Liam''s Perspective


    The waves rocked gently beneath our ship as we approached Brightheart Ind. I stood at the bow, watching thendmass growrger on the horizon. The ind wasn''t particrlyrge, but something about it felt...different. The air around it seemed to shimmer with an energy I couldn''t quite ce.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Evelyn Norton appeared beside me, her voice carrying on the sea breeze.


    "More than beautiful," I replied, narrowing my eyes. "There''s energy here. Something ancient."


    The ind rose before us like a giant emerald set in sapphire waters. Unlike most inds in this region, Brightheart featured a single towering mountain at its center, surrounded by lush forests that cascaded down to pristine beaches.


    "That mountain," I said quietly. "It reminds me of something I saw at the auction."


    Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "The artificial rockery?"


    I shook my head. "No. Something far more valuable. Something I couldn''t afford."


    The memory of that auction still stung. Three days ago, I''d watched as a miniature mountain formation—barely three feet tall—was brought onto the auction stage. Unlike the fake treasures that had dominated the proceedings, this artifact had radiated genuine power. My senses had immediately detected the ancient qi signatures embedded within its structure.


    "Ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer had announced, "we present the Divine Dragon''s Scale Formation—a mystical artifact said to contain the essence of earth and heaven!"


    Most of the wealthy fools in attendance had seen only an borate decoration. But I had recognized it for what it truly was—a cultivation formation of immense value, capable of amplifying one''s power tenfold during meditation.


    I''d started the bidding at eleven billion spirit stones—nearly all I had.


    "Fifteen billion!" a voice had called from the back.


    I''d turned to see a thin man with piercing eyes, dressed in expensive silks. His cultivation level wasn''t particrly high, but his wealth clearly was.


    "Twenty billion," he''d said with a smirk when he caught me looking.


    And just like that, I was out of the running. I couldn''t match that bid without bankrupting myselfpletely.


    "You seem lost in thought," Evelyn observed, pulling me back to the present.


    "Just remembering a missed opportunity," I replied. "Sometimes wealth matters more than strength."


    The ship''s bell rang, signaling our imminent arrival. Passengers began gathering their belongings, eager to disembark after days at sea. I spotted Michael Ashworth approaching from the stern.


    "Ready for our excursion?" he asked, looking surprisingly energetic for a man his age.


    "Almost," I said. "I''m curious about this ind. It feels..."


    "Divine," Michael finished my sentence. "Yes, I feel it too. The legends say this ce is special."


    I raised an eyebrow. "What legends?"


    Before Michael could answer, the ship''s captain announced our arrival. Crew members scrambled to prepare for docking, and passengers crowded the rails for their first close look at Brightheart Ind.


    "We''ll talkter," Michael promised, patting my shoulder before moving toward the disembarkation area.


    As we prepared to leave the ship, I caught sight of Dudley Lowell across the deck. He stood alone, staring at the ind with an intensity that seemed odd even for him. His lips moved slightly, as if he were speaking to someone—but there was no one near him.


    "Watchful, aren''t you?" Evelyn appeared at my side again.


    "Always," I replied, not taking my eyes off Dudley. "Do you still sense nothing from him?"


    She shook her head. "His mind remains closed to me. But his interest in this ind seems...excessive."


    "Everything about him seems excessive," I muttered.


    The ship docked smoothly against a newly constructed pier that seemed strangely out of ce against the ind''s natural beauty. Wealthy passengers disembarked in their finery, chattering excitedly about explorations and pics.


    I followed at a more measured pace, my senses alert. The moment my feet touched the pier, I felt it—a surge of energy unlike anything I''d experienced before. It wasn''t just powerful; it was pure, almost divine in nature.


    Evelyn gasped beside me. "Did you feel that?"


    "Yes," I replied quietly. "Something powerful sleeps on this ind."


    We walked in silence toward the beach, where tour guides had begun organizing excursion groups. Michael was waiting for us beneath arge tree, his expression thoughtful.


    "So," I said as we approached him, "about those legends..."


    Michael opened his mouth to respond, but a familiar voice interrupted us.


    "Ah, Mr. Knight. Enjoying our little paradise?"


    Dudley Lowell stood before us, impably dressed despite the heat and humidity. His smile didn''t reach his eyes.


    "Mr. Lowell," I acknowledged him with a slight nod. "I wasn''t aware you had prior knowledge of this ind."


    "Oh, I have knowledge of many things," he replied, his voice smooth as silk. "Things that might interest you greatly."


