A week had passed, the skies beginning to darken.
Lightning gathered amid the storm clouds as rain fell over the land like a flood.
Shadows curled and coiled within those storm clouds as though something hidden above, away from regular sight.
The youth despite the immense aching pain liberating his blood from his body calmly stood up, his gaze upturned.
"You wish to punish me?" The youth grinned wryly through bloody tears.
The sky roared it's thunderous response.
Eyes like the sky, and an abyss-like darkness to match.
Hair of ashen suns and skin of freshly fallen snow.
The youth stared fearlessly into the clouds, his attachment to life having faded long ago as nothing more than a child.
A fearsome wind began to blow towards him from all directions, his robes which were set aside suddenly appeared on his body, and the sword of starlight appeared in his right hand, it's sheath in his left.
As the winds coalesced upon him, a strange phenomenon began to occur.
His Inner Sea began to shake.
The shadow high in the sky roared!
And the Flood Dragon Chain coiled within his Inner Sea shook, it's eyes filled with… fear.
Just as the youth looked at the Flood Dragon, it looked back at him.
The Seventh Flood Dragon's whiskers began to shine!
The shadow among the sea of clouds began to circle!
The youth calmly began to sweat! A constipated smile calling his face home!
Nine Sanguine Sword Arts, First Form, Fukkatsu!
The lighting high above coiled into a Flood Dragon!
The Seventh Flood Dragon Chain shot forward with three whiskers flying madly!
Cra-, Boom!
The lighting fell like a heavenly mandate!
Amid the thunderous noise, the youth said something, though it was drowned out!
His sword raised high, the lighting dragon crashed directly into the blade!
Within his Inner Sea, a lighting flood dragon appeared and charged towards the Seventh Chain Flood Dragon, biting it's side viciously!
Rooar!!!
The Seventh Chain Flood Dragon turned and bit the Lighting Flood Dragon, it's whiskers flying into it's side!
Whiskers filled with a terrific golden splendor flashed and cut apart the Lighting Flood Dragon! Yet! The lighting flood dragon rushed forward with an uninterrupted vigor, it's countless lighting bolts evening out closely!
They chased through the entire Inner Sea, coiling over one another and slamming into the walls of the Inner Sea!
The youth spit blood as his internal organs were almost destroyed by the massive impacts of these two verifiably vicious powers within his sea!
His soul shook within it's foundations!
An hour of battle passed, the youth hardly able to hold on as these two powers fought non-stop, the clouds above never dispersing for a moment, and the power surging into the Seventh Chain Flood Dragon from it's chain never ceasing.
At this point, most of the Seventh Chain Flood Dragon's whiskers had been shattered leaving only a single one, however the Lighting Flood Dragon had also sustained considerable damage and was only now a fourth of it's previous size.
As they were about to clash once more, for the decisive moment, a short, cold voice like a terrible sword cut through their conflict.
"Have you had enough?" The youth who stood within his Inner Sea stared coldly at the two beings which had been severely weakened, an immense power boiling up from the sea beneath them.
Both Flood Dragon's attempted to flee sensing a terrifying power, but it was too late.
Using the hour he had, and any spare moments he could, the youth had set up a complex sword formation around the two flood dragons, hiding it beneath his Inner Sea so as to conceal it from their senses.
As the cage of swords rose, the youth sensed a third gaze pouring through his soul, a calm, wizened gaze, like an angry uncle.
"Senior, I did not do this on purpose," The youth immediately bowed as his sword cage closed, "I am not trying to pull a cover over the eyes of the Heavenly Court."
The gaze passed over and Shou Xin cupped his fists.
"Thank you, Senior."
By the time the conversation had finished, the flood dragons were destroyed.
This time, Shou Xin did not allow any of the materials to go to waste at all.
The lightning flood dragon naturally dispersed through his body, strengthening it considerably, however the chain flood dragon was a different story.
Such a being was never meant to be left alone.
The Sword Mound rumbled, and the Sanguine Sword Law reached out, taking the corpse of the Seventh Chain Flood Dragon into it's grasp before absorbing it under the youth's orders.
