Journey of true Cultivation

Before a massive forest covered in thick white mist, two figures stood,a young man with long azure hair and deep blue eyes, dressed in a uniquely patterned black and yellow dragon-embroidered azure robe. Behind him stood an old man, clad in a blue robe adorned with a black and blue dragon pattern. The elder had long silver hair and deep blue eyes, his expression filled with unease.

The old man looked nervous, but the young man appeared completely indifferent, as if he was oblivious to the danger his companion feared.

The elder stuttered, his voice betraying his anxiety. "Y-Young Master, w-we have arrived at the Illusion Forest. What… w-what should we do?"

"Hehe, Elder Blue Scale, why are you so nervous?" The young master chuckled, a trace of amusement in his voice. "The Family Head has already given us our orders,to wait here and watch for the Crowned Ghost Prince. There's nothing more to it. Come, let's head to the Mirror Pavilion first."

Without the slightest hesitation, the young master strode toward the Mirror Pavilion, his pace steady and unbothered. Elder Blue Scale, though hesitant, followed closely behind.

As they made their way through the Illusion Forest, the old man's every step was filled with paranoia. His eyes darted to every shadow, every shifting mist, as though death lurked around every corner. In contrast, the young master moved with casual ease, navigating the eerie forest as if it were nothing more than his own backyard.

After traveling 20 kilometers, a grand structure came into view,the Mirror Pavilion. As it emerged from the mist, fragments of history resurfaced in the young master's mind.

It was said that the Mirror Pavilion was once the domain of a powerful Human Ascender. However, as the Azure Dragon Tribe expanded, they conquered this land, taking it from the humans. Despite their victory, they found nothing of true value. Disappointed by the land's apparent uselessness, the dragons eventually abandoned it, leaving its name untouched,a mere relic of the past.

Yet, the same could not be said about the Illusion Forest. For generations, the Azure Dragons had sought to uncover its mysteries, drawn by its secrets. It was, after all, the reason they had fought to claim this territory in the first place. But all efforts to unravel the forest's enigma ended in failure.

Legends even whispered that the Human Ascender who once ruled this land met his end within the Illusion Forest itself, though this remained nothing more than a centuries old rumor,one passed down through generations long after the Mirror Pavilion had fallen into the hands of the Azure Dragon Tribe.

But little was truly known about this place. However, the young master did not allow himself to become careless. He already knew that something was bound to happen,after all, wasn't he known as the shame of the Azure Dragon Family?

With a few quiet chuckles, he pushed those thoughts aside and cast a cold gaze upon the Mirror Pavilion.

The pavilion was massive,so large that an ordinary mortal would have to crane their neck just to take in its full size. A short distance away, a serene lake stretched across the landscape, its crystalline waters reflecting the sky. Surrounding the pavilion was a lush, verdant forest, its beauty so striking that even he found it pleasing to the eye.

What stood out, however, was a large, round stone positioned near the pavilion. The young master's gaze lingered on it for a moment before he dismissed it from his mind, deciding it was unimportant for now. Without hesitation, he strode toward the entrance of the Mirror Pavilion.

The entrance was guarded by ancient magical runes, glowing faintly with latent power. They were inscribed upon a barrier that could effortlessly withstand several attacks from a Soul Forging cultivator like himself. If he recalled correctly, this defensive runic formation was known as the Hundred Beast Formation.

Other than the runes, there was a massive stone gate standing in his way. Without a second thought, he pushed it open and stepped into the Mirror Pavilion, letting the heavy gate shut behind him.

Once inside, he closed his eyes, allowing his senses to adjust to the ancient aura lingering within.

The moment his presence settled, the pavilion itself responded,its dormant formations stirring to life. The young master opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them as he activated a small fraction of his Soul Essence.

At once, the entire pavilion illuminated with a myriad of dazzling lights, casting shifting patterns across the stone walls.

Observing the radiant display, the young master nodded approvingly before speaking to Elder Blue Scale.

"Elder Blue Scale, everything is intact. I didn't detect any issues with the runes,every formation is functioning properly. It seems the Clan Elders did not tamper with the Mirror Pavilion's defensive runes after all."

Hearing this, Elder Blue Scale let out a deep sigh of relief.

"R-Really? Thank the heavens!" The tension in his posture faded, replaced with visible cheerfulness.

"So, Young Master, what should we do now?" The elder, now in much better spirits, asked eagerly.

A soft chuckle escaped the young master's lips as he glanced at the elder, mildly amused by his sudden change in attitude.

"What should we do? That's simple, Elder Blue Scale. First, we'll reinforce the pavilion with additional runic formations. I believe a few extra layers will further perfect the existing Seven Elemental Rune Formation."

A playful smirk formed on his lips as he continued.

"After that, we wait. Sooner or later, one of the elders will arrive to inform us of the next orders from the Family Head. Perhaps once they see that we're alive and well here, they'll recall us? Who knows what those old schemers are plotting?"

