Against Heaven's Will



The Elder gazed at Xuefeng in shock and reached up to touch his cheek. The scratch has already healed with his passive regeneration, but the crimson blood was still present. He rubbed the blood between his fingers and finally decided to bow.

"I apologize for offending you, Sir. I will take my leave now," the Elder replied politely and walked out from the restaurant. As soon as he disappeared from Xuefeng's sight, the Elder's face grew serious and pale. 

"What kind of speed was that…?" the Elder wondered out loud while trying to recall Xuefeng's attack. "Not only was it fast but it even broke through all my defenses… I need to warn the Queen…"

The moment he felt Xuefeng's claw on his face and tried to react, Xuefeng was already gone, sitting at his seat as if nothing happened. If Xuefeng wanted to kill him, he would be dead before he even realized it. They were definitely dealing with someone from Beyond the Heavens.

The Elder teleported immediately and appeared in a busy room full of chattering and loud opinions. Nine highest Elders accompanied the Queen by the round table and argued intensely. 

"Why are we sitting here when the enemy is drinking our best wine and eating our best food?!" The youngest-looking Elder with a muscular body banged on the table in anger. "We should group up and strike him while he is still unaware of our power!" 

"I agree! He killed our City Lord! An eye for an eye! His punishment should be death!" Another elder with black horns nodded in agreement, causing the Dragon Queen to rub her eyes in annoyance. She looked up at the new arrival and her eyes brightened. 

"Eldest Elder came back. Shut up all of you and listen to what he has to say," the Dragon Queen informed but then she paused, looking straight at the blood on the Eldest Elder's cheek. "Why are you bleeding?" 

"I tried to test that man's strength and I almost died after disrespecting him. I'm only here because he spared me," the Eldest Elder announced coldly and met his eyes with the loudest bunch. "I'm almost certain he is from Beyond the Heavens."

His response silenced everyone in the room while the Queen looked at him with raised eyes. "Did you find out the reason for his visit to our Realm?" 

"No, he chased me out before I could ask." the Eldest Elder shook his head. "Even if I asked, I doubt I would get an answer. He expects your visit, my Queen, and won't talk to anyone else." 

"I see…" the Dragon Queen nodded and stood up. "I will meet with him then."

The buff elder stood up right after but he was instantly scolded by the Queen. "Sit down you fool. If you come with me that man will definitely kill all of us. I will go alone and none of you will leave this room, understand? I don't want any war, especially during my Sacred Month." 

She didn't wait for their acceptance and only glanced at the Eldest Elder as she walked towards the exit. That look could only mean one thing: If any of them leaves this room, you will be responsible for it.

"Wait, my Queen," the Eldest Elder stopped her before she left. "There is one more thing. I felt some strong familiarity coming from him and sensed a Dragon Bloodline in his body. It seemed like he had absorbed the City Lord's bloodline and he proved it by creating a real Dragon Claw. It was so fast and powerful that I didn't even feel when my barriers got crushed." 

"What…?" the Dragon Queen asked back in shock. "He has the Dragon Bloodline?" 

"That's right. It was very small and limited but at the same time it was the purest Bloodline I have felt," the Eldest Elder confirmed. "Queen will feel it the moment you enter the restaurant." 

"Unacceptable!" the youngest Elder cried out again. "Not only is he killing our people, but he is also stealing our Dragon Bloodline. What other proof do you need that he is a danger to our Race?! We should gather everyone and kill him before he gets stronger!" 

His words caused all Elders to frown but the Dragon Queen quickly countered. "Idiot, you know that's impossible. Even if he killed all of us, he wouldn't receive a pure Dragon Bloodline. I'm guessing one of his Ancestors must have been in contact with ours in the past. If he came here to kill, he would already do so instead of only acting when provoked." 

"My Queen, we are not your puppets with no voice. We are the council and such important matters should be decided by everyone," the youngest Elder said boldly. "I suggest we decide by voting." 

The Dragon Queen glared at him only to smile at the Elders. "Sure, let's have it your way." 

She walked back towards the round table and said loudly, "Anyone who wants to gather all forces and attack without any dialogue, raise your hands. Those who want me to meet that man and solve the conflict without thousands of deaths, you can stay as you are." 

The youngest Elder raised his arm without hesitation but to his surprise, the rest hesitated. After a moment, two more Elders raised their arms but that was not enough to push their idea. 

"It seems like we will do it my way," the Dragon Queen announced and finally walked way. "Sit down and wait for the good news. I will handle it." 

———

Compared to how seriously the Dragon Queen approached the situation, Xuefeng was chilling while admiring his new strength. 

'I must say, that Dragon Claw is quite impressive. You did a good job,' Xuefeng praised while admiring his hand. 'I thought the Elder might have some defenses but I sliced right through them." 

'This is the power of a pure Bloodline,' Ming replied humbly. 'Yours will be stronger once its complete since your power is extremely condensed. You already have a Forest Elf Bloodline which will strengthen the Dragon Bloodline even further.' 

'Oh, does that mean I won't be able to turn into a gigantic Dragon?' Xuefeng wondered disappointed. He knew the bigger didn't mean stronger but it was still cool. 

'You can't become a big Dragon but you will get something better. You will be able to turn into a human-sized Dragon that will be stronger, tougher, and more resistant than any current living Dragons,' Ming explained excitedly. 'That's all my theory though. I want you to keep all properties of the Dragon Bloodline and even grow over time without doing anything.'

'All we need is more Bloodline Essence…' Xuefeng muttered and suddenly looked up, sensing a strong aura coming from outside the building. 'Don't worry, leave it to me.' 

'Hah, all you need to do is convince the Dragon Queen to let you kill some of her Elders,' Ming challenged playfully. 'If you can do it without starting the war, I will let you do anything to me all night.'

'Can't I already do that?' Xuefeng asked back and smiled, imaging the feast once everything is over. 'It's a deal then.'

Before Xuefeng could figure out his action plan, the Dragon Queen has finally appeared. Compared to what he imagined, he definitely didn't expect a smile on her face. 

"I have heard a lot about you, my friend. Glad we can finally meet."