Chapter 300: The Dragon Elder

On the floor of the throne room, a dragon slept.

It was colossal. Its body coiled in a massive spiral—scales the color of deep storm clouds, each one the size of a carriage. Blue-white lightning veins pulsed beneath every scale, creating a web of light that traced the dragon’s entire form. Its claws were buried in the stone floor—each one longer than Kael was tall. Its wings were folded against its back, and even folded, they spanned the width of the chamber.

The dragon’s eyes opened.

Flicker.

Two orbs of pure lightning fixed on the three intruders. The pupils were vertical slits of condensed electrical energy.

CLICK.

The golden doors sealed behind them.

WHUUUUUUM.

A suffocating aura erupted from the dragon. It wasn’t mana. It wasn’t soul power. It wasn’t aura. It was something beyond all three—a presence so dense, so absolute, that reality itself bent around the creature.

Kael’s knees buckled. Crack. He hit the floor—thud—and blood erupted from his nose. His internal organs compressed. His aura shattered—fzzzt—like glass under a hammer. His soul core screamed—pulse-pulse—and his mana core trembled.

Beside him, the qilin collapsed—thud—coughing blood. Cough. The Spirit Soul cultivator fared no better—all four limbs on the ground, blood streaming from his nose and ears.

What a profound aura, Kael thought, his vision blurring. So dense. What a monster.

The pressure resided.

Hhhh.

Kael gasped—air flooding back into his lungs. Blood dripped from his chin—drip—onto the polished floor.

The dragon spoke.

Its voice felt like thunder given form.

"Well. It’s been a while since anyone’s been here."

The dragon’s enormous head shifted. Its lightning eyes swept over the three cultivators sprawled on the floor.

"I’m a bit surprised people with such weak cultivation and understanding of rule power were able to climb the stairway."

The dragon’s gaze moved slowly. It examined the Spirit Soul cultivator first—flicker—then the qilin. Then it stopped on Kael.

"Such weak bloodlines."

Pause.

"Except for you."

The dragon’s lightning eyes locked onto Kael. The pupils contracted—shift—and Kael felt the dragon’s perception pierce through him. It felt like all his secrets were laid bare before the eyes of this mighty dragon.

"What’s your name, boy?" the dragon asked.

Kael swallowed the blood in his mouth. "Kael Cassian Vorn."

The dragon’s eyes narrowed slightly. Vorn. The name meant nothing to it—it had been sealed in this chamber for five thousand years, long before the Vorn family existed.

A profound dark-based bloodline. Dormant but ancient. Gravity rule power. Lightning rule power. Tier 5 body cultivation. Soul Tempering realm. And a... Transcendent Core.

The dragon’s eyes widened fractionally—a remarkable reaction from a being of its age.

"What a talented kid," the dragon rumbled. "Even during the Primordial Era, someone who embarked on all three paths was very rare. A powerful bloodline. Tri-affinity. A high-tier Purple grade talent. And yet so young."

The qilin’s head snapped toward Kael. Transcendent Core? Three different paths? A Vorn? Two rule powers? His expression shifted—wary disbelief replacing the dismissive superiority he’d held before.

The Spirit Soul cultivator’s reaction was similar. His eyes widened—flicker—and he reevaluated the Mana Heart Rank 6 cultivator he’d dismissed as weak.

Kael kept his expression neutral but inside he was so shocked. It saw through me in one glance. What the fuck.

He felt a flicker of relief. The dragon hadn’t mentioned the System. Either it couldn’t perceive it, or it chose not to. Either way, Kael was grateful.

Does it know about the Astraeon bloodline?

"Boy," the dragon said, its voice shifting to a curious and probing tone. "Are you of the ancient race?"

Kael’s heart tightened. Ancient race?

"No, you can’t be," the dragon continued, answering its own question. "Your physique is not on par with theirs. But no matter."

The dragon turned away from Kael. Its massive head shifted toward the qilin.

"A lightning qilin." The dragon’s voice carried a note of approval. "A high-grade Blue talent. A Flawless Core. And you already have a rough understanding of lightning rule power. Not bad. From your bloodline potency, it seems your race is still doing well."

The qilin straightened—creak—pushing himself to his knees. His lightning-affinity bloodline resonated with the dragon’s presence, giving him a measure of resilience the others lacked.

"Your lightning rule power still needs more polishing," the dragon continued. "You will need to purify your bloodline and temper your lightning rule power further. Then you can reach the Spirit Soul realm properly. Hope you are prepared to spend your next year in the Void Realm here."

The qilin cupped his fists. "Yes, Lightning Emperor."

The dragon laughed. Hohoho. The vibrations shook the floor.

"Lightning Emperor? No, no, no. I’m not the Lightning Emperor. I’m just an elder." The dragon’s eyes glinted with amusement. "What’s your name?"

"Koryon Thundar," the qilin said. "Of the Thundar Qilin Clan."

The dragon raised one massive claw. Lightning mana surrounded Koryon—crackling—and the space around him cracked—snap—like glass shattering. A spatial rift opened—whoosh—and swallowed the qilin whole.

Koryon was teleported somewhere within the palace.

The dragon turned to the Spirit Soul cultivator.

"What’s your name?"

The man straightened—trying to project confidence despite the blood still on his face. "Darian Scott. I’m from the Celestial Tempest Sect in the Eastern Sector, and—"

The dragon’s eyes narrowed.

"I’m pretty sure I asked for just your name, boy."

Darian’s mouth closed. Click. "Sorry, sir."

The dragon examined him—flicker. Its expression shifted. What had been mild interest became something colder.

"A Flawless Core. A low-grade Blue talent. Your lightning affinity is good, too. But I wonder..." The dragon’s voice dropped. "How the heck did you break through to the Spirit Soul realm with such a superficial understanding? It lacks so much depth."

Darian’s face paled. "But sir, I—"

WHUUUM.

An absolute and invisible aura seized Darian. His body lifted off the ground—whoosh—and was dragged backward. He clawed at the air—grab—but the force was irresistible.

"Get out. This is disappointing."

The golden doors opened—grrrr—and Darian was hurled through. WHOOSH. The doors sealed behind him.

Click.

Silence.

The dragon turned back to Kael. Its massive head lowered—grind—until its lightning eyes were level with his. The heat of its breath washed over him.

"Now," the dragon rumbled. "Back to you."

Author’s Note:

Dear Readers,

We’ve officially reached 300 Chapters!

But we are only getting started. The Astraeon bloodline still sleeps, the System continues to evolve, and the real war is just on the horizon. One year and 2 months more before the Void Realm closes.

What is going to happen next? Who will obtain the upcoming heavenly flame? What’s Isabella doing? What is the Shadow Vatican planning? And how will Kael face this challenges? And more questions.

Thank you for believing in this novel. Please continue to support The Darkness System with your Powerstones, Gifts, and Golden Tickets. Every single one helps this story reach new heights.

Here’s to the next 300 Chapters!

With gratitude,

Your dear Author