“Eight Spirit Venerates from our nation, twenty Tier 8 Azure Dragons, three Tier 9 Azure Dragons, including the Azure Dragon Lord… Venerate Seraphim, Venerate Maurice, Mistress Kanari’s bodyguard Venerate Thea Freifeld, and the recently promoted Tier 9 Kamaitachi… Is the Prince trying to burn down the entire western region or something?” A cold sigh touched the souls of the officers within the Chancellor’s chambers as a gorgeous grey-haired woman slammed her back onto her chair. Among Shin’s congregation, the weakest members were the Tier 8 Azure Dragons that were going to serve as mounts for them to fly. How absurd was that?! High and mighty Azure Dragons that were as strong as Spirit Emperors being used as mounts!

Longyu Dao stroked his black, rugged beard and replied despondently. “It can’t be helped… The Prince has just lost his bosom friend, and the one to kill him was the same person that killed his first lover… There’s no way that the Prince would just sit still...” The Longyu Clan head shrugged his shoulders, recalling the determined look in Shin’s face just a few hours prior.

“Furthermore, his logic is sound. If the Black Masks are really attempting to create a hole through the Illusory Canyon for the Spirit Beasts to overflow out of the Uncharted Wilderness, shouldn’t we deal with it before it’s too late? Killing the Blade of Death, and sealing that gap should be the next priority of the Alliance. However, gathering an army and marching them all the way to the Empyrean Wonder would be nothing less than suicide. The best way to deal with that problem is to gather a team of elites to utterly decimate the place with overwhelming force.” The Longyu Clan Master eloquently echoed what Shin said in the morgue.

“... You have surprisingly gotten used to the Prince calling the shots,” the Chancellor remarked after a brief moment of pause. As a Clan Master, particularly one belonging to the Eight Clans of Water, the Spirit Venerate wasn’t known to be adept at taking orders from others. In fact, he would fight tooth and nail against the High Council when it comes to procuring benefits for his own clan. Seeing Longyu Dao firmly under Shin’s thumb came as a surprise to Jingyu Shenxian.

“As they say, action speaks louder than words,” Longyu Dao replied without taking any offence. “The Prince has proven himself time and time again. Not only is his cultivation monstrous, but the brain that he has on top of his head also has shown its worth over the years. Winning battles that seemed to be bound for defeat, finding new ways to counter problems, and most importantly… He keeps his calm even in times of peril. If I were his age, I might have just secretly escaped from the Lantis Republic just to get vengeance on my own.”

Shin was twenty-three, going twenty-four now. A young and premature age for most cultivators. However, the experiences that have moulded him over his twenty-four years of living had shaped him into a wiser and calmer man. Shin knew that he was impulsive, which was why he kept those that could keep him in check close. He never wanted to repeat the tragedy of losing his loved ones due to his stupidity ever again. Alas, man proposes, and Heaven disposes. Many things were out of his control, and Shizen’s untimely death was one of them.

Still, even if he couldn’t prevent it, Shin was definitely going to avenge it.

“So, oh great Chancellor… What would you do?” Longyu Dao spread his arms on his cushioned chair and folded one leg over the other. “Will you summon the High Council?”

Jingyu Shenxian harrumphed, “Do I even have a choice?”

Going against the Prince’s orders? That was tantamount to her tendering her resignation immediately. Shin’s popularity with the masses was no joke. He allowed anyone, regardless of status, to bask in his Celestial Dragon’s Aura, as long as they were talented enough. Shin’s strategies and influence had brought victory to the Lantis Republic time and time again, and his breathtaking looks would charm anyone to do his bidding. It wasn’t a stretch to say that Shin had long usurped the Chancellor in status and power long ago...

“Hehe, of course not!” Longyu Dao grinned, his pearly white teeth reflecting the blaze from the candles that lit the room. “Oh, and do it quick. The Prince wants to leave either tomorrow or the day after. He says that every second wasted is a second that Junius could use to escape.”

Jingyu Shenxian squinted her eyes, and an ugly pause ensued. “Ass...” The Chancellor cursed, but her fingers somehow moved a little more quickly as she wrote up an official letter for the High Council to convene...

❖❖❖

The Lantis Republic. Celestial Island. Shin’s Manor.

Stars shimmered in the night sky, and milky white snow fell as if they were the stardust that the heavens bled. The crescent moon reflected all the light from the sun and beamed down on the mortal earth, giving some semblance of holiness in this dark night. Shin sat alone on the balcony of his room, watching the snowfall silently… Everything was so peaceful… So quiet… Shin couldn’t make sense of the world. How could such a peaceful place be so chaotic at the same time? How could it be that he was experiencing one of the best days of his life and in a matter of seconds, it became one of his worsts?

“Shizen, you fucking idiot...” Shin continued to curse his deceased friend, not that he could ever hear it… The Freak of the Dundlewoods was already embalmed and placed in a coffin. Typically, they would conduct the funeral rites to mourn the passing of their friend. However, since they were about to leave for the west, the funeral had to be postponed. Better yet, it allowed Shizen to be ferried back to the Terre Continent, and back to the Dundlewoods, where he truly belonged. Shizen loved nature, so it was only fitting that he was buried in the forests where he first grew up.

“Tired?” At that moment, a soft voice entered Shin’s mind, prompting the young man to glance over his shoulders. It was the familiar Kanari in her favourite silken pyjamas. After they took their relationship to the next step, Kanari basically spent every night sleeping in Shin’s room. Sometimes, their hormones would take over the bed, but most nights, they would simply cuddle and talk about each other’s day.

