87: Daisy Tini

Pressure, omnipresent pressure, squeezed in from all directions, as if the weight of the entire divine spring was bearing down upon his body.

This was not mere water pressure; it was mixed with the heavy burden brought by highly condensed, almost liquefied life energy. Linn immediately activated his Earth Rank magic power, forming a solid Magic Shield on the surface of his body, while simultaneously adjusting the exertion of his muscles and bones to counter this constantly increasing immense force.

The light dimmed rapidly, with only a faint and constant emerald glow at the deepest part of the spring eye below, acting like a lighthouse in a dark abyss to guide the way. Linn felt as if he were not swimming, but rather struggling through viscous liquid jade. He kept Dolia's reminder in mind and did not rely solely on brute force; instead, he tried to divert a portion of his mind, using his High Earth Rank, highly condensed Mental Energy to perceive and touch the flowing life energy around him, attempting to subtly guide and adapt to it. This process was extremely taxing on the mind, but it did indeed cause the pure pressure he felt to weaken slightly.

Diving, continuing to dive.

Fifty meters, one hundred meters, two hundred meters... The pressure had become so great that Linn's protective Battle Qi let out an overwhelmed hum, and his bones began to ache faintly. The surrounding spring water was no longer a warm emerald color, but nearly dark green, as viscous as gelatin. Had he not just made a Breakthrough and had his body undergo a thorough strengthening baptism, he would have likely been unable to hold on.

Just as he felt he was about to reach his limit, the vast and ancient sense of majesty that he had vaguely perceived since he began the dive suddenly became clear and intense!

Buzz—!

An invisible wave swept past, not as a sound, but acting directly on the Soul level. A roar echoed in Linn's mind, as if a great bell had been struck in his mental world, carrying an unspeakable nobility, vicissitude, and majestic will. This was Dragon Might! Even the mere lingering charm naturally emitted during sleep made Linn's Soul tremble, as if an ant were looking up at the Sky.

He immediately composed himself, concentrating all his Soul Power like a piece of tempered Black Iron, maintaining the clarity and independence of his self-consciousness. He did not retreat, nor did he forcibly resist this pressure; instead, he tried to transform his Mental Energy into a strand of peaceful intent, like a trickling stream, cautiously "touching" the source of that majesty, conveying a harmless inquiry and the Legacy originating from the Goddess of Life.

"I have come... following the ancient guidance... the successor of life..." he whispered in his heart, his intent pure and firm.

That massive pressure seemed to pause slightly, and then, a deeper, more primitive "sense of being watched" fell upon Linn's Soul. It was not a clear consciousness, but rather a vast and chaotic ancient Soul embryo that had accumulated endless life essence over a long slumber.

Linn felt as if he were in the middle of a boundless emerald nebula, surrounded by slowly rotating, life-filled points of light. He "saw" a massive silhouette, an oval-shaped "star" with complex patterns of silver-white and emerald green flowing on its surface, like natural magic runes carved by a top-tier Great Master. Every movement, similar to breathing, took in and exhaled massive amounts of life essence. This was the Dragon Egg! Its Soul essence was like a Universe that had not yet fully awakened.

Linn's Soul slowly approached, continuing to convey thoughts of friendship, equality, and a desire to travel together. He shared some fragments of his memories from along the way.

The abandonment by the Iris Family, the hardships of Iron Sand Town, the founding of Star Sea Territory, the pursuit of power, the ambitions for the future, and the cherishing of his partners. He did not hide his ambition, nor did he shy away from revealing his shortcomings, conveying a sincere invitation.

Time lost its meaning here. Perhaps it was a moment, perhaps it was a long time.

That massive Soul embryo seemed to resonate with the "breath of life" Aura Linn transmitted and his indomitable will. It no longer just emitted majesty but began to respond to Linn's intent with a slow rhythm. A vague but gradually clarifying emotion of "curiosity," "recognition," and even a newborn-like "dependence" was transmitted back intermittently.

"Part...ner..."

"Li...fe..."

"Con...tract..."

An ancient, concise contract information stream, pointing directly to the Soul's Origin, emerged like instinct from the depths of the Dragon Egg's Soul and surged toward Linn. It was not a complex set of terms, but an essential promise of connection—equality, symbiosis, guardianship, and mutual aid, sharing power and life until the end of time.

Linn did not hesitate for a moment, opening his Soul core and accepting the contract with the most solemn intent.

Boom—!

