Upon hearing Mo Han's words, the Holy Dragon Patriarch sighed helplessly and began to speak slowly, "This dates back a long time ago. I don't know the exact time, only that it was probably during the Ancient Era. Back then, the Dragon race wasn't split into two factions; there was only the Holy Dragon clan, living peacefully and separately on Dragon Island."
The Holy Dragon Patriarch seemed lost in recollection.
"Later, within the Holy Dragon clan, some dragons with extremely radical ideologies gradually emerged. They believed the Dragon race's power shouldn't be wasted on a desolate, uninhabited island but should be used to conquer the entire continent. The most prominent among them was 'Kardia,' the very first patriarch of what would become the Demonic Dragon clan. He was the spiritual leader of these aggressive dragons. Naturally, their ideas were strongly opposed by the then-Holy Dragon Patriarch and the elders. So, they imprisoned these dissenting dragons in the forbidden grounds of Dragon Island, hoping they would realize their mistakes and abandon their notions."
At this point, the Holy Dragon Patriarch let out another long sigh. Mo Han knew the outcome must have been failure, or there wouldn't be a Holy Dragon race and a Demonic Dragon race now.
Sure enough, the Holy Dragon Patriarch spoke with resignation, "But the outcome was still a failure. Kardia led those dragons to break free from the magical restraints of the forbidden grounds.
They fled Dragon Island, plotting privately to conquer the Dragon Ascent Continent, seemingly to prove to the Holy Dragon clan that their actions were not wrong."
"Alas, at that time, humanity was at the absolute zenith of both magic and martial arts on the Dragon Ascent Continent. The number of Arch-Magisters and Sword Saints was astonishing—nearly a hundred of each. Compared to humans now, the difference is more than just a little. The strength of humans back then was enough to make even our Holy Dragon clan wary. Moreover, back then, except for the Royal Family, whose members possessed all elemental magics, other Holy Dragons, like humans, were limited to only one school of magic. Even we weren't confident in defeating the humans of that age, let alone those Demonic Dragon kin."
Hearing the Holy Dragon Patriarch's description of human might back then, Mo Han couldn't help but gasp in shock and interject, "Heavens, a hundred Arch-Magisters and Sword Saints! What kind of power is that? It's practically invincible strength. If humans today possessed that power, they wouldn't need to fear the Underworld Clan at all. So, what happened next?" The Holy Dragon Patriarch smiled at the question and replied, "The result, naturally, was a devastating defeat for the Demonic Dragon clan. After sacrificing several mighty dragons, they fled and vanished.
They hid on an uninhabited island unknown to anyone, which is now Demonic Dragon Island. Due to that previous failure,
the Demonic Dragons on Demonic Dragon Island grew dissatisfied with their single-elemental magic, believing it insufficient to serve its purpose or challenge humans. Consequently, these Demonic Dragon kin slowly abandoned their magical cultivation. They poured all their energy into martial arts, intending to rely on the Dragon race's inherent powerful physique and resistance to magic to achieve a unilateral breakthrough in martial prowess."
"No wonder I found it strange. When I was outside Dragon City yesterday, I never saw those Demonic Dragon kin casting magic. Otherwise, Dragon City would have vanished long ago. So, that's the reason." Mo Han suddenly understood.
The Holy Dragon Patriarch nodded, saying, "Precisely. The efforts of the Demonic Dragon kin finally bore fruit. Over the long passage of years, after forsaking their magical cultivation, their martial arts indeed saw immense breakthroughs. In terms of martial skill and physical capacity, their abilities far surpassed even the current Holy Dragon clan. However, they completely lost their magical aptitude. This should be what your humans call a trade-off—when you gain something, you inevitably lose something else."
Mo Han curiously pressed on, "Then what happened next? What became of those Demonic Dragons?" Seeing this, the Holy Dragon Patriarch smiled and continued, "Later, the major human empires began warring amongst themselves, which erupted into a campaign that swept the entire continent. Because the power of both magic and martial arts was incredibly immense during that time, all the major human empires were completely wiped out in that conflict. Many Ancient Spells and Ancient Martial Techniques were lost as well, including the devastating Lightning Magic and Spatial Magic well-known to your human race."
Upon hearing this, Mo Han urgently spoke up, "So Spatial Magic really exists! Then I have hope of returning?" Hearing Mo Han's words, the Holy Dragon Patriarch asked quizzically, "Returning? What does that have to do with Spatial Magic?" Mo Han gave a wry smile and confessed, "If I told you I do not belong to this continent or this world, that I was transported here from another realm using teleportation magic powered by Spatial Magic—would you believe me, esteemed Patriarch?" Mo Han hadn't expected anyone to believe him, but the Holy Dragon Patriarch seemed entirely unsurprised after Mo Han’s account. He merely nodded and stated, "This magical world is full of wonders, and Spatial Magic has always been the most profound and difficult magic of all. I imagine if such a thing truly happened, it wouldn't be surprising."