Shin had just suffered an emotional blow, no, both of them were grieving over the loss of Shizen. Kanari was Shizen’s friend as well, not to mention the person that gave him the chance to visit the Tree of Illusions. Even though it wasn’t her fault that Shizen passed, Kanari couldn’t help but feel a little responsible.

The beauty’s hands slipped down Shin’s meaty neck and dropped all the way down his chest. Kanari took big mouthfuls of Shin’s scent, slowly comforting her tense and remorseful heartbeat. “I’m tired as well...”

“You’re not to blame, Kanari...” Shin’s right hand grabbed hold of Kanari’s left, which was crossed over his chest. “We could have all done better… We shouldn’t have left Shizen alone...”

“Yeah, we shouldn’t have...” Kanari questioned why she thought one Spirit Venerate guard would be enough. If she could have done it all over again, Kanari would be sure to send at least half of the Highgarden’s military just to escort the young man. Alas, there were no do-overs in life.

“Kanari…” Shin gently pulled on the young woman’s hands and led her right to the front of his sofa. When ahead, he grabbed Kanari’s waist and dragged her petite little bum onto his lap, firmly embracing the woman like a teddy bear. At their close distance, Kanari could sense Shin’s trepidation. The young Prince couldn’t show any weakness in front of his subjects, but when he was alone with her, Shin would revert back to his childish and fearful self. His inner body was shivering, and his body had turned completely cold. Was it due to the winter winds, or was it something else? Kanari didn’t know. However, the beauty understood that it was her job to stay by his side and listen to her man’s woes.

“Am I wrong?”

“Huh?” Kanari pushed her head up, glancing at Shin’s handsome face from the chin up. She didn’t understand the youth’s question.

“Were all my convictions wrong?” Shin repeated himself. “Ever since Latina… Ever since I found out that Star Face was her father… I’ve been looking at Black Masks as humans that have to be redeemed. If possible, I won’t kill anyone… That was my promise when I created the Domain of Dreams, that was my new resolution after meeting Latina, but...” The young man paused, his teeth gritting down as if he were trying to whet a blade.

“But right now… All I can think about is killing Junius! He had killed Ariel, Lily and Linus! He killed innocents from the Frie Clan that weren’t part of the Frie-Awter enmity! He joined with the Black Masks, creating far more malicious plans that had cost thousands, if not millions of people their lives! And now… Junius had taken my friend, the one I can call my best friend… away...” Shin's voice was resonant and forceful; however, Kanari could sense a tinge of guilt within it.

At his core, Shin wasn’t a bloodthirsty person. He loved life and had done everything in his power to preserve it. When Ariel died, Shin denied that nature of his and sought destruction to the point of self-harm. The actions by the Black Masks that followed didn’t help in that cause. It was only after Shin’s encounter with Latina did he become true to his human self. Yet, Junius’ actions had caused Shin to get in touch with his feral side again.

Unlike the previous time, Shin hadn’t sworn off his current path and was instead questioning the morality of taking a life now. Shin’s mind was telling him that he should apprehend Junius and send him back to the Alliance for judgement. However, his heart was telling him to avenge those that had fallen to the man’s evil.

It was an internal battle that Shin had no idea what should win. Both answers were right in his mind, and Shin was most definitely capable of achieving both, especially with the help of eleven Spirit Venerates and four Tier 9 Spirit Beasts.

“Shin...” Kanari adjusted her body so that her streamline curves fit Shin’s laid down chest like a puzzle. She held the young man close to her body, afraid that he would disappear far into his own abyss, leaving her to deal with the broken fragments that were left behind.

“What you should do… I don’t know...” The beauty admitted. “However, you must never lose sight of your own path… What will make you the happiest? What’s the decision that won’t make you regret ten, twenty years from now? Only you have that answer.”

“...” Shin remained silent, listening carefully to the maiden’s wise words. There was a lot to think about. What was Shin going to do when he faced Junius once more? What would his first words to the man he once considered his brother be? And… What would he do to the villain that wrecked his family apart so many times already?

“But no matter what happens,” before Shin could even mouth a reply, Kanari’s soft touch embraced the roughened skin of her man. “I’ll always be here for you… Have always been, and will always be...”

“Kanari...” Shin grabbed onto the soft cheeks of the maiden as he did many times before. Noticing the cue, Kanari shut her eyes and allowed Shin’s lips to interlock with her own. Basking in the radiance of the moonlight, the pair felt their souls melt into one.

Before long, the young man wasn’t able to take it anymore. He grabbed onto Kanari in a princess carry and immediately flung her onto his bed and pinned her four limbs down. His breath was quick, and his face completely flushed. Due to the cold, warm smoke escaped from Shin’s mouth as if he was a dragon spitting fire. Fearfully, or was it joyfully? Kanari’s voice trembled, “S-Shin?”

“I can’t wait anymore...” The young man had so much lust that it was almost visible. No, it wasn’t just lust that Kanari saw in Shin’s eyes. She saw… A desire to progenate… A man’s desire to leave his seed into the world.

It was a miracle that Shin had lasted this long. A dragon’s lust, particularly one of a dominant species such as the Celestial Dragon, was legendary after all. If not, why did the Lady of Water gave birth to eight children? Shin had held back for this long due to his love for Ariel, which hadn’t subsided in the slightest. However, the flurry of recent events, as well as seeing one more of his loved ones leaving the earth prematurely, had peaked the man’s desires to the absolute limit. There was no stopping him now…

And neither did Kanari have any intention to… She had been waiting for this moment for so long…

Raising her arms, Kanari held onto Shin’s muscular neck. There was nothing else she had to do to seduce him. All she needed to do was lie down as she became Shin’s woman…

“Come...”