King Acacia looked off toward Dyon. The sword still hung loosely from his hand, even as he was oblivious to the story behind it.

Queen Acacia was starting to understand the direction the story was going. After all, although she hadn’t known about the weapon, she was very clear on the enmity between the Daiyu and the Celestial Deer Sect. It was just that she hadn’t expected it to reach so far back.

But then she suddenly thought of something she hadn’t been able to connect until just now.

“If what you say is correct, husband, and the enmity between the Celestial Deer Sect and the Daiyu started over marriage and not their clash of philosophy… How was this even allowed? Qilins and Dragons are all under a single banner. They thrive together as a mix of transcendent and supreme beasts. Shouldn’t they be together?…”

Kawa didn’t pull this ideology out of thin air. Kitsune’s were divided into thirteen distinct factions, and yet they were sill together as one. The same should have been true of Qilins and Dragons. They both originated from the same tight knit blood lines. Usually their decisions should have come together. So, why then were the Black Jade dragons allowed to war against a sect one of their own had married into? That should have brought backlash from the other Dragon and Qilin clans. Especially since that alliance should have benefited them all as a whole, no matter which of them married the 25th White Mother.

A sad expression appeared on Kawa’s features as she really thought about what she said. Were the Kitsune really so united?… If they were, how would her husband ever be in such a state?

Seeing how his wife almost immediately regretted her words, King Acacia thought nothing of it. Instead, he lovingly covered her hand with his. How often had he let her know that he would do it all again a hundred times over? But, it seemed to still weigh on her heart.

“It’s because of this that this weapon is even here now.” King Acacia continued. “Because of their culture, the Drago-Qilin universes place emphasis on your own strength. Because they’re so promiscuous, family lineage takes a backseat to acute power. So, the demon qilin was given a chance to prove himself.

“However, this was a tall task. The Black Jade dragons were supreme level beasts with access to supreme level legacies. But, the demon qilins were a step below that, being only transcendent. And as such, they were capped in their capabilities.

“The demon qilin knew this, so he took a risk. Are you all aware of how the dragons and qilins came to be?” King Acacia asked. .

King Belmont nodded, “Unlike us humanoid beings, meaning humans and elves and the like, beasts are often born of necessity. They fill in a need of universe. Our totem beast, the ice and fire phoenixes, are responsible for life and reincarnation. That is what they were birthed into existence for and that’s the role the fulfill. Even though they are now gone along with dark phoenixes due to their inner warring, their will is still very much alive.

“This role is also true of beasts like Kawa. Her Kitsune bloodline is specifically linked to the rivers and streams of the world. It’s a tranquility that her personality doesn’t exactly match.” King Belmont coughed, averting his gaze from his long-time friend.

Queen Acacia rolled her eyes, ignoring the statement and continuing, “Dragons though… They have an innate wildness and power. They’re meant to rule over everything. It’s not that they’re the most powerful. It’s just to say that the perfect dragon would be unmatched under the heavens.”

What Ri’s mother meant was something you had to have a nuanced understanding of. Just because a beast tribe was meant to represent something, doesn’t mean they could without any boundaries. Dragons were meant to be kings, but that didn’t always mean they could rule. By the same token, despite being masters of life and reincarnation, phoenixes were extinct.

Beasts were meant to maintain a natural balance. They were almost like footholds for laws that fundamentally connected with what the nature of things wanted to put into place. This was exactly why beasts could practically cultivate without any more effort than eating and sleeping entailed. They were already created to grow along a set path and only the greatest among them reached that peak height.

King Acacia nodded. “That peak level of sovereignty and reverence was something that only a few dragons and qilins in their long and storied history had matched. But, none were more polarizing and arrogant than the Dragon King.”

Big Red raised an eyebrow. “Such a simple name?”

His wife shook her head. “And ‘Big Red’ is what exactly?”

A light laughter filled the skybox, even King Acacia smiled.

“Like I said, he was arrogant. He was so sure that his life would place him among the legends and so sure that no one would surpass him, that he gave himself an easily replaceable name. And, even to now, no one has dared to name themselves as such.”

“But what is the significance of this Dragon King?” Big Red asked.

“Well, as his legend would attest to, he transcended. But, because of his arrogance, he absolutely abhorred the idea of anyone ever obtaining his faith seed. As you all know, dragons are promiscuous, and the Dragon King was no exception. So, the possible landing spots for his faith seed were far too numerous and would only increase as generations passed.

“However, he thought of a solution to this. On the day he transcended he sealed away his faith seed. The demon qilin, knowing he needed to become more powerful, had one goal. And that was to unseal the Dragon King’s faith seed and take it for himself.”

“You mean like Amethyst…” King Belmont inadvertently trained his gaze on Madeleine. Not able to stop himself from sighing.

King Acacia shook his head. “Not like Amethyst. She used the gates and a temple. But…

“The Dragon King used a weapon.”

𝘳𝘦.𝒸𝑜𝘮