Who Am I : I'M The Prince Of Dragon Kingdom (Australia) Part - 1 (Teaser)
Chapter 4 - Departure to the Academy

The dark night had turned into a bright morning. And when the sun has not yet fully revealed its light, Ming Zhi is still with his daily habits, namely practicing on the outskirts of the Wo forest.

But this time he would only do a short training, as today was the day of his departure towards Huo Shan academy.

And after returning home, he then immediately cleaned his body, and after that headed to the dining table.

“ Are the items you will bring prepared .....? “. Asked Lin Hua to Ming Zhi.

“ Mmm ..., I only brought some clothes and also iron gloves made by uncle Fan .., “. Reply Ming Zhi.

“ Then .., Bring this too .....!! I've made provisions for you ...., “. Said Lin Hua while handing the provisions he made to Ming Zhi.

“ Mmm ..., Thank you aunt ....! “. Ming Zhi replied.

After eating, Ming Zhi then cleaned his cutlery, then headed to his room to pick up the items he had prepared.

He then put all these items in a small woven basket he bought from the market, and also did not forget to hang his iron gloves on his waist.

And after everything was ready, he headed straight down to say goodbye to Lin Hua.

“ Aunty ..., Maybe I will leave Auntie for a long time ...., For that ..., please take care of your health Aunt .....!! “. He hugged his aunt.

“ Mmm .., you also want ..., “. Reply Lin Hua.

“ Fight hard ...!! Be strong and protect others ..., “. Added Lin Hua.

“ Mmm ..., Alright Aunt .....!! “. Reply Ming Zhi while releasing his embrace on Lin Hua.

“ If So ...., I'll leave now ...! “. Added.

“ See you Aunt Lin ....!! “. Ming Zhi.

“ Mmm ..., Be careful on the road ..., “. Reply Lin Hua.

After leaving the house, Ming Zhi then headed to the town square, where the selection participants who passed, and who were about to leave for the academy.

Arriving there, Ming Zhi then saw that many of the participants who had escaped and who had officially become Outer Disciples of the academy had gathered there. However, he currently still had not seen Xiao Hei's whereabouts. He was just looking for a place to wait for his departure.

After a few minutes of waiting, Ming Zhi finally saw the arrival of Xiao Hei together with his cousins from the relatives of the mayor. He then also saw the father of Xiao Hei who was the mayor of the Lotus Lake city.

Xiao Hei's father was named Xiao Ren. He served as mayor for several years. He was the mayor who looked good on the outside, but had a rotten heart on the inside. He was concerned only with personal interests, rather than the welfare of the citizens of his city.

Xiao Ren then headed to the gathering place of the academy's representative elders. He was just chatting with the Elders, to show them his good intentions.

‘ Cihhh ..., Face search ....! “. Inner Ming Zhi was a little annoyed at Xiao Ren's behavior.

And after waiting for some time, the Elders finally gathered the disciples, to give some briefing before beginning the departure.

“ Alright .....!! Right now, I assume that everything is complete ..., I first congratulate you, as you have officially become outer disciples of Huo Shan academy ...., And I will first give you some rules about the journey to the academy later .., “. Said the chairman of the academy's representative elders.

“ But before that, I will reward the one who yesterday got the highest score in the whole test, as I promised ...!! “. Added.

“ For that, Disciple Long Ming Zhi hope to advance to the front “. Added again.

And Ming Zhi then came forward, to receive the reward that the Elder would give.

" Since you get the highest score on both tests, you will get two “ prizes. Said the Elder.

“ For the first prize, you will get this ring ...! “. He added while handing the gift to Ming Zhi.

“ The ring is named space ring ..., The ring is equipped with space formation, so it can be used to store goods, so that it is more practical ..., “. Again, give an explanation.

The other Disciples who saw him were immediately envious of Ming Zhi. Because, such an object like a space ring was only made by a few formation masters whose existence was rarely encountered. Making it a fairly rare and expensive item. (1)

Even in the Lotus Lake city, only Xiao Ren possessed it.

“ Umm ..., Elder ..., How to use this object ....? “. Then asked Ming Zhi to the Elder.

“ Mmm ...., you just need to drip your blood on the ring ...., and the ring will automatically recognize you as its owner ..., “. Said the Elder.

