Chapter 45: Kings and Gods

"This is the Primeval Blood," Atrelis stared intently at the droplet of golden blood encased in the crystal for a few moments before uttering these words in shock.

"Old man, I can't believe you were willing to part with this!" exclaimed the Golden Dragon Mother. "With the Dragon King's Primeval Blood, little Muria's problems will no longer be problems."

"That's for sure," the Dragon King squinted with a slight smile, pleased by his daughter's astonishment.

Muria too gazed at the crystal in front of him, the dazzling blood within calling to him. His own blood seemed to boil at the sight, his body yearning to merge with the drop of blood.

"Ah, my grandson seems a bit impatient," the Dragon King noted as golden scales began to emerge in patches on Muria under the influence of the Primeval Blood.

With a calm wave of his hand, the massive crystal began to disintegrate, shrinking down to reveal the radiant drop of blood which now emitted a pure golden pressure that escalated in intensity. The storm giants lying unconscious behind Muria moaned in pain under this pressure, blood trickling from their noses and mouths.

Fortunately, as soon as the Primeval Blood appeared, Demos gently pushed it toward Muria, transforming it into a golden arc that entered his body. The oppressive aura in the air instantly dissipated.

Muria watched with joy as the Primeval Blood, which his body so desperately craved, entered his chest.

"Hmm!" But soon, Muria could no longer smile. The blood within him, like a sun, radiated endless intense heat.

The scorching force of the Dragon King's power was slowly released by the Primeval Blood, filling Muria's body and making him feel as if he might burst from the expansion.

But soon, another force within him was awakened by the strengthening dragon bloodline, causing visions of countless tornadoes filled with golden lightning to flash before his eyes.

A powerful and domineering force emerged in Muria, the power of his Titan bloodline, which began to contend with the Dragon King's force within him.

Initially, the Titan force was at a disadvantage, but as Muria's Titan bloodline fully awakened, it exhibited traits similar to the Dragon King's power, matching it without falling short.

After all, the Dragon King's force originated from just a drop of blood, primarily aimed at enhancing Muria's bloodline, not destroying his body. The Titan bloodline, however, originated from Muria's entire physique and was protective in nature.

The forces of Titan and dragon within Muria did not clash directly but engaged in a benign competition. Unaware of all this, Muria felt an overwhelming drowsiness as the influence of the Primeval Blood brought on his impending hibernation. Under the watchful eyes of his mother and grandfather, he did not resist and fell into a deep slumber.

In the Five-Color Dragon Castle, Atrelis had been sitting on Muria's shoulder. But as he merged with the Dragon King's Primeval Blood, a gentle force emanated from his shoulder, pushing Atrelis gently aside, letting her float next to him.

"Eh!" As she stood in mid-air next to her son, Atrelis gasped lightly when she noticed countless golden points naturally emerging from Muria's body and halting at a certain distance.

Within less than five minutes, a cocoon shimmering with faint golden light formed on the platform of the Five-Color Dragon Castle, and Muria's figure disappeared from view.

"Old man, what's happening?" Atrelis turned to Demos with a severe look, her golden dragon flames flaring around her. "I've never seen a dragon enter hibernation like this."

"I have seen this before," Demos looked on with satisfaction at Muria transforming into a cocoon, ignoring his daughter's readiness to confront him. Most legendary attacks could no longer harm him.

"Why has it turned out like this?"

"My grandson is undergoing a profound transformation. When he reappears, his strength may not increase much, but his potential will be vastly enhanced."

"Really?" Atrelis was skeptical as she eyed her father. It was hard to believe that entering hibernation should take such a form.

"You worry too much about your son," Demos remarked, knowing full well the dragon bloodline in Muria came directly from him. "He has merged with my Primeval Blood; how could anything go wrong?"

"That's true!" Atrelis examined the fifteen-meter tall cocoon, feeling the energy within stabilizing and growing stronger, and she finally relaxed.

Her eyes then began to emit a bright golden light as she looked at Demos: "Hey, Dad, since you've given your grandson a drop of Primeval Blood, how about giving a few drops to your own daughter?"

"Go stand over there," Demos glanced sideways at his daughter, who was once again trying to extort him. "You know how precious the Primeval Blood is to a Dragon King; extracting too much could cause me to fall from my realm. So, none for you."

