"I see it all now… so that is what happened."
The Primordial Dragon's voice was filled with ancientness, and the vicissitudes of life resounded through the void.
"This should be a unique space within the Celestial River. I've heard about it, a river that drifts about, bringing together all dragon creatures from the past, present, and future. However, I'm curious."
"How did you enter the Celestial River?"
Amon felt a terrifying chill permeate his very being. The dragon was peering into his soul, trying to pry upon the mysteries hidden within.
But there was none.
This wasn't some kind of transmigration where the protagonist obtained a system and got warned that an ancient being might discover it.
"In the world you reincarnated me into, this is how humans obtain their power, by forming bonds with Celestial Dragons within the river."
"I already know that much. I am a Primordial Dragon, and I exist outside time. That's why this place is supposed to be inaccessible to you, and no human is ever supposed to bond with a Primordial Dragon."
Amon took a step back in shock, his body trembling in disbelief.
"I… don't know how."
The dragon stared at Amon, and it finally noticed the state of his soul.
For the first time, Amon saw the Primordial widen its eyes in shock as though it had seen something unbelievable.
"What happened to your soul?"
The dragon's voice quivered thunderously.
"My soul?" Stunned, Amon glanced at his body but couldn't find anything wrong with it.
"This soul," the massive black slit scanned Amon through and through before the dragon continued, "It's limitless. How is your soul limitless?"
Amon could sense the shock laced behind the dragon's words.
"This is unachievable even after reaching the level of Primordial Dragons!"
Amon couldn't help recalling that strange energy he had absorbed during his birth. He could tell that mysterious energy was responsible for the change within his body.
Suddenly, he felt a quiver inside him.
'The time limit… thirty minutes should have passed by now…'
Amon's heart grew panicked at the thought, and he quickly turned toward the Primordial Dragon.
"Hey, what do you say about forming a bond with me?"
"A Primordial Dragon forming a bond with a human?" The golden eyes glimmered intensely as it contemplated the consequences of such a thing.
It would be the first in history.
It would be preposterous.
"Life is short. You never know how long you'll live, so try your best to enjoy it as much as you can. This was something my mother told me. Despite living for countless years, even you can tell, life is still as fickle as ever."
"Forming a bond with you will mean abandoning everything to start over again."
Amon stretched his hand toward the Primordial Dragon.
"It's a minor price to pay to achieve greatness."
Hesitation flickered in the dragon's eyes.
How could it give up more than ten million years of cultivation just to start over on an uncertain path?
That was simply absurd.
A hollow laugh finally came from the Primordial Dragon.
How could it forget, it had already died. It was merely drifting about because of this unique space within the Celestial River.
"Yes, human. Life, in the end, is short. I am willing to start anew with you, and this time, I don't know why, but I feel certain that we might actually achieve eternity."
Amon let out a sigh, and a small smile spread across his lips as he felt a profound connection settle within his strained soul.
He had done it.
He had formed a bond with his dragon, and not just any dragon, but a Primordial Dragon rather than a Celestial one.
Amon felt a pull on his consciousness the moment the bond was finally formed, and he realized he was back on the platform.
His vision went white for a brief instant due to the intense light, which gradually dimmed, receding into the star fragments.
…
"The Young Master has been in the Star Gate for more than thirty minutes now. Could it be that he will fail to bond with a Celestial Dragon?"
"What if his luck is that bad and he appears somewhere without a Celestial Dragon…"
"SHUT UP!" Seth's furious eyes silenced the group of Elders who were muttering in low voices.
The Elders briefly showed a look of fear before falling silent.
Everyone continued staring as the light dimmed, revealing Amon's calmly sitting figure.
"Did he fail to become a Gifted One?" Everyone stared in curiosity.
Seth finally stepped forward, his eyes scanning Amon cautiously.
Then he noticed something, a white creature sitting in Amon's grasp.
The creature looked like a cat, its fur completely white, and it had a serene expression as it slept in Amon's hands.
"A creature that can take real form?" Seth whispered slowly.
"This is… a cat?" The Elders had at some point surrounded the portal, casting curious glances at the sleeping creature.
Their gazes were filled with puzzlement as they stared at Amon.
What the hell was going on here?
Although there were creatures that could take physical form, a cat…
It was commonly known that creatures resembling dragons in their real forms were the strongest, while those vastly different from dragons were the weakest.
"The Young Master awakened the weakest talent?"
All sorts of gazes met Amon the moment he raised his eyes.
He could sense malice, sneers, disdain, and all sorts of other emotions.
But he didn't care, after all, how could they possibly comprehend the depths of his Primordial Dragon?
Hearing the whispers already escaping everyone's lips, Seth's brows creased into a frown.
"THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST TIME I HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL TO SHUT UP."
After he finished speaking, he grabbed Amon, and both of them vanished from the location, leaving the stunned Elders behind.
Amon felt as though he had passed through a turbulent void before appearing on a mountainside.
He stared curiously at his father.
Seth's expression was cold, and Amon could feel the chill emanating from him.
Was his father going to end his life because he assumed his talent was useless?
Amon opened his mouth to speak and clear up the misunderstanding; however, his father beat him to it.
"No need to say anything. Just watch what happens very closely.
Today, your father will slaughter a dragon before your very eyes."
Amon stared at Seth as though he was a madman.
'Slaughter… slaughter a dragon???'