After half an hour of browsing through the "Theories on Cultivation", Dylan decided to move on.
"I think that's mostly everything I need to know in cultivation theory," he murmured to himself, leaning back slightly as he closed the final heavy tome. "I also found a lot of interesting theories to test out in the future, should I gain the ability to cultivate. Time to move on to the geography and history of this country."
Dylan went to both the "Geography" and "History" sections and gathered dozens of books from their respective recommended sections. After an hour of sorting through the information, Dylan finally got the understanding and awareness he wanted ever since reincarnating into this world.
"The scale of the Great Mystic World is massive... Just this city alone is thousands of kilometers in size..." Dylan ran a finger down a faded parchment map, his eyes wide as he digested the astronomical figures. "It might be tens of times bigger than Earth..."
He flipped to a wide atlas showing the global expanse. "The Great Mystic World has three big continents that are the size of planets themselves: The Great Beast Continent, The Great Archipelago Continent, and The Great Mystic Continent..."
Tracing the borders of a smaller landmass nestled within the records, Dylan tilted his head. "The continent that I'm currently in, it seems, is the Great Mystic Continent. My country is called the Rainbow Cloud Kingdom. Interestingly, it has seven states which follow the colors of the rainbow, thus being divided by color."
He turned the page to reveal a detailed breakdown of the territories, reading the names aloud in a soft rhythm. "These are the Mystic Red State, Mystic Orange State, Mystic Yellow State, Mystic Green State, Mystic Blue State, Mystic Indigo Sect, and Mystic Violet State. The seven states surround what is called the Imperial Capital, its own independent state where the Imperial Family is currently residing."
Frowning slightly in curiosity, Dylan skimmed down to a section written in deep red ink. "The reason for their names is also interesting. It's due to a natural phenomenon, the Mystic Cloud Emergence, huh?"
Once every year, there is a natural wonder that occurs within the country of Rainbow Cloud called the Mystic Clouds Emergence. This is a nationwide phenomenon wherein the clouds of each state within Rainbow Cloud Kingdom turn into the colors they were named after for an extended period of time.
Once the light of the sun reaches the lands of each state, it creates the illusion that the land has become red, orange, yellow, green, violet, indigo, and blue. This typically occurs in different times of the year, lasting roughly fifty days to two months.
For example, the Mystic Red State is the first state to experience the Red Mystic Clouds in the start of the year while the Mystic Blue State is the last of the seven states to experience their own Blue Mystic Clouds.
"It's like this country has its own season. Interesting," Dylan noted, tapping his chin thoughtfully before glancing at a local regional ledger. "I think that the Soaring Cloud is situated in the Mystic Yellow State... I wonder if there is any effect on cultivation when the Yellow Mystic Clouds occur?"
Once every seven centuries, the typical cycle of the the Mystic Cloud Emergence breaks except in the middle of the year, where the all seven states experience their Mystic Clouds at the same time! This now becomes what is called the Rainbow Cloud Convergence.
An unbelievably enchanting and mystical phenomenon where the sky is painted with all seven colors of the rainbow as the light also helps the earth mirror the color of the sky. It is one of the most awaited year wherein tourists around the continent visit the country to see the splendor of this natural phenomenon.
"Whoa, the way they describe it makes it seem so natural," Dylan whispered, admiring an artist's rendition of the multi-colored sky pasted in the margins. "I wonder what the Rainbow Cloud Convergence will look like?"
Turning over a thick leather bound volume dedicated to ancient heroes, his expression grew serious. "But the most interesting one is this thing they call the True King of Rainbow Cloud..."
The Rainbow Cloud Kingdom has a legend that has been passed down from generation to generation. Not because it was some sort of teaching, but because this legend has been proven into existence by what people call True Kings.
True Kings are all experts hypothesized to be in the Immortal Saint Realm. Each possessing heavenly-defying abilities and strength that would
True Kings are individuals who coincidentally emerge after the Rainbow Clouds Harmonic Convergence. Historians theorize that there must be a correlation between the two.
