Morning broke with crimson light spilling over the endless northern skies. The bells of the Myth System chimed softly in my mind as I opened my eyes.
"Ding! Daily Quest Generated: Slay the Void Dragon Emperor terrorising the Eastern Sea (Peak Celestial Sovereign)! Time limit—three days!"
The air trembled. Every time the system spoke, heaven itself seemed to bend. I read the reward list: 500,000 EXP, promotion to the Dao Refining Realm, realm progress for all followers, and a new land—the Void Dragon Isles.
A smile tugged at my lips. "Finally, something worth stretching my sword arm for."
Yue Zhilan entered, silver armour glinting faintly under dawn mist. "The Eastern Sea, you said? I heard its storms have lasted months."
Mo Han grinned widely, flames dancing around his wrists. "Heard the dragon eats ships whole. I like my breakfast warm."
The voyage took us two days. The Eastern Sea reeked of thunder and smoke, a place where the sky itself roared. As we neared its heart, towering waves circled an island made of black glass. At its centre, a vast creature coiled—scales shimmering between void and storm, eyes glowing baleful blue.
The Void Dragon Emperor.
Each breath from him ripped the clouds. Lightning poured from his nostrils, dyeing the sea purple.
He turned his head, his voice shaking the ocean. "Mortal king Ling Chen dares step in my waters?"
His contempt was sharp, but I could feel his fear under it. My Myth System hummed. "Target locked. Rewards prepared."
"Zhilan, you keep the winds steady," I commanded. "Mo Han melts the shadows when he dives. I'll go for his core."
They nodded. The sea trembled as the battle began.
The dragon struck first—his tail split the tide, sending walls of water taller than mountains. Yue Zhilan's spear flashed silver moonlight, cutting the surge clean in two. Mo Han's flames ignited the storm clouds, boiling thunder into heat.
I dashed across the spinning waves like stone, spiritual energy surging through my veins. The dragon's roar came close enough to make my ears bleed, but my sword, Eternal Sovereign's Fang, blazed with myth light.
"Your age ends here," I shouted and slashed.
He countered with a beam of void lightning so fierce it tore the horizon in half. I crossed blades before it, qi shrieking. Sparks of divine fire crackled between us.
Mo Han dived, fire coating his arms, punching into the dragon's wing joint. "Taste flame, lizard!"
Zhilan's spear followed—piercing one golden eye. The Dragon Emperor howled, sending whirlwinds spinning ships miles away.
The storm thickened. Under that chaos, I leapt from fragment to fragment of stone, driving my sword through the green star-mark glowing at his chest.
The earth itself split when our powers met.
For a heartbeat, everything went silent—sea, sky, even the system's hum. Then the light burst outward, so bright the clouds vanished.
When it faded, the giant body of the dragon floated, half-submerged, eyes dimming like dying stars.
"Ding! Quest Completed! The host gains 500,000 EXP! Realm Breakthrough: Nascent Soul → Dao Refining!"
"Followers gain +1 Realm Level!"
"Territory Added: Void Dragon Isles (Tier 5 Spiritual Zone)."
I exhaled. My qi stormed inside my flesh, bones humming like forges. The Dao Refining stage burned through me—sharp, clean, unstoppable.
"Another step forward," Yue Zhilan said with a faint smile. "You're getting faster."
Mo Han cracked his neck, letting the flame fade. "I hit harder now. Feels good."
The sea calmed, and the black island beneath the dragon's corpse began to glow. From the depths, something stirred.
A shimmer of light bloomed on the waves—a woman in flowing blue and silver robes stepped out, eyes glowing gold. Behind her, spectral dragons coiled like mist.
"Ling Chen," she whispered. "You spared my egg, aeons ago in another life. That dragon you slew… he was my father."
Yue Zhilan's eyes narrowed, but I shook my head. The woman knelt, pressing palm to heart. "He fell to darkness long before you came. I owe this world balance."
The system's voice echoed again.
"New Follower Summoned: Dragon Empress Lirael (Early Celestial Sovereign). Innate talent—Dragon Army Summon. Loyalty 85%."
Lirael looked at the calm sea, her expression both mournful and proud. "Let the world know dragons serve the myth once more."
I reached out, lifting her to her feet. "Then rise, Dragon Empress. The Eastern Sea is yours to guard."
From that day, azure dragons filled the skies above the Void Dragon Isles, their roars echoing like songs of rebirth. The Eastern Sea transformed from ruin to shimmering trade route—our banners fluttered from wave to horizon.
Lu Din later reported back in disbelief. "Two days, new continent claimed. Lord Chen… how far will you keep rising?"
I smiled quietly, watching the mist drift around the new island's peaks. "Until even the heavens start sending me their quests."
Above, clouds shaped like dragons drifted aside to reveal a burning sun, and the Myth System pulsed again.
"Next Daily Quest Loading…"