"Your Highness already possesses the Dragon Seal; all that remains is to master the Raging Lion Battle Qi," Jiuyue Zhutian stated.

"Raging Lion Battle Qi," I exclaimed with excitement. "Is that the explosive Battle Qi you were using before?"

"Precisely," Jiuyue Zhutian confirmed.

"That's wonderful; I can learn it too," I murmured to myself.

"After all, Your Highness is a descendant of the Magic Dragon Royal Family and carries the Nine-Colored Dragon Seal; learning the Raging Lion Battle Qi is mandatory," Jiuyue Zhutian said seriously.

In the days that followed, I remained at the Celestial Demon Sacred Hall, diligently studying the Raging Lion Battle Qi with Jiuyue Zhutian. As for Jiuyue Minglun, he vanished after I completed the assessment.

"The Raging Lion Battle Qi centers on the concept of 'Rage,'" Jiuyue Zhutian instructed. "The circulation of the Battle Qi involves gathering three distinct types of internal Battle Qi energies at a single point. These three different energies merge to form an unstable energy field. Just as this field is about to detonate, it is shot out of the body, creating a devastating shockwave of Battle Qi."

"An energy field formed by three different types of energy," I inquired curiously. "Which three?"

"Your Highness should still recall the Nine Dragons Coil, correct?" Jiuyue Zhutian asked.

"Mhm," I nodded slightly.

"When Your Highness placed a hand upon the Nine Dragons Coil, the Nine-Colored Divine Dragons within it were awakened and entered Your Highness's body. At that moment, the Nine-Colored Divine Dragons left the Dragon Seal within you."

"Dragon Seal?" I asked, intrigued. "What is that?"

"When the Nine-Colored Divine Dragon entered Your Highness's body, did you feel a peculiar power envelop your entire being?" Jiuyue Zhutian prompted.

"Now that you mention it, I do recall feeling an unfamiliar force cover me, almost like soaking in a hot spring," I said, recalling the sensation as I asked, "Is that the power of the Dragon Seal?"

"Indeed," Jiuyue Zhutian replied. "Jidu, Rahu, and the others could only gain three of the nine Dragon Seals from the Nine-Colored Divine Dragons through the guidance of the High Priest. These three-colored Dragon Seals are also our Celestial Demon Badges! This allows us not only to cultivate the Raging Lion Battle Qi but also to utilize the power of the Celestial Demon Battle Armor."

"The High Priest's guidance," I mused. "Is it what the High Priest just did for me?"

"Precisely," Jiuyue Zhutian confirmed. "The explosive force generated by the mutual fusion of these three Dragon Seals is what allows the execution of the Raging Lion Battle Qi." Jiuyue Zhutian's expression grew somber as he spoke. "However, we lack the divinely bestowed protective bloodline of the Royal Family, so we can only absorb three of the seals. Therefore, the Raging Lion Battle Qi we unleash is inherently incomplete. True Raging Lion Battle Qi requires the mutual fusion of all nine Dragon Seals from the Nine-Colored Divine Dragon. Only then is the ultimate power of the Raging Lion Battle Qi displayed—a power capable of sweeping through armies, unstoppable. In this current age, only the Emperor, Crown Prince Shenxu, and Your Highness Prince Xingchen can absorb all nine Dragon Seals simultaneously."

Hmph! This divine protection is truly a marvelous thing. I felt a secret surge of satisfaction.

"So, what should I do?" I asked the most crucial question.

"Although Your Highness has absorbed all nine Dragon Seals, truly wielding their power requires a very long period of cultivation—perhaps five years before you can even sense their presence. This is precisely why we decided you should rely on the Dragon Shadow Sword Technique to achieve victory in the next Celestial Demon Hegemony Tournament."

"Five years?" I was stunned. "That's a long time."

"The Dragon Seal is a highly unique power; it requires little direct training and grows freely within Your Highness's body, much like a tree seed. The Dragon Seals within you now have likely not even sprouted, so you cannot borrow their strength yet. For context, Jidu and the others began injecting their Dragon Seals when they were one year old, and only after so many years of cultivation can their three-colored seals unleash the Raging Lion Battle Qi."

"..." I felt somewhat deflated.

"Your Highness need not be disheartened! With your current strength, securing a top-five placement in the Celestial Demon Hegemony Tournament is not difficult!" Jiuyue Zhutian seemed to perceive my discouragement. "Trust my judgment; I am never wrong."

