Cataclysm Chapter 108: The Dragon’s Prison 06

Chapter 108: The Dragon’s Prison 06

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

On the night of the full moon, the moonlight shone brightly over the forest, resembling a thin veil of white jade draped over the landscape. The animals around the Wu Clan’s territory emerged, and the sounds of insects filled the air, making the forest lively. Under the moonlight, Yi Wuzhang opened her palm and said to the doll, “Spit it out.” Reluctantly, the doll expelled a bar-shaped piece of white jade, roughly the size of a fingernail.

Chen Yang, curious, asked, “What is this?”

“It’s a flesh worm. It’s like raw meat—very precious and hard to cultivate. For creatures that feed on raw meat, the flesh worm is equivalent to raw flesh. Cultivating it requires just a bit of blood and various precious herbs, and it has high medicinal value. This is just a pup, but it’s enough to feed the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly. I’ve added a bit of my blood to the flesh worm, which allows me to use Wu ghost art to track the movements of the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly at any time.”

Chen Yang glanced at the white jade piece in Yi Wuzhang’s palm and asked, “Doesn’t it move?”

“The flesh worm is similar to a living Ganoderma, like a Tai Sui, it’s alive but doesn’t move. It won’t jump or run, but it does breathe,” Yi Wuzhang explained, opening the lid of a glass container with a hole the size of a thumb. Immediately, the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly rushed toward the container, almost knocking it over. In comparison, the glass jar was like a massive cage to the butterfly, yet it nearly toppled it, showing its ferocity.

Yi Wuzhang threw the flesh worm into the glass container. The Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly, which had initially tried to escape the jar, immediately attacked the worm, greedily consuming it. Once it had eaten its fill, it retreated to a corner to rest. Chen Yang picked up the glass jar and said, “Let’s go. We’re heading straight to the Dragon’s Prison.”

Yi Wuzhang asked, “Do you have the water-repelling talisman and breath-holding talisman ready?”

“I’ve got them.” Chen Yang turned to Ma Shanfeng and his wife. “Uncle Ma, Aunt Ma, aren’t you coming?”

They waved them off, saying they weren’t going. Kui Xuan, who had been holding Ji Jiang’s hand, wrenched herself free and ran toward the doll, looking up at Chen Yang and saying, “I want to go too. I want to see a dragon that doesn’t have a pig face and snake body.”

Chen Yang couldn’t resist Kui Xuan’s persistence and pulled out the water-repelling talisman and breath-holding talisman from his pocket, handing them to her. “Don’t run off.”

Kui Xuan nodded obediently and then secretly giggled while holding the doll. The group, except for Ma Shanfeng and his wife, followed Yi Wuzhang as they made their way back to the Dragon’s Prison.

The forest was bright and clear, and every stone and tree root underfoot was clearly visible, including the foxes that gathered on the hill to worship the moon.

Yi Wuzhang explained, “The area where the Wu Clan resides is surrounded by towering mountains, with the mountain range forming a winding dragon. The Wu Clan’s location is the heart of the dragon vein, which is why the place is so beautiful and filled with spiritual energy. There are also numerous animals that have developed human-like intelligence living in the nearby hills, where they practice cultivation. On every full moon night, if you walk along the edge of the village, you’ll see one or more foxes with human intelligence bowing to the moon on the hill. They’ve developed spiritual awareness, so when people walk by, they will stare at you until you leave. As long as you don’t harm them, they won’t harm you.”

From afar, they could see a circle of bright green eyes staring directly at them. The eerie sight, combined with the unclear vision, could easily give one the chills, making it seem like they had encountered ghosts in the mountains. As they got closer, they saw two adult red-haired foxes and three or four red-haired young foxes. These foxes, having developed intelligence, seemed to recognize that some people in the group were important figures they shouldn’t offend. So, they lowered their heads and lay down on the hill, waiting to show weakness.

Chen Yang smiled and said, “They really have developed intelligence.”

Yi Wuzhang looked away and said, “They’re old acquaintances.”

They walked past the hill, traveling far before Chen Yang turned back and saw two adult red-furred foxes raising their necks. Behind them was the jade-like full moon, with the foxes at its center, leaving only a small black shadow. The red-furred foxes pressed their snouts into the heart of the moon, breathing deeply as if they could see the silvery moonlight turn into crystals and be absorbed into the foxes’ bodies, aiding their cultivation into fox immortals.

