Tarthocas : Chronicles of the Transmigrating Scribe

The entire castle fell into a stunned silence as Ling Xuan’s bold request hung in the air. Lei Tei’s jaw dropped in disbelief, and even Xia Weiyu, usually composed, wore a look of utter surprise.

Ling Xuan, despite his outward confidence, was inwardly anxious, hoping that Xia Fugui would agree. Yet, when Xia Fugui met his gaze, the Dragon Emperor's response was swift and unexpected.

“Alright, from today onwards, you are a Dragon General,” Xia Fugui declared without hesitation.

It was now Ling Xuan’s turn to be surprised. "He agreed so easily?" Ling Xuan thought, barely able to hide his astonishment. Even Lei Tei and Xia Weiyu, seasoned warriors, were visibly shocked by the ease with which Xia Fugui had granted such a prestigious title.

Sensing the disbelief in the air, Xia Fugui offered a brief explanation. “You are, in a way, the most qualified individual in the world currently to be a Dragon General. Your Mythical Technique is the cause of it, if you’re wondering.”

Ling Xuan quickly grasped the situation, his composure returning as the pieces fell into place.In a way only two Mythical Techniques actually existed, Xia Longwei’s and his.

“So there is no form of test?” Ling Xuan inquired, still cautious.

“None,” Xia Fugui confirmed. “Your ability to defeat The Maitreya, even with ‘his’ help, is more than enough of a test.”

“If that is so, then greetings, Dragon Emperor!” Ling Xuan kneeled and kowtowed to Xia Fugui, his forehead nearly touching the ground.

“Yeah, yeah, get up.” Xia Fugui waved his hand dismissively, the gesture casual yet commanding. Ling Xuan quickly stood up, straightening his posture.

“I know very well you won’t accept Dragon Blood—it can mess with your Qi storage and the control systems built into your body. So tell me, what do you need?” Xia Fugui’s voice was calm, but there was an underlying curiosity.

“I’m going to need Qi, lots of Qi,” Ling Xuan replied without hesitation.

“How much?” Xia Fugui’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Enough to change the climate of the region.” Ling Xuan’s mind raced as he calculated the Qi required to forge approximately 80 meridians in The Serpent Pathway. “That’ll make the Pathway complete by about 88.89%,” he thought, recognizing it as the extreme limit of what he could achieve in one go.

“Alright.” Xia Fugui nodded, and in an instant, an overwhelming surge of Qi flooded into Ling Xuan’s body!

WHOOSH!

The sudden influx hit him like a tidal wave, and Ling Xuan staggered, collapsing to the ground as his body convulsed under the sheer pressure. His veins bulged, his skin flushed, and it felt as though he was about to burst apart from the inside.

CRACKLE!

But Ling Xuan was ready.

“Urizen! Launch The Meridian Forger Program!” he commanded mentally, his thoughts rapidly fading as his consciousness began to slip away.

In the blink of an eye, Ling Xuan’s vision cleared, and he found himself back in the castle, standing firm. Xia Fugui stood before him, his expression unchanged, though his eyes seemed to appraise Ling Xuan with a hint of approval.

Ling Xuan flexed his hands, feeling an immense surge of power coursing through every fibre of his being.

“That was better than I expected,” Ling Xuan murmured, realising that instead of the anticipated 80 meridians, The Meridian Forger program had pushed him to forge 82 Meridians of The Serpent Pathway.

“Alright, now that that is out of the way,” Xia Fugui began, his tone shifting back to one of authority, “Lei Tei will take you to meet the other Three Dragon Generals.”

WHOOSH!

A gust of wind stirred as Lei Tei stepped forward.

“Converse with them, build a friendship,” Xia Fugui continued. “With the coming war, unity is to be sought after in desperate times.”

As Xia Fugui waved his hand, a powerful force suddenly enveloped Ling Xuan, pulling him away from the castle grounds. His vision blurred, and he felt a sensation akin to being yanked through the fabric of space.

