NOVPUBThe battle finished and Hao Ren came back to the lowest floor, and he stood before the dragon, and asked, "So, do we need to destroy this place?"
The dragon shook her head and said, "No, that is not needed. I can directly open a void tunnel and appear outside."
The young man nodded and said, "Then I shall see you outside."
The dragon nodded and then she opened the void tunnel and vanished. Hao Ren appeared in the void above the Labyrinth Pavilion and looked at the huge dragon standing above the pavilion, snarling at the people. Hao Ren looked around and said, "Can you stop scaring them?"
The dragon roared and said, "Tell them to go away. They crawl over like maggots on a rotten piece of flesh. Disgusting."
Hao Ren snapped his fingers and his voice echoed in the surroundings, "Get lost."
The people turned around like puppets and left. Hao Ren took a deep breath and looked at the dragon as he asked, "Can you release the Nagas inside the Labyrinth?"
The dragon raised her head to look at him as she said, "You are the person who entered the last floor, you should have gained the rights to control the labyrinth."
Hao Ren didn't understand how he would gain this access. The pavilion was locked with arrays from all side, and was controlled by the array. However, right now he was thinking about something else. Suddenly he asked, "Since you could travel through the void on your own. Why did you agree to wait for me?"
The dragon took a deep breath and replied, "I wanted to see how you can handle that asshole. However, to think that you did him so dirty. It is very shocking, it seems that I have underestimated you."
Hao Ren shook his head and asked, "Senior, you over praise me."
The dragon snorted and then she looked around before asking, "What would happen to this city if I leave?"
Hao Ren sighed and said, "The nature of this place has been altered by the raging Dragon Energy you let out from the bottom of the Labyrinth. Kong Chakran couldn't absorb that huge amount of energy and thus the people here became the vessels. Now that you are free, the energy would gradually dissipate and the people would return to normal."
The dragon nodded, and looked at Hao Ren as she asked, "Are you not afraid of talking to me? What would you do if I attacked you?"
Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Senior, I wouldn't say that I trust you completely. However, had you wanted to kill me, there is no chance that I might survive, and that too after spending all my cards. This is why, I am a little confident that while we don't have any good will between us, we certainly don't have any bad blood either. However, I am curious."
The dragon nodded and asked, "What do you want to know?"
She could sense his thoughts. The young man smiled and replied, "You don't sound like a malicious dragon. Why do they call you the Severance Dragon."
The dragon sighed and said, "It is because of how I killed so many people that I severed my own emotions. That is why they call me Severance."
Hao Ren nodded and then he asked, "Elder, what is your real name then?"
The dragon didn't reply for a long time but then she sighed and replied, "Amare."
Hao Ren was stunned, and asked, "Did you just say, Amare? Amare as in the legendary dragon of Eastern Battlefields?"
The dragon looked at Hao Ren with surprise in her eyes and asked, "How do you know about that? It has been millennia since I earned that name."
Hao Ren gulped and said, "Senior, the accounts of your battle against the swarm of Golem Bulls on the third pass is still a classic example of staying calm."
The Dragon chuckled and asked, "Do I look calm to you? This is all just a pretense so that the world doesn't find out the real me. I would like it if you keep it the same as well."
Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will not divulge the information to anyone."
The dragon nodded and Hao Ren asked, "Senior, what are you going to do from now on?"
Amare replied, "I would like to fly around and see the world. I would also like to see if I am really me."
Hao Ren nodded and said, "If you wish to come and have a please visit the Spirit Shimmer continent as well. You might like it there."
The dragon nodded and said, "You are a gem, child. You are strong and steadfast. However, if you wish to get stronger in the field of martial arts, you will need to empty your coffers."
Hao Ren nodded in understanding and said, "I understand, Senior. I will do my best to get stronger,"
Amare nodded and left the place with a flap of her flesh wings. Hao Ren waited for a few minutes, then he went inside the Labyrinth, and used the eye of insight. The key factors to control the space came to his mind and after some thought. He waved his hand.
The array around the pavilion was the center of the huge barrier around the city. Everything came down in a quick blink. The city barrier had vanished, the young man waved his hand and a void tunnel appeared that took him directly to the floor where the Naga's were waiting.
Shortly after, the Nagas came out and they thanked Hao Ren. The young man told them to wait outside the city. He was going to travel to the remaining five cities to finish his mission.
…
Hao Ren then picked up Akura with the back of her neck and then they both headed outside the city. The people were busy protecting themselves to look for the two youngsters.
Soon they were out of the city, and Hao Ren was ready to make a pit stop on the five cities when he suddenly paused and saw a shadow in the sky. He smiled and asked, "Why are you following me?"
The shadow didn't reply immediately, but soon Hao Ren said, "Lady Amare, you don't have to be hesitant about anything. Please just tell me what is it that you need."
This time he used the soothsaying skill, the lady lower her guard and said, "I have spent a long time on my own. You don't seem like a bad person. So, I was thinking if I should follow you for a few days and then decide what I should do."
Hao Ren could hardly chuckle after hearing this but then he said, "It's not a big deal. It would be my pleasure to have a friend like you."
The he stopped and the shadow came closer in a blink. It was no longer a menacing dragon, but a beautiful lady. She was wearing an olive green hanfu, and her hair were cut short, reaching her chin, with a bright red lipstick applied to her lips. Looking at her, Hao Ren almost thought that she was a young adult human.
However, upon a closer look he noticed a faint pattern of four diamonds on the center of the brow, which was the reverse scale. Hao Ren sighed, and asked, "So, where shall we go first?"
The young lady thought for a bit and said, "How about we go to some place where I can eat my fill."
Hao Ren was taken aback but then he chuckled and said, "Sure. Come. I will treat you."
Amare revealed a faint smile and they travelled using the void portals. Hao Ren could no longer use the horse to ride through the scenery because Amare scared the shit out of them. It was not only the horses, but almost all the spirit beast and the spirit beast-kin, they were all scared of her.
For the first time, Hao Ren realized the terrifying phenomena of blood line suppression. He knew that Dragons were arrogant and prideful creatures, but he realized that these traits were used as a defence against the wicked.
Amare told him many things about the world from her time. She told him about how wide and prosperous the Samsara Kingdom was. Hao Ren humbly learned all this, and soon the trip to five cities came to an end.
The two people stood on the edge of a cliff, and Hao Ren said, "Senior, from here, I intend to return back home, where my family is waiting for me."
The young lady before him asked, "Where is your home?"
Hao Ren gazed at the horizon and said, "The Spirit Shimmer Continent, Crescent Moon Empire."
Amare thought of something and then asked, "Is it a completely different continent that you were telling me about?"
Hao Ren nodded and the lady mumbled, "I wonder."
The young man caught that but didn't comment. He took out the dragon ring and placed it on his hand, and said, "It is time I go back, if you wish to live a carefree life, you can come along Senior."
Amare thought for a bit, and only after a few minutes she sighed and said, "I will come, but I hope you let me leave if I don't find it good enough."
The young man nodded and they set off towards the Crescent Moon Empire.
