The Lantis Republic. Celestial Island. The Shrine of the Celestial Dragon.

Chirp… Chirp… Chirp…

The vibrant orange rays of the morning sun generously warmed the cold lands of Celestial Island. Birds that woke from their slumber announced the coming of morning with their resonant vocal box as a refreshing mist soothed the soul of any who came in contact with it. It was a gentle fog, and anyone who stood within it at the foot of the Celestial River would naturally assume that it was the Empyrean Wonder doing its trick. Little did they know that it was the origin of said mist wasn’t from the legendary Celestial River, but a particular young man instead.

The source of the ethereal mist was from the skull of the Celestial Dragon, situated hundreds of metres up on the mountain. However, inanimate objects, particularly one that had been dead for over five hundred thousand years, wasn’t capable of creating such phenomena. Only one being in the Shrine had the capability of creating such a dense mist… and that was the handsome black-haired man seated comfortably within the Dragon’s skull.

Shin had his eyes closed, and palms opened. Taking deep breaths in regular intervals, the young man circulated his mana exponentially and regulated his inner temperature with ease. Exactly three days had passed since Shin was brought up into the Shrine of the Celestial Dragon and the youth had improved by leaps and bounds. Though Shin hadn’t increased by a single rank and was still at Rank 40, the benefits he’d gained during these three days couldn’t be measured just by Spirit Ranks.

On the first day, Shin was slowly getting accustomed to the Celestial Dragon’s aura. Zishen, the Azure Dragon, had suggested that the Celestial Water Mantra was now outdated for Shin’s use and he had definitely hit the nail on the head. Shin’s Celestial Dragon had a taste for all elements and was no longer restricted to just water. Of course, the youth’s water affinity still remained the highest, and the Celestial Water Mantra could help somewhat. However, Shin was utterly clueless when it came to absorbing and cultivating the other elements.

That’s why the first day was so essential for the young heir. He bathed in the residual mana of the original Celestial Dragon, giving him some insights on how to proceed in the future. The Celestial Dragon’s aura seeped into his Spectre Soul, and the elements that it once dominated was being transferred over to Shin’s out Celestial Dragon Spirit.

On the second day, Shin decided to change it up a little. He had been absorbing a considerable amount of insights from the skull of the Celestial Dragon, and it would take a few months for him to digest all of that information. Thus, he moved on to the next most crucial thing. Mending his physical body.

Till this point, Shin had been cultivating under the umbrella of the Sovereign Koi. It was a benign and gentle Spirit. It wasn’t like the Seven-Headed Hydra or the Abominable Cthulhu that dominated the physical realm. The Sovereign Koi focused more on control over its elements and used deceit to strengthen its owner. This trait of the Sovereign Koi has served Shin well over the years; however, the Celestial Dragon was a different kind of beast. It was the Emperor of Emperors, the Hegemon of the ancient world. It wasn’t a Spirit that would slip through enemies with falsehoods.

Thus, Shin had to adapt accordingly. He took ten hours to analyse the original spiritual energy of the Celestial Dragon and sought to recreate it in his body. Only when he was extremely confident, did the young man execute his most daring move to date. The spiritual energy of the Celestial Dragon seeped into every molecule of his bones, breaking and reforging them. Black impure grime flowed out from Shin’s body as filthy, black blood and escaped through his opened pores. His exterior remained the same, but the bone structure within had entered a metamorphosis unheard of in the mortal realm.

Shin’s bones were strengthened tenfold and were now imbued with the mana of the Celestial Dragon. His muscles and tendons did the same. Excess fat was burned off as fuel, and his flesh became twice as dense. Before, if Shin’s body seemed to be sculptured out of marble, now it seemed as invulnerable as a diamond. Shin’s second day was spent reforging his entire body, filling it with the remnant spiritual energy of the Celestial Dragon. Time well spent in his opinion. He may not have gained any cultivation ranks from the amendment, but his body was now ten times more durable than before.

