The Monitor
The silence following the destruction of the Black Mist Demon was shattered not by sound, but by suspicion.
Xiao Ru (萧柔) stepped back, her Silver Fox instantly adopting a defensive crouch. Her initial gratitude was quickly overtaken by professional caution. The power Bai Long had displayed—that fleeting, crimson light—was utterly alien to the tenets of human Spirit Masters. It was raw, unrefined, and terrifyingly efficient, achieving in a moment what her spirit beast couldn't manage.
"You are not from here," she stated, her voice tight, echoing the confusion and fear in her eyes. "That power... it is not Qì. Not entirely."
Bai Long remained stoic, offering no answer, just a slight, wary turn of his head. He knew the question was dangerous, his silence the only shield against instant accusation.
Before the tension could escalate further, the ground began to rumble.
Two new figures burst into the clearing. The first was a man built like a boulder, his posture radiating stubbornness and immense strength—Mo Qing (墨擎). He was followed by a smaller, faster woman with a vibrant energy—Zhu Yi (朱宜).
Mo Qing, spotting the silent, powerful newcomer next to the shaken Xiao Ru, immediately brought forth his spirit beast. With a roar of strained rock and muscle, the colossal Black Mountain Giant Ape materialized, its massive shadow falling over the clearing.
"Who are you, boy?" Mo Qing demanded, his eyes narrowed with profound distrust.
Xiao Ru quickly interceded, recounting the swift, brutal end of the Demon. "He saved me, Mo Qing. But his power... it is strange."
Mo Qing acknowledged the rescue but remained unconvinced, his gaze fixed on Bai Long's unnervingly calm face.
It was Zhu Yi who broke the ice. Her nature was lively, forgiving. She beamed at Bai Long. "Well, strange or not, a life debt is a debt! We are heading to Tian Fu City to enroll in the Dragon Heaven Academy. Why don't you come with us? You could use a proper meal and a place to sleep."
Bai Long paused. A city meant danger, but it also meant knowledge and a chance to survive in the human world his father had decreed. He nodded once, a gesture of acceptance.
The Jade and the Doubt
At the Dragon Heaven Academy, the process of registration was swift until Bai Long presented the only artifact his father had left him: a smooth, intricately carved Dragon Emperor Jade pendant.
The elderly registrar, who had been lazily processing forms, instantly straightened, his eyes widening in palpable shock. He examined the jade, his hands trembling. He quickly scrawled Bai Long's name onto a separate roster, marking him as a "Non-Classified Talent," and then leaned in, whispering urgently.
"Boy, this jade belongs to the Crown Prince... the one who died. Keep it hidden. Don't speak of it. Do you understand?"
Bai Long's hazel eyes widened, a flicker of genuine shock crossing his features. Crown Prince? The seed of doubt planted in his mind earlier now sprouted into a question that burned: Who was his father, and what had truly happened twenty years ago?
The Unstable Fusion
That night, in the academy's secluded training grounds, Mo Qing sought out Bai Long. He was resolute in his suspicion.
"You saved Xiao Ru. I respect that. But I need to know what lurks inside you," Mo Qing challenged. "Show me your real strength, hybrid. Don't hide behind that pure Qì."
Bai Long, determined to prove his good intentions, began the duel using only the White Dragon Qì his father had taught him. He was fast, agile, his movements precise. However, Mo Qing's defense, fortified by the iron hide and sheer mass of the Black Mountain Giant Ape, was an unyielding wall. Bai Long's pure energy strikes were simply absorbed.
Frustration, hot and unfamiliar, began to mount in Bai Long's chest. He pushed harder, but the brute force of the Ape was too much.
In that moment of defeat and mounting anger, the command broke. The shackle snapped.
The destructive, hidden energy—the Bloodline Force—surged up from his core, overwhelming the controlled White Dragon Qì. His body was enveloped in the sickeningly powerful crimson glow once more, and a chaotic, frightening roar escaped his lips.
Mo Qing staggered back, terrified, his Giant Ape whined and shifted nervously.
"This is the power of the Shadow Clan! (影族) This is the dark bloodline!" Mo Qing screamed, recognizing the volatile, corrupting energy from ancient texts.
The destructive power threatened to consume Bai Long entirely. It was Xiao Ru, recovering quickly, who saved the moment. She rushed forward, weaving a complex, binding illusion that, for a precious few seconds, managed to calm the raging storm within him, pulling him back from the brink of total rampage.
As the crimson subsided, leaving Bai Long sweating and shaking, the full horror of his truth dawned on him. Mo Qing was right. His dual identity was a loaded weapon, aimed squarely at his own head.