As all the first recorded exploits of every True King happened within a few months of the natural phenomenon, it was the natural decision to arrive at. These were stories of the start of legends of the True King after all.
"A True King will rise amidst the chaos filled by false rulers - He who emerges atop the clouds and sits at the highest peak of this Kingdom shall unite every color." Dylan read the poetic prophecy word for word, his thumb tracing the embossed golden lettering on the page.
There have been generations of True Kings that brought about chaos and order. Each pioneered a clan and created lasting legacies that were now called True King Clans like the Cross Clan where Victoria belongs. These clans assumed a state of their own respectively.
"Based on this, the next date for the Harmonic Convergence would be six hundred years from now," Dylan calculated mentally, quickly cross-referencing the historical dates on his fingers. "So the next appearance of a True King may be after seven hundred years."
Curious about the actual power these figures wielded, Dylan turned the heavy parchment page to a section detailing the archived records of each True King. His eyes widened as he skimmed through their recorded feats and historical impact. There is no True King that that has not significantly impacted the overall course of history of the Kingdom.
"True King Clan - Vlad Clan - Mystic Red State..." Dylan read softly, tracing the faded red ink of the first entry. "The True King Dracule Vlad, wielding Blood as his Martial Spirit. The first and oldest True King."
According to the historical accounts, Dracule Vlad's emergence was marked by pure terror and chaos. He was drunk in the power that he awakened and wreaked havoc. As the first of the True Kings, his awakening turned entire regions into bloody battlegrounds. Instead of King, Dracule Vlad was considered an evil tyrant that killed for enjoyment.
It was not until Vulcania, the Magma Titan Empire invaded the southern border, the Rainbow Cloud Kingdom was thrown into further chaos. Many citizens died and lands of the kingdom was conquered. The one who stepped up and saved the country was none other than Dracule Vlad.
It was recorded that his intervention was due to him not liking he was being outdone by others in terms of causing suffering so he decided to eradicate the army of Vulcania.
"Uh... I guess, he, at least saved the country?" Dylan had an unexplainable expression on his face as he read those passages.
Dracule Vlad didn't even draw a weapon. He simply raised a pale hand toward the invading vanguard of one hundred thousand soldiers, forcibly extracting and manipulating the iron in their very blood.
In a single breath, the entire army exploded from the inside out, permanently dyeing the soil of the Mystic Red State. Due to this, the country celebrated him as a hero and hailed him as the True King that was mentioned in the prophecy!
"He literally turned an entire invading army into a literal red sea..." Dylan muttered, feeling a slight chill run down his spine. "No wonder his clan caused so much chaos. He was basically a living walking calamity."
"Though, it turns out he made a change for the better." After receiving acknowledgement and kindness from his fellow country men, Dracule Vlad changed from a tyrant who loves to cause chaos into a silent guardian who swore to protect the weak.
He shifted his gaze down to the next entry.
"True King Clan - Fervor Clan - Mystic Orange State... The True King Maximus Fervor possessing the Martial Spirit, Body Heat allowing him to freely use Heat Manipulation."
Maximus Fervor used his terrifying power as a defensive wall for the kingdom. When the naval power of Thalassia dispatched ten thousand enchanted iron dreadnoughts to freeze and conquer the coastlines, Maximus walked out onto the ocean surface alone. He didn't just summon fire; he raised the ambient thermal energy of the entire region to absolute extremes.
Within minutes, the ocean boiled alive, vaporizing the enemy fleet, the wood, the metal, and the soldiers into nothingness, leaving behind miles of blinding white salt flats.
"Heat manipulation on a continental scale..." Dylan shook his head in disbelief, leaning closer to the page. "That's not just fire magic, that's controlling thermodynamics itself."
Moving on, his fingers brushed against the yellow-bordered section. "Mystic Yellow State - Thunderbolt Clan... The True King Raiden Thunderbolt. Martial Spirit: Heaven-Splitting Lightning."
