XIV

Nine massive heads spread across the sky, casting a menacing shadow onto the Tyrant Profound Realm beast. It stared upwards in surprise… having just witnessed a human transform into such a monster. Nine waves of Phoenix flames burst down onto the profound beast, effectively smothering the profound beast.

'... That didn't do shit!'

All eighteen eyes widened in surprise as the profound beast leapt into the air.

'Oh hell no…'

Rokas flew away from the profound beast… and it flew after him, firing off waves of ice. Rokas, however, was able to slither around them. He countered with his own Phoenix flames, barely doing any damage.

'You want close-quarters combat? You fucking got it.'

"ROAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!"

Irritated, Rokas channelled even more of his Berserk attribute, breaking far past the 'safe zone' and amplifying his strength five times over. He sharply turned, surprising the profound beast, and swiftly lunged at it. All of its nine heads bit into separate limbs, breaking past the beast's scales and digging into its flesh.

The first two heads, ripped its arms apart, the next two heads ripped its legs off while the rest ruthlessly tore open its chest. Eventually, it found the water seed and consumed it.

Then, the nine-headed flood dragon tossed the beast into the air and…

'BURN TO ASH!!!'

"ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!"

Nine waves of Phoenix Flames, twice as intense as before, exploded from the flood dragon's mouths and onto the Tyrant Profound Realm beast. The flames alone forcefully kept it floating in the air!

TSSSSSSS.

For a good thirty seconds, flames kept pouring onto the beast… relentlessly burning it into crisp. After it was done, the beast had been cooked and Rokas took it inside of his Inner World.

However, once the adrenaline and beastly instincts faded… he realised just how exhausted he had become.

'I used… all of my strength…'

Rokas returned to his human form and managed to use the Clothes Beam to restore his previous attire. However, he felt awfully tired. It took everything he had to stay awake…

He glanced up, noticing Murong Qianxue looking directly at him. To the side, he saw Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue walking over.

"The nine-headed flood dragon…"

"Yes…" Rokas nodded slightly. His limbs felt sore to the brink of falling off… he couldn't even manage to lift his arms. "That was… me."

"... It all makes sense." Murong Qianxue blinked, recalling how there was no flood dragon corpse in the lair. Conveniently enough, there was a young man who took care of her right after she had lost. Putting it all together… it all truly did make sense.

"Can you… repay the favour?" Rokas wondered, tilting his head slightly. "I know… it is an awful time to ask… but I'm… dead tired."

"I will." Murong Qianxue nodded as she promised. "No harm will come to you while you rest."

"... Thank you."

[Murong Qianxue (Moon XVIII) Confidant Rank: 0 → 1]

Thud.

Reassured by the fairy, Rokas finally let go and collapsed.

~

Murong Qianxue kept her word, looking after Rokas and, by extension, Cang Yue. For most of the period, she searched for treasures as did everyone else. Xia Qingyue was awfully fortunate, finding numerous priceless treasures that furthered her cultivation. However, so many questions had lingered in their minds regarding Rokas. How could one transform into such a mighty dragon and vice-versa? How could someone so young defeat a Tyrant Profound Realm beast? Who… was Long Ke, truly?

These questions had to wait till he woke…

Eventually, after a day and a half, he did. Slowly but surely, his golden eyes opened. He took in the fragrance around him… realising that it was Cang Yue carrying him.

"... I'm awake now." He spoke, prompting her to let him down. "For how long… was I away?"

"A day and a half…  the time for exploring the Heaven Basin Secret Realm is only hours away from expiring. But, the most important thing is that you're safe…" Cang Yue replied, caressing his cheek with her hand.

"... Mn, but there surely has to be more things that I could have… that I will find." Rokas grabbed her hand and lowered it. "This opportunity doesn't come so often so it shouldn't be wasted."

Cang Yue chuckled. "You just woke and you're already thinking about growing stronger."

"... I can rest after." Rokas smiled, turning to Xia Qingyue and Murong Qianxue.

"... So." Murong Qianxue crossed her arms, observing the young man. "What are you?"

"Well, there's no use trying to hide the truth. I'm a dragon capable of taking human form." Rokas waffled slightly. In truth, he was a demon whose true form was a dragon. Still… it was kind of the same thing, really. "This is a secret that I've only shared with those who I can truly trust. Others… well, I had to eat them."

"So… the question is if I can trust you two not to spill my secret." 

