Chapter 187: 187.Chapter 185: Entering the Sea to Become a Flood Dragon, the Dragon King Displays His Might!

187. Chapter 185: Entering the Sea to Become a Flood Dragon, the Dragon King Displays His Might!

By the vast Donghai shore, eight people and one snake gazed at the waves.

The sword‑bearer eyed the huge bronze ancient sword, eager to try it, becoming the first to eat crab, saying, "Let me go first!"

The ancient sword had a spirit; when the sword‑bearer stepped onto it, a heavy power gently lifted his body—strong yet incredibly soft—and he soon stood firm on the sword, excitedly waving to his companions.

"It's truly miraculous."

The one in the group holding a wine gourd fixed his gaze on the wine‑gourd‑shaped jade pendant and laughed heartily, "This is clearly made just for me."

He leapt up, slightly opened his arms, landing lightly like a swallow, picked up the gourd at his waist, took an excited sip, and said, "Stepping on the big gourd, holding the wine gourd—how wonderful!"

The tomboyish youngster nearby picked up the clappers and began to beat them in rhythm.

The girl beside them saw this, couldn't help laughing and shaking her head, "All right, let's not forget the important matter."

Another sturdy man in the group looked at the prayer beads and thought, "These beads are interesting, but wouldn't I slip if I stood on them?"

The young lady teased, "You're usually the boldest—why are you hesitating now?"

The sturdy man couldn't stand being provoked; he flipped into a sparrow hawk stance, steadied his foot on the beads, and though they seemed perfectly smooth, an inexplicable pull held him fast.

The three Dharma Implements were now accounted for.

The old man leaning on a cane said, "My legs are inconvenient; I'll still use the small cauldron to cross the sea."

By now it could no longer be called a small cauldron; Ye Qin had enlarged it many times, making it look like a huge vessel that gave a full sense of security.

Not only could it hold the remaining five, even ten more could fit inside.

However, because it grew larger, the cauldron's exterior became significantly higher; unlike leaping onto the ancient sword or the wine‑gourd jade pendant, it was not so easy to climb aboard.

"How can we get inside?"

Ye Qin emitted a white light that enveloped the remaining five; they felt a light, floating sensation, and when they came to, they were already inside the cauldron.

The dark cauldron loomed like a towering green mountain, carving huge waves on the calm sea; Ye Qin stood firm at the wind‑and‑wave crest, white spray occasionally striking his green scales.

The sea rippled in layers, like fish scales rolling up tiny waves; seabirds flapped their wings and vanished where water met sky.

Behind the small cauldron lay the bronze ancient sword; the sword‑wielding youth's eyes shone, the breeze lifted his hair, his Daoist robe fluttered, giving him a sense of sword‑flight, as if he could roam the vast heavens at will.

The wine‑gourd‑shaped jade pendant resembled a huge airship; the old man reclined on it at leisure, occasionally sipping wine, his cheeks slightly flushed, his hazy eyes as if all of heaven and earth lay within his wine gourd.

Another person stood on the prayer beads, sat cross‑legged, actually meditating, not even noticing that his robes had been soaked by seawater.

The five inside the small cauldron chatted freely, as if the wind and rain outside had nothing to do with them; the thick cauldron walls blocked everything, even the sound of the sea, like two separate worlds.

In a daze they felt as if they were not in the boundless sea but on solid ground.

"Who knows which exalted master possesses such ability to help us cross the sea?"

"Yeah, otherwise we'd still be staring blankly at the shore."

The five unconsciously looked up at the green silhouette standing at the cauldron's rim, and inexplicably felt a bit more at ease.

Ye Qin naturally heard their talk, but at that moment he was drawn by the endless sea before him, revealing its boundless vastness to the world.

The tides that shuttle between sun and moon never cease, never tire, they can receive all rivers and merge with ages of dust; here everything becomes all‑encompassing, hiding endless secrets.

Humanity's exploration of the sea has never stopped, yet when facing it, fear and trembling arise in the heart, due to the sea's fickle wrath and the ocean's unfathomable depth.