Having said his piece, the young master lost interest in the conversation and proceeded toward the pavilion's meditation chamber.

Once inside, he retrieved several items from the space ring on his finger and began inscribing additional runic formations, carefully integrating them into the existing protective arrays.

After working tirelessly for a full month on the runic formations, the young master activated the meditation runes, binding the nearby ten thousand kilometers of True Spiritual Essence. This allowed the formations to become highly sensitive to any unusual fluctuations in True Spiritual Energy or Heaven Essence.

With all preparations complete, the young master closed his eyes and dove into his Soul Core. The world around him shifted into an azure-hued space, its vastness stretching endlessly. The very fabric of this space moved like raging, turbulent water, yet the young master remained unfazed,this chaotic motion was, to him, a familiar sight.

With a simple wave of his hand, he summoned a tiny spark of azure flame. The flame flickered, then grew, slowly transforming into a fully-formed fire. A faint smile tugged at the young master's lips as a wisp of another azure essence,his Soul Essence,flowed from his fingertips, merging with the flame.

As time passed, the flame's hue deepened, darkening ever so slightly,a change imperceptible to the naked eye.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

A year vanished in two blinks.

Ten years faded in three,until time itself lost all meaning.

And so, they waited.

57 Years Later…

For fifty years, after receiving the order from the Clan Head to head toward the Illusion Forest, neither the young master nor Elder Blue Scale had received any further orders. Yet, neither of them felt concern,after all, fifty years was nothing to beings who had already lived for tens of thousands of years.

But then, in the fifty seventh year, something happened.

Someone had arrived.

Sensing the disturbance, the young master immediately withdrew from his Soul Core, his azure eyes flashing open. In that instant, a cold, piercing glint surged from his pupils, activating countless layers of detecting and trapping runic formations.

Lifting his palm, he unleashed a dark azure True Spiritual Essence, activating the Heaven Gazing Rune Formation.

Immediately, his perception expanded beyond the pavilion, granting him a bird's-eye view of everything.

The Mirror Pavilion no longer appeared serene or majestic. Instead, it was now encased within a massive, dark green barrier, its walls stretching countless meters thick. The ground churned like raging waves, obliterating anything that lacked the young master's mark of protection.

Even more disturbingly, the trees, the buildings, and even the very sky itself… had grown eyes.

An eerie presence loomed over the pavilion, as if the heavens themselves were gazing down upon the mortal world.

His gaze sharpened as he searched for Elder Blue Scale and soon enough, he spotted him, already waiting outside the meditation chamber.

"Enter."

At the young master's command, Elder Blue Scale stepped forward, taking just two steps before dropping to one knee.

"Young Master, I have already sent the Five Elemental Vipers ahead to test the intruder. This old servant now awaits further orders!"

Hearing that the Five Elemental Vipers had been dispatched, the young master coldly nodded.

"Good. Now, we wait. I don't see anything unusual in the Heaven Gazing Rune Formation… meaning our intruder is either hiding deep within the shadows… or within the very reflections of this world."

His gaze turned even sharper.

"Send out a pair of Shadow and Mirror Snakes to investigate. If the intruder hides within the darkness, the Shadow Snake will find them. If they conceal themselves within reflections… the Mirror Snake will pull them out."

Without hesitation, Elder Blue Scale bowed his head.

"As the Young Master commands!"

With a simple wave of his hand, two serpentine figures materialized.

One was a deep, dark silhouette, shifting and flickering like a living shadow.

The other was a nearly transparent serpent, its body reflecting the surroundings like a mirror of reality itself.

With a flick of his wrist, Elder Blue Scale sent them forth.

The Shadow Snake slithered toward the darkened structures, blending seamlessly with the shadows.

The Mirror Snake drifted toward the sunlit areas, phasing into the very fabric of reflections.

And then, they waited.

Hours Later…

Inside the Mirror Pavilion, both the young master and Elder Blue Scale stood in absolute silence.

Their expressions had turned grim,eyes cold, faces ruthless.

They had found the intruder.

A young man stood before them.

His hair was pure white, his eyes a ghostly silver, and he wore silver robes embroidered with dark gray markings. His features were strikingly handsome, yet his complexion was deathly pale, exuding an unsettling presence.

But what stood out the most,what made both the young master and Elder Blue Scale's expressions darken even further,were the three floating crystals orbiting his head.

One was crimson red.

One was deep blue.

One was pitch black.

Each radiated an aura of terrifying might.

These were Dragon Crystals.

And not just any Dragon Crystals.

These were Royal Dragon Crystals,crystallized essence left behind when a Royal Dragon perished.

There was only one being in existence who could possess such treasures.

Only one being who could carry such a presence.

The realization solidified in their minds.

There was no longer any need for further investigation.

No reason to question his identity.

It was him.

The intruder standing before them was none other than the Crowned Ghost Prince.

Also known as the Royal Dragon Slayer.

The one who ignited the war between Dragons and Ghosts.

And now,he was here.