XEPHILA VONIAC ACADEMY.
A supermassive island, twice bigger than Earth, hovered hundreds of meters above the ground. The energy concentration on the island was too dense and pure.
A lush green forest covered thousands of miles. Trees very tall supported by huge trunks. Chirping noise resounded.
A large city could be seen in the distance. Tall buildings pierced through the sky. Massive walls several meters high covered the city.
Several students walked around. They visited fancy restaurants, entertainment centres while others went off for their classes.
The students were numbered in millions. Given how vast the Academy was, they were easily accommodated without issue.
Amazingly, clouds floated just above the Academy. With tall buildings pierced through, it was truly a mesmerising sight to behold.
High above, the second cloud layer, an island much smaller than the one below, hovered.
It belonged to the Professors. Several mansions stood proudly, each with a unique design and beauty.
They were numbered in thousands. This was the Professors' "quarters".
There were some exceptionally talented students who were allowed to stay on this island for "proper" grooming, more like watching them.
If one wasn't strong enough, they couldn't withstand the overwhelming pressure on the island which housed numerous powerful beings.
High above, the third cloud layer, darker and more suffocating than the last, was a small island.
It floated slowly within its range near the Academy. The energies here were so dense that they formed fumes.
There was a small lush green forest, a small flower garden nearby. The garden gave off an intoxicating scent which calmed one's mind.
A grand mansion, too imposing and otherworldly, stood. It was big and beautiful with several runic designs on the walls.
Inside, an old woman sat on a chair, her gaze fixed on a large book. She flipped through slowly.
"Who would have thought that the Ancient Flame, desired by several entities, was always near but as if deliberately hidden away by something or someone. Tsk."
In the book, three flames—White, Golden, and Black—could be seen in a circle.
It was said that each Flame had the ability to cover an entire "Universe" in flames at full potential.
The White Flame could burn and incinerate anything to nothingness.
The Golden Flame could purify anything and ???
The Black Flame could ???
She couldn't help but look at the description in shock and frustration. She closed the book and massaged her temples.
"Let's prepare for the Academy opening. This year has some interesting and promising talents," she said as she arranged some paperwork.
She was the Principal of the most prestigious and powerful Academy. The Academy was isolated from the world. It stood independently in space.
She was excited to receive a few spotted young stars. This year was a bit different; several geniuses appeared, and some of the Professors had individually given out their personal Jades to these "individuals".
This shocked her greatly. In past years, at most 2 or 3 Jades were given out. But this year, approximately 7 Jades were given out. She knew it wasn't over yet.
This was a very risky move. The Academy's and Professors' images were reflected by the ones who held their Jades. If it turned out to be a waste, their dignity would be devastated.
*'Let's hope they outperform the others greatly. It will be enough to clear the doubts.'*
*'What was that power? I can count few existences who can hold me even for a second—it's a miracle. But that…'* Tsk.
☆☆☆
A bright silver-haired man sat on a bench in an open park. He licked ice cream with great passion without a care in the world.
His looks attracted too much attention, and he felt slight irritation, but it quickly disappeared since…
*'Most of them are beautiful women. Let's bear with it a bit more. Hehe.'* He grinned.
The women who looked at him blushed heavily. His smile captivated their hearts instantly.
**[Why are you grinning like an idiot?]** An irritated voice sounded in his head.
"Oh, jealous are we? Don't worry—they can't replace your place in my heart, dear. You're very beautiful and irreplaceable, my Lisa~" he said charmingly.
[…]
A distance away, a black-haired woman clad in a tantalizing blue outfit looked around. Her sharp gaze landed on a devilishly handsome man.
He licked ice cream in a way that young maidens were now focused on him. They had flushed cheeks, each lost in imagination and wild fantasy.
She was very beautiful with a charming presence: big breasts, a slender waist worthy of holding, and a curvy body that earned her lustful gazes from male dragons. Her beautiful ass swayed unintentionally with every movement. She could only be described as gorgeous.
