THE REAL PROTEGE

Ling Li didn't stand on ceremony. She moved with an effortless grace, stepping forward into the vast chamber where shadows danced along the obsidian floor, her silver hair cascading behind her like strands of moonlight illuminating the night.

"You mentioned my three beanies are all girls?" she inquired, her voice imbued with a delicate awe that softened each word.

The Azure Dragon, magnificent and imposing, responded without a moment's hesitation. "Oh yes, three little girls — each a radiant reflection of your spirit."

Ling Li blinked in surprise, her heart a tumultuous blend of joy and bittersweet memories. A smile flickered as she thought of Shi Min, her only son, who had longed for a younger brother. She could almost hear his whispered wishes, the way he had counted the twinkling stars, hoping each one would grant him three boys.

"Why?" the Azure Dragon asked gently, his brow furrowing with genuine curiosity. "You don't wish for daughters?"

"Certainly not," Ling Li replied, her smile a mix of warmth and aching nostalgia. "I would be overjoyed to have them. It's just... my husband and my son were hoping for boys. I already have two older daughters, one son, and a pair of boisterous two-year-old twins — both girls."

As she spoke, laughter spilled from her lips like a gentle breeze rustling through cherry blossoms, brightening the space around her.

"Ha ha ha ha!" The Azure Dragon let out a booming laugh that resonated through the chamber like rolling thunder, shaking the very air. "You truly have a full house! Meanwhile, my wife and I are bound by the sands of time — we can only bring forth a child once every hundred years."

His eyes twinkled with mischief, yet there was an underlying weight to his sigh, a reminder of the eternity he carried within him.

"But enough of my ancient woes," he said, a playful glimmer returning to his gaze. "You didn't brave this mountain merely to indulge an old dragon. Tell me, my friend — how may I assist you?"

Mystical Mountain — The Request for the Nirvana Elixir

Ling Li sat poised in the flickering glow of the lanterns, her silver hair cascading around her like ethereal strands of moonlight, shimmering against the dimly lit chamber's walls. An almost palpable stillness enveloped the room, thick with the weight of her impending request, making the air feel electric.

"Allow me to share my predicament first," Ling Li began, her voice steady yet laced with a vulnerability that belied her composed exterior. A slow exhale escaped her lips, as if releasing the burden she had carried for too long. "My only son is set to enter seclusion in just two months. He has been ensnared by this bottleneck for nearly eight long years, distracted — entangled in the affairs of the mortal realm: business, duty, a whirlwind of diversions. But now, he stands at the threshold of readiness. Should he succeed, he will transcend earthly bounds and achieve immortality."

Her voice wavered, betraying a flicker of doubt amidst her resolve.

"The trials he shall face, however... fill me with dread."

The Azure Dragon's demeanor softened, his expression shifting as he leaned back with a thoughtful gaze, arms folded across his chest. "Ah, your family possesses remarkable gifts for cultivation. Yet, the tribulation your son will encounter... it will be fierce and unyielding."

A heavy silence fell momentarily as his eyes darkened, shadowed by the weight of solemn truths. "Anyone who dares to ascend must confront the wrath of the heavens — an envy born of our very existence. They strive to break our will, to remind us of our mortality. And so, tribulations will be unleashed. Forty strikes of lightning shall rain down upon him. He will not escape unscathed."

Ling Li nodded, her jaw set with determination, though the worry flared in her chest like a living ember.

"I understand," she affirmed, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.

"Then tell me," the Azure Dragon urged gently, his tone a balm against the anxiety that hung in the air. "What is your plan? How can I be of assistance to you?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Ling Li met his knowing gaze.

"I have come with a request for your wife," she revealed, her heart racing.

The Azure Dragon's brows arched in surprise.

"Are you suggesting you wish to concoct a Nirvana Elixir?"

The very air seemed to tremble as the words echoed through the chamber, reverberating like a bell's toll in serene waters.

"!!!!"

The Seven Shahs gasped collectively, their expressions frozen in wide-eyed astonishment, breaths caught sharply in their throats.

Ling Li felt her heartbeat quicken, a surge of hope entwined with trepidation as she lowered her head slightly in reverence. "Yes, Your Majesty. I hope I do not come across as presumptuous."

With a wave of his hand, the Azure Dragon's voice flowed with a calm assurance. "Presumptuous? Not at all. While some may deem it inconceivable, for beings such as us, it is but standard practice."

A collective blink of disbelief spread among the Seven Shahs.

"!!!!"

'Standard?' their minds echoed as one, grappling with the reality of their past misconceptions.

They had only ever encountered whispers of the Nirvana Elixir in fables — an artifact of mythic proportions, dismissed as an impossibility, a distant dream. And now, here it lay before them, spoken of with an ease that felt both shocking and liberating. Had their lives truly been confined to such narrow boundaries of understanding?

"...."

The Azure Dragon let out a soft, rumbling chuckle, his vibrant scales shimmering in the light, as he noticed the skepticism etched on their faces. "It is only natural for us to nurture our young," he said, his voice enveloping them like a warm embrace. "Even amidst the fiercest storms wrought by the heavens, we stand vigil to shield that which we hold dear."

With a graceful turn, his flowing robes cascaded behind him, leaving trails of iridescent starlight that twinkled like distant galaxies.

"Come," he beckoned, his eyes glinting with warmth. "Allow me to introduce you to my beloved wife. She's guiding our youngest daughter as she learns the art of flight."

There was a shift in the dragon's tone — infused with affection, pride, and the delicate tenderness that only family could evoke.

Ling Li followed closely, her footsteps light yet resolute, feeling the palpable magic of the moment as she stepped into the gentle radiance of their world.