Misty Rain of the Old Times

After listening to the old man's words, Chen Xuan looked down at the ground. He didn't have X-ray vision, so of course he couldn't see what was under the island. But he still reached out and patted it, his true essence silently seeping into the ground, but he still found nothing.

Unfortunately, even true essence isn't omnipotent. It might be able to vaguely judge some things based on the conductivity of mud and rocks, but it can't provide a direct understanding, let alone know what's below at all, making it impossible to make a judgment.

His cultivation level is insufficient. If he were to advance further and reach the Tribulation Transcending Realm, his spiritual will would emerge from his body, allowing him to 'see' things directly, which would be much more convenient. However, at that time, the three tribulations of Heaven, Earth, and Man would arrive at any moment, putting him in constant danger. Therefore, while being strong in the Tribulation Transcending Realm is indeed a good thing, it is not necessarily a good thing.

With no clue, he turned back to pour the old man a drink and asked, "What could possibly warrant such a large-scale operation by the Black Society?"

Good heavens, tens of thousands of people have been killed so far that the corpses are piled up like mountains and the blood flows like rivers. At least thirty or forty thousand people have died. You have to understand that when there are tens of thousands of people, it's a sea of ​​people.

So many people died just to obtain the underground item. Chen Xuan understood without even thinking that the deaths were inevitably linked to the discovery of that item. It might not be a treasure in the broad sense, but it was definitely something extraordinary.

Chen Xuan had heard of treasures appearing before, or divine weapons and martial arts manuals appearing in the world and causing bloodshed, but he was not a member of the martial arts world, so he was not very interested. This was the first time he had participated in such an event. He originally came to watch the so-called martial arts conference to broaden his horizons, but he never expected to run into it.

"You little rascal, you're only this obedient when you want to know something from me or when you have some need. Otherwise, you'd want to hit me if I said just a few words to you," the old man said with a satisfied sip of his wine, looking disgusted. Then he said cheerfully, "So you want to know? Before the Black Tu Society people jump out and before that thing makes any moves, we still have some time. Why don't you take a guess, you brat?"

It's been so long, and you still won't even call me your son-in-law, but calling me "my rascal" sounds more affectionate.

Old Deng kept him in suspense, but Chen Xuan rolled his eyes as if his whole body was falling apart and said decisively, "Kid, still guessing? Fine, don't tell me then. Anyway, at this rate, I'll find out soon enough."

Hearing this, the old man couldn't help but kick him with his old leg, saying irritably, "I'm having a great time beating someone up, and you stop me to rest. You're even impatient when you talk to me, how boring! So why did you stop me? Just sitting there? I'd rather be hitting someone with this stick."

"No, no, no, let me guess, okay?" Chen Xuan rubbed his buttocks and flattered him, his mind racing as he casually added, "I guess it's a very powerful or dangerous weapon, am I right?"

The Black Diagram Society should be classified as a Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the martial arts world or江湖人士, people in the Jianghu) force. That's what they're after, Chen Xuan thought it made perfect sense.

"Your guess is somewhat close, but not entirely correct," the old man shook his head.

That eliminates things like martial arts manuals. It's not a weapon in the broad sense, but it's related. With a thought, Chen Xuan said, "I know, it's an extremely precious material that can be used to forge divine weapons."

"It's still not right, but it's closer," the old man said with a smile.

Speechless, Chen Xuan simply gave up guessing and said nonchalantly, "This isn't right, that isn't right, it can't be digging up a grave, can it?"

"Haha, kid, if you insist on saying that, then it's pretty much true."

Slightly taken aback, Chen Xuan said in surprise, "No, I was just saying it casually. Are you really digging up graves? So we're supposed to be sitting on graves here?"

Could this island in the lake actually be a large tomb?
After having a few drinks, the old man's complexion became much rosier. Seeing this, he looked at Chen Xuan and laughed heartily, saying, "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Actually, I don't know the specifics either, I just have a general idea."

