Thump-thump-thump!!
Chen Ming's heart pounded wildly, as if boiling water was in his chest, his face flushed with awe. In his heart, Chen Ming screamed: W-w-who is she? Why is she so beautiful? My heart is going to burst! Am I going to die ridiculously from a heart attack after surviving a dragon?!
From Huanglong Zun's perspective, she also felt the same. Her golden eyes widened, staring at Chen Ming with a face full of unexpected enchantment and admiration. W-w-why is he so captivating? I've nursed him for 10 years, he wasn't like this! Did he just awaken and his appearance changed drastically? My heart is pounding like lightning striking! Thump-thump-thump!!
As they both gazed at each other, eyes fixed on the figure before them, time within the cave seemed to freeze. The faint golden light from the Spiritual Pool reflected in Chen Ming's whitened eyes and Huanglong Zun's golden eyes, creating a strange shimmer amidst the mesmerizing silence. Both were trapped in an unexpected charm, unable to look away, as if an invisible thread bound their gazes. The air between them felt thick with mixed emotions—awe, confusion, and wildly beating hearts.
Clingg!!
Suddenly, a cheerful and piercing system notification sound broke the sacred silence, like a deafening alarm bell in the middle of a beautiful dream.
Chen Ming flinched in surprise, his newly awakened and still not fully stable body losing balance.
Thud!
He tumbled onto the cave floor again, this time in an even more embarrassing position than before, perhaps his head hitting rocks or his leg getting caught on something. A faint pain returned to his unfortunate backside.
In his heart, Chen Ming screamed in anger and frustration: Don't you see I'm falling in love, you damn System?! What if they think I'm an idiot?! I just looked cool and majestic after my awakening like a God, now I'm lying there like a sack of potatoes! You romantic moment-ruining system! He grumbled, his face flushed crimson, no longer from awe, but from immense embarrassment. He didn't know that the woman before him was the Golden Dragon, Huanglong Zun, whom he had defeated ten years ago, and who now stared at him with an expression he couldn't comprehend.
"Hahaha!"
A soft, sweet laugh, like the tinkling of wind chimes in spring, escaped Huanglong Zun's lips. Her laughter wasn't mocking, but full of amusement and a hint of... warmth. She saw Chen Ming, surprised, tumbling into an odd pose, his face flushed with embarrassment. The sight was so comical, so human, and somehow, so endearing in her eyes.
Chen Ming became even more embarrassed hearing that laughter. He hastily tried to get up, straightening his crumpled robe, and tried to put on a "cool" face again, though he knew it was futile. He felt like a clown before a goddess.
Huanglong Zun, after her laughter subsided, stepped closer, her golden eyes still radiating amusement but now mixed with a deeper gaze. She knelt before Chen Ming, who was still trying to stand tall.
"You... you are indeed strange, mortal," she whispered, her voice soft, yet possessing an undeniable authority, the Dragon's Echo. "But it is your strangeness that is... captivating. I, Huanglong Zun, the Eastern Sovereign, have waited for you to awaken for ten years. My name is... Xian'er."
Chen Ming gasped, his eyes wide. Ten years? Wait... Huanglong Zun? That dragon?! And her name is Xian'er?! His face, which had been flushed with embarrassment, now turned pale, as if he had just seen a ghost. He looked at the beautiful woman before him, then at the Spiritual Pool, then back at the woman. No way!
"You... you're that Golden Dragon?!" Chen Ming whispered, his voice barely audible, full of disbelief. His entire body tensed, all the previous awe vanishing, replaced by cold fear. He had just been admiring his enemy from 10 years ago! And that enemy had nursed him for ten years?! This... this is even stranger!
Xian'er merely smiled faintly, a smile that could melt ice mountains. "Yes, I am Huanglong Zun, and my name is Xian'er. And you, mortal, have bound our destinies. Now, we have much to discuss."
She extended her hand, not to attack, but to help Chen Ming stand. Her slender, jade-white fingers touched Chen Ming's wrist. A cold yet gentle sensation spread, making Chen Ming flinch slightly.
Chen Ming, still unsteady, allowed Xian'er to help him stand. He felt a strange warmth from her touch, which soothed the pain in his backside. After standing tall, he immediately pulled his hand away, feeling awkward.
