This is my greatest foe yet as a human... Even I, Zaragnathor do not know how this will end even with my vast knowledge!
...
I must just wait, as my life and my mother's life hangs in the balance here...
...
Now!
Zao Ning jumps out from a bush at high speeds as he dives straight into the water. With perfect form in his diving technique, Zao Ning feels no resistance from the water as he pulls his right hand backwards.
Shooting his right hand forward like a knife, Zao impales the medium sized fish straight through its side, killing the fish instantly.
Swimming back towards the surface of the water with his trophy is his hand, Zao has a happy grin on his face.
Surfacing on top of the water, Zao sends the hand with the fish in it in the air.
"I did it!" Zao roars with happiness and triumph. He waves the fishes at his mother, who wildly claps and has an amazed expression on her face.
"You're so amazing young Zao! What would mommy do without you? We get to eat all the fish we want now!" Wei Ning says happily as she now doesn't have to worry about food since her freakishly strong son will gladly hunt for her. In Wei's mind, she will now only worry about finding the two a better place to live.
With a toothy smile on his face as he gets out of the water, Zao gives the fish to his mother and wipes his platinum hair out of his eyes. It's been another 6 months since Zao has been reincarnated and his 1st birthday is today. Zao has been training and cultivating wildly and feels like he can break through to the 4th Mortal Realm soon, yet it looks like he has not aged a bit.
All of his abilities have become polished and have no flaw in them whatsoever. I guess that's what happen when you have the enlightenment of an ancient dragon. The power of all of Zao abilities have nearly increased tenfold since he started training them.
Zao has even learned how to swim and dive into the water like a professional as he does not want a repeat from that traumatic experience he had when first diving into water.
Zao has now caught 3 fish today and Wei think that they won't need anymore so now Zao is going to go train for the day.
Zao and his mother split ways, Wei goes home and Zao stays near the creek as it is soothing to cultivate here for Zao.
Seeing his mother's figure vanish in the distance, Zao sits down cross legged and closes his eyes. Countless amouts of 10 cm lightning worms fill Zao's veins. Feeling satisfied with his progress, Zao decides now will be the time when he will evolve into the 4th Mortal Realm.
Taking in a deep breath and going to a tranquil meditation that would make most monks jealous, Zao begins to guide the all the warms to his heart. Gathering at his heart, the worms once again begin a death battle and surprisingly to no one it is very anti climatic.
The worms simply headbutt each other and then eat the dead one. This time around though, something is different. Instead of growing bigger, the worm that is the last worm standing goes from a bright and translucent blue to a murky dark blue. This shows how the purity of the elemental Ki within Zao is becoming more and more profound.
After claiming victory, the worm burrows itself inside of Zao's main cultivating vein, sending shocks of electricity throughout the boy's body. Once again, Zao begins to grow at speeds fast enough to be seen by the naked eye.
Zao can feel his muscles grow, tear, reattach, grow, and repeat the process over and over. His bones are breaking and reforming as they become bigger at speeds that shouldn't be and even his organs are tearing past their limits so they can regrow bigger and stronger.
This truly isn't a pleasant feeling but I have felt worse. Also I won't have to feel this again for a while as this should be the last time I transform for a very long time unless I find a bloodline. Hell, I might even be stuck like this.
Zao's body finally stops breaking itself and reforming and begins to settle down. His bones have a light blue tinge due to the Lightning Ki and Zao's muscles are built more for speed than power. Finally opening his eyes again, Zao looks in the area around him.
His sight has become 10 times more powerful than before and his reflexes are nothing to laugh at. Being able to see a fly from 100 meters away is nothing short of impressive for any 1 year old.
Even though Zao is only a 1 year old, he looks like a 12 year old to anyone who isn't his mother. On top of that, Zao's frame might be small, standing at only 151 cm tall, his muscles are toned and give of a sense of danger to anyone who looks at them.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Zao's eyes have once again transformed and are now a dark blue that sizzle intensely, lightning sparks shooting throughout his irises.
Zao flexes his body and stretches as he gets up.
Now I actually have confidence in myself, but there is still something missing. Body reinforcing techniques.
Zao has one of every base ability at the moment, has a cultivating technique, yet is missing a body reinforcing technique. These are techniques that purely strengthen the body and can only be trained after your Ki is beginning to fuse with your body, which is 4th Mortal Realm and up. That is why Zao's bones are changing colors.
I need to go find some as I can't remember any for mortals, or even many for humans at that fact. Plus the materials required for that is nothing short of expensive.
Zao thinks to himself about how to get his hands on some new techniques, or even some currency for that fact. While he is contemplating, Zao grabs up his cloth and wraps it around his waist.
The cloth that once covered the 4 year old looking boy can now barely cover the boy's waist and below.
Zao, while still thinking hard, begins his mindless journey back him.
Walking down the dirt road, Zao's ears pick up the sound of battle and it is alluring to the ex-dragon that fought thousands of battles in his past life.
