Chapter 208

This... this was simply... a myth! A legend!

Ning Chuan’s prestige reached an unprecedented peak at this moment!

He was respectfully given all kinds of domineering and mysterious titles by people in the martial arts world.

Such as "East Sea Dragon Lord," "Taohuadao Dragon Lord," "World-Destroying Dragon Lord," etc...

Becoming a forbidden existence that no one dared to mention easily, and no one dared to provoke easily!

At the same time.

The distant Great Ming Dynasty, the heavily guarded Forbidden City.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the stove was burning, and the sandalwood was curling.

The Great Ming Emperor Zhu Zhu Houzhao, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, with a slightly immature face but a deep and wary look in his eyes that did not match his age.

Was quietly listening to the detailed intelligence about the Battle of Taohuadao from Wei Wei Zhongxian, the Eastern Depot Admiral, who was standing beside him, beardless, with a feminine expression, and dressed in a bright red python robe.

Wei Wei Zhongxian’s voice was thin and carried a hint of flattery, reporting the intelligence collected from various places to His Majesty the Emperor with added embellishments.

"...Your Majesty, according to reports from spies planted by the Eastern Depot in Jiangnan, that East Sea Dragon Lord has vast supernatural powers and boundless magic!"

"It is said that when he passed the tribulation, he triggered the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder; the scene was simply world-destroying!"

"The 200,000-strong Great Snow Dragon Cavalry of the Northern Liang Prince’s Mansion didn't even last a round under that heavenly thunder before... before they were wiped out!"

"And that White-Clad Military Immortal Chen Chen Zhibao, the Buddhist Heavenly Monk, and Cihang Cihang Jingzhai’s Earth Nun—these three Land Immortal-level existences joined forces to besiege him, and the result... the result was that they were all struck to death by that heavenly thunder!"

"The... the most terrifying thing is that the legendary old immortal Xiaoyaozi, who had lived for hundreds of years, wanted to take the opportunity to sneak attack, and the result... the result was that after the Dragon Lord transformed into a human, he was... was pinched to death alive with one hand! Even his bones couldn't be found!"

Wei Wei Zhongxian observed Zhu Zhu Houzhao’s expression while speaking, his voice filled with exaggerated horror.

Zhu Zhu Houzhao listened to Wei Wei Zhongxian’s report, and the hand holding the gilded teacup couldn't help but tremble slightly, spilling the boiling tea, scalding the back of his hand bright red, but he didn't notice it at all.

He remained silent for a long time, his face changing, his eyes filled with unconcealable wariness and... deep fear.

Such an existence was completely beyond the scope of what he could understand and control.

How could human power compete with it?

He even suspected that even if he mobilized the million-strong army of the Great Ming Dynasty and the imperial dragon energy that could suppress the national fortune, it might not be able to do anything to this East Sea Dragon Lord.

"Wei Zhongxian..." After a long time, Zhu Zhu Houzhao said with a hoarse voice.

"You say... you say that in this world, there really is such a... such a god-like existence?"

"I... I feel that this is even more bizarre than what is written in storybooks."

Hearing this, Wei Wei Zhongxian knelt on the ground and said in a thin voice: "Your Majesty, this matter is absolutely true, there is no falsehood!"

"Now it is spreading like wildfire in the martial arts world; the prestige of that East Sea Dragon Lord is enough to stop children from crying!"

"In the slave’s opinion, such an existence is no longer a mortal, but a true exiled immortal descending to the world, a divine dragon descending to the mortal world!"

"We mortals must never provoke him easily!"

Zhu Zhu Houzhao nodded in agreement, and a lingering fear arose in his heart.

After Wei Wei Zhongxian’s earnest persuasion.

Finally, Zhu Zhu Houzhao let out a long sigh, and a deep sense of powerlessness appeared on his face.

He waved his hand and said in a tired voice: "Forget it, forget it."

"Pass my decree, withdraw all previous decrees regarding the annihilation of the Ming Cult and the probing of the East Sea Dragon!"

"And strictly order the Great Ming Navy never to set foot in the sea area within a thousand miles of Taohuadao in the East Sea from now on!"

"Those who violate the order will be beheaded! No mercy!"

He paused, then whispered to himself, his voice filled with helplessness and a trace of schadenfreude:

"Sigh... it’s an eventful autumn."

"The world is getting more and more chaotic."

"Let’s see how that arrogant Northern Liang Prince’s Mansion will deal with this... East Sea Dragon Lord after suffering such a great humiliation."

"I’d better... watch the fire from the other side and reap the benefits."

He decided that without absolute certainty, he would temporarily... not provoke that terrifying East Sea Dragon Lord.

Great Ming Dynasty, Mount Wudang.

Inside the Zixiao Palace, shrouded in clouds and mist, the clouds that never dissipated all year round seemed to have stagnated a bit because of the earth-shattering news from the East Sea.