Shin was confident that his hand-to-hand combat was now second to none against someone his age. Furthermore, his jade-like skin has tightened and morphed to fit the Celestial Dragon’s superior scales. He now had resistance to extreme temperatures and was capable of traversing anywhere on the world in his Spiritual Body Enhancement state. Be it the deepest trenches of the ocean or the highest altitude in the world, Shin was capable of enduring any of those harsh conditions.

Which brings Shin to the third and final day…

Seated right within the Celestial Dragon’s skull, Shin felt unsure of what he should do next. If he wanted to continue on with formulating a new cultivation method, it would take days, months even. If he wished to practice with absorbing new elements other than water, Shin needed the advice of other practitioners, such as Longyu Tian or Kanari. Thus, in the end, the young Prince of Water decided to play with his own Spectre Soul.

Shin meditated and poured as much spiritual energy from the Celestial Dragon’s skull into his body. His mana was being churned at an astonishing rate, and as a result, the original spiritual energy in Shin’s body left as mist through his pores. Bit by bit, the Sovereign Koi’s influence was being stripped away as the Celestial Dragon’s mana took over. Shin’s Spirit may have evolved, but his body sure hasn’t adapted yet. Fortunately, the Azure Dragons had the insight to bring Shin up into the Shrine immediately after his Sovereign Koi evolved, saving the youth a tonne of time when it comes to cultivation.

The chilling mist descended down the mountains and tainted the world below in a thick white sheen. Though it wasn’t menacing in the slightest. Anyone who sat in the middle of Shin’s created mist would feel the effects of the Celestial Dragon and its superior mana. Even the Azure Dragons that kept watch over Shin’s progress couldn’t help but take turns to cultivate.

“Mmmm… It’s about time...” Zishen glanced up into the skies. The sun was already rising up high as the dawn changed into the peak of morning. Shin’s time limit was up. The Lantis Republic was expecting him to return down from the Shrine in just a few hours.

“Wake him,” said the Azure Dragons’ leader. It pained him to pull Shin away from his cultivation period, but a promise was a promise. Five Azure Dragons puckered their lips and unleashed a soft torrent that pushed away from the dense fog. It didn’t take long for Zishen to catch sight of Shin’s outline. He was still seated in the lotus position he assumed three days back and was in the midst of meditating. The pores on his body continued to unleash the mist, making him look like a steaming hot bun that just came out from the oven.

Shin was in a deep trance, and his consciousness was in a calm and soothing state. The gentle wind from the Azure Dragons breath pushed his jet-black hair slightly back, and his pimple-less skin twitched slightly at the change. In time, the youth’s concentration was broken, and the two arms rested on his lap rose gradually. His heavy eyelids gingerly opened up, revealing the gorgeous shade of azure that hid within. No matter how much Shin had purified his body, the blood of the Longyu Clan still runs through his veins. Shin still bore the same exact features as before as his genes hardly changed. However, there was one stark difference...

‘I feel so… powerful...’

Shin awoke and stared blankly at his two hands. The Celestial Dragon’s spiritual energy had seeped into every fibre of his being. His flesh, bones, blood, soul… Everything had been baptised by the Celestial Dragon. Not to mention, his own Spirit was now generating far more mana than he’d ever hoped to produce. On the surface, Shin hadn’t changed much, barring some added lean muscle. However, internally, the man was now a different being.

Zishen flew over in the lead, his dragon eyes glistening at Shin’s drastic change. Sighing, he said, “Mmmmm, my Prince… I apologise for disturbing you… The three days are up...”

“Yeah...” Shin continued to examine his body for a full minute. He was still a little drowsy and was shaking internally. “Thank you for waking me…”

“Mmmmm… It’s my duty...” Zishen answered with a bowed head. “Alas, I wish that you had more time to train than worry about mortal affairs.” The Dragon expressed his disdain directly to his Prince. Zishen would much rather Shin spend a century absorbing the teachings of the Lady of Water and the original Celestial Dragon than to deal with the politics of the Lantis Republic.

“Don’t worry, Senior Zishen...” Shin smiled and reassured the man. “Once I settle the issues down in the Republic, I’ll make the Shrine my permanent home. Speaking of which, is it okay if I bring some of my comrades up onto the mountain?” The young man questioned. If Kanari, Shizen and the twins were given the opportunity to train in this mana-rich area, Shin was certain that their unit would advance in leaps and bounds.

