Starting from the two realms, cultivating immortality by taming beasts

Chapter 653 The Three-Phase Dragon King

A square altar stands at the mouth of the river.

As time passed, more and more county residents gathered in front of the altar, numbering around a thousand.

Among these people were ordinary people as well as officials of all ranks serving in Guanxian County.

Clang! Clang! Thump!

At this moment, everyone's eyes were on the newly appointed magistrate on the stage.

"Can it work?" an old man asked hopefully.

"With the new county magistrate serving as the chief officiant, the Dragon King will surely give us some face," another middle-aged county resident thought to himself.

"Sigh, is Magistrate Chen trying to hold a sacrificial ceremony or cause trouble?"

The officials present all sighed inwardly, their eyes subtly glancing at Li Jin and Guang Yu, already showing signs of wanting to leave.

However, the county magistrate and the county commandant, his superiors, were waiting on the side. Even if it meant risking their lives, they had to accompany him, otherwise they would not be able to keep their official positions.

"Offer sacrifices."

As soon as Chen Beiwu finished speaking, a Foundation Establishment cultivator cut open the necks of the three sacrificial animals and threw them, along with the blood-stained grains, into the Jianjiang River.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Chen Beiwu stepped out with the Xuan Tian Step and began reciting the sacrificial text.

The content of the eulogy was very simple. Chen Beiwu emphasized at the beginning that he was the magistrate of Guanxian County, representing the majesty of the Great Shang Dynasty, and was responsible for governing the people and guarding the land. As a result, the cultivators below the stage felt that it was not a eulogy.

The next moment, Chen Beiwu's tone changed, and he listed the three major crimes of the Dragon King of Jianjiangkou, and sternly rebuked it as an evil dragon that opposed the Shang Dynasty and disregarded the dignity of the court, and that it was not worthy of the position of Dragon King of Jianjiangkou.

Upon hearing this, Li Jin and Guang Yu exchanged a glance, their eyes showing no surprise.

If Magistrate Chen had truly intended to perform the sacrifice, the scale of today's Dragon King Festival would certainly not have been so grand.

As the saying goes, a new broom sweeps clean, and there is no doubt that Magistrate Chen is preparing to set his sights on Yelong at Jianjiang Estuary as his first act to establish his authority.

But here's the problem: this fire isn't something Chen Zi'ang can just start at will. Even a prefectural governor isn't confident in dealing with this evil dragon, let alone a newly appointed county magistrate.

I wonder where Magistrate Chen got his confidence from?

Li Jin sighed inwardly, feeling that the new county magistrate was simply acting recklessly.

Jade should not collide with tile. The might of the Great Shang Dynasty can overwhelm the cultivators of the Eastern Lands, but it may not be able to suppress the inherently cruel Yelong.

Meanwhile, the county magistrate Guangyu, who was standing to the side, found it increasingly strange. The newly appointed magistrate publicly denounced Yelong's crimes, saying that it was bad enough that he was impersonating the Dragon King and stealing the divine office, but he even issued an ultimatum in the sacrificial text, ordering Yelong to move out of Jianjiang Estuary within a day, or he would surely be killed by the real Dragon King of Jianjiang Estuary.

Is this for real? Where did these two dragon kings, one real and one fake, come from at the mouth of the Jianjiang River?

Guangyu has lived in Guanxian for so many years, and this is the first time he has heard of such a novel thing.

If it weren't for repeated sensing confirming that the new magistrate only had the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Perfection, County Commandant Guangyu would almost have thought that Chen Ziang was a Nascent Soul Perfection True Monarch capable of suppressing the entire Minxin County, and that he had already invited an ultimate demon king. Otherwise, how could he have such outrageous confidence?

This is insane! Has the new magistrate gone mad?!

One by one, ordinary people stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

The Dragon King Festival has been ruined like this, and they even say the Dragon King is a fake. How could the Dragon King not be furious!

Could it be that reinforcements have already been sent from above? Otherwise, Lord Chen wouldn't be so confident!

The officials' minds shifted slightly. They realized that the important figure would definitely act according to established procedures and would never risk his life to create a mystery. He was probably using his status as a third-ranked scholar to invite a powerful figure from the upper prefecture to help him.

Is this the method Zi'ang was referring to?

Concealing her aura, Shen Yuxia, who was hidden in the shadows, raised an eyebrow.

