Chapter 838: Sudden Water Rupture

Outside, the old Dragon Lord, the Dragon Mother, and their son had waited for a long time. Finally, the door to the Dragon Maiden's chambers opened again, and Ji Yuan, with a furrowed brow, appeared in the doorway. He looked back to see Ying Ruoli still seated in her original spot, her divine light undiminished.

Ji Yuan glanced back, closed the door, and then stepped out of the restricted area. At this point, the old Dragon Lord could no longer hold back.

“Mr. Ji, how is Ruoli? Why is her aura so unstable, especially when she’s so close to transforming into a dragon?”

Ji Yuan didn't speak immediately. He first looked at Ying Feng for a moment, then at the Dragon Mother, and finally scrutinized the old Dragon Lord from head to toe, unable to comprehend how this elderly man could have been as handsome as the Dragon Maiden had described him.

“Why are you staring at me?”

The old Dragon Lord asked with a frown, wondering what Ji Yuan was up to.

Ji Yuan sighed.

“Alas! I had thought Ruoli’s dragon transformation would be smooth sailing. I never expected things to be this serious. There’s a real risk of something going wrong during the water journey. Failing the transformation is a minor concern; I fear she might perish in the process. Perhaps…”

Ji Yuan trailed off, and the old Dragon Lord, Dragon Mother, and their son were already stunned, their faces turning pale.

“What? It’s that serious?”

The Dragon Son was the first to exclaim in shock. Then, the old Dragon Lord grabbed Ji Yuan’s hand with surprising force.

“Mr. Ji, is what you’re saying true?”

“I only fear I might have overlooked something! Ruoli likely senses this herself, and she’s been suppressing her cultivation. However, she had already made extensive preparations for the transformation, which should have allowed her to proceed smoothly. Now, the more she suppresses it, the more counterproductive it becomes.”

He pulled his arm free from the old Dragon Lord’s grip and looked at him.

“Old Mr. Ying, as a true dragon, you naturally understand the process of dragon transformation better than I do. In your opinion, how should Ruoli proceed?”

The old Dragon Lord was flustered with worry, clenching his fists in his sleeves and pacing back and forth in front of Ji Yuan. During this time, Ji Yuan also observed the Dragon Mother’s reaction, noting how her gaze kept shifting between the Dragon Maiden’s chamber door and the old Dragon Lord.

At this moment, the old Dragon Lord suddenly stopped pacing and looked up at Ji Yuan.

“Ruoli cannot suppress it any longer. She must either proceed with the water journey immediately, or she must sacrifice a century of cultivation and completely abandon this transformation attempt.”

“What? Father, shouldn’t we ask Ruoli herself?”

Ying Feng grew anxious. He naturally cared deeply about his sister’s safety, but forcibly sacrificing a century of cultivation might mean not just abandoning this attempt, but also forfeiting the entire opportunity to transform into a dragon, as her morale could be irrevocably damaged.

“How could this happen… Ruoli clearly already has the Dragon Heart, indicating the wisdom of a true dragon…”

The Dragon Mother murmured, taking a step closer to Ji Yuan.

“Mr. Ji, you are a Daoist Immortal. Surely there’s a solution, isn’t there? Ruoli will certainly not give up on her transformation.”

“Precisely because I helped her with the ‘Heart-Knocking Method’ back then, the impact on her has become even greater now that she seems to be entangled by a knot in her heart. Alas! Of course, I will do my best. In my opinion, I also do not advocate for Ruoli abandoning her transformation. To do so would not only be a great pity but also an incredibly heavy blow to her spirit.”

The matter couldn't be resolved immediately, nor could a solution be discussed while standing in front of Ying Ruoli’s room. Since Ji Yuan had come, he naturally needed to be hosted, so a family banquet was prepared in the Water Mansion that day.

The Dragon Mother personally went to the kitchen to prepare the meal. Ji Yuan, meanwhile, was pulled away by the old Dragon Lord for a private conversation. However, they didn't go to any corner of the Dragon Palace; instead, they left the restricted area and went to the surface of the Tongtian River.

