Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

The day really started quite early. Having stayed up late, Ming Yue did not wake until the sun was nearly above her, a sign that lunch was close. When she awakened, she was greeted by the sounds of hammering on the scales and the sight of a a dozen men and women take turns working on the scales. Some even changed tools, opting for large pliers to try and pry a scale off.

Walking outside, she realized something was different.

"What is this?"

She walked towards the side of the ship and looked down at the hull, finding that it had split open at the center revealing a large formation set up with steel pillars and colorless stones. At the center, there was a glowing ball that seemed to suck in the dragon energy.

"That is the Dynamic Dragon Harnessing Formation, something we have in case a living dragon were to attack us. Now, it's been repurposed to collect the dragon energy of this corpse."

Senior Bei's calm voice entered her ears as the elderly woman stood next to her.

"Senior, I thought you'd be working with the others", Ming Yue turned to her, surprised that she was not there.

"I'm too old for this type of work. I don't have as much strength as I used to. My hands still tremble from using the hammer"

Senior Bei looked at her wrinkled hands, which trembled very gently, and sighed.

"Despite my old age, I cannot help but wonder just how much this would affect our research. The importance of discovering something as unique as this."

Ming Yue looked at the senior, finding the tone similar to that of the Long siblings.

"We did it!" several people yelled out with excitement as the sound of grinding filled the air.

Everyone at the front gathered, grunting and heaving as they pulled a dragon scale out, separating it from the body.

"How heavy!"

Everyone struggled to bring it back to the ship as it took nearly everyone to carry it. Slowly, they placed it down onto the ship deck and began to study it. For such a large body there would be equally large scales and the one they brought back was so. It was diamond shaped, only a inch thick, and the size of a child. On the outside, it was white and glossy but the other side was different, smoother in texture and grayish.

Ming Yue touched the scale, surprised at how how it felt. To be fair, she wasn't sure what to expect but there wasn't enough time for her to dwell on this as th eothers moved on quickly.

"Come, look at this!"

As many looked at the scale, others were more concerned about what was underneath the scale, the flesh and blood of this mysterious dragon. It was a whitish color, resembling milk almost. Like impatient children, they touched it, marvelling at the sensation.

"How strange! This is soft and supple, is this really a dragon?"

"Indeed, the flesh should be taut and rough. No matter the type, every dragon's flesh is so due to their constant time in battle. But this, this is as if it had never gone through battle, much less a fight."

Whipping his fan, Tian Zhui was the first to make a move, slowly cutting into the flesh and collecting a vial of a glowing crimson blood. Unlike the scale, the flesh seemed to part like it was nothing but as soon as he cut it, the wound slowly sealed itself. It did not fester or anything of the sort but merged back together as if it was never cut in the first place.

He had a looked of surprise on his face but conintued on, cutting it once more to collect another vial.

The others did the same, but unlike him, they only collected one vial. To them, anymore was already too much and would further disrespect the corpse. However, Tian Zhui did not stop before collecting more than ten vials. He looked at the last vial, studying the vibrant red color with interest.

"With this, I can go further..." he thought to himself.

He must have had a plan for this blood, though nobody knew what he would be using it for.

The others looked at him but did not say anything. They knew his character and knew that he would go further and beyond for his work. Still, he had cut into the dragon's flesh to the point that upon its recovery, there was a scar left on it, a blemish that would never disappear. But Tian Zhui was not bothered by this, instead he felt a bit of regret for not bringing more vials. Unfortunately, his spatial ring was already filled with other items for this expedition or else he would have tried to get more dragon blood.

He felt everyone's stare on him but paid them no mind. To him, they were all stepping stones.

Ming Yue only watched from the ship as she did not have her own suit to leave the barriers.

Everyone rested at the ship with satisfied smiles. Rather than get bits of dragon scale, they managed to obtain a fully intact one. More than that, they obtained its blood, a sample whose quality far surpassed what they had ever obtained.

The Long siblings turned the ship back to its original form and met with the others with food, mostly dried rations and water.

"I suppose it's time to leave now. With just this, we can return to the shore again, or do you all want to explore more of the gravesite."

Before any of them could even respond, an absolutely thundering roar came from the sky. Everyone turned their heads, looking for the source of this fearsome call. A shadowy blur flew swiftly from the clouds and towards the ship.

As it came closer, they had recognized it.

"That can't be..."

None of them could believe it.

The blazing red body with yellow horns and whiskers, sharp claws and an expression fll of rage and anger. It was a dragon, a true living dragon. In fact, it was the same one that was last seen several hundred years ago and it came for them.

"What have you done?!"

A deep, angry voice came from its mouth. It had dignity and gravitas to it, the voice of a legendary being. But the rage could be felt with each word.

"How dare you soil her body! You will not leave this place alive! I will obliterate all of you!"

From its mouth, the fiery dragon blew waves of fire into the air. It shouted into the sky, causing the clouds to clear away and reveal the glowing sun.

Everyone on the ship scrambled as they prepared to escape. With the Dynamic Dragon Harnessing Formation still altered, they had one less tool to help deal with this furious dragon. Long Wei quickly ran into the captain's cabina nd Long Wang started shouting orders.

"Get the cannons ready! Strengthen the barriers! Go below the deck and prepare the harpoon guns!" she shouted, grabbing a harpoon gun herself.

"Do not dare move from this spot! This place will be your grave! It shall be your punishment for besmirching the body of my beloved!"

The dragon continued to shout and yell as it flew down, bellowing flames down onto the ship. The heat was fierce and the flame intense as it scorched parts of the ship. Even the barriers began to show cracks.

"We must escape! Slow the dragon down, we cannot battle it like this!" Long Wang yelled out.

Even as she looked desperate, there was undoubtedly excitement in her eyes. A real dragon was in front of them, this was a chance that might never come again.

As the dragon came down once more, it landed next to the white dragon's corpse, looking to see if anything was wrong with her body. His golden eyes closed in on the missing scale and what more, the scars left by Tian Zhui's dagger. That anger within him burst out as the dragon rose its head and looked towards the ship.

With its jaws opened wide, it let out a flame like no other. Blue and clear, it was much stronger and caused the water to evaporate in an instant. The outer barrier of the ship was broken as the shields created by Tian Zhui cracked from the damage.

The fiery dragon approached them slowly, its voice calm and restrained.

"As my name is Xiu Luo Yang, Dragon of the Sun, I condemn you all to death for disrespecting the body of my beloved wife."