Xuan Ye emerged from the lake and soared into the sky.
His serpentine body moved with grace, undulating like endless waves in the ocean. Above him stretched a boundless, cloudless sky, offering an unobstructed view of the vast land below.
He hovered in midair, golden eyes sweeping across the horizon. He could feel it—the foreign energy of this world, swarming around him, drawn toward him like a moth to a flame.
Taking a deep breath, he savored the fresh, unpolluted air. For miles upon miles, all he could see was an endless sea of forest. The trees towered upward, far larger than any he remembered from Earth, their crowns blotting out the horizon like ancient sentinels.
Though his inherited memories were limited, they provided a glimpse of knowledge. This world was vast—immensely so.
Deep within his soul, he felt a faint connection to the sacred homeland of all dragons: the Azure Oceanic Empire.
Buried deep in the endless seas, far beyond the reach of land dwellers, lay the cradle of dragonkind. It was said that only there could dragons ascend to higher realms. Within those fathomless depths rested the bones of a divine dragon that had once fallen from the heavens themselves. It's remains radiated laws of heaven and earth, laws that granted the path to ascension. And there, ruling from the abyss, dwelled the Azure Royal Clan—direct descendants of that divine being.
Xuan Ye knew he would one day have to make that journey. But the distance was unfathomable, and the path would take years, perhaps decades, to cross.
Fortunately, he was not ordinary. As a pure-blooded Flood Dragon—a sacred-tier beast—he had awakened at the Golden Core Realm without a single formation, pill, or aid. A feat only the most exalted of dragon bloodlines could achieve.
This world had its own stages of cultivation, climbing step by step from the weakest to the strongest:
Qi Awakening → Qi Refining → Meridian Tempering → Foundation Establishment → Core Formation → Golden Core → Nascent Soul → Spirit Sea → Soul Core → Origin Palace → Dao Foundation.
Beyond the Dao Foundation awaited tribulations and ascension into higher realms.
Xuan Ye could feel power coursing through his veins, the type of power that could crush mountains and tear through armies. It was the strength that allowed his race to dominate the world, checked only by the strongest adversaries.
"Status," Xuan Ye called out, settling onto the shore of the lake.
—STATUS—
Name: Xuan Ye
Race: Flood Dragon (Evolvable)
Bloodline: None
Growth Stage: Sub-Adult (Fresh)
Age: 200 Years
Cultivation: Golden Core Realm
Tier: Sacred Tier Beast
Conquest Points: 0
Mates: 0
—ABILITIES—
Flood Dragon Scales
Flood Dragon Breath
Flood Dragon Gaze
Flood Dragon Fear
Dragon Language (Minor)
Transformation
—SYSTEM FUNCTIONS—
Shop
Quests
Xuan Ye studied the glowing panel with interest. This was his first clear look at the system since reincarnating.
Shop and Quests, huh? he thought. Basic system functions—just like in the novels I used to read.
"System," he called aloud, waiting for a response. Perhaps, like other protagonists, his system might have some form of consciousness.
[Welcome to the Imperial Conquest System, Host.]
[A starter gift pack is ready and available.]
"A starter pack? Nice." Xuan Ye's sharp-toothed grin stretched across his maw. In his massive dragon form, however, it looked less charming and more terrifying.
"What functions do you have?" he asked.
[Replying to Host: The Imperial Conquest System is designed to aid the Host in conquest, allowing him to secure his own Imperial Throne.]
[The Shop allows the Host to purchase military personnel, vehicles, weapons, and other items useful for establishing an empire.]
[The Quests function grants missions. Completion rewards Conquest Points, which may be spent in the Shop.]
"Building my own empire, huh?" Xuan Ye mused.
If I were still human, I'd have laughed at such a ridiculous goal. Maybe I would've tried just enough to live comfortably, or maybe not at all. But now…
Now, dragon blood roared within his veins. Ambition surged in his chest like an unquenchable flame. He didn't want to bow beneath anyone. He wanted power, glory, and dominion over everything beneath the heavens.
On Earth, he had only lived until eighteen, dying a shut-in without ever experiencing life's pleasures. But now… now he would.
"Good… good… good! Hahaha!" His laughter thundered like a storm. His claws tore into the ground, shredding earth and stone as if the future was already within his grasp.
[Would the Host like to open the Starter Gift Pack?]
The mechanical voice snapped him from his reverie.
"Yes—open it!" he ordered, eyes narrowing in anticipation, his massive frame tensing.
[+4 Soul Core Realm Imperial Protectors]
[+1 Soul-Bound Imperial Set]
{Includes one Imperial Space Ring, Robes, and Weapons-Proof of Royal Lineage}
[+1,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones]
Four tremendous auras erupted at once, shaking heaven and earth. The pressure distorted the very air, whipping gales into a frenzy. Waves surged out of the lake, crashing against the shore.
