"This is the end for you Mu Suizhen," a human looking man said towards a heavily injured person with disdain.

"For all your crimes against my people, death is too good of a punishment. You've been enough of a blight upon the universe already."

Their battle had been hard, but ultimately ended in his triumph. The speaking cultivator was named Lu Xianwen. A great cultivator who ruled a city in the Chaos Sea.

Like many wanderers, he was a connate lifeform born directly from the Chaos Sea. Unlike many, he'd managed to cultivate to a staggering stage.

His opponent in contrast was a mortal who ascended out of his own Chaos World. Someone who once stumbled upon a priceless artefact and rose to significance because of it.

"Damn it all," Mu Suizhen groaned. "Don't act as if you're fighting for a righteous cause Red Bull. Were if not for the dragon scale, we'd not be here. Or did you forget the good times we had as in laws?"

"Hmph, I don't recall son in law surnamed Mu in my family," Red Bull said stubbornly.

"So that's how it is. To think I worked hard for you to earn her hand. To think gave you a talented grandson. All because of a fucking scale. It never ends no matter where I go." Mu Suizhen chuckled in a rather maniacal way. On his chest, he clutched a single black scale.

"Lowborns postnatal lifeforms like you were never worthy to begin with." Red Bull lifted his hand to kill Mu Suizhen. "Ascending out of a mere Chaos World thinking they're so special. Lifeforms like you are at the stage of infant in the real world."

The Red Bull was an almighty Connate Lifeform born at the Golden Immortal realm equivalent. Though he knew his own cultivation level by a different name than the Three Realm's immortals, he had reached an equivalent to a Great Unity Golden Immortal.

Mu Suizhen may've also broken through to the same realm, but his experience was lacking. Not even his lifelong treasure, the scale that granted him his cultivation manual could save him.

He closed his eyes thinking about his family. His greatest reward after a lifetime of pain.

From experiencing the genocide of his clan, the expulsion from his sect and rejection from his first love. His constant battles through numerous young masters offended by his existence. His transcendence from his own Chaos World into what he thought was freedom.

His young son who'd never know his father thanks to his maternal grandfather. The woman he grew to love would not know of him as anything other then a criminal thanks to her own father.

He opened his eyes again feeling unquenchable rage.

"Excuse me," a new voice interrupted the confrontation. "I need to take a look at that."

Red Bull found his own energy dissipating. Not freeze, nor canceled out by another. It had been completely erased by a blond stranger who barged in.

"Fellow Daoist, I am the city lord of Red Rock city. Who may you be?" He cautiously asked.

"Young man, the scale. Let me see it," the stranger demanded. He sounded desperate, likely crazed as well from his body language.

"Valuable to you too huh?" Mu Suizhen scoffed. "Does this universe think I'm that easy to bully? Well I'm an arrogant piece of shit too. You want this scale? Then fight me for it!"

The blond stranger stopped, his azure robe fluttering as he examined the young man who charged for him in an act of spiteful defiance.

"Eat this then, Five Clawed Crush!"

The stranger did not feel particularly threatened by the sudden appearance of a five digit claw attempting to grasp him. He marveled at the technique, and quickly caught the wrist of Mu Suizhen.

Their closeness allowed the stranger to get a closer look at him, to which the stranger grew saddened by. Although an instant was felt by Mu Shuizhen, an eternity passed before the stranger sighed.

"What a tragic life."

"Senior, thank you for capturing that criminal. Red Rock City thanks you," Red Bull quickly said. Inwardly, he cursed fate for throwing a genuine monster in his path.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Then he collapsed into particles.

Mu Suizhen's gaze widened. Red Bull's existence disappeared in that exact moment. Nothing, not even a single trace of his delusional idea remained.

"People like that," the stranger said with distaste. "Cockroaches exist everywhere I'm afraid. Now the scale. I'm asking nicely."

"What…" Mu Suizhen was frozen. Red Bull had died? But he was a supreme existence who'd ruled for ten cosmic years. Even neighbouring regions feared crossing him.

To begin with, he'd been shocked the city lord would salivate for the scale in the first place given his age and wealth. But to have him die so casually was unbelievable.

"Please," the stranger said in a half polite, half begging way. "I dislike senseless slaughter. Don't make me kill you."

"Who are you. Why?"

"Da Hai," the stranger quickly replied. "Diving your histories was easy. Neither of you were particularly good at obscuring it."

Da Hai held out a hand expectingly. He didn't even form an attack, nor defensive measure.

But his straightforwardness, and the fact that he got rid of Red Bull moved Mu Suizhen.

"I'm looking for someone dear to me. I recognise that scale. I would like to have a look at it." It was a polite demand. But one Mu Suizhen felt was the final one.

"I encountered it in my darkest hour and was enlightened by it. Some old legends on the Whirling Claw realm said it was where the first claw based cultivation arts were derived. Turns out, it was lost in a war during the primordial days," he said as he handed over the scale.

Da Hai grasped it as if it was the most important object in the world. "Thank you," he said in turn.

"I advise you to go to your wife and child before too many misunderstandings occur. And you might as well take control of Red Rock City while you're at it.

"Take it from me. Loosing a family is the worst feeling in the world, especially if you knew there was something you could've done to prevent it. And the chaos caused by a power vacuum would cause endless pain as well," Da Hai said.

He told nothing else as he departed from the shaken cultivator. Mu Suizhen was left feeling lost, yet also fearful at the sheer magnitude of power within deeper areas of the Chaos Sea.

…

"Hm, he was here thirty seven yuanhui ago."