The evil dragon of Jianjiang Estuary is a ferocious beast with a cultivation level close to that of a demon king. It can also take advantage of the water veins. Even ordinary perfected lords would have to retreat if they encountered it in the water. Only by finding a way to force it to the surface can one have a chance of winning.

Therefore, even though she possesses many fifth-tier treasures, she would be extremely cautious when facing such a vicious dragon across realms, and would prefer to resolve the situation without taking any damage.

But Chen Zi'ang, with his perfect Foundation Establishment cultivation, regarded the evil dragon of Jianjiangkou as nothing and said it was a fake dragon king.

What a joke! If the evil dragon that caused the flood is a fake dragon and cannot control the water veins of Jianjiang Estuary, then the Minxin County Prefect and the True Lord of the County can solve the problem without her intervention.

At the same time, Chen Beiwu also noticed the panic among the county residents present.

The majesty of the Shang Dynasty needs no further explanation; even lowly officials knew of its power.

But ordinary people with limited knowledge are different. In their eyes, a local official is more powerful than a county official, and the Dragon King who controls the rainwater of Jianjiang Estuary is a high and mighty god who cannot be offended in the slightest.

"quiet."

Chen Beiwu spoke in a deep voice, instantly calming the emotions of the county residents present.

Guided by Schiller's divine sense, a county resident suddenly asked boldly, "Your Excellency, I am ignorant and have never heard of the Three-Phase Dragon King. Compared to Jianjiangkou—no, compared to that evil dragon—this Dragon King is neither strong nor weak. Can he guarantee favorable weather for the area around Guanxian?"

Upon hearing this, the county residents suppressed their fear and looked at Chen Beiwu with undisguised anticipation in their eyes.

Their idea was simple: if the Three-Phase Dragon King was more powerful and had higher cultivation than the evil dragon in the river, and could ensure good weather throughout the year, they could smash the evil dragon statue now and replace it with a temple to the Three-Phase Dragon King.

"Positions have different levels of rank, and duties have different responsibilities; naturally, even the Dragon King has different ranks."

"Jianjiangkou is the confluence of three rivers, receiving the Wujiang River upstream and the Qingshui River downstream. In ancient times, it was a waterway hub that could not be suppressed by an ordinary dragon king."

"After consulting ancient texts and studying the rituals of heaven, earth, mountains, rivers, and sacrifices, I learned some of the origins of the Three Dragon Kings."

At this point, Chen Beiwu paused slightly: "In ancient times, the Three-Phase Dragon King was on par with the Misty River Dragon King. It is truly foolish of you to compare an evil dragon with the Three-Phase Dragon King."

"Can he be on par with the Dragon King of the Misty River?"

The thousands of county residents present stared wide-eyed, their eyes filled with barely concealed excitement.

Their idea was simple: the larger the territory, the stronger they were.

The Misty River is the largest river in Chaoxi Prefecture. The Three-Phase Dragon King, who is on par with the Misty River Dragon King, is naturally extraordinary and his strength must far surpass that of the evil dragon.

The knowledgeable Li Jin and Guang Yu exchanged a glance, their eyes both showing some strangeness.

The magistrate's words were truly treating them like fools, trying to deceive them.

As everyone knows, the county magistrate comes from the Earth Religion, and Earth Religion cultivators revere the virtue of earth, worship mountains and rivers, respect ghosts and gods, and are skilled in performing duties such as worshipping mountains and rivers and conferring titles on righteous gods. That three-phase dragon king is most likely an outside help that the county magistrate invited through some means.

In response, the county magistrate offered the title of Dragon King of Jianjiang Estuary as a reward.

"That makes sense."

Li Jin and Guang Yu breathed a sigh of relief, no longer worried about their own safety.

Chen Beiwu put away the memorial text and placed it in his sleeve. He then declared to the crowd, "If the evil dragon in the river does not migrate before the sun rises tomorrow, it will surely die."

"If you, the residents of the county, wish to worship the Three Dragon Kings in the future, you must hold the Dragon King worship ceremony according to the standards of the righteous gods of the Great Shang Dynasty, and you must not use human sacrifices."

After saying this, Chen Beiwu turned and left, leading the sacrificial procession back to Guanxian.

Guanxian, the county government office.

As soon as Chen Beiwu arrived at the entrance of the cultivation cave, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a white figure, and then he saw a beautiful and fair face.