His Sanguine Sword Qi felt lighter, immediately, easier to flow and far more simple.
However, he also saw a great many impurities hidden away, noticing them only now that he had a larger amount of pure Qi from the Chain Flood Dragon's he had defeated till now.
Sword Aura gathered and dispersed, repeating this pattern as though breathing.
The dirty and impure Qi which had built up at the bottom of the Inner Sea was being cleansed!
As the swamp was being cleaned, great changes began above.
Qi with absolutely no affiliation, neither Earthen nor Skyward, neither metal nor water, neither here nor there, a rarity one can only obtain through special circumstances, dripped down from the tip of the Sanguine Sword Law.
Keeping everything else, the Sanguine Sword Law grew brighter, but was still restrained by six more flood dragon chains!
Sensing the dripping of pure qi into his soul, Shou Xin felt a burst of ecstasy!
His soul shivered in joy as it grew in strength, his control over his internal powers growing even greater.
The scales of the fallen flood dragon joined the walls of his Inner Sea, reinforcing it, though it was like a drop of water in a bucket.
"Primeval Body second stage, Third Chain." He looked satisfied with himself as he left his inner sea, "And no crippling injuries!"
Boom!
As his words fell, he noticed above!
The sky was churning with another bolt of lightning!
"Senior, I really didn't do it on purpose!"
Yet, he only sensed curiosity coming down from above and a pair of aged eyes seeing straight through him as though he'd been laid bare before him.
The lightning did not care however, and fell.
The instant it struck him, the youth felt… comfortable, almost.
As the lightning ran its course through his body, long spider webbing cracks formed all over his body, some appearing around his neck though his face was saved due him getting his senses back at the last second.
The lighting of punishment was not a terribly painful one, quite the opposite.
It was so comfortable that it could bring down the defenses of even the greatest experts, leaving their souls undefended.
Such a bolt was a punishment as well as a test.
Awakening from his daft drowsiness, the youth glanced upwards, holding his throbbing head with one hand, a single eye barely forcing itself open.
"Senior." The youth's gaze was frigid like a cold breeze on a warm day, coming from a place one could not fathom, "Thank you for your restraint."
He flicked his wrist, and his sword danced upon his palm, soon landing in the sheath at his side.
The curious look from above vanished alongside the storm clouds.
A slow clap came from the treeline.
"The Thunder Pavilion Elder has taken an interest in you, oh-, I've said too much." She did not seem as though she was scared, despite the slight tremble in her voice, "The External Affairs Office of Sea Spring extends it's congratulations."
"Our Tai School would also like to give the Young Master of Sea Spring our well wishes and congratulation for his breakthrough." An old man appeared quietly with almost no warning, like a sudden slash or vigorous breeze.
"Naturally, we will also give a gift." A fat old man laughed heartily as he stepped into the scene like a pig among monsters.
"My Shou Clan extends it's thanks for the well wishes." The youth-, nay, Shou Xin cupped his fists before, much like a tiger's sudden change from slow to pouncing, his tone changed, "What is it that the three powers here seek for myself?"
By explicitly saying, 'myself', a clear line was drawn.
No matter what they had come for today, they could not involve the Shou Clan.
Wo Yiyu, the exceptionally beautiful and equally thorny rose smiled gently.
"Young Master Shou. You may not know because of your secluded training, however, an opportunity has arrived to Sea Spring. With the previous lord's decision to resign and instead seek out greater strength in the outside world alongside his companions, this place is left with no lord."
Wo Yiyu continued.
"Due to escalating conflict, and the slowly waning grasp of the Exiled Court, they have seen to it that someone of local origin should be the lord, and allowed to fight for the position."
Shou Xin calmly nodded.
"May the strongest get the title."
Seeing his lack of ambition, Wo Yiyu frowned.
"Don't you wish to gain the fame of being a lord, not to mention the power? You could crush all of the clans in Sea Spring within a few years with the resources received from such a position, you know?"