“ But to be able to use it, you must enter the energy cultivation level first ..., Because of that ring, it also requires a bit of your Qi to be usable ..., “. Added explained. (2)

“ Alright Elder ..., I understand ....!! “. Reply Ming Zhi.

“ And for the second prize, you will get a low-level bronze-grade weapon ... “. Said the Elder.

“ You can choose your own weapons you like ..., “. He added while then taking out a few weapons from his space ring.

“ Anu ..., Sorry Elder ..! Can I refuse this gift ....?? “. Ming Zhi said to the Elder.

Hearing Ming Zhi rejecting the precious gift, the other Disciples immediately felt excited.

“ Cihhh ..., Is he that stupid ....!! He actually rejected a bronze-level weapon .....?? “. Said one of the Disciples disappointed in Ming Zhi.

“ Mmm ..., that's true ..., In fact, the weapon I have is just the stone level ..., “. The other disciple.

“ Cihh ..., Is it possible, he does not know the value of bronze-level weapons ...? “. Say something else.

Even the elder who gave him a gift was astonished.

“ May I find out your reason for refusing this gift Young Man .....?? “. Ask the Elder.

“ Umm ..., Sorry Elder .., Actually, I already have my own weapon ...., “. Reply Ming Zhi while showing his iron gloves to the Elder.

“ Hmm ...., are you a close combatant ....?? “. The elder asked again, after seeing Ming Zhi's iron glove.

“ Mmm ..., That's right Elder ...! “. Ming Zhi replied.

“ Hahh .., Alright, then ....! Instead you will get some of these Qi collecting pills ..., “. Said the elder while handing over a bottle of pills to Ming Zhi. (3)

Hearing the Elder offering another gift to Ming Zhi, the other Disciples were then very upset.

“ Cihhh ..., Why is his luck so good ....!? “. Said another Disciple who was frustrated by Ming Zhi's luck.

“ That's right ..., he actually refused gold to get diamonds ...!! “. The other disciple.

When Ming Zhi saw another reward that was no less valuable than a bronze-ranked weapon, he immediately accepted it without further ado.

“ Wahh ...., Thank you very much Elder ....!! ”. Ming Zhi.

“ Mmm ...., that pill you saved first ....!! If you are already at the Qi collecting level, you can use it to speed up your Qi gathering process ..., “. Said the Elder.

" Mmm ..., I understand ....! ". Ming Zhi replied.

‘ Hehh ..., This pill is what I currently need ..., ‘. And inwardly pleased.

“ Then ...., Now, you may return to your place ....! “. Said the Elder.

Ming Zhi then returned to his place in the ranks of the disciples.

“ Alright ..., This time I will give some rules for the trip later ..., “. Said the Elder.

“ Mo .., Please wait a minute Dear Elder ....!! “. Then said Xiao Ren who suddenly interrupted the words of the Elder.

“ Hmm ..., Is there a problem ....?? “. Reply to the Elder.

“ Please, the Elder forgives if I am presumptuous ..., But, was only that child given a gift because of his talent .....? “. Said Xiao Ren courteously, due to his lower status than the Elder.

“ The Elders also know, that my son also includes the Genius of a child his age ..., “. Added.

“ Hmm ..., Why ....?? “. The elders reply was short.

“ Ehh .., l .., That ..., Will my son not be given a little appreciation also from the Elders, like the child who was ...!? “. Ask Xiao Ren.

Hearing the words of Xiao Ren, the elder frowned.

“ Hmm ..., I gave him a gift, because I think he is a more Genius child ..., Even his talent is the highest of all Pupils ..., “. Reply to the Elder.

“ After all, I give a gift with all my heart ...., If you do indeed feel objection to my decision, you can bring your child back ....!! “. He added feeling a little annoyed with Xiao Ren.

“ Ehh ...? Ti .. No Elder ..., I have absolutely no objection ..., Please Elder forgive me if presumptuous ...!! “. Reply to Xiao Ren in a slight panic, who then immediately ended his conversation.

Ming Zhi when he heard that actually unimportant talk then just smiled flatly.

‘ Hehh ..., does he feel envious, because his Genius son lost to me ...? “. His inner.

On the other hand, Xiao Hei was now clenching his hands violently, only able to endure his envy and anger towards Ming Zhi. He then headed towards his father, and immediately whispered something to him. He seems to be doing something bad.

“ Alright ..., If no one else feels any objection to my decision ..., this time I will explain some rules in the course of later “. Said the Elder.

