Chapter 213: Getting the Dao Brings Many Helpers (4K)

"The essence blood, golden cores, and spirit souls of our divine beast clan are still very popular!"

On Phoenix Nest Mountain, Phoenix Spirit spoke with a joking tone, but her eyes flashed with sharpness.

At this moment, in Phoenix Spirit's phoenix divine eyes, one could see the white water banks on both sides, with many demonic auras faintly appearing and disappearing.

Among them were not a few cultivators of profound cultivation.

These cultivators had long calculated the time when the White Water Dragon Lord would face the thousand-year divine path great calamity.

The flesh, dragon pearl, and dragon soul of a flood dragon that had once nearly reached the dragon transformation stage are things that can be encountered but not sought.

However, Phoenix Spirit remained expressionless; wanting to take advantage was not so easy.

Red Flower Lady stepped forward, and in the distance, the white water surged.

Her gaze could also see that, as the three-nine tribulation approached, the essence and spirit of the white flood dragon began to fall from the void, and many profound and obscure demonic auras revealed themselves, stirring restlessly.

Yet at this moment, Red Flower Lady remained composed; for this matter, Zhang Jian had already made arrangements.

Bai Laiying had already returned early from the True Dragon Dao Institute to White Water to make preparations; at this moment, she should have summoned reinforcements, though no one knows where they are hiding now.

Red Flower Lady's gaze turned toward the depths of the White Water.

His guess was not wrong; in the Zhang family's small villa beneath the Dragon-Locking Dam, Bai Laiying and a white-robed elder stood before the pool, the white-robed elder gazing afar at the white flood dragon above, smiling and saying:

"White Younger Brother, your cultivation is extraordinary; in such circumstances, you can actually withstand the Three-Nine Divine Path Great Calamity. After this calamity passes, the heavens will be high for birds to fly, the sea wide for fish to leap—there will surely come a day when you transform into a dragon!"

"Uncle, you overpraise me; going forward, everything still relies on your intervention to intimidate those demons and evil spirits!"

Bai Laiying's jade-like countenance was respectful, yet she still felt some worry.

This white-robed elder was none other than the Canal Dragon Lord.

Hearing this, the Canal Dragon Lord laughed heartily and said: "White niece, you need not be so polite; rest assured, with me here, I will certainly not let anyone ruin White Younger Brother's cultivation!"

He patted his chest and made a solemn vow.

The Canal Dragon Lord possesses the body of a red dragon; though not a true dragon, merely a coiling dragon, he is still of dragon lineage, and his cultivation is not something ordinary Yin God Reverents can compare to.

Upon hearing this, Bai Laiying's gaze flickered slightly as she nodded.

Yet there was something strange in her eyes, for she knew this Canal Dragon Lord did not display the generosity he appeared to have.

At this moment, as the final fierce heart-burning thunderfire vanished from above, the white flood dragon's dragon cry shook the four wilds; deep within the dark clouds, a dragon scale fell, and countless white flood dragons flew out from within, rushing toward the White Water.

Its dragon body was long and slender, but its vital energy sank into the valley floor at this very moment!

At the instant the white flood dragon touched the ground, countless dark demonic auras surged from the depths of the void, eager to burst forth and break through the sky; then, at this moment, a divine light burst forth from the depths of the void, intense golden light splitting the black clouds, and in an instant it fell into the sight of all the gods.

Deep within the White Water Divine Office, White Fury also sensed the divine light surging from the depths of the void; his eyes showed astonishment, and he was about to rise and act to drive it away, when he heard from within the divine light a cold, resonant voice:

"White Water Dragon Lord, do not worry; this god is Huang Rouqing, Magistrate of ShanYang Commandery City, sent by imperial decree to protect the Dragon Lord's law; please, all gods, retreat!"

Yet within the divine light, a figure emerged—dignified and solemn, wearing a high hat and wide sash.

