Katherine and Xinyu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with a mix of anticipation and excitement. They had yet to greet Xuefeng since they arrived when he was already in the midst of a fight with Drakos, and they were waiting for him to approach them first. As it turned out, he had already planned to choose them first from the entire group, alleviating all their frustrations.
They didn't hesitate to respond to his call, fearing he might change his mind. However, as they eagerly stepped toward him, they felt as if someone had hit them with a hammer. Their Dragon Bloodline activated on its own to protect them from the sudden pressure, but that was only enough to keep them from shivering.
"Is this the power of the pure Bloodline?" Katherine questioned, watching her golden scales tingle in his mere presence. "How can there be such a difference? I was born a dragon yet I can't even approach you?"
The scene unfolded to the surprise of all who watched, but Xuefeng only nodded, having expected this to happen. "Before anyone thinks I'm choosing to spend time with them because they are Dragons, this is the reason why," Xuefeng announced, looking at the struggling pair. "My pure Dragon Bloodline is essentially suffocating for them in their current state, and I won't be able to approach them until I strengthen their Bloodline. Even the Dragon Queen barely resisted my influence, despite her blood being the purest of everyone in the Dragon Race."
He smiled gently at them and retrieved a small, blood-red stone from his spatial ring. "This is a Dragon Stone, used to store Bloodline Essence. I have been filling it since the moment I returned," he explained as he handed it to Katherine. "Although it won't purify your Bloodline just yet, it should be enough to lower your symptoms."
Katherine was surprised by the sight of the Dragon Stone but refrained from asking unnecessary questions. She extracted five drops from inside, passing three to Xinyu while keeping two for herself. It didn't seem like much, but it was probably all they could handle in one go.
The moment they swallowed the drops, their hair scattered in all directions as boundless energy exploded from their bodies. They immediately sat on the ground to refine the Bloodline Essence while everyone else took a step back. Even though they didn't possess a Dragon Bloodline, their own bloodlines felt uncomfortable due to the overwhelming pressure.
"Why am I not affected like them? I didn't feel anything when we fought earlier," Drakos queried, feeling somewhat proud of himself. "My Bloodline must be as pure as my mother's."
"You aren't affected because you're no longer the same Dragon as they are," Bella replied, wiping the smile from his face.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"I noticed it after I went through your transformation. Even though our bodies appear similar on the surface, we have fundamentally altered our Bloodlines. By recreating our bodies with Fate Qi, we have become a new Race, distinct from our kin. If you were to extract your Bloodline Essence, it wouldn't be the same as theirs. In fact, I'm not even sure if we still have any," Bella explained calmly.
Bella was the only one who had chosen to use Drakos' technique, while Katherine and Xinyu had changed their minds due to the unknown risks involved. She was satisfied with her results, having made sure to preserve the core structure of her Bloodline, but Drakos seemed unaware of this necessity.
"What…?" Drakos replied, stunned. "You're joking. I copied my Bloodline perfectly. There's no way I would forget about—"
His words trailed off as he scanned his body, his face slowly paling with realization. "No, no, no… There's no Bloodline Essence… How could I forget? Does this mean I can't pass my Bloodline onto the next generation?"
"I thought you understood the side effects when you taught me your technique," Bella responded, sounding indifferent. "Phoenixes are unique in that we only produce offspring after our death. This trait is still present in my new Bloodline, so I wasn't bothered by the lack of Bloodline Essence. It's not like any of you could absorb it anyway."
Drakos fell to his knees, looking into the sky as if pleading with the god of existence. "I'm sorry, my child. I won't be able to bring you into this world," he muttered to himself, shedding a single tear. Then, as though he had found a solution, he suddenly stood. "Wait, there's a way. I just need to find a woman willing to undergo transformation with my Fate Dragon Bloodline. After altering a few elements, our children should be able to inherit the Bloodline. I could become the founder of a new, flawless Race! Hahaha!"
Feeling that his wives were about to roast Drakos, Xuefeng stepped in with a suggestion. "It's a good idea, but I don't think you're ready for such a commitment. How about this: find a small pet that you can care for. If you manage to keep it alive for at least a year, I'll consider you ready to care for another human, and I'll introduce you to the single ladies we meet during our travels."
Seeing Drakos' excitement, Xuefeng added, "To make the experience as real as possible, you're not allowed to keep it in another space. It should be by your side at all times, well-fed and protected. If it ever gets hurt, no matter the circumstances, you fail. Moreover, you can't force it to follow you. It has to willingly stay by your side."
"Isn't that easy? It's a deal!" Drakos agreed on the spot, launching himself into the sky. "I'll be right back. I'm going to find one right away."
The women watched him fly away, then turned to Xuefeng, puzzled. "Why are you trying to torment innocent beasts? He can hardly take care of himself, let alone a pet," Yiren protested. "I know he needs to learn responsibility, but why don't we start with a plant? At least it wouldn't matter if it dies."
"It wouldn't be hard for him to raise a Spirit Herb with the amount of Fate Qi he has," Xuefeng pointed out with a sigh. "I'm just trying to teach him what it means to care for someone else. If he doesn't learn this, he'll only think about himself. He might be strong, but he's not alone. Everyone needs to protect each other, especially now when all our opponents are likely to be stronger."
"Strong?" Nuwa repeated in surprise. "Didn't he fail to leave a single scratch on you? How is that strong?"
"Didn't you notice? The only reason I was able to block every attack was thanks to my Elemental Bracelet that absorbed all Fate Qi. Despite that, I was still pushed back by just the sheer force of his punches. His Fate Qi body is even stronger than my pure Dragon Bloodline," Xuefeng explained. "I don't think any of you could withstand a single punch from him right now."
"Xuefeng is right," Bella confirmed as she surveyed their surroundings. "Can you see that tree in the distance? Let me show you something."
She stepped away from the group and casually flicked the air in front of her. At first, it seemed insignificant, but then the distant tree suddenly exploded, sending flaming wood splattering in all directions. "By pouring a bit of Fate Qi into my flick, I can create ripples in the space of this Realm. If I were to punch with full force, I wouldn't be surprised if I could rip a hole in space itself. Given that Drakos didn't cause such damage, he must have been holding back," Bella deduced.
"Then I guess it's worth training him," Nuwa remarked, glancing at Yiren. "We will leave it to you, Yiren. You are the best at handling unruly beasts."
"Fine, but I won't hold back," Yiren responded firmly. "If he fails to learn after a year, I will turn him into my pet."
Drakos' presence in their group had never been an issue, as there was always someone capable of reining him in. However, now that he had become this powerful, he either needed to fully integrate into the group or leave. He would pose a danger if not everyone could trust him with their life.