Hearing this, Mo Han became elated. "Does this mean you believe what I've told you, honored Patriarch?" The Holy Dragon Patriarch smiled and nodded, asking, "Then you wish to use Spatial Magic to return to your original world?" Mo Han pondered for a long time, unable to fully grasp his own true desires. He simply said, "Whether I return or not, I don't know yet. But at the very least, I need to know if I even have a chance to go back. Therefore, I must find this Spatial Magic one way or another. By the way, honored Patriarch, since you know this history, and your Dragon Royal Family knows all elemental magics—do you know anything about Spatial Magic?" Mo Han looked at the Holy Dragon Patriarch with a face full of hope, as if remembering something important.
How he wished the other would nod in affirmation.
But Mo Han was disappointed again. The Holy Dragon Patriarch shook his head regretfully and explained, "Spatial Magic is different from other magics. It is said to be a Time-Space Magic created by the Creator God, one that surpasses all other magics and operates on entirely different fundamental concepts. Its power is immense, so I know absolutely nothing about Spatial Magic."
Mo Han couldn't help but feel disappointed. It seemed Spatial Magic truly was extraordinarily difficult to grasp. If even the Holy Dragon Patriarch said so, even if he found it, he might not be able to learn it. Thinking of this, Mo Han couldn't help but offer a bitter smile.
Seeing his reaction, the Holy Dragon Patriarch assumed Mo Han was disappointed because he couldn't help him locate Spatial Magic. He couldn't help but offer solace, "But don't lose heart. I know a place where there might still be traces or news of Spatial Magic, so you still have hope of returning."
Mo Han brightened immediately. "Really? Where is it? Can you tell me? Thank you so much, honored Patriarch, in advance."
The Holy Dragon Patriarch quickly waved his hands with a smile. "Hehe, you don't need to thank me. I'll tell you this on one condition: there is something we need your assistance with. So, we can consider it a mutual exchange; there's no need for thanks."
Mo Han offered a wry smile in response. "I knew it. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. A task that even the Holy Dragon clan cannot accomplish—how could it be easy? Forget it, I’d rather not know, lest I invite needless trouble."
Hearing Mo Han's reply, the Holy Dragon Patriarch chuckled heartily. "Don't worry. We won't ask you to throw your life away. It's just that this matter is quite peculiar, which is why we seek your help."
Mo Han still looked skeptical, clearly indicating he wouldn't easily believe it, but he spoke aloud anyway, "Alright, tell me first. If it’s within my capabilities, I won't refuse. But let it be known, this isn't an agreement yet." Mo Han left himself an out. This Holy Dragon Patriarch appeared refined and gentle, but he was actually an old, cunning fox. If the task were truly as simple as he claimed, wouldn't they have solved it themselves long ago?
The Holy Dragon Patriarch smiled and said, "Our condition is simple: we want you to help us kill a great dragon."
Mo Han wondered if his ears had misheard. Was the Dragon Patriarch mad? As the leader of the Dragon clan, he was asking Mo Han to kill a dragon? He must be playing a trick or has gone insane. Thinking this, Mo Han asked suspiciously, "Do I have faulty hearing? Did you just ask me to help you kill a great dragon, Patriarch?" The Holy Dragon Patriarch maintained his smile and affirmed, "That is correct, we need you to help us kill a great dragon."
Mo Han’s face immediately fell. "Patriarch, you’re not asking me to kill the Demonic Dragon Patriarch, are you? That's a joke! With my current strength, I'd be more likely to serve as an extra dish for them than to fight them. Is this what you call a simple task?" The Holy Dragon Patriarch spoke with a gentle smile, "The dragon I require you to slay is neither from the Holy Dragon clan nor the Demonic Dragon clan, but a rather peculiar one. So you can rest assured, we are not sending you to the Demonic Dragon territory."
Mo Han sighed helplessly. "But that’s the same thing! It’s still a dragon. How can it be easy to deal with? Otherwise, everyone would be a Dragon-Slaying Hero by now. Forget it, I’d rather not know the whereabouts of Spatial Magic. You don't need to tell me. But there is one thing I don't understand: since the Holy Dragon clan wants to deal with that dragon, why don't you do it yourselves instead of troubling me with such a troublesome and uncertain task?"