An inexplicable feeling welled up; Ye Qin too was infected by the sight, his emerald eyes bearing this heaven‑earth, immersing his mental power in the seawater to sense the sea's tolerance and breadth.

As the sea rose and fell, the monster elixir within him emitted a faint hum, feeling utterly natural, and Ye Qin could sense that the heavy power inside his body had increased a little.

But inside him lay an invisible barrier that restrained this power; since the current setting was not the right moment to strike the barrier, Ye Qin could only suppress it forcefully.

Sometime the azure sea suddenly turned dark green, then became as black as ink, as if the abyss had descended.

From the distant sky came a rumbling, like ten thousand steeds galloping forth, causing an inexplicable unease.

The sky suddenly darkened, heavy black clouds piled up above; even the heavens could not bear the weight, swaying as if about to fall.

The monster in the deep sea awoke again, this time with a mighty surge; huge waves smashed against the cauldron's exterior, and even the five inside felt icy seawater seeping in.

Those following behind the small cauldron also grew tense; the sea churned incessantly, angry that someone had provoked its authority, yet still tried to cross the ocean.

Waves came head‑on, threatening to overturn them all, as if only thus could the sea's anger be quelled.

The wind and waves were too great; the sword‑wielding man had to crawl, as did the others; the sudden change made them uneasy, fearing they'd be overturned.

If they fell into this deep sea, they would hardly have any chance of survival.

"These wind and waves are simply too huge!"

A knife‑like sea breeze swept past them, scattering their voices into the water, leaving only a whooshing sound.

"If this continues, things will likely turn bad for us."

"Are we really going to be buried in this vast sea today?"

Compared to the eight swaying on the brink of collapse, Ye Qin standing at the cauldron's rim was motionless, unshaken by wind or rain; his green scales shone like the sole light in the gloomy sky, casting a distinct radiance upon the sea.

He released his inner power; as the green scale light spread, the rolling sea seemed to sense a mighty pressure, lowering its head and daring not to stir up wind and waves.

The surge continued to moan like a great beast's low growl, but without the earlier mighty momentum, it finally fell silent, with no sound at all.

Everyone's gaze toward Ye Qin was filled with awe, as if his presence were the divine needle that calms the sea, ensuring that no matter how the waves surge, they will eventually return to peace.

Under Ye Qin's protection, the party finally crossed the expanse of water and stepped once more onto solid ground, feeling as if they had left another world behind.

The sword‑wielding man stared disbelievingly at the sea, "Did we really make it across safely?"

The crossing seemed long but was actually brief; without Ye Qin's Dharma Implements, such a vast sea would have taken at least several days and nights.

At the moment they reached shore safely, several Dharma treasures turned into flowing light and dissipated into the air.

That Daoist turned over and respectfully asked Ye Qin:

"May I ask, O Immortal, if one possesses your Divine Ability, can they attain longevity?"

"Difficult."

"What about ascension then?"

"In this world there is no true ascension; to ferry oneself is to reach the far shore."

Upon hearing this, the eight fell into thought, then asked many more questions, all concerning cultivation; clearly these eight were also cultivators, but unfortunately they were trapped by the shackles of heaven and earth, lacking the opportunity to enter the realm of training, so they could only ponder deeply and derive many truths, yet unable to put them into practice.

And this is also why their great work has been able to be passed down to later generations.

"Why not make an agreement? If the opportunity arises in the future, I will grant you longevity."

"Monster immortal, are your words true?"

"Naturally, but you must also persevere, not lose heart, cultivate well, and study the supreme truths of the Dao; then perhaps we may meet again in the future."

"As you command!"

When he raised his head again, the mysterious green shadow was gone from the spot; searching all around revealed no trace of him, as if what they had just experienced was merely an illusion.

There were a few fishing boats moored at the shore; likely belonging to nearby fishermen, who, because the wind and waves had been too strong earlier, had not gone out to fish.

At that moment, seeing the eight approaching head-on, he was instantly startled; a fisherman curiously asked, "May I dare ask where you come from?"

"We come from Penglai."

