“Far traveler, what compels you to explore this forbidden place? With your strength, you should surely understand the significance of this taboo. Return! This is not where you belong!” The figure seated atop the black behemoth—King Gobathar, to be precise—spoke with stern authority to Zheng Zha, who remained a thousand meters distant.

Zheng Zha offered no reply. His immediate concern was provoking the scenario, triggering the mission to destroy the capital prematurely. Thus, he completely ignored King Gobathar’s query, instead extending a hand toward the defensive layer, intent on finding a means to breach it.

“Save your effort; this is Dragon Language magic. You are powerful; you must be a Dragon Rider, aren't you? And one whose dragon hasn't fallen. You should know that my dragon is a Black Dragon, the largest and mightiest of them all. Your own dragon is not beside you. How do you expect to enter without the aid of Dragon Language magic?” Seeing Zheng Zha remain silent, Gobathar showed no anger, merely sneering as he continued.

(Dragon Language magic? Speaking of which, in the Dragon Rider films, the protagonist can indeed borrow power from his dragon. He can unleash skills akin to magic. And this transparent shield before me… doesn't it feel precisely like the defense shield generated by a Dragon Crystal necklace against high-tech weaponry?) A thought sparked in Zheng Zha’s mind. Could the Dragon Rider combination actually involve a human channeling the energy residing within the dragon to manifest various effects? He had witnessed creatures like dragons before, albeit in another horror film world, and their sheer size and scale bore a strong resemblance to this colossal beast before him. If a dragon’s instinct was merely to convert its internal energy into Dragonflame or high-tech defensive barriers, then channeling that energy to a human might transform it into various forms of magic and shields capable of deflecting any attack—this must be the origin of the Dragon Rider symbiosis. Otherwise, how could a frail, ordinary human possibly master a mighty, massive dragon? (If that is the case, perhaps our young dragon, once it matures, could wield such power? But would anyone be capable of becoming its Rider?) Zheng Zha’s thoughts raced, yet his hands never paused. He struck the invisible shield, blow after blow, each punch significantly stronger than the last. Eventually, every impact reverberated with a tremendous thud, sounding as if a demolition ram were striking hardened steel.

Initially, Gobathar could watch Zheng Zha hammering the shield with cold indifference. In his mind, Zheng Zha’s actions were utterly foolish, perhaps even idiotic. Did he truly believe he could shatter the Black Dragon’s defense through sheer individual strength? But what happened next utterly defied Gobathar’s expectations.

Is this man truly human? Just listening to the sound of his fists connecting with the shield, Gobathar had no doubt of the terrifying destructive power. If those blows landed on an ordinary person, they would instantly be pulped. Even striking the Black Dragon beneath him would surely cause it pain... “Hmph, I think I’ve gauged the hardness. Are you ready now?” Zheng Zha, who had been silent, suddenly looked up and smiled—a smile that seemed to hint at something more. Gobathar watched him in confusion, but before he could fully react, Zheng Zha drove a straight punch into the shield. As the fist shot out, it tore the air, creating a shockwave. The shield before him instantly disintegrated into fragments. Zheng Zha vanished in a flicker, reappearing two hundred meters away. Then, he vanished again, traversing another two hundred meters before reappearing once more.

“Instant Annihilation! Gun!” “Instant Annihilation! Shave!” With these two consecutive techniques, Zheng Zha effortlessly bypassed the barrier and charged directly toward Gobathar and the black dragon. This entire sequence unfolded in the blink of an eye. Simultaneously, the Black Dragon, previously listless, lifted its head. It acted decisively, opening its massive jaws without hesitation and spewing a torrent of fire snakes. The flames were pure, incandescent white, suggesting scorching heat just by sight. Zheng Zha dared not be careless. He stomped down hard, shattering a square meter of the rock surface beneath him, propelling his body a hundred meters into the air. He then used several more successive Shave steps under the influence of Instant Annihilation. Within seconds, Zheng Zha had covered the thousand-plus meter distance and was soaring directly over the Black Dragon!

