Shelley Chan’s words ignited a vigilance within Howard’s heart.
It had to be acknowledged that Quin Chan’s overt friendliness had indeed caused Howard to lower his guard.
Without Shelley’s warning, he might have unwittingly fallen into a trap, eliminating any chance of departure.
“Thank you for the warning,” Howard expressed his gratitude with solemn appreciation.
“No need for thanks. Your mentor paid with his life to buy me time, and you…” Shelley paused momentarily before continuing, “You’ve saved me as well. Both morally and emotionally, I owe you protection. But, this involves my family; I’m powerless to do more, so I can only caution you to be exceedingly careful.”
Having said her piece, Shelley Chan turned on her heel and departed.
Watching her retreating figure, Howard’s eyes narrowed slightly, sensing a shift in Shelley’s attitude towards him.
“Can’t be, just because of one night’s incident, she’s changed like this?” Howard’s mind was swarmed with incredulity. “This must be a mistake. She’s a top-tier warrior; shouldn’t her mind be as stable as Mount Tai?”
Howard was oblivious to the fact that Shelley Chan had never experienced such events before.
It would have been a true anomaly if her heart remained undisturbed after such tumultuous events.
Emotional state and strength were not always correlated!
“Anyway, let’s not dwell on these things, I should focus on resting properly.”
“It has to be said, the Chan family is genuinely peculiar. Instead of all these courtyards, why not construct a high-rise? Wouldn’t that be more efficient?”
“And Shelley’s name resembles ours, yet Quin Chan’s is different, almost akin to the names of legendary figures like General Dragonhart…”
Howard silently conversed with his thoughts as he swiftly yet meticulously surveyed the courtyard and his room.
Once assured of his safety, he reclined on the bed, allowing sleep to gradually overtake him.
Even so, before succumbing to slumber, Howard gripped a scroll in his hand, prepared to react at a moment’s notice should the need arise.
Meanwhile, when Shelley Chan returned to the chamber, the occupancy had grown.
Nine individuals convened—a quartet of elders, four youths, and one peculiar figure, no taller than a child, barely reaching the waists of the others.
However, aside from Quin Chan and the diminutive figure, all others bowed respectfully upon seeing Shelley, addressing her as “Third Elder”.
Shelley’s face was painted with embarrassment as she apologized, “Sorry, it was I who botched this matter.” 𝘪𝘦.𝘤𝑜
No reply came from the gathering, their silence speaking volumes of their discontent.
Only Quin Chan spoke up, “Enough, this was always a perilous affair. You’re the strongest we can deploy from our clan. Failure is an outcome we must accept.”
“Fortuitously, the one who forged the Soul Blood Pact with the Divine Dragon was brought back by you, and has not fallen into others’ hands.”
The small figure then spoke, “Let’s discuss how to deal with that fellow, shall we?”
“Why not… eliminate him? Have the Guardian Divine Dragon extract the blood from his body, then find a lifeless dragon egg to birth a new Divine Dragon?” one immediately suggested.
Their lack of familiarity with Howard made such a suggestion all too feasible.
“Inappropriate!”
The diminutive figure instantly objected, “The Guardian Divine Dragon no longer possesses the energy to nurture a second Divine Dragon. This man must be preserved. Think, how can we bind him to our Chan clan?”
At this, furrowed brows were exchanged among the others in a look of collective consternation.
Shelley Chan alone felt a silent relief within her heart.
“How about marriage? We can bind him by marrying him to a woman of our clan. Once he sires offspring carrying our Chan bloodline, the growth of the Divine Dragon can resume, and a new one can be birthed in time.”
“I am aware of a puppeteering technique that allows for flawless control over someone without harming their life!”
Voices overlapped as various methods were proposed, plunging the room into a heated debate.
Meanwhile, Howard, deep in slumber, found himself in a gilded world.
The Oriental Divine Dragon he had merged with earlier once again appeared before him, now seeming exceedingly frail.
“What’s wrong?” Howard immediately inquired.
His life was now bound to that of the Oriental Divine Dragon; its death would spell his own demise.
A weak draconic hum began, which to Howard’s ears transformed into human speech.
“I should not have been born at this time. It was the sensing of a dire life-and-death crisis that led me to hatch prematurely. However, my energy has been excessively drained. I don’t know what you’ve experienced, but you drew copious amounts of vital essence from me. Now, I might not hold on much longer.”
Hearing this, Howard’s cheeks flushed slightly.
He didn’t need to speculate; the draining of essence the Divine Dragon referred to was undoubtedly the potent energy released during his intimate encounter with Shelley Chan.
