Chapter 228: Dragon Lord's Wrath

Mo Jiao swam with the surging waters. As the flood poured into Guangdong Lake, the fishing boats and small vessels moored along the nearby small river were all violently tossed by the waves. It took roughly the time it takes to brew a cup of tea for the surface of Guangdong Lake to finally settle.

Upon entering Guangdong Lake, Mo Jiao felt an undeniable sense of returning home, which significantly uplifted his spirit, even though his physical condition didn't improve much.

The rain continued, though much lighter than before. The jiao's earlier entry into the lake, bringing with it a surge of water, had created waves that caused boats moored along the shore to rock violently.

Despite the ongoing rain, some fishermen living along the shoreline could not resist venturing out, donned in straw cloaks and conical hats, to check on their boats. The recent flood had been truly peculiar, but boats were fundamental to the livelihood of fishing families, making them too anxious to stay indoors. After waiting for a while and perceiving no further disturbances, some reluctantly ventured out to inspect their vessels. They only returned home with a sigh of relief after confirming that most boats by the shore, including their own, were intact and had neither capsized nor sunk.

Naturally, some older residents were gripped by panic, recalling the vivid memory of a sudden flood that struck Guangdong Lake years ago. That event had destroyed numerous homes and swept away many people, who were never seen again.

Ji Yuan and Li Baotian, the City God of Lishun Prefecture, stood by the shore of Guangdong Lake, gazing at its now calm surface. The jiao in the water had already dived deep into the lake.

"Mr. Ji, do you know the origin of this jiao, Mo Rong?" City God Li glanced at the fishermen who had come to inspect their boats, then turned to Ji Yuan and posed the question.

Ji Yuan was currently estimating the old dragon's arrival time. Tongtian River was, after all, quite distant from this location. He roughly calculated that the journey from Wanzhou to Jingji Prefecture, even at the speed of the Green Vine Sword's light, would take only about an hour. Given that the old dragon was a true dragon with masterful flying abilities, he should arrive before nightfall, assuming he was home and able to depart immediately.

Hearing the City God's question, Ji Yuan looked at him and answered truthfully. "This is my first visit to Wanzhou, and my first time by Guangdong Lake, so naturally, I am unaware of this Mo Jiao's origins."

In truth, Ji Yuan first heard of Guangdong Lake years ago from the black-clad assailants when Wei Wuwei's carriage was almost ambushed. Subsequent knowledge he gained was merely from hearsay and written accounts.

City God Li stroked his long beard, gazing across the vast lake, whose opposite shore was barely discernible. "About forty years ago, before the silk weaving industry was fully widespread in Wanzhou, a legend circulated along the shores of Guangdong Lake about something called the 'Flower King'."

"The Flower King?" Ji Yuan glanced at the lake, pondering the entirely black Mo Jiao. Surely, it wouldn't be associated with the word "Flower."

"Indeed. The so-called 'Flower King' was a colorful, poisonous toad that had lurked in Guangdong Lake for at least several centuries. It possessed profound cultivation and was both shrewd and cunning, commanding several lesser demons. About a century ago, it began to cautiously emerge, occasionally stealthily overturning fishing boats, causing fishermen who fell into the water to be devoured."

Ji Yuan frowned, looking at the City God, but before he could speak, City God Li anticipated his question and continued. "The deities of the three prefectures bordering Guangdong Lake naturally wouldn't stand by. After several such incidents, the Underworld Bureaus realized that a demon was at work and traced it to Guangdong Lake. This creature even dared to use nightmare magic to threaten the people of nearby fishing villages, demanding they build temples and statues, and even offering sacrifices of young boys and girls. It even audaciously declared itself the 'Flower King'!"

City God Li let out a cold laugh as he recounted this.

Ji Yuan also narrowed his eyes in thought. The practice of self-proclaiming "King So-and-So" was exceedingly rare in Da Zhen. This was partly because very few demons ever reached a significant level of power, and partly because the title of "Demon King" carried immense weight.

