Above The Sky
Chapter 834 - 834 49 It's Just Like the Stars 6700

834: Chapter 49 It’s Just Like the Stars (6700) 834: Chapter 49 It’s Just Like the Stars (6700) ——Humans often say that dragons have long lifespans, almost immortal, even eternal life.

It’s not surprising to have such an impression, for dragons truly do have lifespans far longer than those of ordinary humans; a True Dragon’s reign over a territory could span more than a dozen generations of people.

But what follows is actually an illusion.

Everything that lives must die, everything that exists must pass.

Mountains will topple, oceans will dry up; even stars have an end, turning into a dying black star.

What about dragons, then?

Compared to those lesser beings on the planet, the lifespan of Quenched Steel Dragon Solstina can indeed be considered prolonged, but without special means to prolong life, It will experience a complete lifecycle within five hundred years—from birth to decline.

No more, no less.

This duration is just right to witness the cycle of a civilization without the longevity altering the mindset, leading to loss of passion and love, becoming indifferent and numb, and unable to observe everything objectively and realistically.

It lets Them better fulfill Their tasks.

Quenched Steel Dragon Solstina, as a third-generation True Dragon, once heard speculations regarding the origins of Its kin from Its second-generation True Dragon mentor: They are not shy to admit the possibility of being artificial life created by some higher civilization.

On the contrary, They believe that being created by a higher civilization signifies some sublime meaning.

Observing civilization might just be one of Their innate missions…

and after the five hundred years of lifespan come to an end, the observing dragons should also return to Their Creators.

At that time, They will welcome a thorough transformation, from dragons to a higher form of life.

A truly eternal life.

Such was Its mentor’s conjecture.

But there were other guesses from other mentors: for instance, dragons are a type of combat lifeform that inherently don’t require such an extensive lifespan; or say, dragons are merely well-behaved pets crafted by the Creators, discarded when disliked, whose lifespan is extended when favored; or say, dragons are the Carapaces through which the Creators walk the world, only now the Carapaces have been reborn with souls, and thus They exist.

There are a plethora of theories, each with its evidence and logic.

But not a single dragon can convince another dragon.

The personalities, ecosystems, and abilities of dragons differ so greatly that no dragon can fully understand another; They appear unified, yet are utterly different creatures.

Dragons are such contradictory existences: Their core essences are completely the same, and even Their outer forms are mostly similar, but the Flesh and Blood and souls beneath the skin are vastly different, entirely opposite.

Thus, contradictions were born, and as the third-generation dragons were successively born, the Dragon Group completely split, even plunging into civil war.

Though Quenched Steel Dragon Solstina had not experienced that devastating Dragon War capable of destroying stars, Its mentor had.

It and Its mentor were dragons with some ‘commonality’, hence able to understand each other’s thoughts—an only relationship amongst dragons where some tacit understanding could be achieved.

Of course, as the fourth generation True Dragons capable of reproduction appeared, the barriers between True Dragons began to gradually lessen…

but in some sense, this was also the process by which True Dragons began to transform towards truly being mortal creatures.

And the mentor firmly believed that the ultimate lifespan of True Dragons was certainly not limited to a mere five hundred years; it was the Creators who artificially restricted Their ‘usage time’ to make sure Their workflow was controllable.

There must be a device, in some place, that could lift the restrictions for dragons…

allowing Them to become truly immortal lifeforms, existing alongside the Creators.

[Could there be such grandeur?

Creators?]

Quenched Steel Dragon Solstina would sometimes think like this; when young, It often found such ideas incredible—If They were indeed the creations of a powerful civilization, why would the Creators grant these powerful tools eternal life?

Tools are meant to be discarded when worn out, so why bestow extra longevity, allowing Them everlasting life?

But there’s nothing wrong with immortality.

In any case, go and try to look for it.

That is Its mission.

Thus, the dragon spread its wings and set sail in the darkness.

It flew towards the direction of bright stars, soaring all the way.

Finally, arriving at a flourishing land.

——Ian felt the memories of Quenched Steel Dragon Solstina.

These were very old, from a bygone era long ago.

Back then, Quenched Steel Dragon had not yet encountered Humans, had not become the Dragon God, and had not sheltered the Mountain People for centuries; it had not discovered the remnants of the Skyfall Spaceship in the Bison Mountain Range.

It carried the wishes of Its mentor, setting out from an unknown place of darkness, crossing the void, to arrive on Terra above, in search of things related to True Dragons and immortality.

This was truly the beginning of Solstina’s life.

Ian was pondering.

“So, True Dragons are also guessing their origins?”

At this moment, Ian pulled himself out of the True Dragon’s memory, contemplating the information within from an observer’s perspective; the more he observed, the more certain he became of his own speculation: “Indeed, True Dragons are some kind of unnatural super-lifeform—with perfection from start to finish, yet they have flaws that would not exist in normal creatures.”

“But, a cosmic-level lifeform…

If True Dragons were indeed created, what kind of mission would require Their effort to complete?”