From that experience, Howard too had reaped considerable benefits, even comprehending an SSS-level talent skill!
“How can I save you?” Howard urgently asked, though internally he marveled at the Oriental Divine Dragon’s advanced intelligence.
Despite its recent birth, it already possessed such mature cognition and communication ability.
“Merge completely! Only through a total fusion can the two of us survive!”
“But be warned, in doing so, you’ll enter the Draconic State. Before complete Draconization, every breakthrough will be accompanied by an ordeal!”
The dragon’s eyes gleamed with a renewed brightness as it spoke.
Howard knew refusal wasn’t an option. He nodded, “How do we merge completely?”
“Let us… become one,” the dragon declared.
Despite its weakened state, the Oriental Divine Dragon moved swiftly towards Howard, spiraling around him.
Buzz—
As the dragon abruptly burrowed into Howard’s body, a wave of intense agony swept through him like a relentless tide, battering his soul and senses.
The Oriental Divine Dragon navigated through Howard’s meridians, devouring as it went.
Indeed, it consumed Howard’s entire vascular and meridian system!
This was no harm, however; as it devoured Howard’s vessels and meridians, segment after segment of dragon bone materialized within him, replacing the meridians, with blood as red as rubies and marrow as golden as the sun flowing within.
The so-called fusion meant the dragon itself transformed into Howard’s extraordinary meridians and flesh.
Despite the significant enhancement, the process was agonizingly painful, akin to being flayed and having one’s muscles stripped.
Even Howard, accustomed to endurance, found it nearly unbearable. His cries of anguish echoed relentlessly!
Time trickled by slowly.
After an indeterminate period, the skies suddenly churned with thunder and lightning as a storm raged.
A golden apparition of the Oriental Divine Dragon soared heavenward, swirling and dancing over the Crimson Dragon City.
Its sonorous roar reverberated across the heavens, instantly drawing the gaze of every soul within the city.
“Divine Dragon!”
“It’s the Divine Dragon, the Chan family’s guardian has revealed itself once again!”
“Ha ha ha, with the Divine Dragon’s presence, the Chan family will surely protect our Crimson Dragon City for another three hundred years!”
To the citizens of Crimson Dragon City, the Divine Dragon was no stranger. Now, they were all stirred into excitement, cheering vociferously.
After all, the Chan family was the guardian lineage of the entire Crimson Dragon City.
Without them, one could only imagine the tribulations that might befall the city.
Thus, the rise of the Chan family sparked joy in their hearts.
It wasn’t just the common folk; the whole of the Chan family was abuzz with fervor.
Even Quin Chan and his counterparts, previously deep in discussion within a secret chamber, were startled by the dragon’s roar and hastily exited.
Upon witnessing the golden dragon effigy commanding the winds and summoning lightning, even manipulating thunder, they all fell into a hushed awe.
With their keen sight, they recognized that the golden figure in the sky was Howard!
Of course, this did not mean that Howard had transformed into a dragon, but rather that he had acquired the ability to conjure the dragon’s spectral form.
At this moment, his hands were sheathed in thick dragon scales, assuming the appearance of a five-clawed golden dragon, complete with an additional tail sprouting from his back.
Aside from these, he looked no different from an ordinary man, save for his somewhat enhanced physique.
Clutching his fists tightly, Howard felt a burgeoning power within him, akin to an explosion waiting to happen, and it sent a rush of exhilaration through him.
He had never anticipated such an enhancement. 𝘪𝘦.𝘤𝑜
Now, despite Howard’s level remaining at LV30, he could easily match the prowess of a typical LV70 awakened being.
Even if they were garbed in Gold-grade or Diamond-grade equipment, they might not surpass him in attributes.
However, the Oriental Divine Dragon had lost its corporeal form, completely merging with Howard to the point where only its soul could manifest as an ethereal shadow.
“All right, we can descend now!”
After reveling in his newfound strength, Howard looked up and signalled to the circling Oriental Divine Dragon to temper its power.
He wasn’t oblivious; he could sense the many eyes that were now trained on him.
With another roar that resounded through the air, the dragon’s silhouette shrank.
Even as a mere shadow, it alighted on Howard’s shoulder, an image of intimacy and companionship.
As the dragon withdrew its formidable energy, the dark clouds swiftly dissipated, and the thunder ceased its dance.
Howard gently descended back into the courtyard of his dwelling.
He was aware that the people of the Chan family would be coming to seek him out soon.
𝑖.𝘤ℴ𝘮