"Your intuition is quite good," Shen Yuxia praised.

It was quite remarkable that Chen Ziang could be alerted from a distance of a hundred feet, given that she deliberately revealed a trace of her aura.

"Hey!" (Playing the role of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is indeed difficult!)

Schiller watched Chen Beiwu's performance with great interest.

"Aunt Shen."

Chen Beiwu greeted him casually, then tentatively asked, "What important matter brings you to the county government office?"

"What, you find your aunt annoying and want to kick Aunt Shen out?" Shen Yuxia teased with a light laugh.

"How could that be? I just wanted to ask if I could be of any help to Aunt Shen."

"You've just taken office in Guanxian, and there's a lot to do lately. You should take care of your own affairs first."

At this point, Shen Yuxia suddenly asked, "By the way, what exactly is the Three-Phase Dragon King? Is it believable?"

"Believable."

Chen Beiwu nodded solemnly, saying that the Three Dragon Kings was an extremely powerful demon king he met by chance during his travels. He was kind-hearted and had saved his life.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuxia looked enlightened and did not doubt Chen Beiwu.

The reason is simple: a Foundation Establishment cultivator would never lie to her.

Moreover, it wasn't just Chen Zi'ang; some disciples of the Earth Sect who were training outside also gained the favor of the Green Snake Demon King and the White Fox Demon King, and even eventually came together and became Daoist partners.

Compared to such precedents, it is not too surprising that Chen Zi'ang was saved by the Dragon King and formed a life-or-death friendship with him.

"So, Zi'ang, you want to repay a debt of gratitude by securing a position as a true god for the Three-Phase Dragon King, so that he may be protected by the Great Shang Dynasty's fortune and have a much higher chance of becoming a fifth-tier demon lord in the future?" Shen Yuxia concluded.

"I still couldn't hide it from Aunt Shen." Chen Beiwu smiled subtly.

"You, you've only just become a county magistrate and you already want to bestow a divine title upon the Great Shang Dynasty. What will you be like when you become a prefect? ​​Will you have to give even the dogs in your household a divine title?"

Shen Yuxia shook her head, feeling that Chen Ziang was somewhat ignorant of his own limitations. She casually took out a jade slip from her sleeve and said, "Never mind, I have a God-Sealing Token here. You might find it useful."

Chen Beiwu accepted the Investiture of the Gods decree and expressed his gratitude.

The Investiture of the Gods Token is a special ordination token crafted by the Earth Sect using the power of the Great Shang Dragon Vein, and it is extremely valuable.

A cultivator only needs to activate their magic power to mobilize a trace of the Great Shang Dragon Vein to confer titles upon deities, assign them names, and bestow upon them ranks.

As for whether the deification will ultimately succeed, that depends on whether the person who consecrates the deification token is compatible with the mountains and rivers they wish to govern.

"Without further ado, I'm going to confer the title of Dragon King of the Three Phases Dragon King on the Jianjiang Estuary right now." Chen Beiwu took the conferment order and was about to leave.

"Wait, what's the rush? Rashly bestowing titles upon gods will do more harm than good."

Shen Yuxia stopped Chen Beiwu and added casually, "It's better to be safe than sorry. Fourth-tier demon kings are good at disguise. While the Three-Phase Dragon King is fighting the evil dragon, I can use this opportunity to investigate his aura and see if there are any problems with him, or if he might be a spy sent by the Northern Profound Domain."

"If there are no problems, you can then bestow upon it the title of Jianjiang Dragon King or Sanxiang Dragon King."

After saying that, Shen Yuxia activated her escape light and left.

"Hey!" (What a kind person!)

Schiller said from the bottom of his heart.

"You mean I'm a bad guy?" Chen Beiwu glanced at Xue Le.

Schiller was immediately jolted awake and shook his head repeatedly.

After teasing Schiller, Chen Beiwu looked at the golden egg and got down to business: "How do you feel? Has the Ascension Method changed?"

""

The golden-egg dragon narrowed its eyes, somewhat unsure of what to do.

Since Chen Beiwu established the Three-Phase Dragon King status for it, the golden egg has been able to vaguely sense the restlessness of its bloodline.

This restlessness is ambiguous, resembling both an opportunity for its bloodline to undergo a transformation and an illusion.