Raiden was described as a lightning-fast sovereign of heavenly judgment. When the nation of Vulcania invaded with thousands of siege artifacts powered by magma titans, Raiden descended from the storm clouds carrying Heaven-Splitting Lightning.
Riding a single bolt of divine light across the entire battle line, he struck down three hundred foreign army commanders in under three seconds. His final strike split a three-thousand-meter mountain range straight down the middle, creating a jagged, lightning-scarred chasm that remained as a permanent natural defense wall.
"Three seconds to wipe out the entire command structure..." Dylan murmured, marveling at the sheer speed. "If Soaring Cloud is really in the Yellow State, I wonder if they still hold remnants of his lightning intent? It should be in the Thundercloud City, right?"
He turned the page to the green section, where the tone of the text grew distinctly darker.
"True King Clan - Wilder Clan - Mystic Green State... The True King Malik Wilder, Martial Spirit: Nine-Headed Chimera."
Malik's ascension brought another era of absolute chaos. Transforming into the Nine-Headed Chimera, his wild aura drove millions of magical beasts into a frantic frenzy. He didn't just command the beasts; he absorbed their apex traits, turning his skin into impenetrable draconian scales and his arms into mountain-cleaving scythes.
When neighboring nations tried to invade during his rampage, Malik slaughtered their frontlines single-handedly, leaving a path of total forest devastation so severe that the area remained unlivable for three generations.
"So Malik was an absolute wild card," Dylan noted, running his thumb over the jagged illustration of a chimera. "A walking berserker who didn't care who he crushed, whether allies or invaders."
Glancing at the next line, Dylan recognized a familiar name.
"True King Clan - Cross Clan - Mystic Violet State... The True King Lancelot Cross, Martial Spirit: Heavenly Cross Sword."
Revered as the absolute peak of the Sword Dao, Lancelot Cross reached a realm where a simple thought became a lethal blade. When three foreign Immortal Saints ambushed the northern borders in a coordinated attack, Lancelot met them carrying only an ordinary iron sword.
With two clean crossing slashes known historically as the Divine Cross, he erased all three Immortal Saints, split the cloud layer above, and left a thousand-mile rift of sword intent in the earth that continued to bleed sharp, metallic aura seven centuries later.
"So this is Victoria's ancestor..." Dylan paused, staring at the description of the thousand-mile sword rift. "One attack to kill three Immortal Saints... The Cross Clan's sword heritage really is terrifying."
He skimmed down to the sixth entry.
"Mystic Indigo State - Anima Clan... The True King Euthymios Anima possessing the Martial Spirit, Spirit Chains that allows him to control Spirits.."
Euthymios was a calm, eerie ruler who controlled the spirit realm itself. Rather than summoning living beasts or raising physical armies, he forged contracts with ancient, extinct mountain spirits and fallen dragon souls.
During a massive joint siege by neighboring countries, Euthymios summoned a spectral legion of ten thousand ancestral dragon souls that filled the entire sky. The spectral army left no physical wounds on the invaders, but instantly extinguished the souls and consciousness of two hundred thousand soldiers, leaving an entire army standing motionless on the battlefield like empty stone statues.
"That's horrifying in a completely different way," Dylan whispered, rubbing his arms as if feeling a ghost chill. "An army turned into soul-less husks left standing on the field... No blood, no fire, just instant death."
Finally, Dylan reached the last recorded True King.
"True King Clan - Vastocean Clan - Mystic Blue State... The True King Daryush Vastocean, Martial Sprit: Ocean."
Daryush was an unpredictable tyrant whose temper mirrored the wildest tempests, bringing massive chaos by flooding three entire states just to expand his marine court before being restrained.
Yet, when Thalassia sent their legendary Leviathan-class naval beast to breach the coast, Daryush pulled the water out of the ocean itself, forming a floating water dome five thousand meters high that suspended the entire enemy fleet in zero gravity.
With a simple flick of his wrist, he collapsed the atmospheric pressure inside the dome, instantly crushing the leviathan and the entire fleet into a dense sphere of pulverized wreckage.