Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Liu Qing frowned, not because of the crossbow bolts that Emperor Yang Guang of Sui had ordered to be shot at the city. No matter how powerful the crossbow bolts were, they could not get close to Liu Qing. They would be shattered by Liu Qing's dissipating aura when they were still several feet away.

Liu Qing looked at the bulge on his abdomen, which was slowly growing a fourth dragon claw. The four claws were originally the body of a true dragon, and the appearance of the fourth claw meant that Liu Qing had evolved from a flood dragon into a true dragon.

However, Liu Qing was not satisfied. At the beginning of his journey to become a dragon, the True Scripture of Earth gave a prediction that if he performed good deeds and accumulated good fortune during the journey, he would have a very high probability of evolving into a five-clawed golden dragon after the journey was completed.

A true dragon is merely a regional dragon king, at most a Golden Immortal residing in the world. However, a five-clawed golden dragon is the emperor of the dragon race, with a profound foundation that surpasses even innate beings. This profound foundation can increase Liu Qing's chances of breaking through to the Primordial Dao Fruit.

Therefore, Liu Qing would not be satisfied with merely evolving into a four-clawed true dragon.

What Liu Qing wanted was a five-clawed golden dragon.

But now, it has only grown a fourth claw, becoming a true dragon, but there is no sign of it growing a fifth claw and evolving into a five-clawed golden dragon.

Liu Qing was very unhappy. He had traveled all the way to the Grand Canal, widening and deepening it. He had almost single-handedly reopened the Grand Canal. He had been rewarded for his merits before, but why was he not given the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon title in the end?
Along the way, the constant rewards of merit are telling you that as long as you continue to do this, you will eventually evolve into a five-clawed golden dragon.

But in the end, it did not evolve into a five-clawed golden dragon.

Liu Qing felt like she had been thoroughly played for a fool!

Having reached its current status in the Three Realms, who dares to mock it now? Not even Heaven and Earth can!

Liu Qing let out a fierce dragon roar towards the sky, his eyes filled with savagery!

Just as Liu Qing was feeling displeased and like he had been tricked, and let out a violent dragon roar, the Dragon Gathering Drum, which had not reacted for ten thousand years, suddenly sounded with a deep drumbeat in the underwater Crystal Palace of the East Sea.

The drumbeats spread in all directions like ripples on water, containing immeasurable power, stirring up towering waves on the seabed, and even shaking the Crystal Palace, which was no less powerful than a primordial spiritual treasure.

The Dragon King of the East Sea was admiring the enchanting dance of the clam maiden when suddenly he heard a muffled drumbeat, followed by the turbulence of the seawater and a dizzying spin in his Crystal Palace.

He was stunned at first, quite surprised. Under the East Sea, countless dragons and their kin, large and small water demons, had been peaceful for ten thousand years since they submitted to the Heavenly Court, and had never experienced such a commotion.

When Sun Wukong came to the East Sea, he was merely following the lead of the Heavenly Court and Buddhism, putting on a show for them and making a show of support.

Now, this real and intense upheaval is not an act; it has truly happened.

The Dragon King of the East Sea was immediately startled, snapping out of his daze, and cried out in disbelief, "The Gathering Dragon Drum? The Gathering Dragon Drum!"

"The Dragon Drum is sounding!"

With a roar, the Dragon King of the East Sea transformed into a five-thousand-foot-long, four-clawed true dragon. With a flick of his tail, he swiftly traversed the seawater, heading towards the location of the Dragon Gathering Drum.

At the bottom of the East Sea, all creatures that have achieved the clawless dragon, the three-clawed dragon, the four-clawed true dragon, or even dragon fish, dragon snake, dragon turtle, and other dragon-related beings, obey the call of their bloodline and rush towards the Gathering Dragon Drum from all directions.

thump, thump, thump—

In a forbidden area on the seabed of the East China Sea, the towering Julong Drum, standing ten thousand feet tall, resounded with its own drumbeats, echoing throughout the East China Sea. The lingering sound then traveled along the waters of the East China Sea towards the West Sea, the South Sea, and the North Sea.

