Promise!

Chapter 193, The Flood Dragon Appears

Qinghe County, Diannan Prefecture.

Outside the city, at the dock, stands the largest tavern in the county, called Sixilou. It is divided into inner and outer sections. Merchants from the north and south, these respectable businessmen, usually sit inside, drinking fine wines such as Zhuyeqing and Nu'erhong, and also ordering meat dishes such as braised beef and white-cut chicken. Fishermen, on the other hand, mostly sit outside. If there are no seats, they squat down and order a bowl of strong liquor or old yellow wine. Only the extravagant ones can order a plate of dried tofu to go with their drinks.

The midday sun shone on the shimmering water in the distance, and the restaurant became lively. A figure in a blue robe and bamboo hat sat down at the entrance, ordered a pot of Shaoxing wine, a plate of poached chicken, a sliced ​​salted duck egg, and a dish of fennel beans, listening to the conversations inside and outside.

"Our Qinghe County is in turmoil! The year before last, that Qiu family, the military governor of Shenjia Town, came and drove us to the brink of destruction. We finally left in the middle of last year, and after only half a year of peace, some evil dragon has appeared..."

"You wouldn't dare say that! They're dragon offspring; we must worship them!"

"Pah! Even the Dragon King has to bring the rain out of the temple to dry it off, so what about this harmful dragon? It just doesn't have the power. Otherwise, I'd love to pull out its tendons and eat its flesh!"

"The appearance of this dragon is a good thing. In the past month or two, ordinary fishermen have not dared to go deep into the water. Only those with courage like me can make money! Fishermen all know one thing: the bigger the wind and waves, the more expensive the fish!"

"But the bigger the storm, the more likely people are to be buried. Old Han went out fishing in the deepest part of the sea so his son could get married, and he never came back!"

“It’s all fate, and we have no say in it! I was thinking of taking a risk, saving up some money, and moving to the neighboring Linji County… The magistrate of Linji County is a good man, and the county governor there, surnamed Zhuang, is also said to be a very good man. Just this time, some wild boar king appeared in Linji County, and it was killed as soon as it appeared, so the people didn’t have to suffer any fear.”

"Yes, Linji is a good place to make a living. The Chen family's son went there at the beginning of last year, worked for a year, and I heard he bought two acres of land. At the end of last year, he even brought his mother over!"

……

'I never expected to hear news about me here.'

This man in the blue robe and bamboo hat was none other than Zhuang Jin, who had disguised himself and concealed his cultivation level.

Now that he has broken through to the eighth meridian realm and opened the bridge between the Ren and Du meridians, his Hidden Dragon Technique has merged with heaven and earth, making it more perfect and longer than when he was at the seventh meridian. He has adjusted his realm and aura, and as long as he doesn't make a move, even a Nascent Soul martial artist might not be able to tell from his face.

Then, they overheard some merchants in the restaurant talking about it.

"That Yin-Yang Flood Dragon is causing trouble and making waterways difficult to navigate. I've been stuck in Qinghe County for over half a month now, and I don't know when it will be eliminated so I can leave!"

"I heard that the Shen family sent people, and the powerful Yan family of Donghu Prefecture also sent people. They joined forces and took action yesterday afternoon, including the county magistrate of Qinghe County and elite soldiers... They lured the Yin-Yang Dragon ashore... It was almost done, but good heavens, a martial artist surnamed Shi from the Medicine King's gang became a troublemaker and let the Yin-Yang Dragon escape again."

"You can't say that, the people from the Medicine King Gang are not to be trifled with. Alas, after this incident, that Yin-Yang Flood Dragon is on guard, and it will be even more difficult to deal with."

“Brother, you’re mistaken. I heard that Ning Tongxuan, the Smiling Scholar, ranked twelfth on the Hidden Dragon List, arrived this morning! This Yin-Yang Flood Dragon is a ferocious beast to us, but to those martial artists, it’s just a dish on the table, something they can eat whenever they want.”

At this moment, a merchant came in from outside and laughed upon hearing this, "Your news is all outdated. Today, the Shen family of Diannan Prefecture, the Yan family of Donghu Prefecture, the Medicine King Gang, and Ning Tongxuan, who is ranked twelfth on the Hidden Dragon List, have agreed to join forces to eliminate this great scourge... Currently, the ships are all linked together with iron chains, and they will take action this afternoon!"