King Gobathar finally rose. He appeared both astonished and panicked. Standing up, he possessed an imposing, majestic presence; his nearly two-meter frame was corded with muscle. He reversed grip on a three-meter-long Dragon Lance, aiming it skyward. He performed some unseen action, and a dark essence flowed from his brow down his arm and into the Dragon Lance. The weapon then pulsed with black light, shooting toward the airborne Zheng Zha like a bolt of lightning.

Zheng Zha had just concluded a Moon Step and was hovering in mid-air, searching for purchase. Instantly, a profound sense of danger flashed through him. Since gaining strength, his perception of peril had sharpened, though such acute feelings had become rare lately. Without a second thought, he drew his Tiger Soul Blade and instinctively slashed downward. With a deafening Clang, the Dragon Lance met the Tiger Soul Blade head-on.

As the black energy coating the Dragon Lance was utterly depleted, it tumbled from the air. Zheng Zha was already engaged in his "Explosion" state, yet his palm still throbbed painfully. This suggested that Gobathar’s power was certainly equal to, if not slightly greater than, his "Explosion" mode—especially considering Zheng Zha was applying sustained force while wielding the Tiger Soul Blade, whereas Gobathar had merely thrown the spear swiftly.

(Interesting. Such a powerful individual guarding this place, merely to stop others from entering "Hell"? I’ll deal with him after I’m out of there... Thankfully, I sent the others on different missions earlier. If they had encountered this King, they might have been endangered...) Zheng Zha cast a deep look at Gobathar. The man retrieved his fallen Dragon Lance, and the colossal dragon also turned its head to gaze upward. Zheng Zha wasted no more time. He executed another Moon Step, shooting like an arrow toward a deep chasm behind the dragon. This pit had no visible ladder; it was about two hundred meters wide, its three sides enclosed by sheer rock faces, while the fourth was obstructed by the dragon. Positioned directly above the dragon, Zheng Zha used the aerial turning capability of Moon Step to easily vault over both the dragon and the King, vanishing into the immense darkness of the abyss.

The primeval chaos of the universe… The genesis of creation… In that utter void, devoid of time, space, or matter, the entire cosmos was compressed into a single point of infinite density and infinite mass. Then, the point exploded, initiating an endless expansion from that infinite energy, birthing time, space, and matter… In the boundless expanse of the universe, countless planets, galaxies, and worlds arose, fostering life. Through slow or rapid evolution, these celestial bodies birthed intelligent life forms, civilizations, and societies… Among this infinite host of living worlds, one planet named Earth was utterly unremarkable, teeming with life forms that were also evolving until the emergence of the species known as humanity… Early humans were incredibly weak; they were, perhaps, only a marginal step above apes. Among these advanced primates, a small subset of beings, spurred by certain crises, underwent extraordinary evolution, unlocking certain limitations within their own lives. After developing civilization and intellect, these evolved individuals termed this method of advancement "opening the Gene Lock." The most exceptional among them called themselves Sages, for they had unlocked the fifth stage of the Gene Lock, standing at the apex of all life forms.

Having carved a bloody path through countless primordial monsters, humanity had, by this time, achieved a remarkably high level of civilization. They had even transcended Earth, establishing minor outposts on Mars. Humanity’s future seemed boundless when, within their own ranks, certain rebels arose. They disdained the evolutionary path of the Sages who relied on the Gene Lock, instead pursuing an alternate method of progression: Runes and cultivation-based technology. Utilizing these technologies, these individuals acquired the power to contend with the Sages. While a single one might not challenge a Sage, their form of strength differed: a Sage’s power could not be taught, and their unlocked Gene Lock was personal. However, these rebels could propagate their knowledge through teaching. Consequently, this faction grew increasingly powerful, eventually reaching a level that threatened the Sages' dominion. They proclaimed themselves… Cultivators! War! The conflict between the Cultivators and the Sages—a war waged over the fundamental differences in their respective "Daos." Both sides were utterly convinced their evolutionary direction was absolutely correct, both wishing to impose their evolved "Dao" upon humanity. Driven by these convictions, these two supremely powerful factions chose not to explore outer space but to wage war upon each other. This conflict came to be known as the Great Desolate War!

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