The elder then explained in detail about some rules that must be obeyed, as well as some rules that must not be done by the Students during the trip.

The elder also explained that, a trip to the Huo Shan academy would later take about a week because of the considerable distance.

And to smooth the process during the trip, the students will be divided into several teams. Some of these teams will have their own duties.

There are surveillance teams that monitor the situation around the group, there is a food gathering team that is tasked to collect food, there is also a cooking team, and several other small teams.

And during the division of the team, Ming Zhi entered the food gathering team. Meanwhile, Xiao Hei entered the scouting team.

And after the division of the team was completed, finally the Elders immediately began the journey of the group of Disciples. The reconnaissance team that had been in shape then led the group in front.

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The scorching rays of the sun were almost dusk, illuminating the journey of the group of Outer Disciples of Huo Shan academy. The group of the Disciples, about 30 kilometers from the border of the city of Lotus Lake.

The speed of movement of the group now began to slow down, due to the presence of several female disciples from the group who had begun to fatigue. However, the elders of the academy continued their journey despite being exhausted.

They then continued their journey, until now, they began to enter another part of the Wo forest which is a very large forest. The group walked through the Wo forest until the sun almost set.

The academy's representative elders finally dismissed the entourage, and then ordered the Disciples, to serve in accordance with the team that had been formed.

Some were looking for firewood and making campfires, and some were patrolling to monitor the situation around the forest.

And since Ming Zhi was included in the food gathering team, he then also started to browse through the forest to gather food. He scattered with his teammates to find some wild animals, or some plants that could be consumed.

And after a while of searching, he began to find some plants that could be consumed. However, he was not satisfied with the result. He then traced the forest deeper in search of the beasts.

And after a while of walking, he then found a wild bull-type beast. The bull then realized the existence of Ming Zhi, and immediately ran to ram towards him.

“ Hehh ..., Want to fight physical strength huh ....? “. Said Ming Zhi grinning.

Ming Zhi then put up his horses, and then immediately hit the bull right on his head. The bull immediately bounced a few meters away, before finally hitting a tree. The wild bull was instantly killed by a single blow from Ming Zhi, with its skull fractured.

And after killing him, Ming Zhi then tried to keep it on his new storage ring. He then drained the Qi he had on the ring, and then pointed it at the corpse of the wild bull.

A beam of energy from the ring then enveloped the corpse of the wild bull. And a few moments later, the corpse of the wild bull was instantly disappeared absorbed by the ring.

After storing the corpse of the wild bull, Ming Zhi then went back through the forest deeper to find another wild beast.

Even the afternoon had turned into a dark night. After finding some other plants for groceries, Ming Zhi was then intending to return to the entourage. Because he felt the food he found was enough.

However, just after walking for a few steps, Ming Zhi then felt like being followed by someone. But after looking around, he found nothing.

‘ Huhh ..., Maybe it's just my feelings ..., ’ Inner Ming Zhi sighed.

But suddenly, there was a dagger that quickly flew towards him. Ming Zhi quickly reacted to avoid the attack. And as a result, he managed to avoid the attack even though it was only a very thin distance from his shoulder.

He quickly put on his iron gloves, and began to act alert. And not long after that, he saw a man coming out of the dark trees.

“ Wah .., Wah .., Wah ...., turns out your reaction speed is awesome .....!! “. The man praised Ming Zhi.

“ Who are you ...?? Why did you suddenly attack me ....?? “. Asked Ming Zhi Coldly.

“ Hehh .., you don't need to know ..., But all you need to know is, someone sent me here to kill you ...., “. Reply to the man.

“ And I was very lucky ..., After following you during the journey and waiting for the right time, you ended up even distancing yourself from the entourage ..., “. Add it while grinning.

“ Who told you to kill me ....?? “. Ask Ming Zhi again.

“ For that matter, you don't need to know ...., But for sure, he hates you so much .., “. Reply to the man.

‘ Someone who hates me so much ...?? Cihhh ..., Could it be Xiao Hei ....?? ‘. Inner Ming Zhi was upset.

“ Hehh ..., you don't have to think too deeply ....! “. Then say the man.

“ Don't worry ...! I will kill you quickly and painlessly ....! “. He added, who then took out another knife from under his cloak.

The man then quickly shot towards Ming Zhi, while throwing a knife-piercing attack.