"Why are you so concerned with hiding it? With your strength, you are by far the strongest person in the Blue Wind Empire." Murong Qianxue questioned. "Even if all of the thrones in the nation joined their hands, they would be no match for you."

"The Four Great Sacred Grounds are against people like me," Rokas replied, frowning. "That is why… it is so important that it remains a secret. Otherwise, I would be chased around and quite possibly killed."

"The Four Great Sacred Grounds…" Cang Yue's eyes widened in shock and fear as she turned to Rokas. "Why… why would they want you dead?"

"I'm… not actually from the Profound Sky Continent. The whole Grand Asura thing was a lie." Rokas admitted, deciding to trust all three of them. Trust was the bridgework from which relationships formed, after all. "From the continent that I come from, people who can transform into beasts are not all that uncommon. Hence… they call us 'demons'. In recent centuries, there has been a great grievance between our continents which started because of the Four Great Sacred Grounds and their endless greed. They've invaded our continent multiple times… and so their invasions have broken our once stable continent."

This revelation left the three speechless for quite a while.

"If you want added incentive to keep quiet… I'd willingly assist Xia Qingyue in her cultivation progress just as I did with Cang Yue." Rokas added.

'Willing? Pfft, it's what I want to do!'

[System: Since when did you start pulling 200 iq moves?]

"... Your secret is safe with us, isn't it… senior fairy?" Xia Qingyue turned to Murong Qianxue who contemplated the decision for a short while. To gain the same support that Cang Yue had and, as a result, grow even more swiftly… that was crucial for her.

"Associating with a so-called 'demon' could bring calamity onto the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace…"

"But you don't know that I am a so-called 'demon', do you?" Rokas smiled slyly. "In the end, It's either you keep my secret or I… eat you both."

'The Nine Profound Exquisite Body, Heart of Snow Glazed Ice… Jesus, I'd be fucking overpowered. Too bad that I'm a faithful member of the Protecc Qingyue Sect and actually have some morals…'

"You don't mean that, do you?" Cang Yue whispered.

'Of course, I don't!'

Xia Qingyue looked into Rokas' eyes, making him a little nervous. She recognised that the 'eating' part was more of a bad joke. Then she turned back to Murong Qianxue and spoke once again, urging her to accept.

"Senior fairy… the risk is well-worth the reward. The only reason he showed himself to us is that he trusted us to keep his secret. He wouldn't be foolish enough to show himself in public otherwise the Four Great Sacred Grounds would have already caught him. This means that, if we keep this secret, it is highly unlikely to ever go out."

'Second-best girl in action.' Rokas smiled slightly.

[System: If Cang Yue is best-girl, Qianye Ying'er would naturally move down to second-best and Xia Qingyue to third… no?]

'Cang Yue is in a realm of her own.'

[System: The best-wife?]

'Something like that.'

"... You make a good case." Murong Qianxue nodded. "Given your strength and swift growth, it would not be wise to make an enemy out of you… so we will keep your secret. If you keep your word and assist with Qingyue's cultivation, the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace would truly be indebted to you."

"It's settled then." Rokas nodded. "If you don't mind… could you leave me and Xia Qingyue for the following hours? Besides, you wouldn't want to be slowed down by non-flyers when you could be finding more treasures."

"I'll be fine." Xia Qingyue reassured Murong Qianxue.

"... As you wish."

Murong Qianxue flew away, leaving the trio alone.

"Regarding the best cultivation spot in the world… well, uh… it's inside of me." Rokas scratched his hair.

"What-"

"You'll… see" He grabbed her shoulder, taking her body inside of his Inner World.

…

"Another beauty is dragged into the fiend's cave," Jasmine remarked as she observed Xia Qingyue.

"Who… are you?" Xia Qingyue blinked, taking a good look at the red-headed loli.

"Why don't you bring the entire Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace in here next time?" Jasmine japed as Rokas appeared in his spirit form alongside Cang Yue.

"Sounds like a great idea." Rokas sarcastically replied. 'Hell the fuck no… they'd suck out all of my energy!'

"Hmph…"

"Anyway, this is Jasmine, my master… she might look little but she's a complete menace. Also, she's cold and indifferent to strangers so just keep that in mind."

'A complete menace?' Jasmine thought to herself. 

"... How strong is your master?" Xia Qingyue wondered, glancing at Jasmine.

"Very strong… although, she can't access her true strength at the moment," Rokas replied, shrugging his shoulders. "So… why don't you try meditating here? You'll see immediate progress."

"Mn… this place is simply heaven-defying." Cang Yue added.