"En." One cannot be too greedy. After all, I already possess two ultimate techniques: the Dragon Shadow Sword Technique and Thunder Battle Qi. Mastering just those two will make me incredibly powerful.

"What I am about to teach Your Highness is the Way of Nurturing Dragons."

"The Way of Nurturing Dragons?" I was slightly surprised. "Nurture what kind of dragon?"

"Your Highness already houses the nine-colored Dragon Seals of the Nine-Colored Divine Dragon. Each seal is equivalent to a small dragon, merely undeveloped, which is why you cannot sense them. However, we can feed them things to accelerate their growth—this is the Way of Nurturing Dragons. Once the Nine-Colored Dragon Seals mature, they will become the Nine-Colored Divine Dragons, providing Your Highness with immense power."

"Wait, is the Way of Nurturing Dragons the cultivation method for Raging Lion Battle Qi?" I asked, astonished.

"It is," Jiuyue Zhutian confirmed. "The food of the Nine-Colored Divine Dragon is singular: Killing Intent."

"Killing Intent, food?" I repeated blankly. "Can Killing Intent be eaten?"

"Your Highness cannot, but the Dragon Seals within Your Highness can," Jiuyue Zhutian explained. "Thus, the Way of Nurturing Dragons is actually quite simple: engage in battle and slay enemies. The more enemies you kill on the battlefield, the faster the nine-colored Dragon Seals within you will grow."

"Engage in battle and slay enemies?" I asked curiously. "Can't I train by killing monsters?"

"No," Jiuyue Zhutian asserted. "The food for the Dragon Seals requires the accumulation of sufficient Killing Intent through the constant act of killing humans." He grew serious as he continued, "Therefore, even though the Celestial Demon Warriors of the Magic Dragon Empire have always been the fewest in number, every single one of them is battle-hardened, forged through slaying enemies. Celestial Demon Warriors from other nations would generally prefer not to clash with us."

"Forged through slaying enemies." Heavens, what a perverse skill—cultivating only through relentless killing. Thinking about it sent a chill down my spine. Although I had killed people since arriving in the Mafa world, I never did it without cause. This purposeful killing for the sake of cultivation was something I could never accept.

"When Your Highness can sense the Dragon Seals, follow the method I teach to circulate your energy, which will help the seals inside you grow better..." Jiuyue Zhutian remained calm.

"Then let's learn it first," I conceded helplessly. Though the cultivation method seemed utterly unbelievable, I had no other choice.

Subsequently, Jiuyue Zhutian began teaching me a unique method of energy circulation.

One week later, I finally mastered the Art of Nurturing Dragons. It was also time to return to Biqi, as I still needed to learn the latter parts of the Dragon Shadow Sword Technique; time waits for no one.

"Take care of yourself, Your Highness!" Jiuyue Zhutian said regretfully. "Remember, you must return to the Magic Dragon City by next year's Red Moon!"

"Yes, General, you take care as well." After a few days of interaction, I learned that Jiuyue Zhutian had once roamed the battlefield as a Celestial Demon Warrior before being selected as an instructor at the Celestial Demon Sacred Hall, responsible for assessing the new generation of Magic Dragon Royal Family Celestial Demon Warriors. Therefore, I stopped calling him 'Senior' and addressed him as 'General.'

Though separation was difficult, I stepped into the light array I had used to enter the Celestial Demon Sacred Hall—it was the teleportation array leading to the outside world, capable of reaching the Magic Dragon Continent, specifically the small coastal city of Honghai. This was a one-way teleportation, and the coordinates were not fixed, only covering a rough general area.

To enter the Celestial Demon Sacred Hall, besides using special scrolls, one could only use a specific teleportation array within the Imperial Palace. This secret was known only to successive Celestial Demon Warriors, the Magic Dragon Emperors, and the High Priest of the Celestial Demon Sacred Hall.

Of course, Jiuyue Zhutian told me all this, as I was the future Celestial Demon Warrior of the Royal Family.

A flash of white light filled my vision! Following a familiar sensation of dizziness and weightlessness, I felt my feet firmly plant on solid ground once more.

But before I could even open my eyes, a sudden roar erupted, immediately followed by the whistling sound of several streaks of sword energy rushing toward me!

"Ah!" I cried out in alarm, quickly dodging aside!

Whoosh! The missed sword energies whistled past! Opening my eyes, I saw a scene of chaotic melee; clearly, two factions were engaged in fierce fighting.