The fisherman turned pale with shock; just now there had been no boats setting out to sea, and even if there were, they could not have proceeded in such huge waves, yet the direction from which these few came did not look like they were lying.

"'The sea wind howls, the huge waves surge—how can a boat sail?'"

The sword-wielding man instinctively touched the long sword at his side, his expression somewhat profound: 'Ordinary boats cannot sail, but a Dharma Implement can!'

Having said that, he began to recount his recent experience of crossing the sea.

The fishermen listened, dumbfounded, as if hearing heavenly script; yet the man's face showed utter seriousness, not at all like he was joking.

"'You must be joking—how could such a marvel exist in the world?'"

"'Do monster immortals truly exist in the world?'"

"Flying swords that can bear a person standing, jade pendants, prayer beads—hearing of these things sounds utterly absurd, making one suspect they were fabricated."

The eight smiled, offered no further explanation, for if one had not experienced it oneself, they would not dare believe it.

Upon the vast sea, white mist hazy, at times raising huge waves, leaving endless legends; the eight bowed respectfully toward the sea, then vanished from the fishermen's sight.

This incident caused quite a stir locally, spread by word of mouth among the fishermen.

Somehow, it came to be told that the eight possessed supreme skills, extraordinary abilities, throwing their personal Dharma Implements onto the water and standing upon them to ride the wind and waves across.

Even the commotion from their sea crossing angered the Dragon King of the depths; that day the huge waves arose, and the fishermen all said it was the Dragon King's wrath.

"'Those eight must be immortals, wielding their respective magic treasures and displaying divine abilities.'"

"'That day I had wanted to go out to fish, but the waves were too great; I dare say no boat could navigate, except for immortals who possess such means.'"

"'Ah, but I heard that someone helped them cross the sea.'"

"'Impossible; the version I heard is that those eight crossed the sea themselves—where would a ninth person come from?'"

"'Exactly; if there were, how could there be no record? Do you even know the name?'"

The fishermen's discussion mingled with the sound of waves, blown afar by the salty sea wind; after hundreds, thousands of years, the true facts have long become impossible to investigate.

……

Meanwhile, on another side, Ye Qin had already arrived in reality.

The azure sea was like a blue gemstone; reflected in the blue sky and white clouds, it appeared tranquil and peaceful, with occasional seabirds skimming by, instantly animating the calm scene.

After emerging from the fragment of time, Ye Qin's aura kept surging; that mysterious, unfathomable energy struck within him, stronger than before.

Quantitative change led to qualitative change; he had already accumulated considerable strength in the time fragment, and now, after a jaunt to Penglai, it became uncontrollable.

The surrounding spiritual energy was also affected, flowing toward Ye Qin; the formerly calm sea surface seemed to sense his extraordinary aura, beginning to ripple in several circles.

Ye Qin's heart suddenly welled up with a burning sensation, as if a ball of fire were continuously burning, spreading from his five viscera and six bowels toward his mouth.

He felt he needed to replenish a great deal of water; gazing at the vast sea before him, he felt an inexplicable draw, and although he was not a good swimmer, he could not worry about that now.

"'Entering the sea might turn him into a flood dragon?'"

Following his heart, Ye Qin dove in headfirst with a plop, sending tiny splashes onto the rocks.

The icy seawater enveloped Ye Qin, and his agitation gradually lessened, yet this was still insufficient.

The sea also contained spiritual energy; because it was rich here, countless transparent bubbles formed, emitting a gurgling sound, looking from afar like boiling water in a pot.

Marine life drawn by the spiritual energy approached, but upon nearing, they sensed an unprecedented pressure; though they did not know what creature this was, their instincts told them to revere and avoid it, and soon the small fish and shrimp that had been playing around Ye Qin's position vanished completely.

Before Ye Qin could understand why his body felt strange, an intense itch erupted in his abdomen, unbearable, as if countless ants were crawling over him.

The burning sensation mixed with agitation, making Ye Qin feel uncomfortable all over; his serpentine body twisted back and forth in the seawater, causing a vortex to gradually form on the sea surface above his head.

