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âMother, why are you crying?â Yang Xiao got to his feet on the altar and looked dazedly at Fu Zhun.
Fu Zhun shook her head without saying a word, but her gaze was filled with sorrow.
Realising that something was amiss, Yang Xiao turned to look at Zhu Yan and asked, âFather, what happened?â
At that moment, Zhu Yan seemed to have aged tremendously. After his lips squirmed for a bit, he heaved a sigh, âThe ceremony has failed.â
The atmosphere around the celebration party, which was bustling with noise just now, turned solemn because of the failure.
âWhat do you mean that it has failed?â Yang Xiao appeared puzzled.
Zhu Yan didnât know how to explain it to him. On the other hand, Fu Xuan sighed and walked over to stroke the boyâs head before replying gently, âSince the ceremony has failed, it means that you either donât have a Dragon Source or that your Source isnât pure.â
Yang Xiao pointed at himself and asked in shock, âI donât have a Dragon Source?â
Yang Kai dashed forward and pushed away the others, who had surrounded the altar as he shouted, âThatâs impossible! Thereâs no way he doesnât have a Dragon Source. After he was born, he was in his Dragon form. Old Qiong and I saw it with our own eyes.â
Upon hearing that, Fu Zhun and Zhu Yan turned to look at him with hopeful gazes. At that time, they didnât manage to see Yang Xiaoâs true form as when they arrived, he had already assumed Human form. They even thought that their child was indeed extraordinary as he could assume Human form not long after he was born. After hearing what Yang Kai had said, they found what he said sensible. If Yang Xiao didnât have a Dragon Source, or that his Source wasnât pure, he wouldnât have been able to assume his Dragon form.
Then, they shifted their attention to Qiong Qi, who nodded his head to affirm what Yang Kai had said.
âKid, show us your true form this instant.â Yang Kai gazed at the boy and said. If Yang Xiao could assume his true form, it meant that he had a complete Dragon Source in his body. The reason he didnât pass the ceremony must be that something had gone wrong with it, rather than him.
Yang Xiao clenched his teeth and nodded repeatedly. Then, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Right in front of everyoneâs eyes, he remained unmoving as his Dragon Aura undulated.
A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes as he appeared helpless. Gazing at Yang Kai, he stated, âI canât do it!â
Yang Kai glowered at him, âWhat do you mean that you canât do it?â
Yang Xiao pouted, âI just canâtâŠâ
The hope behind the eyes of Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun turned into despair when they heard that. Fu Zhun parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but she couldnât bring herself to say a word in the end.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded as well as he wondered, [How is it possible that he canât do it?]
Yang Kai could still vividly remember the little White Dragon. He was around 20 metres long and a pure jade white colour. Although Yang Xiaoâs Dragon Form was still small, it already appeared intimidating. Since he was already in his Dragon form after he was born, why couldnât he return to it at this point?
âDid you really try?â Yang Kai asked.
âI-Iâve tried my best.â Yang Xiao was flustered. What was he if he wasnât a member of the Dragon Clan?
Yang Kai said, âDonât panic and take it slow. Take a deep breath to calm yourself down first.â
Upon hearing that, Yang Xiao did it as he was told.
Yang Kai went on to say, âNow, follow your instinct and imagine that you can roam the sky freely. Youâre a member of the Dragon Clan, so thereâs no way you canât turn into a Dragon.â
Yang Xiao meticulously followed Yang Kaiâs advice as his face slowly reddened. A long time later, he let out a breath and looked dejectedly at Yang Kai. He still couldnât turn into a Dragon.
Then, he turned to look at Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun. When he saw their parentsâ disappointed gazes, his chest tightened, and he leapt away and ran off.
âLinâer!â A flabbergasted Fu Zhun quickly ran after him.
Yang Kai hinted at Zhu Qing with his gaze, after which she hurriedly raced after them as well. He was worried that the young child would do something foolish in this moment of panic.
The place fell into silence.
Yang Kai stared at Zhu Yan and asked, âGreat Elder, is there something wrong with this altar?â
Zhu Yan replied with a frown, âItâs impossible for something to be wrong with the altar, and there was no problem with the ceremony either. Linâer simply couldnât reveal his true form just now, everyone saw it.â
He paused for a moment and stared seriously at Yang Kai, âI have to ask you one question. You must be totally honest with me. Did you really witness Linâer in his true form that day?â
Yang Kai immediately nodded, âIf I lied about what I had seen on that day, Iâll dig out my own eyes!â As he spoke, he pointed at his eyes with his fingers.
A puzzled Zhu Yan said, âHow is that possible? Since he had shown his true form after he was born, why couldnât he do so today?â
After a moment of hesitation, Yang Kai asked with a frown, âCould I be the reason behind it?â
âYou?â Zhu Yan gazed doubtfully at him.
Yang Kai explained, âHeâs the child of you and Second Elder, so thereâs no way he isnât a member of the Dragon Clan; however, it was I who hatched him. Hence, I might be the reason if thereâs anything wrong. Perhaps when I was hatching him, my Human bloodline affected him in some way, causing his Source to become impure.â
Upon hearing that, Zhu Yan knitted his brow for a moment before he nodded, âItâs possible.â
A helpless Yang Kai said, âIf thatâs the case, Iâve caused him great harmâŠâ
Zhu Yan, however, shook his head and consoled him by stating, âYou donât have to blame yourself. Without you, it wouldnât have been possible for Linâer to be born. Whatever the case, youâve given him life. Even if his Source has become impure because of that, itâs not your fault.â
The corner of Yang Kaiâs mouth twitched, âWill he be resentful of me?â
Zhu Yan replied, âOnly if he dares to be!â
If that was the case, Yang Xiao would truly be ungrateful; however, he had been obedient in the past few days, and his temperament was likeable, so it was unlikely that he would have this kind of thought.
