Chapter 408: The Rampaging Dragon

Here it comes!

Li Yan drew the Duanchen Blade, every muscle in his body taut.

At this distance, even under a torrential downpour, his sense of smell remained unaffected—he could detect the scent of the trapped dragon.

It was a unique stench of fish and decay.

Like a snake, like a tiger, mixed with the foul stink of mud from the water.

Combined, it sent shivers down the spine.

"Roar!"

The nearby mountain spirit, "Zouyu," roared in fury, pounding its front paws repeatedly on the ground, sending earth and stone flying; the earth's Gangqi was drawn forth, rising in a column.

A powerful aura immediately enveloped "Zouyu," growing stronger and stronger, like a grand divine temple.

This was the true might of a mountain spirit.

Currently, according to state sacrificial rites, "spirits" are generally divided into three categories: heavenly deities, earthly spirits, and human ghosts.

But "Zouyu" does not fall within the offerings of the divine cult.

They are closer to the primal mountain spirits of the Shanhai Jing—each mountain, each stream has its own spirit, its soul and essence fused into the land to cultivate.

Likewise, they can draw upon the local earth qi.

All magical arts in this world rely on the two qi: gang and sha.

The way "Zouyu" uses it is far less refined than the Daoist methods of the Xuanmen, but it makes up for it in sheer quantity.

When yin earth qi gathers and gains momentum, it becomes earth sha.

"Roar!"

"Zouyu" roared again, violently.

The earth sha qi erupted instantly, colliding with the surging water waves—boom! Water sprayed everywhere.

This attack method resembled martial Gangjin: both sides' sha qi shattered, causing the water droplets to turn into a misty, pale fog before they even hit the ground, obscuring the vision of those nearby.

"Watch out!"

Yet Li Yan's heart lurched—he instantly drew his flintlock pistol.

A black shadow shot out of the water mist, about as thick as a water barrel, yet astonishingly agile, lashing like a whip.

Boom!

The flintlock fired, smoke scattering.

The flintlocks they used operated on a principle similar to the Franks cannon—each magazine could fire only once, but was tightly sealed, still functioning perfectly in the heavy rain.

The black shadow was struck, flesh and blood exploding, foul pus spraying in all directions.

Li Yan finally saw clearly—it was the dragon's tail, covered in dense, pitch-black scales emitting a black-iron sheen.

At its tip grew neat, bony spines, connected by membranes, resembling a fish's tail.

"Zouyu" dodged it smoothly, then swiped its claws across the retreating tail.

Clang!

Claw met scale, sparks flying.

Li Yan couldn't help but be startled.

No wonder it was a true dragon—its scales were tougher than those of the earth dragon they had slain before.

Even the new-style flintlock had only shattered a small patch.

The danger didn't end there.

The black dragon's blood spattered, appearing as black sludge, teeming with countless white threadworms—the dragon Gu.

These worms writhed in the rain, darting toward Li Yan and "Zouyu" at incredible speed.

Before Li Yan could act, "Zouyu" slammed its paw into the ground, summoning yin sha qi that spread frost, instantly freezing all the dragon Gu.

"Ang—!"

A vast, mournful howl rose again from the water.

The vortex at the lake's center expanded visibly.

Though the black-scaled Xiangong had not yet surfaced, everyone could hear the fury and madness in its roar.

Li Yan's mind went blank, as if struck by a club—he heard a deafening buzz in his skull, but the Divine Tiger Talisman vibrated simultaneously, dispelling the discomfort.

This dragon's cry could attack the soul!

He was affected this badly—others were far worse.

Whether Sha Li Fei or Wang Wang Daoxuan, both staggered, nearly falling; the wolves, tigers, and leopards were so terrified their fur stood on end, turning and fleeing.

They had come at the mountain spirit's command, but feared the dragon's might even more.

Fortunately, most of the Tian Sheng Sect disciples were already dead; the few survivors were wailing, cowering on the ground, trembling.

Splash!

As the central vortex grew, surrounding lake water spread outward; combined with the relentless rain, it surged instantly, soon rising past Li Yan's ankles.

Wang Wang Daoxuan barely stood, clinging to the boat's edge, his face pale as he shouted: "Get out of the water! Only on land do we stand a chance!"

Li Yan's expression turned grim—he grabbed "Zouyu" and retreated backward.

Wang Wang Daoxuan was right.

The Da Xuan Guai Lu also recorded: "Tigers and leopards derive their might from the dark; dragons and serpents derive their divinity from water. The dragon is the spirit of water creatures. With water, its spirit stands; without water, its spirit falls."

In short, just as "Zouyu" was a mountain spirit, the dragon was a water spirit—once out of water, it would weaken.

In water, they had no chance at all.

"Zouyu" was no fool; after the water reached its ankles, it sensed its control over earth qi weakening, immediately turned, lifted its neck, and flung Li Yan onto its back, leaping onto the boat with a swift whoosh.

Indeed, as soon as they boarded, a horrifying sight appeared:

From the vortex, countless white threadworms scattered wildly, hidden in the murky lake water, spreading outward.

