I woke from my meditation, feeling a rush of excitement.
After a year of dedicated practice, my inner energy, or "true qi," had finally broken through the sixth layer, reaching the much-anticipated seventh level.
This rapid advancement was partly due to my prior experience in cultivating this technique, which allowed me to progress nearly twice as fast. Another significant factor was the abundant elemental energy present on Dragon Island.
Although I had reached the seventh level before, my previous lack of power meant I couldn't fully understand the difference between the sixth and seventh layers. Now, I could clearly sense the distinction. The gap between the sixth and seventh levels is akin to the difference between the acquired and the innate.
Prior to the seventh level, my "Xiaoyao Jue" technique could only vaguely sense the energy around me without being able to harness it. But now, reaching the seventh level feels like unlocking the door to utilizing the elemental energy of the world. Even though I've just stepped into this realm, I've begun to sense the world's elemental energy.
I believe that as I continue to cultivate, there will come a day when I can fully harness this energy. At that point, even the most formidable forbidden magic will pale in comparison to the power of directly wielding elemental energy.
I now understand why my master was so eager for me to break through the sixth layer. The first six layers were merely about accumulating true qi, but the seventh layer represents a qualitative leap.
From now on, I can gradually guide the elemental energy to refine my true qi, making it purer and increasing its growth rate far beyond what it was before. It can be said that reaching the seventh layer marks the true beginning of mastering the "Xiaoyao Jue."
Just as I was reveling in this realization, I suddenly heard a familiar sound of wings approaching, still about a kilometer away.
Looking at the sky, I realized it was almost dawn. I had chosen a hidden cave for my practice to avoid disturbances. The only one who would know I was here and come looking for me at this hour was the mischievous Princess Anna.
Despite knowing she would likely fail, she would still come early every morning, hoping to wake me up from my slumber with her water or ice magic, as she did a year ago. Unfortunately for her, ever since my true qi recovered to the third layer, her attempts have rarely succeeded.
But today, in my good mood, I decided to play along and let her have her fun. After all, her perseverance in trying to wake me up for a whole year deserved some reward.
I could sense little holy dragon Anna slowing down when she was about a hundred meters from me. She had stopped flapping her wings and was floating silently in the air, likely using a level six wind spell, "Hover." She knew I could sense movements within a hundred meters, so she was being extra cautious. However, with my increased power, I could now detect her presence from a kilometer away. Under my spiritual awareness, her every move was crystal clear.
Apparently, she wasn't satisfied with just hovering, as she conjured another spell. My senses picked up a swirl of black smoke enveloping her body—a level six dark spell called "Mist Veil." It was quite impressive for a light dragon like her to cast such a high-level dark spell. This indicated that her magical prowess had increased, and she could probably now manage to cast level eight light spells with some effort.
The "Mist Veil" was meant to obscure her in darkness, but it had no effect on my spiritual perception.
Watching her cautiously approach the cave entrance, I couldn't help but find it amusing. Previously, she had tried to sneak up on me a few times, but I could only sense her presence, not see her movements as clearly as I could now. Seeing a three-meter-tall dragon tiptoeing toward me was truly entertaining.
Finally, she was close, less than ten meters away. With a quick motion of her claw, she conjured a watermelon-sized water ball and dropped it onto my head. The water splashed all over me, drenching my face. I opened my eyes and stood up, feigning annoyance. I had to play my part. If she knew I had been awake the whole time, it would be troublesome in the future.
"Giggle, giggle," Anna, delighted by her successful prank, jumped up and down in joy.
Her long-awaited success seemed to have given her immense satisfaction. I realized that sometimes it's good to let oneself be fooled.
Anna ignored my wet hair and clothes, lost in her celebration dance—a habit she picked up after watching me dance in excitement once I recovered from my injuries. Since then, she had developed her own version of a celebratory dance.
Watching a dragon perform such human-like movements was hilarious. Even the wise elders, Carle, and Elder Elina, almost fainted with laughter the first time they saw it.
Once she finished her dance and laughter, I walked over and gently patted her scaly back. Before I could ask her what brought her here today, she suddenly said, "Edmund brother, Father wants to see you."
Though Anna was over two hundred years old, equivalent to a five or six-year-old human child, her dragon nature and innate respect for strength led her to start calling me "brother" half a year ago.
Dragons, being the least needing of formal education, inherit their parents' memories upon hatching. As they grow in strength, these memories gradually unlock, making the life of a young dragon rather leisurely. This was part of the reason Carle and the elders had entrusted Anna to me.
Shaking my head in resignation, I channeled my true qi to evaporate the water from my body instantly.
Then, I told the still-gleeful Anna, "As punishment for your behavior, there will be no dinner for you tonight."
With that, I used my lightfoot technique to disappear from her sight.
"Dinner" was actually not her main meal. Dragons don't necessarily need to hunt for food; they mostly sustain themselves by absorbing energy from the air or directly from magical cores. But after tasting my freshly roasted meat, Anna developed a habit of having dinner every day, making me her personal chef.
This threat always worked, providing me with a strong bargaining chip to ensure my own living conditions improved. Denying the little dragon her beloved evening meal was a foolproof way to get my way.
Using my "Xiaoyao Jue" technique, I felt like I was flying. With a slight exertion of force, my movement became as swift as lightning, far surpassing my previous speed. Even if Anna flew, she couldn't keep up with me.
Elated by my newfound speed, which now rivaled that of adult dragons, I couldn't help but be overjoyed.
I channeled my true qi to its full potential and struck the air with my palm, producing a dazzling golden light.
"Golden Battle Qi... It seems I've reached the rank of Sword God," I thought, thrilled.
On this continent, due to the magic elements in the air, the friction between battle qi and magical elements produces various colors of light. These colors are used to distinguish the levels of battle qi from low to high: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, silver, and gold.
The strength of one's battle qi is also the most intuitive way to gauge their professional rank.
Not knowing the precise human ranking system, I assumed that reaching silver-level battle qi would equate to a Sword Saint. Therefore, achieving gold-level battle qi naturally meant I had become a Sword God.
Little did I know, these were merely the dragon race's views on battle qi and professional ranks.
On the human continent, possessing amethyst-level battle qi already marked one as a top-tier expert. Gold-level battle qi was something only seen in the divine and demonic races.
I didn't know how many humans could achieve the rank of Sword God, but given it was the highest profession, there couldn't be many.
Carle had told me that any dragon over three thousand years old had strength comparable to a human Sword Saint, and those over five thousand years old matched the might of a Sword God.
However, due to their inherent advantages, not even a Sword God could defeat an adult dragon in a one-on-one fight.
I wondered if I could now contend with an adult dragon.
With this newfound strength, I felt a surge of determination.
All along, my lack of power had prevented me from challenging the dragons. Even while sparring with Anna, I mainly focused on dodging. As a result, the dragons never regarded me as someone of significance.
In a society that values strength like the dragon clan, lacking power meant having no one willing to associate with you.
Thus, I had mainly spent my time with little Anna. Despite being friendly, Carle and the other elders rarely interacted with me, claiming to be "busy with affairs."
Early on, I had realized they were avoiding Anna.
For the elder dragons who cherished their sleep, the lively and energetic Anna was a nightmare. Poor Carle, before I arrived, reportedly hadn't had a proper sleep in nearly a hundred years.
Of course, for dragons, a good nap could last several months.
Friendships among dragons are often forged through displays of strength.
From my first day with the dragon clan, I knew this.
Adapting to their customs, I understood that earning respect here meant relying on my own power.
In the past, my lack of strength left me marginalized.
Now, with my newfound abilities, it was time to earn their respect!