Chapter 98: Eastern Heretic entrusts! From now on, Taohuadao is handed over to you!

In the center of Taohuadao, within the quiet courtyard exclusive to Ning Chuan.

By the water pool, under the green trees.

Ning Chuan threw Li Li Qiushui, whose entire cultivation had been sealed, onto the ground casually.

This descendant of the Xiaoyao Sect, who was once stunningly beautiful, held power in Western Xia, and had cultivation reaching the peak of a Grandmaster.

At this moment, she was disheveled, her clothes messy, and there was still a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, in a sorry state.

In those beautiful eyes that once bewitched souls and were filled with charm and ruthlessness, only endless fear and despair remained.

The reason Ning Chuan spared her life was naturally not because he cherished beauty.

It was because this beautiful snake still had considerable utility value.

He wanted to use Li Li Qiushui to indirectly control the Western Xia Dynasty.

He buried an important chess piece to facilitate his future expansion of power and to collect more cultivation resources and classics.

Li Li Qiushui lay limp on the ground, lifting her head with great difficulty to look at the black flood dragon before her, which radiated a terrifying pressure.

Her voice trembled violently from fear, carrying a trace of incredulous hoarseness:

"You... you... are you human or demon? Or... or are you one of the legendary gods or demons?!"

She had lived for nearly a hundred years and prided herself on being well-traveled and having seen countless people.

But the existence of this black flood dragon before her had completely exceeded the scope of her understanding.

The strength and methods it displayed were simply unfathomable and inconceivable!

Ning Chuan’s pair of pale gold dragon pupils watched her calmly, and he spoke in a voice devoid of any emotion:

"Who I am is not something you need to know."

"You only need to know that submitting to me is your only path to survival."

"Not only that, but I can also make you a promise."

"In the future, if your Xiaoyao Sect’s founder, Xiaoyaozi, truly emerges from the Changchun Valley as the legends say,"

"I can also help you resolve that trouble."

He knew that Xiaoyaozi was the shadow and nightmare in Li Li Qiushui’s heart.

Upon hearing this, a ray of incredulous light suddenly erupted within Li Li Qiushui’s previously despairing eyes!

Xiaoyaozi?!

That Master who, like a god or demon, had played the three of them—his disciples—in the palm of his hand, bringing them endless pain and fear?!

This flood dragon before her actually... actually said it could help her deal with Xiaoyaozi?!

This... how could this be possible?!

Xiaoyaozi’s strength had long since transcended the mortal realm, nearing that of immortals and Buddhas!

Although this flood dragon was powerful, could it really contend with Xiaoyaozi?

A stormy sea surged instantly within Li Li Qiushui’s heart!

If... if what this flood dragon said was true, then it was undoubtedly a massive temptation for her!

Escaping the shadow of Xiaoyaozi was one of the greatest obsessions of her life!

But, she was a formidable figure of her generation, deep in her schemes.

After a brief moment of distraction, she quickly suppressed the excitement in her heart, a trace of vigilance and defiance flashing in her eyes.

She sneered and said, "Hmph! Boastful words!"

"Although I have fallen into your hands, I will never easily submit to a demonic creature!"

"Don't even think about it!"

She attempted to use words to cover up the wavering in her heart.

Upon hearing this, Ning Chuan merely gave a disdainful cold snort.

He had long since seen through Li Li Qiushui’s essence of being fierce on the outside but cowardly on the inside.

For dealing with such arrogant yet cowardly people, the simplest and most effective method was to completely shatter their psychological defenses.

He stopped wasting words, opened his dragon maw, and a drop of flood dragon essence blood—shimmering with black-gold brilliance and containing majestic life force and pure flood dragon origin power—flew out like a meteor, shooting with absolute precision into Li Li Qiushui’s mouth!

Before Li Li Qiushui could react, that drop of essence blood slid down her throat into her abdomen, transforming into a domineering yet gentle energy that instantly merged into her limbs, bones, and extraordinary meridians!

Immediately following this, a strange light flashed once more in Ning Chuan’s pale gold dragon pupils!

Heavenly Flood Dragon Bewitching Eye, activated at full power!

An invisible yet incredibly powerful fluctuation of spiritual power surged toward Li Li Qiushui’s sea of consciousness like a tide!

However, a moment later.

Ning Chuan’s brows furrowed slightly.

He discovered that although Li Li Qiushui’s consciousness had begun to blur and her resistance was growing weaker under the dual effect of his essence blood and the Bewitching Eye,

deep within her soul, intense intentions of resistance would still erupt from time to time.