Damn it! What is going on? The teleportation array from the Celestial Demon Sacred Hall dropped me right here.

No wonder I drew friendly fire!

I instantly understood my predicament, and immediately, several assassination sword energies, massive fireballs, and lightning spells slammed towards me. Looking closely, I saw over a dozen figures dressed as Rangers ruthlessly attacking me.

While dodging and attempting to explain, upon noticing the White Tiger emblem on their chests, I immediately changed my mind. Damn it, they were from the White Tiger Alliance; no wonder they were so arrogant!

The attackers now looked ferocious, seemingly wishing to tear me to pieces.

Being polite? Did they think I was afraid? Without hesitation! Thunder Shield instantly deployed, and several crescent moon blades, released with blinding speed, shot outward in all directions!

Splat! Splat! Splat! Where the sword energies passed, flesh flew apart. Over a dozen people hadn't even reacted before they were cleaved in half by the sword energies I unleashed. It wasn't that I was too strong; it was that they were too weak.

The attacks just now were, at best, at the peak of the Advanced level; how could they possibly fight me?

A moment of stunned silence swept the area! Both fighting factions halted, studying me with uncertain, grim expressions.

"Who are you! How dare you interfere with the affairs of my White Tiger Alliance!" Several figures stepped forward from the crowd. Judging by their aura, their Battle Qi cultivation was at the peak of the Red Moon level—though only their Battle Qi cultivation!

"We kill anyone from the White Tiger Alliance!" I retorted, annoyed. "It's because that kid named Luo Meng offended me."

"Audacious! How dare you utter the Vice Leader's name so casually!" someone immediately shouted in condemnation.

Meanwhile, the other group, who had been fighting the White Tiger Alliance, quickly regrouped, setting up their formation. One particularly large warrior stepped forward, gazing at me with astonishment. Although he wore a helmet, the trace of sheer ecstasy flashing in his large eyes did not escape my notice. Did he recognize me? And his build felt so familiar!

But I was wearing a helmet; how could he possibly recognize my true appearance?

"Xing... Xingchen! Is that really you?" the large warrior asked excitedly.

Wait, that voice sounded incredibly familiar. Where had I heard it before?

"I am Lu Zhao!" The big man ripped off his helmet, revealing Lu Zhao's sharply defined features.

"Ah! Brother Lu!" I gasped in shock.

I too removed my helmet! Although my appearance was currently altered due to disguise, I trusted that Lu Zhao would recognize me.

"So you two know each other." The leading warrior of the White Tiger Alliance's expression drastically shifted. "You are Xingchen? Are you the—the Blue Lightning who killed the Yellow Springs Sect Master in the Cangyue Bone Demon Cave—Xingchen?"

Not just him; everyone around changed color. They involuntarily retreated several steps!

"That is correct." I hadn't expected my reputation to be so widespread! Seeing how terrified these people were, I felt a measure of pride.

"Run!" The leading warrior of the White Tiger Alliance immediately turned tail and fled.

"Stop them!" Lu Zhao roared. "None of them must leave alive!"

"They won't escape." Although I didn't know what grudge they had with Lu Zhao, since he didn't want them to flee, they were as good as dead.

The Eye of Death instantly activated, slowing the movement trajectories of the twenty-odd members of the White Tiger Alliance. I didn't hesitate, launching four massive crescent moon blades in rapid succession, flying like precision-guided missiles toward their fleeing backs.

Splat, splat, splat, splat!

The dazzling, seven-colored crescents shot out, followed by bursts of shattered blood mist. Where the light flashed, flesh and blood flew apart.

In an instant, the more than twenty warriors and mages of the White Tiger Alliance were instantly annihilated by me; they didn't even get a chance to run. Compared to the Magic Dragon Blade Soldiers, their cultivation was far too low.

"....................." Lu Zhao stood stunned, staring blankly at the scene before him, stained crimson with scattered limbs and body parts.

The surroundings were filled with rapid, shallow breaths; everyone looked at me with abject horror.

"This! Perhaps I was a bit heavy-handed," I admitted awkwardly.

"Blue Lightning," Lu Zhao muttered, "so this is your true strength. No wonder those men turned and fled upon hearing your name."

"So powerful," a few warriors couldn't help but exclaim. "I didn't even see what happened; they were already split in two."

"................." Now it was my turn to be dumbfounded. Was I really as formidable as they described? But considering I had used the Eye of Death just now, maximizing my speed, it was understandable that they couldn't even see clearly. Perhaps, without realizing it, I had already distanced myself significantly from average Rangers.

