In the chasm between two groups of ascetics lay a colossal spirit-stone platform. It emanated an aura so potent, so dense, that from afar, it resembled a mountain, a thousand fathoms across – a sight of unparalleled rarity.

Even Wang Lin, with his years of cultivating the Dao, had seldom witnessed such a grand accumulation of spirit-stone. Though spirit-stone held no sway over him now, a strange expression deepened on his face upon beholding it.

Upon the spirit-stone platform, a crimson dragon coiled lazily. Its body, though not immense, was a vibrant scarlet. Emerald eyes, glinting with ancient light, surveyed the scene as hundreds of cultivators bore it onward. Occasionally, the dragon would lift a claw, cleave off a chunk of spirit-stone, and crunch it within its jaws with evident relish.

“Hail the Dragon Ascendant! Hail the Dragon of Might!” The rhythmic chants of the cultivators washed over the dragon, soothing its spirit.

“Hmph,” the dragon thought, its scarlet scales shimmering. “Had I not been imprisoned in that damnable place for so long, I, old Ignis, would have thrived better within this cave realm than ever before. Curse the Vermillion Bird, the Immortal Venerate, and that wretched Sect Leader… Fortune has favored me; I have escaped. This, this is the life I was meant to lead! A life of ease!” It recalled the melodies of its homeland and felt an irresistible urge to burst into song. With a flick of its claw, it shattered another piece of spirit-stone and devoured it.

“Oh, Snowflake, my dear dragon of the snowy peaks, do you know how my heart yearns for you? Your slender whiskers, your serpentine grace, and those mesmerizing eyes…” Overwhelmed with joy, the scarlet dragon began to hum a tune as it munched on the spirit-stone.

In time with its humming, the dragon’s tail beat a rhythmic tattoo upon the spirit-stone, sending booms echoing through the air. The thousand-odd cultivators around it wore expressions of weary resignation. The dragon’s song was, to their ears, nothing short of mournful and grating. Only by loudly proclaiming its might and ascendancy could they hope to drown out the dreadful crooning.

“Dragon Ascendant, reveal thy power! Dragon of Might, grant us thy favor!”

This crimson dragon was none other than Ignis, the fire dragon from the Fallen Land, whose blood had been drawn by the second Vermillion Bird. Though gifted to Wang Lin, the wily Ignis had escaped beforehand. With the ancient tomb world opening, Wang Lin had other matters to attend to and had relegated the dragon to the back of his mind.

Now, centuries later, as Wang Lin had all but forgotten the creature, the pitiable Ignis reappeared within his divine sense.

As the thousand-strong entourage bore the dragon toward this gathering, the divine senses of the Ancient Starry Sky powerhouses, which had clung to Wang Lin’s aura, turned as one to fixate upon the approaching spectacle.

The crunching of spirit-stone still echoed from Ignis’ jaws, and its proud song still reverberated, but in that instant, its body went rigid. The crunching ceased, the song died on its lips.

It blinked, its draconic eyes clouding with confusion, then widening with horror. Its body trembled violently.

“By the scales of the two dragon goddesses! What sorcery is this? Why are so many divine senses focused here? Are they idle? Do they have nothing better to do?”

After a moment of stunned silence, the idiotic dragon released a pathetic whimper.

“Retreat! Retreat! Turn back!” Fear pulsed through its core. It had always cultivated its power with caution, avoiding confrontation with those it deemed too powerful. Its outward bravado masked a carefully planned itinerary, designed to avoid any perilous encounters.

It had traveled this road a dozen times before without incident, relying on its peculiar abilities to conceal its presence. Unless one actively sought it out, it was difficult to detect.

If it encountered cultivators weaker than itself, it would unleash its “divine dragon might,” cowing them into joining its self-proclaimed Dragon Dao.

But today, it had stumbled into a nexus of powerful divine senses. Many were so formidable that the dragon could feel great gulps of dragon saliva rising in its throat.

Ignis’ heart hammered against its ribs. In a panic, it attempted to take flight, but the sight of its bewildered and fearful followers tugged at its conscience. It suppressed its terror, carefully lowered itself back onto the spirit-stone platform, and cleared its throat.

