Chapter 84: Fleeing in Disarray

(PS: One more chapter coming, but it might be late)

The water shimmered with ripples, white waves churning violently above the reservoir.

Those were the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts fleeing—they had been terrified by Fang Shi’s attacks.

An attack invisible to the eye? Clearly, this was the power of magic.

And it was at least equivalent to a fourth-circle spell or higher.

Otherwise, its power could never have been this great.

The River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts still retained some knowledge, like their former habitat.

Nearby was an elf village, during one hunting expedition.

It once provoked an elf mage.

Who unleashed an Ice Storm covering a radius of eight meters.

It instantly slaughtered a group of their kin.

Now this human was the same—he had cast some unknown spell.

Invisible gales turned into blades, killing off portions of their kin one by one.

Worse still, this spell seemed even more powerful.

It could kill first-tier River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts instantly.

Even elf mages couldn’t do that.

In short, the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts had lost their courage.

Only by staying in the cold river could they feel a sliver of warmth.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts rained down, their three-hundred-kilogram bodies crashing from the sky.

Heavy impacts echoed through the reservoir, spurring the surviving Dragon Beasts to flee faster.

Fang Shi chased after them, killing as many River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts as possible.

He had even used the Second White Crane Sword Art.

Otherwise, when he entered the water, the pressure would have been far greater.

Yet despite this, many River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts had already reached the water.

Fang Shi tried provoking them, but none surfaced.

No Dragon Beast dared emerge to meet death.

He sighed helplessly, sat down on a rock beside the reservoir.

He pulled out a spirit core and began restoring his magic power.

Originally, Fang Shi had planned to find the shortest point between upstream and downstream and use the White Crane Sword Art to fly across.

But he hadn’t expected not a single spot to be under eight hundred meters.

What was once a small river in Ancheng had, after the apocalypse, become comparable to the Yellow River before the collapse.

Fang Shi now moved as a gale, reaching speeds of fifty meters per second.

His current magic power was nine points—he could cast the White Crane Sword Art twice at most, totaling twelve seconds of duration.

It was utterly insufficient to cross the riverbank.

Moreover, Fang Shi couldn’t drain all his magic power; if any unexpected danger arose, everything would be in jeopardy.

He went to inspect the dam—only the front section remained, the rest had sunk beneath the water.

Also an insurmountable abyss.

It seemed he’d have to devise another plan.

…

Beneath the water’s surface, River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts gathered, their roars echoing through the water.

As degenerate descendants of dragons, they possessed simple intelligence.

They could communicate and discuss using Dragon Tongue.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

As their discussion progressed, the water grew more turbulent.

Even small vortices formed, swirling around the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts.

Their discussion centered entirely on Fang Shi.

Faced with such a formidable enemy, should they dive deeper and relocate to survive?

Otherwise, with this terrifying human blocking the shore,

Their survival and reproduction would face immense hardship.

As for Fang Shi entering the water—

It was never considered in their discussion.

Humans, as a species, were mostly poor in aquatic combat; there was no need to fear him entering the water.

Besides, underwater was their domain; if that human dared dive in,

They would teach him,

The cost of angering the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts.

Gradually, as time passed, the discussion quieted, and the roars faded.

The River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts dispersed, swimming toward the reservoir’s depths.

Seeking the food they had stored in their caves.

After a fierce battle, their bellies were empty—they needed a perfect feast to replenish their losses.

One River-Dwelling Dragon Beast carefully avoided its companions.

It swam toward a dark corner.

At a damp riverbed, it began using its mouth to dig through the mud.

Soon, rotten meat reeking of decay appeared before the Dragon Beast.

Though repulsive to humans, the River-Dwelling Dragon Beast rejoiced.

It let out a happy roar and began devouring greedily.

Unfortunately, time was running short.

The Dragon Beast thought regretfully.

They had only arrived on Blue Star four days ago—time was naturally insufficient.

The most delicious rotten meat was that which had been stored for over ten days.

It carried the river’s sweetness and the yeast of microbes, soft, slippery, and utterly delicious.

After gorging itself, the River-Dwelling Dragon Beast used its mouth to rebury the remaining rotten meat.

The greed inherent in dragon genes flowed through all creatures with dragon blood.

If one didn’t guard one’s food, companions would steal it secretly.

That was why the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts avoided others while eating.

After a full meal, digestion caused intestinal movement, blood concentrated in the gut, and the brain became oxygen-starved and drowsy.

This River-Dwelling Dragon Beast was no exception—it didn’t bother searching for another resting spot.

It simply lay down and slept right where it had stored its food.

They had long been the undisputed rulers of this reservoir; no foolish creature dared approach to offer its life.

Resting anywhere was perfectly safe; resting atop food also prevented theft by kin.