"Stingy." Atrelis's luminous gaze dimmed as she muttered under her breath.

"Me, stingy?" The Dragon King, in his youthful human form, looked incredulously at his daughter: "How much have you stolen from my treasury since you were little? You know the count. I've never once asked for anything back."

"Ha ha!" Atrelis turned away, laughing. Her father's treasury had been her main source of income before she achieved legend status and remained important to her even now.

"Speaking of which, when you reached legend status, you took all my books to 'transcribe' them. When will you finish and return them to me?"

"Dad, there are so many books; it takes a lot of time to transcribe them, so it might be a long while before I can return them. Besides, you don't need them; they're better off with me."

Atrelis's eyes wandered, not resembling a legendary mage in this moment but rather a playful young girl teasing her father.

"Heh!" Demos listened to his daughter, a headache brewing as he knew all too well that each time he heard such words, he would permanently lose part of his possessions. This time, he was certain he'd never see those books again.

"Really can't give me a few drops of Primeval Blood?" Atrelis still held out hope.

"No," Demos refused without hesitation. "You're already a legend; a few drops of Primeval Blood wouldn't help much. It won't make you a Dragon King."

"Even if it doesn't enhance my strength, it would be good for research," Atrelis argued with the demeanor of a legendary mage.

"Not now, maybe later, when I'm stronger, I might give you some to play with," Demos pondered briefly before responding. Such a statement, if overheard, could shock most of the divine.

"No need, by the time you decide to give it, I might as well have ascended to become a Dragon King myself," Atrelis waved dismissively. She was merely used to asking her father for things; the Primeval Blood was the foundation of a Dragon King, and she would not risk her father's fall from power.

"Being a Dragon King isn

't as easy as you think," Demos warned, knowing his daughter's exceptional talents and pride. Becoming a Dragon King transcended mere talent.

"By the way, right after I became a Dragon King, I went to the first level of Bator Hell, near the gates of Tiamat's realm," Demos seemed to recall casually.

Atrelis pouted, immediately detecting the boast in her father's tone. Even though she knew it was a boast, her curiosity was piqued. After all, that was Tiamat, the Dragon Queen, the Goddess of Evil Dragons.

"And then? You went to Tiamat's realm, didn't you take a look inside?"

"Don't joke," Demos couldn't help but detect the sarcasm in his daughter's voice. "Tiamat was a Dragon King before her ascension, and with her divine status and centuries of accumulation, she's a mid-level deity in terms of power but as formidable as a high-level deity. I just ascended; entering her realm would be suicide."

"So you just loitered at the gates of her realm? What if she had come across you? Ha ha, you would have ended up as the chief consort of the five-headed dragon queen."

"Stop talking nonsense," Demos glared at Atrelis. "Even if I encountered Tiamat, I could still escape. I'd run back to Erathia, and even she couldn't touch me there."

"The true forms of deities can't enter Erathia, Dad, and you dare to loiter around Tiamat's realm using that rule, how shameless!"

"It's not shamelessness, it's the constraints the world places on deities. Tiamat gave up her Dragon King status for more power and became a dragon goddess; she must also abide by the rules. If she were still a Dragon King, I would have stayed as far away as possible."

"Ha, after all that talk, Dad, you must have done something at the gates of Tiamat's realm. I know you; you wouldn't just stand there and do nothing."

"I didn't do much, just killed a few nuisances," Demos said somewhat evasively, avoiding his daughter's scrutinizing gaze.

"Nuisances?" Atrelis crossed her arms, touching her chin thoughtfully. "It must have been ancient dragons that made you act, not just any dragon dregs."

"Only legendary ancient dragons could provoke you to act, right? And the ancient dragons in Tiamat's realm are usually her consorts, so, Dad, how many of the Mother of Evil Dragons' consorts did you slaughter?"

"Not many, just three or four, I guess?" Demos wasn't sure how many ancient dragons he had killed with a single swipe because he had fled immediately afterward without looking back.

A few days ago, a lovely reader asked me for an extra chapter, which I agreed to post today... Heh, it's also a holiday for me today, so let's forget about restraint and celebrate.