Chapter 14 - Myriad Colours

(MC POV)

"We have indeed received the money Master Lin, please check your purchase," the proprietress announced in a smooth voice.

Why is she thrusting her chest out like that too? Is it a new fad amongst the young girls? Don't they know that this is bad for their… Oh…

She's trying to flirt. Oh well, sorry lady, but I've seen beauties who reside within the Spiritual Plane and Cloud Plane, you can't really compare to them.

Not to mention Lian Li and Manami are leagues above you in terms of beauty standards as well.

Besides, I want an easy life, getting involved with you would definitely not lead to an easy life.

Huh, after being the trash of the entire Plane for all these years, I almost forgot how being flirted to was like.

Guess I still need time to readjust my common sense again, I've grown too accustomed to being treated like trash and ignored so now I feel like I'm mistaking a lot of things here.

Like… I think I'm missing a lot of things?

Lian Li and Manami are interested in me, aren't they?

...

Well it's not that I mind… But I just never thought about it…

Damn did my sex drive become nonexistent after not having it for so long?

Screw it, if they asked for it I'll oblige them. It'll feel like I'm taking advantage of them if I come on to them on my own.

One of them views me as a destined child of heaven while the other has a skewed sense of gratitude. I might need to humanize their views on me first before I do anything else…

Still, a Master and his disciple being in a relationship as well… It's not unheard of around here but it's not that common either. The fact that most teachers and their disciples have an extremely large age gap might be a factor as well.

Unless I'm completely reading their intentions wrong and they only see me as their respected Master? I wouldn't know since this is my first time taking in disciples and I've never been in a relationship either.

Why couldn't the books I've read teach me these things huh? Damn useless cultivation books. Not even dual cultivation books tell you about your partners' feelings either, like they expect the two partners to magically know or something?

Oh well, whatever happens, happens. As long as it doesn't interfere with my plans for an easy life.

Yeah, I'm kicking the can down the road, but I really don't think I'm in a state of mind to make a decision about it right now.

I stored the dragon egg into my storage ring before leaving the place with my two disciples.

Quite unfortunate that there weren't any good treasures I could buy for my cute disciples today. I suppose I should go find materials to forge some for them myself.

I asked Lian Li for a good place to spend the night and she happily guided us up to the Nobles' district.

Huh, did she used to be a noble's daughter?

Probably a noble house that fell from grace considering the condition she came to our Sect in.

She recommended us a hotel called Jin Shi, supposedly the best hotel in the city.

I went ahead to book two rooms for the night, even though Manami said she would have been fine with only one.

How kind of her to think about helping her Master save money.

It's ok Manami, I'll still come over to brush your tails before going to bed.

Oh right, I'll also brush Lian Li's hair for her as thanks for being such a cute guide for us.

I'm pretty sure both of them enjoy having their hair/tail brushed, judging by their blissful expressions.

Lian Li wanted to massage me again but I told her it was getting late so perhaps another night, I really wanted to check out the egg too.

Manami had asked if I wanted a bed warmer but I told her it's fine since it's not even winter now.

Leaving them to cultivate by themselves, I returned to my room to inspect the egg.

Hmm? I missed something? Oh well, it's probably not important.

I'm blind? Oh please, my two eyes are working just fine, thank you.

The egg was about as wide as my arm while its height was about a little above my waist level. The colours on the stone were shifting slowly, the myriad of colours morphing and merging into one another.

Sending a little of my Elemental Quark, I could sense the unmistakable spark of life within it.

How the hell did the egg of a legendary dragon species end up here?

I know that without being fed with Spirit and Energy quarks, the egg will never hatch.

Hmmm… I guess having a Myriad Colours Dragon would be beneficial to me. They were known by that name because of the myriad of Quarks they were able to utilise masterfully, though their colourful scales might also be a factor. Having one on my side would definitely be a boon.

This egg should count itself lucky that I just managed to cultivate my Spirit Element to Basic tier the other day. Hurray for OP instruction manuals, I really feel like I'm cheating in how fast I'm mastering my Elemental Quarks.

Just the other day my Darkness reached Advanced tier while my four common elements were already pushing towards Legend tier, probably just a bit more to go before I breakthrough.

Not to mention easily picking up Energy, Lightning, Astral and Space just from watching my cute disciples utilise their own. I'm learning just as much from them as they are from me.

Hmmm… I feel like I'm quite broken now?

Oh well, not like it's a bad thing anyway. I had to suffer all those years to get here, I believe I deserve something like this. I deserve some good karma damn it!

After channeling a large amount of Spirit and Energy quarks into the egg, I placed it on the table before settling down for my own cultivation time.

Focusing my consciousness into my Cultivation Point, I gathered my Elemental Quarks to form the elements I am already familiar with.

Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Darkness, Light, Energy, Lightning, Astral, Space and Spirit quarks formed within my Cultivation Point, the first five being obviously more concentrated because of my mastery over them.

This was a simple exercise which should pave the way for simultaneous casting in the future, something I picked up in the Cloud Plane from watching Star God Wolves fighting with Nine Fanged Vipers.

Usually Practitioners would only use their Cultivation Point to convert their Pure Elemental Quarks to materialise into reality, but what's stopping them from storing the converted quarks within the Cultivation Point first before materialising it?

It was easy for me to see the benefits in doing so since the Star God Wolves and Nine Fanged Vipers have their Cultivation Point at the tip of their tails, allowing me to see how they casted their elements normally.

I'm still in the development stages for this technique and once I'm sure of its effects, I'll teach it to my cute disciples.