Seeing that, Ming Zhi quickly reacted, trying his hardest to dodge his attack. However, it turned out that the strength of the man who was the cultivator was very strong. In fact, Ming Zhi was unable to measure the level of strength of his enemy.

So that several knife stabs from his enemy finally scratched Ming Zhi's arm and waist.

Ming Zhi quickly replaced his horses, trying to use the tread skill and the bear's scratch, which combined with his Qi. And as a result, now things are turning around a little. Ming Zhi launched the attack of the skill with a very smooth and flexible movement.

He used the bear's tread attack to create a heavy momentum of attack pressure on his opponent. And when the man who became his opponent showed a gap, he quickly changed his attack into a scratch. His bear's claw attack finally landed right on his opponent's chest.

The man who became his opponent immediately retreated backwards while holding his chest.

“ Uuhhh ..., In this age you can already learn stone level skills perfectly ...., “.

“ Cihh ..., It seems I have underestimated you ....!! “. Said the man.

At first the man thought that killing Ming Zhi was as easy as turning his palm. But he did not expect that Ming Zhi turned out to be quite skilled in fighting.

Even he had only discovered that Ming Zhi's cultivation level was now at the Qi Gatherer level. Because it was very different from the information he received from Xiao Hei.

“ Then, this time I will no longer hold back my strength ....!! “. Said the man, then closed his eyes.

Suddenly, huge ripples of Qi energy shot out from the man's body. This time, the man seemed to be exerting his full strength.

And seeing that, Ming Zhi also became even more vigilant. He was unwilling to act rashly, which might endanger his life.

After that, the man opened his eyes.

“ Hehh ..., this time I will show you, what is the name of iron level skill ....!! “. Said the man while grinning.

The man then immediately took the position of the horses, and a few seconds later, he suddenly disappeared from the presence of Ming Zhi.

‘ Terrible speed .....!! ‘. Inner Ming Zhi was shocked.

Seeing this, Ming Zhi also directly did the horses in a defensive position. But, suddenly there was an attack that then landed on his back. And when he turned to attack, the man who was his opponent had disappeared once again.

And seeing that, Ming Zhi also tried to remain calm and focused. He then tried to sense the existence of his opponent, passing through the Qi ripples emitted by that opponent.

‘ There ...!! ‘. Ming Zhi cried inwardly.

Ming Zhi then directly positioned his horses to defend against his opponent's attack. However, his defense did not produce results. Because, his opponent quickly changed the direction of his attack, which then landed on Ming Zhi's shoulder.

“ Hahaha ..., You better just give up ....!! Because, everything you do is in vain ..., ”. The man's voice echoed around Ming Zhi, due to his high speed.

The man continued to attack Ming Zhi, and Ming Zhi was now only able to withstand the attacks of his enemy. Scratches after scratches dagger then love his body. His body was now full of wounds and covered in blood.

‘ Cihhh ..., why did the same incident happen to me again ....?? ‘. Inner Ming Zhi was annoyed, recalling the events she had experienced.

Ming Zhi's breathing became increasingly irregular. He began to lose focus and his body began to falter. The man who became his opponent then kicked him right in the stomach.

As a result, Ming Zhi then bounced a few meters, before finally stopping to hit a large tree hard.

“ Uhhuuk ..., “. A speck of blood came out from Ming Zhi's mouth.

“ Hehehe ..., I told you from the beginning not to fight .., so that I can give you a quick and painless death ....., “. Said the man while grinning.

‘ Hahhh .., Is this the end ...? ‘. Ming Zhi said inwardly.

Seeing his fruitless defense due to his opponent's too fast attack, Ming Zhi became a little discouraged. Even now his body was weak and helpless. He thought, If possible, this is the end of his history.

‘ Hehh ..., I guess, I've also said the same thing before .., but it didn't happen to me.., ‘. His inner.

‘ But maybe it will happen to me this time ..., ‘. Inner again.

‘ No, No ..., I can't give up ...!! Even though this is the end, I must keep fighting ...!! ‘. Inner Ming Zhi gnashed her teeth.

Ming Zhi then tried to stand up. He tried his hardest to stand with his hands resting. But whatever the power, his body seems not to obey his wishes.

But he kept trying to stand up even though his body was covered in wounds and drenched in blood.

“ Hehh ..., It seems, you don't want to follow my advice .....!! But seeing that your body condition is already bad enough, I so did not have the heart to torture you further ..., “. Said the man grinning.

