"Open the door! Open the door! It's coming! It's coming!!"
As Bai Cha stopped at the entrance, she faintly heard the clanging of chains from within the iron gate, only catching the desperate roars of an old man.
"Open the door! It's coming!! We're finished!!" The heavenly official, an old man with disheveled hair and a gaunt face, stared fixedly at the door with bulging eyes.
"Can't hold him anymore, give him another sedative."
"Hurry, hurry, why is it so violent this time?"
Was this considered mistreating the elderly? They were even bringing out sedatives.
Bai Cha frowned. Gong Yuechen, walking beside her, was sweating slightly. He glanced at Bai Cha, who stood motionless, feeling a moment of awkwardness. He had always been a little intimidated by this distant cousin who could pin him to the ground and beat him up since childhood.
"You've arrived."
A low sigh reached Bai Cha's ears, startling both her and Gong Yuechen. A withered hand rested on Bai Cha's shoulder, and with Bai Cha's abilities, she hadn't even had time to dodge.
Sunlight filtered through the glass onto the aged face. The person wore a moon-white robe and held a golden scepter, upon which coiled a small, slender golden dragon resembling a snake. Her hair was snow-white, and her eyes were as deep as two flickering, faint flames.
"Heavenly Master, that is my name." The Heavenly Master sighed softly, shifting her gaze to the iron gate before her. "Perhaps you've heard of my sibling and me. My ability is [Dragon Calamity • Sacred Prophecy]."
As if sensing Bai Cha's unspoken question, the Heavenly Master stepped forward, placed her fingerprint, and opened the silver-white iron gate.
"Heavenly Official, do not be agitated." The Heavenly Master gently tapped her scepter. Her aged voice was calm and steady, possessing a calming power that finally pacified the raving old man.
"Uh, Major General Gong? What are you doing here?" Inside, a researcher wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead, finally breathing a sigh of relief. "And who is this?"
Bai Cha looked at the mad old man staring at her, her brow furrowed. She felt a strange sense of unease and turned to ask, "What exactly is going on?"
"Ahem, this is Miss Bai from the Bai family," Gong Yuechen coughed lightly.
"Oh, Miss Bai, it's a pleasure to meet you." Upon hearing the name Bai family, the researchers immediately reacted. The Bai family members were always elusive, not seeking fame or fortune, and rarely seen. It was no wonder they didn't recognize her.
"Actually, Miss Bai, you don't need to listen to his nonsense. The Heavenly Official always makes the worst predictions, and most of them don't happen," one of the researchers said after some hesitation. "He's like this every so often, but it's never that serious. With Lord Heavenly Master here, we..."
"This is why I've come to find you. This time, it's indeed a bit troublesome," the Heavenly Master sighed softly, interrupting the researcher.
At these words, the laboratory fell silent. The researchers, who had been feeling relaxed moments ago, suddenly changed their expressions and exchanged glances.
The Heavenly Master was like an anesthesiologist. The less busy she was, the better a surgery went. If she became busy, it meant the patient was likely on the verge of death.
"Miss Bai, I will request our superiors to temporarily cancel your mission for tonight's military meeting. I ask that you attend the meeting with us," the Heavenly Master sighed and said slowly. "I will inform everyone tonight about what you wish to know."
Bai Cha remained silent. She didn't mind knowing things sooner or later, but the way the Heavenly Official looked at her truly unsettled her.
Just as Bai Cha turned to leave, the Heavenly Official suddenly lunged. To Bai Cha's astonishment, and the astonishment of everyone present, he threw himself at Bai Cha's feet.
"It's too late! Save me, save us, I can't see anymore!"
He cried with all his might, but Bai Cha clearly saw blood flowing everywhere and withered bones in his eyes. At this moment, Bai Cha finally believed half of what was said about prophecies, a fine layer of cold sweat breaking out on her back.
"This crazy old man!"
"Hey! Quick, drag him back!"
The researchers scrambled forward in a panic.
Even after Gong Yuechen pulled Bai Cha down to the first floor, she remained with a tightly furrowed brow. In the Heavenly Official's pupils just now, she hadn't seen her reflection, but a tangible disaster: a blood-red sky, corpses strewn everywhere, and a creeping gray miasma of death enveloping the Earth...
"Yo, isn't that our boss? Here for a resonance too?" a rather grating voice called out.
The person had striking red hair slicked up with hair gel. His muscular physique indicated regular training, making him look like a gorilla. This was Lang Mo from the Wolf family, a subordinate family of the Bai family, belonging to the Shadow faction.
Although they were subordinate families, no one, whether from the Light or Shadow faction, didn't want to be the leader. Bai Cha was the only young girl left in the Bai family, and there were naturally many who coveted the leadership position. Many people also disliked Bai Cha.
However, someone like Lang Mo, who disliked Bai Cha but obediently followed her commands, was quite peculiar.
"I wonder if Miss Bai can succeed. After all, she's the only one left in the Bai family. If she fails, the Bai family won't have a single Dragon Knight left, tsk tsk..." Although Lang Mo's muscles were exaggeratedly developed and his features were rugged, he had already resonated with an A-class dragon, giving him a more assertive tone.
"Lang Mo, mind your position," Gong Yuechen frowned. He was a little afraid of the young sovereign Bai Cha, but he had no fear of the Wolf family.
