Chapter 738: When the Ancient Gods Revive; the Weak Water Submerges the Eastern Barbarians

When the Eastern Emperor decided, the Heavenly Court launched its operation.

One elite unit after another quietly slipped away from the various divisions of the great army.

Moreover, to provide cover, the Heavenly Court deliberately put up the slogan of crushing the Cloud Master, and justifiably mobilized one division after another of the great army, enabling them to roam in all directions.

Amidst the grand commotion, few could notice that some elites had quietly gone missing.

Taiyi, with his transcendent means, directed the Heavenly River Navy like an artist, spanning two visible and hidden fronts across the boundless mountains and rivers, allowing a sufficiently strong demon-force to stealthily approach the Eastern Barbarians' territory.

Among them, the most elite and terrifying demon ace, after changing disguises, was the first to infiltrate it!

Infiltration, replacement... silently, a dark current had already begun to surge.

Facing such a dark current, the local overlord—the Bird Master—seemed utterly unaware, failing to fulfill his duty as boss to warn his underlings.

The Eastern Barbarians' defense system developed a major loophole.

Especially after the two Yao Marshals, Shangyang and Jimeng, took their posts, this loophole expanded to the extreme!

Who could have imagined?

The two great Yao Marshals who occasionally appeared on the Fire Master's battlefield had become empty shells, performed by another Yan Emperor, who acted little, spoke much, and deceived outsiders unaware of the truth.

Taiyi presided over the whole situation, pinned to the battlefield against the Fire Master, occasionally clashing with Yandi and Xuanyuan, yet few could know that he had already set up a grand strategy.

Of course, there are still perceptive people in this world.

Even though Taiyi's methods are exquisitely clever.

But... someone is unreasonable.

"The land and rivers are ailing, the wind and rain are unsettled!"

The leader of the Xiahou clan, playing with divination signs, spoke to the heroes of the clan like a prophecy, urging them to begin preparing for disaster and war: "As troubled autumn approaches, those who don't wish to die should keep their wits about them and make ready for battle."

"But hasn't Majesty Chonghua, who oversees overall defense, reported any danger?" Minister Bo Yi hesitated to advise, "We are in a period of rapid construction and development; if we now begin war preparations, it will likely slow the pace of development."

"Better slow than sorry—better than people dying while money remains unspent, which would be a tragedy." Lord Wen Ming smiled faintly, "Although I don't know what's going on, according to what I've learned from Majesty Fuxi's Yi divinatory arts, a corner of the future's mist is revealed, and the situation is not very promising."

"Either we will see war's flames, or we will see calamity."

"Sigh..." the minister sighed upon hearing this, "In this tumultuous age, where could there be less war?"

"We here can enjoy a moment of peace, thanks to the Bird Master holding the line outside."

Fairly speaking, the Bird Master still does a decent job of his duties.

But, times change.

"We can't always rely on others for our safety." Wen Ming picked up the yarrow stalks, "One day we must independently withstand wind and rain, bear the main burden... for now, we are merely advancing this process."

"Go, convey my order."

"Mobilize the troops, stockpile resources!"

"In the shortest time, I want to see a force with sufficient combat strength!"

The Xiahou lord's eyes flashed with a spark, "We must shape their thoughts, forge their will, prepare for a great expedition in all directions, capable of breaking through encirclement in a desperate world where all are enemies!"

Wen Ming thus instructed.

Bo Yi was startled!

He heard from the leader's mouth the sound of heaven collapsing and earth splitting, the desperate struggle...

He wanted to say something, but when his gaze met Wen Ming's, he lost the courage to question or protest, left only with solemn obedience.

"Yes!"

When Bo Yi withdrew, Wen Ming cast the divination anew, his eyes flashing with a profound light.

"Hah."

He snorted, then flicked his sleeve; all the yarrow stalks ignited without fire, silently turning into calamitous ash.

"Old Dragon... truly unlucky."

"He himself ran into trouble, and his dragon descendants will also suffer badly..."

"But what does that have to do with me?"

Wen Ming slowly rose, "If you dare to take such big steps, you must prepare yourself mentally for the risk of getting hurt."

"Also quite fitting."

"I should go recruit a snitch to come along."

"Beat up the stranded dragon, and by the way quell the nonsense stirred up by one side of the Heavenly Court."

"Calm wind and rain, ease cloud and mist, settle the four seas!"

Before his words had even faded, still echoing in the place, the Xiahou clan's leader had already departed.

He returned to his old stomping grounds, visiting the grave of his former self, and descended not far away.

That, too, was a grave.

In that battle long ago, the Dragon Ancestor planned and operated, opening channels to the Dao Ancestor and the Heavenly Court, thereby striking a deadly blow... In that war, the fallen were not only the Eastern Splendor Emperor, but also a top-tier supernatural being—the Red Cloud Ancient God!

