Zahar took the Iron Dragon manual, found a quiet garden and flipped through the manual. It was an easy thing to understand, and he immediately realized it was probably incomplete. The later parts of the steps needed a ‘Dragon-seed’ within their cultivation soul. It’s likely that would only be given to them once they were promoted to Inner Disciple.

But his time with his thoughts were cut short. He felt the young master follow him, and was fairly surprised that he even took time to observe him.

“You. I challenge you to a duel! If you dare!” Young Master Barong approached.

Zahar’s eyes met the confident eyes of the young master. He smiled. “Ah, I’m thankful you let me have some time to finish reading my book before challenging me.”

Zahar stood and stretched.

“So, this duel. Let’s have it now?”

Hunt Barong paused as he felt his own stomach churn out of reflex. The sheer naturalness of his response made him feel as if he had unwittingly stepped into a tiger’s den. He gulped, and decided it was too late to back down. “Yeah.”

“Lead the way, Young master.”

The two went back to the briefing field. It was now mostly empty, there were a few outer disciples just spending their time talking. The sun was high in the sky, and Hunt Barong was also in the peak of the 2nd realm.

Zahar stood. “Well, young master, perhaps you have the first move?”

Hunt Barong frowned as he unsheathed an axe. “Cocky bastard. Don’t get too smug just because you managed to swindle a City Lord into giving you his daughter.”

The axe glowed in various shades of purple and yellow, as lightning danced around the axe.

“Taste my [Lightning Dragon Smash]!”

The axe came down like a bolt of lightning, but all it did was smash into Zahar’s arm. There was a sheen of steel in his palm. “I believe they call this the [Iron Dragon’s Scale].”

The lightning sparked and arced out of the axe, but Zahar pushed with such strength that Hunt Barong was immediately pushed away.

Hunt Barong attempted to strike again, but the second strike was also parried by the same [Iron Dragon’s Scale].

He didn’t understand it. He practiced this strike for years, and with his second mastery, the Lightning Dragon Smash should at least deal damage! Yet, why did it do absolutely nothing to this man?

He charged forth again, his axe surrounded by arcs of lightning. He slashed repeatedly, and yet, each strike felt like they hit steel.

But no blood. Not a single drop of blood even after the streak of ten or fifteen strikes. Zahar hadn’t even retaliated beyond pushing him away.

His eyes tried to search for a clue, a weakness. He needed to see the Iron Scales, again. He went for another strike, and as he expected, it was deftly parried by the man’s palm. He focused on the little glimmers of Qi as they transformed into the Iron Dragon’s scale.

Then Hunt Barong saw what he needed to see. When the Iron Dragon’s scale appeared, they did so with a sheen of silver luster, their temporarily materialized form was so real, it was as if a real dragon’s scale was on the man’s palm. Signs of a true heavenly master of the Iron Dragon Form!

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“Shit.” He cursed and eyed his opponent. Zahar stood at the center of the field like he was an imperious overlord, looking down on an ant. Hunt Barong realized then, just from the sheer pressure he emitted that this man was no small fry at all.

He was merely hiding his strength.

But the young master has made his bed. Now he had to lay in it-

“I believe the young master has seen what he wanted to see.” Zahar responded with an aura felt by no one but the young master. “Should we continue this fight, or let us stop here?”

Hunt Barong felt sweat trickle down the side of his head, as his eyes squinted.

Zahar’s hand momentarily seemed like they had transformed real Iron Dragon’s claws, and Hunt Barong wasn’t stupid. He recognized death when he saw it, and was fairly sure he would be done for if those claws went his way.

In the face of death, there was no shame in conceding. “I concede, Lord Zahar.”

“A wise decision. Feel free to challenge me again. I would be more than happy to answer your concerns about the arrangements with my women.”

“This foolish one doesn’t dare.” Hunt Barong clasped his hand, his tone changing entirely. “It was a misunderstanding. One that has been swiftly corrected. Lady Eshtar must be honored to be your concubine.”

“Good that you see it.” There was no need for excessive cruelty, especially one born out of foolishness and bravado. Still, Zahar could tell there was no true maliciousness, only ignorance and a desire to look strong.

Zahar’s oppressive presence vanished as quickly as it came, and the young master felt his clothes were soaked with sweat.

***

Sana walked alone through the many streets of the New Ring city. It was a busy place, and beauties like Sana were frankly a dime a dozen. The Roaring Dragon Sect attracted the young phoenixes and dragonlings all over the region, and she was just one of them.

She never understood what it was like to be invisible among the crowd, but here in New Ring city, she did.

Her father once told her to be humble, because she couldn’t behave with the same domineering attitude once she moved to a place filled with so many powerful people.

She smiled to herself, and actually realized it was an incredibly liberating feeling. Invisibility. It was honestly amazing.

She stopped at a quiet junction where an old woman with white hair swept the floor. She looked back at the piece of paper on her hand again, and decided to ask. “Hello, aunty. Is this the road that leads to the residence of Outer Elder Fengwei?”

The old woman looked at her briefly and then pointed to an unassuming home down the street. It was even smaller than their assigned units, so a part of her couldn’t believe it. “That’s Elder Fengwei’s home.”

She bowed anyway. “Thank you and then approached the place.”

As she approached the door, there were children in that small home’s little garden, playing with little fishes inside a pond. There was a beautiful pregnant woman sitting on a chair, and there was a maid of some kind assisting her.

Another maid took the door. “Ah, Madam, it must be one of the Outer Disciples who are here for a mission.”

“Send her in.”

Sana walked into the small, honestly tiny space. It only had three rooms downstairs and three rooms upstairs. Not what she expected for an Outer Elder of the 5th realm. In fact, any of the Outer Elders, if they so demand it, could ask for a City Lord position. They wouldn’t get a big city, but it would still be a respectable position.

The lady of the house sat on a small reception area, and Sana could immediately feel her cultivation to be somewhere around the mid 4th realm.

“I’m looking for Elder Fengwei.”

She smiled. “That’s my husband, but that mission came from me, actually. You may call me Lady Shun.”

“Oh.”

“So, I actually need someone to go pick up these plants from the nearby herbal park, so that I can make some food for my children. Here’s the list. They need to be freshly picked, or they lose their effectiveness.”

The heavily pregnant woman handed Sana a small chit of paper, six types of plants, all listed.

“I’ll award you the merit points and money once you do so.”

Sana nodded. “Got it. How much time do I have for this?”

“I need it tomorrow. I suggest you rest early and head out the first thing in the morning tomorrow. Some of those plants are easier to find in the morning. Oh. One of those plants is guarded by Sarian Bees. You’ll have to kill it without harming the plant. Don’t bring back a burnt one. I’ll reject them, and you’ll have to start over.”

“Got it.”