In the mountains and forests, JingGuai and wandering spirits were never lacking, and they saw many along the way. By the time they reached the foot of the mountain and passed a rushing stream, Chen Yang stopped and gazed at the turbulent waters, listening to the roar of the nearby waterfall, feeling the ground beneath his feet tremble. Chen Yang’s expression faltered for a moment, as though he heard the angry roar of a dragon deep within the river’s waters, curled up in the dragon vein.

Du Shuo placed a hand on Chen Yang’s shoulder and quietly asked, “Yang Yang, what’s wrong?”

Chen Yang pointed toward the stream. “The water looks like it’s smoking.” Du Shuo looked up, and upon closer inspection, he saw the faint wisps of smoke rising from the water. As everyone wondered, Du Shuo stepped to the stream, dipped his hand into the water, and stood up, saying, “The water’s very cold.”

Chen Yang placed his hand over Du Shuo’s larger hand, and the coldness of it struck him sharply, causing a shiver. Du Shuo instinctively pulled his hand back, but Chen Yang held it firmly, “The stream is so cold it’s steaming. It’s early October; the water shouldn’t be this cold. It must be underground water.”

Yi Wuchang said, “Let’s go. We need to head up the mountain. I’m worried about encountering large groups of Yin-Yang ghost butterflies. Dealing with them would be too much trouble and delay our search for the dragon.”

“Mm.” So, they continued up the mountain, reaching a suspension bridge. The water beneath it seemed even more furious and terrifying in the moonlight. Waves crashed against the mountain wall, sending water splashing everywhere. Just looking at it made one’s heart race. Chen Yang said, “Will the stream be even rougher at night than during the day?”

Yi Wuchang replied, “This hasn’t happened before.”

As they crossed the suspension bridge, the cold night wind cut through them, making their clothes rustle loudly. The little doll, unable to hold onto Kui Xuan’s clothes, was suddenly blown away, but fortunately, Chen Yang was quick enough to catch it. The doll was terrified, quickly hiding in Yi Wuchang’s backpack and not daring to come out, though it occasionally peeked out with its dark, shiny eyes.

Du Shuo gripped Chen Yang’s hand tightly, not letting go even as they crossed a wooden plank gap. Chen Yang whispered, “Holding hands like this might cause trouble.”

Du Shuo shot him a glance. “I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Chen Yang secretly glanced at their teammates ahead, purposely slowing down, and stood on tiptoe to kiss Du Shuo’s cheek. “I like it when you say things like that.”

The doll, hidden in Yi Wuchang’s backpack, immediately covered its eyes, “Yang Yang is doing something embarrassing.” A group of people ahead turned in unison, their eyes sharp as they stared at Du Shuo and Chen Yang, as if trying to figure out what “embarrassing things” they were doing.

Chen Yang twitched his lips. “The doll is mistaken.”

The group immediately wore knowing, teasing smiles, looking mischievous. When they passed the suspension bridge and reached the Dragon’s Prison, Chen Yang opened the glass vial, releasing the Yin-Yang ghost butterfly inside. The butterfly circled in the air, its wings half shaped like beautiful faces, the other half like ghostly faces. As it fluttered, the two faces alternated back and forth, creating a strange beauty in the moonlight.

After the Yin-Yang ghost butterfly had fed, it showed no interest in attacking Chen Yang and the others. Instead, it seemed intent on laying eggs. They circled a few times in the air, then headed in a specific direction, flying toward the entrance of their nest. The group followed them and found that after circling above a pond behind the Dragon’s Prison, the butterfly dove into the water.

Moonlight shimmered on the surface of the pond, which remained clear, but the depths were pitch black, forming a bottomless abyss that sent a chill of fear through those who gazed into it, let alone considered entering the water. Chen Yang quietly asked, “Should we go down?”

Kou Xuanling shrugged. “Since we’ve come this far, we have to see it through. Besides, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a dragon, no matter what, we have to go down and take a look.” Zhang Qiudao took out a waterproof bag, placed his phone inside, and said, “I’m going to livestream the dragon for Xiaoli. She’s staying up late just to see it.”

Kou Xuanling still repeated the same words, “I want to see a dragon that isn’t a pig-faced, snake-bodied one.” Yi Wuchang smiled faintly, “I never saw a dragon in my life. When I was a child, I would long for it whenever the elders mentioned dragons, hoping to see one. Later, year after year, I came to the ceremonies and noticed that young people no longer believed in the existence of dragons. So, at least before I step into the coffin, I can confidently tell the next generation that dragons really existed.”

