I am an immortal cultivator. Even if I`m no longer bound by time , the cultivation path is endless - there’s always new realms to ascend to and new worlds to reach.
I sense heavenly tribulation approaching me in the near future, a decade or so and I won’t be able to avoid it any longer. As cultivation is an act against heavens they just keep on coming in increasing strength, though my divination tells me I might not survive this one.

Somehow my karma has been declining rapidly the past few centuries - some random people keep coming and trying to kill me - they will drop boulders on top while I'm sleeping, try poisoning the spring I frequently drink from and other various ways while looking at me with bloodshot eyes.

As most of them are mere mortals and rare cultivators among them are at most at mere core formation stage - all those foolish attempts do not harm me in any way. I do not bother to kill them and just relocate - killing those so much weaker than me for simple reasons as disturbing my sleep would just accumulate bad karma.

Though my karma problem is probably stemming from them - not sure why they’re trying to kill me anyway, I don’t remember doing anything after reaching this realm - heck I hardly interacted with people - I just focused on cultivation since finding this remote world.

— clan records —

Year 14257 - there was a flash of light and a huge explosion as a large pit appeared in the farming fields with some stranger inside it. Elders speculated it’s a powerful cultivator and damage was a backlash from entering our world.

Year 14363 - there has been thunder striking down from heavens repeatedly for the whole week - a few hundred hectares around the center were utterly destroyed with no signs of life. Our clan headquarters were unfortunately also inside this radius.

Year 14365 - Clan successfully rebuild the headquarters and contacting other families it was confirmed that heavenly tribulation was caused by an unidentified man from a few years ago.

Year 14468 - 27th lighting incident happened - this time radius was even larger, 45 more clans were destroyed. The remaining survivors joined our clan - according to calculation we don’t have much time left - as the lighting radius grows exponentially, the next one will span across the whole planet - we must get that man out of our planet somehow!

I always wondered why people think being a royalty is easy.

You need to mind your etiquette, play political games, attend dozens of tiring events every day and you're not even allowed to have some privacy.

Your bodyguards always follow you around outdoorsy, maids help you get dressed, cleaned up and seem to never leave your side.

Today was another dreadful day, in fact my birthday was today but I was not looking forward to it in the slightest.

sigh another day getting dressed up like a doll and pretending to enjoy the gifts and company of those snobs.

Why must every day be so troublesome? Dance lessons, history lessons, fencing, horse riding, politics, philosophy, music and other things which a princess like me are expected to excel at.

And sadly my parents force me to learn all that every day without any breaks. sigh I don't even see them much - they're always busy with their duties and never have time for me other than criticising me if I start slacking off.

I dreadfully walked towards the ballroom to start greeting the guests. well dreadfully is just my feelings inside - outside I look confidently walking with a sweet smile - learning how to put on a mask in public is one of basic skills for nobles after all.

Entering the ballroom I start greeting guests with a smile as my birthday gifts pile up in the corner - the gifts I get are all the same anyways, jewellery, perfumes, boring books and similar things which I don't really care for getting. Still I need to keep my smiling mask on and pretend to like it all.

The ball continues as I need to dance with neighbouring countries' princes and listen in to various blabbering and rumours. A few rumours did seem interesting - apparently few barons kept telling how they saw a dragon flying by last week, dragons are quite rare though I wonder if I will ever get to see one. —

Finally near midnight I'm finally back in my room - finally some alone time, really the only alone time I get is for sleeping, though I'm not really sure I'm alone - maybe there's some skilled bodyguards hidden. I look at the pile of gifts near my bed and get even more tired by the realisation that I will need to write thank you letters for all of them.

Suddenly a blue shiny box catches my eye - not because it's shiny, but simply because I don't remember receiving it. Afraid of scolding I pick it up to see if hopefully there's a note on the gift.

As I take the box it seems to tremble as if something alive is inside. Panicking I drop it on the bed as I also notice some guards appearing from shadows with worried looks.

The box starts tearing as a cute creature appears, but everyone tenses up on the sight of it. it's the thing I always wanted to see - a dragon!

Everything seems to slow down as I see in slow motion that tiny dragon glowing and growing in size, my guards start dropping to the ground as if asleep and I feel my eyes getting heavy as well… The last thing I see is the dragon smirking at me as if amused.

— yawn I wake up fully rested and wondering why no maids woke me up yet I clearly feel the sun's warmth on my skin and I was supposed to have my fencing practice an hour before sunrise.

