Chapter 773: Quiet Earth Dragon

As the old beggar's disciples, Lu Xiaoyou and Yang Zong didn't ask about the demons who had escaped earlier. They knew those demons were incredibly fast, and their escape trajectory likely meant their master would not bother with them after a single strike.

The two disciples remained silent, and the old beggar was in no mood to speak much either. His mind was constantly preoccupied, not only by the demons' audacity and ability to launch an ambush, but also by a deep unease regarding the hundreds of thousands of resentful spirits.

Yet, when the old beggar divined the situation of Tianyu Continent and Qianyuan Sect, the results merely indicated minor complications. This was clearly an abnormal sign, which explained why the Sect Master had dispatched someone to the Tianji Pavilion.

"Master, what are the other renowned righteous cultivation establishments in Tianyu Continent? They wouldn't remain unresponsive, would they? Qianyuan Sect should also be informing them of the situation, right? And what about the various divine paths and nature spirits?"

Yang Zong, having once been an emperor, was not a foolish ruler despite his occasional capriciousness in old age. He preferred to view problems from a holistic, strategic perspective. Even though he knew cultivators were generally laid-back and major cultivation forces rarely interacted outside of the Immortal Dao Convention, they were still part of the righteous path. If the crisis was truly severe, they shouldn't be scattered.

"Indeed, Tianyu Continent has many well-known righteous forces. Many have ties to Qianyuan Sect or hold it in high esteem, including the Nine Sects, Thirteen Caves, and Twenty-Two Islands, distributed throughout the continent. Other righteous factions would generally show Qianyuan Sect respect. If Qianyuan Sect's Mountain-Quaking Bell rings nine times, they will certainly be notified."

"Alright, both of you don't need to worry too much. If the sky falls, the tallest will hold it up. We might genuinely be facing a difficult situation this time, but Qianyuan Sect can handle it! We just need to figure out what's causing all this trouble."

The image of the monster, formed from resentful spirits, flashed through the old beggar's mind once more. He then cast aside all other thoughts and sped across the sky with his two disciples. He didn't enter the罡 wind layer nor did he conceal himself; in fact, he didn't even restrain the light emanating from his body. He intended to charge back to Tianyu Continent in this very manner.

The vast, boundless sea seemed unchanging. Under the old beggar's tireless efforts, sacrificing his magic power to travel, they neared Tianyu Continent in just over a month. Only then did he find an inconspicuous deserted island to land. With his two disciples guarding him, he rested and recuperated for a day. Once recovered, he immediately flew off in the dim light, accompanying the rising sun, towards the closest continent of Tianyu.

Gazing at the endless land in the distance, confirming it was no mere island, Lu Xiaoyou turned to the old beggar beside him, who still radiated immortal light.

"Master, are we going to Qianyuan Sect?"

"No rush. I've already sensed that Qianyuan Sect's mountain gate is temporarily safe. The problem must be with Tianyu Continent itself. Let me go see for myself first."

Since Mount Yuanyuan in the sea was fine, the old beggar preferred not to meet his senior brother just yet and chose to investigate Tianyu Continent instead.

Afterward, the old beggar reined in the ostentatious immortal light around him and flew into Tianyu Continent with his two disciples. However, after only a few days of flying within Tianyu, the old beggar and his disciples sensed that something was amiss.

Chaos. The various human kingdoms they flew over in just a few days were all in turmoil. Floods, locust plagues, droughts, and epidemics were rampant, and most regions were experiencing unrest. Several countries were at war, either fighting neighboring nations or embroiled in internal strife.

The unimaginable chaos was visible to the naked eye, and the interwoven energies created a sense of irritation even for a master like the old beggar.

The three maintained their altitude, their gaze sweeping over the mountains and rivers below, yet hardly any stable land could be seen. In such chaotic conditions, evil naturally bred or was attracted. Thus, beyond the suffering of ordinary natural and man-made disasters, there was also the menace of demonic evil.

They continued flying for several more days, during which the old beggar and his disciples saw immortal lights flashing or divine lights appearing, signifying the intervention of righteous figures. However, the three themselves never set foot on the ground.

"Night is falling again."

Lu Xiaoyou looked at the setting sun on the horizon. Although the glow of the evening clouds was bright, the land below was already shrouded in gloom.

"Indeed."

Yang Zong responded with a hum, looking at the areas where darkness gathered fastest. Evil energy bred most rapidly there, with some ghost fires already beginning to appear. In more secluded villages, ordinary folk had long since gone indoors and extinguished their lamps; hardly anyone was lingering outside.

"Xiaozong, what's your take on this?"

After all, Yang Zong's experience as an emperor meant he likely had unique insights into human turmoil.

"Master, from the perspective of the mortal kingdoms, this conflict among various states seems to suggest some countries want to unify the realm. However, from the perspective of immortal cultivation, it's more than that; there must be an evil entity hidden behind the scenes, instigating trouble."

"Hmm, that's a good point, but it's even more than that. It's not as simple as just instigating trouble!"

The old beggar recalled the ambush they had faced. Clearly, Qianyuan Sect was also aware of the problem, and might even have already clashed with the true mastermind behind it, which would explain why cultivators were being ambushed.

"Master, over there!"

"Indeed!"

Lu Xiaoyou pointed towards a distant area already enveloped in darkness. The old beggar nodded and slowly flew in that direction with his two disciples.

The reason they chose to pause there was that the old beggar noticed that while the mountains in that area weren't particularly majestic, their underground extensions were incredibly grand and profoundly connected to the surrounding kingdoms—to put it simply, they were intertwined with the dragon veins of various nations.