……

Listening to this, Zhuang Jin had already pieced together the general outline of what had happened: the powerful families of Shen and Yan prefectures discussed joining forces to kill the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon, and would distribute the spoils of war according to their contributions or other factors: the beast pearl and the corpse of the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon.

However, because the Medicine King's help to Shi Jie caused trouble and the mission failed, and with the arrival of Ning Tongxuan, all sides were afraid that things might get complicated if they waited too long and other experts from the Hidden Dragon Ranking came upon hearing the news. Therefore, a compromise was reached: kill the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon first, and then discuss the distribution of spoils.

"Because I broke through to the Eight Great Meridians, I arrived a little late, but it's not too late; I arrived just in time for the main event, the climax!"

He thought to himself, put down his chopsticks, and stood up.

……

That afternoon.

A few dark clouds drifted across the sky, blocking the sunlight and causing the light to flicker, adding to the somber atmosphere below.

In the middle of the river, more than a dozen large ships were linked together with iron chains, and there were chilling auras emanating from them. In the sky, a golden light was hovering, which was Ning Tongxuan, the twelfth on the Hidden Dragon List, riding a golden roc.

In the distance, there were smaller boats, each carrying martial artists.

However, most of them were below the level of Opening Meridians, and even those above the level of Qi Condensation Seven Meridians were rare. These were martial artists from wealthy families in Qinghe County, as well as martial artists from outside who came after hearing the news, hoping to pick up the scraps in the massacre.

—Don't misunderstand, they don't want to steal the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon. They don't dare to, nor do they have the ability. They just want to collect some of the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon's flesh and scales, which would be treasures to them.

"Damn it! The fisherman only sells this boat, he won't rent it out, saying he's afraid it'll be lost. It cost me twenty taels of silver... If it weren't for the many important figures appearing in Qinghe County lately, and the fear of attracting attention and getting into trouble, would I have put up with this crap?!"

"The Yin-Yang Flood Dragon is a rare species among exotic beasts. I've heard that this particular Yin-Yang Flood Dragon is even at the Bone Forging Realm, and it has fought against those powerful figures. It must have lost quite a few scales. This is a great opportunity!"

"That's right. Those big shots kill dragons and eat their flesh. I'd be satisfied if I could just have a sip of soup and get one or two scales."

……

On one of the small boats, Zhuang Jin sat cross-legged, with wine, meat, fruits and other delicacies laid out in front of him.

Unlike some people on the boat in the middle of the river who seemed relaxed but were actually tense, and unlike the martial artists here who were anxious and excited, he was truly leisurely and relaxed.

"coming!"

Zhuang Jin suddenly sensed something, put down her chopsticks, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, and looked at the river.

……

Wow!
Whirlpools, each about ten feet in diameter, appeared, accompanied by rumbling crashes. Yet, these large ships, linked by iron chains, swayed only slightly, remaining as stable as Mount Tai.

"That beast is here! Dispose of the medicinal herbs!"

At a command, large quantities of medicinal herbs rich in the essence of heaven and earth were continuously poured into the river.

Beneath the river, a shadowy figure appeared and disappeared, its presence now concealed. It abandoned the boat and silently swam toward the medicinal herbs.

—Most exotic beasts have the talent to conceal their aura, or rather, many martial artists' secret techniques for hiding their aura are borrowed from exotic beasts.

But as the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon began to devour the medicinal herbs, it seemed to trigger some arrangement, and a large silver net fell precisely at its location.

This is clearly a beast-catching net made of mithril!
"rise!"

Shi Jie, the younger brother of the leader of the Medicine King Gang, and Fang Lifu, an eight-lineage martial artist from the Yan family of Donghu Prefecture, both of whom were at the Nascent Soul stage, cast a net and suddenly pulled out a huge creature from the water.

It was a green dragon, four or five zhang long, with a single horn on its forehead and four claws with three toes on each claw. It was writhing and struggling, breathing cold air at the two people who had set up the net.

"You beast, take my Flaming Palm!"

Mu Mingxi, the head of the Shen family's General Affairs Department, took a step forward and unleashed a palm strike in mid-air. The force was fierce and crimson, like a burning flame, meeting the chilling attack.

Wow!
Amidst alternating hot and cold temperatures.

With a sudden tear, the claws of the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon, tempered by its unique power, ripped open the mithril-material animal-catching net, causing it to fall and jump out, plummeting from mid-air to the water's surface.

