C10 I Am a Descendant of the Dragon

Ethan was taken to a dimly lit ancestral hall — a place almost extinct in modern America. More than a dozen elders stood respectfully on both sides. A round, obese elder stood right in the center. At the front of the hall stood a soaring golden dragon statue, mighty and lifelike. The round elder had snow-white hair and beard; no one could tell his age. He looked as if he might roll toward Ethan at any moment.

“Boy, we owe you a debt of gratitude. Without you, we would never have defeated the evil Tiger Clan. We’ve fought them for thousands of years. Finally, we have a chance to finish the Snake Clan once and for all.”

“Sir, what are the Tiger Clan and the Snake Clan? I’ve never heard of any of this.” Ethan felt an odd peace around the elder, as if the man were his own grandfather.

“It is a long story, child. Sit, and I will explain.”

Ethan sat beside him. His wounds had healed miraculously. He began to suspect his dead master had not been crazy after all. The Ascending Dragon Art truly held mysterious power. He felt reborn, as if electric currents flowed through his body from time to time.

“Thousands of years ago, the world was divided into twelve powerful clans. They worshipped different gods and fought endlessly for control. They were the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar clans.

For a time, they ruled together in peace. But when the old leaders died, the younger generations fought for power again. War returned.

In time, three clans rose above all: Dragon, Tiger, and Snake. They formed a deadly three-way standoff. The weaker clans were either conquered or fled overseas.”

Ethan felt as if he were hearing a fairy tale, yet he sensed a connection to the ancient Eastern zodiac.

“Sir, why is the Tiger Clan evil? Is the Dragon Gang the Dragon Clan?”

“Patience, child. The Tiger Clan is evil because of its cruel traditions. They worship the Tiger God and believe ‘only one tiger may rule a mountain.’ If a couple has more than one child, the stronger one kills the weaker — and the entire clan eats the dead child. They believe this strengthens their power.”

Ethan shuddered. They killed and ate their own young? Even tigers did not eat their own children.

“The Tiger Clan was small but violent. Weakened by war, they allied with the Snake Clan to fight the mighty Dragon Clan. The Snake Clan was once a branch of the Dragon Clan, so they also claim to be ‘dragons’ — but their ‘dragon god’ is just a giant serpent.”

“Then we Chinese call ourselves ‘descendants of the dragon’ — that means we are from the Dragon Clan?”

“Yes. Yan and Huang, the great founders of our civilization, were the greatest leaders of the Dragon Clan. Under them, the Tiger and Snake clans fell into shadow. The Dragon Clan built a great nation. To honor the old peace, we created the twelve-year zodiac — one year for each ancient clan.”

“So the Dragon Tiger Gang is the Tiger and Snake clans working together? What clan is Japan from?”

“Correct. The Dragon Tiger Gang is their secret alliance. The Japanese came from the Dog and Tortoise clans that fled overseas long ago.

Since then, the Dragon Clan has ruled this land. The Tiger and Snake clans hide in darkness, waiting to strike back. The Dragon Clan itself has many branches; they have fought for control of dynasties for thousands of years.”

Ethan listened, stunned. His school history lessons had been lies. History was often written to serve rulers. He now understood the real meaning behind ancient wars and purges. He had been pulled into a war that had lasted thousands of years.

Time flowed like a river. Mountains turned to dust. All things moved in their own paths. For a moment, Ethan felt he understood the world. Yet he still could not let go of his old life — Icy, Dana, his hatred for Li Yizhu.

The round elder was named Long Yi. He was over two hundred years old.

“In ancient times, humans ruled the earth because we unlocked our full power: wisdom, spirit, and supernatural energy. Then we relied too much on tools. We forgot how to awaken our own potential. Our mysterious powers faded.

If a human unlocks 100% of their body and mind, they are no longer human — they become a god. Immortals are real. They are simply fully awakened humans.”

Ethan finally understood his master’s lifelong pursuit. He now knew his own path.

The Dragon Clan’s core had only about 300 members. Dragon Warriors were chosen only from those with awakened abilities — what modern people called “superpowers.” Ethan was sent to a hidden training camp.

The camp was hidden in a remote mountain village, surrounded by steep cliffs, cut off from the world. It was like living in ancient times.

Ethan was paired with a young man named Howard. On their first meeting, Howard discovered his strange “gift.”

“Hi, I’m Howard. Call me Howie. I’m the second child in my family. I just got here too. What’s your name?”

“Ethan. Nice to meet you.” Ethan reached for his pocket out of habit — he no longer carried business cards.

Howard suddenly grinned.

“What are you laughing at?” Ethan looked down at himself, confused.

“Hahaha! You’re not wearing underwear!”

Ethan’s face burned. The Tiger Clan had stripped him naked. Long Yi had given him a new robe, but no underwear.

“How could you possibly know?”

Howard looked embarrassed. “That’s my superpower. I can see through things. That’s why they brought me here.”

Ethan burst out laughing. “Your power is seeing through people’s clothes? You’re a walking peeping tom!”

“Hey, I can’t help it! Once I stared at a girl and wished I could see her clearly — and suddenly her clothes turned see-through. I could see her heart beating.”

