If the past several decades were an omen, then it was one that bode ill for our nascent kingdom. If the rough storm I'm flying through was any indication, then I'd say it's a strong warning to turn back.

But my brother was never that sort of person. He'd just cut right through it without hesitation then arrogantly mock it. That or recruit it into our ranks. A healthy dose of pragmatism was present since his birth and only fostered by master.

It's why I follow him. He was decisive and knew what he wanted. From the day we emerged together, I knew he was someone worth pledging my loyalties to.

In that regard, I'm not like him. I don't really know what I want. It's actually much easier to follow his lead in ambitious matters such as this. I…do not know what I'd do without him.

The wood creaked beneath my well dressed feet as I moved to the head of the sky ship. The dragon head carving was but a mere three metres away. Droplets of heavy rain hit the deck and my own person, though I was never wet.

Staring into the abyss that was the tormented great wilderness, I couldn't but feel uneasy. Then again, I haven't been able to not feel as such for a very long time.

"Senior brother, we should be nearing Yingzhou soon," San Fei'e said.

One of my many junior sister in this world. Her origin as a spiritual silkworm turned moth raised at master's feat had allowed her to progress very far compared to most postnatal life forms. Even connate lifeforms were hard pressed to reach the same stage as her.

If this storm of chaos had been beneficial in one area, it was the ease in which triple crown Heavenly Immortals could overcome the Golden Immortal tribulation. I can't detect the reasoning, but it was an opportunity many, including my junior sisters used to reach that stage.

The sky ship we rode on parted the ocean quickly. It moved at speeds Great Unity Golden Immortals could only dream of. Only Chaos Immortals could claim to match this speed, a testament of our skilled artificers.

I nodded at the news. "Big brother should be there already by now," I mused staring at the raging storm. "Sixth junior sister, what is the nature of master's injury?" I asked finally.

One would expect me to have asked such from the moment San Fei'e arrived. But those months ago, all I felt was a dreadful feeling that sent me into a temporary depression. Divination didn't help, the Heavenly Dao was a chaotic mess right now.

The physical appearance of the wilderness may seem bad. But it was in truth nothing compared to the glimpses I saw into the inner mechanisms of our cosmos.

Now for the first time since I joined San Fei'e on board the sky ship, I left my cabin to ask. "Very few things in this world can even touch master much less injure him," I said to a visibly downtrodden San Fei'e.

"Well…I can't say for sure," she said. "My mastery was too low and big sister sent me out immediately to meet up with you, to change course immediately to head back to Yingzhou. Aunt master felt your locations and instructed us on where to go, so I boarded one of the sky ships."

I nodded. "Guess we'll find out when we return home," I said. San Fei'e nodded and mentally controlled the ship to turn a few degrees after a mighty wave shifted out positions somewhat.

It was at times like these that I wish we'd kept the Universe Traversing Boat. Familiar feelings aside, letting it fall into the avian's hands hadn't been the most ideal. They already posses the Kunwu sword and who knows how many other top tier treasures.

Starring forwards, I narrowed my eyes. Though my vision was obscured by a myriad of violent natural phenomenons, I could vaguely peer through.

"Senior brother, the wayfinder compass is glowing," San Fei'e called out to me. It seemed she'd retrieved the spiritual treasure during my musing. This was good, treasures like those were good for navigating one's way back home.

"Good, dock us at Yingzhou," I said. Yingzhou, how I've missed that place. I spent so many years there and it was my true home even more so than the South Sea Dragon Palace. It saddens me to have been away for so long but duty was duty.

As the two of us stepped upon the shores of the mystical immortal island, I took in the exotic breath of primordial qi. The purest form of qi that was closest to the constantly changing chaotic qi of the Chaos Sea was exhilarating to behold again.

Yingzhou had been affected very little by the world's disasters. This was no doubt due to its unique properties of existing outside of the primitive world at the same time as it exists inside. A confounding concept but one very similar to master's Dao.

But at this very moment, even Yingzhou carried an air of unease. The lush trees and mystical mountains covering Yingzhou gave off an odd sense of defeat. Most likely a reflection of master's mood considering their connection, the island was refined by him after all.