Outside, it was raining, making the river surface appear hazy. Ji Yuan and the old Dragon Lord stood by the water's edge not far from Xinzhuangyuan Ferry, watching the people and boats in the ports on both banks, and gazing at the Tongtian River shrouded in the misty rain.

“Mr. Ji,” the old Dragon Lord began, “let me be direct. Did Ruoli tell you something in her room?”

After standing in silence for a long time, the old Dragon Lord's first words made Ji Yuan's eyelid twitch. However, Ji Yuan refrained from speaking, simply gazing at the river surface, appreciating the beautiful, rain-drenched scenery of the Tongtian River. Then, he gently asked a question.

“Do you know where this rain comes from, Old Mr. Ying?”

The old Dragon Lord looked up at the clouds in the sky, then lowered his gaze toward the direction where the waterway stretched.

“It’s born from the communion of heaven’s heart, a manifestation of Ruoli’s tears, isn’t it…?”

Both were intelligent and close friends who understood each other well. With the conversation reaching this point, Ji Yuan knew the old Dragon Lord probably had some idea of the truth.

“Precisely. It is because Ruoli cried. Indeed, what I said in the Water Mansion was not false. When I helped Ruoli overcome her emotional barrier and solidify her will to transform into a dragon using the ‘Heart-Knocking Method,’ she gained a Dragon Heart. This also made Ruoli’s transformation different from ordinary ones, placing more emphasis on her state of mind. And in Ruoli’s heart, there has always been a significant emotional knot. If this knot is not untied, it will truly affect her path to dragon transformation and will be extremely dangerous.”

The old Dragon Lord frowned, looking at Ji Yuan. He opened his mouth several times without speaking, hesitating for a long time before finally speaking.

“Mr. Ji, it's not that I don't want to, but... after all, I am also a true dragon. All the dragon clans of the four seas are watching me…”

Ji Yuan also looked at the old Dragon Lord and said very seriously,

“Then seize this opportunity!”

“Ruoli’s dragon transformation is no small matter, and my previous words were not a joke. Since you also desire it, then it’s easy enough: just be willing to lose some face. If your skin is thicker than dragon scales, everything will be easy.”

The corner of the old Dragon Lord’s mouth twitched. Ji Yuan’s words made him feel much more at ease; at least his daughter shouldn’t be in too much danger now.

While Ji Yuan and the old Dragon Lord were talking, the Dragon Mother was busy in the Dragon Palace kitchen. Meanwhile, the Dragon Son, Ying Feng, was still guarding outside the Dragon Maiden's chambers. As he sat cross-legged, he sensed something, turned to look behind him, and saw the door open, with the Dragon Maiden standing in the doorway.

“Ruoli, you…”

“Shhh, Brother, come here and talk…”

Seeing his sister’s sneaky demeanor, there was no sign of anything being critically urgent.

So, a little over fifteen minutes later, the Dragon Maiden returned to her room to continue cultivating, while the Dragon Son left his post and went to the Dragon Palace’s back kitchen.

Once outside the door, Ying Feng gathered himself emotionally before rushing inside.

“Mother, Mother! At such a critical moment for Ruoli, her emotional state concerns both her cultivation and her very life. Feng'er must tell you, no matter what…”

Ji Yuan and the Dragon Maiden’s plan was this: both dragons cared for each other deeply, but they were incredibly stubborn, especially the Dragon Mother. First, they needed to confirm the seriousness and relevance of the situation, even inferring the solution themselves, but without being given any time to react, thus forcing them to reconcile.

So, just as Ji Yuan and the old Dragon Lord were talking on the shore, and Ying Feng and the Dragon Mother were talking in the Dragon Palace kitchen, a thunderous and clear dragon roar suddenly erupted from the direction of the Dragon Maiden’s chambers in the Dragon Palace.

“A mighty roar!”

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

The Dragon Palace began to shake. The water spiritual energy of the entire Tongtian River churned like a series of hurricanes, appearing turbulent and restless, causing many in the Dragon Palace to lose their footing.

“Boom!”

