After Evan Chu left, Shrine Master Leon Drakeson, Golden Dragon Grand Elder, and Third Elder Marcus watched his departing figure, each feeling a surge of emotion. "How much do you believe what Evan just said?" Leon Drakeson asked.
"I'm half-convinced, half-doubtful. The Dragonblood Crucible is insanely dangerous inside. Honestly, I'm worried about him going in—he's our only hope to resolve the Dragon Clan's crisis," said the Golden Dragon Grand Elder.
"I actually have a lot of faith in him. To reach this level at his age is practically defying the heavens! From the way he talks and acts, you can tell he's calm and steady—he wouldn't risk his life for nothing. I dare say, once he enters the Crucible, he's bound to break through," said Third Elder Marcus.
"Marcus, your analysis is spot-on. When Evan transformed into a dragon, did you see how many claws he had? I saw it clear as day—eight claws! As Golden Dragon Shrine Master, I've only ever had six. Just thinking about what that means gives me chills," Leon Drakeson said.
"Are you absolutely sure it was eight claws, not just your eyes playing tricks on you?" Marcus stared at Leon in shock, his expression so stunned it was almost scary.
"Of course I'm sure. I locked onto him with my divine sense at the time. I think he didn't want everyone to see just how many claws his Golden Dragon form really had—otherwise, he wouldn't have flown off so fast. Looks like he already knows exactly what having eight claws means," Leon Drakeson replied.
"It looks like our Dragon Clan's crisis might finally be resolved. An eight-clawed Golden Dragon is practically on par with the Primordial Dragon. If Evan Chu awakens that bloodline, who knows how powerful he'll become? Maybe no one in this world could stand against him," Marcus said, his voice grave.
Both Leon Drakeson and the Golden Dragon Grand Elder trusted Marcus's words completely. After all, Marcus was the oldest dragon in the clan—there were plenty of things even Leon and the Grand Elder didn't fully understand. In terms of seniority, Marcus's status sometimes even surpassed the Shrine Master himself.
After Evan Chu returned to the room arranged by Leon Drakeson, he didn't sleep. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed, talking with Sword Spirit Luna about tomorrow's entry into the Dragonblood Crucible. "Luna, how can I restore your body? You have to tell me the method, and anything I need to watch out for, too."
"I knew you couldn't hold back from asking. Restoring my body isn't something that can be done in a short time—it'll burn through a ton of your five-element and wind-thunder elemental power. The stronger you are, the faster my recovery will be," Luna explained.
"First, you need to inject the five elements into my body one by one. Once my body starts to solidify, use wind-thunder elements to get my blood flowing. The last step is the most crucial—you have to help me survive three rounds of tribulation lightning."
"Rebuilding a physical body like this is an act against the heavens. My situation is different from Demon Lord Solus—he can rely on demonic creatures to reconstruct his body, but I can only use elemental power. That way, once my body is restored, I'll keep my original cultivation base," Luna explained, worried Evan Chu might not understand.
"Tribulation lightning? Is it stronger than what I faced at the Thunder Pool or when I got the Five-Element Fruit?" Evan Chu asked, anxious.
"It should be about the same, maybe even stronger—hard to say for sure. When my body has just formed, I won't have any offensive or defensive power at all. The tribulation lightning will be impossible for me to resist. Only you can help me get through it, not even Tom Chu. You need to remember this," Luna said seriously.
"There's one more thing. While the tribulation lightning is striking, you're forbidden from touching me. My body will be incredibly fragile and won't survive any rough handling. If you're careless, I could die on the spot," Luna warned.
Evan Chu immediately replied with a serious look, "Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless."
Now that he knew how to help Luna restore her body, Evan Chu couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. After all this waiting, he would finally get to see Luna's true form.
At dawn the next day, Evan Chu left his room and headed straight for the Dragon Shrine. Inside the main hall, he found Shrine Master Leon Drakeson, Golden Dragon Grand Elder, and Third Elder Marcus already waiting for him. "Let's go. Remember what I said—no matter what happens in the Dragonblood Crucible, don't come in or disturb me. I'll come out safe," Evan instructed firmly.
Evan Chu absolutely didn't want anyone interrupting Luna's body reconstruction, and he especially didn't want any other men seeing her—he knew she'd be completely exposed at that moment.
"Don't worry, we'll wait for you to come out. But you must return before the next full moon. On Seven-Star Convergence Day, the Ancient Black Dragon Draxon will definitely break out of seclusion—if you haven't appeared by then, I fear the entire Dragon Clan will cease to exist," Shrine Master Leon Drakeson warned gravely.
Evan Chu followed the three elders to a Teleportation Gate. Shrine Master Leon Drakeson explained, "This gate leads directly to the Dragonblood Crucible. Those of us who've already awakened our bloodline can't enter, so you don't need to worry about anyone disturbing you. For extra safety, I'll have the Golden Dragon Grand Elder guard the gate until you come out. Evan, be careful—the hopes of the Dragon Clan rest on your shoulders."
"Don't worry, Uncle Leon, I won't let you down. Also, please take good care of my mother, Celine Tang, while I'm gone. If she asks, just say something urgent came up at the sect and I'll be back soon," Evan Chu requested.
"I know what to do. Go on inside, and remember our words—we're all waiting for you to return," Shrine Master Leon Drakeson encouraged.
Evan Chu nodded and stepped into the Teleportation Gate. Instantly, a powerful force pulled him through, and he arrived in a stone chamber surrounded by sheer mountain walls. In front of him was a pool about five meters wide—the Dragonblood Crucible. The ground around the pool was barely the size of a single room.
Evan Chu glanced at the Dragonblood Crucible and found it exactly as Shrine Master Leon Drakeson had described—the liquid inside was as red as blood, and he could clearly sense powerful energy fluctuations. Instead of jumping in right away, he stood at the edge, quietly observing the Crucible's energy changes.
After a long while, Evan Chu still couldn't discern anything special, so he turned to Luna and asked, "Should I enter the Crucible now, or reconstruct your body first?"
"Of course you should enter the Crucible first! Even if the energy can't awaken your bloodline in one go, it'll still boost your strength—the stronger you are, the faster I can recover. How do you not get such a simple point? Honestly, you're hopeless," Luna grumbled, exasperated.
"I'm just nervous for you, okay?" Evan Chu said, steeling himself. "Alright, I'll go in first and see if this so-called bloodline baptism can fully awaken my power." With that, he stripped off his clothes and plunged into the Dragonblood Crucible...