Du Shuo and Lu Xiuzhi didn’t say anything, simply gazing silently at their lovers. For them, after living such long lives, the existence of dragons had long been confirmed, and they had indeed seen such creatures. But now, they were only here to accompany their lovers and satisfy their desires.

Chen Yang asked, “Do we have the Water Avoidance and Breath Holding talismans?”

Each person showed him their talismans, then placed them in their mouths. Chen Yang spoke, “Don’t talk or open your mouths once we go underwater. The Water Avoidance talisman will stop water from entering our noses, and the Breath Holding talisman will ensure we don’t need to breathe underwater. But they only work for an hour, so we need to move quickly.”

Everyone nodded, then one by one, they submerged into the water. Before diving, each person turned on their phone lights and placed their phones into waterproof bags that hung on their chests. The moonlight only reached about three meters deep in the pond; after passing that, darkness slowly overtook them. Fortunately, the phone lights illuminated their way, and they followed Yi Wuchang, who was guiding them based on the insects’ signals to find the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly submerged in the water.

No one knew how long they had been diving, but when they looked up, they couldn’t see the moonlight above them. The surrounding area was pitch black, and they had already reached a depth of thirty or forty meters, yet the bottom was still out of reach. As they descended further, they unexpectedly discovered numerous chaotic currents at the bottom. A careless move could pull someone into the current and trap them.

Kou Xuanling’s right foot was caught in the current, but Lu Xiuzhi was quick enough to pull him out, and afterward, he never let go of Kou Xuanling’s hand. The others also paired up, holding hands to avoid anyone being pulled away by the current. As they held hands, Zhang Qiudao looked at them with deep, lingering eyes, making them feel guilty. So, Kou Xuanling voluntarily took Zhang Qiudao’s hand and proceeded with Yi Wuchang and the others.

They avoided the chaotic currents, and when they finally reached the deepest point, they saw the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly. The butterfly collided with a small whirlpool and was immediately swept away, disappearing without a trace. The group stood stunned for a moment, unsure of what to do. They had relied on the butterfly to guide them to the dragon, but now that it had been sucked into the whirlpool, how would they continue?

At that moment, Du Shuo grabbed Chen Yang’s hand and swam closer to the whirlpool. He glanced back at Chen Yang, as if asking, “Do you trust me?” Chen Yang was startled but understood the meaning in his eyes. He was just curious as to why Du Shuo asked such a question—who else could he trust if not him? So, Chen Yang tightened his grip on Du Shuo’s hand in response. Du Shuo smiled faintly, then tugged hard, pulling Chen Yang into the whirlpool with him.

While Zhang Qiudao and the others were still in shock, Lu Xiuzhi also grabbed Kou Xuanling’s hand and hurled them both into the whirlpool. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared. The three others finally understood and followed suit, throwing themselves into the whirlpool. Everything spun violently around them, and they couldn’t control their limbs as they were tossed through the water. When the dizziness finally subsided, they found themselves in another water area deeper below. They quickly checked to make sure no one was injured and, seeing everyone was fine, they swam up to the shore.

Once on land, they sighed in relief, removed their talismans, and looked around. They realized they had been carried by the whirlpool to another area of water. This new area wasn’t deep, but there were small whirlpools at the bottom. It seemed to be connected to the deep pond, with whirlpools forming for some reason, allowing travel back and forth between the two.

Kou Xuanling called out, “There’s a hidden passage here.”

Chen Yang looked over and noticed a half-human-sized entrance. It was pitch dark inside, resembling a naturally-formed tunnel. He stood up and asked Yi Wuchang, “Should we go in?” Besides this passage and the lake, the surrounding area was filled with empty stone walls, and they still couldn’t find the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly.

Yi Wuchang replied, “The insects are guiding me to go in.”

“Then let’s go.”

The group entered the passage. Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, the magician and the illusionist from the island were facing the attack of the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterflies with an armed team. The magician stepped back to the rear of the group, coldly watching one of his teammates being surrounded and devoured by the butterflies until only a layer of bones remained. This sight reminded him of army ants in the desert, but instead of feeling fear, he ordered the team to use white phosphorus bombs to eliminate the terrifying butterflies in front of them.

However, just as he made the hand gesture, a hoarse, gong-like voice came from behind, “Don’t harm the ghost butterflies.”

The magician’s expression changed, and he respectfully replied, “Please speak.”

“They only want to lay their eggs after they’re full. You blocked their way, so they attacked.”

