I woke up to the sound of screams and thunder. Rubbing my eyes with one hand, I lift my head to see a large white belly flying towards the back of the ship.

Slapping the air, a dragon claw appeared outside and crushed the creature back into the ocean. Only its blood continued its trajectory.

I threw the covers off me and grabbed my new sword as I walked out the cabin. Large tentacles were slapping down on the deck but it wasn't damaging the ship, just the crew. I watched a vet in the Golden Core realm get wrapped around a tentacle. He sliced and sliced but it pulled him up and brought him into the ocean.

Tsk, that wasn’t even the only threat. Sharks fins were spinning in circles below, waiting to take a sucker down.

I yawned and waved the sword, several thick red lights cut through the tentacles. They flopped down onto the deck, sending people running to get out from them.

“Nascent Souls on me!”

I jumped off the ship, into the waiting mouth of a shark that shot up at me. I punched downward and floated down through the chunks.

“Wedge on me!”

They adjusted their positions as we dove underwater. Hou Yu’s blade came slashing down and it actually sliced apart the shark. I couldn’t keep a smile off my face as I watched another one cut through a shark, the water boiling from the excess heat.

Wind and Fire force, not bad at all.

We split much blood before we even caught sight of the giant sushi running away. I wondered where it got the nerve to fucking attack my crew.

“Keep two nascent souls on watch. Have golden cores clean up and package the..”

My mouth dried up instantly upon seeing a sea of green flora giving off an overwhelming energy but what really captured my attention was a weird looking plant that had a glowing light emitting from it. I could tell with one glance that it was about to bloom and that it had a fruit producing aspect.

Such a creature should have been just about to evolve.and this might have helped. However, wasn’t it too weak? It shouldn’t be a huge help to me.

I dove downward and swept up all the other flora, then landed before the weird plant. Tch, it should still have several days before it blooms. Not going to stay here and waste my time for a low level spirit herb.

When I got back on deck, I noticed a few bodies laid out under sheets.

I looked at Cheng Da who stood to the side with his right and left hands.

“How many?”

“Fourteen golden cores, two nascent souls. Qin Shun was one.”

My eyebrow rose because it shouldn’t have been that devastating of an attack. Qin Shun wasn’t a rookie.

“The Sea Demons attack at the same time. They fled when your dragon claw showed up.”

What?

I sent my conscience out to check around us but found nothing.

“Okay. Get the men out of the water. We will proceed ahead at the fast speed. Keep golden cores below deck for now. I’ll keep watch above.”

I turned and glanced at the Princess before sighing. This is an unexpected loss.

***

I sat on the deck with my feet kicked up against the rail, a fishing rod in my hand. I whistled and hum while paying not a wick of attention to anything. Barely a few hours passed since I lost quite a bit of people and yet the sea demons didn’t make any effort to finish us off.

No sign of any animals. No signs of life in the sky. Not even a lick…

I paused and focused on a little dot.. In the distances I could make out land. This should be it..

My head dances between looking at the cabin and dancing to the island. Finally, I made a snap decision. I went jogging up the old man room, knocking like there was something out to get my soul.

The old man opened the door and I caught sight of the Princess sitting in front of a board table with a little black pebble in her hand.

“Can you watch the ship until it makes it to the island? Shouldn’t be nothing but four days. I’m about to make a breakthrough.”

The old man stroked his beard and reached into his robe, pulling out a yellow tattered paper after a few seconds.

“Can you make this if you have the resources?”

I opened it and studied the recipe for a few seconds. A life elixir? One that utilized the Alchemist lifeforce? I looked a bit lower and saw no substitutions.

“No, I can’t make this. No alchemist will. It utilizes the Alchemist Life-force to stimulate the elixir. This is dangerous in more ways than one as the failure rate will be high. So even if it takes say a day of my life away. After repeated failure, it would continue taking a day away.”

The old man's eyes dimmed a bit, he glanced back at the Crown Princess who was listening in.

“Who would have the best chance of making something like this in one go?”

I titled my head for a moment then shrugged.

