Yuantian Pidao

Chapter 139 Desiring to Fish for a Dragon
In Qinghe County, Gao Siyuan stopped at a tea stall, ordered a pot of coarse tea, and drank it casually.

At this moment, he was dressed in hemp clothing, his gray hair was casually draped over his shoulders, and with his loose skin and sunken eyes, he looked like a decrepit old man who was about to reach the end of his life. It was hard for anyone to associate him with the identity of the head of the Gao family.

"Has a dragon really emerged from the Qingyuan River?"

Though his expression remained impassive, his ears captured all the information around him, causing ripples to stir in Gao Siyuan's heart.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard similar conversations. At first, he didn't believe them, but as more and more people spoke about them and the information became more specific, he began to have some different thoughts.

"It's hard to say whether the Taiping Sect's previous unusual behavior was in order to search for this dragon."

Considering the actions of the Taiping Emperor during this period, Gao Siyuan fell into deep thought.

Having come from the capital of Qingyuan County, he had actually been in Qinghe County for several days, but instead of attacking the Taiping Sect immediately, he wandered around the surrounding area.

If the Corpse Daoist was indeed a pawn of the Lu family, he feared that there might be other arrangements left by the Lu family within the Taiping Sect. Most importantly, the news came in a rather strange way, so he chose to play it safe. However, at this moment, he unexpectedly learned that a dragon was suspected to have appeared in Qinghe County.

In fact, the Taiping Sect initially chose to suppress the news about this matter, but in the following period of time, the strange dragon shadow repeatedly showed traces in the Qingyuan River, causing several river boats to sink, which attracted the attention of many people and could not be suppressed at all.

"If it really is a dragon, then..."

The thought of the dragon's existence stirred a burning passion within Gao Siyuan.

The dragon is ferocious. Under normal circumstances, cultivators would definitely avoid it because they are not strong enough. Getting close to it would only make them food for the dragon. But for the Gao family, the dragon has a special meaning.

"Zixuan has a special bloodline, possessing a trace of dragon blood. If one could obtain the bloodline of this dragon and merge it into oneself, then there would truly be a considerable hope for forging a foundation for one's cultivation in the future..."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Gao Siyuan suddenly coughed violently.

"Based on the information we have gathered so far, it is possible that a dragon has indeed emerged in Qinghe County. Although it is unlikely to be a jiaolong (a type of dragon), it is definitely a jiao serpent with relatively strong bloodline."

"As for strength, it should still be at the Qi Refining level, and not too strong. Otherwise, Qinghe County might already be gone. Moreover, as long as a great demon at the Dao Foundation level does not deliberately conceal itself, its demonic aura will be rampant, and I could not possibly not sense it at all."

After managing to calm himself down, Gao Siyuan stopped coughing.

"I don't have much time left. I must pave the way for Zixuan as much as possible before that happens. As long as we can really catch this serpent, it will be worth it even if I have to sacrifice my own life."

"Moreover, this matter cannot be delayed. Once the news of the appearance of the dragon snake spreads, the other two families and even the prefectural governor's office may have designs on this dragon snake. The dragon snake's flesh, bones and tendons are all valuable treasures."

He opened his palm, looking at the glaring red stain on his palm, and a resolute look appeared on Gao Siyuan's aged face.

"Dragon Serpent, Dragon Serpent..."

Having made up his mind, Gao Siyuan left Qinghe County without looking back, leaving behind a few copper coins.

Gao Zixuan is nominally his nephew, but in reality he is his son. However, because Gao Zixuan's mother has a special identity, he deliberately concealed Gao Zixuan's true identity.

Now, ravaged by the Azure Serpent's Fiend, his body is riddled with wounds. On the verge of collapse, he wants to lay a better foundation for Gao Zixuan. As for Jiang Chen and the Corpse Daoist, he has already forgotten them. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he succeeds this time, he might truly be able to cultivate a Dao Foundation cultivator for the Gao family. He himself can no longer wash away the unforgettable humiliation, but Gao Zixuan, who has forged his Dao Foundation, can.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Jiang Chen was also constantly searching for the dragon.

During this period of continuous rain, the dragon was particularly active, frequently revealing its presence. After several tests, he had basically determined the dragon's identity and strength.

"The Illusionary Mist Serpent, or Mist Dragon, prefers to appear in rainy weather. Its strength is roughly at the level of Qi Refining Great Completion to Qi Refining Perfection, but it has not yet established its Dao Foundation."

"In addition, its intelligence seems to be somewhat problematic. Not to mention compared to Rat Prodigy, it is even somewhat inferior to Peach Blossom. It acts almost entirely according to instinct. The reason it has repeatedly revealed its presence and capsized the riverboat is most likely because it finds it fun."

Riding the wind, Jiang Chen moved forward all the way.

The appearance of the Mist Dragon follows certain patterns: firstly, it occurs on rainy days; secondly, it occurs within a certain section of the river. Although this range is still quite wide, after carefully studying the circumstances of the Mist Dragon's appearance, Jiang Chen was able to roughly pinpoint its hiding place.

Will it appear today?

Upon arriving at the destination, Jiang Chen glanced at the sky, calmed himself, and silently observed the changes on the river's surface.

As time passed and the sky grew darker, just when Jiang Chen thought that this attempt would be in vain again, a flying eagle flew in from afar, bringing a message.

"Is it downstream this time?"

After reading the contents of the letter, without any hesitation, Jiang Chen once again took to the air.

When he arrived at his destination, a thick fog had already risen over the river, enveloping that section of the river.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Chen stopped and did not rush in. The mist itself was a manifestation of magic. Although it was released unconsciously by the mist dragon, once someone entered it, it would be extremely difficult for them to get out. Only by waiting for the mist to disappear on its own could they escape smoothly.

Most importantly, compared to slaying the dragon, what Jiang Chen really wanted to do was to fish for the dragon. What he really wanted was to track down the dragon's whereabouts and find its hiding place.

Just as Jiang Chen was lingering outside the mist, an angry dragon roar came from the depths of the fog, accompanied by powerful magical fluctuations, and the rolling fog began to surge.

Sensing this change, Jiang Chen's expression shifted slightly.

"Someone attacked the Mist Dragon and angered it? Who could it be? There shouldn't be such a person in Qinghe County."

Having guessed something, Jiang Chen frowned.

Meanwhile, deep within the fog, three clusters of emerald phosphorescent flames floated around him, and he held a green snake whip in his hand. Gao Siyuan's expression was extremely solemn, and not far from him, a colossal creature was staring at him with chilling eyes.

It was about ten zhang long, pure white, with wisps of mist flowing between its scales, as if it were the embodiment of mist. Its eyes were dark blue, it had a single horn on its head, two long whiskers under its chin, and ice-blue mane from its back to its tail. The mane on its neck was particularly thick, like a blazing ice-blue flame. It had sharp claws on its belly with three fingers. Although its head still retained the characteristics of a snake, it had developed the appearance of a dragon. It was a dragon, and it was the Illusionary Mist Spirit Serpent or the Mist Dragon.

(End of this chapter)