Even though his blood relation to Bai Cha was extremely thin now, they were still connected by blood. As a member of the military, he stood with Bai Cha, and it was not the place for the Wolf family to suppress the Bai family.
"Tch." Lang Mo glanced at Gong Yuechen and ultimately refrained from speaking further, only muttering softly, "Why be such a spoil-sport..."
His voice carried a hint of grievance.
"Your brother also resonated with an A-class dragon, yet I still broke his neck," Bai Cha said with a light laugh. She had no mood to engage in internal strife with this simple-minded person.
Besides, she understood that Lang Mo simply enjoyed being provocative. A kick would make him behave, just like the husky from Gong Yuechen's house. When it bared its teeth at you, lift it by the collar, and its eyes would instantly clear up.
Lang Mo's expression turned a little awkward. When Bai Cha had established her position in the Shadow faction by making an example of a few, his brother was one of the victims. She was just a young girl then, but she had been more ruthless than anyone. Thinking of his brother's tragic death that day, Lang Mo couldn't help but shiver.
Although he was unwilling, he had to admit it was his own doing. daring to seize power meant being prepared to lose one's life. He and his brother had been rivals since childhood. He didn't hold any particular hatred for Bai Cha, but he felt nothing for his brother, who had parted ways with him from a young age.
Bai Cha ignored Lang Mo and walked deeper. Lesser dragons were kept on the outermost fringes; the higher their level, the further in they were. She had no interest in the outer dragons. Gong Yuechen followed behind Bai Cha, looking around with curiosity, occasionally touching the culture dishes of other embryos to examine them.
"Bai Cha, are we going further in?" Gong Yuechen hesitated, looking at the faintly visible golden "S" marking inside. "Inside, inside is the demonic dragon area."
"Otherwise? Do you want the trash from outside?" Bai Cha sneered, her pace unwavering. With no outsiders around, a hint of arrogance finally flickered in Bai Cha's eyes, no longer concealed. "I don't find pleasure in merging with reptiles. If I can't even unleash more than sixty percent of my strength, I might as well use the high-tech equipment you invented."
"Although you say that, what if it goes out of control..." Gong Yuechen scratched his head and muttered softly, "Your father, didn't he..."
After a moment, seeing Bai Cha calmly walking forward, Gong Yuechen finally closed his mouth.
"If I were an ordinary person, having a few more friends wouldn't matter," Bai Cha snorted disdainfully. "But if there's a useless person by my side, let alone dragging me down, he'll only die faster."
Gong Yuechen scratched his head. Although he always felt his sister, as his subordinate, was too individualistic and arrogant, her exceptional abilities were undeniable and gave him a headache.
He couldn't manage her at all!
Suddenly, Bai Cha stopped. Her muscles tensed, her ears twitched slightly, and her breathing slowed.
This movement startled Gong Yuechen. He immediately became vigilant, looking around and asking Bai Cha, with his back to hers, "What is it?"
"Did you hear something?" Bai Cha asked, frowning.
"Sound?" Gong Yuechen was confused. He held his breath and listened carefully to everything around them.
The distant hubbub of the crowd, the sound of the wind blowing, the sound of his own heartbeat... and the sound of flowing water. It seemed normal, yet something felt off.
"Uh, Bai Cha, don't scare me. Almost no one comes here," Gong Yuechen swallowed, cold sweat breaking out. "The chances of resonance are highest outside. If you're not chosen by two-thirds, there's even less hope later. How could anyone come to a place like this, close to S-class demonic dragons?"
"Besides, there are sixteen A-class Dragon Knights guarding this place. It's impossible for any Dragon Attendants to sneak in and cause trouble, right?" Gong Yuechen muttered softly, but he felt a sudden chill down his spine. Turning around, he saw Bai Cha rushing towards the dim end of the main hall.
[Come, come here]
[Here, here]
[Come a little further]
Rustling sounds, intermittent, reached Bai Cha's ears, like a call from her blood, making her heart pound violently.
The sound was low, unexpectedly possessing a magnetic, soul-stirring quality, echoing faintly like a gentle breeze. It was a language she didn't understand, yet Bai Cha somehow comprehended the meaning behind the words.
Who was calling her?
Gong Yuechen, rushing over, saw a different scene.
At the end of the corridor, countless tentacles suddenly emerged from the last black embryo. The dark tentacles intertwined, forming a sharp sword that pierced Bai Cha's chest.
There was no blood, no pain, yet Bai Cha's vision darkened, and she collapsed to the ground. Gong Yuechen froze. He looked back in astonishment. Far behind him, other people's chests were also pierced by tentacles.
Different colors, different glows.
"Resonance!" Gong Yuechen's face changed drastically, and he almost cried out in shock.
Looking at the massive culture dish before him, he finally realized what was wrong. Among all the sounds he had heard, the sound of flowing water was the embryo churning the culture medium!
Within the large culture dish, the entirely black embryo transformed into a giant black dragon under Gong Yuechen's gaze.
Each black scale was as smooth as a mirror, emitting a heart-stopping luster. They were arranged in neat order, with slightly protruding diamond-shaped scales. The sharp aura was almost enough to break through the culture dish and slice him into pieces. His eyes were crimson, and his golden pupils flashed with a hint of mockery before closing again.
He felt mocked by a dragon.
Gong Yuechen's mood was complex. The sudden turn of events left him breathless. Looking at the fainted Bai Cha on the ground, Gong Yuechen finally came to his senses, picked her up, and rushed out.