A two-fold advantage.

The River-Dwelling Dragon Beast was pleased with its clever idea and drifted blissfully into sleep.

It dreamed of its bloodline reverting to its ancestral form, evolving into a Black Dragon, possessing immense power and wealth rivaling kingdoms.

And freely mating with young, beautiful female dragons.

Just as it was chuckling happily, the wind rose.

A gale swept across the river, forming a spectacular waterspout, shaking the entire riverbed.

The River-Dwelling Dragon Beast roared in fury—it sensed the disturbance carried potent magical energy.

This was no natural phenomenon; it was a provocation, a challenge to its newly attained Black Dragon status.

Bang!

The River-Dwelling Dragon Beast slammed its front claw, shattering the skull of a female Dragon Beast mid-conversation.

Using the recoil, it flapped its wings and surged upward.

Puff!

The River-Dwelling Dragon Beast burst from the water and saw Fang Shi flying through the air.

He held a magnificent longsword, his body surging with magical energy.

The enraged Dragon Beast instantly snapped awake and tried desperately to dive back into the depths.

But it was already too late.

The sword sliced through the sky, pierced the water, split the riverbed, and slashed toward the Dragon Beast.

Even if the River-Dwelling Dragon Beast had evolved into a Black Dragon, its armor could not block the sword’s strike.

The blade’s light cleaved through flesh without resistance, heading straight for the Dragon Beast’s brain.

Whoosh!

The River-Dwelling Dragon Beast awoke, its pupils narrowing to slits.

It carefully observed its surroundings, finally regaining its wits.

It realized it had just been dreaming.

But the dream had been too real; even now, recalling it sent shivers down its spine.

Fortunately, fortunately, that human was not nearly as terrifying as in the dream.

Otherwise, how could the River-Dwelling Dragon Beast clan still survive in these waters?

Huh? What is this?

The River-Dwelling Dragon Beast suddenly felt a current flowing past its side.

Unlike the natural flow of water circulation, or the movement of aquatic creatures.

This current was swift and violent.

Like water cascading over a waterfall.

Before the River-Dwelling Dragon Beast could make sense of it,

it felt a searing pain at its neck—blood gushed violently from its throat.

Turning the river before it crimson.

As its consciousness faded, it suddenly saw a human figure appear in the current ahead.

It was Fang Shi!

He held a yellowish-brown longsword and bore a jade-white longbow.

He did not even glance at the dead River-Dwelling Dragon Beast.

He kicked off the riverbed, like an arrow released from a bow.

Soaring upward.

Even though water resistance was immense,

under Fang Shi’s immense strength,

he reached ten meters per second.

Equal to a human’s land-based running speed.

Fang Shi had never intended to swim calmly across.

If obstacles lay in his path, he would kill his way through.

If he couldn’t fight well underwater, so be it.

Using the power of Bai He Sword Art, he transformed into a storm, slicing freely through the current.

Kill, then leave the water.

Then restore his magic power, dive back in, and kill again.

Kill every last River-Dwelling Dragon Beast—so no monster could interfere with his river crossing.

As for River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts chasing him onto land, Fang Shi welcomed it eagerly.

Land was his domain; he had no reason to fear the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts.

Fang Shi even hoped the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts would be bold enough to challenge him on land.

That would save him time.

Unfortunately, these River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts were cowards.

He hadn’t even killed half of them before they all fled.

Forced him to waste time playing this game with them.

Fang Shi’s time was tight—extremely tight.

But spending this time slaughtering every River-Dwelling Dragon Beast was worth it.

He rushed because he wanted to increase his strength as quickly as possible.

To ensure greater safety in the future.

Now, rushing to cross the river directly was putting the cart before the horse.

Soon, Fang Shi reached the territory of another River-Dwelling Dragon Beast.

In the creature’s startled gaze,

he merged with the wind, manifesting in the water as a surging current.

Or rather, under Fang Shi’s power, the wind drove the water forward.

Shh!

Before the River-Dwelling Dragon Beast could resist, it died outright.

Fang Shi did not pause—he moved straight toward the surface.

The duration of Bai He Sword Art was limited.

He had to surface quickly, daring not to waste a single moment.

…

After a day and night of slaughter, the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts collapsed.

Fang Shi became a demon of the waters, freely reaping the lives of River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts in the reservoir.

Not a single River-Dwelling Dragon Beast could resist Fang Shi.

Since they couldn’t fight, they fled.

The entire massive herd vanished in an instant.

Fang Shi faintly saw the Dragon Beasts dwelling on the far shore of the reservoir also beginning their escape.

Afterwards, he waited half a day, occasionally diving back in.

Once certain the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts had fled completely, he began his descent into the river.