Looking at the dragon before him, Chen Fan's expression grew solemn. Without hesitation, he grasped the token tightly and attempted to activate it, only to find that nothing happened—no reaction whatsoever.
"Don't bother. It won't work," the dragon said with a knowing smile, its gaze fixed on Chen Fan. "He's the only one who can set us free."
With deliberate slowness, the massive creature crouched down, its lower body settling against the ground.
"I won't attack you. It's been far too long since I've had a conversation with anyone. Who knows? We might end up as comrades for years, or even millennia to come! Hahaha!"
Hearing the dragon's words, Chen Fan's expression grew even heavier. Silently, he cursed the creator of the seal for designing such an infuriating restriction. However, after giving it some thought, he understood the reasoning behind it. The seal was crafted in such a way that if an enemy or an unworthy individual entered, they would be unable to leave. Yet now, that very rule had turned against him.
Seeing that the dragon showed no clear hostility toward him, he gradually allowed his mind to relax. For now, gathering information through the dragon was the wiser course of action.
----
Bai Mulan glanced around, her surroundings completely different from before.
A vast expanse of water stretched as far as the eye could see, encircling her in all directions. Even now, her feet were soaked, submerged in the shallow water lapping at her legs. In the distance, a massive column of steam rose into the sky. Noticing the only anomaly in this otherwise endless aquatic landscape, Bai Mulan grew wary, her mind already piecing together possibilities—especially after encountering the previous dragon.
"Don't worry. It can't move," a voice suddenly rang out from her side. Instinctively, she snapped her gaze toward the source, where she saw a woman dressed in blue robes, her matching blue hair cascading down her shoulders. A smile played on the woman's lips as she observed Bai Mulan in return.
Bai Mulan remained silent, waiting for the woman to speak, as if trying to decipher her identity.
"Are you from the same place as me? Do you know where this is? It's dangerous, you know? But wow, aren't you just stunning? Hey, what's your name?"
The woman's mouth moved non-stop, bombarding her with a stream of seemingly random questions, leaving Bai Mulan no time to answer. Stunned, she stared at the talkative stranger—this was the first time anyone had spoken to her this much, and for once, she had no idea how to respond.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU CRAZY BITCH!"
The sudden outburst snapped Bai Mulan's attention elsewhere. Her gaze shifted toward the dissipating steam, revealing a dragon clad in brilliant red scales. "THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!"
The dragon's irritated voice rumbled through the entire area, shaking the stillness of the watery landscape. Bai Mulan blinked, her expression blank as she struggled to process the sheer absurdity of the situation.
"It's not good for a woman to speak so harshly, you know," the blue-haired woman chimed in, turning to reprimand the dragon. "But hey, you finally decided to show yourself! It really hurt my heart when you hid behind all that steam just to avoid talking to me, you know? But—"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
The dragon's roar grew even more aggravated, cutting her off with sheer frustration. Bai Mulan's eye twitched at the scene before her. The heavy tension she had felt earlier seemed to dissipate entirely as she watched the two bicker like old acquaintances. Compared to the oppressive atmosphere of the previous place, this felt almost comical.
"Hey, you."
Bai Mulan's gaze snapped to the dragon, who was now approaching. Its massive form glowed with a fiery red hue, and as it moved closer, its enormous body began to shrink. By the time it was only a few meters away from Bai Mulan and the blue-haired woman, the transformation was complete—a red-haired woman now stood in its place, her sharp gaze locked onto them.
"Do you know what this place is?"
At those words, Bai Mulan's mind immediately refocused on her situation, her expression turning serious.
"So, you do know."
The dragon—now in human form—closed the remaining distance between them. Meanwhile, the blue-haired woman remained as easygoing as ever, showing no signs of vigilance. Bai Mulan, on the other hand, felt her body tense instinctively, her thoughts racing as she tried to assess the situation, bracing herself for the worst possible outcome.
"Don't worry. You don't need to fight. After all, we've been living in the same place for so long—doesn't that make us friends? I mean, anyone would become friends if they were stuck together for a long time, right? Hey, do you want to be our friend too—"
BOOM!
A blast of fire shot toward the woman, bathing Bai Mulan's vision in a blinding red glow. Instinctively, she turned toward the dragon, her body tensing in preparation. However, before she could react further, the blue-haired woman had already reappeared at her other side, completely unharmed.