“Immortal but I doubt they would care about what you had to offer. To be honest, there is probably a substitution item for the life-force of an alchemist. Since someone would have to have a lot of foundation in dealing with life-force and can’t just be a rookie. They will definitely have a way to take it from other things or other people. Even if I break into the Void realm, at most, I’ll comprehend one or two ethereal concepts.”

The old man nodded and sighed.

“Yeah, I’ll watch over the ship.”

I bowed and turned around, running off the bow and diving into the water. I shot back out like a dolphin and began traversing the void, thousands of meters at one step.

There is a reason I wanted to come here and the main reason is because the sea demon scouted the island and thought he saw an immortal tree. However, I knew that the tree in the middle of the lake was just ordinary. It wasn’t a fruit bearing tree to begin with and it’s roots merely sucked up the water blessed by formation set at the highest standard.

You can say that an immortal being set the formation to help recover his powers. Our internal Qi is just plain ole crude oil, it only has been modified to burn a little more. That immortal being would be like refined oil that had a variety of usages.

True Energy had a lot of applications that would benefit someone like me going through remodeling of the body. Shedding mortal skin and gaining a little more immortal aspect.

I hit the island and dash through the winding forest and rocky cliffs. My dragon might be completely unleashed as I ignored these weaker beasts.

Cough, I wish I could ignore the stronger ones too.

I pulled out my saber and slashed to my right. I didn’t stop to admire the mushroom cloud that appeared behind me or the wounded roar that almost made me faint.

I felt the wind slamming down on me, a side glance confirming it was a huge white paw.

White tiger?

My eyes followed up the paw that rain down upon me, to a cat staring down at me with evil gleam in its eyes.

I spun my sword in a circle, forming a giant red shield. However, I skipped back as I felt something coming from the west.

My lips went instantly dry as the snake tail stabbed into the ground, kicking up a bunch of dirt and shit.

Something behind me was scary, kitty in front of me looks huge as fuck, and the snake.. Well snakes are snakes.

I turned to look at another head, head full of golden hair. Looking like fucking King Kong.

Why are they blocking me?

Fuck it. I’m a Dragon and it’s time to act like it.

Six fiery dragons rose up into the air, staring down with the haughtiness of Emperors among peasants. I didn’t wait for them to attack me. I sent the Dragons to attack them. Smiles took my anger away as the trees turned red, cries broke the silence of the night.

I moved through the forest towards my destination but the golden paw still slammed down on me. Causing me to rush a fire shield, which it broke through, swatting me through a bunch of trees.

I laid in bed of broken trees with a tinge of blood leaking from the corner of my lips.

“This is going to be a fucking pain in the neck.”

***

“Your mind seems unfocused lately. I wondered why?” an old man stroked his beard while reading a book with a smirk.

The Crown Princess put down a sword and grabbed a towel, whipping her sweat away. She turned to the old man and the captain of her guard frowned.

“How did he manage to make this type of move?”

The old man laughed and continued stroking his beard. His eyes never left a certain direction.

“He created it with a little bit of effort and time. It’s actually a very basic usage of force that a lot of people learn when picking up higher ranking combat skills. However, your sword intent is still elementary. You should just focus on cultivation. Maybe you will be able to see what you can’t now at a higher elevation.” the old man chuckled.

The Guard Captain raised his sword, sword intent blooming around him as if he was a rose in the midst of blooming but that was all. It didn’t burst out with frightening power, nor did it exhibit any life threatening aura. It was just at the stage of preparing to blossom.

“If he can do it, then why can’t I?” the crown Princess complained while looking at the deck where the crew was practicing the basic sword move, cleave.

The old man said nothing as he watched some of the more prudent soldiers manage to initial the force of elemental concepts. Even though it was at a level that was completely elementary, they were showcasing talents of a genius.

It’s astounding.

“He’s a Dao Cultivator and you're a martial cultivator. There is a difference between abilities and this kind of comprehension ability is something they find easier. Their abilities in essences mirror natural phenomena. Ours mirrors physical traits of animals or weapons and adds a bit of subtlety to it, but overall, the goal ends up the same. Just our style of combat will vary.” The old man stated then turned to look at the princess who was staring at him with blank expression.

He took a moment to think about what he said and sighed in disappointment.

