"Aren't you afraid?" The white dragon gazed at Chen Fan, who sat calmly on the ground, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "You might be trapped here until the day you die, you know?"
"That's precisely why it doesn't change anything, does it?"
"Hahaha, true." The dragon's laughter rumbled through the air, causing the space around them to tremble. After a while, its gaze returned to Chen Fan, carefully scrutinizing him. The faint presence of its kin's aura lingered around the young man—especially on his right arm.
"Do you hate me?" Chen Fan asked, as if sensing the dragon's lingering stare.
"Why would I?" The dragon understood the meaning behind his words. "We typically live in solitude. There is neither affection nor camaraderie between us."
Chen Fan could see that the dragon held no particular hatred toward him. "Then why were you sealed here?"
The dragon fell silent for a moment, its eyes drifting toward the old man lying beneath the ancient tree. "To put it simply, it was for our own reasons. I could tell you the details, of course, but merely knowing them would bring about consequences far greater than you can imagine." Its voice carried a weight, as if testing Chen Fan's reaction, carefully observing his expression for any hint of fear or hesitation.
Hearing those words—so similar to those spoken by the guardian of the previous seal—Chen Fan knew the dragon was not lying. "No need. I still value my life."
"Oh? So you were confident you could handle me when you entered this place?"
"Of course." Chen Fan deliberately raised his right arm, watching the dragon's reaction.
"HAHAHA!" The dragon's laughter erupted once more, shaking the air even more violently than before. "To think the day would come when a mere Foundation Building cultivator would dare look down on me!"
Chen Fan could see no traces of anger in the dragon's eyes or voice. He had only dared to provoke the dragon because, in the end, its reaction wouldn't change anything—whether it was angered or not. If so, he might as well press further, seeking to uncover the dragon's true motivations. At the very least, he could tell that this dragon was not as arrogant as the one he had encountered before.
"Not only are you courageous, but you also adapt quickly and seek out as much information as possible. Not bad, kid." The dragon's gaze softened slightly, regarding Chen Fan with a hint of approval. He held no particular hatred toward humans—his imprisonment was not the result of any grudge, but simply a consequence of lacking the strength to resist. He would not stoop so low as to complain like a defeated man. And now, as he observed Chen Fan, his mind spun rapidly, weighing his future plans.
Chen Fan sighed at the dragon's words. Seeing that it appeared more approachable now, he decided to get straight to the point. "Why hasn't the seal undone itself if the guardian is dead?"
"It's because, unlike the previous guardian who oversaw Hei Yun, this old man never fully assimilated with the seal. The benefit of that was his ability to leave freely whenever he pleased, but in exchange, his control over the seal was weaker. That's why he had to rely on his own strength to suppress me as well. But now, as you can see... Even though I am far from my prime, my current state is incomparable to the other place where my power was forcibly lowered to match yours. Of course, if the old man were still alive, he could still suppress my cultivation to your level, but now..."
The dragon left the sentence unfinished, letting Chen Fan piece together the conclusion on his own.
"How long has he been dead?" Chen Fan asked, his gaze falling upon the old man, who now lay in eternal slumber.
"Thousands of years."
A brief silence fell upon the space, the atmosphere thick with unspoken possibilities. The dragon's piercing gaze remained locked onto Chen Fan before it finally broke the quiet.
"There is a way to escape from this place, you know?"
Chen Fan met the dragon's eyes with an unwavering stare. "By killing you? Or perhaps by taking control of that old man's body?"
"HAHAHA!" The dragon's laughter echoed like rolling thunder, shaking the air around them. "As expected, you truly are exceptional." Its voice carried a note of admiration, but also amusement.
Rather than panicking or showing the slightest hesitation, Chen Fan had instantly sought out countermeasures, analyzing the situation with remarkable speed. It was a testament to his sharp mind and unyielding nature—proof of his craftiness in navigating uncertain and dangerous circumstances.
"Unfortunately, it's useless even if I were to possess that body because the seal is directly linked to the soul. However, if I were to die within this seal, its purpose would be fulfilled, and the seal would collapse"
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes. "For someone who has been trapped here for so long, you certainly seem well-informed about the mechanisms of this seal. No... perhaps it's only natural that you and that old man would have spoken at length over the years."
