Ta Lo's Past and Lin Hai Takes Flight

The setting sun cast its fading glow across the lake. Azure Dragon had long since dived beneath the water, yet a faint draconic aura still lingered in the air. Leaning on his cane, Elder Chen gazed at the shimmering surface and let out a long sigh. "Since I was old enough to remember, the divine beast has never been this joyful."

Lin Hai sat on the bluestone steps, watching the lake alongside Elder Chen. "It's lonely."

"Yes. Since the divine beast has acknowledged you, it is time for you to learn Ta Lo Village's true history." Elder Chen turned, a trace of reminiscence flashing through his aged eyes.

He waved for the attendants to withdraw. Once only the two of them remained on the terrace, Elder Chen lightly tapped his cane against the ground, and a soundproof magical barrier silently spread outward.

"Sit tight, kid. Don't be too shocked. This story begins four thousand years ago."

"The first ancestors to discover Ta Lo were qi cultivators fleeing from war..."

Elder Chen's voice was as deep as an ancient bell. "In 1977 BC, our ancestors discovered this hidden realm. There were spiritual springs that never ran dry, exotic flowers that could cure all ailments, and even..."

He pointed toward a group of strange beasts wandering on a nearby hillside.

"The strange beasts recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas are all real here. Those qi cultivators—my ancestors—settled here and gradually developed this place into a prosperous city-state." Elder Chen pointed his cane at a massive gate embedded in the mountain across the lake. "Until that day..."

"One day, many years later, the great mountain by the lake suddenly split open into an abyss." Elder Chen's hand trembled slightly. "The Dark Dweller—a demonic being from beyond this realm that fed on souls—commanded hordes of Soul-Eating Beasts and destroyed half the city in a single night."

Elder Chen continued, "Ordinary weapons were useless against Soul-Eating Beasts. Within three days, most of the city-state had fallen."

Then the sky abruptly darkened beneath thick clouds, and a streak of azure light tore through them—an Azure Dragon a thousand zhang long descended upon the battlefield.

"That was the divine beast's mother." Tears welled in Elder Chen's eyes. "She fought the Dark Dweller for seven days and seven nights. In the end, at the cost of grievous injuries, she sealed the demon behind that gate made of dragon scales."

"After the battle, Azure Dragon laid an egg. The creature that hatched from it was the Azure Dragon you see now. After caring for the young Azure Dragon for some time, she eventually died from her severe wounds."

"Because Ta Lo Village is surrounded by the Bamboo Grove Maze, and because of this place's unique environment and Azure Dragon's Dragon God's Power, Ta Lo Village has remained a hidden realm for generations. In thousands of years, you are the first person to reach Ta Lo Village through Life Force."

Furthermore, because of the sealed-off environment and abundant energy, the rare treasures and strange beasts that seemed to exist only in the Classic of Mountains and Seas had survived here to the present day.

This included, but was not limited to, the Nine-Tailed White Fox, Chaos, Firebird, Qilin Horse, and even two Suanni with dragon bloodlines that Lin Hai had seen along the way. That was also why the two Suanni in the film could tear Soul-Eating Beasts apart with their bare claws, despite dragon-scale weapons being the only weapons capable of harming them.

At this point, Elder Chen rose while supporting himself on his cane and gestured for Lin Hai to stand as well.

"Come. I'll show you what gives us the confidence to guard the Sealing Gate." With that, he led Lin Hai toward the weapons workshop in the western part of the village.

"The surviving ancestors swore an oath to guard the seal for generations. In the years that followed, the first Azure Dragon gave us the dragon scales she shed and granted some villagers magic to control the power of nature. The young Azure Dragon, who inherited her mother's final wish, also followed her example and gifted us the scales it shed."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the weapons workshop. Inside, more than a dozen craftsmen were forging weapons.

Lin Hai saw dragon-scale daggers gleaming with azure light amid the flames. Hundreds of such Dragon-Scale Blades hung on the walls beside them, their edges bearing rippling blue-gold patterns. Several archers were testing sharp arrows tipped with dragon scales, while other craftsmen calibrated the bends and straightness of Dragon-Scale Staffs.

However, Lin Hai did not see the Dragon-Scale Armor Suits worn by Shang-Chi and his sister in the film. They were probably one of a kind and could not be mass-produced.

