Shao Lei, Zhang He, and Wu Shan sat on the same stage-coach, both boys cross-legged while Shao Lei gazed through the window, at the passing scenery. On the first day, Wu Shan decided to lay a wager. Whoever reaches Core Formation first among the three of them becomes the leader of their little three-person faction.

While Zhang He and Wu Shan ceaselessly meditated, experimented and pondered, Shao Lei simply ate a pill intermittently.

Because neither of the two boys was consuming their Empire-sponsored pills provided by the chief scout for whatever reason, Shao Lei simply decided to eat them herself. The pills contained explosive amounts of Qi no one would expect the consumer to absorb one hundred percent, but her dragon did all the absorption for her, and it needed a wake-up call.

Thus, three hundred Cloud Eater Pills later, each with the Qi-equivalent of a late-stage Qi Condensation core sea, the dragon woke up, and the egg it layed began to crack and hatch.

Once it hatched, the mother-dragon nuzzled it with its snout, which the baby snapped a bite out of. From the bite, the baby absorbed the mother whole, sucking it into its compact gullet.

At that moment, the dragon went through a metamorphosis, in which it experienced explosive growth, growing so large as to occupy her entire dantian space, but even that wasn’t enough.

With great concentration, Shao Lei forcibly kept it compact, gritting her teeth in sheer exertion.

“Come on, fucker!” Shao Lei snapped as she pushed more and more, going to her utmost limit, and once she did, the dragon let out a satisfied bellow, and it burst, reforming itself into a jade-white orb where the dragon happily swam within.

For the first time in several days, Shao Lei opened her eyes to see her comrades around her, looking worried at her.

“I fucking did it.”

Jinlong, the infant golden dragon swirled about in celebration, earning an annoyed scowl from its master.

Zhang He almost gasped, but refrained, having glanced at his counterparts impassive expression. “Core Formation? This soon? His old man,” Zhang He pointed at Wu Shan. “Said you had seven days! We’ve only been away three days!”

“I hate to say, but he’s right. Did father not predict right?” Wu Shan pondered. Shao Lei guffawed.

“Of course he didn’t. He never took into account my stubbornness. Alright, junior brothers, guess that settles it. I’m the captain now.”

Both boys groaned, but after some silence, they both acquiesced.

Coincidentally, a week later, both boys advanced simultaneously, each as exasperated as the other on that fact.

The two remaining weeks and two days, the trio experienced nothing overly-eventful. The ride provided rich scenery and there were several towns where they stopped to restock, but on the way of bandit attacks or crime, the Imperial jade crest was more than enough to repel any attacker, no matter how suicidal.

On the last day, twelve hours before arrival, the Forbidden City was visible. Several hundred li away, spiring towers shot through the clouds, impossibly high and well-armed city walls stood imposingly tall and thick, emanating a relentless aura even from that far away.

The trio felt it, and when they did, they began to fidget in their seats.

Hours later at dusk, once they finally reached the front gates, the three had a good view of the wall. It stood tall like a hill, easily two hundred meters high, an unprecedented height for any wall for that matter. The walls were lined with lion-head statues placed in equal intervals along its impossibly long length.

The trio gazed in utter awe at the wall when a foghorn sounded, eliciting discontent grumbles and a hysteric flight from the poor infant dragon most susceptible to the loud sound.

The great gate diverged at a measured pace, grinding through the cobblestone, and as it opened fully, the carriage entered.

The city was darkening, but despite that, it was alive. Almost too alive, as it seemed. The impossibly large city was alight with lamps in nearly every house and the streets were milling with well-dressed commoners enjoying themselves.

Shao Lei gasped. “They all seem so happy…”

Zhang He also raised an eyebrow. “If this is the outer district, I’m almost too excited to see how the inner district looks like…”

Wu Shan smiled. “Reminds me of home…”

The crowds gave way to the carriage almost mechanically, allowing them swift passage through them. Minutes later, they came across a short wall, about twenty-meters tall, cutting through a section of the city. Another gate awaited them, which opened much swifter than the outer gate.

From there, they entered a tunnel that opened itself up in the middle of the road, sloping down. The carriage shone through the darkness, Qi fires blazing on each side of it when the carriage zoomed through the tunnel without preamble, jerking the passengers back on their seats violently.

Thankfully, it only took the span of ten breaths before they stopped, resurfacing on another tunnel, this time in front of what the trio could only describe as the most grandiose palace that they had ever laid their eyes on. A statue of a green dragon coiled around the central palaces jade-stone and bejeweled walls, terrifyingly lifelike in both appearance and aura.