"It's simple. Since we can't be sure, let's kill that evil dragon first and seize the divine position at Jianjiangkou." Chen Beiwu reached out and patted Jindan's head.

"roar!"

The golden egg raises its three dragon heads, its gaze resolute.

Deep in the mouth of the Jianjiang River.

Mud and sand churned, and the water became murky.

A misty cave dwelling, shrouded in a faint mist, reveals a completely different world inside.

Looking at the sacrificial animals and grains before him, a fourth-tier dragon with a short, stocky body, a large head, and ferocious bone spurs on its forehead had a cold gaze.

If the governor of Minxin Prefecture were here, he would recognize at a glance that this demon king is a water dragon of the Chilong clan, which does not live in the deep sea or dwell in the great rivers.

"Trying to provoke me and force me to go out and fight?"

Ze Shui Chi Long sneered: "Foolish humans."

Human cultivators are known for their cunning; how could it possibly leave the riverbed to fight against the Shang Dynasty cultivators?

As for the content of the sacrificial text mentioned by Chen Zi'ang, the magistrate of Guanxian County, Zeshui Chilong disdained it.

If the other party were truly capable, they would have already entered the water to fight me. Why bother with such a low-level tactic as bluffing and provoking me?

However, in order to respond to the magistrate of Guanxian County's sacrificial text, demonstrate its authority, and at the same time complete the transaction with the group of human cultivators, Zeshui Chilong decided to summon wind and rain before sunrise the next day, causing a torrential downpour and triggering floods at the mouth of the Jianjiang River, which would completely submerge Minxin County.

Although such an action is risky and will attract the attention of the cultivators from the Great Shang Dynasty, it is insignificant compared to the reward promised by those cultivators.

"Buzz!"

The shimmering light revealed a jet-black dragon pearl.

Looking at the treasure in its paws, Zeshui Chilong couldn't help but smile.

By refining this water-attribute dragon pearl, it can truly step into the realm of the ultimate demon king, and even challenge the demon lord realm that the Ze Shui Chi Long clan has longed for for generations.

boom!

Just then, Ze Shui Chi Long sensed a strong sense of crisis.

not good!"

The Ze Shui Chi Long's eyes narrowed, and before it could raise its head to activate its profound power, a three-colored dragon shadow suddenly pressed down, as if the sky had collapsed and pressed down, unleashing an unstoppable and majestic dragon might.

Faced with this terrifying dragon might, the Zeshui Chilong's consciousness, reaction, and movements were all a beat slower, and it could only watch helplessly as a strong dragon claw tore through space and forcefully snatched the dragon pearl from its hand.

"my darling!"

The Ze Shui Chi Long's eyes turned red, and it opened its ferocious maw, fiercely biting down at the neck of the three-colored dragon shadow.

Xuan Tong, Shang Ze Long Yao suddenly launched his attack.

As the turbid water continued to flow in, the teeth of the Ze Shui Chi Long were quickly covered with a layer of brownish-yellow luster, radiating an incomparably sharp aura.

This strike was a sublime sublimation, pouring out all the inner elixir's true essence and drawing upon the power of the water veins at the mouth of the Jianjiang River.

It is no exaggeration to say that even if a fully-fledged demon king were here, the Zeshui Chilong would be confident in instantly destroying his physical body and annihilating his soul.

"Die!"

Seeing that the three-colored dragon shadow could not dodge in time, the Ze Shui Chi Long revealed a bloodthirsty smile.

The next instant, when the Chilong's divine sense clearly saw the true form of the three-colored dragon shadow, the smile on its face froze, and the dragon blood deep within its body began to throb with unease.

"Clang!"

The ferocious giant teeth clashed with the scales, and a "crack" sound rang out.

In an instant, the giant tooth of the Zeshui Chilong shattered, blood gushing from its mouth, turning it into a pitiful toothless dragon.

The golden egg withdrew its gaze from the dragon ball, and the three divine dragon heads stared at the Ze Shui Chi Long, whose neck scales remained radiant and unharmed.

"What kind of monster is this?"

Upon witnessing this unbelievable scene, Ze Shui Chi Long felt a chill in his heart, his eyes instantly cleared, and he dared not make any further moves, even subconsciously lowering his head to show weakness.

Could it be that the magistrate of Guanxian County didn't make any wild claims, and that there really is a Three-Phase Dragon King in Jiankou River whose status is comparable to that of the Dragon King of Wujiang River?

>