The magician immediately ordered everyone to retreat, not blocking the strange and terrifying butterflies’ path. As everyone complied, they cautiously watched the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterflies, who, as expected, stopped attacking them and instead flew in groups up the mountain.

The hoarse, gong-like voice from behind gave another instruction, “Follow them. They can lead us to the dragon.”

The magician shouted, “Follow them!” Immediately, everyone obeyed and chased after the butterflies. At that moment, the illusionist from the island, who had been hiding behind the magician and almost wanted to flee, overheard the conversation between the magician and the hoarse, elderly voice. For a moment, he almost thought he was hearing things. But he had indeed heard it. In an instant, he realized the so-called magician used illusions to deceive everyone.

Thus, the magician referred to himself as a magician, but it was as if he knew all the arts of divination, capable of seeing through all illusions and the curses of southern island Wus. They had never figured out the cause and had truly believed the magician was unfathomable, placing him above everyone for years, allowing him to take a great deal of their wealth. Now, it seemed, he had secretly been using the power of an old ghost.

The illusionist’s mind raced with thoughts, but in the end, only greed remained. Dragon horns were priceless; instead of sharing half with the so-called magician, it would be better to claim it all for himself.

The magician led the group, seemingly unaware of the illusionist’s schemes. However, in a place the illusionist couldn’t see, a sly smile appeared on the magician’s face.

As they exited the cave, the group was greeted by a sudden vastness. The mountain wind howled, the night sky was bright with a high moon, and flowing clouds looked like silk. They found themselves halfway up the mountain, surrounded by steep cliffs, each side appearing as though it had been sliced by a divine being, impossibly smooth and vertical, reaching into the clouds. The gap overhead seemed blocked by the moon and clouds, leaving no way to ascend.

The scene before them seemed strangely familiar. Chen Yang thought for a moment and then recalled something from his memory. He said, “A few days ago, I dreamt of a hornless dragon standing right here, seeing a hornless dragon spring out of the deep pond below.” He walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Sure enough, there was a deep pond below, the water emanating a chill. The Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly flew straight into the pond and disappeared without a trace.

Zhang Qiudao asked, “Should we go in?”

Chen Yang shook his head, “I don’t think we should go down.”

Kou Xuanling asked, “Then what should we do? Call the dragon out? How do we call it?”

Chen Yang wasn’t sure. The hornless dragon from his dream suddenly sprang out of the water, which had startled him. Now, when he wanted to see the hornless dragon, he couldn’t find it anywhere, so he turned to Du Shuo for help.

Du Shuo said, “The Tianshi of the Upper Clear Heaven can summon and drive dragons.”

Chen Yang was taken aback, then looked at Du Shuo, who clearly had no intention of personally summoning the dragon. So, Chen Yang turned to Lu Xiuzhi, who said, “It’s not me, it’s you.”

“Me? But I’m not a Tianshi of the Upper Clear Heaven.”

Du Shuo explained, “Even though you aren’t a Tianshi, you can still summon and drive dragons. Because you are the heir of Ghost arts. Ghost arts is a shamanic art, and in the age of the gods, the great shaman Er Qing She once tamed two dragons. Great shamans can summon and control fierce beasts and spirits, including dragons.”

Chen Yang looked helplessly at Yi Wuchang, who, holding Kui Xuan and the child, smiled faintly and said, “The hornless dragon in the deep pond appeared in your dream. This means you have a connection with it. You are also from the Ghost arts clan, making you even more attuned to the dragon. So, you will certainly be able to summon it.”

Chen Yang steadied himself and said, “Then I’ll give it a try.” He recalled the incantations he had learned in the past, going over every spell for summoning deities and celestial generals in his mind, but couldn’t find one for summoning dragons. He felt a little anxious, but soon relaxed and began to think. In Ghost arts and the celestial traditions of the Upper Clear Heaven, dragons were beings that assisted the Tianshis in traveling through heaven and earth.

Dragons weren’t born naturally; they were transformed from aquatic creatures or spiritual snakes that gained wisdom. In Taoism, it is said: “The transformation of a snake into a dragon is no different from natural birth. However, its origin and cause are all due to natural forces.” Ultimately, a snake turning into a dragon is allowed by nature and recognized by the heavens. In Ghost arts, the ancient great shamans considered dragons as companions within their domain, so dragons were recognized by both Ghost arts and Taoism, existing in stories passed down through generations, part of the beautiful and mysterious imaginations of humankind for thousands of years.

