Chapter 3
The clan members were shocked: “What?!”
My father frowned deeply and lowered the crown.
Blake looked stunned and hesitant.
But Rose couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips.
The clan’s seer was the first to object: “Impossible!”
“I witnessed the heiress’s birth with my own eyes. Her mother is from the Western Seas royal family and her father is our current king. Her lineage couldn’t be more noble.”
“You can’t make such baseless accusations!”
The sacred beast snorted coldly: “Seer, you once prophesied that the heiress was the only descendant in centuries who could manifest our clan’s true form.”
“If that’s the case, she should be able to prove her innocence by transforming right now.”
“Why don’t we have her demonstrate her true form in front of everyone?”
“Or is she too afraid to try?”
All eyes turned to me.
I let out a small sigh: What was meant to happen would happen eventually!
My father snorted: “Aria, what do you say?”
I didn’t refuse.
I slowly raised my hand, golden energy immediately enveloping me.
The seer shouted excitedly: “You see? How could there be any mistake?”
But in an instant, the energy dissipated.
Just like in my past life, I had transformed into an ugly little black snake, surrounded by pitiful wisps of energy as I flopped around on the ground.
The seer coughed up a mouthful of blood: “How is this possible?!”
The sacred beast looked smug: “Do you believe me now, seer?”
Then it shook its head in feigned regret: “As the clan’s divine guardian, I absolutely cannot cover up for an imposter.”
“Moreover, only an heiress who can manifest our true form is the hope for our clan’s future.”
“Seer, surely you don’t intend to go against the entire clan by insisting on protecting this fake?”
Staring at my ugly transformed state, the seer was dumbstruck.
For the first time, he began to doubt his own prophecy, muttering: “No, this can’t be right.”
Then, as if struck by a thought, he looked up and stared hard at the sacred beast: “As our divine guardian, you need the heiress’s essence to survive. If Aria isn’t the true heiress, how have you managed to live all this time?”
The sacred beast sneered: “Of course Aria isn’t the real heiress.”
“But I’ve survived to this day because the true heiress is someone else.”
It slowly descended from the pillar, its body prostrating at Rose’s feet, its eyes filled with unprecedented tenderness.
“She is the true heiress!”
As soon as the words left its mouth, Rose’s entire body began to glow with a dazzling light.
“Ah!”
In an instant, brilliant golden scales covered her entire body.
A thunderous roar shook the heavens!
An enormous golden dragon coiled in the sky above.
Its body was so massive it nearly blotted out the sun.
The clan elders were almost moved to tears: “Though I’ve only seen it in ancient texts, there’s no mistaking it!”
“This is our clan’s true form!”
“To think Rose was our clan’s hope all along!”
Rose looked down at me with utter disdain: “Aria, you’re nothing but an ugly black snake, yet you’ve occupied the position of heiress for centuries, enjoying the clan’s reverence for nothing.”
“Now, I’ll eliminate you, you mongrel!”
She lunged at me ferociously.
The clan members scrambled backwards in fear, leaving me alone in an empty circle.
Her dragon breath engulfed me. I had nowhere to escape. The black snake’s flesh rapidly dissolved, leaving nothing but bare bones - a pitiful and horrifying sight.
The familiar pain washed over me.
This pain was even worse than being trampled by beasts. It made me want to end my own life just to escape it.
But even in such agony, I simply closed my eyes.
Rose gloated: “Have you given up struggling?”
I shook my head and spoke softly: “Rose, your methods are still so crude.”
“I know exactly what trick you used to turn me into a black snake.”
Rose’s triumphant smile froze on her face.
“What?”
[To be continued…]