Chapter 137 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 137: Spear vs. Spear (4)

At that moment, Dragon Aura erupted—an overwhelming surge, like a tidal wave crashing in.

The Dragon Aura blocked Kwon Hanul.

Light and a black wave collided.

After a prolonged clash, both forces vanished simultaneously.

“Huff... Huff...”

Kwon Chan-seong panted heavily, still frozen in a punching stance.

He had managed to block Kwon Hanul—but he was far from unharmed. The skin on his outstretched fist had been completely torn off, leaving it soaked in blood. The sudden expenditure of immense mana made his head spin.

“As expected, that wasn’t nearly enough…”

Watching him, Kwon Hanul spoke in a dry tone.

Condensed Aura was an absolute force capable of destroying everything. However, the version that Hanul used wasn’t perfect—because it had been formed through the authority of the Shura King.

Still, imperfect or not, Condensed Aura was Condensed Aura.

“Khak!”

Kwon Chan-seong coughed up blood. It wasn’t from the wounds inflicted by Catalina Blaga—this internal injury was from withstanding Hanul’s Condensed Aura.

“I don’t understand… How could you use Condensed Aura…at this level no less…”

Blood dripped from Chan-seong’s mouth. His disbelief was understandable—only a handful in history had ever been able to manifest.

Yet, Hanul had done it.

“And this energy surrounding you—what is it? It’s not the power of the Black Dragon Bloodline… That’s…”

He trailed off, eyes trembling.

“Surah Bloodline… No, Superhuman Bloodline… Not that either…”

He shook his head.

“…No, never mind. That’s a pointless question.”

At some point, Chan-seong’s breathing had stabilized. He’d stopped coughing blood.

He had recovered in that brief time, despite not possessing Hanul’s regenerative Healthy Bloodline.

“Right now, I should be thinking about how to kill you.”

Chan-seong summoned his Dragon Combat Aura again. The same overwhelming power he displayed at the start of their fight spread in all directions.

Hanul showed faint admiration. Not only had Chan-seong endured the Condensed Aura, but his energy hadn’t faded either.

‘Heh… This won’t be easy.’

Hanul summoned his Demon Dragon Aura. Black aura surged outward like wildfire.

The two slowly advanced toward each other. As they neared, their energies clashed violently, filling the air with crackling noise.

They were soon nose-to-nose. Chan-seong glanced briefly at Hanul’s fist.

“Not going to use it again?”

“It’s not a technique I can just throw around.”

“Well, lucky me then.”

Suddenly, Chan-seong slammed his fist upward into Hanul’s gut. Hanul staggered—but unlike before, he didn’t fly back. He held his ground.

The Diamond Aura surrounding his body had absorbed the blow.

“…You’ve gotten tougher all of a sudden,” Chan-seong said, clearly baffled. Hanul didn’t reply—instead, he raised his fist.

He swung it with all his might, striking Chan-seong square in the face.

Chan-seong’s head snapped back violently—but he instantly reset it to its original position.

“You actually managed to rattle me?!”

With a roar, Chan-seong charged again. Hanul met him head-on.

The two clashed relentlessly. Fists tangled mid-air, striking each other's vital points again and again.

Each collision was accompanied by a thunderous boom. The sheer violence of it was almost exhausting to watch.

“Ha ha!”

Chan-seong let out a wild laugh. His Black Dragon Bloodline instincts were ecstatic.

“It’s been ages since I had a fight this satisfying!”

Then it happened.

The Demon Dragon Aura around Hanul’s fist began to condense. It soon started to glow.

When he punched, Kwon Hanul flared.

“You little… That’s dangerous.”

Chan-seong’s eyes turned violet—he had activated his Naming Eyes.

He twisted his body to narrowly evade the Kwon Hanul, simultaneously turning and grabbing Hanul’s arm.

He tried to flip Hanul over with a shoulder throw.

But then—something blurred past him.

Hanul, despite having his arm grabbed, had leapt into the air.

“What?!”

Hanul, who should’ve been behind him, was now in front of him.

Only then did Chan-seong notice.

Hanul’s eyes were also violet.

Dragon Eyes

A power only accessible to true carriers of the Black Dragon Bloodline.

It far surpassed the Naming Eyes, allowing Hanul to read all of Chan-seong’s movements and tricks.

Hanul yanked his captured arm back, pulling Chan-seong toward him.

He placed a palm against Chan-seong’s chest—and ignited Demon Dragon Aura from within.

Inkflame.

Hanul’s palm exploded. With a scream, Chan-seong’s body was hurled backward.

“Graaagh!!”

The Inkflame couldn’t deliver a fatal wound—but it completely burned away the mana protecting Chan-seong’s body.

“Kwon Hanul!”

Chan-seong slammed his foot down in fury, seething with murderous intent.

But then—he was forced to stop.

Something emanating from Hanul rooted him in place.

All the surrounding mana was being drawn into Hanul.

