As the twenty rested by the Boulder of the Sun, Emperor Ichikawa clapped his hands once — a sharp, echoing sound that rolled across the courtyard like a command to the heavens. Servants emerged from the palace, bearing trays of chilled recovery fruit from Mystic Central, their skins gleaming with frost. One by one, the twenty reached out, each claiming a piece as though accepting an unspoken challenge.
I stepped forward and chose a mystic passion fruit, its surface cool against my palm. When I bit into it, a rush of sweet-cold essence spilled across my tongue. The restorative energy poured through me, flooding my meridians, igniting the mental and spiritual dantian at my core. For a moment, exhaustion fled — replaced by a sharp, crystalline clarity that made the world feel newly cut from light.
As the twenty finished the last of their recovery fruit, the emperor himself took a piece of fruit and slowly bit into it. "Next," he said, voice carrying across the assembled. "We travel to the feat of speed. He took another bite of fruit, a deep hum rolled across the horizon. Four fiery chariots descended through the haze — their wheels ringed with flame, pulled by steeds wreathed in living fire. Heat shimmered in the air as the ground itself seemed to bow beneath their arrival.
Five of us were ushered into each chariot. In mine rode Ken Renzo of the Cloud Continent, his aura sharp and disciplined; Calvin from Bedrock, solid as the mountains he hailed from; Varnell of the Tropical Flower Continent, whose every movement carried a strange serenity; and Prince Edward of the Shrouded Mist Continent, quiet and unreadable.
Then the Emperor himself stepped forward. Without fanfare, he mounted the lead chariot — our chariot — and seized the reins. The fiery steeds reared, scattering embers into the sky like newborn stars.
With a thunderous crack, the chariots leapt into the air, streaking across the heavens in a blaze that lit the sea below. The wind tore at my hair and robe, the world becoming a blur of fire and cloud. Ahead of us, Emperor Ichikawa stood unmoving, cloaked in light — a god driving through the firmament, and we, twenty mortals, trailing in his wake toward the test that would decide who among us could claim his treasure.
The fiery chariots tore through cloud and mist until the heavens split open to reveal the endless sweep of the Mystic Turquoise Sea. Its surface glimmered a greenish blue, stretching to the horizon where a single island rose — a jagged crown of green and gold against the light.
The Emperor slowed his steeds, fire dimming to embers as our chariots landed on the beach. "There lies your proving ground," Ichikawa said, his voice steady as the tide. "The Isle of Breath. Ten miles out, beyond the reefs. At its heart grows Star fruit — pluck one and return to me with it. Do so swiftly...and alive."
The chariots opened, releasing us one by one into the humid beach. My feet touched the surface of the beach, Qi gathering beneath me in faint ripples. The salt air stung my skin; the horizon shimmered with heat. Beneath that mirror-blue calm, something vast stirred.
I looked down the line — twenty figures poised at the edge of the impossible. They were shedding their robes and armor for the swim across, as clothing and gear sets would only slow one down. I took this into consideration as I took of my dark gear, starting with my dark boots, next the dark gauntlets, zubons and uwagi with chest piece and helm. I stored each piece in my ring. I stripped all the way down to my langot, or simple jockstrap. We all stood lined up on the Mystic Turquoise Coast, some crouched like predators ready to spring, others drew slow breaths, centering their Qi for the long ordeal.
Then Ichikawa raised his hand. " Also unlike the previous two feats that were for the many, this feat is only for the few. Only the top five positions will be carried to the final test. Every one was slightly blinded sided by this news, however since it was after all a race, this stipulation made sense.
"Begin."
The sea erupted into motion — a storm of limbs, Qi trails, and churned water. I dove in with a qi enhanced dive that easily carried me 60 meters out, the shock of cold hit me like a slap. I looked through the Philosophers stone for any knowledge about long distance swimming, the philosophers stone answered drawing on the knowledge acquired from the firefly kings accumulated inheritance, and my mind filled with knowledge of swimming strokes. The stone suggested the 'front crawl' stroke was the most efficient stroke for a long-distance swim.