The three Dragon Kings of the West Sea, South Sea, and North Sea were the first to sense the summons of the Dragon Gathering Drum. They all revealed their four-clawed true dragon bodies, each four to five thousand feet long, and rushed towards the East Sea where the Dragon Gathering Drum was located.

Following them were the dragon sons and grandsons of the West Sea, South Sea, and North Sea, including dragons, dragons, dragons, dragons, dragons, dragons, dragons, dragons, dragons, dragons, dragons, and dragons. All those who possessed dragon blood and were descended from the ancient dragon race were summoned by the sound of the Dragon Gathering Drum and gathered together in the East Sea.

The three Dragon Kings—the West Sea Dragon King, the South Sea Dragon King, and the North Sea Dragon King—arrived before the Gathering Dragon Drum. Seeing and hearing the drum still resounding, they all looked solemn and filled with surprise and doubt as they gazed at the East Sea Dragon King.

"Brother, do you know why the Dragon Gathering Drum sounds?"

"Since the Great Calamity of Dragon and Phoenix, my dragon race has declined and lived in seclusion in the four seas for hundreds of millions of years. This spiritual treasure, the Dragon Gathering Drum, passed down from the primordial dragon race, has never been sounded. Why is it issuing a summons today?"

"Could it be that some creature is about to evolve into a true dragon?"

"How could a mere true dragon possibly cause the Dragon Gathering Drum to sound on its own? When the four of us brothers became true dragons, did this Dragon Gathering Drum sound?"

The West Sea Dragon King shook his head, but then the East Sea Dragon King said, "Even if a being becomes a true dragon, it is not worthy of summoning all of us dragons and all dragon-related beings with the Dragon Gathering Drum. A mere true dragon is not worthy of my entire dragon clan to welcome him!"

The Dragon King of the North Sea scratched his head: "Since it's neither this nor that, brother, tell me, what is the reason?"

The Dragon King of the East Sea rolled his eyes: "If I knew, would I still be standing here arguing with you?"

The Four Dragon Kings were even more astonished and suspicious, and the other dragon sons and grandsons, as well as countless dragon creatures, were all completely baffled.

Just then, suddenly, the sound of the Dragon Gathering Drum abruptly changed from low to high, and the drum sound transformed from a summoning sound to a suppressing one.

Even though the Four Dragon Kings possessed the cultivation of the early stage of the Great Luo Realm, they were still suppressed by the power of the Gathering Dragon Drum, rendering them unable to move and filled with horror.

As for the other dragon sons and grandsons, and the dragon-related creatures, they were even more pathetic, all prostrating themselves around the Dragon Gathering Drum as if they were worshipping something.

The Gathering Dragon Drum, passed down from the primordial dragon race, is a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. However, over countless years, dragons from all over the four seas, and even other dragon-related creatures, have tried every means to refine it, but all have ultimately failed. All that is known is that the Gathering Dragon Drum is a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, capable of suppressing destiny and extremely powerful; anything else remains unknown.

Now, the Dragon Gathering Drum has revealed its power; with just one drumbeat, it has suppressed all the dragons.

It also includes four Dragon Kings at the early stage of the Great Luo Realm, more than ten Dragon Princes and Dragon Princesses at the Undying Realm, and dozens of Dragon Fish, Dragon Snake, Dragon Turtle, Chi Dragon, and Flood Dragon at the Golden Body Realm!

The Four Dragon Kings were horrified!
But what happened next horrified them even more.

Then, the drumhead of the Dragon Gathering Drum vibrated once more, emitting a high-pitched dragon roar, seemingly from an ancient dragon power.

The dragon's roar carried incredible power, transforming the sound waves into countless knives.

The sonic blade arrived before the Four Seas Dragon Kings, their sons and grandsons, and countless other dragon-related beings, and under their fearful and uneasy gazes, it plucked out a drop of primordial dragon blood.