The Magistrate of ShanYang Commandery City—this is a fourth-rank city magistrate whose cultivation is not inferior to that of the Phoenix Yang City Magistrate, and also a deity of the Yin God realm.

The gods and many demons, upon seeing this sudden manifestation of a divine body by the ShanYang Commandery City Magistrate, were all somewhat astonished; many demons and cultivators lowered their hands from their actions.

"I do not know which prince's command you follow, Your Reverence, but this lord is deeply grateful!"

At this moment, from the depths of the White Water came White Fury's hearty voice; Huang Qing's divine light flowed around him as he smiled and said:

"No need for thanks! This god comes by the command of Prince Wang, the City Magistrate King, to lend the Dragon Lord a helping hand; the Dragon Lord need only focus on recovering from his injuries, and I shall take charge of the White Water surroundings!"

Deep within the White Water, White Fury's eyes showed some astonishment.

In the Great Qian, there is only one City Magistrate King: Wei Fang of the Haojing City Magistrate; but he and Wei Fang have had no dealings?

Yet he did not doubt the other party.

The divine path's rules are strict; if a god lacks the edict of a higher deity, other gods usually do not lightly cross into another god's divine path and office—for it is not only dangerous, but also easily invites reproach from superiors.

Yet upon hearing Huang Qing's words, he gazed around and smiled:

"Why do you fellow cultivators not yet reveal your true forms? What are you waiting for?!"

As his words fell, several divine lights emerged from among the mountains.

At this moment, hearty voices rang out!

"I am the City Magistrate of Jixian Commandery, Tao Shanhe, sent by the City Magistrate King's decree to come and protect the White Water Dragon Lord's law!"

"I am the City Magistrate of JiuLian Commandery, sent by the City Magistrate King's decree to assist Brother Bai with my strength! I dare anyone to lay a hand on the true gods of our state and divine path!"

……

One after another, city magistrate deities manifested, their divine light magnificent; all were uniformly fourth-rank city magistrates. These seven or eight city magistrates were from the southern commanderies, gathered together, their divine power magnificent, their banners waving behind them as they stepped forth—seven or eight divisions of divine path yin soldiers and yin generals emerged, their presence grand and majestic.

Amidst this mountain and river scene, many demons and cultivators changed expression; seeing the situation turn unfavorable, many demons concealed their vital energy and began to withdraw silently.

Even knowing the White Water Dragon Lord might now be at his weakest, with so many city magistrate deities rushing to assist, they clearly could not hope to take advantage; if they did not retreat now, they feared losing their lives.

The native gods also felt some astonishment; yet they saw the Phoenix Yang Commandery City Magistrate, Chen Qingyuan, also manifest his true city magistrate form before the gods, his countenance calm, without surprise—evidently he had already received the edict.

Deep within the White Water Divine Office, seeing this, White Fury's face showed astonishment; he had long had disagreements with the Phoenix Yang Commandery City Magistrate Chen Qingyuan, and their interactions these past years had been unpleasant—yet the other had actually stepped forward.

Feeling strange in his heart, yet he still raised his voice and said:

"This lord thanks all fellow cultivators for their aid; please wait while I briefly recover, then I shall personally thank you all!"

Upon hearing this, ShanYang Commandery City Magistrate Huang Qing laughed and said: "No need for thanks!"

"White niece, this is……"

And in the villa, the Canal Dragon Lord's face showed surprise; his gaze swept over the many city magistrate deities.

The manifestation of so many city magistrate deities was clearly beyond his expectation.

Bai Laiying was also utterly confused, and said: "Uncle Jin, niece has never heard that Father summoned these city magistrate deities; Father and these city magistrate deities should not know each other, right?"

Though strange in her heart, Bai Laiying's jade countenance showed joy; with these many city magistrate deities manifesting to assist, White Fury's trial was finally over.

Seeing this, the Canal Dragon Lord's eyes flickered, and he laughed: "With these city magistrate deities acting, there's no need for me to step forward!"