"The air is rich… to an absurd extent." Xia Qingyue acknowledged with a shocked expression behind her veil. "Nothing in the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace even compares. How did something like this even develop inside of your body?"

"It's kind of a long story… but I did eat a lot of crystals. Oh, Cang Yue… I did get this for you." Rokas chuckled, feeling a little proud of himself as he changed the topic. He picked up the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus, refining it into a pellet with a single touch. "This handy pellet here will help you break into the Emperor Profound Realm."

"!!!" Xia Qingyue's jaw dropped as she watched Rokas casually hand over the pellet to Cang Yue. "Is that true? There's such a pellet?"

"I can't take it." Cang Yue shook her head defiantly as she returned it into his hand. "Such a thing should be used on you… after all, you are at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm."

"Nope, it wouldn't!" Rokas shook his head, forcing it into her palm. "This thing would go directly into this Inner World as profound energy and, relatively speaking, barely make a difference. I'd much rather if you were a throne…"

"... Well…"

"Take it as an early bride gift." Rokas smiled, closing her palm. "I want you to be strong, Cang Yue. So strong that you can share the mountain peak with me. Now… take the pellet for me. Please."

'I'll never leave you behind. With this confidant system… and Inner World, we will climb the mountain together.'

"I'll take it." Cang Yue nodded.

"Great." Rokas smiled, stepping away. "Since there are a few hours left, I might as well make the most out of them."

His spirit form vanished as he opened his eyes to the outside world. He dusted himself off, widening his senses across countless kilometres.

'Right… there have to be some goodies around here somewhere.'

…

"What did you do to make him so devoted to you?" Xia Qingyue wondered as she looked into Cang Yue's eyes.

"You… make it sound like I did something devious." Cang Yue shook her head, smiling slightly. "He has always been caring towards me and so have I been to him. It was… almost love at first sight, you could say. Long Ke is a person who sparsely experienced love at his home. That's why… he left."

"So… he found that love in you." Xia Qingyue deduced, her eyes shining with a sense of mystery. "I see… it is natural for a man to care for his woman, I suppose. However, to this extent… it is quite rare."

"Sometimes… I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay him." Cang Yue sighed, shaking her head. "Not that he'd want me to but still-"

"Love and family. Those things are more important than resources and strength to such people. I believe that all he'd want would be your love and companionship… that alone would be enough for him." Xia Qingyue stated.

"I suppose you're right."

~

Unfortunately, Rokas wasn't able to find any super special treasures. Regarding profound beasts, the ones he encountered were in the Sky Profound Realm or below. Hardly a fight with barely any reward. He honestly felt like he had wasted his time.

When the time for the Heaven Basin Secret Realm was ending, he let out Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue. Afterwards, they all teleported back to the Heavenly Sword Villa, one by one. Within moments, everyone saw that Cang Yue could fly.

"This profound strength…" Ling Kun's eyes widened as he was taken aback by Cang Yue. "The Emperor Profound Realm!"

"That's… impossible… isn't it?" Ling Yuefeng exclaimed in utter shock.

Everyone present couldn't believe what they were hearing. A nineteen-year-old throne… in the Blue Wind Empire!? Something like that was unheard of in places not named the Four Great Sacred Grounds (and Divine Phoenix Empire), let alone the weakest nation.

"I was fortunate enough to find a fully blossomed Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus." Rokas immediately announced, erasing the confusion. He was confident enough to speak to large groups of people… but, as usual, was rather blunt. "As it was only fitting, I gave it to my future wife as a bridal gift."

"... Woah… they're getting married!?"

"I mean, those lovebirds made it quite obvious…"

"Ah… then I shall congratulate you two a little early." Ling Yuefeng let out a heartful laugh. "Truly, in recent years, I have not witnessed a tighter-knit young couple. I am certain that your marriage will be a happy one."

"Thanks." Rokas managed a courteous smile. "Now… Cang Yue?-"

"There is something that I have to settle." Cang Yue took a deep breath as she approached the Xiao Sect's group. "Xiao Juetian, the Master of the Xiao Sect. I, Princess Cang Yue of the Blue Wind Imperial Family, demand that your sect removes its influence from my family's political matters once and for all. For centuries, we have maintained independent power and influence in the Blue Wind Empire. That tradition will not end with this generation."

Rokas couldn't hide the admiration shining from his eyes. This badass woman… was his future princess wife! He could truly die without regrets.

