The palace where the dragon ancestor resided was vast and magnificent, with countless rooms stretching for tens of ters and ceilings soaring hundreds of ters high.
Anyone who stepped inside would feel as insignificant as an ant.
Among all the rooms in the palace, one was the most secluded and mysterious—the Blood Pool.
Its existence was so secretive that barely any records ntioned it. Even Athena, the dragon ancestor's granddaughter, had only seen it once and never set foot inside again.
"So, this is the Blood Pool, huh?"
Standing before the deep red pool tinged with gold, Leon widened his eyes in awe.
The pool was massive and rectangular. Though he couldn't determine its exact dinsions, he estimated it to be around fifty ters long and two hundred ters wide.
Its walls weren't made of ceramic or any common material but of dazzling, sparkling red crystal.
Leon had no idea how valuable the crystal was, but he had a feeling its worth was beyond imagination.
If it were taken outside, it would undoubtedly cause a great uproar and spark greed from all sides.
At the center of the pool stood a colossal dragon statue—easily tens of ters tall.
Since Leon had already seen the transford forms of both Athena and the dragon ancestor, he imdiately knew that the statue wasn't them.
It was most likely one of the dragon ancestor's comrades—one who had perished in the Evil God's sneak attack long ago.
However, the most shocking thing of all was the pool's contents.
It was filled with a deep red liquid laced with hints of gold—unmistakably blood.
There was so much of it that Leon couldn't help but wonder how many beings had been slain to create such a scene.
"It's been a long ti since I last ca here," Athena murmured softly beside him, her gaze filled with emotion.
The Blood Pool was a sacred place for the dragon race, containing the essence of fallen dragons from the past.
For a dragon, blood essence was invaluable—equivalent to life itself.
Its existence was invaluable, far exceeding the worth of millions or even billions of gold coins.
And as for why her ancestor had brought them here, Athena had a few vague guesses.
"What a marvelous energy... As expected of the Blood Pool."
Like Leon, Miranda wore an expression of astonishnt and admiration.
Although she had befriended the dragon ancestor, she had never set foot inside this place. Even her previous master and Luminus Troya had never been granted permission to enter.
This was her first ti seeing it with her own eyes.
While the three were lost in their thoughts, the dragon ancestor stepped forward to the pool and paused at its edge.
With his arms crossed behind his back, he stared at the gently undulating surface, as if small waves were forming, then spoke.
"Fated One, what you see here is a blood pool that has accumulated over thousands of years."
"However, this is no ordinary blood; it is the essence of the powerful dragons from the past."
His gaze grew nostalgic as he lowered his eyes. "As I ntioned before, the Evil God once attacked Eryuentium and brought the deaths of my comrades."
"Back then, I felt utterly hopeless. How could I not? I witnessed firsthand the brutality with which he slaughtered them all—so were decapitated, others had their wings savagely clipped, and many other cruel thods were used."
"That mont was like a nightmare I can never forget. Even after thousands of years, it still haunts my mory."
Leon could sense the deep sadness, despair, and weakness behind the dragon ancestor's words.
It was the first ti he had seen him like this—so different from his usual vigorous, playful, and resolute self.
"Even a figure as powerful as him isn't free from regret, huh?" Leon murmured with a small sigh.
Regret was a simple word, but it held trendous weight.
How many intelligent beings in this world are burdened by regret?
No one knows for sure, but it's safe to say the number is probably over 90%.
Unfortunately, no matter how heavy the regret, ti cannot be turned back.
This was the main reason he had never given up, from the beginning to the end of his training.
"If I don't take it seriously, the people I care about will surely fall victim to the catastrophe when the Evil God returns."
These were the words he always clung to and repeated to himself.
He refused to leave any regrets in his life—not even the smallest.
It wasn't just Leon, but also Miranda and Athena, who fell into sorrow after hearing the dragon ancestor's words.
Athena, in particular, felt as though her heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand.
Dragons placed imnse value on bloodlines, more so than the demon race or humanity.
Although she hadn't lived through that era, she could still imagine how horrific the slaughter of the dragon ancestors must have been.
"However, that is all in the past, and I know I must rise from the shadows quickly."
The dragon ancestor regained his composure. He turned to Leon with a slightly softened yet indifferent gaze.
"To honor the deaths of my comrades and friends, I extracted their blood essence and placed it within this pool."
"Not just theirs, but also the blood of the dragons who died in the endless war against the Evil God. That is why this pool, five hundred ters deep, holds so much blood essence of our kind."
He paused for a mont to steady his breath before continuing, "You probably already know that dragon essence is incredibly precious. Even on the brink of death, just drinking it can allow you to recover swiftly."
"This is why the Blood Pool is the most valuable treasure to our race. So..."
His gaze sharpened as he spoke in a cold tone, "I will give it all to you, the Fated One. With the vast amount of dragon essence in this pool, I can guarantee that you will beco far stronger—perhaps even gain physical strength beyond your imagination."
"Most importantly, you may also be able to connect with the first progenitor of our race and draw power from them. But..."
His words trailed off, and hatred and anger were clearly etched on his face.
"You must promise to kill the Evil God and avenge my comrades and friends..."
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