"Hey, it's not good for friends to—"
BOOM!
The same scene repeated itself—another explosion of fire, another flash of red, and the blue-haired woman once again materialized on Bai Mulan's opposite side, still completely unaffected. This bizarre exchange continued for a few moments, the woman in blue persistently chattering away, undeterred by the dragon's wrath. Watching the scene unfold, Bai Mulan suddenly found herself pitying the red dragon. She could understand why the creature had lost its patience.
"I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU SOMEDAY!" The red dragon roared, its voice shaking with barely contained fury. Even so, it forcibly suppressed its temper, shooting one last glare at the infuriating woman before shifting its gaze back to Bai Mulan.
The blue-haired woman, in contrast, only smiled as if something wonderful had just happened.
"So, what will it be?" the dragon asked, now significantly calmer. "Do you still wish to fight me as you initially planned?"
The woman in blue, for once, fell silent and turned her curious gaze toward Bai Mulan, waiting for her response.
Bai Mulan hesitated.
Bai Mulan hesitated. There was no longer a need to fight, but she needed power—strength that could help Chen Fan
Sensing her hesitation, the blue-haired woman's smile deepened. "It seems you have your own reasons. If you want extra strength, there is another option."
Bai Mulan turned to her, wanting to hear more.
"You just need to merge with her," the woman in blue said.
Bai Mulan's expression twisted slightly at those words.
"It means I will live inside your body," the red dragon interjected, taking control of the explanation before the blue-haired woman could make it sound even more ridiculous. A wise decision.
Bai Mulan's mind immediately raced. Vigilance rose within her, wary of the possibility that the dragon might try to take over her body. Yet, at the same time, a spark of expectation ignited. The situation reminded her of stories she had read in her free time—ones with similar scenarios.
Still, she quickly pushed aside her wandering thoughts and refocused. "How can I trust you?" she asked warily.
"Now that my full power is restored, there's no need for pretense," the dragon woman declared, choosing the most direct way to convince Bai Mulan. If she wished, she could kill her at any moment, leaving Bai Mulan with only two options—either leave or comply.
"Well, that's simply the nature of this seal," the blue-haired woman began explaining. "It can only be broken under four conditions—if its creator willingly releases it, if someone destroys it, or if either the dragon or I die. Of course, in my case, it's because I chose to merge with the seal. Once I die, the seal will collapse as well. Who would've thought our relationship would turn out like this?" She smiled faintly.
Bai Mulan quietly absorbed her words. After a moment, as if coming to a realization, she looked at the blue-haired woman, unsure of what to say.
"Yes, I will die too," the woman confirmed with an almost indifferent tone. "But I was going to die either way, wasn't I? The only way I could survive is if the seal's creator returns, but that's nearly impossible. So isn't it better to at least set her free? Oh, would you like to know how we became friends? It all started when—"
"That's enough," the red dragon cut her off, causing the blue-haired woman to pout in protest.
"As you've heard," the dragon continued, "the only way for this seal to break is if I die. However, the conditions for 'death' within this seal have a loophole—either my soul is completely obliterated, or I am absorbed. I can exploit that loophole by merging with you. If you agree, I will reside within your body, and in return, you will gain access to my power. It will be weaker than my full strength, but at your current level, it should still be more than enough."
Bai Mulan took a moment to absorb the information, her mind working through the implications. The way the blue-haired woman spoke of her own impending death so casually left her feeling strangely uneasy. Of course, she wasn't sad—this was their first encounter, after all—but there was something melancholic about the circumstances.
"Why don't you just wait?" Bai Mulan asked, turning toward the dragon. If the blue-haired woman died, the dragon would be freed. She didn't understand why the dragon would choose such a complicated method, one that came with so many disadvantages.
"You don't need to know," the dragon replied curtly.
The blue-haired woman also smiled, but unlike her previous mischievous or cheerful expressions, this one carried a quiet sorrow.
"So, what will it be?" the dragon asked. "If you refuse, you can leave. Or, if you'd rather, we can fight."
Bai Mulan remained silent for a long moment, carefully weighing the dragon's and the woman's words. Finally, she lifted her gaze, meeting the dragon's eyes, and nodded.
"I agree."