As Bai Mulan took in the familiar surroundings, she immediately glanced around, scanning for any sign of Chen Fan. Within moments, she spotted him appearing nearby. Her eyes instinctively searched his form for injuries, and upon finding none, she let out a small sigh of relief.
"You again?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Fan could only offer an awkward smile. After all, they had just used the teleportation token for something like this—not exactly the most strategic use.
"Well, we managed to get the other two tokens," he replied.
The middle-aged man standing before them raised a brow, looking at the pair with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "Can't you two just come down like before?" He sighed. "I can't inscribe the teleportation again into the tokens, you know. Two is the limit."
"Ah, I found another one," Chen Fan said casually, revealing the spoils of his battle—three blue tokens, two yellow ones, and a single red token, all gleaming in his palm.
The man's lips twitched slightly at the sight. "You…" He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "You really treat me like a free worker, don't you?" Despite his complaints, he still reached out, taking the red token from Chen Fan. As he placed it in his palm, he began injecting his qi into it. "I can't do anything with the others," he added.
Chen Fan nodded in understanding. "Thanks, old man."
The man merely grunted in response before shifting his gaze toward them with mild curiosity. "So, what happened?"
"We were running from the enemy," Chen Fan answered as he caught the red token the man tossed back to him. "Also, I saw something… a pool of blood in their base. When I looked at it, I felt a resonance with the dragon. Do you know anything about this, old man?"
At those words, the middle-aged man frowned, his brows furrowing as if trying to recall something. "You're planning to try another door, aren't you?"
Chen Fan nodded. He had no choice—after witnessing Nie Mingjue's power firsthand, he knew that in his current state, he wasn't strong enough to defeat him. He needed more strength, and soon.
"But you should be aware," the man warned, "the seals on the other two doors are different. The advantage you had over the soul seal might not work there, so the risk will remain just as high."
"What's the difference?" Chen Fan asked, his gaze sharpening.
The man pondered for a moment before explaining, "The reason you were able to absorb the dragon's power so easily is because the seal assimilates with the dragon itself. That's what allows it to control both the dragon's body and its power."
Bai Mulan's expression shifted slightly at this revelation, as if something had clicked in her memory. The man noticed her reaction and turned toward her.
"The other two dragons," Bai Mulan murmured, "do they have powers related to fire and… shattering?"
The man nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "It seems you tried to attack the seals before," he said. "Since the seals are merged with the dragons, they naturally use the dragon's power to defend themselves."
Chen Fan couldn't help but be impressed. The ability to not only control a dragon's physical form but also wield its power—this level of sealing technique was beyond anything most cultivators could even comprehend. "Who created these seals?" he asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
The man chuckled. "You want to learn it?"
Chen Fan nodded without hesitation. There was no way he wouldn't be interested in a sealing technique of this caliber.
"Haha! Greedy brat, aren't you?" the man laughed. "You want to take everything for yourself." He shook his head in amusement before his expression turned more serious. "Unfortunately, I don't know where the creator is now."
Chen Fan felt a twinge of disappointment at that response, something the man easily caught in his eyes. With another chuckle, he continued, "Like I mentioned earlier, the seals can use the dragon's power as their own. The other two dragons possess fire-related abilities and pure, overwhelming physical prowess. That's why the nature of the seals varies according to the dragon they restrain."
He raised a finger, emphasizing his next point.
"The Red Seal is the Seal of the Soul—as you experienced earlier, it requires you to battle the dragon's soul in order to gain its power.
The Blue Seal is the Ice Seal—defeating it requires the power of ice, as the dragon's abilities are intrinsically linked to the element of fire.
And finally, the Yellow Seal is the Seal of the Body—this one is different from the others. To break it, you need nothing but sheer, raw physical strength to overpower the dragon."
Chen Fan frowned slightly upon hearing the conditions. "Isn't that the dragon's strongest domain?"
"Yes. You could call it equivalent exchange—defeat an opponent at their peak, and all their power becomes yours."
Chen Fan could understand the logic behind it. Since the seal was capable of devouring power, it had to have some kind of flaw. Even so, he couldn't help but furrow his brows. The only reason he had been able to defeat the Black Dragon was due to his extraordinary 20th-stage Qi Gathering realm. However, his ice-based abilities and physical strength were merely slightly above average. While his combat instincts could help bridge the gap, the risk was undeniably higher than when he fought the Black Dragon.