At that moment, that specific area had grown dark much earlier than other places and was also the most concentrated source of evil energy within a thousand-mile radius.

The three silently landed on a mountaintop. Although the surrounding evil energy was dense, no demonic entities seemed to have spawned yet. The old beggar's gaze swept around, then fixed on a hollow in the mountain, and he pointed his finger there.

"Xiaozong, Xiaoyou, go dig three *zhang* deep over there and bring something up."

"Yes, Master!"

Hearing their master's command, the two didn't waste words or ask questions; they flew directly towards the spot. They knew they would see whatever it was once they dug three *zhang* deep. Using earth-manipulating magic, they turned over the rocks and soil, which sank like quicksand but continually spread outwards.

Soon, a large pit, three *zhang* deep and as wide as a water vat, appeared before Lu Xiaoyou and Yang Zong. Inside lay something reflecting a faint glow.

Lu Xiaoyou extended his hand and beckoned; the object spun up and flew into his grasp. The two then carried it back to the nearby mountaintop and presented it to the old beggar.

It was an earthy yellow scale, about the size of two human palms. Its texture was slippery to the touch, yet it looked dry, cracked, and withered.

"Master, is it a dragon scale?"

Yang Zong asked curiously. During his time as emperor, he had always been hailed as a 'true dragon of the human realm' and knew that emperors indeed possessed a certain 'dragon qi'. Thus, he always paid extra attention to anything related to dragons.

"Yes, a scale of an Earth Serpent-Dragon."

"Earth Serpent-Dragon?"

Yang Zong and Lu Xiaoyou exchanged a glance, unfamiliar with this type of dragon.

"You've heard of the 'earth dragon turning over,' haven't you?"

Everyone had heard of that. The two naturally nodded as the old beggar, looking at the scale in his hand, spoke indifferently.

"The so-called 'earth dragon turning over' refers to the destructive power generated by massive shifts in earth energy. However, in places where mountain spiritual energy is particularly dense, certain indolent dragons enjoy cultivating there, especially in locations known as dragon veins. They remain motionless for years, almost merging with the mountain terrain, slowly evolving into what are known as Earth Dragons. Their occasional 'turning over' can stir the surrounding earth energy, which is the origin of the phrase. But this particular one..."

The old beggar looked at the area. The evil energy was so dense. While there were malevolent dragons among the dragon kin, Earth Serpent-Dragons typically disliked such aura.

"Let's go, let's take a look down there!"

With that, the old beggar took his two disciples and disappeared into the mountaintop, using earth escape to travel underground. Guided by his senses, he burrowed in a certain direction. A quarter of an hour later, the three arrived at a depth of nearly a thousand *zhang* underground.

In a tangled network of subterranean mountains, the three, still faintly glowing from their earth escape, came to a halt. Lu Xiaoyou and Yang Zong stared dumbfounded at what lay ahead, while the old beggar's expression turned grim.

A massive Earth Serpent-Dragon lay quietly there, twenty to thirty *zhang* long and incredibly robust. But at that moment, it was disturbingly still, showing no signs of vital breath exchange with the outside world.

"Master, is this Earth Dragon dead?"

"Hmph, it's completely dead!"

The old beggar's eyes flickered with faint magical light. Not only was this Earth Dragon dead, but its corpse was also heavily imbued with resentment, continuously emanating malevolent and evil energies that were corrupting the surrounding mountains and dragon veins.

"Master, this Earth Dragon is so large; its cultivation must have been considerable, right?"

"Hmm, while dragon kin aren't judged solely by their physical bodies, given this one's size, its cultivation couldn't have been poor. It must have cultivated for at least a thousand years, perhaps even longer. Even if Earth Dragons are slightly weaker than ordinary dragon kin, this one wouldn't be inferior to a true Water Serpent-Dragon from a great river."

Yang Zong's expression also grew solemn, understanding the hidden meaning in his master's words.

"Such a powerful Serpent-Dragon, yet it died silently underground? Who did this?"

"Hmph, it certainly wasn't done by the righteous path! No wonder the royal families of the surrounding kingdoms are acting as if they've gone mad."

"If we deal with this Earth Dragon's remains, will that stop their wars?"

When Lu Xiaoyou asked this, the old beggar shook his head slightly, while Yang Zong sighed.

"Senior Brother, once war breaks out, many choices are lost, especially when people are driven to madness and resentments intertwine. Moreover, this is clearly not just about one Earth Dragon. Who knows how many other issues there are across the entire Tianyu Continent?"

"Xiaozong is right. However, we can't ignore this. We must first seal this dragon corpse. If we leave it as is, this dragon will undergo a corpse transformation!"

Corpse transformation?

The prospect of an Earth Dragon undergoing corpse transformation startled both Lu Xiaoyou and Yang Zong; the thought alone was terrifying. Furthermore, such an event would certainly enrage the Dragon Clan, even if this particular Earth Dragon was merely an "isolated, wild dragon."

"If the Dragon Clan gets involved, the situation will likely become even more chaotic. The hidden hand behind all this is truly formidable, more insidious than widespread demonic havoc."

Lu Xiaoyou added with a frown.

"And I'm afraid there won't be any shortage of demons either."

"Indeed!"

Yet, at this moment, the old beggar still believed that with the profound power of Qianyuan Sect and the righteous path of Tianyu Continent, they would be able to resolve all crises.

"Gurgle..."

Suddenly, a faint sound emanated from the dragon corpse. In the quiet underground, the three immediately picked it up, instantly realizing there was still an issue.