Compared to the tragic death of the Eastern Splendor Emperor, surrounded and slain by a band of masters, his final strike even fell upon the Witch-Slaying Sword wielded jointly by the Heavenly Emperor and Empress, and he died on Feather Mountain.

As for Red Cloud... he died rather casually.

He met the Dragon Ancestor face to face, and then... he was gone.

That was also to be expected.

After all, Red Cloud's strength was comparable to that of an ordinary Yao Marshal; how could he oppose a top-tier figure like the Dragon Ancestor?

He died on the spot, without a doubt.

Actually, this is somewhat improper... upon reaching the level of Great Simplicity, one ought to observe some decorum; ordinarily, one does not rely on strength to bully the weak and harass ordinary supernatural beings.

Unless...

There is a grudge! There is a dispute over the Great Dao!

For the Dragon Ancestor Great Sage, the Red Cloud Ancient God perfectly fits both of those.

In the ancient Dragon-Phoenix Era, the Dragon Ancestor commanded the Water Origin Great Dao between heaven and earth, summoning clouds and bringing rain, his prestige magnificent.

Red Cloud…… seeing this 'cloud' character, one could tell the path he cultivated was under the Dragon Ancestor's jurisdiction.

Just like the relationship between a deity and the Lord Emperor…… seeing how Houtu regards Huangdi with "devotion" tells you everything!

Worker!

However, workers won't keep working forever.

When the Dragon Ancestor fell in the great calamity, the Dragon Head was taken by the Demon Ancestor, and Red Cloud turned the tables.

He seized the lost lord's Way of Clouds and Rain, making it his own.

——The big boss went to jail, I, this senior worker and salesman, seized all the channels and markets, founded my own corporate group—no problem, right?!

This seizure amounted to countless years.

Even if the Dragon Ancestor returns, it…… is still impossible to return it.

In the end, the Dragon Ancestor ruthlessly killed, eliminating the disobedient subordinates who caused the problem, and thus solved the problem.

Red Cloud died!

His death was clean and decisive.

——According to reason, that is indeed the case.

But……

Times change, versions update.

The Dragon Ancestor himself fell again!

This introduced a brand-new variable.

"Soul, soul, return…"

Wen Ming hummed softly, the terrifying secret power surged in all directions; within the confined little space-time, myriad ways fell into chaos, order ceased to exist.

In a daze, it seemed a bright lamp was lit, illuminating the road back for the eternally slumbering deity.

"Hum!"

Heaven and earth trembled, like ripples on water, a figure was "spat" out.

That was Yinglong.

She was initially a bit confused—just like a student who receives a strange call, wondering if it's a scam while fearing it might be genuine, she answered cautiously.

The Dragon Ancestor killed Red Cloud.

Red Cloud's existence was covered over by his path.

Wanting to do something, this is an unavoidable obstacle.

But the Dragon Ancestor suffered misfortune.

At this moment he was not within communication range, the signal failed.

Thus, following convention, the signal was transferred to a living being closely related to him.

Now……

Is there any being with a closer relationship to Yinglong and the Dragon Ancestor than this?

Even the Four Sea Dragon Kings, the Dragon Ancestor's nine sons…… cannot compare to her!

Yinglong arrived, gazing at Red Cloud's tomb, then at the indifferent Wen Ming, swallowed, obediently lowered his eyes and ears, on one hand helping to cut off the signal's spread, on the other meekly continuing to follow orders.

"You came at just the right time."

Wen Ming smiled, expounding on the concept of "Red Cloud's death"; the result didn't change, but the process did.

All are death.

How to die?

What does one become after death?

These are all negotiable.

Under the joint efforts of Wen Ming and Yinglong, the deceased Ancient God Great Sage underwent a terrifying transformation.

In the darkness, lamp after lamp was lit; a fragment of broken thought flowed from nothingness, forming an illusory consciousness.

The wind‑tossed rivers and mountains, the turmoil of an impending storm, and a dark current about to surge in added another third of chaos to an already complicated situation.

Having reached this point, who could still claim to grasp the whole situation?

Even Taiyi, who had settled the opening of the second battlefield, and Chonghua, who plotted a new course, were left bewildered.

However, even if they could know the situation here, they would still have to grit their teeth and carry on——

No turning back once the bow is drawn!

Moreover, they still don't know.

The current situation develops exactly as they anticipated, presenting an exceptionally clear auspicious sign.

……

"What the hell is this?!"

"When the main forces fight, does disaster spread in all directions?!"

A leader of a small clan anxiously watched the mighty, surging waters before him, mixed with a portion of the Nine Heavens Weak Water, making it eerie and yin, carrying a secret power that erodes the body, impossible to guard against.

