I am determined to be the one who quenches its flames.

  I have time—enough to rearrange the chessboard,to set each piece in its rightful place for the change to come.

  No—the Red Dragon Clan will not vanish.

  They will hide in the shadows, waiting,to return stronger when the moment arrives.

  This game is not about the ancestor of the black serpent alone;

  I will draw my own clan into it—make them a force impossible to ignore.

  In the end, the lifespans of dragon lineages

  cannot be measured by days or years.

  My ultimate goal is to seize control of the Golden Era—

  and for that, I will play this game to its very end.

  Ah, the world is decaying,its energy dwindling with every breath of time—but that will not weaken my resolve.

  If anything… it will hasten my plan.

  That is why I’ve decided to record everything I experience—a book titled “Secrets Across the Ages.

  It will be my chronicle, my reflection—a record of my journey through eras,my visions, my calculations,and every step I take toward reshaping the fate of this world.

  After three days—

  After mastering the ability to fly and enhancing my combat strength through the Original Frost Flame, I finally obtained the Body of the Sun and Moon. Now… I can perfectly control the elements of ice and snow.

  Mia spoke in a curious tone,Brother, where’s the gift you promised me?”

  I smiled faintly and replied,I’m sorry, sister… I must have gotten lost in thought and forgotten. Well then, here’s the gift I’ve prepared for you.

  I then brought forth a cold flame that danced between my palms, resembling the one I once melted into.

  Mia stepped back, astonishment flashing in her eyes.

  “What is this white flame? And why is it so cold?

  I said calmly,This is the Original Frost Flame, the cold fire. After merging with it, you too will obtain the Body of the Sun and Moon.

  This flame possesses the ability to devour any other flame of equal level to grow stronger.

  Although it’s merely a branch of the original flame… don’t worry,this spark alone is capable of enhancing your very foundation in a remarkable way.

  Mia smiled with confidence and said,Alright, brother. I trust you. I’ll merge with it now.

  I nodded gently, watching her with cautious eyes.

  Alright, sister… I’ll protect you until the merging is complete.

  She answered firmly,Okay.

  In truth, the last request I made to the Vampire Progenitor was to divide the Original Flame into two parts — the Main Flame and the Branch Flame.

  Although the branch is inferior to the original, it still possesses the power to bestow the Body of the Sun and Moon, allowing Mia to control and train in the elements of ice and snow with flawless mastery.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Anyway, it was mentioned in the novel that after William’s ascension and the arrival of beings from other worlds into this realm, one of them discovered a tomb belonging to his true ancestor.

  It seems that very tomb was the resting place of the Vampire Progenitor himself.

  However, now I am the first person to have found it — and I obtained his inheritance before anyone else.

  In the original story, even though the tomb’s location was later revealed, no one managed to obtain the inheritance of the Vampire Progenitor or the Legacy of the King of Magical Creatures, for both had already been taken by the hero who possessed the artifact of time travel.

  But now… it’s impossible for things to unfold the same way as in the original tale—

  because I have already obtained the inheritance long before the hero ever appeared.

  In the original story, this event was mentioned in the chapter that described the Vampire King.

  However, that no longer holds any meaning to me.

  My current plan… is to seize the opportunity of the Golden Lion’s appearance, and then enter the Tomb of the Venom Emperor.

  While Mia was merging with the Branch Flame, I began examining the contents of the storage ring I had acquired from the Vampire Progenitor.

  The ring contained an enormous quantity of rare materials — herbs,elixirs, and pills of various grades.

  Some of them I couldn’t even recognize, but what caught my attention the most were the imperial-grade elixirs and pills.

  Such materials are extremely rare… extinct since ancient times.

  Yet among all those treasures, one thing surpassed them all in value —ten bottles of Life Essence!

  Life Essence… a legendary substance that vanished before the Age of Emperors, mentioned only in the oldest myths.

  And now, within my hands — ten full bottles of it!

  Just a single drop of Life Essence would be enough to make a Sacred Emperor abandon his pride and beg for it.

  But me… I possess ten bottles, and each one holds no less than a hundred drops!

  If the elders of the ancient clans were to learn of this, they would be so shocked they might cough up blood on the spot.

  There was also the Mist-Ice Flower — a rare treasure that blooms only once every ten thousand years.

  Had I found it a week ago, I wouldn’t have cared much.

  But now… after gaining the ability to cultivate the element of ice, this flower has become a priceless treasure, one that deepens my understanding of the ice element itself.

