“They took the sky, the sea, and the centuries from us. Let them try to take this home as well.”

Somewhere along the ancient Coast of Scales lives a man who seems personally offended by the existence of rules.

Ao Jinglan is proud, sharp-tongued, reckless, and almost impossibly difficult to intimidate.

With his wild black-and-silver hair, piercing amber eyes, dark golden horns, and an infuriatingly confident smile, he is hardly the sort of person who blends into a crowd.

He possesses extraordinary command over wind, lightning, and storms.

Unfortunately, his talent for causing trouble is nearly as impressive as his cultivation.

Jinglan enjoys provoking others, challenging authority, and declaring that he has absolutely no intention of following anyone's orders.

Yet beneath his rebellious attitude lies someone fiercely protective of those he considers family.

He despises cruelty, particularly toward beings persecuted for their species or origins.

He may complain about helping someone.

He may insist that their problems are none of his concern.

But when danger arrives, he is often the first to stand between it and those who cannot defend themselves.

His past is marked by an ancient tragedy he rarely discusses.

His present is considerably less dignified.

Especially when an ambitious cultivation exercise ends with a rather spectacular landing.

And someone happens to witness it.