So you, an old man, don't even know this, and you expect me to guess? He hesitated, then said, half-laughing, half-crying, "You're actually playing me! If you weren't my father-in-law, believe me, I'd... pluck your beard!"

"You still want to hit me? Come on, try touching this old man. Putting aside our age relationship, at my age, if I peed in your house, you'd have to catch me. I have no taboos, you know? Otherwise, you'll be condemned by everyone." The old man looked smug, as if to say, "You can't do anything about it."

Completely exasperated, Chen Xuan turned his gaze to Chen Xuan and threatened, "Father, just tell me what you know, or do you believe I'll drag Qian Ning over right now and complain that you're not taking care of your health and instead acting recklessly and getting into fights!"

"You little brat, you dare threaten me!" But Old Deng was easily fooled. He wasn't afraid of anything except his precious daughter. He looked around anxiously, afraid that Little Fuyao might appear, and then glared at Chen Xuan, saying, "You brat, this isn't right. How can you act like this? Fine, I'll just tell you my name. You might as well try to make connections with that."

A thought struck Chen Xuan, and he asked in surprise, "Hidden Dragon County, could the thing underground be related to the dragon, a legendary auspicious beast?"

"Dragons aren't necessarily auspicious beasts, but any creature associated with dragons is anything but ordinary," the old man nodded.

Feeling melancholy, Chen Xuan said with a wry smile, "Father, why are you keeping me in suspense? Can't you just tell me directly?"

“Young people are just too impatient. Didn’t I tell you? I don’t know the specifics either,” the old man said, pursing his lips. “From what I understand, there is indeed something related to dragon-like creatures beneath this island. The Black Map Society is causing this battle because of this thing. You’ve come all this way, so you must have heard about the origins of Hidden Dragon County, right?”

"Legend has it that long ago, this place was remote, backward, and sparsely populated. A dragon lay dormant and cultivated in seclusion. One day, it succeeded and transformed into a dragon, returning to the sea amidst thunder and rain. That's roughly how it is. Isn't this just a legend? Could it be true? There are at least eight or ten thousand place names in the world related to dragons. Surely not all of them are connected to dragons," Chen Xuan nodded, puzzled.

With a smile, the old man calmly drank his wine and said, "Who knows what's true and what's false, but the claim that Hidden Dragon County has a connection with dragon-like creatures isn't entirely unfounded."

After a pause, the old man continued, "According to the secret historical records of the Imperial Palace, dragon-like creatures did indeed appear in this place, but that was a very long time ago, before our Jing Kingdom was even established. That event was covered up by the higher-ups at the time, because anything related to dragons is very special. It has extraordinary significance for ordinary people, but it is not a good thing for certain levels of society."

"The historical records are incomplete and too far back in time. However, based on my analysis of the historical records, that 'dragon emerging' did not successfully return to the sea and most likely perished here. The specific truth can no longer be traced."

After listening, Chen Xuan scratched his head and said, "Is that so? So the Black Map Society went to such extremes this time, just for the legendary dragon corpse? It's been so long, even if there was a dragon corpse, it's probably turned to ashes by now."

"Who knows? Dragons are born with divine nobility, so it's not impossible for them to preserve their corpses. Moreover, they would rather die than submit. You know, the Black Map Society is backed by Buddhism. Buddhism has always had the habit of subduing dragons as protectors. Maybe in the past, they tried to subdue them but failed and killed them instead. As I said before, nothing related to dragons is simple. Dragon hunting is extremely dangerous. Perhaps some powerful members of the Black Map Society have perished here because of this. This time, they may be trying to retrieve the relics of their predecessors. Of course, it's also possible that the dragon corpse was suppressed here back then, and now the Black Map Society has other plans. Anyway, we'll have to wait for the truth to come to light before we know for sure, provided that they come forward," the old man shook his head uncertainly.

