Chapter 208: The Heavenly Golden Dragon Emperor

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Just as I walked outside of Samariel's forge, I found myself sitting right in front of an incredibly tall, bulky old man. With a really happy smile, his short, gray beard was shining brightly, and his eyes were very shiny. He had been fully healed; not only that, but he also looked even stronger than before. Was he regaining the strength he had lost from that curse?

"Anna! It is such a pleasure to see you again! I heard everything from my good friend! I can't believe you healed me from all people." He laughed. "I've never felt this good? Before! It is incredible; I can breathe without problems; I can move without feeling pain; hell, I just ran all the way here from my house without issues either! It feels like I am finally back in my thirties! Hahahaha!"

"Thirties?! How old are you?" I wondered.

"Anna, don't treat him with such disrespect; he's the chairman." My brother groaned.

"Huh? Since when you have cared about manners, brother?" I laughed.

"Hahaha, well, I think Jack respects me a bit." Jonathan said. "I've helped him a few times to get out of sticky situations. Such as when he was falsely framed for murder inside a dungeon, or when he was sued after defending himself against criminals that tried to kill him, and so on."

"I'm glad you're healed, chairman. I didn't think Anna would beat me to it. I was secretly gathering materials for another Elixir, but I suppose that wasn't needed." Jack smiled.

"EH?!"

I never thought my brother had this history with the chairman! Both characters barely, if ever, interacted in the story. And all these backstories. I never read about them either! Was this all just something the author never explained? No, it feels like a new story is being written every time things don't go according to the script.

It is as if the author is typing right above us, making up new backstories and connections I had absolutely no idea about. But that's… No, I shouldn't be thinking about that for now. Anyway, this is still surprising.

"Why are you so surprised, Anna?" My brother wondered. "How did you ever think I got the materials for your elixir secured? He helped me get them initially, although I got most of the money through my connections. I have never been that good."

Right, my brother is the loner type of main character; he's not that charismatic to make connections, and he's also... Not really that bright with things such as finding specific sellers or managing himself through the market. Unlike how the novel made him look like a perfect blank slate self-insert for readers, he's actually full of very humane flaws. And that only makes him more endearing.

"I-I see… So I guess what I did could be said to be like giving you back the favor, mister Jonathan!" I smiled, sipping some coffee. "Thank you for taking care of my brother all this time! I seriously can't imagine him without you helping him now. He's, you know, quite the person to deal with sometimes."

"Hahahaha! You talk more like her big sister than her little sister!" Laughed the chairman; his laughter was very loud. He probably already woke up Baihe, who was still sleeping. "But no, that won't do. I came here to thank you for saving my life and also to reward you for that. I've heard many things, and I've read about all the reports so far. I believe your brother, who is already S rank, should be able to be ranked to S+ Rank, it is a new Hunter Rank we're devising. It'll contain even more privileges, such as the ability to enter any country within the Alliance completely for free and without the requirement for any documents other than his license. Alongside being able to access the country's magic item treasury and be able to purchase most things there with great discounts."

"Really?!" My brother gasped. "Maybe we could find something that could upgrade my damned sword… Wait, that's not important right now. What about Anna?"

"Anna gets the S Rank Hunter License. Without a doubt, her abilities and her healing prowess prove that she is someone who has the power and abilities of an S Rank. No trial is required; you already got ranked up." He laughed, offering me my new, shiny diamond license. It said S Rank!

"I-I'm really an S Rank Hunter that quick?!" I gasped. "Woah… Well, alright. I guess."

"I would have loved to get you to S+ Rank, but the association president didn't allow it, saying they needed more reports of your work." He sighed. "However, I got you some things as well, Anna. Because although you don't know me well, I know you very well. Your brother always talked to me about you. After all, you were his inspiration and greatest motivation to move forward despite the odds in his favor. The reason he has grown so strong so quickly is because of you."

"W-Well, alright…?" I wondered.

"So, here." He gave me a golden-colored box, which emanated a strong aura.

"This is…?" I wondered, noticing the box was imbued with golden dragon decorations.

"Open it. You'll see what it is." He smiled.

[The Cosmic Throne {Golden Scales of Sunlight's Brilliance} smiles with confidence! He assures you this is a great gift.]

"…Alright."

I slowly opened the box, realizing there was a golden scroll inside, emanating a powerful divine aura. Each end of it was decorated with a golden dragon head. And the entire item screamed that it was an Ancient Martial Treasure of Murim.