    Something in his tone made my skin crawl. The way he looked at me—as if I were a tool to be used rather than a person to be addressed.


    "Is that so?" I kept my voice neutral, revealing nothing.


    "Indeed." Dudley nced around at the other passengers before continuing. "This ind has quite the history. One might even call it...legendary."


    "I''m always interested in legends," I said carefully.


    Dudley''s smile widened slightly. "Walk with me, then. Allow me to enlighten you."


    Against my better judgment, I followed him away from the crowd, with Evelyn and Michael close behind. We moved toward a small clearing where the ind''s dense forest began.


    "Brightheart Ind isn''t just another tropical paradise," Dudley began once we were out of earshot of others. "Look at its shape from above—doesn''t it resemble something to you?"


    I recalled the approach from the ship, how the ind had appeared from a distance. The central mountain, the curving coastline...


    "A coiled dragon," I said suddenly, the realization hitting me.


    "Precisely!" Dudley''s eyes gleamed with something that looked almost like hunger. "You see it too. Not everyone does."


    "What of it?" Michael asked gruffly. "Many inds have fanciful shapes."


    "Oh, this is far more than coincidence," Dudley replied. "It is said that there was once a true Divine Dragon on Brightheart Ind."


    The words hung in the air between us. Even Evelyn looked startled by this im.


    "Divine Dragons are myths," I said tly.


    "Are they?" Dudley raised an eyebrow. "Just as Martial Saints are myths? Just as divine realms are myths? Come now, Mr. Knight. You''ve seen too much of this world to be so dismissive."


    He had me there. After everything I''d witnessed in recent months, dismissing anything as impossible seemed foolish. <samp ss="in-imprint-a">This text was acquired from *.</samp>


    "The legend continues," Dudley went on, his voice dropping lower, "that while the Divine Dragon''s physical form is long gone, its Dragon Spirit remains here. And those who obtain the Dragon Spirit will possess the power of the Divine Dragon."


    My eyes narrowed. Now I understood his interest in this ce—and possibly in me as well.


    "And you believe this legend?" I asked.


    "I more than believe it," Dudley replied, his gaze intense. "I have proof. Why else would such powerful energy emanate from this seemingly ordinary ind?"


    I considered his words carefully. If true, such a prize would be worth almost any risk. Divine Dragon power could potentially heal my damaged dantian—and elevate my strength beyond imagination.


    But Dudley''s interest made me cautious. What was his true aim here? And why share this information with me?


    "Why tell us this?" Evelyn voiced my thoughts. "Surely you''d prefer to seek this Dragon Spirit withoutpetition."


    Dudley chuckled, though the sound held no warmth. "My dear, some treasures cannot be imed alone. And Mr. Knight here possesses...certain qualities that might prove useful in this endeavor."


    A chill ran down my spine. He knew something about me—perhaps about the Chaotic Elixirs I''d consumed. My body had undergone changes after absorbing those powerful substances. Changes that might somehow be connected to this Dragon Spirit.


    "You''re proposing a partnership?" I asked bluntly.


    "Of a sort," Dudley replied. "Though the specifics would need to be discussed privately."


    Before I could respond, a tour guide''s whistle sounded from the beach, calling passengers to gather for the first expedition into the ind''s interior.


    "We should join the others," Michael said firmly. "Lest we attract unwanted attention."


    Dudley nodded agreeably. "Of course. We have three days on this ind—plenty of time for further discussion."


    As we walked back toward the main group, I felt Evelyn''s hand grip my arm.


    "Be careful," she whispered. "His mind may be closed to me, but his intentions are clear enough. He wants something from you specifically."


    "I know," I murmured back. "The question is—what?"


    We rejoined the other passengers, but my mind was elsewhere. The Dragon Spirit, if real, represented power beyond measure. Power that could solve my most pressing problems and elevate me to new heights.


    But as I watched Dudley Lowell chatting amiably with the wealthy passengers, I couldn''t shake the feeling that I was being manipted—positioned like a piece on a game board.


    Dudley caught me watching him and raised his ss in a silent toast. His eyes held a knowing look that sent another chill through me.


    "The Dragon Spirit of the Divine Dragon remains here," he had said, "and those who obtain the Dragon Spirit will possess the power of the Divine Dragon."


    The words echoed in my mind as I gazed up at the ind''s central mountain. Something ancient and powerful waited there—I could feel it in my bones.


    The question was: would it bring salvation or destruction?