The first drawback I can see is that it requires immense concentration to maintain multiple elements within my Cultivation Point, it's still doable for me since crafting that healing pill requires roughly the same amount anyway so I have a head start.

Now, concentrate on circulating the elements to form the needed technique and then—

"Papa?"

A voice and a small tug on my shirt woke me from my cultivation.

I opened my eyes to see a young girl with large, round brown eyes and long colourful hair standing at the edge of the bed, lightly tugging at the hem of my shirt. She looked ten years old at most.

She tilted her cute round face at me, "Papa?"

I looked at the egg.

Huh, it's cracked wide open.

I turned back towards the girl, unconsciously already giving her a head pat because of her cuteness.

There were two small horns poking out from her hair, no doubt dragon horns.

Wait.

Why is she in human form? And she already looks like a ten year old?

Her hair is rainbow coloured and the colours keep shifting, similar to how the scales of a Myriad Colours Dragon should be so there's no doubt about her true race.

Is it because I injected the egg with my Quark?

Didn't she hatch way too fast?

I was expecting at least a few years before the egg hatched you know? My heart is still not prepared for this.

Isn't it normal for people to obtain some godly egg and leave it in their storage for an absurd amount of time for it to hatch? In fact, it should remain in their storage for so long that people even forget they have the egg, only for it to suddenly hatch at the most convenient times.

Oh wait, she's still naked.

Here, wear this spare robe I have.

Oh right, you're a newly hatched girl… Umm, dragon? Let me help you wear the clothes then.

The dressed half-dragon looked up at me with sparkly eyes with her fists clenched at her chest, "Papa!"

Ummm… What? Are you hungry or...

Ah, she probably wants a name.

"Your name shall be… Cai Hong."

What? My naming sense isn't the greatest ok?

But it seems like she likes it since she hugged me happily.

Ha… I don't even have time to think about my disciples' situation and I already have a ten year old girl calling me papa.

Well, Cai Hong is cute so...

I stroked her rainbow hair slowly, earning a low purr from her.

I have no regrets.

Someone started knocking on my door.

"Master? It's Manami and Lian Li, we heard some loud noises from your room…"

Ah… I guess when Cai Hong hatched she must've made some noise then. I was too focused on my cultivation to notice.

Well it's better to reveal her existence now rather than later.

"Come in you two, I have someone I want to introduce."

*

(Cai Hong POV)

I am a Myriad Dragon.

We exist in the space between Realms, overseeing the stability between existences under the Primordial Divine Dragons.

Most people do not know this, but Myriad Colours Dragons do not breed. Instead, an egg is formed from the crystallisation of the universe's energy after several millennia. Usually this phenomenon would occur when an elder Myriad Colours Dragon passes, so the number of Myriad Colours Dragons in existence would usually remain constant.

Other Myriad Colours Dragons would then give the egg a little of their energy until it hatches. With their energy, memories and experiences would also be passed along to the hatchling, allowing it to take its place amongst them almost immediately.

Unfortunately, before I hatched, a rift in space seemed to send my egg into one of the Realms.

I wasn't sure what caused this rift in space but I felt a certain connection towards a human I have met in this so called auction house.

Ah, it seems he knows about my race. The energy he is supplying me is quite plentiful enough. If he keeps this up for the next few years, I should be able to hatch into a fully grown dragon to join the others.

I might just give him something when I hatch as thanks.

Eh?

These memories.

This delicious energy.

This potent source of life.

I can feel my body changing?

This man… He's not a normal human…

His energy is more potent than the other Dragons.

Wait, my memories are being overwritten? No… There are more...

The memories of the other dragons… They're drifting further? This… Shouldn't be possible… Why…

These new memories… This light… This pain… Another world and… Something glowing?

The wings, scales and teeth… This energy that is filling me up to my very core…

This is not normal… He can't be normal...

I… I can see more of this male…

No… My… Pa… Papa?

Papa! He's my Papa!

In my excitement, I burst out from the egg, finding myself in Papa's room.

Ah!

Papa! Papa!

Muu? Papa is sleeping?

I tugged at Papa's shirt.

Papa woke up and patted me.

He clothed me and named me Cai Hong!

Ehehe~~ Papa's hand feels nice~~

Muuu… Just when Cai Hong is enjoying her time with Papa, two weirdos showed up calling Papa "Masta".

Papa called them his 'Decy Poles', then told them that Cai Hong is a proud Myriad Colours Dragon.

Mmm? Papa, why aren't you telling them that you are Cai Hong's Papa?

Muuu… Papa is forgetful! I hugged Papa and called him Papa.

*

(Manami POV)

"Papa! Papa!"

My eyebrow twitched slightly from seeing this newcomer hug Master so affectionately.

How envious… I mean, how preposterous, just because Master fed you with some of his energy you think he's your father?

Such a Divine being like Master…

Ahhh~~ I want some too! Master! Not fair! Stroke my tails again! Give me some of your energy too! Specifically the one that's in between your…

Ahem.

Well, since this so called Myriad Colours hatchling sees Master as her father she will be one of us now.

I've never even heard of such a dragon, but if Master says they exist, they must be real.

In that case, Lian Li and I shall receive the duty of teaching this newcomer the infinite virtues of Master.

One must start young after all, especially since she will be one of Master's apostles now.

We have almost finished writing the first part of the Holy Text as well, this newcomer shall be the first to embrace it and see Master's light.

Once she has converted, we will have another apostle to spread Master's light to the masses.

Lian Li has already found a number of potential candidates.

Those who refuse to receive it shall be cleansed by fire.