"Ang—!"

The long, piercing howl sounded again.

A massive black shadow writhed beneath the vortex, lunging toward them once more, occasionally revealing a scale or claw—chilling to behold.

"Prepare to abandon ship!"

Li Yan made an instant decision—he would lead everyone away.

After this brief clash, he knew clearly: even with the mountain spirit "Zouyu" aiding them, they were nowhere near a match for this dragon.

If they didn't leave soon, their lives would be forfeit here.

Boom!

At that moment, thunder cracked across the sky.

Crack!

A bolt of heavenly lightning tore through the dark clouds, instantly connecting heaven and earth; the distant vortex exploded, water spraying everywhere, the entire lake surface crackling with electricity.

Thunder purged all evil—especially the Gu.

The white threadworms, which had been scurrying everywhere in the water, turned stiff and charred almost instantly, swept away by the muddy waves.

"Ang—!"

The trapped dragon in the water let out a piercing, agonized scream.

"This trapped dragon is in trouble!"

Wang Wang Daoxuan's eyes lit up, exclaiming excitedly: "This dragon is trapped, its resentment has birthed poison Gu —it was already a death sentence. Now it has disrupted heavenly fate, prematurely ascending, and the heavenly punishment has grown even fiercer!"

Ascending as a dragon is a trial—equally deadly for riverside villagers and the dragon itself.

Heavenly lightning strikes it, falling rocks block it, Daoists cut it down…

In short, the trials are countless; those who reach the river emerge scarred and broken. But like a snake shedding its skin, they are reborn.

All things come at a price.

Someone performed rites to summon rain, hastening the dragon's ascent and catching the Zhenwu Palace off guard—but now the black-scaled Xiangong faces a trial multiplied manyfold.

"Ang—!"

The black-scaled Xiangong sensed the danger, abandoning all concern for them, churning the lake water to rapidly expand its surface.

Boom~

Li Yan and the others felt a jolt beneath their feet—the boat, once moored to shore, now floated upward, and the lake water had already flooded their path back.

Splash!

Before they could react, a colossal wave surged from the vortex's center, like a yellow dragon surging, crashing into the Dragon-Inducing Canal.

Instantly, the deliberately dug gap widened rapidly, mud and sand cascading, wood and stone tumbling.

One impact opened a crack.

A second impact tore open a mountain fissure.

A third impact sent tens of thousands of tons of murky lake water cascading down the riverbed, merging with the Ju River.

"Ang—!" Amid an exultant howl, the black trapped dragon churned through the water, stirring monstrous waves; the crests curled like snarling dragon heads, carrying lake water over the pass.

In an instant, the surrounding water level began to drop.

The way back reappeared, though coated in thick sludge—now there was a chance to leap from the boat.

"Roar—!"

The mountain spirit "Zouyu" stared with bitter resentment, letting out a low growl.

Lu San quickly explained: "The mountain spirit cannot leave the Inside Shennongjia; otherwise its soul gradually weakens. It's leaving."

"Alright, alright, alright!"

Sha Li-fei wiped the rain from his forehead and cried urgently, "Let's go quick—I was terrified just now."

Li Yan saw the giant ship being carried along and drifted toward the gap; after a moment of silence, he said, "No, we might as well take this ship and leave."

"After the dragon's passage, everything's in ruins—save whoever we can…"

Upon hearing this, the others sighed faintly.

!.

Li Yan is right—after the dragon's passage, countless civilians along the banks will be swallowed by the flood; this ship is huge, perfect for rescue.

The mountain god "Zouyu" nodded slightly at the group, then leapt onto the muddy shore.

Sha Li-fei waved his hands frantically, shouting, "Mountain God, wait! When I'm done, I'll bring you offerings—please leave those medicinal herbs alone!"

The mountain god "Zouyu" paid no heed, only gazing silently at them, as if seeing them off.

Soon, "Zouyu" grew smaller and vanished into the rain curtain, while the giant ship reached the pass.

Creak—creak—creak~

The giant ship tilted and slid down the river.

"Hold on tight!"

Li Yan shouted loudly; everyone immediately gripped the ship's edge.

Fortunately, though crudely made, the giant ship was extremely sturdy, racing into the water along the river without a single crack.

"Damn…"

Sha Li-fei stood at the bow, stunned.

Looking out, the river was utterly indistinguishable—Juzhe River had swelled, merging with surrounding waterways, everywhere churned with turbulent muddy water.

Boom—boom—boom!

Thunder roared above, as if enraged by the trapped dragon; lightning grew denser, rain poured down, and all before them was mist and water.

"The dragon went that way!"

"Toward Baokang County."

"Turn the rudder—prepare to rescue!"

This giant ship had no sails and could not be rowed; it relied entirely on the current for propulsion and the rudder for direction.

Sha Li-fei directed Wu Ba as he turned the heavy rudder, gradually adjusting course to chase after the dragon.

Li Yan stood at the bow, alert and wary.