The Forbidden City’s Jade Palace stood tall. The carriage door was opened, and they were hurried out. The three stood in front of Wang Chun, listening intently to his instructions.

“Once you have entered the palace, do not avert your eyes from the floor directly in front of you. Do not look up under any circumstances, do not speak before being asked to speak, refer to yourself as ‘Imperial Servant’ at all times and maintain maximum deference. The Emperor is your God.”

The three swallowed, yet even they could not deny the presence of the one who was inside. That constantly radiating pressure threatening to swallow them whole lest the one inside loses even an iota of his presence in a single slip-up. Even Jinlong opted to crawl on his legs, much too afraid to presume himself able to fly in its presence.

Wang Chun rushed towards the palace gate with the three on tow, leaving behind the two other imperial scouts that had accompanied them from Gold Stone City.

Once inside the threshold of the monumental gate, a hundred meters ahead of them, they saw him. The Emperor.

Zhang He was the first to jerk his gaze downwards. Shao Lei hyperventilated before doing the same, leaving Wu Shan staring intently at the Emperor, eliciting a mischievous smile from the devilishly handsome middle-aged man.

Wu Shan gave in and simply looked down to avoid a confrontation, walking alongside his colleagues towards the Emperor.

Once there, the Emperor raised a hand, stopping them in their tracks.

“These are my promising Lotus Buds, yes?” The Emperor’s voice was loud, Wu Shan thought. Not in the way that it hurt his ears, but in the way that he spoke evenly, yet it sounded like he was speaking right next to his ears, penetrating into his mind. It was as though he couldn’t ignore his words even if he tried.

Wang Chun fell on his knees, prompting the trio to do the same with his actions. With a nod, Wang Chun spoke.

“Shao Lei, Wu Shan and Zhang He have been vetted and deemed reliable by this Imperial Servant.”

“Naturally,” the Emperor waved. Standing from his throne, he appeared behind the trio in the fraction of a blink of an eye, putting both his hands on Wu Shan’s shoulders.

“So you want to be a Lotus Bud, my boy?”

Wu Shan swallowed before considering his words. “This Imperial Servant wishes so.”

The Emperor smiled. “Well, this Emperor would like a larger collection of loyal men. Do you fancy yourself worthy of my attention?”

“That and more,” Wu Shan retorted. The Emperor was almost taken aback by his confident tone, eliciting a short laugh from him.

“You surprise me with your inability to defer correctly. I take it you were raised away from the urban sprawl?”

Wu Shan nodded. “In a village.”

“Does this village have a name?”

Wu Shan rolled his eyes and sighed “The Village of Heaven and Earth.”

The Emperor chuckled. “Most likely the fiefdom of some arrogant noble. At any rate, you impress me. For what it's worth, your oversized worm is also cute..."

Wu Shan stopped himself from scowling, and Jinlong was absolutely still, deathly afraid that it had attracted the monster's attention.

The Emperor warped besides Shao Lei, ruffling her hair a little. “You seem like a feisty woman, hiding a dark past. A beauty, but nonetheless one that will fight anyone who dares to underestimate you. Does that ring true?”

Shao Lei swallowed. “The Jade Emperor speaks only truth!”

“Does he, now?” The Emperor smiled. “You are smart. You know your limitations, and act accordingly, but you nonetheless have a great destiny ahead of you. Serve me well, lady.”

“This Imperial Servant will!”

Behind Zhang He, the Emperor caressed his cheek. “Who might this handsome boy be?”

“This Imperial Servant is unworthy of such praise!” Zhang He exclaimed from where he kneeled, his heartbeat audible in the room.

“You’re wrong. You are handsome!” The Emperor gasped in mock-awe.

“T-this… This Imperial Servant is thankful for your praise!”

“Do not be thankful. I only utter truth,” he nodded, satisfied with himself.

Besides Wang Chun, the Emperor kissed him on the cheek while holding his shoulders. “I am glad that you are back, my loyal servant.”

Wang Chun’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “This servant is happy to be back.”

Back on his throne, the Emperor yawned. “You are to be transported to the Lotus mountain to undergo your decade of training. I will personally spirit you there, myself. Hold still.”

The Emperor snapped his fingers, tearing apart the trio and the dragon relentlessly, reducing them to a subatomic cloud, which reformed somewhere far, far away, in a mountaintop courtyard where their training would begin in earnest.