Da Hai mused as he paced around the scale floating in space. Constantly stroking his bearded chin as he attempting to create a model for Zulong's movements. The results were sub par at best.

In actuality, there was no way of knowing if the scale had been swept up in chaotic currents. Even the traces of past possessors of the item couldn't help him much.

The only information he gleaned was that Zulong's vitality was extreme, and contained enough profoundness to be retained in a single scale that enlightened numerous mortals.

"How is your search for the Dao realm going?" Da Hai heard Haotian call out to him from deep inside his consciousness.

He had not spoken with not thought about Haotian. His, 'clone,' was a difficult subject to examine. Da Hai also held fear that if he reached out to him, the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun would notice.

"What do you want?" Da Hai said while studying the scale's energy traces.

"This is all? You know it's been fifty thousand years," the man who styled himself Jade Emperor said. "I had hoped you'd be working hard to reach the ultimate realm knowing how much spite you hold."

"Then you don't know me."

"Oh but I do. Your love and your spite goes hand in hand. Enough motivation for you to maddeningly pursue the Dao again. You are troubled by something else."

Da Hai scoffed at his words. His eyes withdrew within themselves, which allowed him to appear in his mindscape. Far across the infinite sea, past the expanse with an eternally stretching horizon.

He walked past the concepts of his own Dao to greet Haotian face to face. Contrary to his expectation, Haotian did not appear smug.

"Hello Da Hai. I confess that I hoped you'd be more proactive in breaking through rather than chasing odd clues on someone you could always look for later. I understand that the Dao realm isn't something as simple to gain as meditation. But…"

"And what have you done in all these years?" Da Hai interrupted him. "I sent you in to watch Hongjun's actions. You provided me nothing. You've neither disrupted Hongjun's plans since, nor have you convinced others of his nature."

"I fixed the Three Realms," Haotian simply said. But he was beginning to feel offended by his origin's accusation.

"Do you not recall that you were once the same. You still in fact feel deep empathy for living beings and tragic events. But unlike you, I care enough to do something about it.

"Unlike you Da Hai, I don't just ignore it until it shows up at my doorstep. I took measures to ensure the Three Realm's safety. I prevent all sorts of monsters from arising. I stifle all forms of dangerous mentality from gathering. I keep ORDER!

"It's something that I guess you've forgotten. Or I've just inherited a better trait from your human predecessor.

Da Hai stopped to tear into Haotian's psyche. It caused the Jade Emperor to freeze up.

His Adam's apple quivered due to a level of helplessness he hadn't felt since forever. As a clone, a lesser diverted portion of a greater being, he was had to comply with Da Hai.

"My heavens. So your idea is to gather boundless faith to change reality? Raise support from all the saints and even the Heavenly Dao. Then use the combined force to rip Pangu's Dao out of him?" Da Hai said in an impressed tone.

Then the sea god turned grim, furious even. "Then why haven't you executed it yet? A…love for Hongjun? Your master?"

"Wa…ait…there's…"

Da Hai tossed Haotian back. "I don't want to hear your rubbish anymore. You brought me back from oblivion and I will remember that. It shows you aren't completely brainwashed by Hongjun.

"I also saw your loathing for his attitude. I can respect that." He took a deep breath to calm down. "Hm, I apologize. In retrospect being wary of failure and creating failsaves are wise."

"But do not tell me what to do," Da Hai warned. "I am fully aware of what's at stake. And I will reach the Dao realm. Don't bother me again. I do not need you over my shoulder."

The connection was abruptly cut giving Haotian some whiplash.

Haotian groaned, he didn't expect to become so agitated again in Da Hai's presence. "Didn't even give me the chance to talk. There are other reasons. And he even completely overlooked them choosing only to see what he wanted to see. Blocked me even.

"Fucking he'll that guy. Always so sure that he knows best…."

Haotian stopped to chuckle at the irony he found in his own words. "He'll see those angels soon anyway. So many of them prowl the Chaos Sea that it's nauseating."

…

At a railing of a balcony overlooking the Heavenly Court's Divine Martial Palace's courtyard, Haotian released an almost unprovable groan.

"Is something wrong uncle?" A three eyed immortal said from beside him. His sharp senses having picked up the subtle gesture.

"Nothing to worry about Yang Jian," Haotian waved him off. "We're simply sorting through our thoughts," he said, switching back to the royal we.

He continued to watch members of his own celestial armies run through drills below under the guidance of the Pagoda Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing.

'If I inform master of my discovery of YHVH, he'd urgently wish to ascend instead of fight. Da Hai will have to replace him. But the Heavenly Dao would never accept him as the Dao Ancestor.'

"Hah! Hah! And again. Do you failures want to keep embarrassing his majesty?" Heavenly King Li demanded of his troops.

He was not aware that Haotian was more concerned with counterbalancing the higher power's personalities and desires. Nor did he know the reason why Haotian was expanding his forces, or why Haotian was launching expeditions into the Chaos Sea to absorb more Chaos Worlds.

"Yang Jian, the Great Sun Tathagata Buddha will be back soon with some powerful individuals. We want you to test them," Haotian commanded.

"Oh? Been awhile since I had a job. I'll tell my mother I'll be late for dinner. Come along Xiaotian, it's time to act as the Erlang God again," Yang Jian enthusiastically said to his hound.

He was one of the greatest cultivators Haotian had personally brought up from a forgotten clay doll sweeping Zixiao Palace's floors. A personal confidant by this point in time. But even he was largely unaware of Haotian's personal grievances.

For his part, the Jade Emperor felt trepidation towards the future. But he was already committed to do anything to protect the cultivation world that was the Three Realms that he so dearly loved.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.