[Vol. 8] Chapter 340: The Intertwined Two Forces
“The dragons of Time and Fate have always been unique. There is only one of each at any given time. After the previous one falls, a new one is randomly born among the newborn dragon hatchlings of other bloodlines. Because of this, they are always very mysterious, and the historical records left about them are pitifully few. Even White only knows that such two exist.”
“After the arrival of the Primordial Light, the order of the old world completely collapsed. It is said that countless races went extinct because they could not adapt to the changes. The dragon race barely managed to survive, but they suffered huge losses. Because of many restrictions, their overall strength fell sharply and they became far weaker than before.”
“And as one of the rulers of the old world, the Ancient Dragon Emperor Jiuyu was destined to fight against the Primordial Light. But since the Dragon Emperor had already split themselves, the ones who actually stepped forward to fight were the Time Dragon and the Fate Dragon of that era.”
“Who was stronger between the Ancient Dragon Emperor and the Primordial Light, no one knows to this day. But one thing is certain, even when the two dragons, as the Dragon Emperor’s avatars, fought together, they could not win against that descending light. They lost, completely and utterly. They were defeated so badly that even…”
At this point, the dragon girl suddenly paused, glancing around as if wary of something.
Suddenly, golden Primordial Flame surged beside her, turning into a strange ring that surrounded both her and Violet. It seemed to burn and block off some unseen force. Her words also began to speed up without her noticing.
No explanation was needed, Violet understood at once. What the dragon was about to say had already touched the taboo,things forbidden by the world’s rules. Normally, such things could not be spoken. Only by relying on the unique nature of the Primordial Flame could those invisible threads of rules be temporarily burned away, preventing a repeat of what happened with the wooden puppet, or something even worse.
Sure enough, once the preparation was complete, Xiao Guang continued without pause.
“Perhaps because it feared the great power of the Dragon Emperor, or for other unknown reasons, the Primordial Light struck down Jiuyu and branded them as a forbidden existence. After that, the two bloodlines that inherited his authority, the Fate Dragon and the Time Dragon, were also not spared. Their inheritance and power were forcefully stolen. Using that as a foundation, the rules were reshaped, and from them were born two new beings. No longer dragons, but special existences controlled by new rulers to govern the world’s order.”
“That is what you have seen, the thing called the [Wheel of Fate], and the [Sea of Time], a Primordial Artifact.”
“...The [Sea of Time]?”
The priestess frowned. She had heard this name before.
She already understood what the [Wheel of Fate] was. In simple terms, it was one of the automatic systems that managed the world, like an AI, adjusting and controlling the fate, the future direction, of all things. Thinking about it, such a function must inevitably be closely tied to the laws of Time.
So even though Xiao Guang’s explanation sounded unbelievable, it was actually perfectly reasonable. It made complete sense.
Back when she was in the Time-Space Rift, when Hen gave her the [Anchor of Time], she clearly said it was a fragment of a Primordial Artifact known as the [Sea of Time], representing the concept of the “Present” in the three states of time. At that time, it hadn’t seemed particularly important, but now, combined with what Xiao Guang was saying, it felt… very different.
It was clear now, the [Sea of Time] represented the concept of Time within the world system created by the Primordial Light. And since its origin was so similar to the [Wheel of Fate], then most likely the two worked together as essential components to keep the world running.
But if such a crucial artifact has now been shattered… what does that mean?
And also, why would its fragments end up in Hen’s hands?
Violet knew better than anyone how powerful a Primordial Artifact was. Even she herself couldn’t say for sure that she could damage such an item. Since that was the case, the fact that the [Sea of Time] was shattered meant there must be some terrifying, unknown force behind it, something strong enough to shake the entire world.
And the reason this power had not yet shown itself could only be two things. Either it was temporarily blocked by some faction or existence, delaying its arrival, or… it was already in Hen’s control.
If she went one step further, could it be possible that Hen herself was the one who broke the [Sea of Time]?
Pushing away the distracting thoughts, Violet didn’t forget the most important topic right now. She turned her gaze toward her own companion.
“So, what does all this have to do with your origins, and the things you’ve done before?”
“Of course it’s related, Master. The key lies in the Dragon Emperor themself.”
The dragon girl explained seriously.
“The existence of the Ancient Dragon Emperor Jiuyu was no weaker than what is now called the World-Devouring Serpent. Both had already gone beyond the limits of physical life, with an essence that was almost eternal and indestructible.”
“Even though the Primordial Light stripped away Jiuyu’s most important essences, Fate and Time, the dragon race still had seven bloodlines left. Because of this, Jiuyu could continue its existence in a disguised way through its descendants.”
“Among the remaining seven dragon clans, the Holy White Dragon Clan, because their status was closest to the Primordial Light, rose in standing during the new era and naturally became the leader of the seven clans. They also became the best candidates to give birth to a new Dragon Emperor.”
“But the Primordial Light always feared its old enemy’s return. Under the effect of the Taboo, the Ancient Dragon Emperor could not open his own inheritance. This is why for tens of thousands of years, no true powerful figures have been born among the dragons. Even when, through heritage and luck, a few Dragon Gods barely appeared, their line would quickly be cut off and could not continue.”
“However… in recent times, this restriction has had an exception. There is one world that is not bound by the rules of the Primordial Light.”
At this, Violet’s eyebrows rose sharply, she understood immediately.
“You mean… the world we once lived in?”
“...Yes.”
Seeing her companion nod so openly, the priestess opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words to say. Her expression grew complicated, like she was both amazed and suddenly enlightened.
Illusory World was just a game, or at least, that was what it had always been for Violet back then. But from Xiao Guang’s perspective, and even from the fundamental nature of that world, things were clearly not so simple.
The Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden Dawn and the Fox God created the Illusory World. Although it was a world that was neither fully real nor fully fake, the beings inside it, at least according to Dawn’s design, were not entirely made-up. When she traveled through different realms, she had taken in many “life seeds” that had lost their homes for various reasons.