Chapter 1757 — Chapter 1757 Dragon Blood Carp

With Yuan's approval, the Dragon King said, "In that case, follow me."

The Dragon King led Yuan to an area within the Shen Family's territory. At first glance, it appeared to be a serene garden, but scattered among the greenery were several unusual objects that seemed out of place in such a setting.

One of these objects was a stone statue carved into the shape of a dragon's head, resting majestically atop a stone pedestal. This dragon's head had its mouth open and tongue slightly sticking out. "This statue can determine whether someone is a dragon or not by assessing their blood. Before we begin the real assessment, we need to make sure you are a real dragon," said the Dragon King.

If Tan Songyun was correct, there was a strong possibility that Yuan wasn't even a dragon. In that case, this simple test could expose Yuan's identity.

'If he turns out to be a dragon, it won't prove he's a Dragon Emperor. However, if he isn't a dragon, we won't even need to assess his bloodline anymore.'

The Dragon King dripped his blood onto the statue's tongue, feeding it. The moment his blood made contact, the statue's tongue absorbed it instantly.

He then turned to look at Tan Songyun and spoke, "Can you feed it some of your blood?"

Tan Songyun nodded and approached the statue, feeding it her blood.

However, when her blood touched the statue, instead of being absorbed, it evaporated. "Dragon Emperor, it's your turn."

The Dragon King looked at Yuan, who calmly fed his blood to the statue. Before feeding his blood, Yuan activated his dragon transformation just in case.

Everyone watched in anticipation as Yuan's blood touched the statue.

In the end, his blood is absorbed by the statue, confirming that he is a dragon.

Shen Shi sighed in relief after seeing this.

"Father, it's not too late to stop this farce and apologize to the Dragon Emperor," she said to him.

"He's only managed to prove that he's a dragon, that's all," said the Dragon King, ignoring Shen Shi's advice.

Meanwhile, Tan Songyun was greatly surprised by the result. In fact, she was the most shocked out of everyone there.

'He's a dragon? That's not possible… Unless Tian Kai was a dragon this entire time, this doesn't make any sense!' Tan Songyun clenched her fists anxiously. She had always believed Tian Kai to be human, and the possibility that she might have been wrong all along left her feeling deeply perplexed.

After all, if she was wrong about such a crucial detail, it raised the unsettling possibility that she might be wrong about other things as well.

'What if he's actually not Tian Kai but a real Dragon Emperor…?' Tan Songyun swallowed nervously at this thought. Unfortunately, it was too late for her to do anything about it, as she'd already accused him of being an imposter.

"Follow me…" The Dragon King brought Yuan to the real assessment shortly later. Although the Dragon King seemed fine outside, he was also panicking a little inwardly.

'Damn it… What if he really is a Dragon Emperor?' The Dragon King felt himself on the verge of a breakdown at the mere thought of this possibility.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a large pond. Yuan used his divine sense to inspect it and discovered a single living entity within—a large red-colored fish with a fierce, almost menacing appearance.

"This is a unique creature our Shen Family has nurtured for thousands of years," the Dragon King explained. "We call it the Dragon Blood Carp because it only consumes the blood of dragons as its food."

"We started by feeding it low-quality blood, but once it gets a taste of higher-quality blood, it refuses to go back to the inferior kind—even if it means starving to death," the Dragon King added.

"One day, I accidentally let the Dragon Blood Carp taste my blood. Ever since then, I've had to feed it my blood to keep it alive. No matter what kind of blood we offer it now, it will only accept mine," the Dragon King continued with a resigned tone.

"Here, let me show you."

The Dragon King glanced at Shen Shi and gestured toward her. She nodded in acknowledgment and allowed a drop of her blood to fall into the pond.

The moment the Dragon Blood Carp sensed the presence of blood in its territory, it darted toward it with eager anticipation. However, as soon as it realized the blood wasn't the Dragon King's, its interest vanished, and it swam away indifferently.

The Dragon King repeated Shen Shi's actions a moment later. This time, the Dragon Blood Carp eagerly consumed his blood until nothing was left.

"This is a unique test that's impossible to rig," said the Dragon King a moment later.

Yuan looked at the Dragon Blood Carp and said, "Are you sure you want to use this method to prove my identity? Once the Dragon Blood Carp tastes my blood and I leave this place, it will inevitably starve to death, you know?"

The Dragon King nodded and said, "Yes, and I am prepared for it."

The Dragon Blood Carp was a treasured creature of the Shen Family, but if sacrificing it could confirm the Dragon Emperor's identity, the Dragon King was willing to make that trade. In his eyes, it would also serve as a fitting punishment for the Shen Family's audacity in doubting the Dragon Emperor.

Before Yuan fed his blood to the Dragon Blood Carp, the Dragon King had several other members of the Shen Family offer their blood to the creature. Each time, the fish swam toward the blood out of instinct but quickly rejected it, proving that it would only consume the Dragon King's blood.

"It's your turn now, Dragon Emperor," the Dragon King said with a solemn expression.

Yuan nodded, extending his arm over the pond before letting a single drop of his blood fall into the water.

The moment the Dragon Blood Carp sensed the blood, it darted toward it with remarkable speed. The Shen Family members watched intently, holding their breath, their faces etched with anxiety and worry, as if the very survival of their family hinged on the outcome.