That mana was converted into Demon Dragon Aura, rotating around both his hands.

The auras spun in opposite directions and intertwined. The power radiating from them froze the blood in Chan-seong’s veins.

“No way… That’s…”

A memory flashed in Chan-seong’s mind. A battle in Brazil—against Jose del Pablo. The final technique he had used there.

Hanul unleashed the energy in both fists simultaneously.

The Demon Dragon Aura exploded into a single, enormous form.

Black Dragon Ascension Art – Final Form

Ultimate Technique: Dragon Carving the Heavens

A black dragon soared into the sky—then plummeted down toward Chan-seong.

* * *

—Huff…

Hanul gasped. The mana cost had been brutal.

But the result was clear. The spot where the black dragon had landed was now a bottomless crater.

<Half-Incarnation Form has been released.>

Hanul’s body returned to normal. A crushing fatigue swept over him.

“Feels like death…”

It wasn’t just talk—the recoil from using his Half-Manifestation Form was severe.

He had no mana left, and all his bloodline powers were sealed.

Eventually, he’d recover—but until then, he was no different from a regular person.

“Hey! You jerk!”

Just as Hanul sat down to rest, Kwon Jiseok ran up to him.

But once he got there, he was speechless—he could only stare in awe and disbelief.

“You… Seriously… I mean…”

Jiseok stammered, unable to finish his sentence. Hanul had to speak up instead.

“I suppose I owe you an apology.”

“Apology for what?”

“I killed your brother. Right in front of you.”

Jiseok’s expression turned conflicted.

“…He was trying to kill you. He got what was coming.”

He wouldn’t hold a grudge—a reply very much in line with the Hyukcheon Clan.

“Let’s go home.”

Jiseok extended a hand. Hanul took it and stood.

Just then—

“Little Dragon!”

Someone suddenly pulled Hanul into a hug. It was sudden, but he knew immediately who it was.

“…Catalina Blaga.”

“That’s right! It’s me!”

“Okay, now let go.”

But Hanul had no strength left—he couldn’t shake her off.

Surprisingly, Catalina let go on her own.

“You saved me! So, you do have feelings for me after all, right?”

“What nonsense are you spewing now…”

“Shh.”

Catalina raised her finger to her lips.

“You don’t need to say it. I already know.”

“Stop spouting nonsense and let me—”

Just then—

An enormous surge of mana erupted from the crater where the black dragon had fallen.

The three of them stared at it, stunned.

Moments later—someone emerged from the pit.

“That was close. I almost died.”

It was Kwon Chan-seong.

* * *

“…How are you still alive?”

At that question, Kwon Chan-seong twisted his lips into a smirk.

“Do you remember when I said my younger cousin wasn’t complete yet?”

He pointed at a small orb floating around him.

“This is the reason why. Do you know what this is? It’s the final authority of the Black Dragon’s Bloodline.”

The powers granted by the Black Dragon’s Bloodline were all extraordinary.

But above all of them, this—attainable only at the very end—was the pinnacle.

“Dragon’s Pearl.”

The wish-fulfilling orb, an artifact that symbolizes dragons.

The final authority of the Black Dragon’s Bloodline was the ability to manifest a Dragon’s Pearl.

“Never thought I’d end up using even the Dragon Pearl on my little cousin.”

The orb gradually lost its light, then slowly vanished.

“But anyway… looks like you’re too spent to keep fighting, huh?”

A murderous glint flared in Kwon Chan-seong’s eyes. At that moment, Catalina Blaga leapt forward.

She summoned a massive axe from a subspace and swung it down at him. But by the time it hit the ground, he was already gone.

“You're annoying.”

The voice came from the side. Kwon Chan-seong kicked Catalina in the ribs. Something cracked.

“You’re so exhausted you can’t even heal your wounds, and you think you can still charge at me?”

He spat the words with contempt and turned away.

“H-Hyung…”

Kwon Jiseok called out, but Chan-seong didn’t respond. He simply waved his hand, blasting Jiseok away like a fly.

With those two gone, no one was left to stop him.

“So, it’s just you now.”

A twisted smile played at Chan-seong’s lips. Kwon Hanul exhaled quietly as he looked at him.

“You should’ve just run while you had the chance.”

At the mockery, Hanul had no words.

“Did you seriously think you could win against me? You? You’re not even ranked globally yet.”

There was a faint undertone of anger in Chan-seong’s voice.

Even the fiercest beast would react that way if bitten by a rabbit.

“Ten years… no, thirty years too early.”

He raised his hand, and a violent surge of Dragon Aura spiraled around his clenched fist.

“I’ll grind you into dust—won’t even leave a bone behind.”

Hanul sighed again and muttered under his breath.

“A waste, but I’ve got no choice.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial made of obsidian.

“Amrita?”

Chan-seong recognized it instantly.

A legendary elixir that could boost a single stat to SS-rank without any conditions.

He himself had taken one before.

“What do you think that’ll do for you?”

