Dragon Tamer

The sky was ink-blue, the cloudy peaks like snow.

In the rolling tide of clouds, a woman in emerald green clothes sat gracefully and quietly within the Cloud Well, with nature’s spiritual energy swirling around her like dancing spirit butterflies.

Above the Cloud Well, a koi radiating the pattern of auspicious clouds in a hovering stance fixed its large, bulging eyes onto an Immortal Rabbit Dragon full of celestial aura.

“Aberrant Beast?”

The Immortal Rabbit Dragon didn’t speak, preserving its noble temperament by doing so.

“Aberrant Beast?”

“Aberrant Beast?”

In the sky, an astonished shout occasionally rang out as a youth maneuvered a flying Immortal Sword without any of the Sword Immortal’s demeanor, like a rookie clinging onto the back of a wild horse, bouncing so much he almost fell apart.

“Slower!!”

“This way, this way, not downward, don’t dive, Mo Ye, keep your cool!!”

“Don’t ascend right after diving, bleh––––”

Zhu Minglang felt like he was dying.

Perhaps he should just give up on this sword flight business; the back of the Divine Green Holy Dragon was simply paradise.

His hair stood up like sprouting grass; Zhu Minglang landed back near the Cloud Well, his expression as ghastly as if he’d been tossing and turning at the Ghost Gate.

Just can’t learn it, just can’t learn it.

Aside from looking cool, sword flight was useless.

All flair and no substance, the Flying Sword Faction was; how could it compare to the sheer dominance of the Fighting Sword Sect!

“Zhu Minglang? What kind of feed did the Yaoshan Sword Sect give you that made a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy grow so old and worn?” Mr. Jinli asked, fixing its fisheye gaze on him.

Zhu Minglang pretended not to hear and closed his eyes to rest.

“Swish–”

The Sword Spirit Dragon floated over and, seeing Zhu Minglang lying flat on his back atop the clouds, obediently settled next to him, its small tail swishing somewhat sheepishly.

“Take it easy, take it easy. When others practice the Flying Sword Faction, they need to familiarize themselves with their swords from a young age, to achieve unity with them. Although we have a soul contract, our rapport isn’t enough yet; all it takes is practice,” Zhu Minglang consoled.

“Swish–”

The Sword Spirit Dragon seemed to be having fun, cheekily slipping under Zhu Minglang’s back and arching him up.

“No, no, no… let me catch my breath; go play by yourself for a while,” Zhu Minglang regretted his decision, wondering why he even bothered to practice sword flight.

He was a Dragon Shepherd, after all; wasn’t it better to install a luxurious couch on the back of a stylish and mighty dragon – stable, comfortable, and with wind-blocking feathers, all exuding nobility and comfort?

Why learn sword flight from others??

For the next two days, things were relatively peaceful; it seemed the Sword Spirit Dragon had claimed dominion over this patch of the cloud sea, and after the Heavenly Python suffered heavy injuries, no other creature dared to approach.

In theory, with both the Sword Spirit Dragon and Little White acting as protectors, he could also train in the Cloud Well alongside Nan Lingsha, but the reality was that spiritual energy was limited, and his presence would mean snatching resources from her.

They had an agreement: two days each.

On the second day, the Aberrant Beast was forcibly recalled to the Spirit Realm, and Nan Lingsha’s method of cultivation also visibly changed. Clearly, it was the painter auntie who practiced in the Cloud Well on the second day.

What realm the painter’s cultivation base was really in, Zhu Minglang couldn’t quite fathom.

When she initially dealt with Yun Zhonghe, who was close to Semi-monarch level, she seemed to do it with ease.

“`

In terms of strength, the painter Nan Lingsha should be stronger.

Zhu Minglang had yet to encounter an opponent that could match Lingsha. When he was in his Sword Awakening State, although Lingsha was always quietly observing by the side, Minglang often felt that her eyes betrayed an excitement she could hardly suppress.

This eagerness wasn’t because she was fascinated by his heroic stance or looked at him in a new light and silently gave her approval; it was because she wanted to challenge him.

She was more interested in opponents who were both divine and mortal. Thus, when he was in his Sword Awakening State, he was equivalent to a sword master of both god and mortal. If it weren’t for being in a team, Nan Lingsha would likely be the first to step out; Huo Shangjun, Wen Mengru, and the martial monks would have nothing to do with it.

At that time, Minglang had a premonition that if he didn’t wreak havoc everywhere, the one to do so would probably be Nan Lingsha.

She was far from satisfied; none of the divine and mortal opponents in the major power struggle had given her a real thrill.

Now, observing Lingsha’s cultivation, Minglang was even more convinced of this.

Her cultivation base was very high, her realm too.

Especially after the stumbling blocks from Ancestral Dragon City were eradicated—that is, even if the Sect Palace had not been destroyed, they would not fear the Sect Palace anymore.

The glow of the lamp dimmed, and both Zhu Minglang and Nan Lingsha didn’t dare to linger in the Dragon Country of the Clouds any longer.

Even though Little White had mastered the method to prolong life amidst the decline of the ice clouds, it couldn’t help Zhu Minglang and Nan Lingsha preserve their life force.

The powerful prohibitions of the Dragon Country of the Clouds would lead to the same end, even for someone of king level.

The Dragon Country of the Clouds was vast; Minglang hadn’t yet ascended the tallest Cloud Heaven Mountains, the deep abyss beneath the Blue Sky Pond harbored a Silver Blue Dragon King, and beyond the sea of clouds lay a frosty forest which he’d never explored.

In this short time, they hadn’t traversed even one-tenth of the Dragon Country of the Clouds.

They had yet to see the legendary supreme dragon, a symbol of imperial power.

Emerging from the Imperial Palace, Zhu Minglang and Nan Lingsha found that a ceremony to appoint a monarch was taking place in the court.

Though the enthronement of a monarch wasn’t a rare event, it seemed that the only recent land to have a new monarch appointed was the Ancestral Dragon City’s four states within Li Chuan Continent.

“Li Chuan Kingdom?”

Minglang stood in the courtyard, somewhat surprised as he looked at a newly erected dragon pillar symbolizing the state, the carvings and paints clearly fresh.

The ceremony was already underway?

Based on his estimate of time, Empress Li Yunzi should still be a week away from arriving at the Imperial City.

“She won’t accept the title of Monarch,” Lingsha stated indifferently.

Lingsha understood Yunzi well— even if Ancestral Dragon City did establish a nation, she would not serve as the Monarch.

As expected, when the court session dispersed, it was Commander Cheng, donned in the robes bestowed upon a Monarch, who was appointed.

Commander Cheng became the Monarch.

Empress Li Yunzi didn’t even appear in the court of the Supreme Court Empire.

This took Minglang by surprise.

Was Yunzi stepping back into the shadows?

That would be great!

Minglang did not relish the idea of his wife daily dealing with the affairs of state.

“Yunzi has been appointed as the Teacher of Li Chuan Kingdom; although everyone on the Supreme Court Continent knows that the real powerful ruler is Empress Li Yunzi, since Yunzi has arranged it this way, I, Uncle Cheng, will have to be the public face,” Commander Cheng came over, saw Minglang and Lingsha, and said with a wry smile.

When Yunzi first decided to establish a country, she had resolved to have Commander Cheng serve as the Monarch.

Even though the Supreme Court Empire was honoring Empress Li Yunzi, ultimately, the decision of who would serve as the Monarch of Li Chuan Kingdom was hers to make.