It was a joyful and adventurous story at the start.
The Dragon Emperor was once just a boy by the name of Zenith Aurora.
He was once a Holy Clan genius himself.
Zenith existed in an era when Qinglong was gone. His legacy had been reduced to ash, and though the people of the Holy Clans knew who he was, they always painted him in a bad light.
He was a powerful and dominant Dragon Emperor who did everything he could to bring equal opportunity to everyone of his race.
He had the Holy Clans at his beck and call. Even the strongest Holy Dragons were forced to obey him.
This definitely earned the ire of those in high positions. He had been gone for countless millennia, but Zenith always heard the elders admonishing and badmouthing him.
In fact, to even find those initial truths, Zenith had to dig for many years. In his youth, he also only saw Qinglong as a stain in the history of dragonkind.
However, after learning more, he saw it differently.
Qinglong was an ideal emperor. He was someone who could be looked up to. The commoners thrived and the kingdom was slowly becoming a true society of dragons, something otherwise thought impossible.
Their species was too used to being independent. When they came together, it was inevitable for them to either oppress each other or go to war.
How did Qinglong manage to unite dragons?
How did he manage to make Arulion a functioning society despite everything blocking his path?
Slowly, the image of a hero was formed in his mind. He had a new goal to strive towards.
Zenith wasn't one of the best geniuses in the clan. Rather, because of the uniqueness of his laws, he couldn't practice the clan's techniques in the slightest.
He was cast aside and given a minimal amount of training and resources, left to understand everything else on his own.
Perhaps that was why he related so deeply to Qinglong's story.
The Dragon Emperor's position didn't hold any weight anymore.
The emperor of his time was just a puppet controlled by the Holy Clans.
He looked powerful to the commoners, but in reality, he didn't have much power at all. He was a slave under contract who could only exert the will of the Holy Clans and take the brunt of the consequences on himself.
Zenith barely had status in the Aurora Clan, but even he was privy to that information. It didn't need to be explained further just how much the value of that position had diminished in the eyes of the highest elites.
He wanted to change that. He also wanted to see dragons as a whole thrive. There was a beautiful picture that formed in his mind when he envisioned the future that Qinglong was trying to create.
As long as the Holy Clans had full control, that future would only get further and further away.
Zenith never separated himself from the clan entirely. They were a good source of resources, albeit a small amount, and the status he gained as a legitimate member of the Aurora Clan gave him many privileges in the outside world.
They allowed him to leave as he pleased since he wasn't a high-profile individual, and over the course of the next few thousand years, he adventured through not only Arulion but also the Heavenly World to properly understand and control his power.
He realized that he had a gift. Everything possible needed to be done to improve it into a grand talent.
In the end, Zenith only returned to Arulion when he heard news of the previous Dragon Emperor passing.
At that time, he was still relatively young. He had developed his mind along with his power, but he wasn't immune to emotions.
He had an entire plan where he would suppress his power and trick the Holy Clans into believing him an ideal puppet. He would then use his strength and wits to quietly build himself up and change the kingdom.
Eventually, he would be able to face them directly and end their reign.
Eventually, he thought.
That plan succeeded to the level Damien already understood.
For a long time, Zenith was able to do everything he attempted. He did end up with a force on par with a Holy Clan, which made it harder for them to touch him.
But, he never became bigger than them.
When they realized what he was doing, they suppressed him and took away all of his options. He was driven into a corner and many of his people either defected or died. Those who stayed and were willing to run the heir wars were only those willing to die for him.
And, of course, those who were still planted.
Zenith knew that the heir wars wouldn't be able to take place without corruption. But, he had sent his people out to make sure that it never got out of control.
The trials would still take place fairly. The people who had real talent would still stand a chance regardless of their circumstances. Just…like always, the Holy Clans would have an advantage over everyone else.
It was the most he could do.
After all that he had been through, all that led him to hide here, Zenith was running out of time. His life force was dwindling, and he needed an heir to replace him.
Since he was still alive, he could at least attempt to find someone who would continue his mission and fight the good fight.
"That person is likely to become a martyr. Especially if you can't live to support them until they're ready to take the throne."
Damien said it plainly.
Zenith was a good man at his core. The problem was that he acted too early. Nothing he did from the start meant anything since it was impossible for him to grow bigger than the Holy Clans inside of Arulion.
He should've gathered forces in the Heavenly World and used them to take on the Holy Clans. Out there, not only was talent more easily accessible, but the people were also generally more accepting.
Nevertheless, that was old history. It didn't matter anymore.
The fact of the matter was that anyone who claimed the title of "Zenith Aurora's Successor" would become a target.
