Every race on the Western Continent has its own forbidden land, where the heritage and secrets of their race are stored—the key to their survival through generations.
Within the heritage of each race, there is an unprecedented and miraculous common prophecy, the greatest secret on this continent.
The Supreme Crystal.
It will manifest in the 13,986th year of the Flame Era, coinciding with the birth of a princess, the messenger of the gods. Her heart holds the most powerful force in the world.
The princess will come of age on the tenth day of the tenth month of the same year.
Whoever marries the princess will elevate their race to the most powerful in the world.
Whoever marries the princess will become the supreme ruler of the world.
…
These few words alone were enough to plunge the continent into bloodshed.
All races were waiting for the day the princess came of age.
Suhei, the black dragon, hated reading, so whenever he visited the forbidden land, he never paid attention to the dragon race’s secret history and remained unaware of this prophecy.
Thus, he never thought to conceal Yao Zuizui’s existence, making it easy for other races to gather information about her.
Only now did Suhei realize how dire the situation had become.
Everyone was condemning him, demanding he hand over his “treasure,” accusing him of trying to monopolize the princess for his own gain.
Yao Zuizui watched the greedy expressions of the various races, feeling a deep chill spreading endlessly in her heart.
Compared to them, Suhei was far better. Even if his nature was greed, he wasn’t as ugly and despicable as these people.
Seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control, Suhei had no choice but to secretly send a distress signal to the Dragon King.
The gathered races, seeing that he refused to surrender the princess, were already preparing to take her by force.
There was no way Suhei would give up his treasure. Judging by their behavior, if he handed her over, she’d be devoured in an instant, bones and all.
Standing on the stone steps before the dragon’s lair, Yao Zuizui looked down at the assembled races, her voice clear and bright like a nightingale’s: “With so many races here, who should I marry?”
“……” They glanced at each other, eyes filled with deep wariness.
A radiant prince on a white horse spoke up: “Let’s not worry about that now. First, we must rescue the princess from the evil dragon, then discuss who she should marry!”
“Agreed!” The crowd raised their weapons in unison.
Yao Zuizui frowned and raised her voice so everyone could hear: “I’m here willingly. He’s my father.”
Suhei nodded eagerly, giving her a proud look.
“……” The crowd fell silent for a few seconds.
Then, the dwarf king snorted, his rough, drink-reddened nose twitching: “Hmph! The princess must be confused to say such things.”
“She’s clearly bewitched by the evil dragon! We must save her!”
“Princess, don’t be afraid! You’ll be safe soon!”
Yao Zuizui watched silently as they postured aggressively, eager to attack Suhei but too cowardly to make the first move.
Disgust welled up in her heart.
She understood now—they didn’t care whether she stayed with Suhei willingly. They just wanted to force her into marriage immediately.
If Suhei was her protector, they’d kill him first, then pressure her.
A helpless, delicate princess would never withstand the combined might of so many powerful races.
Suhei had always thought of himself as the most unreasonable, violence-prone beast.
But these races were even more despicable, ganging up to bully a father and daughter who stood alone.
Fortunately, the Dragon King arrived swiftly.
The Dragon King was a golden sacred dragon, his combat strength ranking among the top three on the continent. His words carried weight before any race.
In truth, every dragon was immensely powerful, but their small numbers kept them from being the dominant race.
Moreover, dragons cared only for gold and treasure, indifferent to power, so the Dragon King had no interest in Yao Zuizui.
The aloof Dragon King soared through the clouds and arrived at the scene, immediately grasping the situation.
He glanced at Suhei and Yao Zuizui, whose hand was tightly clasped in the dragon’s claw.
“She’s of no use to our race. Dragons do not marry outside our kind—we must preserve the purity of our bloodline. Hand her over.” The Dragon King then turned to the others.
“Esteemed guests, this black dragon is an indispensable genius of our race. I hope you’ll spare him for my sake.”
“Hmph! As long as he releases the princess and hands her over, we won’t harm him!” The giant chieftain brandished his twin axes menacingly.
The Dragon King shot Suhei a meaningful look, urging him to retreat and let go of the princess.
Yao Zuizui tilted her head to look at Suhei, lips pressed together, her bright eyes shimmering with fragile light.
But Suhei only tightened his grip on her. His profile revealed eyes clear and gentle, filled with a determination that shook her.
Suhei did not retreat. Instead, he took a step forward.
“No one takes her from me.”
Every one of them wanted to marry her for power—not a single one truly loved her.
In this world, no one could love her more than he did.
His treasure deserved to be with someone who cherished, protected, and adored her—and that someone could only be him.
Suhei’s unwavering gaze swept across the crowd.