"Discuss... discuss what?" Chen Ming stammered, trying to gather his still chaotic thoughts. "About... about why I kicked you? Or why I choked on chewing gum? Or why you suddenly became... so beautiful?" The last words came out without filter, making his face flush again.
Xian'er chuckled softly, her laughter like a beautiful melody. "All that, and more. Ten years is a long time to reflect, mortal. And you, Chen Ming, have given me much to reflect upon." Her golden eyes gazed deeply into Chen Ming's whitened eyes, as if trying to read every secret behind them. "You have taken half of my essence, creating an unbreakable bond. You... are my life companion, whether you like it or not."
[Ding! Detection: User experiencing high-level romantic confusion. Gathering Strangeness Points from a very ridiculous situation...]
[+10 Strangeness Points.]
Life companion?! Chen Ming almost fainted again. My Strangeness Points are now 115. System, you're really not helping in crucial moments like this! Life companion?! She's a dragon! A dragon who just wanted to kill me! And now she says I'm her life companion?! Is this some kind of dragon curse?
"L-life companion?" Chen Ming repeated, his voice squeaky. "What do you mean? I... I don't even know what 'life companion' means in this world! I have no romantic experience! I even got rejected by Mei Lin!"
Xian'er tilted her head slightly, her expression cute yet still gracefully questioning. "It means our destinies are intertwined. Your soul is bound to mine through the essence you absorbed. You are a part of me, and I am a part of you. It is a bond deeper than the mere 'romantic' you understand, Chen Ming. This is destiny. And I... I have accepted it."
She stepped closer, her majestic yet now gentle aura enveloping Chen Ming. The air around them felt warm, as if an invisible energy was swirling. Xian'er extended her hand again, this time touching Chen Ming's cheek with her fingertip. The touch was soft, yet it triggered a strange tremor throughout Chen Ming's body.
"For ten years while you were in a coma, I nursed you. I observed every change in you. Your Half-Dragon Meridians pulsed with incredible power, a power I had never seen. It is a fusion of my essence and... your strangeness." Xian'er smiled faintly, her eyes radiating a deep light. "You are an anomaly, Chen Ming. An anomaly that somehow, has attracted my attention. And also... my heart."
Thump-thump-thump!!
Chen Ming's heart pounded again, this time not just from fear or embarrassment, but because of Xian'er's words that pierced directly into the depths of his heart. She... she said her heart was attracted to me? This majestic dragon? The most beautiful I've ever seen? This... this is crazier than anything!
"I... I don't know what to say," Chen Ming stammered, his eyes staring at Xian'er, trying to read her expression. "I... I'm just a weak ordinary human. I know nothing about destiny or dragon essence."
Xian'er withdrew her hand from Chen Ming's cheek, but her gaze remained intense. "You are no longer an ordinary human, Chen Ming. You are the wielder of Half-Dragon Meridians. And you are the one who defeated me, Huanglong Zun. You possess limitless potential. I will guide you. I will teach you. And together, we will understand the strange destiny that binds us."
She turned towards the cave mouth. Thick mist still enveloped the mountain peak, hiding the strange destiny that had just been revealed within. However, inside the cave, a new bond had formed, between a majestic dragon and a human, a bond that would change the destiny of Tian Xuan Continent.
"The world out there has changed a lot in these ten years, Chen Ming," Xian'er continued, her voice now returning to a more serious tone. "Many things have happened. And you, with your new power, will be a part of the coming chaos."
She looked at Chen Ming, a faint smile returning to her lips. "But for now, let's start with the basics. I will teach you how to control the Qi in your Half-Dragon Meridians. And you... you can start by stopping falling over."
Chen Ming could only gape, his face flushed crimson. System! Did you hear that?! She's mocking me!
[Ding! Detection: User has great potential to develop a strange relationship. Gathering Strangeness Points from awkward but promising interactions...]
[+15 Strangeness Points.]
This System really only appears at the most embarrassing moments! Chen Ming sighed inwardly, a thought he could only feel himself, as the System panel was only visible to him.
[Ding! Mission Reward: System Starter Pack has been activated!]
[Starter Pack Contents: (1) Low-Grade Qi Recovery Pill x5, (2) Basic Movement Technique Manual: 'Light Shadow Steps', (3) Tian Xuan Continent Map (Beginner Edition).]
My Strangeness Points were now 140. Chen Ming could only sigh. And it seemed, he would have a companion who was very... majestic, beautiful, and a little intimidating.