The dragon let out a deep, knowing hum, neither confirming nor denying the speculation.
"But let's be honest," Chen Fan continued, his voice steady. "There's no way you would sacrifice yourself just to break the seal, right?"
The dragon's lips curled into a smile, its massive head lowering until it was just a short distance away from Chen Fan. "How about a bet?"
"A bet?"
"If it's you," the dragon mused, "then I wouldn't mind entering your soul. You would gain my power, and I would merely reside within you, observing your life without interfering—unless you allowed it."
Chen Fan frowned slightly. "That sounds far too good to be true. What exactly do you gain from this arrangement?"
"If you die, I will take over your body," the dragon stated plainly, "and in the rare event that you surpass my power in the future, you will be required to rebuild my body."
Chen Fan fell into deep contemplation. On the surface, this deal offered him significant advantages—power, knowledge, and a means of escape. However, it would be foolish to accept without considering the hidden traps that might be embedded in such a contract.
"What will you do if you're freed?" he asked, attempting to glean the dragon's true intentions.
"Who knows?" The dragon's smirk remained enigmatic, its answer deliberately vague.
"Can you communicate with others without my knowledge?"
"Hahaha," the dragon chuckled. "You truly are a cautious one. Fine, let's include that in the contract as well."
Chen Fan studied the dragon carefully, searching for any trace of deception. But the creature's expression remained calm, unbothered, as though it had anticipated every one of his questions. Ordinarily, an oath would bind cultivators, ensuring that any betrayal would result in dire consequences—crippling their cultivation or even destroying their very existence. However, this dragon gave off an air of confidence, as if it either had a way to circumvent the risks or simply did not fear them.
In essence, this was nothing more than a gamble.
After a long pause, Chen Fan exhaled slowly. "Alright."
In the end, he had no real choice but to agree. The dragon held the advantage in this situation, and while Chen Fan found that frustrating, he also recognized an undeniable truth—the dragon needed him to escape. Furthermore, since only the dragon's soul would remain, its abilities would still be restricted, giving Chen Fan ample room to maneuver in the future.
For now, he would take the gamble. But he would make sure to stay in control of the game.
"Then, without further ado, give me your hand," the dragon said, extending its massive claw toward Chen Fan. Without hesitation, Chen Fan raised his palm to meet it. The moment their hands touched, the dragon's form erupted into brilliant light, its immense figure vanishing in an instant as it surged into Chen Fan's body.
The air trembled, a ripple of unseen force shaking the world. Lush greenery wilted in an instant, leaves curling and blackening as if drained of life itself. Above, the once-vast sky splintered like fractured glass, revealing an abyss of darkness that devoured all light.
A deep, resonant voice echoed in Chen Fan's mind, laced with intrigue.
"Oh… Your soul truly is unique."
The dragon's voice brimmed with amazement, as if it had stumbled upon something unexpected. Chen Fan stood amid the collapsing world, darkness closing in from all sides—vast, endless, consuming. Before he could fully process his surroundings, a faint red glow flickered to life, cutting through the void.
"Well, I should start looking for—"
Before he could finish his thought, a sudden warmth enveloped his entire being. It was an unmistakable sensation—familiar, yet entirely unexpected.
Turning his gaze, he caught a glimpse of white hair within the corner of his vision.
For a brief moment, he stood frozen, completely off guard by the sudden embrace. But as realization dawned, a small smile curved his lips.
"Oh? A lover's embrace, right away?"
Yet before he could fully process the situation, the dragon's voice echoed once more within his mind, this time tinged with curiosity.
"Hm? Strange… I can sense Hong Xuan's presence within her."
Chen Fan's expression shifted as he absorbed those words.
"That means… she succeeded, huh?"
"No… this is different from the remnants of Hei Yun's aura that linger within you. This feels as though an entire, complete soul resides within her."
Chen Fan's brows furrowed, his mind racing through possibilities. What exactly did the dragon mean by that? However, before he could press for answers, Bai Mulan suddenly pulled away, putting distance between them.
The shock in her eyes faded, replaced by something colder—something sharp.
Her voice, laced with anger, cut through the air.
"Who are you?"