“Anyone who disagrees—I stand here. Face me!”
“Ha! So you won’t yield until death stares you in the face!” The human prince leaped from his carriage, landing steadily at the forefront.
“Third Prince of the Gadun Empire! I challenge you!” His spear transformed into a whirlwind in his hands.
“Good! Fight!” Suhei showed no fear, his eyes blazing with unshakable resolve.
The Dragon King sighed and stepped back.
The princess was not a dragon. The dragon race protected only their own, not outsiders, so her fate was none of his concern.
But Suhei was one of his most favored and promising successors, though his reckless nature was a problem.
He would stand by, ready to rescue Suhei at the last moment—if only to teach him a lesson.
The first battle ended with Suhei victorious, though not without cost. He was unharmed but exhausted.
Yao Zuizui nearly jumped for joy, ready to applaud, when the next challenger stepped forward.
“King of the Dwarves! I challenge you!”
“Fine. Fight!” Suhei agreed without hesitation, diving straight into combat.
They had no intention of fairness—this was a war of attrition, meant to wear Suhei down until he collapsed.
No matter how strong, how magically gifted, or how boundless his energy, he couldn’t withstand dozens—no, hundreds—of relentless assaults.
Yao Zuizui’s heart clenched with worry.
She watched as Suhei went from energetic and composed to exhausted and battered.
Suhei had always boasted about his thick hide, how even a dagger would leave only a faint scratch.
But now, a deep gash split his right flank, blood seeping steadily.
His left wing was torn, ragged and dripping crimson.
Two of his fangs were missing, letting the wind whistle into his mouth, and a swollen lump marred his head, making him look pitiful and absurd.
Yet despite the pain, he forced a grin when he looked at Yao Zuizui—his signature smile.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” His voice was weak, the missing teeth letting the breeze scatter her golden hair.
She cried again.
Tears fell like droplets, hitting the ground and transforming into luminous pearls, their dazzling brilliance captivating every onlooker.
The princess’s tears were pearls!
Gods! What a priceless treasure!
Their gazes turned feverish with greed.
Suhei staggered forward, shielding Yao Zuizui.
“If you want her, you’ll have to step over my corpse!”
Yao Zuizui hugged his hind leg from behind, her soft body pressing against his, trying to warm his battered form.
Suhei trembled slightly, his wounds seeming to heal faster under her touch.
So warm—this was the feeling he’d give everything for.
The Dragon King sighed at Suhei’s stubbornness.
If this continued, the foolish dragon would surely die.
Finally, he had no choice but to mediate.
“Ah, he and his daughter share a deep bond. He simply wishes for more time together. I hope you can all be understanding.”
“Hmph.” The races remained hostile. They weren’t here for charity—they were busy, important figures.
Who had time to watch a father and daughter bond? Who cared for their sentimental moments?
What did it matter to them?
Fortunately, the Dragon King wasn’t finished.
“Suhei, you have many treasures. Why not offer each of them one as compensation, buying yourself and your daughter more time together?”
Suhei lifted his eyelids with effort, glancing at the Dragon King.
The other races, however, erupted in excitement.
“Oh? Treasures?”
“Well, their bond is touching. We’re not completely heartless.”
“Honestly, I’m a little moved. I might even cry…”
“Such deep affection without blood relation is rare!”
“Though one treasure each seems a bit stingy…”
“How about one per day? Everyone here gets one daily!”
In the end, they reached a consensus, all eyes turning to Suhei.
Yao Zuizui silently counted—with so many people present, at least a hundred treasures per day…
Suhei had many treasures, but not enough to sustain this!
And he was the ultimate miser—who knew if he’d be willing to pay such a price just to keep her a little longer?
“Fine. I agree.” Suhei’s voice was flat, too weak to betray any emotion.
In the next moment, over a hundred radiant objects flew from the storage ring on his claw, distributing themselves among the crowd.
The scene was instantly awash with dazzling light, each treasure vying for brilliance.
Every race’s eyes gleamed with avarice!
Suhei truly lived up to his name—even his casual offerings were rare and magnificent!
Once the gifts were distributed, Suhei led Yao Zuizui back into the lair.
He moved slowly, each step sending waves of pain through his body. He didn’t want her to see, didn’t want her to cry again.
Yao Zuizui matched his pace, her heart aching at his suffering.
Words rose and died in her throat. She didn’t understand why Suhei fought so hard.
He didn’t even know—she hadn’t had the chance to tell him.
Marrying the princess was just a pretense. The true prize was her heart.
Only by possessing her heart could one gain the power to unite the continent and reign supreme.
So she couldn’t tell him.
If he knew she would die… who knew what reckless thing he’d do?
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage