“Faster Arkul. Mom will worry if we’re not back before sunset.” A young man urged his dragon to pick up some speed.

The dragon showed an annoyed face before it roared and its wings ignited in a scarlet fire. Each flap of its wings was accompanied by a burst of speed coming from the red fire that propelled it. They were now flying three times faster than before.

Allan Falcon had been hunting for beast cores all day long with his pet dragon, Arkul.

Arkul was a red dragon that Allan had received as a gift from his father when he was ten years old.

He had watched the egg as it hatched to reveal an arm long blue dragon. Eight years later it had grown to reach the height of seven meters.

He never had to tame Arkul as it was the most docile and smartest demonic beast he had ever met. It was a huge contrast to the normal demonic beasts who were always a pain to tame as they relied on their basic instincts. He always wondered where his father had found such an intelligent beast.

“We’re almost there.” Allan screamed out.

They lived in a remote village at the top of a mountain. The Falcon village of the Falcon clan.

It was a hidden village that was impossible to reach unless one had a flying mount and was of the Falcon clan.

Without the Falcon bloodline, it was impossible to see the village through the formations that formed an illusion of a plain mountain around it.

The formations also formed a barrier that protected the village from enemy attacks.

Every flying mount of the Falcon village was given a seal that allowed them to leave and enter the village unhindered.

As they arrived near a plain mountain that had a peak that looked like a falcon’s beak, Arkul slowed down before entering into a barrier. They both disappeared from sight.

What they could see on the other side was a majestic village that spanned for kilometers.

It gave the impression that the top of the mountain had been carved into a plain to accommodate the village’s construction.

Allan left Arkul at the stables outside the village and ran to his house.

He pushed open the door and found that his parents were waiting for his return.

“Where were you?” His father Alphonse Falcon asked.

Allan truly wanted to find a place he could hole himself up in. Anything to skip what would follow.

“I was hunting for demonic beast cores for my training.” Allan proudly said.

“You mean you let Arkul do all the work for you. Do you know how dangerous it is for you to leave the village alone? Arkul can’t protect you if you land in our enemies’ hands.” His father said. There was no trace of anger in his voice. Just helplessness.

“If you both unseal me and allow me to use the clan’s magics I would be even safer. What’s the use of having me stay as frail as a human all my adult life.” Allan said.

His mother, Liz, just blankly looked at him and said: “It’s to protect you.”

“Mom. You always say the same thing but never explain. What? I’m supposed to just believe that I am better off staying this weak forever? Even the poorest humans outside cultivate these days. Why am I any different? All my friends can use the clan magics and I am the only one left that doesn’t.” Allan helplessly said.

“As long as Arkul is with you, you’ll be safe. Just keep training until you reach the peak of the mortal realm.” Alphonse said before he adopted a solemn look and added: “You are to stay in the village from now on. No more dangerous escapades.”

Allan nodded and went to his room.

In his room, he took out a storage pouch and tapped on it. Hundreds of beast cores then appeared on the floor.

He created a small place to sit in the middle of the beast cores.

He sat cross-legged and started absorbing their energy into his body.

Slowly, the beast cores lost their luster and started dissipating into the air as if they had never existed.

Allan opened his eyes only to find out that the beast cores around him had all disappeared.

“Sigh...I couldn’t even reach the 5th tier of the Human realm with all these beast cores.”

“How long will it take me to reach the 9th tier with the clan’s resources?... It’s going to take a long time even though I am immortal.”

“The seal I got from dad and mom only allows me to reach the 9th tier of the Human realm...Sigh...this nonsense...they are not protecting me. They are wasting my time and potential.”

There were three commonly known realms in total. The mortal realm, the immortal realm and the god realm. Each with nine tiers.

Allan was in the 4th tier of the mortal realm.

For humans, it was a big achievement if they could reach the immortal realm. The humans were great in number but their ability to absorb the primordial energy was lacking.

The great majority was blocked in the mortal realm while a few reached the Immortal realm and even fewer reaching the God realm.

Allan was immortal despite the fact that he had yet to reach the immortal realm. It was because of his bloodline.

He was a descendant of a Primordial god who called himself The Falcon.

His ancestor had managed to steal and fuse with a drop of blood from an Ascendant Godbeast. A simple stroke of luck led to him becoming an unparalleled existence in the human world. That simple action granted him the power to reach the Primordial god realm from the god realm. It also granted his bloodline immortality from birth.

It was through their ancestor that the Falcon clan gained knowledge of the other realms above the God realm. The primordial God realm and the Ascendant god realm.

With that pseudo-immortality, the members of the Falcon bloodline could have ample time to cultivate to the God realm.

Even though they were immortal, they were on the same level as humans as they could still be killed. They simply lived forever in human bodies but were considered half-humans or half-demons.

“Am I forever blocked at the 4th tier? I should’ve started my foundation with one of the clan’s Arts so that it could grow at the same time as me. How do they expect me to reach the 9th tier then?...Could it be that their seal truly blocked me at the 4th tier no matter how much energy I absorb? Then...they really want me to remain human forever...Why?” Allan thought.

“Maybe there is a way to remove the seal without them knowing about it.”

“Eventually, I must find a way to bypass the seal. I just turned nineteen with an eternity to live. I refuse to stay weak forever.”

He got up and sneaked out of the house.

Allan was slowly walking to his best friend’s house while deep in thought. He was thinking about how he could infiltrate the secret library of the clan where all the clan’s magic tomes were hidden.

The secret library was only secret to those like Allan who had yet to have the right to access it.

It was there that the various magic tomes and secret knowledge were piled up. It was the accumulation of the research done by The Falcon himself ever since he had ascended to the Primordial God realm.

He had researched and created magics and Arts for his descendants to practice. He had even passed down the /Ode of the Falcon/ that he had created for himself.

The system of training on the Grayhell continent was based on the Arts you cultivated.

You created a foundation for the Immortal realm through the art that you nurtured until the God realm should you reach it.

It could be said that the prerequisite to reaching the Immortal realm was to cultivate a good Art while you were in the mortal realm.

Nurturing an Art meant creating an inner world in which your Art could be given life and roam free.

The bigger the inner world the strongest one was.

The inner world’s stability showed the cultivator’s state of mind.

The inner world’s foundation was the Arts you had chosen to cultivate.

Even if two individuals cultivated the same art, their inner worlds were never the same as their understanding of the art differed.

Falcon village was inhabited by the members of the falcon bloodline only.

With their ancestor, The Falcon, missing for thousands of years while he was out adventuring, the clan could only count on the few late stage God realm patriarchs to protect them.

In fact, after a thousand years or so, a few god realms would appear in the falcon clan. With a history of twelve thousand years, there was at least twenty-seven God realm patriarchs.

Allan arrived before a lavish mansion and before he could ask the guard to let him in, a voice was heard: “Allan. What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“Frank!” Said Allan as he looked at a young man coming his way.

“I have an unusual request.” Whispered Allan.

“Let me guess. You want to steal an Art so you can practice in secret.” Frank said.

“Yes. How did you know?” Allan asked.

“Your situation is a bit weird, to say the least...My father let me practice the /Falcon’s Shadow/ art that he cultivates from the moment I could walk, but you...no one understands...” Frank said looking dispirited.

“So? Will you help me?” Allan said.

“I’m sorry but our clan’s magic tomes have been made unavailable to you. Your father is one of the twenty-seven patriarchs. If he wants you to live like a mortal, no one can object. Even if I decide to break the law and share the Art I cultivate, we would be heavily punished the moment you are caught and your inner world will be destroyed by your father.” Frank said.

Allan had a gloomy face. He really was unlucky that his father had so much power in the clan.

“I have no chance in this life. I am doomed to live a dull immortal life without ever cultivating.” Allan sighed.

“Our clan’s magics may be out of your reach but there are sects outside that practically gives their arts away for free as long as you are good enough.” Frank said.

“But those are for humans not half demons like us.” Allan said.

“True, but our ancestor was human before he stole the blood from the Ascendant Godbeast and fuse with it. In fact, if you ever cultivate using our magics, you’ll start slowly becoming a demonic beast and form your own demonic core. The you right now is still completely human.” Frank was trying his best to find a better solution.

“Then I have another request.” Allan said.

“Sigh...Yes. I will at least help you escape the mountain.” Frank said. It was as if he could read Allan’s thoughts. He also added: “But I must warn you not to reveal your surname under any circumstances. We may look human and all, but we have so many enemies that it’s becoming harder to go out these days. Think of a cover story for yourself and your dragon. A young man from a wealthy family out adventuring in the world should be okay. It will explain why you are a 4th tier human realm. Humans are considered geniuses if they reach the 3rd tier before they are twenty years old...oh, and wear a mask. You never age. If you stay outside longer than five years you might attract unwanted attention.”

Allan chuckled: “The dragon alone will attract more attention than me.”

“It cannot hide. True. But leave it outside any city you enter and let it hunt on its own.” Frank suggested.

They were heading to the stables as they spoke.

They retrieved Allan’s red dragon and Frank’s black swan.

They left without anyone stopping them.

“Weird. There should be guards at the stable and guards patrolling around the barrier.” Said the doubtful Frank.

“Don’t think too much this time. Let’s just say I got lucky, that’s all.” Allan said.

“I was planning on feeding them lies to let us out but it seems that we picked the right time to leave.” Frank said but inwardly, he was not convinced of his own words. He tapped on his storage pouch and retrieved a parchment. He threw it at Allan saying: “This the Grayhell continent’s map. Keep it. I highlighted the two best sects and their locations. I recommend the Blue moon sect over the Demonic sword sect but it’s your choice.”

“Don’t get too used to being human because you’re not. Come back home as soon as you can.” Said Frank as his black swan turned around and headed back to Falcon village.

“Thank you.” Allan turned around and said before he realized that Frank was too far to hear him.

***

Alphonse and Liz were looking at a departing figure in the sky.

“Why let him go?”Liz asked.

“Well. He’ll come back running back home asking for help when he truly experiences what being a real cultivator is. Besides, He is the next inheritor of the / Ode of the Falcon/ that I cultivate. He must earn it.” Alphonse said.

“My clan will never allow him to die.” Liz said.

Alphonse stilled and looked at her saying: “What did you do?”

Liz said with her expressionless face: “Nothing much. I did what I always do.”

“You sent shadow guards after him? You call this parenting? Isn’t the dragon we almost lost our lives to get enough to protect him?” Alphonse helplessly said.

“Not enough.” said Liz as she left Alphonse’s embrace and flew away.

“Wait. How many did you send exactly?...” Alphonse asked as he flew after her.