I Have the Martial Arts Heavenly Eye in the Storm Riders

"Well……"

Wuming's usually indifferent face instantly turned bright red, so embarrassed he wished he could disappear into the ground.

His hand holding the wine glass was trembling—not from anger, but from embarrassment at being called out.

What you said, senior, though rough, is... absolutely right!

The next morning, just as dawn broke.

Knowing that Jiang Chen preferred quiet and it was inconvenient for him to stay long, the Feng and Yun families packed their belongings and prepared to take their leave.

Before leaving, Bu Tian made a special trip to the bamboo forest behind the mountain to say goodbye to his senior sister, Jiang Qingge.

Pushing open the bamboo door, a figure in white was wiping a long sword in the courtyard. The morning light fell on her cool profile, making her look like jade and snow.

"Senior sister, I'm going down the mountain now." Bu Tian stood at the door and clasped his hands in a salute.

Jiang Qingge didn't even look up, her fingertips slowly tracing the spine of the sword: "You're gone?"

"Yes, we can't just stay here and bother Master." Bu Tian paused, his tone becoming more serious.

"Senior sister, thank you so much for your help this time."

"What are you thanking me for?"

Jiang Qingge spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if she didn't care at all about the mission to Tianmen.

She raised her head, her gaze lingering on Bu Tian for a moment, a half-smile playing on her lips.

"Now that you're gone, when do you plan to come back to see your senior sister?"

She put down her longsword, stood up and walked closer, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears, staring unblinkingly at Bu Tian.

Bu Tianxia instinctively took a half step back.

"Uh...that depends on Father's arrangements...I'll definitely come back to see my senior sister when I have time."

"available?"

Jiang Qingge chuckled softly, then gently straightened his clothes with her delicate fingers.

Her fingertips lightly brushed across his neck, carrying the coolness of the morning dew.

"You have to keep your word, okay? If you keep your senior sister waiting too long..."

She leaned slightly closer to his ear, her breath sweet as orchids:

"My senior sister will get angry."

After witnessing this scene, Bu Tian's face turned bright red. He stammered for a long time, unable to speak, and finally ran away.

"Take care, senior sister! I'm leaving now!"

Watching his hasty retreat, Jiang Qingge leaned against the bamboo door, arms crossed, and called out to his retreating figure with a smile, drawing out her voice:

"Junior brother—you need to grow up quickly!"

Bu Tian, ​​who was running wildly in the distance, stumbled upon hearing this and almost fell flat on his face.

He was so frightened that he didn't dare to look back. He ran faster than a rabbit and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Qingge could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

He laughed for a while before slowly walking back into the courtyard, picking up the longsword, and continuing to wipe it clean.

The curve of her lips never disappeared.

Outside the mountain gate, Wuming also left with Fengyun and the others.

After everyone left, the back mountain returned to its tranquil state.

Jiang Chen sat alone in his secluded room, gazing at the sea, a slight smile playing on his lips.

As for the two younger ones, Jiang Yi and Jiang Yao, they are usually elusive, wandering around the martial arts world all day long.

Jiang Chen never cared; as long as they didn't indiscriminately kill innocent people, he let them do whatever they wanted.

"Auspicious omen and dragon slaying? Indra, Indra, you are still too cautious."

Indra waited anxiously for the auspicious day, for that day was a period of weakness for the dragon.

Only when the dragon was at its weakest did Indra, who had lived for two thousand years and cherished his life like gold, have the confidence to slay the dragon.

But in Jiang Chen's eyes, this was simply a joke.

"Why wait until the dragon is weak? And why gather those seven pieces of broken copper and scrap iron?"

Jiang Chen slowly rose to his feet, his white robes as pure as snow, dancing effortlessly even without wind.

"While Indra is still dreaming, I'll gladly accept this Dragon Essence."

With a slight thought, his body vanished into thin air, merging into the void like clouds and smoke.

Above the vast expanse of misty waters, ten thousand acres of blue waves.

Looking out, one sees hundreds of boats racing, their banners obscuring the sun.

There were the imperial court's ironclad warships, as well as the large ships and fast boats of various martial arts factions.

They all came for that legendary dragon.

The deck of a giant ship, which was home to several minor sects, was bustling with noise and activity.

Everywhere you look, there are江湖 (jianghu) men drinking and playing drinking games, with swords at their waists and boasting as if they are the best in the world.

The sea breeze was salty and fishy, ​​and the flags on the masts fluttered in the wind.

Jiang Chen's figure appeared quietly in a corner of the deck, as if he had always been standing there, and no one around noticed anything unusual.

He gently patted a man leaning against the railing, who was chugging a drink, and asked with a smile:

"Brother, which sect are you from?"

The man was enjoying his drink when he was patted on the shoulder, and he turned around with some displeasure.

Seeing that Jiang Chen, though dressed in white, did not have the arrogance of a young master from a noble family, he didn't stand on ceremony. He let out a burp, casually picked up an unopened jar of strong liquor from beside him, and generously handed it over.

"Brother from Mingjian Hall, where are you?"

Jiang Chen took the wine jar, broke the clay seal, and casually made up a story: "Ancient Tomb Sect."

"The Ancient Tomb Sect?" The man was taken aback, then burst into laughter. "Sounds like a tomb-raiding, gold-digging business!"

Jiang Chen raised the corner of his mouth but didn't reply.

Mingjian Hall...

A memory from his past life surfaced in his mind.

