Deep within the hidden Dragon Ancestor Cavern beneath the Whispering Mountains, Zhou Li, standing firm at the Third Layer of the Emperor Realm, prepared to defy the heavens themselves. Before him blazed the ancient Nine-Flame Furnace, fueled by the primordial fire of dragons long extinct. His mission was impossible—to refine the 10th-Tier Emperor Grade Spirit Awakening Pill, a sacred elixir said to be creatable only by the Nine Primordial Dragons, the legendary founders of the dragon race; the mighty Dragon Emperor Long Di; the revered First Celestial Ancestor; or the Heavenly Dao itself.
Around him floated thirty-three supreme herbs, each glowing with ethereal light and ancient power. Names whispered through history—Void Lotus, Phoenix root, Soul Condensing Grass—treasures of forgotten realms. With a deep breath, Zhou Li summoned one of the Primordial Dragon Flame from the depths of his bloodline. Blue-gold fire danced over his palms, then poured into the furnace, melting the herbs into a radiant spiritual essence.
Suddenly, the cavern trembled. Outside, the sky darkened as colossal storm clouds roiled, crackling with violet and golden lightning—the dreaded Heavenly Pill Tribulation had descended. A divine tempest—heaven's wrath upon any mortal who dared to challenge destiny.
Lightning bolts, saturated with the power of law and chaos, crashed down upon the furnace, each strike a hammer of judgment testing Zhou Li's resolve. Blood dripped from his hands as he absorbed the heavenly punishment, his eyes burning with the fury of the dragon ancestors.
With unwavering resolve, Zhou Li unleashed the forbidden Dragon Ancestor Seal—an ancient, sacred symbol etched into his soul. Flames and runes of pure power erupted around him, entwining with the furnace's fire as he poured every shred of his being into the pill.
Then, with a final, earth-splitting explosion of light, the furnace cracked open. From its heart emerged a single golden pill, glowing like a miniature sun. Nine tiny dragons of pure spiritual flame spiraled around it, each one representing one of the Nine Primordial Dragons—guardians of the dragon legacy.
The pill pulsed with such immense power it seemed to rewrite the laws of life and death. It was a beacon of rebirth, of awakening—the last hope for the dragon bloodline.
Exhausted, scorched, yet triumphant, Zhou Li dropped to one knee, holding the glowing pill toward the sleeping prince cocooned within crystal. His voice was a low, reverent whisper:
"Even the heavens cannot stop you now. Arise, Long Tianyan, Son of the Nine Flames. Let your roar shake the world."
At that moment, twelve figures stepped forward from the shadows of the cavern—Zhou Li's most loyal subordinates. Each stood at the peak of the Supreme Realm, draped in battle robes lined with ancient sigils of the dragon clan. Without hesitation, they dropped to one knee in unison, fists pressed over hearts, their voices echoing with fierce pride and unshakable loyalty:
"Commander Zhou has defied the heavens! The Spirit Awakening Pill is born! Long live the Prince of Flame!"
Their combined auras surged like a tidal wave, forming a spiritual barrier around the prince—an unspoken oath to guard him with their lives. In that moment, it was not just a pill that had been forged, but a legacy reborn in fire and blood.
Far above the mortal realms, within the gleaming halls of the Celestial Palace, an unnatural chill swept through the throne chamber. The Celestial Emperor, once a pillar of divine order, stood frozen as the ancient Divine Mirrors shattered one by one—crystal faces cracking beneath a force even the heavens feared.
The emperor's trembling ceased. Slowly, a devilish smile crept across his lips—cold, calculating, and filled with dark ambition. A fierce gleam ignited in his obsidian eyes.
"So... the heir of the Nine Dragons has returned," he murmured with twisted satisfaction. "This bloodline… is not a threat, but the key."
His golden robes seemed to shimmer with newfound power and hunger."With his strength, I will ascend beyond all limits—surpassing the Nine Primordial Dragons, eclipsing even the Celestial Ancestors. None will dare oppose me."
He turned sharply, shadows coiling like serpents around his throne.
"I will rise… equal to Heaven itself."
"Summon the Heavenly Eyes Division. Find him—not to destroy, but to harness. He is the path to my next evolution."
The Celestial Imperial Teacher smiled knowingly and nodded.
Thunder rolled across the heavens, but the emperor's laughter rang cold and triumphant—no longer a god haunted by fear, but a sovereign destined to rival the very heavens.
Realizing that the full awakening of Long Tianyan would draw the wrath of the Celestial Realms far too soon, Zhou Li made the most painful decision of his life. Together with his twelve Supreme Realm subordinates, he sealed the prince's overwhelming power and shattered his cultivation, reducing him to a mere mortal infant. Cradling the now six-month-old child—his aura entirely concealed—Zhou Li wrapped him in divine silk and gently placed him before the gates of the Verdant Mist Sect, a secluded yet righteous sect deep within the Lower Realm. Around the child's neck, he fastened a black-gold pendant, engraved with ancient runes and a single name: Long Tianyan. Hidden behind a veil of spiritual mist, the twelve warriors watched silently as an elder of the sect, a kindly yet sharp-eyed woman named Elder Yan, discovered the infant and took him into her arms. Her brows furrowed at the name on the pendant, but she smiled softly. "From today… you are mine to raise." As the gates closed behind them, Zhou Li turned without a word. His fists were clenched, his heart heavy, but his voice echoed in the wind like a vow:"Sleep for now, Prince of Flame. When you awaken again, the world will no longer be worthy of you."