The Four Dragon Kings, who were at the early stage of the Great Luo Realm, wanted to resist, but were horrified to find that they had no power to resist the sonic blade.

The true dragons, false dragons, and dragon-related creatures summoned by the Dragon Gathering Drum this time, even the lowest-ranking among them, are at the early stage of the Divine Realm.

The original dragon blood of tens of thousands of dragon beings at the early stage of the Divine Realm or above was swallowed by the Gathering Dragon Drum.

Immediately, the Dragon Gathering Drum suddenly exploded with nine consecutive drumbeats.

Nine is the ultimate number.

The nine drumbeats represent the ultimate level of the dragon race.

With the sound of nine drums, the waters of the East China Sea were overturned, and the Gathering Dragon Drum rose into the sky, ascending from the sea to the clouds.

A blinding crimson light emanated from the Dragon Gathering Drum, transforming into a massive chain that pierced through space and extended into the depths of chaos.

The next instant, the chains snapped taut, as if they had found something and were pulling it outwards with all their might.

The sound of the Julong Drum rang out again, but this time it was not the low, slow sound of the summoning, but rather high-pitched, passionate, and rapid.

Accompanied by the high-pitched, intense, and rapid drumbeats, the chains formed from the blood of ten thousand dragons suddenly ripped something out of the chaos.

A great hall.

The surrounding area was still filled with the chaotic energy that had emerged from the chaos and had not yet dissipated. The chaotic energy lingered outside, while inside was a rich innate spiritual energy, almost condensed into liquid, like water droplets hanging on the walls of the hall.

The walls of the main hall are carved with countless patterns of dragon creatures, each of which is at least a four-clawed dragon. They all have their tails facing backwards, with their heads guarding the main entrance of the hall.

The main hall appeared to be made of pure gold, exuding an aura of immortality.

The palace door was ajar. Through the crack in the door, one could see the main hall inside. In the center was a pool of water, surrounded by nine dragon heads. From their open mouths, blood-red liquid was being sprayed into the pool.

Inside the main hall, there was a dragon throne, exuding a noble aura, seemingly waiting to be filled.

The Four Dragon Kings, along with their sons and grandsons, and over 100,000 dragon-like beings at the Divine Realm level or above, followed the Dragon Gathering Drum out of the East Sea and arrived at the Clouds.

Watching the Gathering Dragon Drum use the primordial blood of countless dragons to transform into chains and pull this grand hall out of chaos.

The Four Dragon Kings, possessing the highest level of cultivation, sensed something and their hearts instantly clenched painfully.

This grand hall, covered with the marks of the dragon race, was actually a primordial spiritual treasure. Its profound aura and terrifying power were only comparable to those of the legendary primordial supreme treasures.

Could this grand hall actually be a supreme innate treasure?
"Look, doesn't the gate of that main hall resemble the phantom of the Dragon Gate that was projected when dragon-like beings transformed from dragons over the years?"

The Dragon King of the East Sea rubbed his old eyes, examined the scene closely, and felt a pang in his heart: "Just as my fourth brother said, the Dragon Gate that appeared many times before was actually a phantom projected from the gate of this main hall!"

If a creature of the dragon kind wants to transform into a dragon, it must eventually leap over the Dragon Gate. And this Dragon Gate that enables creatures of the dragon kind to transform into dragons is merely a projection of the gate of this great hall!
Even the projected palace gate is a dragon gate that can transform living beings into dragons, possessing immeasurable power. Therefore, this palace must undoubtedly be a supreme innate treasure!
Innate treasure!

The Four Dragon Kings were instantly excited, their eyes filled with greed and ecstasy, and they rushed towards the main hall.

The main hall doors were not closed, and inside there was a dragon throne, which was vacant and awaiting occupancy.

If we don't seize it now, who will?

The four Dragon Kings flew over together, wanting to enter the grand hall, sit on the dragon throne, and possess this innate treasure.

Unexpectedly, the main hall merely trembled slightly, causing countless golden lights to flash and blast away all four Dragon Kings, who were at the early stage of the Great Luo Realm. (End of Chapter)