The main path was open to us and we quickly made out way into the inner layers of Yangzhou. We passed through the front forest, a few herbal fields, three different mountains that the path winded through before we reached the core regions.

Master's palace only lay just before the garden that housed the massive Fusang tree. Even standing so far away, the congenital tree was easily visible and brimming with power. Though it was noticeably lesser than before. Hm, wonder why?

"You're back. That's good," Yi Fei'e stood at the top of the stairs when we arrived at the base. San Fei'e and I quickly ascended the stone steps to greet my fourth junior sister.

"Junior sister, what has happened to master?" I inquired immediately. "I struggle to think of anything that could hurt him to the extend we were all called back."

"It's better if you see for yourself. I will brief you on the inside," the snow white coloured woman said motioning for us to follow her.

Upon entering the palace, I felt myself pass through an extra layer of defense. Another anti-scrying formation as well as other high level formations designed to keep things out. The distinct feeling of starry essence was mixed in as well. Aunt master had helped set this up.

"I take it I'm the last to arrive?" I asked. As I entered the building, I had also sensed the presence of my own family. Made sense considering Zulong's close proximity and Qinglong was faster than me. My own speed was only comparable to a sky ship whereas my younger brother can move at least triple that with the Shooting Star Steps.

"Yes, eldest senior brother and third senior brother has already returned along with sister-in-law and my younger sisters," Yi Fei'e said. "They're accompanying master right now with aunt master.

I nodded and followed her through the main hall. It was the stage where master once lectured the east sea. Though not many from that time period were still alive, the eldest seniors still remembered and held that event as an almost legendary turning point in history.

Right now though, this room was desolate. Even the platform master normally meditated on was devoid of anything. We walked around the pillars and entered the side hallways, one of the many that took us to other parts of the palace.

Over the years, my fellow disciples and I had modified the palace. Though we all had our own abodes in various parts of Yingzhou, we all made ourselves places of residence on different wings of the palace. The end result was a maze of clashing personalities.

Master's own rooms though were always homogenous, boring even. They were wooden floors with simple architecture and displays of paintings of even more ancient times. Some even depicted strange places with weird box like buildings with roads coloured in a dark lack substance drawn with stripes, not unlike the zebra tribes that roamed the continents.

Yi Fei'e knocked on the door to master's bedroom. It wasn't used often as master usually meditated on the main hall or on the Fusang tree but for this occasion, he was within.

"Come in," aunt master Wangshu's melodious voice answered from the inside.

Aunt master and the rest of Yingzhou's core personnel were already inside. Zulong sat opposing aunt master beside master's bed while Qinglong paced. The other moth fairies all shared uneasy looks while Gui Daiyu was nursing her brow in her own chair.

"Aunt master," San Fei'e, Yi Fei'e, and myself saluted. I then made my way to the foot of the bed nodding towards Zulong and Qinglong.

My knees touched the wooden floor as I began kowtowing to my mentor and father. It was unnatural seeing him unresponsive.

Master slept on his bed, something I don't think he'd ever done since the dawn of time. I could detect his life signature, that much was certain. But he was currently unconscious, something cultivators of our magnitude never were.

Master's vitals were not good. He was pale and appeared weak. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked like another sickly patient in the hospitals. There was very little of his grand power that I'd normally detect.

I got up and looked questionably at my elder brothers. Zulong carried a very stressed out expression while Qinglong just looked angry.

"How?" I managed to ask. Though that question came out as a choke. Zulong sighed and tightened his fist in anger.

"Greatest ally my ass. What a joke," he snorted.

"Second brother, it's…it is hard to believe but the Heavenly Dao was the one who did this," Qinglong said.

My eyebrows shot up. Suddenly things made a whole lot of sense. The past few decades of turmoil. The chaotic nature of the Heavenly Dao. The sudden onslaught of vicious natural disasters.

"I see you've realised," aunt master said. "Indeed, Da Hai engaged the Heavenly Dao for an extended period of time. As a last resort, he and the Heavenly Dao clashed against each other allowing him the chance to escape. But unfortunately, the Heavenly Dao is not the will of the world for nothing."

The beautiful Star Lord of the Moon chuckled. "Frankly, it's a miracle he could even fight that thing. I saw things from a safe distance and even then…"

Aunt master was one of the strongest people I knew. She was an ancient lifeform originating from the last era. Her silence was telling of the true terror of the Heavenly Dao's combat abilities.

