In the boundless expanse of the Divine Realm, high above mortal comprehension, the Celestial Palace stood in solemn majesty. Surrounded by glowing rivers of stardust and drifting divine clouds, the palace floated like a solitary god among the stars. Within its heart, an ancient vibration disturbed the timeless silence.
At the center of this unrest, within the Celestial Star Dome, the Great Fate Compass shuddered. Golden runes that usually flowed like water now twisted erratically, pointing toward a distant, rising force. The Celestial Imperial Teacher, clad in radiant golden robes adorned with heavenly talismans, stood before it, his expression unreadable.
A low celestial bell tolled—deep, resonating, and ancient.
The Imperial Teacher opened his eyes slowly, divine light dancing in his pupils.
"The first seal has been opened."
Those words echoed through the empty dome like thunder wrapped in silk.
In response, golden divine formations activated automatically across the palace. Powerful waves of energy surged into three distant hidden sanctums—sealed chambers where time itself moved differently.
There, in isolation, resided the Three Celestial Ancestors—ancient beings said to be the true pillars of the Celestial Palace.
The first had reached the 9th Layer of the Emperor Realm, while the second and third stood at the Peak of the 8th Layer. Though not of primordial origin, their cultivation and experience far exceeded nearly all others in the Divine Realm.
As the wave of energy touched their secluded sanctums, their eyes opened for the first time in years.
"The heavens tremble…"
"A disturbance in the flow of Dao…"
"Something… has changed."
Their spiritual senses spread across realms. But what they found was only a faint ripple—subtle and mysterious. They saw no seal. They sensed no bloodline. They simply noticed that something was no longer the same.
"It does not threaten the balance—for now."
"Let it pass."
And so, the ancestors closed their eyes once more, sinking back into deep cultivation. They did not know that the source of the disturbance was tied to something they had never been told. They did not know that the bloodline of one of the Nine Ancestral Dragons had awakened. They did not know that a hidden power, long sealed by those Nine Ancestral Dragons, had just been touched by fate once more.
Back in the heart of the Celestial Palace, in the resplendent Golden Throne Hall, the Celestial Emperor stood before a hovering celestial map. A storm of light swirled within it—anomaly detected, seal unlocked.
Behind him knelt the Celestial Imperial Teacher.
The Three Ancestors noticed the change," the Imperial teacher reported. "But they do not comprehend its source."
The Celestial Emperor remained quiet, but a sinister smile tugged at the edge of his lips.
"Good. The Nine Dragons hid their legacy well… even from the Celestial Ancestors."
With a flick of his sleeve, he summoned an ancient illusion—nine golden lotuses, each petal bound by countless divine runes. The first lotus petal now shone brilliantly, indicating that the first seal had been broken.
"Only one person can open those seals," the Emperor said. "Only one... the Heir of the Nine Dragons."
He waved his hand, revealing an image: Long Tianyan—still young, his power incomplete, unaware of the forces moving against him.
"He's begun walking the path of the Nine Dragons. Once he inherits their complete legacy, only then can he unlock all nine seals—and finally I can reach the Ancient Devouring Flame."
The Imperial Teacher's voice was low. "Even the dragons barely succeeded in sealing that thing… and that was when it was on the verge of ascending to the Supreme Stage of the Dao Realm, caught in its weakest moment."
The Celestial Emperor's gaze grew fierce.
"And they did so only because all Nine Dragons were at the True Stage of the Dao Realm. Even then, they had to pay a great price. But their seal won't last forever."
He turned away, voice heavy with ambition.
"That ancient power was born of chaos. It devours laws, fate, and time itself. If I can consume it… I will ascend beyond the heavens, beyond even the Dao."
"But the seal will not open for me," the teacher said carefully. "Only for the heir."
The Emperor nodded. "Indeed. That is why we let him grow. Let him struggle. Let him open the seals. When he completes the Nine Dragons' inheritance—only then will the final seal open. And when it does… I will take everything from him."
The image of Tianyan burned brightly between them, a golden silhouette pulsing with rising power.
"Does he know?" the Imperial Teacher asked.
"No," the Emperor said. "Not yet. But destiny has chosen him. He walks toward the truth, blind to the shadow above."
Above them, in the celestial dome, storm clouds began to form in unnatural silence.
Far below, in a forgotten corner of the Lower Realm, Long Tianyan sat beneath a waterfall, breathing in the essence of the world, unaware of the battles being waged in the heavens above his head—or of the ancient flame sealed within the core of the world, waiting for him… and only him.
The first seal had been opened.
The Nine Dragons' legacy had begun its awakening.
And the heavens themselves had begun to turn.