What the hell? How did they even get their hands on such an item? Did the Yellow Dragon gift him this? No, he did say he was too poor, right? Unless… Wait, no, this doesn't matter. I need to check this out.

(Listen while rading: RETURN OF THE DRAGON )

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[Celestial Golden Dragon Fist Divine Martial Arts Scroll (SS Rank)]

A Divine Martial Arts Scroll containing the entire teachings of the Celestial Golden Dragon Fist techniques.

If the user is compatible, it is possible to immediately absorb the scroll's knowledge, power, and divinity, gaining the ability to learn every technique within the scroll over time, with a few starting techniques.

Each technique will grow at the same time through the Core Divine Martial Art, which will also possess unique effects.

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"What's this? I've never seen an item like this before…" My brother said.

"This is a Divine Martial Arts Scroll!" I said.

"A what?!" My brother was even more confused.

"Indeed, it is, as the girl says. This is something I purchased personally from the country's treasury." Smiled Jonathan. "I planned to originally use it on myself to further boost my own Celestial Yellow Dragon Fist Skills, but I never had the opportunity to use it because it required a certain amount of Internal Energy or something, and that was being sapped off of me constantly... Now that I am recovering, I could probably be qualified to use it again in a couple of days or weeks, but... I decided that such a treasure would better be with someone young, and that is still growing." He patted my head with his big, yet gentle hands.

"T-This is… really? For me?! But how did the country get this to begin with?" I wondered.

I seriously thought I was the first one to visit a Murim Dungeon! Yet they had such a treasure stashed inside their treasury? The country's government seems much deeper than I imagined. In the novel, it was mostly completely ignored too. But now that I think about it, to maintain a country after so many catastrophic events, it must be truly an incredible set of politicians.

"It was obtained as the last treasure from an S Rank Dungeon named "Golden Dragon's Legacy" or something, which appeared in China, actually." Laughed Jonathan. "We were paid by the country to clear it; in those times, they lacked enough powerful hunters and were busy dealing with all the other dungeons. Naturally, they wanted all the things inside for themselves, but someone managed to take the scroll, which was quickly cataloged as an immensely strong item that can only be used by specific people compatible with it. And apparently, my constellation told me you were."

"W-Well, I sure am!" I laughed. "I still feel a bit embarrassed but thank you so much. C-Can I use it?!"

"Of course, it's all yours, girl!"

"T-Then!"

Without even doubting it for a second, I opened the scroll wide and saw countless Chinese words glow with golden light. They flew and flashed with bright light, immediately entering my head and imprinting themselves into my very mind and soul.

The scroll itself also changed, becoming a small dragon made of golden divine ki and infusing itself into my chest, fusing with me and giving me a lot of power! It wasn't just to learn martial arts; this was a consumable item that granted actual power.

FLASH!

"Uwaah!" I was slightly taken aback by the scroll's powers, as I felt both my soul and body continuously grow stronger. "T-This is amazing!"

An aura of ever-expanding golden light continuously surged from my body, resembling a sea of liquid gold, which slowly took the shape of ten roaring golden dragons, appearing around me majestically, creating a golden throne. And above me, a crown of gold, made of a smaller golden dragon biting its own tail, appeared.

I felt the enlightenment of the Heavenly Dao surging through my mind. I saw the essence of heaven itself. I saw so many visions. The endlessly expanding skies. The cultivators training hard, the golden dragon blessing the Murim Worlds with its divine radiance. The gift of Ki, the essence of these worlds. And lastly, an old, gray-bearded man covered in golden scales, looking at me with a smile.

"Hmm… You're not exactly what I envisioned would become the successor of my Divine Martial Art Inheritance." He wondered.

I suddenly found myself right in front of him! What the hell is going on?! Is this an illusion? A dream? What is this?!

"Hohoho, fear not, young girl. This is not an illusion, but reality! Your soul has momentarily paid a visit to my own Divine Realm." He smiled. "Most know me as the {Father of Harmonious Primordial Radiance}. I am not a person that usually watches over worlds such as yours; I am almost exclusively watching over Murim worlds. But that dungeon did carry my legacy, mostly because I knew one of my sons, the one you know as {Golden Scales of Sunlight's Brilliance}, had chosen his incarnation in that world."

"Y-You're really…?! You are…!"