"Perfect." I wouldn't be approaching this test 'blind.' I had the coaching of the Philosophers stone to rely on. I focused my king level intent circulating Eon Qi to my Ram Chakras in my arms and legs as I cut through the green ocean waters. I felt the surge ignite. Power coiled and released in fluid rhythm. My strokes became engines, propelling me through the green water with effortless ferocity. The sea hissed and parted around me, foam streaming in my wake.
I rolled onto my back, eyes squinting against the sun's glare. The world inverted — sky above, chaos below. Behind me, the others cut through the waves like darting comets, each trailed by the faint glow of their Qi.
Prince Edward held second, his strokes crisp and unhurried, every movement disciplined. Ken Renzo churned close behind, the water frothing around him in rhythmic bursts. Bedrock Calvin followed — steady, deliberate, the picture of brute endurance. But farther back, something else moved faster than all of them: a ripple that shimmered unnaturally blue.
An Endless Ocean Path cultivator with blue hair — someone with Mystic Water Qi that resonated with the ocean itself. His speed was unreal, the waves seeming to carry him forward rather than resist him.
A jolt of excitement and pride sparked in my chest. I twisted mid-stroke, rolling forward again. "Not today," I breathed into the salt wind.
I focused my King level intent and directed my Eon Qi as I redoubled my pace, every muscle and thread of spirit burning in harmony. The ocean roared around me, torn between friend and foe, as I pushed harder, faster — slicing toward the island like an arrow fired by the heavens themselves.
At twenty-five knots, the horizon no longer seemed distant. I felt something against my chest, I blinked. "Ah… right. The Tri-Emblem." A thought clicked into place with almost comic timing. "Of course, I'm cutting through the water like a spirit eel — I'm wearing something that grants eighty percent water resistance."
For a moment I almost laughed, bubbles breaking around me. The realization rolled through me like thunder. I wasn't just fast — I was practically semi-hydrophobic. Water slid off my skin in sheets that barely clung before breaking away.
I brushed a hand through my hair mid-stroke and found it still dry, floating lightly behind me. "Well," I muttered, half amused, half astonished, "that explains that."
The waves thundered around me as Seymour — the Endless Ocean Path cultivator — surged ahead. His Qi shimmered like living water, his strokes perfectly in tune with the tides. He didn't so much swim as converse with the sea, each current bowing before him. I grinned, half admiring, half frustrated.
"So that's what it means to speak to the waves."
He pulled past me, spray flashing off his shoulders like silver fire. I let him go. First place wasn't everything; I only needed to finish in the top five to advance. Let the sea crown its favorite for now.
For a time, there was only rhythm — breath, surge, pull, glide — until the calm shattered.
A scream ripped across the water.
Prince Edward.
I twisted mid-stroke just in time to see the sea convulse behind us. A vast shape rose from the depths — turquoise scales blazing like polished jade, eyes burning with ancient light. A Mystic Turquoise Sea Dragon.
Seymour didn't even look back. He kept driving toward the island, his wake scattering light like falling stars.
But I froze, heart hammering. "Damn it," I hissed through the spray. "I can't just let him get eaten!"
From within my mental dantian, Felicity's voice flickered like a bell tone. Ash! That's a Mystic Turquoise Sea Dragon! Its core crystal could refine your Ember Coil Spirit Beast!
Temptation and duty wrestled in a single heartbeat. I felt Qi coil within me, hungry.
"I can save him," I said, eyes narrowing. "And still place in the top five… and that dragon crystal—" I couldn't help the grin that followed. "Would make the detour worthwhile."
