Chapter 392: Ashes

Chapter 392: Ashes

Becoming a Dragon Lord was secondary; the most important thing was the body of a Titanoboa.

However, Ji Xinghuo had his doubts. "Senior, if one isn't a true Dragonborn, how can they become a true Dragon Lord? Could it be..." He trailed off, not daring to utter the words. The "Dragon Vein" variant was a taboo subject in the True Dragon Empire.

But Titanium Cobalt Blue didn't shy away from the topic. "Of course, they would be granted a Dragon Vein."

"Then wouldn't that make them a Blood Thief?"

"If one were to privately kill a true Dragonborn and fuse with their Dragon Vein, they would indeed be an unforgivable Blood Thief." Titanium Cobalt Blue smiled mischievously. "But if a Dragon King bestows an outsider with the bloodline of an ancestral dragon as a reward, then there's no issue."

She had obviously guessed Ji Xinghuo's thoughts.

"We true Dragonborn are not a stubborn and narrow-minded race. Through this method, we can absorb outsider geniuses and strengthen the Empire's power."

"It's just not that common, then."

"Every few editions of the World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony, we open up the opportunity for outsiders to become true Dragon Lords." Titanium Cobalt Blue glanced at Cheng Sheng. "It didn't happen the last time, so you missed your chance. But that's a good thing."

Cheng Sheng also smiled and said, "Fortunately, it didn't happen last time!"

During the last World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony, he had only been a Super Deviant, and the competition hadn't been intense. He had barely managed to squeeze into the top hundred.

Now, he was a Legend and qualified to compete for a better ranking.

Ji Xinghuo nodded, indicating that he understood.

"There must be other conditions for outsiders to become Dragon Lords, right?" He had always been clear that rights and obligations were equal. The true Dragonborn were offering a huge benefit, and they would surely recoup the cost from these outsider Dragon Lords. It wasn't an act of charity.

Titanium Cobalt Blue laughed, "Of course. Becoming a Dragon Lord means pledging loyalty to the family and serving the Empire."

Ji Xinghuo's face showed hesitation.

"Don't worry about that," Titanium Cobalt Blue said. "I'll take care of everything. First, I'll get you 'subject' status, and then you can participate in the World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony as my follower. If you truly become a Dragon Lord, just pledge loyalty to me, and I won't restrict your freedom."

"I'll leave everything to Senior," Cheng Sheng said without any resistance.

He had lived in Titanium Ring City for many years and knew the Titanium Cobalt family and the True Dragon Empire well. He understood their rules and regulations.

Moreover, Titanium Cobalt Blue had always shown great care for Earthlings and had never had any personal motives. She was completely trustworthy.

Titanium Cobalt Blue turned to Ji Xinghuo. "Do you have any other questions?"

"What is a subject?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

He had studied a lot about the True Dragon Empire on Earth, but his knowledge was incomplete and lacked a lot of common sense.

Before Titanium Cobalt Blue could answer, Cheng Sheng explained it to him.

The True Dragon Empire had a strict hierarchy.

At the same time, their rule was relaxed at the lower levels and stricter at the top. In their vast territory lived tens of thousands of races, with the true Dragonborn at the very top of the pyramid, supreme and untouchable. All other races were the ruled.

And among the ruled, there were also distinctions.

One group was the Foreigners.

Anyone born within the True Dragon Empire's territory, regardless of race, as long as their background was clear and they had evolved and awakened to the third stage, could register as a "Foreigner" and thus gain basic rights within the Empire.

This was similar to the concept of citizenship on Earth.

Becoming a Foreigner meant officially becoming a part of the True Dragon Empire, with personal rights granted by the state.

The True Dragon Empire was vast, and the number of people living within it was countless, like the stars in the sky, difficult to estimate. A rough estimate put the number at over twenty trillion, or even more, and the proportion of those who could obtain Foreigner status was less than one in a thousand.

Those who couldn't obtain Foreigner status were, in the eyes of the Empire's rulers, mere numbers.

They were as common as weeds and held no value.

Only those geniuses who could stand out from the ordinary were worth a second glance.

Compared to the countless masses, Foreigners were already high above, having crossed a class divide.

However, within the Empire's system, Foreigners were still at the bottom.

There was another group called Subjects.

Subjects had higher rights and status than Foreigners, and there were three ways to attain this rank.

The first was to evolve to the fifth stage, Legend, with a clear background, proving that one was born within the Empire's territory. This would directly grant one Subject status.

The second was to accumulate enough contributions, such as serving in a public position for many years or holding a high position in the government, producing outstanding scientific research results, and so on. As long as one passed the evaluation, they could be promoted to Subject.

The third way was to be nominated by a true Dragon family and granted Subject status.

The third path was the simplest and fastest, but also the most difficult, as it required an extremely high-ranking true Dragonborn to intervene.