He then added, "True dragon creatures, pure-blooded dragons, are terrifying beings at least at the Tribulation Transcending level when they reach adulthood. Moreover, they are born with divinity and are not threatened by calamities. Even mixed-blooded dragons reach the top level of the Grandmaster realm when they reach adulthood. They are not comparable to the flood dragon that appeared in our Jing Kingdom decades ago. Back then, it was called a flood dragon, but at most it was a giant python that had transformed into a flood dragon. Even so, it took three Grandmaster-level experts working together to kill it with great difficulty."

After listening to the old man's explanation, Chen Xuan nodded slightly. The power of dragon-type creatures was unimaginable. Although he had never faced one in person, Old Liu had mentioned it in the information he had received. In short, under the same level, humans, unless they were the kind of beings with cheat codes, would find it almost impossible to contend with them.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "So the reason the Black Map Society is causing trouble this time is most likely because of the dragon corpse, or perhaps because of the relics used to suppress the dragon corpse?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, it comes down to these two aspects. Dragons are born with divine nature, and their resentment after death is unimaginable. If they are not completely eradicated or suppressed, they will inevitably turn into evil spirits that harm all living beings. With your current cultivation level, you should understand that death is not always the end. Evil spirits are just a general term, including zombies and puppets, but those are no longer considered living beings," the old man nodded.

Blinking, Chen Xuan scratched his butt and said, "Why are you getting more and more outlandish?" "You're still so young. Don't think you know everything just because you have some skills. There's a lot you don't know," the old man said with a look of disdain, but he was actually reminding him not to be blindly arrogant.

Shrugging, Chen Xuan simply changed the subject, saying, "Since we're involved with something so legendary, isn't that very dangerous?"

"You little brat, trying to run away!" The old man looked at him speechlessly and called him out. He knew Chen Xuan too well; he could tell what kind of shit he was going to do just by looking at him. He was both amused and exasperated. No, you're quite capable, but why are you so cowardly? Just looking at you makes me want to punch you.

Being a coward is not necessarily a bad thing, but his mentality of wanting to run away before even starting is truly speechless.

"No way, am I that kind of person? You just said there's a high probability I'll need to take action, how could I possibly run away?" Chen Xuanyi said righteously, without blushing at all.

The old man was at his wits' end with such a heartless son-in-law. He shook his head and said, "It's not that serious. Even if there really is a dragon corpse with resentment, so many years have passed. How much of it could still remain? Besides, the people of the Black Map Society are all scheming. How serious could it be?"

Chen Xuan thought about it and agreed. At most, those who plotted such things were at the Grandmaster level. He was not afraid of anyone at that level, not even those who were just one step away from the Tribulation Transcending Realm. Don't forget that he still had a 'half-immortal artifact' in his palm. Anyway, those at the Tribulation Transcending Realm would definitely not plot this, because they were threatened by the three tribulations of Heaven, Earth, and Man. They were too busy hiding to cause trouble. They might be turned to ashes by a little entanglement of cause and effect. Human Immortals were even less likely to do it. They played with stars like marbles, which was more interesting than this.

Then, thinking about it again, he said speechlessly, "It's all just a bunch of nonsense. Dad, you still haven't told me the Black Picture Society's true intentions."

"How dare you speak to an old man like that? And what nonsense are you spouting? Haven't I told you everything I know? You asked yourself, and I already said I only have a general understanding and not the specifics," the old man said with a look of disgust, feeling an itch to give him a good beating.

They were drinking and chatting peacefully here, and the five innate masters, including Xia Mei, were also safe over at the small building. However, the fighting around them was extremely fierce. After many innate masters fought hard, they had already cracked and sunk a third of the island to the bottom of the lake.

Looking around, Chen Xuan didn't offer any personal opinion on the fight, but instead said, "Father, you should know something about what stage the mastermind will have to go before they come forward."

"What is my cultivation level and what is yours? You don't even know that, yet you come to ask me?" Old Deng pointed to his face and said matter-of-factly.

Chen Xuan then blurted out, "Otherwise what? You're always so confident, who else should I ask if not you?"

"I love to hear that, brat. If you can say that, then say it more," the old man said with a smile, his expression instantly changing.

Before he could say anything, the old man pointed around and his smile faded slightly. "See? The lake water around us is stained red with blood, and it's starting to bubble. The truth will be revealed soon!"