I drew a deep breath, gathering Eon Qi until the water hummed around me, then turned back toward the chaos — toward the prince, the dragon, and the chance to prove that speed wasn't the only thing worth measuring. Prince Edward was no novice. He'd pushed the Boulder of the Sun to the fifty-five-yard mark — strength enough to earn respect from any continent. His strokes were smooth, confident, almost regal as he cut through the green depths.
Then something brushed his leg.
A faint tug. Barely a whisper of motion. But it was enough. A cold thread of instinct slithered up his spine.
What was that?
He turned his head, scanning the empty blue. Nothing — just sunlight fracturing through water, the endless sway of current. He exhaled, forcing calm—
The second tug was no whisper. It yanked hard, viciously, dragging him down with a surge that tore bubbles from his mouth.
Edward's scream burst through the surf, a strangled echo that carried across the waves. Every head turned — and then he was gone.
Beneath the surface, the world shifted from turquoise light to emerald gloom. In the dim, he saw it: a colossal form coiling around him, scales the color of storm glass, eyes burning with sentient hunger. The Mystic Turquoise Sea Dragon. Its jaws flexed, teeth long as daggers, water trembling from its breath alone.
Panic flared — then training answered. Edward drew on his Prodigious Qi, compressing it to a singular, blinding pulse. His core roared to life, and he thrust both palms outward.
The sea itself convulsed. A shockwave of Qi detonated from his body, scattering bubbles and shards of light. For a moment, even the dragon recoiled and the ocean remembered who Prince Edward was.
Edward's shockwave barely staggered the dragon. The beast's jade scales rippled with energy, each movement sending waves through the surrounding water. Its tail lashed like a whip, forcing Edward to twist mid-stroke and sent out another shockwave to avoid being smashed against an unseen reef.
He surged upward, Qi flaring along his limbs in arcs of teal light. With a precise thrust he broke the surface, sucking in fresh air. Then he drove both fists forward again, sending a second shockwave that pounded into the dragon's armored chest. The creature let out a resonant, almost mocking roar, sending currents swirling into maelstroms around him.
Edward dodged again, narrowly avoiding a snap of the dragon's maw. He focused on his breathing, drawing Qi from his dantian into his arms, legs, and core. Another blast of Prodigious Qi, this one sharper, more controlled — and again the dragon recoiled, water boiling around its head.
For a moment, Edward felt a surge of hope. He was holding his own — maybe even winning. His strokes were precise, efficient, his body moving like a coiled spring.
Then the dragon struck in a sudden, terrifying lunge. Its massive tail whipped across the water like a tidal wave, sending Edward spinning off balance. He barely had time to stabilize himself, only his reflexive channeling of Qi keeping him from smashing into the jagged coral below.
The creature's jaws snapped around him in a vice-like grip, and Edward felt the immense pressure crushing against his chest. His shockwaves slowed to stutters under the immense force, each strike dissipating before fully connecting. His arms screamed in protest, his lungs burned with the effort.
A grim realization settled into his mind: raw strength and Prodigious Qi alone might not be enough. The Mystic Turquoise Sea Dragon was learning, adapting, and it was beginning to dominate the battlefield.
I was descending rapidly through the water when I laid eyes on it' A massive sinuous Mystic Turquoise Sea Dragon, with Prince Edward in its jaws!
I channeled every ounce of Eon Qi I had, feeling it coil and snap in my limbs like living fire. With a roar that shook the currents, I unleashed the Volley of Thousand Lords Spirit Palms!
A thousand spectral hands, each glowing with raw, divine energy, erupted from my palm and slammed into the Mystic Turquoise Sea Dragon from above! The water boiled and fractured around it, bubbles exploding like firecrackers, currents twisting violently under the force of my attack.
The dragon shrieked, releasing it's bite on Prince Edward, I could still feel his Qi which was now recovering. The sea dragon coils thrashed wildly, scales splintering as the spectral palms hammered its jade armor. Shockwaves radiated outward, tossing Prince Edward aside his eyes widened in awe and relief as he surged back to the surface, gasping for air while I maintained the assault.
