Chapter 126: The Dragon’s Ambition (Part 2)

The Dragon’s Ambition (Part 2)

Adrian Valerius remained kneeling on the ground.

He didn’t dare move.

He barely dared to breathe.

Even the slightest sound felt inappropriate in the presence of the man standing before him.

His Eyes of Heavenly Geomancy had allowed him to witness countless extraordinary figures throughout his life.

He had seen geniuses.

Monsters.

Great cultivators whose names alone could shake entire regions.

But none of them had ever made him feel this small.

None had ever made him feel so utterly insignificant.

Only Victor could do that.

Standing before the Patriarch of the Salvatore Family, Adrian couldn’t help but feel as though he were nothing more than a grain of sand beneath an eternal mountain.

The difference between them was simply too great.

Too overwhelming.

He had the strange feeling that even if Victor did nothing...

Even if Victor merely stood there and breathed...

That alone was enough to crush him.

One careless breath from that mountain...

And he would cease to exist.

Adrian’s throat moved slightly.

He forced himself to remain still.

He didn’t want to attract even the slightest bit of Victor’s attention.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, Victor finally broke the silence.

"Three days..."

His calm voice drifted across the mountain peak.

"So the Heavenly Secret Realm will open in three days?"

Adrian’s eyes immediately brightened.

A faint spark of hope appeared within them.

Was Patriarch Victor actually considering the invitation?

He quickly lowered his head again.

"No, Patriarch Victor."

His voice remained respectful.

"We don’t have six months anymore."

Adrian paused for a moment.

His expression became bitter.

"The Azure Sovereign Empire used one of their National Secret Arts to force the Heavenly Secret Realm to awaken ahead of schedule."

His fingers slowly tightened against the ground.

"It will open..."

He swallowed.

"...three days from today."

"The entrance has already stabilized at Red Cliff Mountain."

Silence followed.

Adrian let out a quiet, helpless laugh.

There was no amusement in it.

Only bitterness.

"What humiliation..."

His voice dropped.

"The Heavenly Secret Realm lies within the territory of the Dawn Empire."

"And yet..."

He clenched his teeth.

"The Azure Sovereign Empire forced it open before our own Imperial Court could even act."

His expression darkened.

This wasn’t merely a matter of losing an opportunity.

Everyone understood what had happened.

The Heavenly Secret Realm had existed within the Dawn Empire’s territory for generations.

The Dawn Empire should have been the one deciding when it opened.

At the very least, they should have been the ones controlling the preparations.

But the Azure Sovereign Empire had ignored all of that.

They had simply forced the realm awake.

And they had done it openly.

"It was never simply about opening the realm."

Adrian’s voice carried a trace of anger now.

"It was a declaration."

"A warning."

"They wanted every empire watching to understand the difference between our strength."

His fingers dug deeper into the soil.

His knuckles slowly turned pale.

"It was a silent display of power."

He lowered his head.

"And an unmistakable one."

"There was blood hidden beneath that confidence."

"They’re treating the Dawn Empire like livestock..."

"They don’t mind scattering a little bait..."

"...because they already believe the entire flock belongs to them."

Victor listened quietly.

His expression never changed.

"I understand."

He gave a slight nod.

Then...

A strange look appeared in his golden eyes as he turned toward Adrian.

For reasons Victor genuinely couldn’t comprehend...

This City Lord seemed to possess a rather unusual habit.

Every single time they met...

Adrian somehow ended up kneeling before him.

Victor couldn’t remember asking him to kneel.

Not once.

Yet somehow...

The man always found himself on both knees before the conversation truly began.

A rather ridiculous thought surfaced in Victor’s mind.

Could he actually enjoy this...?

Even Victor felt a little uncomfortable entertaining the possibility.

Shaking the bizarre thought from his mind, he waved a hand dismissively.

"Make yourself at home, City Lord Adrian."

"You are welcome in Sovereign Blessed Land whenever you wish."

Without waiting for another reply...

Victor stepped forward.

Ripples spread beneath his feet as though he were walking across an invisible lake suspended in the sky.

His black robe embroidered with golden dragons fluttered gently behind him.

Moments later...

His figure disappeared beyond the clouds.

Only then did Adrian slowly exhale.

He hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath the entire time.

His robes were soaked with cold sweat.

"My heavens..."

He whispered to himself.

"The pressure from Patriarch Victor..."

"It only becomes greater every time we meet."

His Eyes of Heavenly Geomancy allowed him to perceive invisible forces beyond ordinary cultivators.

That blessing...

Had become a curse whenever he stood before Victor.

In Adrian’s vision...

Victor wasn’t a man.

He was a divine existence standing beyond fate itself.

Someone whose mere presence distorted Destiny.

Someone who couldn’t be measured...

Or understood.

A smile slowly spread across Adrian’s face.

"But..."

"Since Patriarch Victor has agreed..."

"Our chances inside the Heavenly Secret Realm have completely changed."

"No..."

"They’ve become overwhelming."

Excitement surged through him.

He clenched both fists.

Then gave himself a determined nod.

"Come on, Adrian Valerius!"

"The next time you meet Patriarch Victor..."

"Stay on your feet!"

"You are destined to become the greatest Heavenly Geomancer in history!"

Filled with renewed confidence...

He finally stood up.

Or rather...

He tried to.

The instant he straightened his body...

Something at the foot of Sovereign Mountain entered the corner of his vision.

There...

Resting calmly upon the bloodstained Sovereign Boundary Monument Warning Obelisk...

Sat an elderly man dressed entirely in black.

His black hair flowed behind him.

His calm black eyes gazed into the distance.

He seemed utterly ordinary.

Yet...

The instant Adrian’s Eyes of Heavenly Geomancy landed upon him...

His entire body froze.

In his vision...

The old man wasn’t sitting atop the monument.

He was seated upon an endless sea of corpses.

Behind him stood countless silent Imperial Pawns.

Each radiated an aura capable of shaking the heavens.

The overwhelming pressure struck Adrian like a falling mountain.

THUD!

His knees hit the ground once again.

"..."

Adrian stared blankly at the old man before lowering his head in defeat.

A long sigh escaped his lips.

"...New goal."

"Next time..."

"Try not to kneel before Patriarch Victor’s attendant either."