In the little dragon village, Lily Azure sent Quinn Shepherd off, then wrapped the True Dragon Nest in her yuanqi and hurled it a thousand li away, landing it right beside Quinn. She turned to Azure Desolation Elder and asked, "Ancestor, why did you send Brother Quinn away so quickly? Isn't he a descendant of the Pioneer Emperor?"
The other villagers were just as curious, crowding around to ask, "Ancestor, didn't you say you and the Pioneer Emperor were sworn comrades? Sending Brother Quinn away like that seems a bit harsh, doesn't it?"
Azure Desolation Elder shot them a glare. "We're dragons, not humans—who cares about human feelings? Besides, I was the one who got the short end of the stick with the Pioneer Emperor! That old scoundrel ran off to Carefree Haven with his family, leaving us to clean up the mess. Now he wants me to wipe his grandkid's backside? In his dreams!"
Lily Azure and the others exchanged glances.
The more Azure Desolation Elder spoke, the more worked up he got. He snorted, "Never heard me curse before? Back in the Pioneer Heavenly Court, I was famous for my foul mouth—I even cursed a bull god to death! The Pioneer Emperor dumped all his troubles on us; plenty of old friends are still waiting for him to come out of Carefree Haven and take charge again. But has he?"
He slung his fishing net over his shoulder and stomped out of the village, irritation in his voice. "He hasn't shown his face since, leaving so many old brothers out in the cold. Quinn Shepherd's his hundred-and-seventh-generation grandson, but a phoenix that far down the line isn't much better than a bug! If the Pioneer Emperor wants me out, he can come invite me himself from Carefree Haven. Even if the Crown Prince came, I wouldn't budge!"
The others followed him to a cold pool.
Azure Desolation Elder cast his net by the shore but didn't haul it in. After a moment, he muttered, "Quinn Shepherd does have some ability, but it's not enough—not by a long shot. He came for the command token and the Ancestral Dragon Supreme-Mystic Art, and I've already given him both. Our Azure Dragon line owes him and the Keane clan nothing."
Lily Azure and the others stayed silent. A middle-aged man coughed and said, "Ancestor, if you don't pull in the net soon, all the fish will slip away."
Azure Desolation Elder muttered to himself, "That Quinn Shepherd—he's a born troublemaker. I've got a sharp eye, and I'm sure of it. His temperament's just like the Pioneer Emperor's—could never sit still, always tinkering and stirring up chaos. I'm worried if you all follow him, you'll end up risking your lives. We've lived quietly in this village for twenty thousand years—maybe dull, but happy..."
"Ancestor, the fish really are getting away!" Lily Azure called anxiously.
Azure Desolation Elder replied, "The Pioneer Emperor was a pain, but it was always a thrill fighting beside him—you never knew when you'd end up dead. Still, I can't help but miss those days. Whenever I think back, my heart warms up, and my eyes get misty..."
With a splash, Lily Azure dove into the cold pool and soon emerged with a big, red-scaled fish.
Azure Desolation Elder grumbled, "Why do I miss those years so much? Is it just old age? No way, I can't let you all leave the village. That Quinn Shepherd—sly-eyed and sharp-browed—looks like nothing but trouble!"
The villagers were grilling fish with dragon fire, leaving Azure Desolation Elder by the pool. Lily Azure piped up, "Honestly, I think Brother Quinn looks pretty honest—handsome brows, big bright eyes. He doesn't seem like a bad person at all..."
A middle-aged man said quietly, "Save it. Ancestor's in the middle of an internal battle between heaven and man. Besides, he's always been a master of cursing—don't expect anything nice out of his mouth."
"Uncle Qing Yan, did Ancestor really curse a bull god to death?" the young villagers asked, full of curiosity.
Uncle Qing Yan hesitated, then nodded and whispered, "It was a true god—a bull deity. Ancestor cursed him for three days and two nights straight. The filth from his mouth could kill a god! The bull god couldn't talk back, couldn't win in a fight, and ended up dying of rage—spitting blood until it formed a river, and only after three days did he finally breathe his last..."
Everyone looked back in awe. Azure Desolation Elder was still standing by the cold pool, lost in thought, muttering, "That rascal's got a deep demonic streak—even Tu Bo had to suppress him. Tu Bo only ever subdues the most vicious, wicked types, so you know Quinn Shepherd isn't exactly a saint... Still, the kid learns fast and has his own ideas—a different kind of genius. But with his love for trouble, he'll probably get himself killed one day..."
The dragon youths munched on grilled fish. Lily Azure wondered aloud, "Ancestor, are you praising Brother Quinn or cursing him?"
Azure Desolation Elder was still wrestling with himself, muttering, "I can't keep these youngsters stuck here wasting their lives with an old fossil like me. Maybe letting them out of the village wouldn't be so bad after all..."
They finished off the fish, leaving a mess of bones behind.
Finally, Azure Desolation Elder snapped out of his thoughts, shook water from his net, and prepared to haul it in. He grinned, "Qing Yan, we're eating grilled fish today. Once you've had your fill, I'll let you all go see the world outside the Great Ruins."
Lily Azure and the others let out cheers and dashed off in every direction.
Azure Desolation Elder just stood there a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile.