The amplitude of Ye Qin's stirring grew larger, and his pressure spread outward; he himself felt nothing, but the school of fish and shrimp suffered, forced to flee desperately toward the distance.

That oppressive current, together with spiritual power, kept surging through the seawater; if any fish accidentally touched it, they would be instantly pulverized, showing how immense the energy flowing here was.

A massive whirlpool formed in the deep seabed, with Ye Qin at its center; his serpentine body gradually enlarged, continually coiling, and the whirlpool rapidly swelled, like a whale gulping a beast, madly devouring everything around.

A dim green figure, almost merging with the surrounding seawater, had horns on its head emitting a brilliant gleam, seeming to have grown considerably larger; at the same time, Ye Qin sensed that something in his abdomen was about to break forth.

……

On Penglai's sea, several boats were engaged in fishing; the sailors on deck, holding telescopes, observed the surroundings and suddenly seemed to see something, their faces lighting up with excitement.

"'There are so many fish there!'"

Only see the distant sea surface stirring up countless waves, all signs of active fish schools; moreover, many fish leapt out of the water, thick as countless black spots, highly visible in the clear seawater.

"'Wow, this is a great harvest!'"

These fish schools varied in species, but their numbers were enormous, and their direction of advance was all from the east.

"'Strange, it's not the season for fish migration—why are all these fish coming here?'"

The nets cast down were quickly filled; when hauled up, even the light hull grew considerably heavier, the sailors' faces breaking into smiles, their hands holding the fish trembling nonstop.

The boats sailing nearby each hauled in a full load, returning happily the way they came.

Compared to their abundant catch here, the Whalefall heading east gained nothing; after casting several nets, they came up empty—not a fish, not even a tiny shrimp.

They could only continue pressing forward into the depths.

"'Today is truly uncanny—several nets in a row came up empty; in the past this had never happened.'"

That's right, before even at the worst there was still half a net, but today I don't know what's going on.

Earlier we even found a school of fish here, but now where did all these fish go?

The crew members were discussing in a frenzy, not knowing if it was their illusion, feeling that all the marine life in this sea area had completely vanished without a trace.

Just as they were talking, the originally azure sky suddenly became overcast with dark clouds; at first nobody took it to heart, after all ocean weather changes in an instant, due to air currents, a clear sky one moment and black clouds overhead the next is normal.

Hey, the weather forecast still said today would be a big sunny day.

Who can say for sure what happens at sea; rain is also quite normal.

The azure seawater also turned deep again, countless tiny whirlpools appeared, as if something was surging within them, even the hull began to sway.

A huge wave crashed over, everyone felt a strong jolt, and some even fell to the ground.

In just a moment, the dark clouds covered most of the sky, inexplicably making people feel oppressed, even their hearts grew uneasy, as if something big was about to happen.

In the distance, the waves rose one after another, lifting a vast white sea line, the surging waters magnificent, as if the entire ocean were pouring into the sky.

The dark clouds collided with the dark‑hued seawater, gradually blurring the boundary; the scene was truly spectacular, the crew had sailed these waters for so long and never seen such a wonder, for a moment they couldn't tell which was sky and which was sea.

The crew looked at the sea surface and couldn't help exclaiming, "How did the seawater turn green!"

Hearing the news, everyone gathered; the originally ink‑black seawater actually emitted a green glow, giving an extremely eerie feeling.

Because the wind and waves were huge at this moment, the water surface also became turbid, and that green light seeped up from beneath the seawater.

Everything indicated an unusual atmosphere.

I always feel today's sea is a bit strange; why don't we head back?

Yeah, I don't know why I have this uneasy feeling; I always sense something bad is going to happen.

Pah! What nonsense are you spouting?

Someone felt a retreat rising in their heart; before the words even finished, a strange howling sound faintly came through, startling everyone.

No one knew what creature emitted that sound; it was utterly unheard of, neither like dolphins nor orcas, filled with an inexplicable menace,

Those on board couldn't help shivering, instinctively looking toward the deep‑green sea, because the sound was coming from the water.