He laughed heartily.

At this moment, by the edge of the White Water, before a abandoned river-blocking stele, several figures gazed far off at the deep dark clouds above.

Several figures with strange auras flickered about, especially the leading one, a middle-aged merchant, whose eyes gazed deep into the dark clouds, a hint of hesitation flickering in their depths.

Behind him stood several more figures in black robes, their faces stiff as they looked upward, though their expressions were unnervingly devoid of emotion.

"What a pity!"

The Daoist's face showed regret; to him, a flood dragon was a treasure trove—its essence blood and dragon pearl could both be refined into medicine to nourish his body, bloodline, and aid his divine abilities.

His cultivation path was highly unique, likewise following the Way of Transforming into a Dragon; consuming a flood dragon's essence blood would greatly benefit his metamorphosis into a dragon's form.

It seemed he now had no chance.

After a moment's consideration, this figure dismissed the thought, turning his gaze toward the mountain-encircled region within Fengyang Prefecture.

His purpose in entering Fengyang Prefecture was to investigate rumors of an ancient Feng Lai Geomancy Formation—Double Phoenix Arrival—said to exist there; he had come to make preparations for it, laying groundwork for arrangements decades hence.

Yet upon entering, he found himself with some unexpected gains.

He detected traces of dragon veins surfacing both inside and outside Fengyang Prefecture, a fact he was quite certain of.

Senior cultivators of the Black Dragon Sect are naturally gifted at identifying gold and pinpointing dragon veins, especially skilled in searching for them.

This discovery greatly excited the Black Dragon Sect elder.

Compared to a flood dragon, this Black Dragon Sect elder would rather avoid complications, thus missing the opportunity.

……

White Water Dragon Palace

After Bai Nu used several reserve spirit pills to restore part of his mana, he exited the White Water Dragon Palace personally to welcome the many City God deities who had come to assist, ushering them into the palace.

He also summoned the clam maidens and fishwives to prepare a grand feast for the deities arriving from all directions.

At the same time, he seized the chance to voice a long-held question.

He asked himself that he had little acquaintance with the City God King Wei Fang, yet wondered why this City God King had summoned the southern deities to come to his aid.

Upon hearing this, Rao Qing, the leading City God of Yangzhou Prefecture on the right, couldn't help but smile.

Among the City God deities, his status was clearly higher, standing above several others—not only due to his superior cultivation, but also because he bore the rank of City Gods of all southern prefectures, implicitly placing him half a rank above the others.

He laughed: "We came to assist Brother Bai, first because Brother Bai years ago relieved the southern prefectures' commoners from drought suffering; the City God King cannot allow Brother Bai, this guardian deity of the state, to be harmed by demons and monsters!"

"Ashamed!"

Bai Nu was somewhat surprised by the words, though he noticed Rao Qing seemed to have more to say.

There are many deities with great merit to the people, yet I've never seen this City God King act—likely this is merely an official pretext.

Indeed, Rao Qing continued.

"Besides, Brother Bai probably doesn't know that your son-in-law, Zhang the Attendant Scholar, now enjoys great fame in Haojing City; the City God King recently benefited from Zhang's favor, and this time, acting on Zhang's request, has commanded us neighboring deities to come assist Brother Bai."

Upon hearing this, Bai Nu's heart suddenly dawned with realization.

And on the left, the River Dragon King's heart suddenly understood.

Bai Nu laughed heartily, raised his wine cup, and declared loudly: "No matter what, I, your lord, must thank you all for your aid—I shall drink first, as a sign of respect!"

Upon hearing this, all the City Gods present showed a hint of smile.

They all raised their cups, repeatedly saying they dared not.

The deities also dared not consider themselves benefactors; who knows what the future holds—perhaps they will yet need to ask this White Water Dragon King for help.

For a time, within the depths of the White Water Dragon Palace, host and guest reveled in full enjoyment.