Suddenly what happened last night came to me and my eyes snapped open. This is not a place I have ever been before. I stand up and look around. It seems I'm in some sort of cave - did that dragon kidnap me??

Fear takes over me as I remember all the stories I hear about princesses disappearing never to be seen again. Suddenly a fragrant smell enters my nose - it seems like spices chefs use for food. I try to scream but somehow I make no noise.

Suddenly a nearby door opens and I see a dragon head looking my way. "bump". Scared I fall back to the bed, though now that I think about it why does a huge dragon have a human sized bed? Dragon smirks as if amused by my reactions.

"I suppose some explanation is in order - first I apologise for kidnapping you so to say but looking over your life over past few weeks you looked like a suitable candidate"

"You see, us dragons have a very low chance of getting children of our own, so we usually just adopt some human ones."

I look at it weirdly - how come I'm hearing the voice but he's not moving his mouth? Also adoption? Don't I already have parents? poor ones but still.

" I speak with the help of magic, and yes your mind defences don't seem very good, don't they teach Occlumency to royalty anymore?"

"Anyways, you can call me Azurax, if you still want to go back to that dull live you had, I can let you go, but if you decide to stay here I will give you a new life - there's a ritual we dragons invented to convert humans to our kind, as a dragon you can have as much freedom as you so long for - we can freely change our size, change our form, learn magic and have very long lifespans among other abilities "

He suddenly shifts to a middle aged man with azure hair as if to prove his point.

" So what is your choice? "

Thinking back to all the annoyances of noble life I so wished to escape from it does not take long to came to a decision.

" I see you have made up your mind, daughter. Happy adoption day"

Just another regular day - running around nearly empty streets as a morning routine.

I wonder what I should have for breakfast today…

Bump!

As my mind trails get filled with random thoughts I accidentally brush by a stranger. And what a weirdo - wearing some red hooded cloak that fully hides his face.

“I'm sorry” - I shout as my jog continues, that weirdo did not respond, but I just slightly touched him.

Feeling some concern I turned around to see him lying on the ground. Panicking I turn around and backtrack my way to a lying figure.

On closer look he seems to be praying… and there’s some weird red glow coming out of him?

“Umm. Excuse me, do you need any help ? Should I call 112 ?”

He looks at me and starts praying even harder, his voice seemingly scared. Thinking he's telling me what to do I lean in closer to listen in.

“Brothers and sisters I repeat His incarnation appeared on London street avenue, requesting backup… Oh Lord protect me”

What a weirdo, I really should call 112. Though why is my head in pain so suddenly?

*Pop!**Pop!**Pop!*Pop!

Suddenly I hear weird noises nearby - looking around I see more red hoods appearing - some of them holding bows, others with swords on their waist, some have floating books following them.

As I stay still, not realising what’s going on there I hear a shout behind me.

“Oh Lord, grant me the strength to bind this vile eldritch spawn. Red Chain of Light”

Somehow my body gets really tense and my vision blurs and I see red chains appearing and moving towards me. I glimpse other red hoods shouting and aiming at me too.

Panic kicks in as I start running and my headache worsens - it’s like there’s something growing on top of my head - feeling around. I hurt my hand and started bleeding as somehow I have 2 horns growing now… .

It's not only horns, I'm somehow super fast right now and my speed is rising - I see buildings quickly flash by me as if I`m in a car.

“Oh Lord, help us trap this vile creature, Red Domain”

I thought I outrun them, but I somehow still hear them - or are my senses getting better too? I`m somehow becoming relaxed as well as I feel my strength still growing.

*DUNK!”

Suddenly a red wall of light blocks my path as I crash into it. Trying out my newfound strength I punch as hard as I can.

Crack!

The wall cracks - but starts healing - behind it I see another identical wall.

Having a bad premonition I turn around seeing even more red hoods closing in on me - there’s already a thousand in sight and more keep popping in.

I see lots of them chanting the same barrier spell I heard before and others chanting some sort of group attack spell, while far in distance I see legions of archers and warriors running closer.

Zap!

Somehow instinctively I raise my hand and a similar barrier forms around me, blocking whatever appeared to threaten me though this one is not red, but pure black.

Suddenly memories come flooding in - I suddenly know what I am, who those people are and why they want me dead. Though I do not worry in the slightest as my strength is nearly recovered and those red clowns do not seem to be strong.

I see a complex magical array in the sky - it looks like they’re trying to summon their so-called “Red Lord” to aid them.

Deciding to let them do so I feel nostalgia from the symbols. It looks like my old friend is coming and we might finally resolve our conflict from aeons ago.

I smile as my power flares up.