“I noticed it a long time ago, but before you mentioned it, I thought it was a normal phenomenon. Now it seems to be quite eerie. You know what, even though the sun is shining brightly, I can feel a kind of yin energy.” Chen Xuan nodded and became vigilant. He was confident in his abilities, but that didn’t mean he was arrogant enough to handle any situation.

Upon hearing this, the old man hesitated, but after all, he was his son-in-law. He said cryptically, "You've only been married a short time, lad. Your health is important. Don't be shy. I have a few secret palace recipes here. I'll give them to you when I have time."

Chen Xuan, his head bobbing twice, finally realized what the old man meant and immediately exclaimed, "Nothing of the sort! Don't talk nonsense! I'm perfectly healthy!"

"Why are you in such a hurry? It's not like it can't be treated. Didn't I say I have a secret imperial formula? There are some things I, as an elder, shouldn't say directly, but you're my son-in-law, so don't worry about so much. You love your wife, but your health is the most important thing. You should know that my secret formulas are priceless. Otherwise, how would you have a hundred or so sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law?" The old man patted his shoulder and said earnestly.

They're our own people, if we don't care, who will?
Chen Xuan still waved his hands anxiously, saying, "No, no, I really don't need it, but I have a friend who needs it, yes, it's Xiao Gao. Dad, when do you have time to give it to me? I'll bring it to him later. Oh wait, I can make my own Xiaoyao Pills, I don't need your fancy stuff..."

As Chen Xuan spoke, his eyes darted around and he couldn't continue. "Well, whether or not it's useful is one thing, but does having it or not make the same thing?"

The old man had a knowing look on his face, like "Who hasn't been young before?" He was about to say something when his expression changed slightly as he looked around and said, "It's about to begin. No matter what the Black Diagram Society's schemes are, we must try our best to prevent them from succeeding. But don't be reckless; your own safety is more important than anything else!"

Chen Xuan nodded and said nothing more. He got up and scanned his surroundings, fully opening his senses to notice any movement around him, but he focused more on protecting the elderly and his wife.

For him, neither the potential treasures on the island nor the Black Tu Society's schemes were as important as the old man and his wife.

At this moment, the battle between the righteous and the evil forces had reached its most critical juncture, with countless deaths and injuries. Even Xuan Yang and Luo Yan were both wounded. Zhang Aoxue of the Flying Feather Sect was covered in blood and her face was green. She had almost died several times at the hands of Ji Jue, the strongest assassin in Jing Kingdom. She was clearly poisoned and was at her last gasp.

At such a critical juncture, their attention was focused on their opponent, and they had no time to pay attention to anything unusual around them. Only the old man and Chen Xuan, who had anticipated this, were able to notice the clues.

The surrounding lake water was stained red with blood. If you looked closely, you could see the blood in the water trickling down to the bottom of the lake, as if something below was absorbing and devouring the blood. And that was indeed the case.

At the same time, even more bubbles rose from the bottom of the lake, one after another, as if the lake water itself had begun to boil.

When both sides in the battle realized that something was wrong, a venomous roar echoed in everyone's mind, sending chills down their spines as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

With a deafening roar, the entire island trembled violently as people heard the sound, as if it were about to collapse and sink into the water.

Without hesitation, Chen Xuan led the elderly people to the rooftop of the small building, knowing that it was safest to have the people he cared about by his side.

Rumble, crash!

The island trembled and hummed, and the boiling lake surface was whipped up with huge waves even without wind.

A black-robed figure appeared on the lake at some unknown time. Chen Xuan noticed him the moment he appeared. Perhaps the man's mind was not on his surroundings, or perhaps the concealment effect of Chen Xuan's Ze Yuan Technique was too excellent, and the other party did not pay attention to him.

The waves surged around him as he stood on the water, the blood-stained lake water faintly displaying scale-like patterns, making the black-robed man standing on the water appear as if he were standing on the body of a gigantic dragon!

...(End of chapter)