Chapter 535: The Candle Dragon and Fuhong

"Oh la la la! The sea breeze howls and the moon is high—it is the perfect time to set sail!"

Sinuoli channeled his Storm Authority, and the warship surged forward, its bow lifting high. The brave crew linked arms in a circle, singing sea shanties and reveling in the joy of battling the ocean's torrents.

"Your Majesty, the stars indicate we should turn north!"

Compared to the Dragon fleet personally led by the Storm Dragon last time, this "light boat" was more than twice as fast. The surging waves born of Mannan'en's fury gradually calmed, and the Dwarfs saw the outline of the coast in the distance.

"Don't bother, they can't even get close!"

After entering the estuary area, some native wooden boats appeared on the calm sea surface. These solitary, uninvited guests approached like sharks smelling blood, but the Dwarfs had no intention of entangling with them; the Ironclad went full speed ahead, crashing through everything in its path.

Immediately after, the Dragon Horse Cavalry patrolling the sky and the giant firebirds known as Vermillion Birds appeared with increasing frequency and density. After a short transition zone, the warship entered the area under the effective control of Weinan Province.

"Woo—"

"Stop, please stop the ship for inspection!"

A storied ship with sails painted fire-red intercepted them head-on. Feeling Sinuoli's aura, which was as deep as an abyss and as heavy as a mountain, the waterborne commander's momentum vanished completely, and he only dared to bow and ask questions with trembling hands.

"On board is the Restorer of our race! Have you not heard of him slaying the Black Dragon with three hammers on the Jade River, or defeating the two-headed crow demon at Nangao City? He wishes to go to Fuhong to pay a visit to His Highness the Candle Dragon; why have you not reported this yet!"

"Ah! Is it Sinuoli, the first on the Heavenly Rankings? I have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai!"

The commander was startled upon hearing this. The Changyuan Shaowei, with her unique, sharp style, had elevated the legendary foreign king—the Cathayan warrior knew this implied a realm of transcendence and sainthood.

With the storied ship leading the way to avoid the minefield obstacles hidden underwater, the Ironclad arrived at the water gate guarding the river mouth. A capable Dragon-Blooded officer came out to meet them, but the fatigue of the long voyage left Sinuoli with no desire for small talk, and he went ashore to get a solid night's rest.

"Is this the legendary Great Canal?"

"They say that among the many wonders of Zhendan, it ranks first or second!"

"This is just an outlet; looking at the map, it's almost as long as the distance from Gaoyuanbao to Red Cloud Mountain!"

The navy of the Southlands frequently carried out missions to sail east to Zhendan, and some possessed more information than Sinuoli. After passing the water gate known as Pukou and traveling slowly against the current, the Dwarfs were able to slowly appreciate this magnificent landmark, which was mentioned in the same breath as the Changyuan.

Legend has it that when the Haotian Longdi personally led a southern expedition to Ind, he used his great power to plow the prototype of the Great Canal to transport troops and provisions. She split Weinan Province in two, directly connecting the Sheng River and the Sea of Dread.

Before a day had passed, surrounded by escort and towing vessels, Sinuoli arrived at Fuhong—the capital of Weinan Province. This was a majestic mountain city with its back to the Heavenly Mountains and facing the Great Canal. The lush vegetation brought by the warm climate made it feel more "Ninghe" compared to the desolate and stern Nangao in the north.

"Hahaha! It has been many years since a distinguished guest like you has come to this miasmic land! I failed to welcome you in time! I failed to welcome you!"

"I came in a hurry, please forgive me, World Lord!"

Before the ship had fully stopped, a giant man, six feet tall with a red face and steel whiskers, came to greet them. Who else could it be but the Candle Dragon Lidao, whose scorching heat almost singed the beards and eyebrows of those he approached?

"Hey, I heard from my fifth sister that you, my virtuous brother, like to use flowery language. What is the use of that? Can you curse a thief to death with your mouth? And this foreign language of yours, sigh, it's about on par with the eighth!"