Clearly they saw no marine life around them!

Everyone present heard that cry; it couldn't be a mishearing.

Fear of the unknown is always the greatest; even the most seasoned crew couldn't tell what animal that cry came from.

Just as everyone was anxious to turn back, suddenly someone widened their eyes, looked toward the distance, and their face turned deathly pale.

Seeing this, a nearby companion couldn't help urging, "What are you standing there for?"

Water, a waterspout!

The crew member pointed ahead, stuttering as they spoke.

Above the sea, dark clouds roiled, lightning flashed and thunder roared, torrential rain poured down, an extremely thick column of water rose from the sea surface, piercing the heavens, as if possessing the power to destroy heaven and earth.

The seawater was almost boiling, the whole world shook, a foul smell hit the nose.

And against this dark backdrop, the massive water column linking sky and sea resembled a ferocious monstrous beast, sucking in vast amounts of seawater yet still seeming unsatisfied.

It seemed to have detected the presence of the Whalefall, and the waterspout surged toward them with great force.

Bean‑sized raindrops pelted down head‑first, the sky was suddenly torn open, rain poured out with unstoppable force, the sea wind howled past the ears, the huge hull swayed uncontrollably, appearing so fragile.

Against the backdrop of the water column, the Whalefall suddenly seemed tiny, as insignificant as an ant.

Everyone's eyes widened, they dared not imagine what it would be like if sucked into the waterspout; probably nothing but bones would remain.

Retreat quickly!

Contact the maritime police, we've encountered a waterspout, request assistance.

Whether due to the waterspout's influence or not, the signal simply wouldn't send, so their distress call naturally couldn't be received.

The captain tried repeatedly, seeing the red cross on the display, he was so angry he cursed profusely.

Everyone aboard the Whalefall became like ants on a hot pan.

The waterspout's speed was truly too fast; in the blink of an eye it had already closed much of the distance to the hull.

No way, the wind is too strong now; we simply can't navigate.

To make matters worse, due to the crew's panic and mistaken maneuvers, the ship's forward speed was very slow, even just spinning in place.

The whirlpools on the sea surface were far too many and too large; the hull got stuck in them, like being in a mire.

The Whalefall was like a tiny snail desperately trying to escape the beast behind it, yet could not break free from the suction of the sea wind.

At this moment they were sailing against the wind; the mast, under immense pressure, finally could not bear it and headed toward its end.

Crack!

All they heard was a dull thud; the crew looked up and saw a crack suddenly appear on the mast, their expressions instantly turning grim.

The mast snapped, the sail was torn in several places, making their bad situation even worse.

Seeing the waterspout almost upon them, the water column nearly as high as the sky, its power was unimaginable, almost able to crush their bones.

That monstrous beast wreaked havoc indiscriminately; being swallowed by it offered almost no chance of survival!

Everyone involuntarily showed despair, as if they had already seen the Grim Reaper beckoning them.

At that critical moment, a green light suddenly burst forth from the ocean, spreading to envelop the entire hull.

The originally eerie green light, to their eyes, became utterly miraculous!

Almost at the same moment, the waterspout roared toward the Whalefall.

The Whalefall's hull shuddered violently; everyone's vision went black, and before losing consciousness they faintly saw a green shadow shoot upward!

At this time, on the shore, personnel from the relevant departments also detected the presence of the waterspout.

"Longitude 205, latitude 307, we've detected a waterspout; quickly notify nearby vessels to evacuate!"

All vessels have returned, except the Whalefall, which has not.

The message from the control tower also went unanswered; according to their tracking, the direction where the Whalefall last lost signal turned out to be right near the waterspout!

For a moment, everyone's hearts sank to the bottom of the valley, and they had already braced themselves for the worst outcome.

Based on the scale of the waterspout they had detected, once caught in it, the chance of survival for anyone on the Whale Fall would be zero.

Looking at this situation, the Whale Fall is very likely not to return.

Everyone had considered sending a search-and-rescue team, but under these circumstances, sending more people would mean certain death.