Myles Jiang shifted into human form, looking a lot like Ethan Qin as a youth. He walked with Quinn Shepherd, diligently practicing the Ancestral Dragon Supreme-Mystic Art—cycling through divine techniques, pushing himself hard, never slacking off.
Quinn kept moving, circulating his Overlord Three-Core Art. Each round sent the Ancestral Dragon Eight Tones rumbling through him, dragon roars constantly refining his body.
They headed for the World Bridge, moving fast.
Quinn refined several batches of water-element divine-yuan pills for Myles. Whenever Myles got tired, he'd pop one to recover. The taste was awful, but the pills fit his yuanqi perfectly, so he ate them with gusto, even complimenting Quinn's 'culinary skills.'
Quinn thought of Bruno the Dragon-Qilin and sighed. Suddenly, he stopped, scanning the area. Myles halted too, curious. "Cult Master, what's up?"
Quinn frowned, lost in thought. "I just sensed something coming our way, but when I looked, there was nothing. Weird... Maybe I'm just seeing things."
He kept walking. Once they'd gone far enough, a peony flower by the roadside shimmered and blurred into mist, then shifted into Ben Coates—now sporting a deer leg.
Ben Coates muttered in disbelief, "That brat actually sensed me! My cultivation's gone up a notch, but he still picked me out. The punk's getting stronger quick. And he's got a dragon youth with him—must be dog-shit luck, maybe even kidnapped a true dragon! Wait, someone's coming!"
Just as Ben Coates thought this, his ears twitched. He shook himself and morphed into a big tree, its trunk sprouting two spinning eyes.
Whoosh.
A flight of Azure Dragons tore through the sky on a roaring wind, making Ben Coates stare in shock. The shortest of them was still over thirty zhang long, and they raced forward, clearly following Quinn's trail.
Whoosh—
The wind howled as dozens of Azure Dragons landed, encircling Ben Coates. The shortest one shook herself and transformed into a green-robed girl, scanning the area. "He just passed by—not far now! We'll catch up soon!" she announced.
Suddenly, the largest Azure Dragon coiled around, wrapping itself around the tree Ben Coates had become. It stared hard and said, "This tree looks suspicious."
Ben Coates didn't dare move. He could only watch as the dragon stared him down, the tension thick in the air.
Ben Coates didn't dare slack off. He instantly dropped his disguise, grinning and bowing. "Honored dragon elders, are you looking for a young man named Qin? I just saw a shady-looking guy sneak past, dragging a dragon youth with him."
"You saw him?"
Lily Azure's eyes lit up. "Where did he go?" she asked eagerly.
Ben Coates puffed up with righteous indignation. "Let me lead the way, elders! That scoundrel won't escape this time!"
The dragons brightened, laughing. "If you can help us catch him, that'll save us a lot of hassle!"
Ben Coates bowed and hobbled ahead, grinning. "That kid's slippery, but he can't lose me! This way, everyone!"
The Azure Dragons all shifted into human form—mostly young men and women. Qing Yan, appearing as a middle-aged man, joined Ben Coates, and together they set off after Quinn.
Quinn and Myles hurried on, spotting the World Bridge's pillar of light in the distance. They picked up the pace, entered a town, and Quinn bought some herbs. "Once we're back in High-Emperor Heaven, you'll go with Ethan Qin. I promised him I'd borrow you for a few days, but I have to return you soon," he said.
Myles looked awkward. "I only followed him before because I wasn't fully aware. Now that I am, I can't just wrap myself around him anymore. Cult Master, could you talk to him for me? He did me a favor, so I can't bring myself to say it."
Quinn thought for a moment, then chuckled. "I borrowed a baby dragon and now I'm returning a grown man—there's no way I can explain that. You'll have to tell him yourself."
Myles frowned, clearly worried.
They reached the World Bridge. Myles dragged his feet, reluctant to go in. Quinn smiled, "Once we're in High-Emperor Heaven, I'll arrange a sworn brotherhood ceremony for you two. How about it?"
Myles finally relaxed and grinned. "Then I'll leave it to you, Cult Master."
Just as they were about to step onto the World Bridge, Ben Coates swaggered over, limping and laughing. "Cult Master Quinn, what a small world! Fancy meeting you here!"
Quinn's eyes sparkled. He grinned, "So it's you, Exalted One. Remember last time you tried to sneak up on me? I said: 'Next time I see you, I'll take your head.' So, how do you want to go out?"
"You're in trouble now! Still think you can take my head?"
Ben Coates sneered, "Look behind me—see who I've brought?"
Behind him, Qing Yan and Lily Azure led the dragon village warriors forward. Lily Azure waved excitedly at Quinn. "Brother Quinn, Ancestor gave us permission to leave the village!"
Quinn was both shocked and delighted. "Azure Desolation Elder really let you out to train? Honestly, my Heavenly Saint Cult could use some true dragon muscle right now..."
Ben Coates gaped, face full of terror. "So he didn't just abduct a baby dragon—he's snatched a whole squad of true dragons! This is bad, really bad... Time to run!"
Just as he tried to slip away, a middle-aged man appeared behind him.
Qing Yan placed a big hand on Ben Coates's shoulder, smiling. "Brother Quinn, this little friend of yours helped us track you down so quickly."
Quinn grinned slyly. "I really do owe Exalted One a favor! Brother Yan, hold him down—he's got a knack for running away!"