She walked gracefully toward the grinning silver-haired man. He looked at her and nodded. Surprisingly, there was no lust in his gaze.
She sat beside him and smiled slightly. She was impressed by his carefree nature.
*'I had come prepared for a serious and strict old businessman, hehe. The world is full of surprises.'*
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, my lady. You can call me Anorax—no problem with me," he said calmly and extended his hand for a handshake.
His skin was amazingly soft and flawless.
"The pleasure is mine. I expected to meet an aloof and strict old man, but you're quite the opposite," she chuckled slightly, this surprising her. "Feel free to call me Hilosura."
Anorax then faced the ice cream stall ahead. He abruptly stood up. She looked at him curiously.
"What's your flavor? You know they're quite good," he asked. But inwardly cursed:
*'Why now of all times? It's not like I'll run away or something. Fuck.'*
Hilosura looked at him silently. She couldn't see any hidden intentions behind his words. She doubted he knew her true identity, so she relaxed.
"The chocolate flavor will do," she said. Her voice was soothingly pleasant to hear.
He bought as much as he could, which startled the vendor. After paying, they disappeared without a trace.
*'So you were jealous as I enjoyed? You could've ordered as much as you wanted at home, you know.'*
**[Shut up.]**
He chuckled as he approached the black-haired woman. He hadn't noticed before, but now he realized the dragons' entire focus was on her.
This wasn't normal. Dragons were prideful beings who didn't spare a glance for anybody unless you were special in a certain way.
*'It's none of my business now. Maybe they're attracted to something I don't know of.'*
He handed her the ice cream cone and opened his own, eating it immediately.
*'Is this some kind of prank? Anyway, let's go with the flow. It's not every day that I get to enjoy moments like this—except training like a madwoman.'*
She giggled but quickly covered her mouth. He looked at her, wondering if something was amiss.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing."
They ate happily, each in their own thoughts. He did all that because he felt like it. He wanted to create friendship between them.
Though he knew little about her, his gut feeling took the lead.
"I have the two vials with what you wanted inside. They're safe where they are—you don't have to worry about anything," he said what she'd been waiting to hear.
*'I thought he was lying when he posted it on the platform. If not for my desire for it, I wouldn't be here.'*
"How much?" she asked.
"Straight to the point, huh." He smiled. "1 vial will cost 12 billion ronians."
She was inwardly shocked by the price. That was an absurd amount of money. She hesitated.
Seeing her hesitation, he was not surprised but amused.
"I can show you if you want, but I can't be sure if the mortals will bear the pressure. At best, they'll faint; at worst, die," he said without losing his composure.
She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. She gave a slight nod in a certain direction.
A powerful barrier appeared around the two. She looked at him, expecting at least a reaction, but nothing.
"To buy something this expensive is not for ordinary people," he said.
A vial appeared in his hands. Immediately, a suffocating pressure spread out.
Hilosura instantly felt a strong bloodline suppression, but she gritted her teeth and resisted.
Inside, there was a transparent liquid and a golden drop. They were so mesmerizing that her eyes failed to look away. She could feel her blood boiling.
This could only mean the Dragon bloodline was far superior to hers—like heaven and earth.
*'How?'*
He looked at her in amusement. The suppression didn't affect him in the slightest. Luckily, he was shielded from the pressure, as resisting it would've been no joke for the current him. He stored the vial away.
*'Sigh.'*
She took a deep breath, her thoughts a mess. This was too shocking for her.
"You should feel proud, Hilosura. You managed to withstand the pressure of the 'Dragon God,' hehe. Surely a feat to be proud of—don't belittle your bloodline."
She blinked. A genuine smile appeared on her face.
"Luckily, with this, I can improve my bloodline greatly and break my restrictions."
She transferred the money for the two vials to the account he gave her. He handed her a sealed black box. She checked it with gritted teeth.