A small number of core true Dragonborn held the power to grant Subject status.

Thus, many outsider powerhouses followed true Dragonborn, serving them loyally for years, just to obtain Subject status.

Titanium Cobalt Blue was one of those true Dragonborn with this power.

Cheng Sheng was a Subject, granted this status by her several years ago.

Subject was almost the highest status a non-Dragonborn could attain within the Empire. To rise further, one would have to become a Dragonborn, and only then would their rights and status surpass those of non-Dragon Lord true Dragonborn. But those outsiders were all genius powerhouses, and Subject status became unnecessary for them.

Ji Xinghuo, of course, didn't care about being a Foreigner or a Subject, but having this identity would make moving within the Empire much more convenient.

"I'll follow Senior's arrangements," he said, his doubts assuaged.

"Then let's do it now," Titanium Cobalt Blue said.

She took out her Star Union terminal, tapped a few times, and said, "I'll call the registrar from Titanium Ring City over to process your paperwork directly. It'll save you the trouble of going there yourself and causing some kind of incident."

Ji Xinghuo scratched his head. Did she think he was a troublemaker?

Soon, a male true Dragonborn wearing a dragon-patterned uniform appeared in the room. He had a handsome face and a look of surprise and awe. He knelt slightly and said respectfully, "Nan Qi pays respect to Titanium Cobalt Blue!"

"Rise," Titanium Cobalt Blue said, her face expressionless. She waved her hand and said, "I have a new follower. Process his paperwork for Subject status."

"Yes, ma'am," Nan Qi said as he stood up and looked at Ji Xinghuo, his eyes unable to hide his envy.

Ji Xinghuo also observed the other man.

He noticed that this true Dragonborn didn't mention his surname when introducing himself. Usually, only Dragon Lords, Dragon Warriors, or true Dragonborn of the fifth stage and above were allowed to prefix their names with their family's surname.

This indicated that Nan Qi was neither a Dragon Lord nor a Legend.

Nan Qi took out a crystal stone tablet and quickly operated it, asking, "May I have your name, race, age, and occupation template, sir? I'll register your information right away."

Before Ji Xinghuo could answer, Titanium Cobalt Blue waved her hand.

A light flashed, and Nan Qi was removed from the room. She turned to Ji Xinghuo and said, "Register yourself as a member of the Gu Ze tribe and take on a pseudonym."

"Why, Senior?" Ji Xinghuo asked, as he had originally intended to register with his real information.

Before he could rebut, Titanium Cobalt Blue brought Nan Qi back into the room. Nan Qi's face wore a baffled expression, but he quickly composed himself and continued questioning Ji Xinghuo, who reluctantly answered, "I'm from the Gu Ze tribe..."

Ji Xinghuo had never heard of this Gu Ze tribe.

However, Nan Qi seemed to know of them and didn't ask further questions. He began filling in the information on the crystal stone tablet.

Age: 14 Ji, Male, Occupation: Dragon Warrior, Follower of Titanium Cobalt Blue, etc...

Finally, Nan Qi asked, "May I have your name, sir?"

"Jin." Ji Xinghuo blurted out a name, a common naming convention among the 'Huang' people, usually consisting of one or two characters.

Nan Qi didn't doubt him and completed the identity registration without hesitation.

"Lord Jin." Nan Qi put away the crystal tablet and said, "Congratulations on becoming a citizen of the True Dragon Empire! Here is your identity plaque. Please take good care of it, and in case you lose it, promptly apply for a new one at the Ministry of Citizenship to avoid any unnecessary troubles."

Nan Qi handed over a rectangular crystal plaque.

"Thank you."

Ji Xinghuo took the identity plaque, which signified his new status as a legal citizen of the True Dragon Empire.

It came with numerous benefits and functions, the most important of which was the ability to pay for the use of public arrays, allowing him unimpeded travel within the Empire!

After Nan Qi finished the registration, he bid farewell to Titanium Cobalt Blue and left.

"You two can leave as well." Titanium Cobalt Blue waved her hand and instructed, "In a few days, the date for the World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony will be announced. Remember to sign up. Ask Cheng Sheng for advice, and if you don't make it to the top ten, don't bother coming to see me."

"Yes, Senior."

The two of them left the tower top and rode the Steel Fang Dragon out of Titanium Ring City, returning to the surface.

As they flew out of the city, Ji Xinghuo turned back to look.

From start to finish, he hadn't seen the Titanium Cobalt Dragon in person. Even though his Titanium Cobalt Dragon blood originated from it, and he felt a sense of connection, being so close yet not catching a glimpse of a divine dragon species left him somewhat disappointed.

Cheng Sheng understood his thoughts and said, "I've been in Titanium Ring City for almost twenty years, and I've never seen Titanium Cobalt Blue's dragon."