City God Li continued his narrative. "As Guangdong Lake had no presiding deity, we local earth gods along its shores united to purge it. However, the demon proved cunning. The lake's center was thousands of feet deep, interwoven with dark, complex underwater caves. The few demon spirits would hide at the bottom, and with their mastery over water and their inherent powers, they became impossible to locate. After a month of fruitless searching, we assumed the demon had fled via the rivers. That was until forty years ago..."

The City God's voice took on an unexplainable emotional tone, tinged with a hint of melancholy. "That year, after spring arrived, thunderstorms became frequent around Guangdong Lake. Then, on a rare day devoid of wind and rain, a sudden flood erupted. Several rivers connected to the lake reversed their flow, causing Guangdong Lake to instantly swell and flood an area of thirty li. Numerous lakeside villages and towns were devastated, and many people were swept away by the raging waters..."

"That month, the water level in Guangdong Lake swelled immensely. It turned out that several demons in the lake had seized the opportunity to collectively unleash this flood, intending to gorge themselves to replenish their essence and undergo transformation. What was even more enraging was how swiftly the flood came and receded, withdrawing within moments. The demons then once again vanished into the depths of Guangdong Lake, infuriating us underworld deities to no end!"

Even now, as he spoke of the incident, City God Li's beard seemed to bristle and his eyes flashed with indignation.

"Just as we were steeling ourselves to seek assistance from the River Gods, a jiao arrived during a thunderstorm, manipulating the waters as it traveled down the river towards Guangdong Lake. This jiao addressed the deities on shore, identifying itself as 'Master Mo,' stating it came from outside Da Zhen, and had informed the Dragon Lord of its intent to claim Guangdong Lake as its cultivation ground. Following this, the jiao plunged into the lake and engaged the lake's demon spirits in an underwater battle. For several days, whirlpools churned across Guangdong Lake, making it impassable for any vessel. Once the great lake eventually settled, the 'Flower King' and its ilk simply became tales of the past."

Ji Yuan nodded in understanding. It seemed this Mo Jiao had no ambition to become a lake god; it merely occupied Guangdong Lake as a place for its cultivation. It had simply suffered a terrible misfortune this time.

The man and the deity remained by the lakeside, waiting quietly. The heavy rain continued to pour ceaselessly, causing the sky to darken more rapidly than usual that day.

Approximately half an hour after nightfall, the rain suddenly intensified. To Ji Yuan and City God Li, the raindrops dancing on the dark lake surface appeared noticeably more vigorous.

"Crack... Rumble..."

A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the land, accompanied by an explosive clap of thunder. The thunder, which had ceased all afternoon, now re-erupted in the night, with that initial boom powerful enough to startle early sleepers awake.

"Roar!"

Beyond the thunder, a faint dragon's roar resonated from above the clouds in the sky. The immense power within it surged forth, causing the thunder to continuously crackle and boom.

'The old dragon is here!' 'The Dragon Lord of Tongtian River has arrived!' These two thoughts simultaneously surfaced in the minds of Ji Yuan and City God Li.

In mere moments, a dragon-shaped phantom, resembling a current of air, materialized within the downpour. It soared through the sky towards Guangdong Lake with the grace of a dragon in flight, then plunged into the water with a resounding "boom," parting the lake's surface.

Uncharacteristically, the old dragon did not greet Ji Yuan first this time but plunged directly into Guangdong Lake. As ripples still undulated across the lake after the dragon's descent, the Green Vine Sword, trailing a faint green light, flew back to rest behind Ji Yuan.

"The Dragon Lord is very angry!" The City God looked at Ji Yuan and murmured, to which Ji Yuan simply hummed in acknowledgement, offering no further words.

When the Green Vine Sword delivered the message, the subtle divine essence Ji Yuan had left infused in it, though minimal, was sufficient for the old dragon to grasp Mo Jiao's dire situation. From Mo Jiao's earlier demeanor and the City God's recent narrative, it was clear that Mo Jiao shared an unusual relationship with the old dragon.