After giving it a thought, Zhu Yan went on to say, âMoreover, there were severe problems with his Dragon Egg to begin with, which led him to be unable to hatch in the past. Itâs very likely he has a congenital defect, so it may have nothing to do with you at all.â
Yang Kai asked, âWhatever the reason behind it, how will the Dragon Clan handle him if his Source is impure?â
The Dragon Clan emphasised the purity of oneâs blood, and only true members of the Dragon Clan had the right to reside in Dragon Palace. The ones with impure bloodlines would be sent to Half-Dragon City. Although Yang Xiao was the child of the Great Elder and Second Elder, there still wouldnât be any exception made.
Hence, Zhu Yan wasnât even sure how he should reply to Yang Kai.
Given how much Fu Zhun cared about Yang Xiao, she would undoubtedly go mad if her baby was banished to Half-Dragon City. However, since his blood was impure, how could he be allowed to stay in Dragon Palace?
Seeing that Zhu Yan was hesitant, Yang Kai immediately stated, âIf thatâs the case, Iâll take him with me. In any case, the outside world is vast and filled with interesting things.â
Zhu Yan gave him a grateful look as this was the best solution for now. He wasnât worried at all if he had to entrust his child to Yang Kai; after all, Yang Kai was the one who had hatched Yang Xiao. Although they were not related by blood, they were just as close to each other as any father and son.
âIâll go check on him. Heâs so bad-tempered despite his age. What a naughty kid!â Yang Kai snorted and turned to leave.
After what happened, the other members of the clan were not in a mood to keep celebrating. They consoled the Great Elder for a bit before they left. At the same time, they were all crestfallen. Before the incident on this day, no one could have expected that the child of the Great Elder and Second Elder would have impure blood.
Although Yang Kai was possibly the culprit, he couldnât be blamed. Just like what Zhu Yan had said, without Yang Kaiâs efforts, Yang Xiao would never have been born. Furthermore, the egg likely suffered from a congenital defect in the first place.
On the edge of Azure Tree Island, Fu Zhun was standing on the beach as she stared fixedly at the reef from afar as though she was trying to penetrate it with her gaze. She wanted to go over, but she was at a loss for words and didnât dare to approach any closer.
Hearing some footsteps, she turned around and saw Yang Kai striding toward her. As if seeing a saviour, she immediately grabbed Yang Kaiâs arms and said with bloodshot eyes, âYang Kai, Linâer doesnât want to talk to me. Please help me persuade him. Please help me. I was wrong in the past. Iâll apologise to you now.â
Yang Kai looked down at her hands and secretly sighed. He knew that the Dragon Clanâs Second Elder had completely lost her cool; otherwise, she wouldnât have been so humble.
She intended to repair the relationship between them at the celebration party and she had just expressed her gratitude to him; however, at this moment, she was begging him, even going so far as to apologise.
She was the Dragon Clanâs Second Elder, a Master on par with Great Emperors, but at the same time, she was also a mother.
With a dark expression, Yang Kai said, âYouâre his mother. How dare he not want to talk to you?â
Fu Zhun shook her head, âMy attitude just now must have saddened him. Please help me persuade him!â
An exasperated Yang Kai said, âWhatâs the point of persuading him? Youâre his mother, so you should do whatever you feel is best for him. Since he dares to ignore you, Iâll beat him up and make him stand before you.â
Upon finishing his words, he pushed her hands away and dashed forward.
An anxious Fu Zhun exclaimed from behind him, âDonât beat him up! Please donât do that!â
Seeing as Yang Kai was oblivious to her, she immediately changed her stance, âPlease be gentle when you do that! Be gentle to himâŠâ
Yang Kai shook his head and sighed. Fu Zhun might be a dutiful Elder of the Dragon Clan, but she wasnât qualified to be a mother. Whenever Yang Xiao was concerned, she would lose her ability to think clearly.
Some time ago, he had told Zhu Qing that a loving mother makes a wastrel. Now, it seemed that Zhu Qing paled when compared to Fu Zhun in this regard. If Yang Xiao were to grow up by Fu Zhunâs side, he might become an arrogant and reckless person when he grew up. Given his background, it would be too late to discipline him if he got into trouble in the future.
Considering all that, Yang Kai became more determined to take Yang Xiao with him. At the very least, he wouldnât allow Yang Xiao to grow up by Fu Zhunâs side unless she could change herself and stop being so overwhelmingly doting on him.
As the waves splashed onto the reef, Yang Xiaoâs petite figure sat on the beachâs edge. Although he had been soaked to the bone, he remained unperturbed as he submerged his legs in the seawater. Zhu Qing was keeping him company as she gazed at him with a helpless expression.
Yang Kai walked over and stood behind Yang Xiao, then he waved his hand at Zhu Qing.
Zhu Qing nodded and leapt into the air before she landed on the beach and stood beside Fu Zhun.
âIs my mother still over there?â Yang Xiao suddenly asked.
Yang Kai grunted and shot him a look, âSheâs heartbroken. Iâve heard that youâre not willing to talk to her.â