That trapped dragon had left Inside Shennongjia, and behind it lay further trials—forcing open the Juzhe River, passing through Dangyang County, it must avoid Captain Guan Sheng Di Jun severing its spirit; it had no attention to spare for them.

But to be safe, caution was still necessary.

The giant ship drifted down the muddy waters and soon reached the former battlefield—now entirely submerged by the swollen flood.

"Hey! Hey! Come over here!"

Shouts came from the hillside to the right.

Li Yan turned to look, but the rain curtain was thick; he could only see crowds of heads on the hill, shouting loudly.

Wang Wang Daoxuan had awakened the Divine Eye, primarily for observing Qi, yet his vision far surpassed ordinary men; after chanting a spell and gazing, he cried out, "It's the Heaven Saint Cult—they're waiting for this ship."

"Hmph!"

Li Yan sneered, "Turn the rudder—keep away from shore. Stirring up chaos and hoping to escape? No such luck."

No sooner had he spoken than several dark figures sped down the hill, stepping across the water toward them—clearly using a Divine Speed technique.

Sha Li-fei and Lu San immediately raised their Divine Fire Guns.

Bang! Bang!

Two shots rang out; one figure instantly exploded.

Even with Divine Speed and the ability to tread water, their agility was far inferior to land—impossible to dodge firearms.

Those descending were all high-ranking Heaven Saint Cult members, including the Right Chancellor and Master Wang, among others.

Those two shots killed two Guardians outright.

They were formidable Gaoshou —if on land, neither Sha Li-fei nor Lu San could match them—but under these peculiar conditions, they died foolishly.

"It's the Divine Fire Gun—retreat!"

The Right Chancellor and others were startled and hastily fell back.

Back on shore, they were so furious their faces turned purple.

They had destroyed the Zhenwu Palace altar, enabling the dragon's passage—had been rejoicing, never expecting their escape route to be cut off.

Now, they could only wait for the waters to recede, then slip away over the mountains once the imperial troops' lines were broken.

Along the way, calamities would never cease.

Inside the cave atop the mountain, Huang Huang Liushi hid, trembling as he listened to the thunder outside.

His eyes were filled with helplessness.

This untransformed corpse-body, though powerful and capable of unleashing his practiced Tongyou Zhao Changsheng Art, came with trade-offs—many weaknesses.

First, fear of fire; second, fear of heavenly lightning.

If he stepped out now, he'd be struck by lightning.

Xiao Xiao Tianxiong of the Heaven Saint Lord saw his condition and sneered, "The Ghost Cult has no better skill—let me go…"

Before he could move, Huang Huang Liushi coldly said, "That boy is a Living Yin Officer—if you meet him, you'll be instantly cast back to Luofeng Mountain!"

Hearing "Luofeng Mountain," Xiao Xiao Tianxiong froze, a flicker of purple light flashing in his eyes—he said nothing more.

Huang Huang Liushi saw this, his eyes brimming with mockery.

This Xiao Xiao Tianxiong was possessed by a demonic god without realizing it—he'd surely be fully controlled by the time they reached Tusi City…

…………

Shh-shh-shh!

No sooner had they moved a short distance than a dense rain of arrows struck—some thudded into the ship, others plunged into the water.

Wang Wang Daoxuan chanted a spell and looked up, "It's imperial troops!"

Sha Li-fei cursed angrily, "Idiots! These fools are useless—why shoot at us?!"

Li Yan's mind stirred; he quickly pulled out a bamboo tube, yanked it skyward, and instantly a red firework soared upward.

Seeing the firework below, Commandant Gong Qun hurriedly shouted, "Stop shooting! Stop shooting! That's Li Li Shaoxia!"

He turned to the short, stout general and bowed, "General, that's the fire signal I gave Li Li Shaoxia—they've seized the Heaven Saint Cult's ship."

"Good!"

The short, stout general exhaled in relief, staring fixedly at the opposite hillside, gritting his teeth: "These demons can only escape via mountain paths—wait for the water to recede, then launch troops to block them."

He glanced behind him.

A new altar had already been erected.

The restored Master Yulongzi, pale-faced, still gritted his teeth to preside over the ritual altar, writing Huangfu scrolls in the downpour, then took a seven-foot yellow silk and inscribed a Heavenly Gate Talisman.

After finishing, he took from a wooden box on the altar a short sword, radiating chilling cold.

At the hilt was a cast iron toad.

This was the Five Dragon Flying Sword, a relic left behind by Tiechan Donghu Laozu upon his transcendence, used to suppress the Five Dragon Palace's aura and restrain the Five Dragon Sons.

As soon as the sword appeared, the Five Dragon Sons behind felt sudden, inexplicable unease.

Master Yulongzi ignored them, wrapped the sword in the inscribed silk, then stepped the Nine Stars, chanted incantations.

"Go!"

With a low command, the silk-wrapped sword plunged into the muddy waters and vanished in an instant.

This ritual was precisely the Exorcism of the Dragon and Water Phantom.

Meanwhile, Li Yan's group aboard the giant ship drew closer to Baokang County…

Second chapter later

(End of Chapter)