That will to resist, though weak, was exceptionally tenacious, as if branded into the origin of her soul.

Clearly, the Xiaoyao Sect’s mental secret techniques were also no small matter, providing strong protection for her soul.

"Forget it, it seems that wanting to completely control a Grandmaster of this level is still a bit of a stretch with my current methods."

Ning Chuan mused to himself.

"Unless the opponent is like Xiao Xiao Yuanshan, willing to submit completely, or like Ouyang Feng, whose mind has already collapsed."

"Otherwise, forced control will have limited effects and might even leave behind hidden dangers."

"Once I successfully cross the first Flood Dragon Tribulation and my demonic power and soul power undergo another transformation, I will certainly be able to control her completely with ease."

Ning Chuan realized that while his current Heavenly Flood Dragon Bewitching Eye was almost invincible against martial artists below the Grandmaster level,

it was still somewhat inadequate for completely controlling peak Grandmaster experts with firm wills and profound cultivation like Li Li Qiushui.

Only low-level Grandmasters who were willing to give up resistance, like Xiao Xiao Yuanshan earlier, could be perfectly controlled.

Thinking of this, Ning Chuan temporarily abandoned the idea of completely controlling Li Li Qiushui.

He merely used his demonic power to seal her cultivation base tightly, ensuring she could no longer harbor any thoughts of resistance.

Then, he had her thrown into an empty courtyard nearby and assigned a few clever servants to guard her.

After dealing with Li Li Qiushui’s matter, Ning Chuan fell into deep thought.

The recent series of great battles, especially the clashes with the three Grandmaster-level experts Xiao Xiao Yuanshan, Southern Murong Bo, and Li Li Qiushui,

had given him a more profound understanding and realization of his own strength and his future path of cultivation.

"The Heavenly Flood Dragon Martial Canon I created in a rush earlier, while quite powerful, is able to perfectly combine my flood dragon body with my martial cultivation."

"But its essence is still based on the framework of human martial arts, evolving and improving upon it."

"Ultimately, it is still... not pure enough, unable to unleash 100% of the true power of my flood dragon bloodline."

"I need to create true combat techniques belonging solely to the demon race—Demonic Arts!"

A bright flash of inspiration rose in Ning Chuan’s mind!

He recalled the innate affinity and control over natural forces like wind, rain, thunder, and lightning within his flood dragon bloodline.

"Perhaps... I can start from my own bloodline origin and draw inspiration from the descriptions of dragon race divine abilities in ancient myths and legends."

"For example, flood dragon breath, triggering wind and thunder?"

"Or perhaps, dragon claws rending the sky, tearing through space?"

"And that dragon might to intimidate, making all beasts submit?"

The more Ning Chuan thought, the more excited he became, as if he had found a brand-new path full of infinite possibilities!

He began to conceive it seriously, integrating his understanding of demonic power, his insights into his bloodline, and the descriptions of ancient demon gods he had seen in numerous classics.

A moment later.

Outside the courtyard, Huang Rong’s crisp and pleasant voice came:

"Brother Chuan, Father... wants to see you."

Her voice carried a trace of imperceptible nervousness and anticipation.

Ning Chuan snapped out of his deep thought, a trace of realization flashing in his eyes.

After Huang Huang Yaoshi emerged from seclusion, he first dealt with the matter of Wang Wang Chongyang; presumably, it was time for him to come looking for him now.

He nodded, and his massive flood dragon body, under the operation of the Heavenly Flood Dragon Hundred Refinements Body, quickly shrank to a length of about three meters.

Then, he accompanied Huang Rong to the main hall of Taohuadao.

Reasonably and sentimentally, he should go see the true master of Taohuadao.

After all, without the numerous classics and resources provided by Taohuadao, he could not have grown to his current level in such a short time.

He still kept this debt of gratitude in his heart.

Inside the main hall of Taohuadao.

The atmosphere appeared somewhat subtle and strange.

The Eastern Heretic Huang Huang Yaoshi, in a green robe, his face as calm as water, sat in the main seat, showing neither joy nor anger.

Qu Qu Lingfeng and the other three stood respectfully on both sides, their expressions carrying a trace of nervousness and unease.

One was the Master they revered as a god.

The other was the acting Island Master they also revered as a god.

Now that their Master had successfully broken through to Grandmaster and emerged from seclusion with great force,

the power structure of Taohuadao seemed... about to undergo some changes?

They were all somewhat apprehensive in their hearts.