‘ This guy seems to be looking at me weirdly . What have I ever done to him? Did I steal his girl or something?’ Ana thought to herself as she returned the man's stare .

‘ We have gathered here today to celebrate our thirty new born royal spirit manipulators, who will ride dragons in the service of our country! ’ The Emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire declared with great passion. He took a grand step forward and looked at the crowd.

Cheers and applause erupted in the Grand Dragon Hall.

‘I declare the beginning of the ritual! Salute to the Holy Dragon Bead !’ Priest Dean announced, standing next to the emperor.

Everyone knelt on one leg and bowed down to a tarnished bead on a pedestal in the shape of a dragon talon.

It was a holy item of the Holy Dragon Empire with a history that streched back hundreds of years. The Holy Dragon Bead . Lengend had it when this bead was born by the Dragon Master Clan, the earth shook and transformed. It shone brightly and contained so much power of spiritual race within. The Elder of Dragon Master Clan prophesied that whoever fused with this Dragon Spirit Bead would be the ruler of spiritual manipulators.

That very year, the Dragon Spirit Bead had been brought to the Holy Dragon Empire for the humans to attempt to fuse with it. Yet it was too strong and too powerful for the human body, and no one was successful. Years went by, and no one succeed. Finally, the Holy Dragon Empire gave up and ordained this Dragon Spirit Bead as the Holy Dragon Bead and enshrined it in the Grand Dragon Hall for eternity.

Ana knelt down like every one else. ‘she figured.

‘ Priest Dean announced next.

There came another round of warm applause.

Lena emerged and curtly nodded at everyone. She then turned and went up the stairs, all the way to step right below the topmost one. She held up her arms and faced the round platform on the top floor. Holy light shone like sun out her body and bathed the entire hall with a golden colour. Everyone immersed in the light felt peaceful and comfortable.

Ana stared at Lena without blinking. A look of surprise flashed through her eyes. Although she had seen Lena 's powers before, she was still shocked to witness it so close.

A ball of golden light appeared in Lena’s hand and slowly floated up into the sky . Suddenly, a beam light fell like rain directly onto the round platform on the top floor. Instantly, a human silhouette surrounded with thirty twirling multicolored oval light beams appeared on the platform. The light beam quickly faded and soon gone without a trace.

‘ Lena saluted , addressing the human silhouette.

The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, Priest Dean and everyone else bowed to the messenger to show respect, all except for Ana as she had no clue what was happening.

The messenger of the Dragon Master Clan slightly nodded at the formality. He then spoke to Lena in an indistinguishable voice and stepped off the platform.

‘ Lena translated the message to the emperor.

The emperor nodded and then stepped aside.

Priest Dean spoke to the thirty young candidates on both sides . ‘

They answered dutifully with high spirits . They couldn't wait to establish thier own legacy.

The first candidate stepped onto the platform and stood next to Lena. She guided them, instructing the candidate to put thier hand on one of the Dragon Spirit Bead. The messenger of the Dragon Master Clan began to chant a spell and soon, the Dragon Spirit Bead began to glisten as if something was about to burst out of it .

Suddenly, it broke like an egg hatching and turned into colourful light stripes which snaked up the arm of the candidate and finally became a mark. On thier skin , it's lines looked like a delicate embossment . It was the same symbol as Shirley.

‘ many exclaimed.

The royal spirit manipulators biggest advantage was that they had the chance to fuse with Dragon Spirit Bead, which would grant them some spiritual power and put them in a leading position compared to the other ordinary spirit manipulators who had to start from scratch.

‘ Ana was growing increasingly fascinated by everything she witnessed. This world was more abstract and strange than she thought.

When the first candidate completed the ritual, warm applause errupted from every corner in the hall. The candidate help up thier arm and showed with great pride the evidence that they had become a royal spirit manipulator.

The rest of the candidates went on the altar one by one for thier process, which all went without a hitch. The ceremony drew to a close as the last candidate stepped up. Those who had fused with Dragon Spirit Bead immediately acquired the spiritual power of the second grade of the mortal stage and some of them were even bestowed the third grade!.

‘ Priest Dean said, glancing at Ana in the corner .

‘ Lena shot a look at Priest Dean and responded solemnly.

‘ Priest Dean replied, the smug look draining from his face.

Just as he said this, a loud scream resounded . They looked and saw the last candidate screaming in pain as the light strips spread on thier arm like a giant parasite.

Everyone was shocked at this scene.

‘ A look of shock also flashed through Lena 's face . She managed to keep her composure and said , ‘

Priest Dean hurried down to check on the candidate. The candidate's right arm was shining brightly and exquisite lines showed up, over flowing with power . Priest Dean grabbed thier hand , his face growing rigid with concentration as he employed his power. Suddenly, silver light shone from his palm. It was as bright as the rising sun and sent airwaves across the hall, ruffling through everybody's clothes.

‘ Ana was wide eyed at what was happening.

Priest Dean blasted away the Dragon Spirit Bead, sending it flying all over the place in a spiral. The power it unleashed unsettled the entire Grand Dragon Hall.

The royal members and nobles all backed down to take cover as they knew that a rogue Dragon Spirit Bead contained very strong power and it could not be stopped easily.

After flying around in the air for a while, the Dragon Spirit Bead suddenly shot towards the altar and hit the Holy Dragon Bead squarely .

The Holy Dragon Bead was blasted into the air as the Dragon Spirit Bead fell to the ground, apparently exhausted of all it's power.

Everyone including the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was astonished to see that the Holy Dragon Bead hit the ground.

‘ It fell hard onto the ground, it's innate spark suddenly turning into a bright and blinding light. With it's sheer force, a huge airwave blew through the Grand Dragon Hall. It's raw power was tremendous.

The Holy Dragon Bead fell less than a meter away from Ana, right infront of her.

‘ Lena shouted in a panic as she saw the Holy Dragon Bead explode into light right under Ana's feet.

Ana didn't know at that time that it was the holy item of the Holy Dragon Empire. She was dumbfounded by it's brilliance. Lena 's voice echoed in her head and she snapped out of it . Just as she was preparing to dodge it, she heard a weeping sound.

Ana thought it was an illusion, but the weeping sound came once more. This time she turned her sight to the Holy Dragon Bead and almost instantly she figured out that it was the source of the weeping quite reminiscent of a lost child. She stopped unconsciously and approached the Holy Dragon Bead as if it were calling her.

Everyone noticed Ana's strange action and some of them even begun to mock her.

‘

Lena shouted again as she saw Ana continue to approach the Holy Dragon Bead.

But it was as though she was in trance. She has already made it before the spinning Holy Dragon Bead and she reached out her hand to take it , the Holy Dragon Bead shone again and then it turned into many light stripes which instantly spread throughout her arm, entangling into a shocking pattern!

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