  I also found the Sun-Yin Flower — another treasure of great value.

  However, those treasures can wait for now.

  What truly ignited my excitement… was the discovery of Imperial-grade Marrow and Bone Cleansing Pills, capable of purifying the very blood and foundation of the body.

  These pills are not ordinary medicine.

  Once consumed, they purify my marrow and blood entirely,enhancing my natural abilities and strength to an unbelievable degree.

  And now… I possess more than a dozen of these rare pills.

  In this era, obtaining a high-grade elixir is nearly impossible—

  especially something on the level of Marrow and Blood Cleansing Pills.

  Compared to ninth-grade pills, imperial-grade pills are treasures beyond value—not only because of their immense medicinal effects,

  but because their very existence could throw the entire world into chaos.

  Crafting an imperial-grade elixir requires vast quantities of heavenly materials and earthly treasures,as well as the pure energy of heaven and earth themselves.

  It is a process both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

  According to the ancient records—when an imperial-grade elixir was refined in past ages,the released energy would cause destruction spanning a thousand miles,

  due to the staggering amount of energy consumed in the process.

  The energy of the world itself would merge into those elixirs,

  turning them into the true embodiment of an Emperor’s power in alchemy.

  For that very reason, the number of elixirs at this level is extremely limited.

  To create an imperial-grade pill, the alchemist must be a true Alchemy Emperor.

  Thus, in this age, producing one has become virtually impossible.

  Even those capable of refining ninth-grade elixirs are as rare as the jewels of heaven—let alone someone who could reach the imperial level.

  It is utterly impossible for anyone below the realm of an Alchemy Emperor to succeed in such refinement.

  That fact alone shows just how impossible it is to obtain such an elixir in our current age.

  To become a ninth-grade alchemist, one must at least be a True Saint Alchemy Master.

  And at this very moment…

  No matter how many eighth- or ninth-grade elixirs lie within my storage ring,they all pale in comparison to the imperial-grade Marrow and Blood Cleansing Pills.

  This is the undeniable truth!

  Refining a pill of this level does not merely require the power of an Alchemy Emperor, but also a profound understanding of rare medicinal herbs and ancient treasures.

  Yet even with all these resources available, the success rate of refining a single imperial-grade pill does not exceed ten percent.

  That alone is enough to prove how incredibly difficult and complex these pills are.

  Many may not realize these truths—but I, as a traveler through time, know them all too well.

  The pill before me is not just medicine…

  it is a dream realized.

  It is exactly what I need at this very moment.

  For both beast clans and humans alike, the Marrow and Blood Cleansing Pill stands as a ruler among pills—a symbol of absolute majesty and supreme power.

  Upon consuming it, if one’s body carries an imperial bloodline, that bloodline will awaken instantly.

  But if it does not reach that level, the body’s strength will be enhanced beyond imagination,and the bloodline may even ascend to the Saint level at the very least.

  Compared to this pill, eighth- and ninth-grade elixirs seem utterly worthless.

  It may not emit a healing aura, nor release any scent of power—yet when you gaze into it carefully…you can see within its golden half the faint silhouette of an ancient emperor,diminished a thousandfold, as if slumbering within its eternal depths.

  The golden hue symbolizes nobility and grandeur,befitting the Emperor of Medicine himself.

  But what makes it even more extraordinary is the golden-purple glow that envelopes it—a mark of unparalleled strength and divine nobility.

  Without hesitation, I picked up one of those pills and swallowed it.

  The moment it began to take effect within me,I felt an immense flame erupt inside my body—burning through my meridians, bones, and blood all at once.

  The pain intensified with each passing second;my internal organs were set ablaze,and all that scorching energy converged into the Dragon Heart lying dormant within me.

  Then, from the depths of my being,a majestic dragon’s roar thundered outward—energy and blood surging through my veins like rivers of fire.

  The roar echoed through my entire existence,resonating within my meridians,reforming my very being anew.

  The Dragon Heart began to heal at an astonishing rate under the pill’s effect,as the process of marrow cleansing and blood purification reached its peak,remolding my body beyond anything it had ever been.

  And in that instant—my body exploded with a terrifying aura beyond description.

  The ground beneath me trembled violently,as if an ancient dragon had awakened from its eternal slumber…and above me, the phantom of a crimson dragon rose,its thunderous roar splitting the heavens apart.

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