Dragons, such magnificent creatures, were both widely acknowledged and never proven to exist. They were universally recognized yet considered unreal, both ethereal and tangible. They were the dragon! The only unique, powerful, and beautiful being in the world!

Chen Yang suddenly opened his eyes. He intertwined his hands into a unique hand gesture, changing it with every line of the incantation he recited. His speed was so fast that it was impossible to follow: “Heaven and Earth, nature’s mysteries. The eight directions, commanding the gods, make me natural. The spirit treasure’s decree, proclaim to the Nine Heavens…” Dragons exist in the vast heavens and earth, sometimes hiding in mountains, rivers, and lakes, or soaring through the clouds and disappearing into the sky. “…I now humbly request, descend and appear.” The trace of a dragon could be seen in plants, rain, and dew, and its majestic figure could be imagined in murals and texts. The dragon was a symbol of auspiciousness and omen, it existed everywhere. “Urgently, by law and decree!”

This was the most common celestial incantation used in Taoism.

As the last word of the decree fell, the deep pond seemed to tremble from below, as if a massive beast were about to break through the surface. The still water swelled with waves, and although the dragon had not yet appeared, its roar could already be heard. The dragon’s roar reverberated through the skies, causing mountains to crumble, stones to crack, and clouds to scatter across the sky. The full moon shone brightly, seemingly blocking the gap in the mountain peak. The roar seemed to shake the sky as if it would fall down. The next moment, with a loud crash, the dragon broke through the water’s surface and emerged from the deep pond. The massive body that had been curled within the pond stood up, easily a hundred meters long.

The dragon’s head was as large as a small car, its eyes as big as wheel tires, and its long whiskers floated in midair. Its fish-like scales, serpent-like neck, and reverse scales under its neck were visible, and it held a dragon pearl in its mouth. The head was not the same as the one in his dream, which had no horns; instead, the dragon had broken horns, and new, delicate dragon horns sprouted from the stumps.

The dragon looked down at the group, finally focusing on Chen Yang. A man and a dragon, gazing at each other in a moment of overwhelming contrast between the small and the vast.

Chen Yang asked, “You need my help, don’t you?”

The dragon silently gazed at him, but Chen Yang understood the hidden meaning in that silent gaze. He took a step forward, about to say something, when he heard the sound of a gun being cocked behind him.

“Sorry, everyone. I hope you can cooperate and not move,” the voice said.

Chen Yang and the others turned around and saw a wet magician, an illusionist from the island nation, and seven or eight members of the dragon-slaying squad. There had originally been more than twenty people, but in the turbulent waters, countless dismembered limbs and severed feet were scattered, and the area of open water connecting to the pond was littered with countless burnt corpses, charred from white phosphorus shells, and the remnants of burned wings.

The rest of the group held guns, loaded with white phosphorus rounds. The magician smiled and said, “Thank you for summoning the dragon. Otherwise, I would have had to go to great lengths to dive into the water to catch it.” Then he marveled and gazed in awe at the divine dragon that appeared before them, “It is truly the most beautiful creature in the world. Its beauty is overwhelming, but it has even greater value.”

Kui Xuan despised the magician, and as soon as he moved, a gun was pointed at him. “You’d better not move, or the white phosphorus rounds will burn you to ashes, skin and bones,” the voice threatened.

The island illusionist said with displeasure, “Hand her over to me. I want to make her the most beautiful little ghost spirit.”

The magician continued to smile at him and then said, “Alright. You go ahead and carry her over.”

The illusionist took a step forward but stopped cautiously, turning to call for others to help him carry Kui Xuan over. But no matter how he ordered, they refused to obey. Sensing something was wrong, the illusionist saw the magician make a hand gesture, and one of the others pointed their gun at him. The illusionist immediately began to shout, cursing the magician for being a traitor.

The magician smiled and said, “Go ahead and carry the child.”

The illusionist reluctantly summoned his ghost spirit, an old ghost, to carry Kui Xuan over. When Chen Yang wanted to strike the old ghost, Kui Xuan stopped him. “I’ll go.” A thousand-year-old feijiang was being treated as material for creating little ghosts, and she couldn’t swallow her anger without taking action herself.

Meanwhile, the magician spoke into a walkie-talkie to communicate with the others, and before long, a rumbling sound came from above. They looked up to see seven or eight helicopters flying through a gap in the mountain peak, attempting to transport the dragon this way.