Zhang Zhang Sanfeng was quietly listening to the report from his eldest disciple, Song Song Yuanqiao.

"...Master, the process of the matter is roughly like this."

Song Song Yuanqiao said with a solemn expression; as the head of the Seven Heroes of Wudang, his character had long been as steady as a mountain, but at this moment, while narrating everything that happened on Taohuadao, his tone still carried a trace of unconcealable shock and palpitations.

"That East Sea Dragon Lord, with his own strength, triggered the heavenly tribulation, not only killing the 200,000 Northern Liang Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, but also beheading four Land Immortal-level existences: Chen Chen Zhibao, the Heavenly Monk, the Earth Nun, and Xiaoyaozi."

"Now, the entire martial arts world is completely boiling because of this, everyone is in danger, and they change color at the mention of 'Dragon'."

"Master, what do you think our Wudang Sect... should do next?"

He looked at his master with some worry.

Zhang Zhang Sanfeng listened quietly to Song Song Yuanqiao’s report, his deep and wise eyes calm, without a ripple, as if everything in the world could no longer move him.

He was silent for a long, long time, as if thinking about something, or as if sensing something.

Finally, he slowly raised his head, looked toward the distant East Sea, and let out a long sigh, filled with endless emotion and a trace of unspeakable complex emotions.

"Sigh..."

"Dragon Lord... the general trend is set!"

Zhang Zhang Sanfeng’s voice, though plain, seemed to contain some truth of heaven and earth, clearly echoing in the ears of every disciple, making them feel a shock in their hearts.

"Such an existence can no longer be measured by ordinary martial arts; the path he walks and the things he does have probably transcended the scope of martial arts and stepped onto a more ancient and powerful path that we can hardly imagine."

"His style of doing things, although domineering and decisive, judging by his actions, he is not the kind of demonic path that kills the innocent and harms the world."

"Otherwise, with his strength, he would have already turned the entire martial arts world upside down and rivers of blood would have flowed."

"Those he killed were all people who took the initiative to provoke him or had ulterior motives; it can be considered... clear grievances."

He paused, a flash of inexplicable light in his eyes that seemed to see through the future, and continued:

"Moreover, this old Daoist vaguely feels that the laws of this world seem... to be undergoing some unpredictable and violent changes."

"The appearance of that East Sea Dragon Lord and his heaven-defying tribulation-passing act seem to be a trigger, a signal, that has completely stirred up this stagnant water that has been silent for hundreds of years."

"The Heavenly Gate, which has been silent for hundreds of years, is afraid... it is about to open again."

"At that time, those old monsters who have been hiding in major blessed lands and famous mountains, thinking they are transcendent, and have been in seclusion for hundreds or even thousands of years, are afraid they will all be startled, wake up from their slumber, and come out into the world again."

"An eventful autumn! A true eventful autumn is coming!"

Song Song Yuanqiao and the others felt a chill in their hearts, and expressions of horror appeared on their faces.

Heavenly Gate about to open? Old monsters coming out?

This... what does this mean?

Could it be that there are existences in this world more powerful than Land Immortals?

They felt that their understanding of this world had been completely overturned today.

Zhang Zhang Sanfeng looked at the disciples’ uncertain expressions and just smiled slightly, without explaining too much.

Some things, with their current cultivation realm, knowing them would instead shake their Dao hearts and be of no benefit to cultivation.

The reason he chose to "give in" to Ning Chuan and present the Taiji Fist Manual was not only because he was wary of Ning Chuan’s unfathomable strength.

It was also because he vaguely felt a... similar aura from Ning Chuan.

It was an aura belonging to a seeker of the Dao, who also stood at the pinnacle of the mortal world, unwilling to accept the status quo, and longing to explore the scenery of a higher level.

He did not want, nor was he willing, to forge a life-and-death enmity with such an existence with infinite potential and unfathomable depth in this upcoming world full of variables and crises.

Preserving strength and watching the changes is the wisest choice.

"Pass this old Daoist’s order." Zhang Zhang Sanfeng’s voice sounded again, filled with unquestionable majesty.

"From today on, all disciples of my Wudang Sect must keep a low profile, must not go down the mountain easily, and must not have any conflict or entanglement with Taohuadao or the East Sea Dragon Lord."

"Everyone, work twice as hard for this old Daoist! Comprehend the Taiji Dao to the extreme!"

"In this upcoming world that will sweep the world, only one’s own strength is the foundation of survival!"

"If your strength is insufficient, even if you hide on this Mount Wudang, you may not be safe!"

"Yes! We obey the Master’s (Grandmaster’s) decree!"

Song Song Yuanqiao and the others felt a chill in their hearts and bowed in response.

They could clearly feel that the Master (Grandmaster) was really serious this time, and his tone was filled with unprecedented solemnity.