Venerable Supreme of Myriad Dragons

Shen Daoxing reached out, picked up the violet-gold immortal fruit, and tossed it into his mouth. He felt a comfortable warmth flow into his abdomen before spreading through his limbs and out to every corner of his body. After circulating once, the warmth gathered and surged toward his chest, pouring into the two gaping, bloody holes.

After a short while, Shen Daoxing felt a tingling, itching sensation coming from his chest.

He looked down to see the flesh around the wounds on his chest squirming, rapidly mending the injuries at a rate visible to the naked eye.

In just a few moments, the two large holes in Shen Daoxing’s chest had been filled with new flesh.

The purple Vermilion Fruit was worthy of its status as a Celestial and Earthly Treasure from the Xu Family’s collection. It truly possessed the miraculous power to regenerate flesh and mend broken bones.

Then, Shen Daoxing recalled the details of the previous battle, carefully reflecting on that tiny point of light. He was certain now that the attack had been a manifestation of Sword Intent.

A single thread of Sword Intent, yet it could cross thousands of miles in an instant. If the Venerable Dharma Seal hadn’t deflected its trajectory, Shen Daoxing would be dead by now.

The speed to cross a thousand miles.

Recalling the series of perilous moments, Shen Daoxing felt he was on the verge of grasping something.

He looked out the window. The clouds below the Cloud Ship were rushing past so quickly they blurred into streaks.

All at once, the Cloud Ship dove beneath the Cloud Sea, and Shen Daoxing beheld the magnificent landscapes of the East Continent.

There were majestic, rolling mountain ranges that stretched on endlessly.

There were spectacular, sprawling lakes where the water met the sky.

There was a bottomless Celestial Abyss stretching for a thousand miles.

In a fleeting, ethereal haze, they all streaked past Shen Daoxing’s eyes.

Amid the splendor, Shen Daoxing saw a hazy point of light darting across the vast landscape below. He felt as if he could snatch it at any moment, yet when he reached out, his hand closed on empty air.

Time flowed on, and the days flew by.

Elder Mu piloted the Cloud Ship, weaving swiftly through the Cloud Sea as the grand landscapes of the East Continent rapidly receded below.

After entering their quiet chambers, neither Shen Daoxing nor Shangguan Yiran emerged.

Bored, Xin wandered aimlessly around the ship, looking for someone to play with. After searching all over, he found that only Fu could spare the time to join in his games.

The old man and the young boy got along splendidly, having a wonderful time together.

After a few days, the wounds on Shen Daoxing’s chest had completely healed. The purple Vermilion Fruit lived up to its name as a Celestial and Earthly Treasure; not even a scar remained.

However, Shen Daoxing remained in his quiet chamber, deep in meditation.

At that very moment, a scene played out in his mind: a dot of white light soared over majestic rivers and mountains, pursued by another point of light—Shen Daoxing himself—chasing desperately after it.

They flew over vast lakes.

They crossed unbroken chains of mountain peaks.

Shen Daoxing drew closer and closer to the point of light in front of him.

The distance closed—to yards, to feet, to mere inches.

Suddenly, Shen Daoxing’s light flared brilliantly.

BANG!

He pierced straight through a mountain peak that blocked his path.

In the next instant, he shot past the white point of light.

All at once, Shen Daoxing reversed direction and slammed into it.

A dazzling white light flared. He had caught it.

Shen Daoxing’s eyes snapped open, a white light flashing within them.

He raised two fingers, and a dazzling point of white light materialized between them.

He flicked his fingers lightly toward the window.

A point of white light shot out, and in a mere instant, it crossed mountains, soared over great lakes, and traversed thousands of miles.

Shen Daoxing had comprehended a new Sword Intent... the Supreme Aurora Sword Intent.

CREAK!

Pushing open the door, Shen Daoxing slowly walked out. After many days, he finally left his quiet chamber for the first time, stepping onto the deck of the Cloud Ship to enjoy the morning sun.

Not far away, he saw Xin and Fu playing chess.

"Hey! That move doesn’t count! Take it back!"

Fu chuckled, quickly snatching a piece from the board and placing it elsewhere without a hint of embarrassment.

"Fu, you’re taking back your move again,"

Xin complained, puffing out his cheeks. His own pieces, however, began to fall faster and faster!

Despite his young age, he had Fu on the ropes, forcing him into a steady retreat across the board.

CREAK!

Another door opened. Shangguan Yiran, who had also been in seclusion for many days, emerged from her quiet chamber.

Shen Daoxing saw that her complexion had improved significantly, and he felt relieved.

Seeing Shangguan Yiran, Fu looked as if he’d just seen his savior and quickly called out, "Commandery Princess! You’re finally out!"

He immediately beckoned Shangguan Yiran over to help him.

Shangguan Yiran glanced at the board just once before picking up a piece and gently placing it. Suddenly, it was Xin’s turn to be vexed, scratching his head in frustration.

Shen Daoxing smiled faintly and walked to the ship’s bow. He saw Elder Mu standing at the prow, a shimmering golden light enveloping him as he controlled the Cloud Ship.

"Young Master Shen, you’re finally out."

Elder Mu smiled faintly upon seeing Shen Daoxing.

"Elder Mu, how much longer until we reach Cangzhou?"

Shen Daoxing asked.

Elder Mu thought for a moment before replying, "We’ve already entered the territory of the Daqi Empire. At our current speed, it will take another ten days or so to reach Cangzhou."

"But!"

As he spoke, Elder Mu paused. "We left Ancient Moon City in too much of a hurry. The Cloud Ship’s reserves of Wind Source Ore are too low to get us to Cangzhou. We’ll have to land once to restock."

"Wind Source Ore?"

Shen Daoxing asked, looking at Elder Mu curiously.

Elder Mu nodded. "Wind Source Ore is an extremely rare type of mineral that contains abundant Wind-Attribute Spiritual Qi. The Cloud Ship requires it as fuel to sustain long-term flight."

Elder Mu paused, then added, "But the Business Alliance’s Cloud Ship is right behind us. The moment we stop, they’re sure to catch up."

Shen Daoxing frowned and turned to look behind them. Far in the distance, barely visible through the clouds and mist, a Business Alliance Cloud Ship was in pursuit.

"We could go to the kingdom of Tianze."

Just then, Shangguan Yiran stepped forward and spoke up.

"The kingdom of Tianze?"

Shen Daoxing turned his head to look at Shangguan Yiran.

Shangguan Yiran nodded and explained, "The kingdom of Tianze was founded just over three hundred years ago, but it’s one of the few nations in the East Continent yet to be infiltrated by the Celestial Profound Sacred Land. It’s located within the Celestial Lake Swamp, one of the continent’s five great Forbidden Lands. The Celestial Essence Ore Vein inside is a rich source of Wind Source Ore. Furthermore, the people of Tianze are extremely xenophobic—not even the Celestial Profound Sacred Land can get in."

"However..."

Shangguan Yiran paused before continuing, "But if the people of Tianze are so xenophobic, it will be just as difficult for us to get in. Besides, the Celestial Lake Swamp is one of the East Continent’s five great Forbidden Lands and is filled with perils. Only the citizens of Tianze know the safe passages in and out."

Shen Daoxing turned to look behind them again. Far in the distance across the Cloud Sea, the Business Alliance’s Cloud Ship remained in close pursuit.

"Regardless, we have to shake those guys first," Shen Daoxing said with a frown. "Elder Mu, can you do it?"