“Break through and you will at least be able to stand on equal grounds even if you aren’t as strong as a dragon.”

The old man shot one more glance in a certain direction before walking away.

The Crown Princess looked down at the crew before picking up her sword. She went back to practicing but she still took her teacher words to heart.

***

I rolled like a dirty dog, avoiding a punch that made the heavens tremble. Roaring, I sent up a punch that made King Kong toppled backwards on unsteadied feet. I rushed at him again, pounding the misery that I had been subjected to.

The last standing fool in my way.

“Die, please just die!” I roared, arching my back as I burst forth with the full and last bits of dragon strength left within my body.

King Kong lifted into the air, sailing over trees yet to be knocked down. Blood trailed behind it’s body before it crashed down into the mountain. Landing in resting position, its head lolling against its chest as its last breath painted its golden fur drenched in dark read.

I couldn’t even feel a hope of accomplishment. The pain radiating in my body left me wanting to lay down and cry about the unfairness in the world.

Instead I picked up a fallen branch and dragged myself to the lake. I couldn’t miss this perfect time, this perfect opportunity to promote myself into a higher plane right off the back. People look for great fortune all the time and mostly what they find is what I am setting my sights on. Something left behind by a powerful expert, something that can effortlessly turn someone with mediocre talents into heaven defying genius.

I didn’t need such a huge change. I am a Dragon and Dragons were the heavens mandate. I needed to overcome the heavens, I needed the heavens to bow down before me. I wouldn’t just accept some meager outcome.

My goal is to topple a legacy. Bury a legacy. Erase a Legacy.

If I am too weak to achieve that, then become the king of said legacy. That shouldn’t be too hard to achieve, no?

My body gave out and I tumbled down a small hill but it was perfect. My body stops on the soft sandy beach. The fine grains dug into my chest, crunching under my teeth, but the cool water lapped at my fingers.

I dug my fingers into the sandy beach, my last obstacle and began striving forward. Gliding across the sand as blood swept behind me from the wounds I suffered. My face was the first to be cleansed of the taint. My soul soon followed and I could feel the true qi filling my body up, but I changed the direction in which it initially took. I used it to strengthen my body, repair serious injuries.

Digging out that last bit of potential that I didn’t manage to find before. Haha, I could feel my blood boiling as the clouds gathered. The dragon in me was excited and as I rose to the surface of the lake. I could feel the dragon’s might gathering in me. Wrapping around me like a robe of his majesty.

I tossed my head back and roared at the heavenly lightning. It looks so beautiful coming down, so mighty. It made me want to eradicate it, looking down on me like so. Demanding I bowed my head before it? Did it not take me, a dragon, seriously?

Just because I am stranded on a plane of existences weaker than my birthright should have been. Did this give this puny world the gall to look down on me?

I back hand the lightning and it disperse into sprinkles. The transformative properties sprinkled onto my body, setting to work. The next bolt came much quicker, with a deeper sense of wrath of a King, but I am a King maker.

I took it with a look of pity, letting it strike upon my majestic aura. Sometimes you just had to show a level of disdain for the heavens or they’ll pull their britches too high. Thinking they are something when… they aren’t even worth a nickel.

They came one after another, or I should say at the same damn time. It’s like shooting a gun and even though you double tap. The bullets seem to hit the target at the same time. Lightning was trying to double tap me. I guess I really did ignite their man card.

Hahaha, laughable.

I showed them everything I hid from the world. The strength of a dragon no longer needing to hide and mind his manners. Dark red radiances bloom from me and creatures so vivid as to look like a living thing exploded into existences. With their haughty nature, they destroyed the lightning with a single talon.

That’s merely four bolts..I wonder how many sets of nine lightning strikes can I handle.

How much wraith can the heavens bestow before…

The clouds.. They changed from a little dark and storm. They form a spiral, a golden spiral with golden dragons fluttering between them like butterflies dipping in and out of flowery gardens.

I admit… At this moment, sweat dribbled down my forehead and my scalp tinged. I might have overdid it with arrogance and utter disdain. This might have been a lower plane but a plane of existence was still a higher life form than something born within and I am a creature born within.

Cough, let’s not back down now. Someone could be watching and this might end up… embarrassing.