"Apologies if you were confused, Blue Moon Princess, but the Xiao Sect was invited by the Crown Prince Cang Lin." Xiao Juetian justified his sect's actions. After all, with the gathering of so many prominent figures, he couldn't lose face.

"And I'm kicking you out." Cang Yue stared at Xiao Juetian without a shred of fear. "If you object… shall I remind you that the Burning Heaven Clan also withdrew its influence?"

"... We…"

"Should I?" Rokas grinned slightly as he stepped forward, looking down at Xiao Juetian from the side of Cang Yue. "I've been wondering if I could snag a Sky Profound sword… would the Xiao Sect happen to have one?"

Snag… that word alone was insulting!

Ling Yuefeng was carefully watching the entire affair, willing to step in if any fighting were to occur. After all, the Heavenly Sword Villa was a sacred ground where fighting outside of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament was prohibited.

"No… the Xiao Sect will withdraw its influence completely." After seeing Fen Moli's hopeless look, Xiao Juetian sighed. "We will not partake in the politics of the Blue Wind Imperial Family in any way from this day forward."

"Good." Cang Yue gave an approving nod.

"So… I take it that this conflict is settled?" Ling Kun inquired, observing the group. "Let it be known that I will not tolerate any further conflicts within the confines of the Heavenly Sword Villa. You can do whatever you wish outside… but nothing here. Is that understood?"

'Man's talking down to everyone like a group of children.' Rokas furrowed his brows slightly.

Seeing as everyone was silent, Ling Kun nodded.

"Now, Yuefeng, I must leave tomorrow so the Demon Sealing Ritual should not wait."

Ling Yuefeng nodded, announcing the following right after;

"All of you heard what Elder Ling said previously. For the first time, the Demon Sealing Ritual will be open to the public for you all to witness. I realise that some of you are tired from journeying the vast Heaven Basin Secret Realm and may not be quite so interested. So… if you do not wish to witness this rare and valuable experience, you may return to your courtyards to rest. Otherwise, follow Elder Ling and I to the Sword Management Terrace."

Rokas looked at Cang Yue and shrugged. "We've accomplished what we set out to do, didn't we?"

"Mn… you're right." Cang Yue nodded. "But wouldn't you want to see the 'demon' for yourself?"

"Nah, I'm chilling."

'Technically, I could save him but that would be immensely stupid to do at this point in time. Nevermind publicly making myself an enemy of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region… would he even listen to me if I released him? No, of course not, he's the damn Demon King. And then if he found the Mirror of Samsara in my Inner World… yeah, I'm not trying to die early.'

'As for seeing an old man mald for a few minutes, I'm not too interested. Maybe in the future… when I'm strong enough.'

Rokas and Cang Yue decided not to witness the demon sealing process, walking towards their courtyards. Along the way, Xia Qingyue was walking to their side. Seeing an opportunity, Rokas walked toward her.

'Gimme that confidant rank.'

"So… how was your time meditating?" Rokas asked, tilting his head slightly.

"It was extremely beneficial." Xia Qingyue replied, turning to face him. Both of them stopped walking and looked at each other for a moment.

'I still can't forget how beautiful she looked then…' Rokas thought.

"Say… would you be interested in staying for a longer duration? I mean, I sort of did promise to help you grow stronger… so a measly six hours or so really doesn't cut it."

Xia Qingyue nodded. "I would not object to such an arrangement."

"So… how would we meet up?" Rokas wondered, stroking his chin. "You're going to go back to the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace while I'm going to be busy in the Capital."

"I believe it would be best if you came yourself. Given your high profound strength, travelling to the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace should not take too long. From there… I'm sure you can come to terms with the Palace Mistress."

'Sounds like a drag…'

"I mean, technically, I could just save all the trouble and take you now." Rokas joked, chuckling.

"..." Xia Qingyue blinked for a moment, a little speechless. "You could… however, to avoid any implications, I will try to convince Murong Qianxue to allow it. That way, no time will be wasted."

"That would be better," Rokas nodded. "I wouldn't want to have the reputation of a kidnapper, after all…"

She paused for a moment. Did she smile… or what? Rokas couldn't tell anything behind her veil. 

"I'll go see my senior now."

"Alright…"

[Xia Qingyue (Hanged Man XII) Confidant Rank: 0 → 1]

'So… she is the Hanged Man, after all.'

Rokas smiled, having taken one important step towards fixing his terrible luck and getting closer to Xia Qingyue herself. 

'System… when you meant a high confidant rank with the Hanged Man, what number would that be?'

[System: Nine.]

'... Mad.'