"Crazy Thunder Vajra Fist!"

Yan Shilin, the eldest son of the Yan family in Donghu Prefecture, had been waiting for this moment. He shot out like a cannonball, clenched his fist in mid-air, and his hands seemed to flash with lightning as he smashed them toward the Yin-Yang Dragon onto the deck.

But all that could be seen was the Yin-Yang Dragon's body bending into a bow shape in mid-air, meeting the punch head-on. As the dragon's scales were smashed and charred and fell off, its tendons taut, and it suddenly rebounded.

With a loud bang, Yan Shilin was thrown into the water, thrashing and staggering back, creating ripples in his wake.

Using the momentum of another surge, the Yin-Yang Dragon leaped over the deck and landed on the water from the other end.

"Wow!"

At this moment, the golden eagle swooped down, and Ning Tongxuan waved his Thousand-Silk White Jade Fan, unleashing a surge of energy that resembled a silver hurricane mixed with golden light, which swept up the Yin-Yang Dragon and slammed it heavily onto the deck.

……

"This person can actually channel his internal energy into his weapon?!"

Zhuang Jin paused, cracking sunflower seeds. She thought back to when she first started learning martial arts. When Tang Wentao taught her the Black Fiend Palm, he said that the force could not be transmitted to the weapon. This seemed to be an ironclad rule... but she understood it in a flash.

"What Tang Wentao said back then was aimed at the Qi Condensation stage. I was clinging to outdated ideas. Things are different now. I've reached the Fetal Breathing stage, where the acquired reverts to the innate. My internal energy is also transforming into innate true qi, and the force I unleash is an unstable, powerful force, possessing some characteristics of innate true qi."

This is another important reason why the Ren and Du meridians were separated and divided into a separate realm as the realm of embryonic breathing.

'Furthermore, the fan in Ning Tongxuan's hand must not be an ordinary object; it must be made of special materials!'

Zhuang Jin's guess was correct. Ning Tongxuan's Thousand-Silk White Jade Fan was made of extremely rare materials such as mithril, silkworm silk from the Ice Soul Golden Silkworm, and Xuan Yuan White Jade Marrow, which enabled it to transmit internal energy and even amplify and enhance it.

"Tsk, Ning Tongxuan's timing and sense of proportion are absolutely exquisite and just right. At this point, we've already won half the battle in this dragon-hunting operation!"

He looked at the river and made his assessment.

A phoenix on land is no better than a chicken, and a dragon out of the water loses half of its combat power. The Yin-Yang Dragon is said to be amphibious, but in reality, it is more terrifying in the water, stirring up storms and upsetting the seas. But once it comes ashore, its attribute is Yang, making it only slightly stronger than an ordinary Crimson Python in the Bone Forging Realm, and much easier to deal with.

Of course, this ease of dealing with them is relative. The Bone Forging Realm of a Beast is equivalent to the Fetal Breathing Realm of a Martial Artist. At the same level, Beasts are stronger than Martial Artists, not to mention the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon, which is an anomaly among Beasts. It is only because there are five Fetal Breathing Martial Artists over there, most of whom are Eight Meridians, the best among Fetal Breathing Martial Artists, that we dare to say they are easy to deal with.

"However, one plus one does not necessarily equal two. The five Nascent Soul cultivators cooperated so well just now in order to get the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon onto the ship. Now that we have the advantage, they may not have that same tacit understanding anymore. Whether we can successfully kill this Yin-Yang Flood Dragon is still unknown!"

Zhuang Jin ate sunflower seeds and watched with great interest.

……

On the deck, the Yin-Yang Dragon crashed down hard. After emerging from the water for a moment, its body changed from green to crimson, making it even more like the Crimson Python.

"Powerful Vajra Palm!"

"Mixed Yuan Thunderbolt Hand!"

Shi Jie and Fang Lifu, one on the left and one on the right, one making a golden handprint, the other holding what seemed like thunder in his hand.

"Hiss!"

The Yin-Yang Flood Dragon let out a sound like a snake and a dragon, extended its two claws forward to receive the two people's ultimate attacks, and opened its head to exhale.

"Crazy Thunder Vajra Fist!"

Yan Shilin had already returned to the deck and launched a sneak attack from the side, knocking down the Yin-Yang Dragon and forcibly stopping its breathing attack.