The sea surged with a dark hue, the whole water area became unsettled, waves crashed against the rocks, and white foam kept spurting out.

The distant sky felt oppressive, as if countless mountains stood upon the sea surface, with occasional rumbling thunder.

But now is not the time for them to feel sentimental; the waterspout is extremely destructive, and if it makes landfall, it will bring great disaster to the coastal regions.

The small radius of the waterspout's vortex axis creates a especially large pressure gradient, with pressure differences reaching over 20 hectopascals—hundreds or even thousands of times the average pressure difference inside a typhoon—so the internal wind speed is extremely high, often exceeding 100 meters per second.

Upon hearing the news of a waterspout forming on the sea surface, the local government immediately attached importance to it, to avoid danger it strictly banned private fishing boats from going out to sea and simultaneously evacuated the coastal villages.

Fortunately, this place is relatively far from the urban area, with only a few fishing villages nearby, making evacuation comparatively easy.

"Strange, this waterspout formed far too suddenly; there wasn't the slightest sign beforehand."

"We've lived here for so long, yet this is the first time we've ever seen a waterspout."

In the fishing village, some elderly fishermen, who had made their living by fishing all their lives, upon seeing this scene, showed fearful expressions on their faces.

"This is the Dragon King beneath the sea getting angry."

The young people didn't believe this, saying, "Uncle, you're being superstitious; what era is this that you still talk about the Dragon King?"

The old fisherman hastily made a hushing gesture, "You brat, watch your words; lest the Dragon King hears and brings a flood to drown us."

After saying that, he kept bowing toward the sea surface, murmuring: "Dragon King, if there's anything strange, don't blame it."

Nobody took the old fisherman's action to heart, just as they were about to evacuate.

"Boom—"

Only a tremendous, earth-shaking roar was heard, within which there was also a strange hiss, but they were mixed together, making it hard to distinguish clearly.

"Did you hear any movement?"

"It sounds like some unknown creature is roaring?"

"Hey, look ahead!"

The gloomy sea surface suddenly turned into a white expanse; a huge white line stretched from far to near, and everyone quickly realized that the line was made of countless seawater pouring back into the sky, submerging the entire firmament.

Just like the tsunami scene in a disaster film, which one might have thought was exaggerated, this comparison shows it is not lacking in excess.

Before the sky-covering, earth-blocking giant wave, humans were like ants; everyone's eyes were about to burst, their hearts filled with shock and fear, and some, trembling with fear, could not speak.

"Run quickly!"

The wave's speed was truly too fast; in just a moment it reached their sea area, the world before their eyes swayed as if someone were stirring the seawater back and forth with a rod.

Sea and sky merged, like a rapidly rising white continent bearing the aura of ancient Honghuang, expanding the vast infinite space, pressing down upon them and squeezing their living space.

Screams and sobs mingled together, like a scene of the apocalypse, and everyone panicked.

Yet how could human speed possibly outrun the waves? The towering tsunami loomed close, seeking to engulf these ants entirely into its body.

At this critical moment, that strange roar sounded again.

This time everyone heard it clearly.

"Roar!"

Deafening, earth-shaking, as if an unknown ancient creature roared, carrying an indescribable aura.

The sea wave suddenly stopped, as if hit by a pause button; it looked about to crash onto the shore, but as if affected by some unknown force, it stubbornly turned and surged back into the sea.

Where it came from, it returned to.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded at the sight before them, which was truly somewhat absurd and comical.

The surge seemed to have its own life, sensing the majestic aura in the air, and fled with the speed of thunder that leaves no time to cover one's ears.

Only a few small wavelets remained, lapping against the rocks, giving them a feeling of a strong start but a weak finish.

Thunder loud, rain small—just as said.

Just a moment ago, they almost thought the apocalypse from a movie was about to descend, everyone's hearts were in their throats, and the result was just this?

As the surge receded, the waterspout that had been detected vanished without a trace, just as it had formed suddenly, with no omen.

The old fisherman fell to his knees with a plop and cried out loudly:

"This is the Dragon King showing his spirit!" (End of chapter)