The Dragon Palace of the Phuong Giang River God exists as a parallel dimension situated at the bottom of the river. Under normal circumstances, it remains invisible; anyone swimming through it would feel nothing more than a slight headache. To enter, one must pass through a gate located within a cliffside. Upon entry, a being's spiritual frequency is synchronized with that of the Palace, allowing them to see and interact with the physical objects within. This space is maintained by the incredibly durable Dragon Pearl of an Ancient Dragon, located at the heart of the palace beside the Throne of the River God.

  The River God has passed away, leaving behind five sons and twelve daughters, named numerically: Long Nhat (Dragon One), Long Nhi (Dragon Two), Long Tam (Dragon Three), and so on. Long Nhat, the eldest, was chosen by the Heavenly Dao as the successor to the River God title. During a gathering of his siblings, the new River God shouted in a fit of rage:

  "Which one of you hired the assassins? Step forward now!"

  The siblings trembled in fear. Their eldest brother was notoriously short-tempered; a single wrong word could result in him skinning their dragon scales or whipping them until their bones turned soft. The River God's voice turned grim:

  "I am not joking. Step out. Do you think I am blind or deaf? Come forward before I double the punishment."

  Long Tam raised his hand, stepped out, and confessed, "It was me, brother."

  The River God’s anger subsided slightly as he sat upon the Dragon Throne. "Is there anyone else?"

  Long Tam spoke quickly, "It was only me."

  "Shut up! Do you want your mouth sealed permanently?" the River God roared. He then lowered his voice. "I repeat: is there anyone else?"

  Long Tu (Dragon Sister Four) stepped forward timidly. "There is also me."

  The River God maintained a soft tone. "It is good that you recognize your crime and accept punishment. Men! Give Long Tu ten lashes." The guards struck her gently, yet she wailed and cried as if suffering a great tragedy.

  The River God then turned his fury toward Long Tam. "As for you, your punishment is doubled. Twenty lashes, skin his scales, and strike with full force!"

  Long Tam gasped in horror. "Why is my punishment so severe?"

  "Because you are the elder brother yet failed to manage your sister," the River God replied. "You didn't stop her; you joined her in her folly. The double penalty is just. Execute it now!"

  Months later, Long Tu was caught by Long Tam while trying to sneak out of the Palace. "Have you no fear?" Long Tam asked. "Sneaking out again?"

  Long Tu’s eyes flashed with resentment. "I am furious! Our wonderful father died such a pathetic death. I must have my revenge. If I cannot kill him, I will make his life a living hell."

  Long Tam sighed, "But... but..."

  "Stop worrying," she interrupted. "That fortune teller, Noe, is just a rogue cultivator at the Qi Condensation stage. He is nothing compared to me—I am at the Foundation Establishment stage and nearing the Core Formation. Don't follow me this time; pretend you know nothing. I am a girl; our eldest brother loves me and won't punish me harshly."

  Long Tam let her go, but days later, he grew anxious. Knowing her unpredictable nature, he left the Palace to find her but failed, causing his worry to deepen.

  Learning from her previous mistakes, Long Tu did not hire assassins. Instead, she sought out the Shadow Division. She knew that certain commanders of this unit had used Demonic Cultivation methods, utilizing Dragon Blood to accelerate their progress, effectively becoming Dragon Slaves. Possessing pure dragon blood, she could command them as her private army.

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  The Shadow Division and these Dragon Slaves would obey her absolutely as long as they consumed her blood once a month; otherwise, they would rebel. Among those under her thumb was Lien Tran, one of the four Shadow Division commanders, who could mobilize nearly ten thousand elite troops. To an outsider, they appeared normal, but when it came to her missions, they acted as mindless machines incapable of refusal.

  After being rescued by Han Thuong, Noe hid deep within the forest. He recovered quickly thanks to his medicinal supplies. Han Thuong told him:

  "You are too weak. Use this time to train; the next enemies won't be so easy. This is my last Foundation Establishment Pill. See if you can break through."

  Noe shook his head dejectedly. "I don't want to owe anyone. Keep it for yourself."

  Han Thuong grabbed Noe by the collar. "What if I force you? I’m tired of your moping. How long will this last? You made a mistake. Does everyone who makes a mistake have to kill themselves? Pull yourself together and find a way to atone. Weren't those your own words?"