“ Then I will give you a quick death ....!! “. He added which then immediately shot out to attack Ming Zhi.

Looking at his darting opponent to charge towards him, Ming Zhi could only raise his hand to defend while closing his eyes.

But after closing his eyes for a while, Ming Zhi then felt something strange. He wondered why his enemy had not rushed to attack him.

And a moment after opening his eyes, Ming Zhi was then greatly shocked. Because he saw the head of the man who attacked him, it had now separated from his body with a very neat cut.

And after the man's body collapsed to the ground, under the bright moonlight, he saw someone behind the man's corpse, while carrying a well-groomed sword on his waist.

After careful consideration by Ming Zhi, it turned out that she was a very beautiful young woman.

Ming Zhi was then stunned for a moment while looking at the woman. She felt that she might be a beautiful angel who came to her aid.

But then he quickly returned to his senses.

“ Are you okay Little man ....?? “. Then ask the young lady.

“ Mmm ...., I'm fine ....!! “. Reply Ming Zhi.

“ Te .., Thank you senior, for helping me ...., “. He added, while then paying his respects to the young lady.

“ Hmm ..., No problem ...! I just happened to pass by ....., “. Said the young woman.

“ But, where did you come from ....? Why did you end up in a place like this .....?? “. He asked Ming Zhi.

Ming Zhi then told honestly, about the incident he had experienced with the young woman.

“ Ehh ...? You are from the Outer Disciple entourage of Huo Shan academy who just passed the selection ....?? “. Then asked the woman to Ming Zhi, with some enthusiasm.

“ Mmm ..., That's true ..., “. Ming Zhi replied.

“ Hehh .., It turns out so ..., “. Said the woman.

“ In that case, it is better next time do not go too far from your entourage ..., “. He added to Ming Zhi.

" Mmm .., Alright ..., ". Reply Ming Zhi with a carefree smile.

“ Nahh ..., Take ....! “. Said the Woman while handing a pill to Ming Zhi.

“ Umm .., is this senior .......?? “. Ming Zhi asked curiously.

“ It is a Healing Pill ..., Eat it, to heal the wounds on your body ...!! “. The woman explained.

“ Wahh ..., thank you very much senior ....!! “. Ming Zhi.

“ Mmm ..., Once your wound has recovered, immediately return to your entourage ..., I will leave you here ...., “. Reply to the woman.

“ But ..., Chances are we will meet again ..., “. then he added with a charming smile.

And after saying this, the woman disappeared in the darkness of the night. Ming Zhi had not even had a chance to react when he saw it disappear.

“ Hahh ..., Looks like I'm a little lucky ..., “. Then said Ming Zhi.

Ming Zhi had not expected, if she were to end up being saved by a very beautiful female swordsman.

“ Hmm ..., The woman said, that we will meet again ..., But what does she mean .....?? “. Ming Zhi muttered in wonder.

“ Strange woman .., “. Mumbled again.

‘ Heii ..., Don't talk carelessly behind my back ..., I can still hear your voice ...!! ‘. Suddenly the voice of the woman was then echoed in Ming Zhi's mind.

Hearing this, Ming Zhi immediately felt very shocked and surprised. He thought the woman was still around him. But looking around, he found no one.

‘ Hiiii .., was the woman a ghost ....!? ‘. Ming Zhi asked inwardly.

‘ No, No. ..., It may just be one of the martial techniques ..., ‘. Add it in the heart.

‘ Huhhh ...., Maybe I shouldn't think too much about it, and focus first on my wound recovery ...., ‘. Bathing again.

Ming Zhi then sat down cross-legged to regulate his breathing. And after that, he then put the healing pill into his mouth, and began to absorb its properties.

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STORY’S NOTATIONS :

(1) The space ring is usually made by a Formation Master. However, there are also some Forges who master space formations, which can also make the Ring.

The space ring made by the forger has quite good quality. But the space inside was sometimes only small, as the skill of the space formation differed greatly from that of the Formation Masters.

(2) And in order to bring back the objects stored in the space ring, the cultivator just needs to drain his Qi on the ring, and enter the room that is inside it with his senses. And then can remove the selected items in the ring room.

(3) The Qi collecting pill is one of the pills used by a cultivator to speed up the process in Qi gathering. The pill was made by a medicine concocter who was also often called an Alchemist.The existence of the Alchemists was not too rare when compared to a Formation Master.