Over half an hour later, a surge of water rose from a spot in the lake. From it, a man in a long, open-front robe slowly emerged, treading on the water's surface as he approached the shore. He cupped his hands in greeting towards Ji Yuan and the City God.

"Mr. Ji, City God Li."

"Elder Ying. Greetings, Dragon Lord!"

While the old dragon and Ji Yuan exchanged greetings rather casually, the City God's demeanor was notably more formal.

"Rumble..."

The thunder's intensity in the sky remained undiminished, illuminating the faces of the three figures. The old dragon's expression, in particular, was quite unsettling. He simply stood beside Ji Yuan and the City God, staring at the lake's surface in silent contemplation.

"May I inquire about Mo Jiao's current condition, Elder Ying? Do you have any plans for his continued recovery?" As the old dragon remained silent and the City God seemed reluctant to speak, Ji Yuan decided to ask himself.

Hearing his friend's inquiry, the old dragon collected his thoughts and shook his head at Ji Yuan. "His dragon sinews were extracted, his vital essence profoundly damaged, and even his dragon pearl destroyed. I am powerless to reverse such a fate. Had it not been for Mr. Ji's timely intervention to remove the evil nightmare afflicting him, I fear his very dragon soul would not have been preserved."

"Evil nightmare?" City God Li frowned and questioned, and Ji Yuan was equally curious.

"Precisely. This insidious sorcery is profoundly sinister and vicious, incredibly difficult to detect. Once the evil nightmare takes hold and manifests, Mo Rong is reduced to a bestial state, losing even the ability to speak. It further dissipates and devours the vital essence within his body. Should Mo Rong succumb to this evil nightmare, his soul would transform into a new nightmare, returning to its caster!"

"Hiss..." Ji Yuan couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. He had never even heard of such a malevolent spell before, sometimes wishing he hadn't known of its existence.

"Crack... Rumble..."

Thunder once again illuminated the land. The old dragon turned to Ji Yuan, his expression both startling and grim. He narrowed his eyes, gazing into Ji Yuan's ancient, unruffled eyes—a direct gaze they had only exchanged once before, during their very first meeting.

"Mr. Ji, you are correct. Da Zhen's destiny must not be severed; indeed, it must rise, ideally to a power strong enough to guide the entire Eastern Continent of Yunzhou. Let the human path flourish to suppress wicked forces, for that is far preferable to a chaotic dance of demons!"

After a brief moment of eye contact with Ji Yuan, the old dragon raised his head, gazing diagonally towards the northern sky. "Those who attacked Mo Rong are no ordinary individuals. They originally would not have allowed him to escape back to Da Zhen, but they underestimated Mo Rong's ruthlessness; he risked destroying his cultivation and exploding his dragon pearl just to escape with his life... For centuries now, ever since chaos erupted in the Two Desolate Continents, I had presumed it wouldn't impact the Eastern Continent of Yunzhou, which lies millions of miles away..."

As he spoke, the old dragon subconsciously glanced at City God Li, then cupped his hands towards Ji Yuan and continued. "I must depart from Da Zhen for a while. I ask Mr. Ji to kindly look after Mo Rong here. There are some matters I still do not fully comprehend. Allow me to investigate and return, then I will explain everything in detail to Mr. Ji."

Having spoken, Elder Ying transformed into a shimmering dragon silhouette and soared into the sky.

"Roar!"

The dragon's roar seemed to carry a palpable sense of deadly intent.

"Will the Dragon Lord be able to trace the culprits on this journey?"

"I don't know, but he will surely unleash his full wrath..."

Ji Yuan gazed at the sky, suddenly understanding why the old dragon had never sought to assume a "divine position."

After the true dragon ascended and departed, the heavy rain, which had persisted throughout the night, finally ceased.