"So it's that hard to see?" Ji Xinghuo was surprised.

"That's right." Cheng Sheng nodded, "The divine dragon species are very different from ordinary true dragons. They are shrouded in mystery, and being the foundation of the family, they rarely make public appearances. Even members of the Titanium Cobalt family may not get to see them more than a few times."

"There will be other opportunities to see it in the future." Ji Xinghuo said.

During this trip to Titanium Ring City, his electromagnetic sensing ability had been suppressed to a very small range. However, as they flew over the city, he still sensed numerous peculiar magnetic field entities within the circular city.

Some were True Dragon Humans, some were True Dragons.

And some, Ji Xinghuo couldn't even identify—they seemed both biological and architectural in nature.

The entire Titanium Ring City was a mystery to him, incomprehensible.

A moment later.

The Steel Fang Dragon landed back at the Earthlings' residence. Cheng Sheng arranged accommodations for Ji Xinghuo, and after a welcoming feast, everyone dispersed.

Ji Xinghuo stopped Cheng Sheng, and the two of them returned to the tea room to chat.

"Brother Sheng." Ji Xinghuo asked, "What exactly is the World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony in the Yuan Magnet Domain like?"

"It's similar to the Spiritual Realm on Earth, but there are some differences." Cheng Sheng smiled and replied, "In the True Dragon Empire, it's not called the Spiritual Realm; they refer to it as the 'Mental Phantasy.' It's also a virtual world, but it's more realistic and on a much larger scale."

"The biggest difference is that death in the Mental Phantasy inflicts a certain amount of spiritual damage, and one needs to rest and recuperate for a while to recover."

"So, if you can avoid dying, it's best to stay alive."

Cheng Sheng looked at Ji Xinghuo, "However, surviving the World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony is extremely challenging, especially this time. I've already prepared myself for the possibility of dying once."

Obviously, he never thought he could survive and become the ultimate winner.

But Ji Xinghuo didn't share this mindset.

"I know you want to get first place, but that's too difficult." Cheng Sheng said, "If it were an ordinary World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony, with participants limited to the Yuan Magnet Domain, there would probably be only ten to twenty thousand people, all at the fourth or fifth stage."

"Now, with the opportunity to become a Dragon Lord, it's going to be even more insane."

"I predict that countless powerful aliens will rush to sign up, and at the very least, they'll all be Legends. The number of participants could exceed a hundred thousand!"

He shook his head, feeling his scalp tingle.

"A hundred thousand Legends fighting to the death... tsk tsk..." Cheng Sheng sighed, "In the last ceremony, I was lucky to make it into the top hundred, and more than half of the participants were at the fourth stage, allowing me to 'camp' my way to the later stages. But this time, it won't be possible."

Ji Xinghuo understood the term 'camping'—it was a gaming term.

It meant avoiding direct combat and prioritizing survival.

The Mental Phantasy in the Yuan Magnet Domain was also a planet, but it was a satellite of a gaseous planet, with a diameter of about 3,000 kilometers, slightly smaller than Earth's moon. It had an ecological environment, gravity, magnetic field, and climate that perfectly simulated a natural planet.

Once the World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony began, this planet would gradually be destroyed, and the habitable area would shrink.

This forced participants into a smaller area, compelling them to fight each other.

Until only one remained.

If the planet was destroyed without a winner, everyone would perish together, and there would be no victor.

"The True Dragon Empire is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers." Cheng Sheng said, "Of course, the True Dragon Humans are the strongest, but there are also countless alien geniuses, too numerous to count, kept in check only by the overwhelming strength of the True Dragon Humans."

"You achieved a breakthrough and defeated a King on Earth, an unprecedented feat."

"But in the Empire, there are quite a few geniuses at your level. Just in the Yuan Magnet Domain, I've heard of seven or eight."

"If we're talking about the Candle Dragon Domain, there are even more." Cheng Sheng didn't want to dampen Ji Xinghuo's confidence, but he felt it was necessary to give him a realistic picture, "Of course, you're also very strong, or Titanium Cobalt Blue wouldn't have asked you to aim for the top ten."

Ji Xinghuo simply nodded without saying more.

Three days later.

The Titanium Cobalt family announced the news of the World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony, including the opportunity for aliens to become Dragon Lords. As expected, this sent countless aliens into a frenzy.

Ji Xinghuo checked the date and saw that the ceremony was two star months away.

He didn't want to just wait idly.

So, he found Cheng Sheng and asked, "Brother Sheng, is there a place in the Yuan Magnet Domain with a large number of monsters, moderate danger, and suitable for me to hunt alone?"

His goal was to obtain spiritual source energy.

Of course, if he could gain additional benefits, that would be even better.

Cheng Sheng thought for a while and replied, "There is indeed a place that fits your requirements. You can go to Black Ring Star."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end