"I am well aware, but what am I to do? Am I destined to rot and die in this decrepit cave? Am I meant to watch the kingdom fall into depravity without trying to do anything possible to save it? Perhaps that young genius will become a martyr, but what if they do not? What if they are able to push the cause forward?"
Zenith's voice was filled with a sort of passion and desperation that Damien knew well.
This was the same emotion that everyone in Grand Heavens Boundary held.
When war truly came, despite the amount of corruption within the universe, people banded together with that thought,
"If not me, then the person who comes next."
If not that person, then the person after them.
If their hopes and dreams were carried through enough generations, they'd eventually succeed in achieving their goals.
And it worked, didn't it?
Eventually, an era of heavenly geniuses arose. People like Damien, his wives, Su Ren, hell, even people like Iris and Tian Yang were born, grew, and fought until the war was finally over.
Grand Heavens Boundary was broken many times, but it was now eternally safe within the Sanctuary under the protection of a great being.
How proud would their ancestors be if they saw what they'd accomplished?
Zenith was only the second generation in Arulion to carry the torch, but he still had hope.
Eventually, talents would band together and the kingdom would be saved. He didn't have to be there to witness it.
'This guy…'
Damien shook his head.
He was blissfully unaware of what was going on in the Heavenly World right now. The only thing he saw was the good of his kingdom and the dream that he'd had since he was a child.
That sort of blind and earnest hope was touching, even for a person like Damien.
'I want to believe him, but it's always best to double-check.'
Damien had to affirm that these qualities Zenith presented externally were not false.
Well, it was something he already knew, but he wanted to understand properly.
There wasn't even a question of what Damien would find in Zenith's existence. He bared himself to the first visitor he'd had in ages with no motive except getting his story out into the world.
As he expected, Zenith was the same inside and out. No, perhaps he was even more self-sacrificing and ambitious than he liked to let on.
'If August gets to learn from him…'
…then he would turn out to be a mighty fine Emperor.
If only Zenith had the chance, he would've been the same.
Damien had come here knowing that there were only two ways this interaction could pan out.
The first was the case where the Dragon Emperor proved to be reckless or a coward. If he was not fit for glory, then Damien would deprive everything from him and make him an existence that solely lived to give August guidance and protect him.
And the second case was this.
The Dragon Emperor was a man worthy of respect.
So, Damien had a different offer.
"Do you want to live?"
He asked a simple question that bore incredible weight.
Because the implications that came along with it were truly unthinkable.
It was a joyful and adventurous story at the start.
The Dragon Emperor was once just a boy by the name of Zenith Aurora.
He was once a Holy Clan genius himself.
Zenith existed in an era when Qinglong was gone. His legacy had been reduced to ash, and though the people of the Holy Clans knew who he was, they always painted him in a bad light.
He was a powerful and dominant Dragon Emperor who did everything he could to bring equal opportunity to everyone of his race.
He had the Holy Clans at his beck and call. Even the strongest Holy Dragons were forced to obey him.
This definitely earned the ire of those in high positions. He had been gone for countless millennia, but Zenith always heard the elders admonishing and badmouthing him.
In fact, to even find those initial truths, Zenith had to dig for many years. In his youth, he also only saw Qinglong as a stain in the history of dragonkind.
However, after learning more, he saw it differently.
Qinglong was an ideal emperor. He was someone who could be looked up to. The commoners thrived and the kingdom was slowly becoming a true society of dragons, something otherwise thought impossible.
Their species was too used to being independent. When they came together, it was inevitable for them to either oppress each other or go to war.
How did Qinglong manage to unite dragons?
How did he manage to make Arulion a functioning society despite everything blocking his path?
Slowly, the image of a hero was formed in his mind. He had a new goal to strive towards.
Zenith wasn't one of the best geniuses in the clan. Rather, because of the uniqueness of his laws, he couldn't practice the clan's techniques in the slightest.
He was cast aside and given a minimal amount of training and resources, left to understand everything else on his own.
Perhaps that was why he related so deeply to Qinglong's story.
The Dragon Emperor's position didn't hold any weight anymore.
The emperor of his time was just a puppet controlled by the Holy Clans.
He looked powerful to the commoners, but in reality, he didn't have much power at all. He was a slave under contract who could only exert the will of the Holy Clans and take the brunt of the consequences on himself.
Zenith barely had status in the Aurora Clan, but even he was privy to that information. It didn't need to be explained further just how much the value of that position had diminished in the eyes of the highest elites.
He wanted to change that. He also wanted to see dragons as a whole thrive. There was a beautiful picture that formed in his mind when he envisioned the future that Qinglong was trying to create.
As long as the Holy Clans had full control, that future would only get further and further away.
Zenith never separated himself from the clan entirely. They were a good source of resources, albeit a small amount, and the status he gained as a legitimate member of the Aurora Clan gave him many privileges in the outside world.