This Mingjian Hall was later wiped out because it angered the divine general by forcibly abducting a woman named Xiaomei.

I never expected to run into a disciple of that unlucky sect today.

The man clearly had no idea how dire the future would be for his sect.

He had one foot on the gunwale, and as the ship rose and fell with the waves, his body swayed. He gripped the railing tightly with one hand and pointed to the vast sea with the other.

His beard was still frothy with amber-colored wine, his face was flushed, and his eyes were filled with fervent anticipation.

"Brother, do you think if we really find the dragon this time, even if we only get a tiny bit of its blood and flesh... we can live forever and never die?"

As he spoke, he took a large gulp of wine, and in his excitement, the wine trickled down his neck and into his collar.

"When the time comes, I'll be a superior man, getting whatever I want!"

Jiang Chen looked at the man in front of him, who was spitting as he spoke, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

Am I crazy?

He's really obsessed.

With his meager abilities, let alone competing for the Dragon Essence, even a sneeze from a divine dragon could kill him ten times over.

But in this world of martial arts, who isn't obsessed?

From a greenhorn just starting out to a powerful overlord, who doesn't harbor a dream of being "number one in the world"?

Who wouldn't want to live forever and look down upon all living beings?

Knowing full well that they are like moths drawn to a flame, they still rush headlong into it.

This is the world of martial arts.

This wasn't Jiang Chen's dream, but that didn't stop him from toasting the man.

"Good ambition." Jiang Chen raised his wine jar and clinked it heavily against the man's.

With a "bang," the two jars of wine collided, splashing out sprays of wine.

Jiang Chen tilted his head back and drank a mouthful of strong liquor, letting the burning sensation in his throat, and laughed loudly:

"What's the difference between a person without dreams and a salted fish? Come on, toast to your... superiority!"

"Hahaha! Well said! It's no different from salted fish!"

The man was overjoyed and slapped Jiang Chen hard on the shoulder, making Jiang Chen's sleeves flutter.

He felt that although the "Ancient Tomb Sect" brother in front of him looked refined and gentle, his bold and forthright manner was just to his liking!

"Brother, I haven't yet had the pleasure of asking your name?"

The man wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth and asked loudly.

Jiang Chen put down the wine jar, his gaze piercing through the layers of waves, looking into the distance, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

"We've only met by chance, why bother leaving our names?"

Before long, the man was so drunk that he passed out and fell asleep leaning against the railing.

The loud snoring startled the two boastful charlatans next to him.

In his sleep-talking, he was full of delusions and wishful thinking:

"Xiao Cui... wait for me... wait until I become a person of high status... then I'll come back and marry you..."

That simple, smiling face seemed to have fulfilled its wish in a dream.

Jiang Chen glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to walk towards the bow of the boat.

The sea breeze filled my robes, my white clothes like sails.

In the vast ocean, a solitary island, like a fairy mountain, is hidden in layers of clouds and mist.

The island is lush with vegetation and has craggy rocks.

At the foot of the mountain, several hundred households are scattered about, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys and people coming and going.

Some fishermen were weaving nets, while others were drying seafood. Children were chasing and playing barefoot on the rocks, their laughter carried far by the sea breeze.

This is the island in the middle of the lake.

It is also the place where, according to legend, the dragon dwells.

In the center of the island, a majestic mountain rises abruptly from the ground, piercing the clouds.

The mountaintop resembles a volcanic crater, its interior a deep crimson red—a vast lake of fire!

The molten lava surged and the heat was intense, stretching for dozens of miles.

Even standing at the foot of the mountain, you can feel the scorching heat; the air is distorted and deformed by the heat.

A figure in white appeared silently atop the rugged rocks of the mountain peak, overlooking the peaceful fishing village below.

Jiang Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering in the sea breeze, his expression indifferent.

"Water Tribe..."

He murmured softly, his gaze piercing through the clouds and landing on those simple, honest faces.

These people are the clansmen of the "Water God Ancestor".

Generations have guarded this place, worshipping the dragon as a totem and a guardian deity.

In their hearts, the dragon is supreme, protecting the aquatic people and ensuring good weather and lasting peace.

But who knew that this so-called "guardian" was nothing more than a bloodthirsty beast.

"A bunch of pathetic people." Jiang Chen shook his head.

In my past life's memories, the water creatures met a terrible end.

To stop the dragon slayer, they risked their lives, using their flesh and blood to block the peerless master, resulting in countless deaths and rivers of blood.

They thought they were protecting the gods, but in reality they were just aiding and abetting evil.

The most ironic thing is that the "Water God Ancestor" whom they worshipped like a god was eventually swallowed whole by the dragon that he had protected his whole life.

Such blind loyalty is truly pathetic.

"but……"

Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze and looked down at the bottomless crimson fire lake beneath his feet.

A wave of intense heat hit him, making his cheeks slightly hot, but he was completely unaware of it.

A glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"This dragon blood is indeed a good thing."

The chieftain of the aquatic tribe back then was just an ordinary person.

Just because he touched a bit of dragon blood, he was completely transformed. Not only did he gain enlightenment, but he also created the "Water God Technique," instantly becoming a top master capable of suppressing an entire era.

This shows just how terrifying the energy contained in the Dragon Essence must be.

"Since we're here, let's not disturb them."

Jiang Chen's mind stirred, and a divine light flickered in his eyes.

His gaze pierced through the towering lava, reaching the bottom of the lake in an instant.