Chapter 170: 170. Song of the Storms – 1

William stood with soaked and heavy clothes before a grand wooden gate that rose several meters above him.

The structure was similar to what he had seen in ancient Chinese cultures in his last life.

Ornate beams curved upward at the corners, layered rooftops stacked with elegant symmetry. The craftsmanship reminded him strongly of ancient eastern architecture he had once studied in his previous life.

“This reminds me of cultivation novels used to read in my last life,” William murmured as rain slid down his jaw.

The palace stood unmoved amid the violent storm that raged around the floating island.

Jade inlays shimmered faintly within the carved wooden framework, and at the center of the massive doors was the symbol he was familiar with, it was similar to what he had seen etched on the invitation scroll.

A dragon coiled around a sword through drifting clouds

William lifted his gaze and stared into those carved eyes.

For a strange moment, it felt as if the dragon stared back.

Then a deep click echoed through the storm.

The enormous doors began to part slowly, though no guard stood there and no servant had approached. The gates opened as if they were alive and reacting to his presence.

William stepped forward without hesitation.

Beyond the doors stretched a vast courtyard. Trimmed shrubs lined stone pathways cut in geometric patterns. Lantern pillars stood evenly spaced, their light illuminated the ornate stone path.

He paused for a moment under the open sky of the courtyard.

Without thinking further, he activated his fire element.

Heat surged through his body as he circulated mana across his body. His skin grew hot, steam rose faintly from his soaked clothes. The wetness evaporated rapidly, his boots dried and contracted for a moment before relaxing as moisture disappeared.

Comfort and restfulness spread through him like a quiet reward.

His tense muscles loosened, and he flexed his shoulders for once.

“How does the storm not pour inside the palace?” he asked calmly.

[The storm obeys the Storm Dragon. That is why.]

William rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles before walking toward the main hall visible in the distance.

The moment he crossed the threshold his vision blurred and the courtyard vanished.

He found himself seated cross-legged on a polished wooden platform inside a dimly lit hall. A low table stood before him.

He felt himself sitting on a thin cushion. The air smelled faintly of tea and incense.

Opposite him sat an old man. Coiled and spread blue horns rose elegantly from his temples. Their smooth curves immediately revealed his lineage.

Long clan.

William’s eyes lingered for a fraction of a second on the horns. Unlike the Drakemore dragons, whose horns resembled jagged western drakes, the Long clan carried these flowing, serpentine shapes.

The old man wore loose blue robes. His movements were refined as he sipped from a jade cup.

His eyelashes blinked for once and then his gaze rested on William.

Another jade cup appeared before William in a matter of a blink. Steam curled gently upward.

“Do all dragons like tea?” William asked lightly, not to the system but to the man across from him.

The old dragon’s lips curved faintly. “No. It is only my kink. Andrea is merely a coincidence.”

William nodded slowly and reached for the cup.

“Why did you arrive here so late?” the Storm Dragon asked.

“I decided to walk through the storms,” William replied.

The old man shook his head faintly. “Not about that. I know you walked through the storms. Many attempt it. Few are able to reach my den.”

William’s eyes drifted briefly across the polished wooden pillars and lacquered walls.

*Doesn’t seem like a den to me though* he thought quietly.

“I am asking,” the Storm Dragon continued, “why you broke the scroll so late.”

William lifted the cup and took a slow sip.

“Oh, that,” he said calmly. “I had to attend to a few guests before coming here.”

The dragon’s smile sharpened slightly. “Oh? Who might be so important that you ignored my invitation for hours?”

“Your grand disciple Ethan,” William replied politely.

The smile on storm dragon’s face disappeared.

A brief silence settled only to be broken by William’s unrefined sipping noises.

“I do not remember telling many about Klaus and Ethan,” the Storm Dragon said, his tone cooling. “Only a few know.”

“Then perhaps,” William answered evenly, “I spoke to one of those few.”

Storm dragon’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“My master”

“Name?” He asked further.

William took the last sip in the same unrefined manned before resting the cup on the table and saying in a deep whisper.

” Those who challenged the dark, lost their light, now they whisper her name in dread, she is The Ruler of Eternal Darkness. ”

William was gleeing inside his mind he found it so cool using his master’s name everywhere, even though the storm dragon wasn’t an adversary at all Will still found it thrilling to use his master’s name as a show-off.

For the first time since William arrived, genuine calculation flickered across the Storm Dragon’s face as he heard the boy in front of him.

He had indeed heard about Tamasya’s return from Andrea. He had seen the black cat perched upon Yue’s shoulder during the academy trials and had instantly recognized the aura.

Several thoughts passed behind his eyes before he exhaled quietly.

“Fine,” he said at last, dismissing the thread of conversation.

He studied William anew, never would he have thought that someone like tamasya would take in a disciple.

“I sense the presence of storms within you. A strong presence. It is rare to see someone so close to an element before crossing the divinity stage.”

His gaze sharpened with interest.

“So,” he said slowly, “will you tell me on your own, or must I ask the unspoken?”

William tilted his head slightly and chuckled under his breath. “I suppose I’ve been caught.”

He leaned forward about just a fraction.

“You want to know how I learned the Tempest Sword.”

“Of course,” the Storm Dragon replied. “It is not as though I taught it to anyone else other than Klaus who denies ever teaching you the technique. At the very least, I must know how my inheritance reached you.”

William smiled.

“That is where you are mistaken,” he said gently. “The technique was never yours to begin with.”

The air shifted.

“The world may believe you created it,” William continued, eyes steady. ” But you know that is not the truth, you were given this technique by someone ”

The old dragon’s fingers tightened slightly around his cup.

“How did you know, even your master is unaware?” he asked in a tense and low voice, tight growls escaped his mouth.

“How did I?” William repeated softly.

His gaze moved around the hall.

“Are we not sitting at the exact place where you received it? Heck this whole floating island isn’t even yours after all dragons only like to live in dens”

For the first time, the Storm Dragon’s composure fractured visibly.

His hand trembled.

“You…” he began, pointing faintly toward William.

The words stalled in his throat as if chocking the life out of him.

“How do you know all this?”

Silence filled the hall as a tense atmosphere settled between them.

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