Dragon Scale

With a boom, the moment the voice fell silent, a fierce wind swept out from the depths of the cave. The force was not particularly powerful; it merely forced Zhu Jin back several steps. It was more of a warning, telling him that the way ahead was forbidden ground and that he was not to proceed any farther.

After steadying himself, Zhu Jin lowered his head and said softly, "Your son, Zhu Jin, has reached the Tier Four realm."

Naturally, Zhu Jin knew who that voice belonged to, and he did not dare peer any farther into the cave. He had come here because of an Ancient Void Dragon Clan custom: once every young dragon reached the Dou Ling realm or came of age at sixteen, they had to accept assignments from the clan and contribute to its development.

Zhu Jin did not find this custom strange. The book had clearly stated that members of the Xiao Clan underwent their coming-of-age ceremony at sixteen. Those who failed to reach the seventh stage of Dou Qi during it were deemed to have no cultivation potential and lost their right to enter the Dou Qi Pavilion to seek cultivation techniques. They would then be assigned to the clan's various businesses to handle ordinary affairs.

The Xiao Clan itself originated from the Xiao Clan, a Dou God Clan. Although it no longer possessed the Dou Emperor Bloodline, it was only reasonable that the customs of a top-tier clan had been passed down.

The Ancient Void Dragon Clan had similar customs. The difference was that if one reached the Dou Ling realm before turning sixteen, one could choose for oneself and also receive a reward from one's biological father.

With a hum, a wave of soul power instantly swept over Zhu Jin's body. That soul power made no attempt to conceal itself, scanning him inside and out.

Zhu Tian's voice came from the depths. "What position do you want?"

Zhu Jin said, "Which position is the most dangerous?"

"Dragon Warrior."

"Then I'll be a Dragon Warrior."

As soon as Zhu Jin finished speaking, a low, slightly mocking laugh came from within the cave. "Hahahaha! A little dragon with only three segments of dragon blood actually has some guts."

It was no wonder Zhu Tian laughed. Dragon Warrior sounded impressive, but in reality, they were cannon fodder—dragons sent to open up new territory.

Because the Dragon Emperor, Zhu Kun, had disappeared, Dragon Island had splintered into the Four Dragon Islands. None of them submitted to the others, and their open and covert struggles had erupted into civil war. The Beast Domain, once controlled by the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, had consequently fallen out of its grasp. The Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan and the Nine Nether Deep Earth Python Clan had seized control of the Beast Domain, while all Ancient Void Dragons hid within the void and engaged in prolonged internal conflict.

So-called Dragon Warriors left Dragon Island for places such as the void, seizing cities and territory and occupying the lands and resources of other Dragon Islands. Clearly, it was an occupation with an extremely high death rate, one where almost no one returned alive.

Zhu Tian's laughter gradually ceased. "What is it that you desire? Pills? Dou techniques? Weapons? Females?"

Like the Xiao Clan's coming-of-age ceremony, young dragons who reached a certain level of cultivation could receive rewards to encourage their growth and service to the clan. The more dangerous the position, the more generous the reward. Otherwise, no dragon would be willing to take on a high-risk occupation like Dragon Warrior.

Zhu Jin said, "Your son wishes for one of Father's old scales for protection."

"Oh?"

Although the rewards Zhu Tian mentioned were highly tempting, Zhu Jin knew perfectly well that a little dragon with only three segments of dragon blood could not possibly receive anything too advanced. At best, he might receive a high-tier Grade Four pill; there was no chance of being given a high-tier Grade Seven Transformation Pill.

An old scale might sound like a poor choice, but Zhu Tian was a genuine high-tier Tier Eight Ancient Void Dragon with the cultivation of a Dou Venerate. Even if his scales contained no special power and were merely shed old dragon scales, their hardness would not lose to some Grade Five shield-type magic tools. If Zhu Jin could find suitable Magic Cores and materials, they might even be forged into equipment above Grade Six.

Even a useless old scale shed by a Tier Eight magical beast, something equivalent to human dandruff, was an extremely precious material at the Dou Ling level. Moreover, while the Ancient Void Dragon Clan was not especially outstanding in soul power, dragons were born immensely strong and could breathe fire. They were unquestionably master smiths.

Of course, the scale's hardness was not Zhu Jin's main goal. He had another idea.

"Hmph, what a crafty little dragon. Still, you have some ideas and courage." Zhu Tian narrowed his Golden Eyes slightly. Then, in the darkness, he slowly raised a dragon claw and, with a crack, pried a dragon scale from his body. With a flick of his claw, a dark-purple dragon scale half the size of Zhu Jin's body flew before him.

"You have some brains and courage. This is a new scale. It contains a trace of soul power and can protect you once."

Hearing this from his biological father, Zhu Jin could not help but feel overjoyed. This was an unexpected windfall. Zhu Tian had not said how strong an enemy it could withstand, but precisely because he had not said so, it showed his confidence. It could likely preserve Zhu Jin's life against anyone below the Dou Venerate realm.

So this is a world where strength is revered. A casual gift from the strong can grant such tremendous power. The soul power contained in this scale is probably enough to wipe out the Misty Cloud Sect.

Zhu Jin could not help imagining that if Xiao Yan had brought this dragon scale to the Misty Cloud Sect back then, even Wu Protector might have fled.

Without showing any change in expression, Zhu Jin held the enormous dragon scale in both hands and said respectfully, "Thank you, Father, for this gift."

After giving Zhu Jin his reward, the depths of the cave fell into dead silence. Zhu Jin said nothing further and left the cave. In a world where strength was revered, the strong could grant you a reward on a whim, but they could also erase you with a casual gesture when displeased.

With a thought from Zhu Jin, the dragon scale in his hands vanished. As expected of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, their innate passive Dou technique granted them a storage space from birth, saving him the cost of buying a storage ring.

Standing atop a cliff in Dragon Valley, Zhu Jin looked up at the endless void above Dragon Island and muttered, "Obtaining a new dragon scale was an unexpected gain, but at last, I can leave Dragon Island. Let me calculate... If I arrived in this world at the same time as Xiao Yan, then he should be about to have his Dou Qi drained by Yao Chen, transforming from a genius into trash."

Zhu Jin had been reborn as a dragon for more than ten years, nearly eleven. In the book's timeline, Xiao Yan became a Dou Zhe at eleven and became famous throughout Wutan City. Then Yao Chen, within the storage ring, began absorbing his Dou Qi, turning him into trash and beginning his three years as a wastrel.

Although Zhu Jin had no system cheat or old grandfather, he possessed the ability to "foresee the future." He knew the direction of this world's fate!

All his peers believed Zhu Jin's rapid cultivation progress was merely pulling up seedlings to help them grow, but only he knew that the earlier he left Dragon Island, the greater his chance of having the last laugh. That was because the Dou Qi Continent possessed the "greatest opportunity."

Over the ten years since his rebirth, Zhu Jin had thought about many things. In the end, he realized that the greatest opportunity on the Dou Qi Continent was not meeting Xiao Yan, not cultivating the Flame Mantra, not absorbing Heavenly Flames, not Yao Chen's storage ring, nor the Dou Di Inheritance within the Tuoshe Ancient God Mansion—it was Zi Yan.