His gaze instinctively shifted to Bai Mulan. The seal seemed almost tailor-made for her.
"Can I try it?" Bai Mulan asked, her expression filled with determination as she met Chen Fan's eyes.
Chen Fan hesitated. The risk was significant, but he had no right to stop her. Their relationship was that of comrades, nothing more. "Are you sure?"
"I am. I don't want to be protected all the time." Bai Mulan's voice was firm, her expression hardening with resolve. This entire experience had made her painfully aware of her own weakness. All she had done was stand on the sidelines, watching as Chen Fan fought and overcame every obstacle. She loathed that feeling of helplessness.
Seeing the determination in her eyes, Chen Fan let out a soft sigh.
"Then we'll go to the blue seal first."
To be honest, Chen Fan was worried about Bai Mulan facing that dragon alone. He knew all too well how formidable the creature was, despite acknowledging that Bai Mulan had a better chance than him when it came to elemental clashes. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
"At the very least, i should be there in case something unexpected happens," he reasoned.
"Wouldn't it be better if we split up? The faster we complete this, the better, right?" Bai Mulan countered.
She could sense the concern in Chen Fan's expression, and though it made her feel slightly happy, she couldn't ignore the danger they were in. The enemy was likely searching for them desperately. If they had a way to track them down, wasting time together could be disastrous. The faster they grew stronger, the safer they would be.
"You wouldn't be able to interfere," a middle-aged man suddenly interjected, his voice calm yet firm. He turned to Chen Fan and added, "Unless you are stronger than me."
His words made Chen Fan pause. He had no choice but to accept the reality of their situation. After a brief sigh, he made his decision.
The man didn't wait for further discussion and swiftly teleported them. Soon, they stood before three doors, each marked by a different seal. Without hesitation, Bai Mulan and Chen Fan each took one of the remaining tokens—blue and yellow. As if responding to their presence, two of the three doors creaked open, inviting them in.
"Be careful. We'll meet back here when it's over," Chen Fan said to Bai Mulan.
"You too," Bai Mulan responded with a small smile.
She clenched her hands slightly, trying to steady herself. It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous, but she refused to be a burden to Chen Fan. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself and stepped into the open door.
Chen Fan watched as she disappeared into the portal before shifting his focus forward. His gaze sharpened, and without hesitation, he stepped into the darkness.
The moment he crossed the threshold, he felt himself engulfed by an overwhelming void. When the darkness faded, he found himself in an entirely different place.
A vast, open field stretched before him, covered in lush greenery. The sky above was clear, with not a single cloud obscuring the sun's warm glow. At first glance, the scenery appeared peaceful—almost normal. However, that illusion was shattered the moment his eyes caught sight of a massive figure in the distance.
A colossal white dragon loomed ahead, its body bound tightly by thick, vine-like plants that coiled around its limbs and torso. Unlike the dragon he had encountered before, this one was alive. As Chen Fan approached cautiously, he saw its enormous eyes slowly flicker open, locking onto him with an unsettling intensity.
A deep, rumbling voice echoed across the field, shaking the very ground beneath him.
"That arm..."
The sheer volume of the voice made the grass tremble. Then, after a brief pause, the dragon suddenly burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! It seems that fool finally got himself beaten!"
The dragon's laughter shook the entire field, causing the ground to crack slightly under the weight of its power.
Chen Fan, however, ignored the dragon's outburst and immediately scanned the surroundings, his gaze darting around as he tried to locate another presence—someone else who might be responsible for keeping the dragon here.
The dragon noticed his actions and let out a teasing chuckle.
"Are you looking for him?"
The beast tilted its massive head slightly, directing its gaze toward a distant tree.
Chen Fan instinctively followed the dragon's line of sight, and the moment his eyes landed on what lay beneath the tree, his pupils trembled slightly.
There, leaning motionlessly against the trunk, was an old man. Even from a distance, Chen Fan could tell—there was no sign of life in him.
Before he could process the implications, the ground beneath him suddenly began to tremble violently. His instincts flared, and he snapped his gaze back toward the dragon.
To his horror, the enormous creature was slowly rising to its feet. Its immense frame cast an overwhelming shadow over him as it took a single, thunderous step forward, instantly closing the distance between them.
The oppressive aura surrounding the beast intensified as it loomed over him, its golden eyes gleaming with an unfathomable power.
"So... have you come to fight me?"
The dragon's voice rumbled through the air, sending chills down Chen Fan's spine.