Xuan Ye could feel the might in that oppressive energy, but it had no effect on him. Instead, it flowed around him, like rivers parting around a mountain.
Four colossal beings appeared. Though Xuan Ye's body stretched sixty meters long and five meters thick, they dwarfed him. Each Flood Dragon was one hundred fifty meters in length, with bodies thick enough to encircle fortresses. Their very presence radiated calamity.
"Your Majesty." The four dragons lowered their massive heads in unison, their voices shaking the ground.
Their scales shimmered dark gray, while flowing black manes trailed down their necks. Slowly, their colossal bodies shrank, twisting into humanoid shapes.
Four middle-aged men stood before Xuan Ye, each robust and armored in black and gold. They dropped to one knee, fists slamming into the earth and cracking the ground.
Xuan Ye hesitated. Though his body had aged two hundred years, in truth, he was still just an eighteen-year-old at heart. His years in this new world had mostly been spent in a deep slumber.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat. "You may rise."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The four replied in unison, standing tall at nearly nine feet each.
"What are your names?"
"We have none, Your Majesty."
'System,' Xuan Ye called.
[Yes, Host.]
'Why don't they have names?'
[They are newly created. The System did not assign names, as they are meant to be named by the Host.]
'Wait… so are they like robots?'
[Yes and no. They were artificially created, but they are genuine living beings with thoughts, wills, and personalities. Their loyalty to the Host, however, is absolute.]
'I see… then for now I'll give them simple names until I understand their personalities better,' Xuan Ye thought. He studied them, frowning slightly.
'But how am I supposed to tell them apart when they look exactly the same…?'
He scratched his scaled stomach with a claw.
"Ah, whatever. I'll wing it."
"You are Number One. You, Number Two. Then Three, and Four."
The four guardians pounded their chests in unison, the impact sending shockwaves that kicked up sand.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Xuan Ye sighed. "Hmm… what now?"
Excitement had filled him upon awakening, but now uncertainty crept in. Unlike other protagonists, he had no burning vengeance, no enemies, no clan to prove himself to. His reincarnation felt… strangely uneventful.
"Wow… my reincarnation is boring, huh," he muttered to himself.
The guardians remained silent, unmoving pillars awaiting his command. Remembering they were still watching, he coughed into his claw. "Ahem."
He recalled his abilities. Most he instinctively understood, but one remained unused.
[Transformation].
His vast body shrank, twisting and reshaping. In moments, a young man stood where the dragon had been.
He was enormous—eight feet nine inches tall—with broad shoulders and a physique carved like divine stone. His long silvery-white hair cascaded down his back, framing a face of sharp handsomeness. Golden-amber eyes gleamed beneath strong brows, while a small flame-shaped mark adorned his forehead, adding mystic allure.
Though tall, he stood just shy of his guardians' nine-foot statures.
"Whoa." Xuan Ye flexed his fingers, marveling at the condensed power of his new form. His senses felt sharper, his connection to the surrounding qi clearer. He understood instantly: his dragon form was built for destruction and defense, while his humanoid form granted speed, agility, and refined control. The trade-off was slightly weaker defenses, though still far beyond mortals.
Walking to the water's edge, he caught his reflection and whistled. "Damn, I'm handsome."
He froze, glancing back at his guardians. They stared expressionlessly. Coughing again, he returned to admiring his reflection.
The black Imperial robe from his starter pack shimmered in the light, embroidered with golden dragons that seemed to ripple across the fabric. A black ring inlaid with draconic runes adorned his finger. Pouring qi into it, he explored its space: glowing spirit stones, sets of regal robes, and two floating weapons—a long black spear etched with dragon carvings, and a matching sword.
Satisfied, he turned toward the distant horizon—the direction of the Azure Oceanic Empire.
'I suppose that's where I'll head. I'll probably find plenty of fun along the way.'
He faced his protectors. "We'll travel toward the Empire. No rush. Let's take our time and see this world." His voice, though youthful, carried authority.
"As you command, Your Majesty," the four replied, transforming back into dragons.
Xuan Ye smiled, shifting back into his true form.
He considered hiding in his humanoid body—after all, dragons were coveted for their parts in many novels he'd read. But this wasn't Earth's fiction. His lineage and four Soul Core guardians gave him unmatched protection. He wasn't like those other protagonists who had to hide their secrets. Even if someone dared, word would soon reach the Azure Oceanic Empire itself and, as a matter of pride, avenge any slain dragon.
Only the mightiest forces in this world would dare oppose such power.
"ROAAARRR!"
His deafening roar shook the heavens. Excitement surged through his veins as he took to the skies.
Five colossal dragons rose into the clouds, blotting out the sun as they soared into the distance.
A new adventure had begun.