……

On Phoenix Nest Mountain, Phoenix Ling also received the White Water Dragon King's invitation, though it was politely declined by the Phoenix Ling Mountain God.

As for the underwater banquet, Phoenix Ling naturally does not care much for it.

At this moment, the Red Flower Goddess followed the Phoenix Ling Mountain God into Phoenix Nest Mountain; during this period, she has grown extremely close to the Phoenix Ling Mountain God, and both goddesses have ties to Zhang Jian, making their relationship even closer in subtle ways.

On Phoenix Nest Mountain, this place enjoys eternal spring; after the Phoenix Ling Mountain God's revival, the surroundings are filled with vibrant life force.

The two deities now discussed the White Water Dragon King's tribulation transcendence.

They speculated that this matter most likely relates to Zhang Jian, who is far away in Haojing City.

After all, the White Water Dragon King is a water deity, while the City God King is a land deity—there should be no overlap between them.

The Red Flower Goddess couldn't help but sigh.

"My lord flourishes in Haojing City—even the City God King, this supreme-rank noble, treats him with such respect; alas, my growth pace likely cannot catch up to my lord's, and I cannot aid him!"

At this moment, the Red Flower Goddess's face also showed some helplessness.

Upon hearing this, Feng Ling's phoenix eyes fell upon her, her jade-like visage blooming with a flower-like smile.

"Red Flower Sister, why must you belittle yourself so? Your Kitchen God divine post holds immense potential; all the deities are discussing it, evaluating the Kitchen God's divine role—it may well be the most promising new divine post among the fire god lineage!"

Upon hearing this, the Red Flower Goddess shook her head.

"Precisely because of this, I instead worry that I would fail to meet my lord's expectations; the Kitchen God post, so vital, if placed upon any fire god, could manifest greater power—but I have no confidence I could unleash its full effect!"

Though this is so, the Red Flower Goddess currently feels no self-contempt, only concern that she may not achieve her best.

Upon hearing this, Feng Ling laughed.

"Red Flower, your fire-element talent is excellent; in fact, you could—my sister suggests you enter the Bright Light City within the Southern Aurora Radiant Realm to cultivate for a time; this might help you?"

"Bright Light City?"

Hearing of this strange city, the Red Flower Goddess's expression flickered with slight bewilderment.

Upon seeing her unfamiliarity, Feng Ling explained: "This is a fire god Dao lineage established within Northern Chu territory, founded by an enlightened fire god deity; it periodically recruits outstanding fire god talents to cultivate there, where one may also receive the orthodox fire god transmission!"

Upon hearing this, the Red Flower Goddess's heart startled.

"I never expected that even within our divine Dao lineage, there would exist sects?"

"Divine beings and humans are alike—wherever divine beings gather, there are jianghu, factions, and mountain strongholds!"

Feng Ling's expression softened into a smile.

"Yet our divine Dao lineage maintains better order—after all, our mountain strongholds are still under the suppression of state and divine Dao; deities must still observe rules, unless they wish to become evil gods!"

Upon hearing this, Red Flower Lady pondered for a moment, then shook her head and said.

"Going to Mingguang City is fine, but the master mentioned that within the Tongshan Dao lineage, there is also a divine inheritance; I could try to obtain an outer disciple quota, join the Tongshan Dao lineage, and see if I can receive the orthodox fire god inheritance!"

A smile flickered in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Feng Ling was slightly startled, and a hint of envy also appeared in her eyes.

"Since joining the Tongshan Dao lineage is naturally better, the Tongshan Dao lineage has immense influence, and it still stands above Mingguang City in the Little Antarctic!"

Red Flower Lady also nodded upon hearing this.

At this moment, both goddesses' eyes twitched simultaneously, and their steps up the mountain halted.

At this time, they actually both received a message sent by Zhang Jian.

Someone approached near the Zhang family dragon vein.

"Who is this person? I actually couldn't sense them at all?"

Feng Ling's expression turned solemn, surprise flickering in her eyes.