Celestial Bloodline

Jian glanced at Kyle with a confused expression, trying to understand what was going on with the half-dragon before him. But the silver-haired man placed Bia on his shoulder and quickly formed a portal.

"Just ask Asher; he will tell you what you want to know. I'm heading out to find Yue. This tomb is extremely dangerous, but this place seems safer than the rest, and I'm confident Asher knows many other secure locations. So, stay put until morning. I will return swiftly after ensuring Yue's safety."

Hearing his words, Bia wanted to follow him, but since she had depleted almost all her divine energy fighting the undead and needed time to recover, Kyle suggested it was best for her to stay with Jian.

Bia gave a grumpy nod, and the trio observed as the silver-haired man entered the portal. Just before Kyle vanished, Asher heard his voice resonate in his mind.

'Don't you dare pull any tricks while I'm away. I will be keeping tabs on everything through Bia. I'm not asking you two to protect them. They can protect themselves. Just let them stay here until I come back.'

Asher's eyes widened at his words.

'Huh? But I'm going to follow you! Wait, wait-!'

He leaped toward the portal, but it disappeared into particles under his stunned gaze. It took the half-dragon a few seconds to regain himself and glance at Bia and Jian, who were staring at him with cautious expressions. He sat down atop a rock with a sigh, grabbed a winged creature in his arms, patted the place next to him with a smile, and called Jian.

"Come sit. Tell me what do you want to know? I enjoy chatting, you know, and I have loads of stories to share. How about we sit down and talk over some food?"

Bia narrowed her eyes.

-"Food here? Your words are very fishy, half-dragon."

Jian's eyebrow twitched at her words. The phoenix seemed more interested in food. Floating away from Asher, he settled on a rock far from the half-dragon.

"Alright, spill it. How did you become friends with Kyle so fast? We barely set foot in the tomb... Don't tell me you're trying to take advantage of him after seeing his strength in the Gladiator Arena!"

Asher shook his head with a melancholic expression and gazed at the sky.

"What are you talking about? Taking advantage of someone is not something I need at this stage. After all, my mind space is filled with countless treasures I have collected in the past hundred years. As for what happened in the Gladiator Arena, how would I know about it when I haven't even seen the outside world for so long?"

Jian's eyes widened as he grasped the meaning behind Asher's words. Bia too comprehended the situation.

The duo had their doubts when the half-dragon mentioned that he hadn't touched anyone for a century. But now their suspicions have been proven true! Asher had been in the tomb for a hundred years! This implies he entered the tomb with the previous group of winners from the Gladiator Arena!

However, the lingering question is: why is he still within the tomb? Shouldn't he have left when the tomb exit opened?

Seeing Jian and Bia's shocked expressions, a grin spread across Asher's face. This was precisely the reaction he had hoped to see when he revealed his identity!

'Their reaction is a lot better than someone who only gave me a faint, almost invisible frown after learning I have spent a hundred years in the tomb!'

He was talking about Kyle. The human response somewhat left him dissatisfied. Asher cleared his throat and donned a somber expression.

"I know everything about this tomb. You don't have to worry about me; Kyle's my friend, so I won't hurt anyone he knows. But I'm quite curious how that iceberg managed to make friends. I thought he would be a loner like me, given his personality."

Jian and Bia exchanged astonished looks. They were amazed that Kyle had come across this half-dragon right after entering the tomb! The duo silently decided to gather all the information from Asher since they were stuck with him until morning and began questioning the man, who was more than willing to chat with them.

....

After parting ways with the trio, Kyle returned to the exact spot where he had found Jian and Bia. He looked at the vacant space in front of him with a frown.

"Where did my prey disappear to? I left for a minute, and it slipped away?"

The undead creature, which he couldn't defeat with his strength, had vanished. He had come back expressly to shatter it into multiple pieces, but it appeared he was a tad too late. He clicked his tongue with a cold expression and vanished toward the place where he could sense Yue.

Just a minute later, he stopped before a narrow entrance that led to an underground tunnel, concealed among scattered bones. His gaze darkened as he detected the scent of fresh blood in the air.

Entering the narrow passage, his eyes nearly turned crimson as he felt Yue's vivid presence just a short distance away. Kyle clenched his fists and hastened his steps, his heart leaping into his throat.

He had heard many screams and seen numerous fights on his way, but he didn't bother to glance at the fighters as their scents were unfamiliar. However, if anything happened to Yue, he swore he would completely destroy this tomb!

Relief lit up his eyes, and his tense body eased as he reached the end of the tunnel and spotted Yue seated, leaning against a wall. Nox sat beside her in silence.

Kyle didn't even hesitate for a second and scanned her entire body, only to notice that her leg was injured. He moved forward, and the soft noise he made caught the attention of both Yue and Nox. The elven woman grabbed the weapon beside her and inquired with a commanding voice.

"Who is it?"