The air was thick with silence, broken only by the soft crunch of leaves beneath cautious feet.
Five human cultivators moved in formation, light on their steps but tense in posture. Each wore traveling robes embroidered with a faint cloud insignia—the mark of the Clearwind Sect.
They were scouts, sent on a mission from their elders.
"I'm telling you," muttered the lead youth in green robes, scanning his surroundings with narrowed eyes, "the elders wouldn't send us if it was just a false alarm. There's been a major Spirit Qi fluctuation reported from this area."
Another scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Spirit Qi spikes in the Beast Forest? Not exactly rare. Still, this place does feel... denser."
The red-eyed girl among them nodded. "I sensed it too. It's not just higher Spirit Qi… it's focused, like someone—or something—is gathering it."
They had no idea how right they were.
Hidden among the canopy, Long Tian observed them silently. Cloaked in natural shadows, his breath was steady, his Azure scales dulling to blend with the trees.
> "Scouts. Not strong, but their eyes are dangerous. If they return with reports…"
His gaze turned serious. This was the first time he'd seen humans since awakening in this world. A strange, distant familiarity tugged at his chest—but it was quickly drowned by vigilance.
> "This forest is mine. Its secrets cannot be exposed yet."
He vanished from his perch, streaking through the woods like a phantom to intercept their path deeper within.
---
Minutes later, the cultivators paused at a clearing.
And something stepped out.
A massive ape, nearly three meters tall, covered in dark steel-gray fur. Its eyes glowed with cold intelligence, and each breath it exhaled sent a low rumble into the air.
The scouts braced. One chuckled nervously. "Another beast. Looks big, but probably dumb."
The red-eyed girl frowned. "No. It's watching us. That's not instinct—it's control."
What they didn't know—this ape was not born here. It had been captured by Long Tian, subdued in battle, and enslaved using an ancient Slave Seal passed through his dragon bloodline. It now served as the outer guardian of his territory.
The green-robed leader didn't hesitate.
"Hmph. I'll clear the path. Get ready to bind it if it survives."
He rushed forward, Spirit Sword gleaming with low-tier Qi.
The ape did not move.
Until it did.
BOOM.
A single punch.
The human's body exploded mid-air, blood and bone scattering through the glade. His weapon clattered to the ground, useless.
The remaining four froze in place.
Then, from the trees—
Azure eyes opened.
Long Tian stepped into view. His scaled form radiated a silent, crushing presence. Lightning Qi danced faintly along his body.
"A… dragon?" one of the cultivators whispered, his voice cracking.
"No—he's too young. But his aura—it's…" The girl gasped. "He's the source of the fluctuations!"
They tried to flee. One ran north. Another leapt into the air using a talisman.
It didn't matter.
Long Tian moved.
The one in the air was struck mid-flight by a bolt of True Dragon Qi, his body crashing down with a smoking hole in his chest.
Another tried to fight, summoning a flame talisman. Tian dashed past, his claws cleaving the man's throat in one clean swipe.
The last dropped to his knees. "Please! I'm just a scout—I won't say anything!"
> "You already saw too much."
With a swipe of his tail, the man's body hit a tree and slumped, lifeless.
---
Silence.
Five scouts. Dead.
The ape watched calmly from the shadows, no longer needing to act. Its instincts were now bound to Long Tian's will.
The young dragon didn't waver. His heart was steady. No guilt. No pity.
> "This is the law of the wild. Mercy is a luxury I cannot afford."
---
[Loot Acquired – Human Scout Belongings]
Spirit Condensing Pills ×12
Qi Restoration Talismans ×3
Low-grade Spirit Swords ×2
Preserved food and water
Clothing and utility robes
Clearwind Sect Tokens
He stored the items in a hidden corner of his cave without inspecting them.
> "If a scouting party came… others may follow."
He turned and glided back through the trees, the forest shifting to greet him as its rightful sovereign.
---
That night, seated beside the glowing waters of the Earth Dew Pond, Long Tian's eyes closed. He returned to cultivation with sharper focus than ever.
Because now, the clock had started ticking.
The outside world was stirring.
And one day, it would come knocking.