"Indeed." He smiled while stroking his long, gray beard. "I am the one and only, the mighty ruler of heaven. The creator of the Heavenly Dao. The one who created the Original Murim World, which branched into hundreds of worldlines with their own histories and tales to tell! I am…"

He suddenly exuded a mighty aura; a golden lightning struck him, his entire body transforming into a titanic being, enormous, encompassing all of heaven. Golden, shining scales, each one as bright as the sun, covered his entire body. His gigantic golden pupils glanced down at me as his long white hair waved behind his head and his beautiful golden horns stretched above, piercing the skies. His long whiskers were waving in the wind.

"The Heavenly Golden Dragon Emperor."

There is an existence between Constellations and Void Rulers. The very rare beings that could even rival Void Rulers in power alone, although not in being {Boundless}. This was an {Original}. A true god who was born by the Essence of the Cosmos. And perhaps one of the first ever Constellations that created all Murims!

I can't fucking believe it! He was just barely named in the story, never, ever appearing! And yet, here he is?! Right in front of me! And he's honestly way cooler than any Void Ruler in terms of appearance, legacy, and abilities.

"H-Holy shit…"

"Hahahaha!"

His laughter was like divine thunder about to split the heavens and destroy the earth below. My reaction was so out of character that he couldn't help but laugh. I feel embarrassed now.

ZAAAP!

In an instant, he quickly returned to his smaller appearance, extending a hand towards me.

"Stand up, young apprentice. You are now my disciple!" He smiled.

"E-Eh?! Me? Really?!" I gasped.

"Well… Not right now, no, you need to get a bit stronger, hopefully." He laughed.

"Ah…" I sighed.

"But! You'll get my support from now on, or well, a partial support." He smiled. "I had originally given away that scroll so that incarnation could obtain its powers and become my disciple. After all, he was my son's incarnation."

"So you're really the father of the Chinese Rainbow Dragons!" I said.

"That's quite the name to give to my children…" He muttered. "But yes, they're colorful younglings full of ambition. They decided to travel through worlds and seek their ideal incarnations. Among them, my son, the Yellow Dragon, is quite different from the rest. He dislikes Murim worlds and seeks strange, alien worlds instead. Ultimately finding your little blue star."

"A-Ah, I see… Ahem! I-I… What do I do now?" I wondered.

"Hoho, you've faced Void Rulers, yet you tremble before my presence?" He wondered.

"It's not out of fear, but you're really cool, sir! I like dragons." I smiled.

"Oh? Hahaha! What a peculiar child you are!" He found my comment amusing. "Well, we dragons are proud beings; to be praised like this with the honesty of your heart does fill me with happiness. Please take this little gift to begin our relationship as master and disciple. For now, I cannot teach you much, but I will be watching over you with one of my eyes. Channel the power of the Heavenly Dao, cultivate Ki, and master the ten initial ranks of my Divine Martial Arts. Once you accomplish such conditions, your real training will begin, and you will be able to officially join my sect, which spans across hundreds of Murim Worlds."

"I-I don't know if I would like to… tie myself into a sect, sir. But I would gladly become your disciple." I smiled with honesty.

"Don't worry, my sect is really lax! There are no restrictions other than getting along with the people." He smiled. "It is mostly made up of Constellations and Venerables from across many Murims."

"That sounds like a…"

"Indeed, it is the Nebula of Murim." He smiled. "And I am its supreme king."

A Nebula is going to sponsor me?! Asgard's Nebula relationship was just a little friendship, but this is certainly different!

"I will!" I nodded. "And what's this?"

I took the small gift he gave me. It was… a cicada made of pure gold.

I thought it was an ornament until it opened its tiny green eyes and flew into my head!

"W-Wha…?!"

"Hohoho, she seems to like you. That is the larva of a Heavenly Golden Time River Cicada. A special Divine Martial Beast that exists within the expanse of the Golden Rivers of Time, made out of my own flowing blood, which regulates the flow of time in all Murims." He said.

"A-Ah… I see." I nodded; the little bug sat over my hand.

"I noticed you have a knack for taming pets, so take that as my little present. Rise it well! It might become an incredible ally in the future." He said. "Now, you must be on your way. See you soon, Anna."

"Thank you for the pet!"

I quickly disappeared from there, opening my eyes again.

And the cicada appeared as a small ornament over my hair.

The Heavenly Golden Dragon Emperor...

He could become an incredible ally, someone who could even make opposing and then defeating the Void Rulers an actual, possible feat.

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