After touring the weapons workshop, Elder Chen brought Lin Hai back to his home and arranged a side room for him. The furnishings were simple, yet the room carried a soothing sense of peace.

Lin Hai then remembered that if he was not going home today, he should send his parents a message. However, his phone had absolutely no signal here.

After Lin Hai explained what he needed, Elder Chen took a satellite phone from his room. "Use this for now. There are only three communication devices in the village, all left behind by Zheng Xian."

Lin Hai sent his parents a message to let them know he was safe, then cautiously asked, "Can I take a few pictures? Just scenery."

After pondering for a moment, Elder Chen took an old-fashioned digital camera from a cabinet. "Use this. I'll inspect the photos after you're done."

Over the next half hour, Lin Hai photographed the blue-tiled houses beneath the sunset, the glowing mushrooms lining the stone roads, and the rainbow formed by a distant waterfall, deliberately avoiding every strange beast and the weapons workshop.

"Not bad." Elder Chen nodded as he reviewed the pictures. "Leave this camera with me. If you want to use it, come get it from me. Same rule as before: show me the photos when you're done. On the day you leave, you can take it with you."

Lin Hai said that was completely fine and thanked Elder Chen for being so understanding.

The next day, Lin Hai woke in his room. After washing up, he went to find Elder Chen. "Village Chief, I'd like to get in contact with Azure Dragon again. Do you think that would be alright?"

After considering it, Elder Chen believed that the Life Force on Lin Hai's body truly benefited Azure Dragon. Azure Dragon's joyful dance yesterday was the best proof, so he agreed to Lin Hai's request.

After Lin Hai and Elder Chen had breakfast together, most of Ta Lo Village had heard that Lin Hai would be contacting the guardian dragon again. Many villagers who had not seen Azure Dragon dance yesterday wanted to see just how this remarkable "outsider" had managed it.

Thus, when Lin Hai returned to yesterday's altar, he found a huge crowd following behind him.

Elder Chen told him not to be nervous. Everyone simply had not seen Azure Dragon dance before and wanted to watch. Hearing this, Lin Hai stopped paying attention to the villagers.

When he stirred the Life Force within his body once more, the lake surface suddenly burst apart. Azure Dragon once again raised its artwork-like dragon head from the water, and droplets flung up by its head refracted seven-colored halos beneath the morning sun.

It seemed even more energetic than yesterday, its blue-gold scales shining brilliantly.

Lin Hai raised his right arm, palm facing upward, and Life Force flowed out like a gentle stream. This time, however, Azure Dragon did not press close to his palm. Instead, it lowered its enormous head beside him. The mane on its neck stirred without wind, revealing a patch of scales softer than those elsewhere on its body.

"You mean... you want me to get on?" Lin Hai froze, then his heart began pounding wildly.

Azure Dragon nodded slightly. An uproar immediately erupted beneath the altar. The younger villagers stared wide-eyed and cried out in surprise, while Elder Chen was equally dumbfounded.

Lin Hai had no time to care about the villagers' reactions. With a light tap of his toes, Chen-Style Taiji's Cloud-Stepping Technique carried him as lightly as a feather onto the back of Azure Dragon's neck.

The instant his fingers seized that lock of icy mane, the entire world violently tilted.

"Roar—!"

A dragon's roar erupted from Azure Dragon's mouth as it shot skyward with Lin Hai on its back.

The sudden acceleration made it feel as though Lin Hai's organs had been squeezed against his back. He clutched Azure Dragon's mane desperately as Life Force instinctively covered his body, forming a cushioning layer. Only after several breaths, once he had adapted to the speed, did he dare open his eyes.

The sight before him made him forget to breathe.

Ta Lo Village had become a palm-sized model, while mountains rolled beneath him like waves. Morning mist spread like an ocean, clouds resembled snow, and Azure Dragon carried him through a thin bank of clouds as chilly vapor rushed against his face. As they rose higher, the morning sun in the east fully leaped above the horizon, dyeing the sea of clouds gold and crimson.

"So this is what flying feels like..." Lin Hai murmured. Compared with Peter's web-swinging, this was true soaring.

Azure Dragon seemed to sense his excitement and suddenly rolled into a dive. The sensation of weightlessness made Lin Hai cry out, followed immediately by hearty laughter. He released one hand and stretched it into the wind. Life Force danced at his fingertips, trailing an emerald tail of light that gleamed alongside Azure Dragon's azure radiance.