“Mmmm… My Prince, you seek permission from no one...” The Azure Dragon continued his reverent speech. “You are now the heir to Celestial Island. If you so desire, you can kick out every living soul on the island for your own use.”

“Haha, that wouldn’t be necessary...” Shin shook his head. “I have no plans to rule over the Lantis Republic as a dictator.”

“Mmmm… As you wish...” Zishen replied, his voice as monotone as can be. For the long-living dragon race, the affairs of the human race mattered little to them. So long as their vow to the Lady of Water was fulfilled, the Lantis Republic and the leaders of the Eight Clans of Water were free to do whatever they wanted. Looks like Shin had the same intention.

‘I should descend the mountain… I’m sure Master, Kanari and the rest are worried sick about me…’ Shin rubbed his nose in embarrassment. The three days he’d spent felt like a few minutes to him, due to the amount of information he absorbed. However, for those that loved him, not knowing his fate must have felt like torture. ‘I should spend some time appeasing them...’

Shin thought of the numerous things he had to do to apologise. Lady Seph would probably ask for a heap of knowledge, which Shin was willing to readily give. Shizen would most likely ask for some of his created water. And for Kanari… Shin dropped his shoulders, anticipating the fatigue he would sustain later that night.

Riding on Zishen’s back, Shin’s entourage reached the familiar cove at the foot of the Celestial River. Shin conquering the river hadn’t changed the Empyrean Wonder one bit. The currents were still as strong as ever, and its spiritual energy was still overwhelming for the average joe. Shin joked around mentally, thinking about taking the Trial once again. However, he had a much bigger worry to stress about.

“Shin!!!” A concerned voice echoed through the valley and snapped the young man’s attention back into reality. An ethereal young woman, who had features befitting that of a goddess, ran out from the tent that was prepared specially by the Lantis Republic. Her ruby-like eyes sparkled like the Celestial River behind of Shin as she ran forward, ignoring the tremendous presence of the Azure Dragons.

Shin raised his hand to stop Zishen’s aggression and leapt down to receive the young woman. Thud! Shin felt a hammering blow to his chest. Kanari’s luscious hair was all that the man could see. Breathing out of his nostrils, Shin smiled and gently stroked the hair of the girl he loved.

“Thank god you’re safe...” Kanari’s voice was muffled by Shin’s robes, but he could hear her choke a little.

“Sorry...” That was all Shin could mutter out at the moment. “I made you worry...”

“Yeah, you did...”

“...”

The sweet scenario lasted for a full minute. Every soul who stayed patiently at the foot of the mountain watched on with warm gazes. They had the option to return home and wait for Shin to descend the mountain and yet, they chose to stay within the cove. It goes to show how much they cared for the young man.

“Mmmm… So this is the Prince’s mate...” Zishen, the Azure Dragon, saw something else entirely. He was worried about the lineage of the Celestial Dragon and used this chance to evaluate Kanari’s hips and bosom to see if they were childbirth material. “Mmmm, the Lady of Water had eight children… I wonder how many would the Prince have?”

The Azure Dragon’s thoughts had gone mostly unnoticed as the couple were still entranced in their moment. It took them a while to separate, and even then, Kanari refused to let go of Shin’s hand.

“So, how has everyone been?” Shin asked Kanari as they walked straight towards the camp.

“Oh, right!” Kanari suddenly widened her eyes and locked her arms with Shin’s left. “There has been trouble in the Neutral Lands!!!”

“What trouble?”

“The Black Masks! They struck again!!! They massacred Mythpoint Reach and claimed that place for their own!”

“WHAT?!” Shin almost threw his arms up in the air. “What happened?!”

“I can explain that...” Lady Seph walked over, as Bingbing leapt from her shoulder to Shin’s. She was a little apprehensive about the dragons that flew around the young man in the beginning, but in due time, Bingbing’s desire to cuddle with Shin won over her fear.

The blonde beauty squinted her eyes before shrugging her shoulders. “It all began a day after you evolved your Spirit...”