Ethan shook his head, amazed. The world was full of strange talents.

“Wait a minute — you looked at me on purpose? Don’t tell me you’re——”

“No! I was just curious! Everyone’s talking about you — the guy who can’t die.”

Ethan relaxed. “You could make a fortune with that gift.” He thought of all the gambles he’d lost in college, guessing what girls wore under their clothes. He envied Howard deeply.

They soon found they were from nearby hometowns. The same accent, the same culture — they quickly became like brothers.

That night, Ethan could not sleep. He thought of Icy’s laugh, her angelic face, her beating heart torn out by the Tiger Clan. He felt Li Yizhu was still alive somewhere. He thought of Dana, wondering if she missed him. He even thought of Eric’s leering eyes.

His life had changed forever. He would walk a path no ordinary man could imagine.

The Special Training Team

Ethan was put into a team of ten. All had strange powers. Their trainer was a thin, sharp-eyed old man named Long Wu, whose body seemed made of pure energy.

“I am Dragon Five. You will obey me — right or wrong. Two thousand trainees entered this program. We will choose only ten. Among 1.4 billion people, you are the elite. We will test you to the limit. If you cannot take it, leave now.”

No one left.

“Good. Each of you, introduce yourself and state your power.”

One by one, they spoke:

Han Tao: super hearing

Lei Ming: a deafening voice that could stun or even kill

Others: speed, strength, sight

Ethan listened, amused.

“Ethan! Step forward and speak!” Long Wu was annoyed at his smirk.

“Sir! My power is — I cannot die.”

The team burst out laughing.

“Explain.”

“I jumped from a skyscraper and lived. I was electrocuted and lived. I was boiled alive in a pot and lived. The Grim Reaper won’t take me.”

Long Wu struggled not to laugh. “Interesting. Your power comes from awakened body energy. Our training will turn you into living weapons. We do not need guns. Our bodies are the strongest weapons.”

Their first test: underwater breathing for fifteen minutes. Those who failed would do two thousand push-ups.

They jumped into the pool.

One minute… two minutes… three minutes…

Trainees began popping up, gasping. Ethan also felt suffocated. Just as he was about to surface, something clamped onto his ankle.

He panicked. He could barely swim. He opened his eyes underwater and saw a giant crab — as big as a millstone — dragging him down.

“Sir! Ethan’s fighting a giant crab!” Howard shouted.

Long Wu watched the water churn. “A crab? Let him be.”

“It’s as big as a person!”

Long Wu jumped up. He’d never heard of a man‑sized crab.

Fifteen minutes passed. The water turned red.

Then it went still.

Ethan crawled onto the shore, covered in blood, dragging the massive dead crab.

“Let’s eat crab. I want the best piece!” He grinned, then collapsed.

The Spirit Pearl

The team feasted on the giant crab. Ethan ate the richest, golden center. Suddenly, he swallowed a hard, bright object. His body burned hot.

“Howie — look inside me. What did I eat?”

“A bright pearl.”

Ethan panicked. “Poison?”

The others stopped eating.

Long Wu’s eyes nearly popped out. “A spirit pearl? That takes five thousand years to form. It holds the beast’s full power. It should have burned you alive!”

But Ethan was unharmed. The next morning, he felt lighter than a bird. He ran five thousand meters easily. His wounds were gone.

Long Wu stared. “You truly are the Unkillable Man.”

Their training continued: underwater breathing, hidden movement, and hidden weapons — the old art of using flowers, grass, cards, or stones as deadly tools.

Long Wu waved his hand, and a wooden target fifty meters away exploded.

The team stared in awe.

Ethan chose playing cards. He’d always wanted to be like the “God of Gamblers” in movies.

He took the Ace of Spades, closed his eyes, and channeled the Ascending Dragon Art. He flicked the card hard.

It spun slowly… then suddenly changed direction like a bullet — straight for Long Wu’s throat.

Everyone screamed.

Long Wu leaped back, smashing the card with a thunderous punch. His hand trembled.

“Control! More control!” he roared, hiding his shock.

Howard went next. He threw a knife — but turned the wrong way, sending it straight at Ethan.

Ethan dodged easily. Long Wu’s teacup shattered in his hand.

“ENOUGH!”

He ordered Ethan and Howard to fight each other — no blocking, no dodging.

They hit each other softly at first.

“Harder! The enemy will not show mercy!”

The two fought harder and harder, until they brawled like wild men.

The other trainees stared.

Long Wu smiled. “Good. This is how you make Dragon Warriors.”

One Year Later

A year of brutal training passed.

Every member could breathe underwater, react to attacks in an instant, and take hits without injury. They could use almost any object as a weapon.

Long Wu was proud.

Next, he would teach them the Hidden Dragon Technique — the final key to unlocking their full power.

He could already see victory: his ten elite warriors would defeat all two thousand of Dragon Nine’s trainees.

Ethan stood among his team, stronger than ever.

He still felt the shadow of Li Yizhu.

He still heard Icy’s laugh in his dreams.

He still thought of Dana’s gentle face.

But now he was no longer just a failed businessman.

He was Ethan, the Unkillable.

He was a Descendant of the Dragon.

And his real battle was only just beginning.