Nine Star Hegemon Body Art (WN)

The shape and aura of the blade seemed eerily familiar, resonating with a sinister and ferocious energy that sent shivers down Long Chen’s spine.

Long Chen had never imagined that he would run into Dragonbone Evilmoon in this place. The unexpected encounter left him speechless, and a wave of emotion washed over him, causing his eyes to prickle with unshed tears.

“Is it you?” Long Chen’s voice quivered.

Back on the Martial Heaven Continent, this companion had been by Long Chen’s side through countless trials and tribulations. In the final battle, it had met its demise, leaving Long Chen feeling as though he had lost a part of his soul.

Now that he saw it again, he was filled with different emotions. He shook, afraid that this was all just a dream.

“It’s been a long time. You're still as sentimental as ever. Some things never change.” A familiar voice echoed from within the sinister aura, tinged with a hint of warmth.

Long Chen cried out excitedly, “Evilmoon, it really is you! You aren’t dead!”

“What kind of joke is that? I, Dragonbone Evilmoon, am an immortal existence. How could I die?” said Evilmoon. “However, I am indeed no longer the old Dragonbone Evilmoon.”

“What? Did you shed your mortal coil?” asked Long Chen with a smile, his excitement causing his words to tumble out somewhat incoherently.

Long Chen gently ran his hand along Evilmoon’s blade, feeling its familiar pitch-black surface and icy-cold touch. Yet, he also sensed a terrifyingly murderous aura emanating from the blade, which caused his hair to stand on end.

Evilmoon possessed a terrifying will to kill and destroy. Fortunately, Long Chen’s will was strong enough, or just touching it would be enough to crumble his soul.

Despite his shock, he acknowledged that this was not the same Dragonbone Evilmoon he once knew. It had transformed into a peerless evil weapon.

“When I was destroyed on the Martial Heaven Continent, I felt my will dissipate, and I believed my fate had reached its end. However, I ended up merging with this Evilmoon. This Evilmoon harbored trillions of dragon souls similar to mine. They attempted to consume me, but instead, I devoured them all, seizing control of this Evilmoon. I had barely established dominance when you arrived, and I overheard your conversation with that individual. Hehe, it seems you're helpless without me!” Evilmoon chuckled.

Long Chen also laughed. Although Evilmoon was speaking very calmly, Long Chen knew that it was as emotional as him. However, its pride refused to show it.

After calming down a bit, Long Chen suddenly realized that the reason that Evilmoon was still alive was most likely related to the mysterious dragon expert.

The fact that Long Chen could come here and encounter Evilmoon once more was too much of a coincidence.

Hence, Long Chen was endlessly grateful to the mysterious dragon expert. Long Chen and Evilmoon were silent for a moment and then suddenly burst into laughter.

Evilmoon's laughter was arrogant and domineering, reverberating with a sense of power and defiance. Long Chen felt their heroic spirits resonate and strengthen in tandem.

“Come, undo my seal! The name of Dragonbone Evilmoon will become a nightmare for this world!” declared Evilmoon.

“You’ve been sealed again?” asked Long Chen, startled.

“What do you mean, again?!?! This wasn’t a seal on me, but on this weapon!” Evilmoon retorted irritably, its tone laced with frustration. The fact that it had been sealed by Sovereign Yun Shang was a great dishonor in its life. Long Chen’s words had reopened an old wound.

“Sorry, I misspoke. So what is going on?” asked Long Chen.

“You probably don’t know this, but I’m not the only one called Evilmoon within the nine heavens and ten lands. Through devouring them, I learned that other dragon souls similar to me are called Evilmoon as well. Here, they were raised like poison bugs, devouring each other until the final king was chosen to control this weapon,” replied Evilmoon.

“Then why does it look the exact same as you did?” asked Long Chen.

“I’m not sure. When I devoured those dragon souls, I didn’t obtain their complete memories. Right now, I am the master of this world, but I can’t control it because there is a dragon scale sealing this weapon. I believe that as long as you can activate this scale, the seal will be undone and I will be able to control this body,” answered Evilmoon.

“Alright, just wait!”

Long Chen stamped on the air and flew up. However, Dragonbone Evilmoon was enormous, resembling a mountain, and it took Long Chen a moment to reach the hilt of the saber

Upon reaching the hilt, he finally laid eyes on a gigantic dragon scale suspended above it. The sight of the scale instantly triggered a bloodline resonance within Long Chen, filling him with an indescribable sense of closeness to it.

“Senior!”

Long Chen felt like he could hear the mysterious dragon expert’s voice, so he knew that this dragon scale belonged to it.

Long Chen gazed at the blood-red scale with a multitude of emotions swirling within him. Though he and the mysterious dragon expert had never explicitly acknowledged their relationship as master and disciple, their bond was undeniable.

In their last encounter, the dragon expert had helped him through space to resolve his crisis. Since then, their communication had been cut off, leaving Long Chen to long for it. His eyes welled with tears at the memory of their connection.

“Senior, I will never forget your favor.”

Long Chen respectfully bowed toward the enormous reverse scale before placing his hand on it.

BOOM!

Long Chen's flesh erupted as a powerful impact threatened to tear him apart. A resplendent dragon cry then echoed through the air.

Having anticipated this moment, Long Chen willingly allowed the power of the reverse scale to surge into his body, allowing the untamed dragon soul to surge into his mind-sea.

This was a gift that the dragon expert had left him. However, if he wanted to obtain this treasure, he needed to have the requisite strength. In other words, he had to pass its trial.

Long Chen’s blood was slowly forced out of him, and new blood from the dragon scale entered instead.

The blood within him was the blood of ten thousand true dragons, but it was forcibly expelled by the dragon blood from the reverse scale. However, remnants of this blood remained in the form of dragon runes, formed through his cultivation of the Dragon Soul Body Forging Art.

The dragon blood of the reverse scale was like erupting lava, possessing a destructive power that would completely destroy Long Chen if it simply entered like this.

As the violent dragon blood merged with the dragon runes, it transformed into a gentle force, gradually molding Long Chen’s body and generating new flesh and blood.

Three days later, Long Chen emerged, his body covered in blood-colored scales. When he opened his eyes, blood-colored dragon runes shimmered in them. His aura exuded dominance and majesty, as if the king of the heavens had been reborn within him.

Suddenly, the dragon scale above him exploded, and the black saber beneath his feet trembled. A sinister aura erupted, unleashing a violent power that shattered the surroundings.

Amidst countless fragments of spacetime, the roar of Dragonbone Evilmoon echoed, signaling its awakening.