For a tense moment, the dragon's massive body writhed under the barrage, clearly staggered by the combined fury of Eon Qi and the thousand golden palms. Even in the churning chaos, I could see Edward steadying himself, breathing deep, ready to recover.
The sea itself seemed to bow to the fury of the attack — waves climbing, swirling, and glowing faintly under the power I had unleashed. And yet… the dragon was far from defeated. Its ancient eyes blazed with fury, and I knew the next few moments would decide everything. The Mystic Turquoise Sea Dragon shifted abruptly, its massive eyes locking on me with predatory precision. Every coil of its immense body cut through the water like a living torpedo. My pulse surged — I had to act now.
Through the chaos, my gaze fell upon it: the glowing beast crystal core, nestled in the dragon's chest, pulsing with ancient energy. That was the key. That had to be the key.
The dragon lunged, a streak of jade through the green depths. Its jaws snapped shut around me in an instant. But my Raptor speed reflex took over: I slammed my hands against the top of its maw, my feet bracing against the lower jaw. Its teeth tried to crush me, but my Divine-Grade Spirit Body and Eon Qi flared, expanding like hot iron bands through every limb.
The dragon bit down harder, crushing currents whipping around us as it swam into deep ocean, but I resisted, channeling every ounce of strength. Slowly — agonizingly — I forced its massive jaws open, fighting against the bite force of a creature that could have shattered stone.
The dragon, enraged, dove toward the ocean floor, its coils dragging me into the abyss. The pressure, the darkness, the weight of water against my body — it was like swimming inside a living mountain. But I had one advantage: focus. I unleashed the Glacial Soul Eye, letting icy mental energy pour forth.
A beam of chilling, crystalline light shot from my eye directly into the dragon's gaping maw. It screamed, a sound that rippled through both water and spirit, as its mind and body froze in place, crystallizing into a jagged chunk of ice. Even the surrounding currents shivered under the sudden, unnatural cold.
The Mystic Turquoise Sea Dragon hung suspended, utterly immobilized — a frozen monument to raw power and decisive action. Around me, the water stilled, my breath cutting through the tension, and I knew: the battle was won.
I hesitated only a fraction of a heartbeat before channeling a technique I had not dared touch since the Forward War Forge, the technique that had left a scar etched deep into my soul: The Vorpal Blade.
Under the flow of Eon Qi, the blade shimmered and elongated, morphing into the Vorpal Lance, a weapon of pure precision and lethal intent. I plunged it into the frozen Mystic Turquoise Sea Dragon, carving carefully, every stroke powered by both Qi and sheer focus. I cut carefully and easily, the Vorpal Lance was shaper than an obsidian scalpel, a blade of pure subtractive qi. After a moment of cutting and pulling the Mystic Turquoise Crystal soon gleamed in my grip — pulsing, radiant, a prize wrested from the jaws of death.
Suddenly a shudder ran through me. The water stilled unnaturally. My eyes widened as I felt it: an aura immense, primordial, unlike anything I had ever encountered. The frozen corpse of the sea dragon was ripped from the depths by massive black tentacles, each thick as a tree trunk, each writhing with terrifying grace.
I looked up in disbelief. Emerging from the depths, a towering figure loomed — a woman, gargantuan, her presence radiating a terrifying, almost divine hunger.
"Run!" Felicity's voice screamed inside my mental dantian, cutting through the shock. "It's a Primordial!" Felicity shouted again just one name, "Ka'rink'ka!"
The creature — Ka'rink'ka — lifted the frozen body, and with a horrifying efficiency, devoured it. Her aura slammed into me like a tidal wave of raw existence, and I felt the ocean itself bow under her presence.
I propelled myself toward the surface, lungs burning, every fiber of my being screaming. The island was still ahead, but the true threat had shifted. What I had thought a test of speed had become a trial of survival and confrontation with a being older than myth.