The Holy Dragon Patriarch looked somewhat resigned. "Alas, if our Dragon clan could handle it, we would have acted long ago and wouldn't need to bother Your Grace, the Duke."
This made Mo Han even more perplexed. "Are there enemies even the Patriarch cannot handle? Then doesn't that make the Dragon clan virtually invincible? Wouldn't going there be sending myself to my death?" The Holy Dragon Patriarch explained, "Actually, the strength of that dragon is not overwhelming; it would only be considered mid-tier. We have quite a few within our clan who could deal with it. However, due to certain reasons, we are completely unable to confront it."
Mo Han grew increasingly confused. If the Dragon clan claimed they could handle the dragon, why wouldn't they act themselves and instead call upon him? It defied common sense. But Mo Han remained silent, knowing the Holy Dragon Patriarch would eventually reveal the reason, otherwise, he wouldn't be asking for his help.
Indeed, the Holy Dragon Patriarch continued, "Have you ever heard of the matters concerning the Ancient Blue Ruins?" Mo Han nodded. How could he not know? Guang Huo had entrusted him with the mission to find the Creator God Sword within the Ancient Blue Ruins, so he was certainly aware of that task.
Seeing Mo Han nod, the Holy Dragon Patriarch went on, "The dragon I need you to eliminate is hiding within the Ancient Blue Ruins. And within those ruins, there is rumored to be an ancient curse. Whenever our Dragon clan approaches that area, all our abilities are stripped away; we can't even summon half of our usual power. Therefore, no dragon is willing to go near that range."
Mo Han found this extremely strange. "Such a place actually exists? This world is truly amazing. By the way, isn't that dragon you want dealt with afraid of that curse? Why would it hide in the Ancient Blue Ruins? You know that ruins are filled with many high-level magical beasts, even level ten monsters abound. Wouldn't entering there be suicide for it?" The Holy Dragon Patriarch nodded, saying, "Logically, it should be so, but this dragon is an exception. That is why I say this dragon is an anomaly. I know you don't understand; I will explain it to you, don't rush."
Noticing Mo Han's look of bewilderment, the Holy Dragon Patriarch continued his explanation. "But before I speak, you must promise to help our Dragon clan keep this secret. Only then can I tell you. Can you do that? If, after hearing everything, you still decide not to accept this mission, we will absolutely not force you." The Holy Dragon Patriarch looked at Mo Han with grave seriousness.
Mo Han nodded and agreed, "Alright, I promise I won't tell anyone." Seeing this, the Holy Dragon Patriarch nodded, composing himself. A hint of sorrow flickered in his eyes, as if what he was about to say brought back a painful memory. He let out a long sigh and began, "This matter traces back three thousand years. The Holy Dragon Patriarch at that time and his wife had one son and one daughter. That daughter was the little princess of the Holy Dragon clan. This little princess was not only clever and quick-witted but also kind-hearted, deeply loved by everyone in the Holy Dragon clan. The Patriarch and his wife doted on her excessively, and her elder brother cherished her dearly too. Usually, he would fulfill almost any request his sister made. I imagine if she had been born male, she would have been the undeniable choice for the next Holy Dragon Patriarch, illustrating just how beloved she was within the clan."
At this point, the Holy Dragon Patriarch picked up the cup on the table, took a sip of wine to calm his emotions, and continued, "One time, this little princess snuck out to play out of childish curiosity. During her excursion, she encountered a young man, and they instantly bonded, quickly falling deeply in love. Even the Holy Dragon Patriarch and her brother were unaware of this."
"And then?" Mo Han couldn't help but ask.
The Holy Dragon Patriarch offered a wry smile in response. "I suppose it was fate playing cruel tricks. Later, the little princess discovered that the man she loved so deeply was actually the young patriarch of the Demonic Dragon clan. And that young patriarch, beforehand, had no idea that the woman he loved was the princess of his sworn enemy, the Holy Dragon clan. When they both realized this fact, they were stunned. But at that time, the little princess was already carrying the Demonic Dragon young patriarch's child, and both were genuinely in love. So, they immediately decided to renounce their statuses, intending to find a secluded place to give birth to their child and live the life they desired."
As he spoke, the sorrow in the Holy Dragon Patriarch's eyes became more pronounced, and he paused. Hearing this, Mo Han already knew that this hope was likely just wishful thinking for the two of them, otherwise, the story wouldn't have continued.
The Holy Dragon Patriarch resumed, "So they hid in a human city, living under assumed names, peacefully awaiting the birth of their child. Sadly, their good times were short-lived. Not long after, their romance was discovered by the patriarchs of both clans."
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