No one knows when this began, but it has appeared and grown increasingly severe.

The steps of disaster crept closer, gradually affecting the livelihood of the Dongyi.

Someone went to investigate, finding that behind this there seemed to be nothing shameful…… yet precisely because of that, it also shows how difficult this matter is to handle.

Speaking of which, there remain the aftereffects of the earlier battle between the Fire Master and the Heavenly Court within this.

The Heavenly Court opened the pivot controlling the Heavenly River, using the Heavenly River's water to shatter the Fire Master!

This is like opening the valve of disaster.

After this, the struggle for the Heavenly River became a contested area between the Fire Master and the Heavenly Court, the Yinglong God repeatedly led troops, engaging in bloody battles with the elite of the Demon Race; the blood of the human race, the Wu Clan, and the Demon Race stained that stretch of the Heavenly River red.

The brutality of the battlefield, let's not speak of it.

Just the aftermath, gradually became apparent.

The waters of the Heavenly River, surging, flow into the Honghuang land's mountains and rivers, seizing the river and entering the sea.

The Fire Master is positioned centrally, the disaster not apparent, but the Eastern Barbarians……

Eastern Barbarians…… East!

This region lies close to the East Sea, the terrain slightly low, thus becoming a flood‑discharge area.

The Heavenly River's waters are not to be trifled with.

At first the dosage was slight, no major problem could be seen.

As the fierce battle intensified between the Fire Master's main force and the Heavenly Court's main force, the Heavenly River breached its dikes three times a day, fighting desperately for every inch of time and space, gradually showing signs of losing control, and the Eastern Barbarians' true extensive region suffered disaster.

Moreover, the severity of the problem is evidently not limited to this.

The Heavenly River's waters are extraordinary in nature, markedly different from ordinary circulating water.

In ordinary times, like well water not offending river water, the Heavenly River's weak water does not intrude upon the water element cycle between heaven and earth.

But now, the situation is different.

What's more, behind this, there is a black hand stirring, raising winds and waves, adding fuel to the fire!

Grim and miserable, black mist fills the sky……

Initially only a few small clans felt the trouble; later it became a shared problem, turning into a major disaster that severely disrupted the production and development of the Eastern Barbarians' camp.

The Heavenly River's weak water erodes the fields; its strange characteristic plunders all kinds of earthly essences, turning fertile land into desert.

Trying to avoid it, head for higher ground…… but once the Heavenly River enters the sea, it gets drawn into the great water cycle, turning into clouds and rain that pour down head‑to‑toe, impossible to guard against!

Chaos, spreading in an instant.

Amid this chaos, countless sprites derived from this gradually altered environment naturally sprang into view…… they cut off transportation, break connections, and the vast Eastern Barbarians' camp is slowly trending toward being sliced into isolated islands.

——Of course, this is the result observed and analyzed by ordinary people.

In truth, it's hard to say how many of those so‑called sprites are native and natural, and how many are impostors!

After all……

Heavenly River Navy!

The Heavenly Court's main force is precisely trained and forged in the Heavenly River!

When they remove their armor, transform their bodies, undergo special training, change language habits and character usage, imitating the civilization here of the Eastern Barbarians, posing as local natives, taking advantage of the chaos to raise troops and seize strongholds…… who can tell how much is genuine and how much is feigned!

Moreover, their actions go far beyond this…… they develop downstream lines, and also coax and incite genuine natives to act as spearheads, undertaking grandiose maneuvers, while they themselves remain hidden behind the scenes and in the shadows, brewing a terrible storm.

A great crisis, accumulating in the undercurrents.

Yet the various Eastern Barbarian tribes are mostly oblivious and unaware.

However, even judging from the surface situation, many discerning people feel that this problem needs to be resolved.

Precisely at this moment, a call is gradually rising.

"Skills have their specialties!"

"Have you not heard that the Dragon Race commands the clouds and rain, mastering the world's water cycle?"

"If the Dragon Master grasps its essence, he can surely resolve this crisis!"

"Disperse the weak water, return the flow to the Heavenly River, making the mountains and rivers pure, no longer gloomy and misty!"

At first, such calls circulated only within a small clan.

Later, however, they spread throughout the Eastern Barbarians, becoming a vast tide.

Especially, when the Bird Master also gave support and approval, indicating that the Dragon Master and Gonggong Clan were needed to contribute…… if the Dragon Master could make a contribution to humanity, they would be willing from then on to yield three steps to the Dragon Master and hand over many contested mountains and rivers.

The Dragon Master was thoroughly put over the fire to roast.

"Those who come are not good, and the good do not come……" Dan Zhu sat alone in the Dragon Master's leader hall, sighing.

(End of chapter)