On the other ship, on the second floor, Shen Xujing, the fourth young master of the Shen family, looked down and installed a specially made armor-piercing crossbow made of Xuan Yin Cold Iron mixed with Mithril, which was particularly effective against the Crimson Python. He then calibrated and fired it using the mechanism.

Swish!
A martial artist with four meridians in the Dao wielded his sword, gathered his strength, and amplified it with the help of a mechanism. At this moment, he fired the specially made armor-piercing crossbow, which was like a streak of icy light, swift as a shooting star.

The Yin-Yang Dragon sensed the danger and activated the power of its single horn, which emitted a crimson beam. However, it was instantly defeated in the confrontation. The horn was hit by a specially made armor-piercing crossbow, which cracked and roared in pain.

Almost immediately, Mu Mingxi seized the opportunity, his palm forming a claw, his fingers wreathed in crimson energy, and pressed down on the Yin-Yang Dragon's head, striking while it was weakened and aiming to kill it.

If this claw strike lands, even without actually extracting the Yin-Yang Dragon's beast pearl, it will still inflict severe damage on it.

But Shi Jie swung a palm, and their hands collided, 'coincidentally' blocking the attack: "I'm sorry, Mu Sizheng, I missed!"

"Hmph!" Mu Mingxi and Shen Xujing, who saw this scene from afar, both let out a cold snort at the same time.

"Wow!"

Just then, the golden eagle cried out and swooped down, with Ning Tongxuan, dressed in white like an immortal, landing in a whirl and waving a fan.

At this moment, the thousand-thread white jade fan in his hand, with its golden and silver threads transmitting and amplifying the force, distorted the sunlight, displaying two colors of gold and silver, transforming into a rainbow of light like a peacock spreading its tail, exquisitely beautiful yet containing endless killing intent.

It is said: "A single encounter of golden wind and jade dew surpasses countless encounters in the mortal world." This move is praised as "Golden wind and jade dew in a single fan."

"Hiss!"

The Yin-Yang Flood Dragon's claws, forged and tempered by supernatural power, swirled with flame-like energy as it reached out, only to be severed instantly. A wound about three feet long and two inches deep appeared from its abdomen to its neck, and in that instant, its momentum waned to its lowest point.

Ning Tongxuan was about to seize the opportunity to pursue and kill the dragon.

"Crazy Thunder Vajra Fist!"

"Mixed Yuan Thunderbolt Hand!"

Two Nascent Soul martial artists from the Yan family of Donghu Prefecture, along with Shen Xujing, the fourth young master of the Shen family, shot an arrow at almost the same time.

Faced with obstruction from three sides, Ning Tongxuan had no choice but to retreat temporarily, missing another good opportunity to kill the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon.

……

"As expected of the twelfth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, that move... is impressive!"

Zhuang Jin recalled Ning Tongxuan's fan attack, her expression grave: 'If I hadn't known what was happening and had faced this move for the first time, I would have suffered a great loss... Well, even now that I know, it seems I still couldn't stop it.'

That's normal. Ning Tongxuan has accumulated many years of experience, combined with his own ultimate skill and exclusive weapon, to create his signature move. This move has already exceeded the limit of the Fetal Breathing Realm. If it were easily broken by him, a martial artist who has just broken through to the Eight Meridians Realm, how could he survive in the martial world?
The only way is to prevent the opponent from using this move.

Zhuang Jin repeatedly considered the options in his mind, and this was the best response he could come up with based on his current situation.

This is the advantage of being an observer: you can see what others have to offer and have a clear understanding of the situation.

'What a pity about Ning Tongxuan's stunning fan attack. If he had followed up with more moves, the battle would have been over. It was ruined by two Nascent Soul cultivators from Donghu Prefecture and the Fourth Young Master Shen Xujing's arrow… Indeed, if the four sides had worked together, they would have killed that Yin-Yang Flood Dragon long ago. Why wait until now?'

"Hmm, it's raining?!"

Zhuang Jin suddenly looked up at the sky, a hint of amusement flashing across his face: 'The Kun, encountering the wind, soars ninety thousand miles high, transforming into the Peng. This Yin-Yang Jiao, though a different species, is still considered a Jiao. In this kind of weather, it thrives with rain!'

A mischievous glint appeared in his eye, and he provided the voiceover for the group engaged in a fierce battle: 'Ding! Congratulations on triggering a special environment. The second phase of the BOSS battle has begun!'

……

(End of this chapter)