At the moment the contract was established, Linn felt an unbreakable connection with the giant "star" below. His Soul seemed to instantly broaden, and a vast Domain full of potential appeared in his perception. Simultaneously, a torrent of life energy, so pure it was unimaginable and containing endless vitality and the ancient Dragon Clan's Origin power, surged back into Linn's body through the bridge of the Soul contract!

"Ugh, ah!" Linn couldn't help but let out a low growl. This power was too massive, instantly shattering his newly stabilized Initial Earth Rank Bottleneck. His strength began to skyrocket—Intermediate Earth Rank, High Earth Rank... charging all the way to Peak High Earth Rank with irresistible force, only coming to a halt when it was just a hair's breadth away from the Sky Rank!

At the same time, at the bottom of the divine spring, the Dragon Egg that had been silent for ten thousand years erupted with a dazzling silver-green radiance!

"Crack... crack-crack..."

The sound of the eggshell breaking was clearly audible even at the bottom of the deep spring. An irresistible soft thrust pushed Linn upward; he did not resist, rising rapidly with the flow of the water.

"Roar—!!!"

Before he could see clearly, a clear and majestic dragon roar, seemingly able to pierce the Soul, erupted from the bottom of the spring and echoed throughout the entire breath of life space! The majestic Dragon Might was no longer concealed as it soared into the Sky!

Splash! Linn broke through the surface of the water and landed on the bank of the divine spring, his eyes fixed on the spring eye.

A brilliant silver light wrapped in emerald life energy, like an upward-flowing waterfall, gushed from the depths of the spring eye and shot straight toward the hazy "Sky" above the space!

The silver light paused and spread in mid-air. A phantom of a silver giant Dragon flashed into existence.

The eggshell fragments turned into the purest energy and were entirely devoured by that figure. With every piece devoured, its body expanded at a visible rate, and the Aura it emitted climbed terrifyingly upward!

The little pixie Dolia flew to Linn's shoulder with a hint of fear.

Gold Rank... Earth Rank... Sky Rank!

The speed at which that Aura rose made even Linn feel apprehensive, as if it had no limit. Soon, even with the perception of the Soul contract, Linn found it difficult to accurately judge its specific level, feeling as if he were facing an ever-rising, towering divine mountain!

However, just as this power seemed about to break through some higher boundary, it suddenly jerked to a halt, as if hitting an invisible ceiling. Linn immediately sensed that it was his own Realm that had formed a kind of "anchor" and "restriction." The Laws of equality and symbiosis in the contract began to take effect; the power gap between them could not widen indefinitely and seemed to be limited to approximately one major Realm.

Thus, that terrifyingly growing Aura began to recede and stabilize.

The silver and green light slowly converged.

Appearing in mid-air was a silver giant Dragon over twenty meters long, with lines so smooth and elegant they reached the pinnacle of beauty. Its scales were not a cold metallic silver but a silver-white with a soft life luster, like flowing moonlight, with faint emerald halos shimmering at the edges. It had a slender neck, strong and powerful limbs, and a pair of wide and exquisite dragon wings folded on its back, the wing membranes also flowing with mysterious silver patterns. Its head was elegant and majestic, and its huge dragon eyes—the left one like molten silver and the right one like the purest emerald—were watching Linn below with newborn curiosity and clear intimacy.

Its Aura finally settled firmly at the Peak High Sky Rank! Only half a step away from entering the even more Legendary Saint Realm!

Through the Soul link, Linn clearly felt the giant Dragon's current state—powerful, healthy, full of vitality, and having absolute trust and dependence on him. At the same time, he also understood the contract's restriction: because his Realm was Peak High Earth Rank, the strength of the giant Dragon, as his partner, was simultaneously restricted to Peak High Sky Rank. Only when Linn broke through to the Sky Rank could this silver giant Dragon, nurtured by the divine spring of life for ten thousand years, naturally step into the Saint Realm and release its full potential!

"Partner..." A young girl's voice, as clear as the striking of jade yet carrying the unique majesty of the Dragon Clan, echoed directly within the breath of life space.

Linn looked up at the beautiful and powerful silver figure in the air, feeling the Peak High Earth Rank power surging within him and the unbreakable bond deep in his Soul, a brilliant and heroic smile blossoming on his face.

"Welcome to this world, my partner. What is your name?" Linn asked softly.

"Destiny Divine."

"A domineering and beautiful name!" Linn praised.

The silver giant Dragon let out a joyful soft cry and slowly descended, its massive head affectionately nuzzling Linn. In its emerald and silver-white dragon eyes, the silhouette of the only human it recognized was reflected.

Linn, Lord of Star Sea Territory, at the age of twenty-seven, finally became—a Dragon Rider!