"Xingchen, it really is you, that's wonderful!" Lu Zhao was overcome with emotion. "I only thought the voice sounded similar, but I never expected it to be you, and look how powerful you've become."

The other warriors around burst into cheers, looking at me as if I were their savior, making me feel slightly sheepish.

"Brother Lu, what exactly happened? How did you end up on the Magic Dragon Continent, and how did you provoke the White Tiger Alliance?" I asked, surprised.

"Forget that for now," Dongguan said anxiously. "Xingchen, quickly find a way to save Uncle Lu!"

"Uncle Lu? Are you referring to Lu Tong?" I asked instinctively.

"The Sect Master was captured by people from the White Tiger Alliance!" Lu Zhao stated worriedly.

"What happened? Tell me clearly," I urged. "Don't panic."

"Right, right." Lu Zhao took a deep breath. "Now that I've met you, things will be easier to handle."

"This story is long. Actually, we came to the Magic Dragon Continent because Uncle Lu found a clue regarding the Crimson Blood Demon Sword..."

......................

Ten minutes later! I finally understood the whole sequence of events.

It turned out that after years of investigation, the disciples of the Artisan Sect had finally located the whereabouts of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword. Joyfully, this time the sword was not in anyone's possession.

It had been left behind in some corner of the Illusionary Realm upon the death of the previous Crimson Blood Sword Master. The Lu Clan of the Artisan Sect had always made it their mission to destroy the Crimson Blood Demon Sword to atone for the errors committed by their founding ancestor. Knowing that the sword was now ownerless was huge news.

The entire Artisan Sect selected elite disciples and traveled vast distances to the Magic Dragon Continent, intending to use the teleportation array linking to the Illusionary World to enter and search for the Crimson Blood Demon Sword.

Unexpectedly, the matter was not kept secret; the information leaked, and the White Tiger Alliance learned of it.

The Crimson Blood Demon Sword is a famously monstrous weapon. Although its terrifying backlash deters many, there are indeed scoundrels in this world who would risk anything for power, and the leader of the White Tiger Alliance is one such individual.

Consequently, Lu Tong was captured by the White Tiger Alliance, and several Artisan Sect disciples were killed to silence them, though a contingent of Artisan Sect disciples managed to escape.

They were the squad led by Lu Zhao, the group standing here now, but the White Tiger Alliance dispatched numerous experts to pursue them. Being unfamiliar with the Magic Dragon Continent, Lu Zhao had no choice but to flee constantly to evade capture.

Although Lu Zhao himself was skilled, facing the sheer number of White Tiger Alliance masters, he was only able to take a beating. If I hadn't suddenly appeared, Lu Zhao and his group might have perished here.

These people from the White Tiger Alliance are truly too tyrannical. It seems I have a strange propensity for running into them since arriving on the Magic Dragon Continent, and never for good reasons.

In the past, I was Lu Zhao's subordinate, but now I am no longer the man I once was. Lu Zhao looked at me with a hint of awkwardness.

"I can't believe in just over a year, your strength has advanced to this degree," Lu Zhao lamented. "Just a single phrase was enough to scare those White Tiger Alliance members away. Only now do I understand why the Sect Master valued you so highly back then."

"My current standing is thanks entirely to Uncle Lu's recognition," I replied seriously. "Without Uncle Lu's introduction, without the Dragon Shadow Sword he gifted me, I would never have been able to join the Dragon Shadow Villa, nor would I have achieved what I have today."

"........." Lu Zhao looked at me, seemingly lost in thought.

"Therefore, no matter what, I will find a way to rescue Uncle Lu," I stated firmly.

"En! Thank you!" Lu Zhao responded. "I believe that with you taking action, the Sect Master can definitely be saved."

"Let's discuss how to rescue Uncle Lu, then!" I suggested.

"Actually, we've already thought of a way," Lu Zhao said. "The White Tiger Alliance wants to kill us primarily to silence us. If we can get the news out, their intention to silence us will naturally fail."

Lu Zhao's expression darkened as he continued. "But our strength is insufficient. We've been pursued all the way here and haven't had a moment to catch our breath. If you hadn't suddenly appeared, they might have succeeded in killing us all."

"Killing to silence them, the White Tiger Alliance is ruthless," I mused inwardly. It made sense why Lu Zhao and the others were so battered; this was enemy territory, and making trouble for them was as easy as snapping their fingers.