“This Immortal Dragon recalls a precious elixir still needs tending to. We shall forgo our outing and return forthwith to refine it!”

The thousand-odd cultivators, though still confused and uneasy, obeyed the dragon’s command, turning the massive spirit-stone platform and retreating slowly.

But the spirit-stone was vast, and even in retreat, their progress was slow. The dragon, perched atop the stone, felt a growing sense of dread. It could sense the heat of the gathered divine senses as they locked onto its presence. It realized with despair that they followed the movement of the spirit-stone.

“Faster! Faster, you fools! If you linger, I shall devour you all!” Then, adding a desperate afterthought, it cried, “My elixir… it is exceedingly precious!”

Immersed in fear, with its heart pounding against its ribs, Ignis dared not make any sudden moves. It reasoned that an abrupt departure would only alert those whose divine senses were fixed upon it. Patience was key. Composure was vital.

“You are a Dragon Ascendant, Ignis. Remain calm… There is nothing to fear. Ignore them all…” The foolish dragon offered itself encouragement, trembling as it feigned an unconcerned air. But it was ill-suited to deception. Its every attempt to appear nonchalant only betrayed its inner turmoil.

Slowly, as they retreated farther and farther, those prying divine senses, to Ignis’ relief, began to recede.

For them, the dragon’s appearance had been but a momentary diversion. With their interest spent, they withdrew entirely, and a great surge of hope washed over Ignis. It vowed to remain hidden for a decade and to never travel this cursed road again. This tea break had been far too terrifying!

Just as Ignis sighed in relief, the thousand-odd cultivators, who had no idea what had transpired, cried out in fervent supplication, attempting to appease their draconic master.

“The Dragon Ascendant reveals the Dao! Faith in the Dao shall avert the end of days! Hail the Dragon of Might!”

“The Dragon Ascendant reveals the Dao! Take faith and I will lead you to the celestial realm! Hail the Dragon of Might!”

As those words echoed, a powerful divine sense swept from behind the group, a sense of such overwhelming pressure that Ignis’ very soul recoiled in terror.

“Might… Hail of might?! Silence, you fools!” the dragon roared, tears welling in its eyes. It had thought itself safe, only to be betrayed by its own words.

That pompous pronouncement, which usually pleased it so, now sounded like a death knell. Ignis whirled around, prostrating itself with a look of utter misery.

“Oh… Greetings, greetings… Forgive us. We shall be on our way. My humble servants are somewhat… excitable. This unworthy dragon is nothing like what they say; I’m simply a serpent. Yes, a serpent! One that… resembles a dragon, perhaps. Greetings, greetings…” Ignis stammered, its scales trembling, even abandoning the spirit-stone platform. It leaped into the air, fleeing with all haste.

But just as it turned to flee, its body froze once more, and this time, the tears threatened to fall. Standing before it was a figure clad in white, with hair as white as snow. It was Wang Lin, and on his face played a strange, knowing smile as he gazed upon the scarlet dragon.

“You!” Seeing Wang Lin, the dragon momentarily stalled. But as Vermilion Bird had called it “silly dragon,” there were reasons for it, and so in its memory the dragon only remembered the insignificant power of the man it was now facing. Ignis automatically forgot the terror it had felt moments before.

“You dare to stand in my way, mortal? You once drank my blood! Today, you shall suffer the consequences!” With eyes blazing, Ignis roared and opened its maw, releasing a torrent of fire that engulfed both itself and Wang Lin.

But in the next instant, the ball of fire imploded, scattering embers across the sky.

From within the shattered flames came a piercing draconic scream. The dragon’s body was thrown clear, its eyes wide with terror.

Wang Lin emerged unscathed, his steps causing the collapsing flames to solidify into a burning wisp in his left hand.

“A Flame Ghoul…” Wang Lin’s smile remained enigmatic as he stared at Ignis.

“I… I’m truly a serpent…” The dragon was no longer acting silly. It now understood the power it was facing.