Which is exactly why he knew. Even if Hanul drank it, it wouldn't change the outcome.

Sure, an SS-ranked stat was impressive. Even one could turn the tide against most opponents.

But it wasn’t enough to flip this situation.

“What do you think I’m gonna do?”

Hanul downed the Amrita in one gulp. He felt its energy rush through his body.

“I need to tie up loose ends.”

[You have consumed ‘Amrita.’]

He waited for the next system message.

[You may choose to recover your body.]

[Would you like to recover your body?]

Without hesitation, he selected the second option. The elixir's energy surged into him, fully restoring every injury—internal and external. His stamina and mana were completely replenished.

[Black Dragon’s Bloodline recovers its authority.]

[Superhuman Bloodline regains its power.]

[Shura Bloodline reveals its presence.]

[Sacred Beast Bloodline awakens.]

[Vassal Bloodline is…]

Thanks to the Amrita, it wasn’t just his wounds and mana that were healed. Even the powers sealed by using his semi-divine form returned.

“To think you’d waste something as potent as Amrita on that…”

Despite Hanul’s restored strength, Chan-seong didn’t seem the least bit concerned.

“Did you really think you'd win just because you recovered? Foolish.”

Throughout their fight, Chan-seong had grown tired and wounded.

But the gap between them remained wide. Even now, Hanul wasn’t sure he could win.

“Fine then. I’ll crush you one more time.”

A wave of murderous energy radiated from Chan-seong. It was overwhelming.

“...He’s terrifying,” Murmuring, Hanul glanced around.

The battlefield had been decimated. Not a single structure remained intact.

From the rubble, he felt gazes—members of the Blaga clan and blood bounds were watching from all directions.

“Yeah. Can’t blame them for staring.”

After all that chaos, it was natural they’d be watching.

This much should be enough.

With that thought, Hanul activated the authority of the Vassal Bloodline.

His energy spread across the entire island, enveloping every single bloodline member watching him.

“What is this...?”

“Did he do this...?”

The Blaga bloodline murmured in disbelief. That Kwon Hanul, of the Black Dragon bloodline, was using the authority of the Vassal Bloodline—it was inconceivable.

“No… way.”

The one closest, Catalina Blaga, was stunned. But her reason was a little different.

“…Founder?”

It was a familiar energy—one she hadn’t felt in ages.

“Yes, you hear me, don’t you?”

His voice, amplified by mana, echoed in every direction. He felt all eyes on him.

“Hope you enjoyed watching me beat that bastard’s face in.”

Chan-seong scowled, but Hanul pressed on.

“I’ll skip the details for now.”

He had no time to explain everything with Chan-seong standing right there.

“If you want to live, submit to me.”

At that moment, Hanul invoked the authority of domination.

Vassal Bloodline domination is incredibly difficult.

Even for the Blaga bloodline or blood bounds, successful domination required more than brute force.

Hanul had acquired that missing piece through his battle with Chan-seong.

He showed them hope.

He proved he could do what no one else could.

[A powerful bloodline submits!]

[A blood bound submits!]

[A bloodline member submits!]

[A blood bound...]

It worked exactly as Hanul intended.

A flood of messages appeared—and among them, the one he was waiting for:

[The authority of the Vassal Bloodline has greatly increased!]

[Influence of the Vassal Bloodline has expanded!]

[Bloodline Synchronization Rate: 65% → 77%]

[All conditions fulfilled to manifest the half-incarnation of ‘Vampire Lord’!]

[Pureblood Domination: 10/10]

[High-Ranking Retainer Domination: 20/20]

[Civilian Domination: 30/30]

It felt like a lock deep inside him had been released. A presence he had never felt before stirred within.

Sensing that power, Hanul muttered softly.

“Lord.”

Crimson mana erupted beneath his feet—like a fountain of blood.

Suddenly, the fountain split in half. Membranous wings unfurled wide.

“…Another flashy trick, huh?”

Chan-seong finally spoke.

“It’s certainly an impressive sight… but that’s all it is.”

Even as the half-incarnated Vampire Lord stood before him, Chan-seong showed no fear.

“If you ask me, you were stronger when you used the Black Dragon’s power.”

The aura now radiating from Hanul was far weaker than before.

So to Chan-seong, this could only be a bluff.

Like a peacock fanning its feathers to scare off predators.

“Putting on airs at the last moment… how pitiful.”

He gathered his mana again. Dragon Aura surged around him.

“This ends now.”

But as he moved, Hanul raised a single finger toward him.

“Kneel.”

Just one word.

The instant it left his lips, all of Chan-seong’s Dragon Aura vanished.

When he came to his senses, his knees were on the ground.

Chan-seong was stunned. He didn’t understand what had just happened.

He tried to stand, but it was like his knees were glued to the earth.

“Bow your head.”

Suddenly, the world spun.

And all he could see… was dirt.

Only after some time did Chan-seong realize:

His forehead was pressed to the ground.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]