  As Noe hesitated, Han Thuong shoved the pill into his hand. "Consider it an investment. I'll collect the debt with interest later. Now we’re even, okay?"

  Noe finally swallowed the pill and spent five months meditating under a waterfall. With his exceptional talent, he successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage. His Luck (LUK) stat soared to 300, allowing him to generate a Luck Aura for his allies, increasing their critical hit rate, evasion, block rate, and accuracy.

  Noe and Han Thuong remained in the forest for two years, honing their magic and combat skills. They were unaware that their pursuers were the Shadow Division—the elite force of the kingdom, answerable only to the King of Chau Ngoc. Now, however, they also answered to a Dragon Princess hell-bent on revenge.

  During those two years, under the influence of Long Tu, a secret organization called The Black-White Night Walkers was born. It was a professional underground syndicate handling everything from merchant protection to high-profile assassinations. Their primary business, however, was information brokerage, with Lien Tran and Long Tu pulling the strings.

  Han Thuong and Lien Tran were old acquaintances. After two years of training, Han Thuong happened to encounter Lien Tran. Initially, their conversation was friendly, like old companions reuniting. But when Han Thuong accidentally mentioned Noe’s name, Lien Tran’s face contorted unnaturally.

  One of Lien Tran’s arms—which had been replaced by a Jiao-Dragon limb—suddenly attacked Han Thuong. His human arm desperately tried to restrain the dragon claw.

  "Run... go..." Lien Tran struggled to speak. "Do not go... to the prophet..."

  Before he could finish, the dragon claw slashed a long wound across Lien Tran’s own face. His eyes turned a deep, glowing red. "Run!"

  Sensing a massive wave of killing intent from Lien Tran and the surrounding shadows, Han Thuong fled immediately, leading the pursuit away from Noe’s hideout. He felt as though the entire underworld was hunting him.

  Han Thuong fled North toward the Kingdom of Bac Dich—the enemy of Chau Ngoc—hoping to lose Lien Tran in the desert where an old friend, Tho Trung Sa, lived. By now, Lien Tran could enter a Half-Dragon form: one arm a dragon claw, the other holding a Dragon Sword, legs transformed, a tail sprouting, and golden scales covering his body.

  "Stop running, Han Thuong," Lien Tran’s voice was hoarse and distorted. "Hand over Noe and you shall live."

  Han Thuong was surrounded by the Black-White Night Walkers. Unlike the Shadow Division, they wore masks, and their eyes glowed red. Han Thuong used the freezing temperatures of the northern desert to his advantage, using his Ice element to turn invisible. However, the Night Walkers pursued him with superhuman persistence.

  Finally, Lien Tran cornered him. The Night Walkers had activated their Dragon Eyes, allowing them to see thermal signatures, rendering Han Thuong's invisibility useless. Enhanced by dragon blood, Lien Tran was a terrifying opponent. He used Dragon Steps to close the distance and fired Dragon Rage energy spheres—projectiles that destroyed the target's internal energy and vitality.

  Han Thuong collapsed, bleeding and exhausted. Long Tu, appearing as a beautiful woman with blonde hair and black eyes, stepped forward.

  "You are brave," she said. "But human strength has limits. Will you confess, or must I force you?"

  Han Thuong shook his head. Long Tu smiled cruelly. "Resistance is futile." She cut her wrist, diluted a few drops of her blood in water, and forced Han Thuong to drink.

  It was a Dragon Slave ritual. Despite his internal screams and the pride of a man protecting his friend, the ancient magic tore through his mental defenses. Invisible chains wrapped around his nerves, snapping his loyalty and pinning his memories.

  The most horrific sensation was not the physical pain, but the loss of control. He wanted to spit in her face, but his mouth moved to obey. Hot, bitter tears streamed down his face—the last tears of a free man—as his voice mechanically revealed every secret he would have died to keep.

  Long Tu squeezed his jaw, forcing him to face her. "Don't worry, Han Thuong. I'll save the pleasure of finishing off that prophet for you. Hahaha!"

  Suddenly, a sandstorm erupted, obscuring their vision. Tho Trung Sa surged up from beneath the earth, grabbing Han Thuong and pulling him into the depths of the sand. They vanished in an instant. Surprised but unconcerned, Long Tu did not give chase. She turned her gaze back toward Chau Ngoc, ready to hunt the Prophet Noe herself.