They allowed him to leave as he pleased since he wasn't a high-profile individual, and over the course of the next few thousand years, he adventured through not only Arulion but also the Heavenly World to properly understand and control his power.
He realized that he had a gift. Everything possible needed to be done to improve it into a grand talent.
In the end, Zenith only returned to Arulion when he heard news of the previous Dragon Emperor passing.
At that time, he was still relatively young. He had developed his mind along with his power, but he wasn't immune to emotions.
He had an entire plan where he would suppress his power and trick the Holy Clans into believing him an ideal puppet. He would then use his strength and wits to quietly build himself up and change the kingdom.
Eventually, he would be able to face them directly and end their reign.
Eventually, he thought.
That plan succeeded to the level Damien already understood.
For a long time, Zenith was able to do everything he attempted. He did end up with a force on par with a Holy Clan, which made it harder for them to touch him.
But, he never became bigger than them.
When they realized what he was doing, they suppressed him and took away all of his options. He was driven into a corner and many of his people either defected or died. Those who stayed and were willing to run the heir wars were only those willing to die for him.
And, of course, those who were still planted.
Zenith knew that the heir wars wouldn't be able to take place without corruption. But, he had sent his people out to make sure that it never got out of control.
The trials would still take place fairly. The people who had real talent would still stand a chance regardless of their circumstances. Just…like always, the Holy Clans would have an advantage over everyone else.
It was the most he could do.
After all that he had been through, all that led him to hide here, Zenith was running out of time. His life force was dwindling, and he needed an heir to replace him.
Since he was still alive, he could at least attempt to find someone who would continue his mission and fight the good fight.
"That person is likely to become a martyr. Especially if you can't live to support them until they're ready to take the throne."
Damien said it plainly.
Zenith was a good man at his core. The problem was that he acted too early. Nothing he did from the start meant anything since it was impossible for him to grow bigger than the Holy Clans inside of Arulion.
He should've gathered forces in the Heavenly World and used them to take on the Holy Clans. Out there, not only was talent more easily accessible, but the people were also generally more accepting.
Nevertheless, that was old history. It didn't matter anymore.
The fact of the matter was that anyone who claimed the title of "Zenith Aurora's Successor" would become a target.
"I am well aware, but what am I to do? Am I destined to rot and die in this decrepit cave? Am I meant to watch the kingdom fall into depravity without trying to do anything possible to save it? Perhaps that young genius will become a martyr, but what if they do not? What if they are able to push the cause forward?"
Zenith's voice was filled with a sort of passion and desperation that Damien knew well.
This was the same emotion that everyone in Grand Heavens Boundary held.
When war truly came, despite the amount of corruption within the universe, people banded together with that thought,
"If not me, then the person who comes next."
If not that person, then the person after them.
If their hopes and dreams were carried through enough generations, they'd eventually succeed in achieving their goals.
And it worked, didn't it?
Eventually, an era of heavenly geniuses arose. People like Damien, his wives, Su Ren, hell, even people like Iris and Tian Yang were born, grew, and fought until the war was finally over.
Grand Heavens Boundary was broken many times, but it was now eternally safe within the Sanctuary under the protection of a great being.
How proud would their ancestors be if they saw what they'd accomplished?
Zenith was only the second generation in Arulion to carry the torch, but he still had hope.
Eventually, talents would band together and the kingdom would be saved. He didn't have to be there to witness it.
'This guy…'
Damien shook his head.
He was blissfully unaware of what was going on in the Heavenly World right now. The only thing he saw was the good of his kingdom and the dream that he'd had since he was a child.
That sort of blind and earnest hope was touching, even for a person like Damien.
'I want to believe him, but it's always best to double-check.'
Damien had to affirm that these qualities Zenith presented externally were not false.
Well, it was something he already knew, but he wanted to understand properly.
There wasn't even a question of what Damien would find in Zenith's existence. He bared himself to the first visitor he'd had in ages with no motive except getting his story out into the world.
As he expected, Zenith was the same inside and out. No, perhaps he was even more self-sacrificing and ambitious than he liked to let on.
'If August gets to learn from him…'
…then he would turn out to be a mighty fine Emperor.
If only Zenith had the chance, he would've been the same.
Damien had come here knowing that there were only two ways this interaction could pan out.
The first was the case where the Dragon Emperor proved to be reckless or a coward. If he was not fit for glory, then Damien would deprive everything from him and make him an existence that solely lived to give August guidance and protect him.
And the second case was this.
The Dragon Emperor was a man worthy of respect.
So, Damien had a different offer.
"Do you want to live?"
He asked a simple question that bore incredible weight.
Because the implications that came along with it were truly unthinkable.