Wanting to test his new limits anyways, Zao flexes his leg muscles and begins sprinting towards the sound of battle.
The sound is coming from within a forest next to the city limits and Zao ignores the signs that says "DANGER. KEEP AWAY" and continues towards the sound of battle.
Coming closer and closer, Zao's heart begins to race. Just from the sounds Zao can tell this is a battle to the death and those are his favorite. Smiling wickedly and becoming more enthusiastic to get there before the end, Zao doubles his speed.
Running a Kilometer and in a minute, Zao finally shows up to the battle.
"Run Sister Bing Mei! I'll hold them off!" a teenager with a black sword says as he swipes the sword horizontally. The sword is met with the a wooden staff and surprisingly, the staff causes the sword to bounce backwards.
The wielder of the staff sends the butt of the staff into the teenager's chest and causes the teenage boy to fly backwards. Vomiting blood, the teenager is barely able to stand up.
"Big Brother Chen Ling! I can't leave you-!"
"Leave!" Chen Ling yells while interrupting Bing Mei. Bing Mei has tears welling inside of her ears and her heart is being torn in half. She doesn't wish to leave her Big Brother, but those men will surely kill them both if she doesn't.
"No baby, don't leave. Us in the Dark Moon Sect only wish to taste your flesh a little." the man with the wooden staff says in a soothing voice.
Hearing this, Zao's pupils contract and he begins to grind his teeth in the shadows.
WHAT IS WITH HUMAN'S AND EATING EACH OTHER?! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU CANNIBALISTIC BASTARDS!
Zao is yelling in his mind as he is constantly reminded of his past disgrace. Zao decides to find out what weirdos starting this trend of eating each other and eradicating them off the face of the Realms.
Slinking into the shadows, Zao waits for the perfect time to show himself.
Back on the battlefield, Chen Ling's eyes turn bloodshot as he begs and pleads for Bing Mei to run, but the girl is frozen stiff. The man with the wooden staff simply laughs and slowly approaches the injured Chen Ling.
Spinning the wooden staff in a circle, traces of Earth Ki begin to fill the staff. The weight of the staff increases as yet the man still wields it like the staff is nothing but a twig. With the staff being heavy enough to crush a 3rd Mortal Realm cultivator with just it's weight, the man smiles tosses it towards Chen Ling.
Chen Ling can sense the Earth Ki within the staff and realizes how heavy it is while it is flying towards him. Chen Ling simply closes his eyes and flinches, awaiting for death to come for him because a 3rd Mortal Realm human, he has no chance.
Yet, death never came. Chen Ling opens his eyes and sees a platinum haired youth in mid air, kicking the heavy wooden staff.
"Hey, you dropped this." Zao says with in a monotone voice.
Everyone's eyes become wide as Zao easily kicks the wooden staff and sends it back towards the original wielder at speeds faster than the man can react.
Within seconds, the staff goes straight through man's chest and with the weight of the Earth Ki, and Zao's strength, the staff tears the man in half.
After tearing the man in half, the staff continues through the air and flies straight into a tree, where it becomes implanted half through the trees thick trunk.
Zao Ning lands on the ground with a huff and cracks his back.
"Geez, that staff was heavier than I thought, the vibration from me kicking went straight to my back." Zao says with a tinge of pain in his voice.
At the time Zao had seen the man throw the staff, Zao realized that one named Chen Ling would die unless Zao intervened. With the opportunity to kill a man with his own weapon and to save someone's life appeared, Zao decided kick the staff back at the man was the best option.
And damn it was very effective.
The face on the man's corpse is just one of surprise and denial. How could someone who had cultivated 20 years and only made it to bottom of the 4th Mortal Realm accept that a kid killed him.
I wonder how the man would've reacted if he knew Zao's old form.
Bing Mei runs over to Chen Ling and jumps into the teenagers chest and begins to wail loudly. Zao grabs his head as the horrendous crying of the girl gives him a slight headache, yet Zao needs these two alive.
"Hey, you two weaklings. You're in a sect right?" Zao says while staring at their matching robes. The robes are a deep black with the insignia of a small green dragon. Chen Ling looks surprised at the weakling part of the sentence but decides that Zao has the right to say that after what Zao just did.
"Yes. We are outer disciples of the legendary Wu Chang Sect. As you can tell by the legendary dragon Wu Chang on our sleeves!" Chen Ling says with pride, even though his body is hurting and the teenager is covered with a crying girl and dirt.
Zao's eyes open wide for a second and Chen Ling smiles. Anyone would gawk at the legendary sect Chen Ling was in, even if it was a freakishly strong boy/monster, but Zao doesn't gawk.
"Bwahahahahahahaha!" Zao begins to roll on the floor laughing. Chen Ling's heart drops to the bottom of his chest as this boy laughs at the sect that Chen Ling sacrificed everything just to be an outer disciple in.
"That weak bitch has his own sect?! WHAT A DISGRACE, AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN OFFICIAL DISCIPLES!" Zao yells while laughing wildly.