Upon shaking hands, Sinuoli knew exactly where he stood. Lidao and Yin Yin were twins born of the same womb; in terms of realm, there was barely a hair's breadth of difference, but the Candle Dragon had a huge advantage in killing experience and technique. The condensed, unyielding baleful aura was something accumulated from countless times of burning rivers and boiling seas.

"The other day, I formed an alliance with the eighth World Lord on the Changya Zhilu, and it was quite a shock to hear him speak the language of us Sons of the Mountains!"

"The eighth came back and talked about the demeanor of you and another Slayer King, and I thought he had hallucinated again! Sigh, living in a corner catching monkeys and snakes every day, one's horizons become narrow!"

The Candle Dragon complained loudly. Everyone in Zhendan knew that this fourth World Lord was not very satisfied with the distribution of his fief—clearly, the eldest, Yuanbo, had the most powerful magic, so why was he the one living in the central hub, directing troops from afar?

"Little ones, come over and pay your respects! Virtuous brother, look, my Great Taibao has great strategic talent, the Second Taibao can catch tigers and leopards on the mountain, and the Third Taibao can slay snakes and dragons in the sea..."

After a few polite exchanges, Lidao introduced the line of Dragon-Blooded standing behind him—these were all his descendants, and many were his own biological children. The Admiral who had followed them all the way from Pukou had also slipped back into the ranks at some point.

Through his diligent efforts, Weinan Province had many Dragon-Blooded with pure bloodlines. He selected the most outstanding ones and collectively called them the "Thirteen Taibao," all of whom were figures on the Heavenly and Earthly Rankings, either governing a region or providing strategic advice, forming the military and political core of the Candle Dragon.

"Please!"

The Thirteen Taibao stepped forward one by one to pay their respects. Their hungry, thirsty gazes made Sinuoli feel a bit uneasy. With a wave of the Candle Dragon's large hand, the ceremonial guard was set up to enter the city; naturally, there were residents lining the streets to welcome a great figure greeted by the Dragon-Blooded themselves.

Lidao's sleeping palace was located on the top of the mountain. The hot floor tiles told the visitor that beneath their feet was an active volcano, which could only maintain peace if suppressed by a True Dragon. Sinuoli guessed this was also a backup plan; if Fuhong City were ever to fall, the erupting lava would be a big surprise.

"May the World Lord live for ten thousand years! This old monk was in meditation and did not wake up in time after receiving the World Lord's message, so I had to wait here."

"No matter, virtuous brother Sinuoli is not a person who cares about pomp."

"Good, good! I am Kongxing, unworthy head of the Five Elements Temple. Your Majesty has twice acted righteously to save the people from fire and water; you can be called a living Buddha!"

"Chan Master, you are too kind. Pirates or demons, they are our common enemies."

An old monk wearing a five-colored cassock waited on the platform before the palace. He pressed his palms together, his words showing a sense of worldly wisdom. The Five Elements Temple and the Jade Blood Temple were known as the Taoist and Buddhist pillars, respectively, and were the most prosperous sects in the mortal world of Zhendan.

The Chan Master Kongxing before him was ranked fourth on the Heavenly Rankings, and like the Manchu chieftain Hailanzhu, whom he had sparred with in Nangao City, he possessed the strength of a mortal peak. Against the backdrop of sharp conflicts with the Dragon-Blooded, he was seen as the mouthpiece for the common people of Weinan Province among the upper echelons.

"Including the youngest ninth sister recently, except for us, everyone has been to the Western Lands! Virtuous brother, tell me, how are these troops of mine? Are they of any use?"

"A thousand battle-hardened generals is no empty number! I had long heard that your military strength was the greatest, and seeing it today, it is truly not below that of the Changyuan Shaowei!"

After three rounds of wine, Lidao was in high spirits. Since he had been stationed in Fuhong, this was the first time a Demigod of another race had been a guest. Sinuoli was not just being polite; these elite troops and fierce generals made up for the gap in individual strength between him and Miaoying.

"My sister guards the Changyuan in the north, and the Central Plains all look up to her beacon fires. Yet I also control the flame winds, keeping the Kuresh long snakes and Nagas outside our national gates; the tigers and leopards of Ind, I can pacify; the monkey demons of the Heavenly Mountains, I can subdue!"

(End of chapter)