A clap of thunder echoed. Above the Tongtian River, the sky’s original overcast clouds rapidly transformed into dark storm clouds, with electric serpents dancing wildly within them. The poetic misty rain curtain suddenly turned into a torrential downpour.

“The water journey has begun!”

The old Dragon Lord, Dragon Mother, and the others were startled, all sharing the same thought.

The next moment, the forbidden gate of the Dragon Maiden’s chambers swung open. A phantom dragon shadow, accompanied by continuous dragon roars, shot directly out of the Water Mansion, and Ying Ruoli’s voice resounded throughout the entire Water Mansion.

“The water journey to dragon transformation begins today. Ruoli is going.”

It was the Dragon Maiden’s voice, but it carried an added layer of determination, even resolve, unlike before.

As the dragon shadow emerged from the chambers, it grew progressively thicker and longer. Fish maidens, yashas, and others in the Dragon Palace were swept unstable by the current, watching as the dragon shadow exited the Water Mansion.

“Ruoli!”

The Dragon Mother and Dragon Son rushed out of the Water Mansion together. They only saw the ethereal dragon shadow in the distance, which, after entering the river, was gradually solidifying into a physical form: a Hornless Dragon with a radiant, multicolored, glass-like sheen.

The Dragon Maiden’s sudden initiation of the water journey at this moment also caught the old Dragon Lord by surprise. He and Ji Yuan were standing by the river, but suddenly saw the heavy rain turn into a downpour. In an instant, the weather shifted dramatically, and the river water churned wildly.

At the center of the river, a massive wave began surging from the direction of the distant Water Mansion towards them. Wherever it passed, the river water churned like a stirred-up cauldron, boiling in the torrential rain. All boats, large and small, on the river surface lost control of their rudders, their hulls swaying precariously as they were pushed towards both banks by the waves.

“Crack…Boom!”

Lightning struck directly into the river, illuminating the dim surface with flashes. Faintly visible beneath the water was a giant dragon shadow, causing some fortunate, accidental witnesses to scream in terror.

Although the Dragon Maiden was trying to restrain herself significantly, at the moment of a flood dragon’s water journey, its sensitivity to water vapor reaches an exaggerated degree. Even without her intentionally stirring up storms, the Tongtian River’s water was as terrifying as a raging torrent.

The figures of the Dragon Mother and Dragon Son also appeared on the river surface, flying in pursuit of the Dragon Maiden’s shadow. Ji Yuan glanced at the old Dragon Lord, gave him a push, and after the latter stumbled, took him along as they flew into the air. Before they even reached the Dragon Mother’s side, Ji Yuan had already called out in an anxious tone.

“Madam Ying, Ruoli cannot proceed with the water journey yet! I just calculated that her emotional barrier has a flaw, and her emotional knot is severe, which will inevitably attract demonic interference. Her transformation now would surely be perilous!”

As Ji Yuan spoke, he patted the old Dragon Lord, who had initially been hesitating. At this jolt, the old Dragon Lord immediately spoke.

“Wife, this matter is critical! Mr. Ji will do his utmost to suppress the water spiritual energy and the tribulation. I hope you will join forces with me. As Ruoli’s dragon parents, you and I can draw away some of the tribulation for her, giving her a chance to suppress her dragon aura once more!”

A dragon’s water journey is both a method of transformation and a tribulation. Regardless of who undertakes it, they must rely on their own strength. Whatever they encounter along the way is their destiny. Unexpected assistance is permissible, but if someone intentionally helps the other, not only might the recipient’s tribulation not decrease, but the helper might also invite tribulation upon themselves.

However, if both parents intervene at a sufficiently close distance, although they will also be afflicted by tribulation themselves, they can truly divert a portion of the tribulation for their offspring.

As the old Dragon Lord spoke, he transformed into a dragon shadow, enveloped in mist, flying ten zhang above the river surface. The immense dragon body’s thrashing intensified the surrounding winds and thunder, and often his dragon tail swept almost directly past the riverbanks and various boats.

Without a word, the Dragon Mother also immediately transformed into her dragon form, following and catching up with the Hornless Dragon as they surged forward towards their daughter.