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"Master has always admitted to being slightly weaker than you," I said in contemplation. "He reached a new realm?" I asked for confirmation. I myself was never too clear on the progression of Dao after a certain point.

I of course knew of the term, Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal before. Being a disciple of a chaos godfiend, I knew roughly of their history and their legends.

The stage of development closest to Grand Dao. It was named as such due to the path having stepped into the path that has the potential of achieving the state that was without limit. From supreme within limit to supreme without limit.

"That's right," aunt master confirmed. "I couldn't even see his Dao fruit anymore. Not even when his Dao was deployed. Congratulations boys, you've all been taught by the first person in primitive world history to reach Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal."

"What does the stage matter," Zulong snorted. "Master's condition is like this. How do we fix this?"

"Big brother is right," Qinglong said angrily. "We should be looking for medicinal plants. Fire Tongue grass, Purple Mystic seeds, High Sovereign Jade apples…"

"Good value medicine, but ultimately useless. Da Hai's state is so advanced that mere spiritual herbs, even of such high quality are ultimately useless to him. Right now, the only thing we can do is to keep him out of danger and wait," aunt master said solemnly.

"GRAH!" Zulong got up knocking his chair down. "Why are we even here?"

"I never summoned you. You just all assumed," aunt master said.

"Big brother, calm down," I advised. "It's useless to rage at indignities." I turned to aunt master who had a few fingers on master's chest injecting some of her own power, likely checking on his condition.

"Aunt master, what invoked the conflict in the first place? Master and the Heavenly Dao had a great relationship. As dragons, we are also the children of the Heavenly Dao. It makes no sense for them to fight."

Aunt master shook her head. "I only began noticing when the shaking began."

"Master hadn't said anything to me," Yi Fei'e added. "In fact, he hadn't returned to Yingzhou since the Sea Eye incident when he left with the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle. His rooms also didn't have anything substantial to clue me in."

I stroked my chin and the small beard I had grown. Until master woke up, there really was nothing we had to go on.

Qinglong suddenly focused and pinched his fingers. His manifestation over the stars had always been better than mine at divination and he was doing exactly that.

"Stop, you'll get nothing but backlash," aunt master warned.

As if on cue, my younger brother gasped startled. He fell back and bumped into a bookshelf gasping for breath. His horns and skin dimmed from the previous glittering starlight.

"The Heavenly Dao obviously doesn't want you to know," she said. "It may not be able to reach you here. But you're putting yourself at risk by reaching for it instead. It may not kill you, but it will punish you for this transgression."

"Fucking Heavenly Dao," Zulong growled. "What right does it have?"

"Peace husband, be wary of what you say," Gui Daiyu spoke up for the first time. "The Heavenly Dao is the supreme power of the world. It cannot be questioned nor disobeyed."

"And who said that? Some devotees from the east continent?" Elder brother snorted.

"Basic common sense," Gui Daiyu retorted. "You're talking about the manifestation of all things that walk this earth. Even going against it requires substantial power. Power very few possess. My father and teachers had always warned me since you."

"She's right," aunt master nodded. "It's not a big deal as normally, the Heavenly Dao isn't involved. But this time, it's different. Something big definitely went down. Not even your status as sovereign can salvage this."

"Hmph, the Devil Ancestor and the eastern hermit both did it," Zulong snorted.

"There were special circumstance leading up to that moment," aunt master sighed. "It was a small but special opportunity. But even after all this time. Those two cannot dictate the Heavenly Dao's actions nor observe with full clarity."

Zulong sighed and sat back down with both hands on his face. I could see the stress on his person and I couldn't help but feel useless.

"Is there nothing we can find to help master?" Qinglong asked after catching his breath.

"Da Hai has one of the biggest collections of recourses there is, hoarder that he is. If his realm was lower then sure. But unless I spontaneously breakthrough or we find something in the chaos sea. Don't actually dive into the chaos sea," aunt master added.

"Come on, let's get some fresh air. No use mulling in a depressive atmosphere," she said getting up after her inspection. "One of you can stay and watch him."

Yi Fei'e was the one left behind. I followed aunt master outside while Zulong and Qinglong stormed off. Most likely, those two would look to punch something.