WHOOSH!

In an instant, Ling Xuan and Lei Tei vanished from the castle, leaving behind only a faint ripple in the air where they once stood.

The next moment, Ling Xuan found himself in a completely different setting. Three individuals were staring at him, their gazes intense and scrutinizing. He quickly took in his surroundings: a spacious room with an oval table at the center, the air thick with an unspoken tension.

The three men remained seated but continued to study Ling Xuan with keen eyes.

“Let me introduce—” Lei Tei cleared his throat, stepping forward to break the silence.

But before he could finish, one of the three interrupted him.

“I am Shi Ma, The Martial Dragon General. I oversee all Martial Artists on the Continent.” The man in yellow robes spoke with a voice that carried both authority and calm.

“I am Li Zongu, The Spymaster Dragon General, responsible for all circulating information within the Continent.” The man in white robes spoke next, his tone measured and calculating.

“And I am Ling Feng, The Staff Dragon General,” the third man spoke, his voice deeper and more resonant. “I act as the hand of The Dragon Emperor and... I am also your father.”

Ling Xuan’s eyes met Ling Feng’s, but his expression remained neutral. “Alright, I see. Greetings, Dragon Generals!” He bowed respectfully, showing no outward reaction to the revelation.

Ling Feng’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. “Aren’t you shocked that your father is still alive?” he asked, his voice probing.

“Why would I be?” Ling Xuan—or rather, Carto Harts—replied calmly. “I’ve never even seen you. There’s no reason to be shocked.” His tone was cool and detached, as if discussing a stranger. To him, Ling Feng was not a father but simply another warrior.

Ling Feng stared at Ling Xuan, searching his face for any sign of emotion. But there was none. Silence hung between them, thick and unyielding. Ling Feng chose to say nothing more, his eyes narrowing slightly as he continued to watch Ling Xuan with a mixture of curiosity and something else—perhaps regret, or even respect.

The atmosphere in the room had grown tense, the weight of Ling Xuan’s unexpected reunion with his father hanging heavily in the air. Sensing the need to diffuse the situation, Lei Tei spoke up with a bright tone.

“Everyone, this is Ling Xuan, our newest Dragon General!” He announced with a smile, hoping to redirect the room’s focus. The other Dragon Generals merely nodded in acknowledgment, their trust in the Dragon Emperor’s decisions unwavering.

With introductions out of the way, Li Zongu shifted the conversation to the matter at hand. “Alright, with that settled, the Dragon Emperor has assigned us a task to be completed.”

Ling Xuan took his seat on the rightmost chair, leaning forward slightly as he listened intently.

“Then let’s not dilly-daddle. What’s the task?” Shi Ma snorted, his impatience evident as he crossed his arms.

Li Zongu responded with a calm yet serious tone. “According to my calculations, the war is set to start approximately two weeks from now. Yimo Ji commands the largest army the Continent has ever seen, with all ten sects united under his banner. While we don’t have much to worry about in terms of numbers—the Prince and his legion will handle that minor hurdle—Yimo Ji himself will undoubtedly confront the Dragon Emperor. The Emperor will construct a domain to seal off any interference from Yimo Ji during the war.”

Li Zongu paused, allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in before continuing. “However, we still have the Sect Masters to worry about.”

“They’ll definitely try to intervene in the battle between the Dragon Emperor and Yimo Ji,” Li Zongu continued, “and our task is to ensure that doesn’t happen. During the main confrontation, we may be overwhelmed by their numbers, which could allow them to slip past us and interfere. To prevent this—”

“We hunt those bastards down before the war and sit out the rest of it drinking!” Shi Ma interrupted with a broad grin, clearly enjoying the thought of a more proactive approach.

Li Zongu sighed, ignoring Shi Ma’s jest. “We need to reduce the number of Sect Masters by at least half, especially the stronger ones.”

Ling Feng nodded, his gaze steady. “Alright then, who’s our target?”