Chapter 12: Out of Control and The End
\nAfter three years of gathering the Power of the Totem from all races, Di Ye brought every totem to Ancestor Dragon Mountain. Totems fell like rain across the mountain\u2014some shaped like trees, rocks, animals, or strange plants, all appearing as if born from the earth itself. No one knew their origin.
\n“Infuse!”
\nDi Ye conscripted one hundred of the strongest old dragons to extract the totemic energy from the mountain and channel it into the black stone.
\nOne day. Two days.
\nBy the tenth day, the black stone finally stirred. A violent ripple burst from it, and every living creature on Dragon Mountain heard a roar:
\n“I am… Ruin!!!!”
\nA primal force from the Ancient Era began to stir. At the same moment, Zuo Meng\u2019s gaze descended.
\n“It actually reversed and awakened? Fitting for a protagonist of a bygone era\u2019s fortune.”
\nRuin\u2019s awakening surprised Zuo Meng. During the Ancient Era, he hadn\u2019t yet grasped concepts like the World Will or fortune. Back then, abstract energies ran wild, even the laws he\u2019d forged were riddled with flaws. Strength had no barriers\u2014anyone could grow powerful through simple practice. Only after restructuring this era\u2019s laws did he uncover the hidden energies beneath the chaos. Ruin, a chaotic being, was undoubtedly the Ancient Era\u2019s prime protagonist, outshining even the other two chaotic beings.
\nAs Ruin awoke, Zuo Meng saw the world anew. Perhaps nothing was inherently right or wrong. Once creation began, the world evolved on its own\u2014there\u2019s no right or wrong, only comprehension.
\nRuin?
\nHe must be a supreme being!
\nDi Ye and the old dragons clustered together. Though unable to understand Ruin\u2019s tongue, they caught his name.
\n“It must grant immortality!”
\nFanaticism flickered in Di Ye\u2019s eyes. Immortality\u2014every ruler\u2019s deepest craving\u2014lay within reach. How could he not tremble?
\n“More power.”
\nA message radiated from the black stone. Di Ye and the dragons understood.
\n“Bring all totems.”
\nAt Di Ye\u2019s command, Dragon Mountain shuddered. Remaining totems were hauled forth. As if sensing kindred power, the black stone quaked, spewing countless root-like tendrils that latched onto the totems.
\nA whirlwind erupted. When it faded, every totem on the mountain had been drained.
\n“Not enough!”
\nThe stone convulsed, unleashing more tendrils that burrowed into the earth. Excess roots snaked outward, ensnaring an old dragon. The elder couldn\u2019t struggle\u2014his body shriveled like a water skin in desert sands, leaving only a dried corpse.
\nThe husk hit the ground, scattering dust. No remains survived.
\n“What\u2019s happening?!”
\n“It\u2019s gone wild!”
\nThe tendrils raged. Sealed too long, Ruin\u2019s mind brimmed with chaos, hungering to devour all energy.
\nBOOM!
\nA hundredfold more tendrils erupted from the stone, twisting skyward to gorge on everything\u2014earth, trees, dragons. Nearly all elders perished. Only Di Ye, the Dragon Emperor, fled the peak in time.
\nBut escape solved nothing. After draining the mountaintop, the tendrils attacked Dragon Mountain itself.
\nRoots pierced the sky, tearing black cracks. The scene looked like doomsday.
\n“What *is* this?!”
\nDi Ye found no retreat. The roots grew unnervingly fast, sucking Ancestor Dragon Mountain dry. The Dragon Clan was doomed!
\nThis mighty civilization collapsed in moments. The roots spread ravenously across the land. With Zuo Meng having compressed the world\u2019s dimensions, the tendrils sought to consume the entire continent.
\n“Only the abyss remains…”
\nTrapped by writhing roots, Di Ye fled to the mountain\u2019s rear abyss\u2014the Dragon Clan\u2019s deepest secret. He\u2019d once glimpsed a colossal turtle there. Though clueless about its nature, instinct screamed it could resist the roots.
\nA Dragon Emperor hesitates not. Di Ye leaped into the chasm even past Ancestor Dragons feared to tread.
\nOutside, root-induced panic engulfed the world.
\nMillennia of Dragon Clan civilization crumbled. The roots devoured all\u2014race meant nothing. Strong races fled south; the weak were abandoned. Survival\u2019s cruelty reigned. Northern lands became a dead zone, while southern migrants carried fading memories of draconic glory.
\nTime blurred. Di Ye awoke.
\n“Am I alive?”
\n“You\u2019re dead. Only your spirit lingers.” A massive eye glowed in the dark.
\n“You\u2014the Old Turtle!”
\nDi Ye recognized the speaker instantly.
\nThe creature\u2019s eye alone dwarfed caves. This was but a fragment\u2014its full size might make Dragon Mountain a mere bump on its shell. No wonder the Ancestor Dragon chose this site.
\n“Impressive recklessness, provoking an Ancient Era madman.”
\nThis was the Turtle Ancestor, spared by creator Zuo Meng after the Ancient Era\u2019s fall. A top-tier chaotic being, it dwarfed the sealed Ruin. But the turtle avoided trouble, deeming Ruin\u2019s ilk insane for defying the Taichu Immortal Ancestor.
\n“Ancient Era madmen…?”
\nDi Ye filed away the tidbit.
\n“Enough. You\u2019re dead. I\u2019ll reincarnate you.” The turtle ignored further chatter.
\nThis world lacked reincarnation cycles. Most souls faded at death. Only supreme beings like the turtle could preserve spirits\u2014a mark of true power.
\n“Wait\u2014”
\nThe turtle blew. Its breath engulfed Di Ye\u2019s dragon soul, plunging both into the earth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter 12: Out of Control and The End After three years of gathering the Power of the Totem from all races, Di Ye brought every totem to Ancestor Dragon Mountain. Totems fell like rain across the mountain\u2014some shaped like trees, rocks, animals, or strange plants, all appearing as if born from the earth itself. No one knew their origin. “Infuse!” Di Ye conscripted one\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[3],"tags":[],"fcn_genre":[],"fcn_fandom":[],"fcn_character":[],"fcn_content_warning":[],"class_list":["post-1390","fcn_chapter","type-fcn_chapter","status-publish","hentry","category-dreaming-to-become-a-creator"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter\/1390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fcn_chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter\/1390\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1390"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_genre?post=1390"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_fandom?post=1390"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_character","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_character?post=1390"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_content_warning","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_content_warning?post=1390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}