The ladies went off to do their own thing as well. To cheer themselves up, the moth fairies were taking Gui Daiyu around to see some sites she hadn't been to.

"Yinglong, come with me," aunt master called out as I was about to leave for my own wanderings. She motioned for me to follow and I did so.

She guided me through the halls of master's palace as if it was second nature to her. Odd as she hadn't been here for a while and much has changed.

"You've made good progress since I last saw you. Reaching the Great Principle realm at such speeds. Your Dao fruit is also showing signs of transformation," she complimented.

"Thank you, aunt master. But that is nothing compared to my brothers. Merely a small achievement."

"Don't sell yourself short. If not for special circumstances, you'd be the most talented dragon of you three."

"Don't make fun of me aunt master. I know my limits."

"That may be so, but you are far more than you think," she said cryptically. She pushed a portion of the wall in and a door formed out of an indent.

I frowned not recognising this place. I've been all over Yingzhou, but this was very new. She must've seen my expression cause aunt master laughed at my expense

"There's a lot more hidden rooms on Yingzhou than you think nephew. Da Hai isn't the most forthcoming guy but these places aren't hard to find if you know where to look," she went into the room and I followed her. "These places are hidden with all of Da Hai's power. They're some of the most isolated places in all creation."

Within was a well lit room of glass cases decorated with miniature figurines. Carvings all painted in various dark colours. They depicted strange lifeforms both demonic and metallic. I realised I recognised non of these things. Even the labels were written in a language I'd never seen. But it was simple and I scanned the room for similar letters to figure out the language.

"Lord of Ch," I began to read out.

"Yinglong, I need to speak to you about something," aunt master interrupted me. I perked up from the figurine of a blue birdman I was looking at.

"What is it?"

"I'll be frank, I want you, in all your power, to prevent any conflict with the avians. Divert Zulong's attention away from them."

I frowned. My face scrunched at her words. "Tha…that is…that is impossible. War isn't a possibility, it's an inevitability. My brother can never stand for them to exist in the future. Their paths are set to cross."

Aunt master crossed her arms. "It's a war that will destroy you. You may survive in the end. But the road will only lead to your brother's graves and damnation for your race."

I shook my head. "I believe in my brother. Zulong can do it."

"Da Hai disagrees," she said shaking her head. The new words that came out of her mouth was a startling experience. Dragon Phoenix Tribulation, the Devil and Dao Ancestors. What even was going on anymore?

"Listen, I do not want to see you three walk to your deaths. My stake in this is Da Hai's. Losing Daoist Five Elements broke him. Losing you three will drive him to the end," she said.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why tell me this? Inform Zulong. I'm not…"

"I'm always watching from the stars. Of you three, you are the most similar to your master. Your brother is both fervent and passionate. His stubbornness is both a good trait as well as a fatal flaw. But it is not impossible to divert him. The oceans are massive, more so than the continents. He has enough already," she said.

"But I…"

"Let me finish first. Qinglong is already of the peace mindset. He, the other two symbols, and Zhuque have never stopped meeting."

I swallowed a gulp of saliva at her words. Qinglong disobeyed brother? For how long? Since when? "I…this is a lot to take in," I said.

"Your primary domain borders the avians. Please don't let conflict arise," she said almost pleadingly.

I sighed. "Zulong's dream, his ambition. He trusts me to see it through. Things are different now compared to Shenni's era. The avians simply cannot compete with us if we went all out," I argued.

"Yinglong, you are personality wise, the most similar to Da Hai. Both of you truly wish for a simple carefree life surrounded by the ones you care for. I apologise if I placed you in an awkward position. But please, think on my words," she said.

"Ideally, they will be your allies," she added. "The avians are the least of your concerns. Luohu's endgame is something everyone must oppose."

I perked up. "The devils are isolationists. They've never stepped foot outside of the west."

"Some time ago, Hongjun spoke to me. The primitive world was built from Pangu's body aided by the sacrifice of the entirety of the godfiend civilisation. Working in reverse will see the creation of the strongest divine body seen in history," she warned. "The cost will be existence itself."

When I left the room that day, I felt as if the fate of the world has been placed on my shoulders. Was this how master felt all the time?