The dragon roared in fury. The roar was thunderous and deafening, but the magician and the others were prepared and were not afraid of a hornless dragon. The dragon’s roar caused them no harm, and since the dragon couldn’t fly or reach the helicopters, weakened from being parasitized by the yin-yang ghost butterflies for decades, it was at a disadvantage—unless it grew its horns.

The proud dragon could not tolerate the provocation from the dragon-slaying squad. It shook its head and swung its tail as it climbed the mountainside, intending to knock the helicopters down. But as it was climbing, the magician waved his hand, and three white phosphorus shells exploded in the water. The surface of the water was ablaze, and the fire could not be extinguished. The white phosphorus burned holes in the dragon’s sturdy tail, and the dragon roared in agony, rolling against the mountainside.

The mountains trembled, the ground shook, and rocks tumbled down. Taking advantage of the chaos, the island illusionist rushed behind the magician, hoping to steal the old ghost from him. He smiled triumphantly, but the next moment, he screamed in pain as his hand was bitten off halfway.

The magician’s back was filled with the sound of chewing, and the illusionist looked in horror at the magician, who had turned to face him with a smile. The magician took off his clothes to reveal his back. There were four human heads growing there, all alive, resembling the magician but with some missing eyes and ears… They were horribly deformed. However, the most deformed one was the magician himself.

The island illusionist was horrified. “D-Demon…”

Kui Xuan suddenly transformed into a jiangshi face and devoured the soul of the old ghost. She then looked at the illusionist and magician from the island, as well as their indifferent team behind them. The magician saw her in this form, smiled, and ordered the death of everyone present, including the island’s illusionist.

Kou Xuanling, Zhang Qiudao, and Kui Xuan together dodged the white phosphorus shells and charged toward the group of people who seemed like puppets, slicing off their wrists, seizing their weapons, and revealing the masks on their faces. A chilling wave swept through them. Beneath the masks were dry, numb faces, already dead for some time.

Kui Xuan jumped in front of the island illusionist, “Do you want me?” The illusionist fled in terror, but Kui Xuan caught him and threw him into a deep pool filled with white phosphorus flames. He was quickly burned through to the bone.

Du Shuo grabbed Chen Yang and said, “The dragon is asking for you. You know what it wants.” Upon hearing this, Chen Yang stood at the cliff’s edge, dodging falling rocks, gazing at the dragon, which was scarred from being abused by a group of shameless thieves, yet still carrying an unbroken pride as it climbed the mountain wall. He wanted to know what the dragon wanted. He should have known, as the silent exchange in his dreams and the recent silent gaze had told him.

Humans were the spirits of all things, and great shamans could summon and control dragons. The dragon trusted him and asked for his help, so he must know what it wanted and how to help it.

“Humans are the spirits of all things. If they recognize a flood dragon as a true dragon, then it is a dragon.” Without horns, it was called a flood dragon, which sought a title, ascended to the heavens, passed through the thunder tribulation, and when soaring through the clouds, its head would be crowned with a three-inch wooden crown, transforming into a divine dragon.

Chen Yang knew what the dragon wanted. It had been asking, “What am I?” So he shouted, “You are a dragon!”

Chen Yang had great fortune, and the dragon sought its title from him. Suddenly, the sky rumbled with thunder, and the full moon disappeared. The deep pool splashed and boiled with water, the mountain shook, and the thieves in the helicopter were confused, unsure of what was happening. All they saw was that the white phosphorus fire in the pool went out instantly, but the water in the pool continued to boil. The dragon dove into the water, vanishing from sight. They started to panic, thinking the dragon was escaping. But in the next moment, the dragon, glowing gold, broke through the water’s surface, lifted its head and sang long and loud, shaking its tail so fiercely the mountain crumbled.

Seven or eight helicopters were all thrown into the air and exploded. Seeing this, the magician knew it was bad and tried to leave, but Kou Xuanling and the others blocked his path. The magician’s face turned dark as he chuckled ominously, and the four people behind him joined in with strange laughs, showing no fear. Just as he was about to strike, the dragon charged down from the sky, crashing through the mountain wall, opening its mouth to bite the magician and swallowing him whole.

Kou Xuanling and the others quickly retreated to the secret passage. Du Shuo also dragged Chen Yang into the tunnel, and they returned along their original path. Due to the dragon’s violent impact on the mountain wall, the water in the lake and deep pool flowed backward into the dragon’s lair and then toward a tributary of the Yangtze River. When they returned to the Dragon’s Prison deep pool, they found the water only reached their waists, and there were stone steps built inside the pool. They climbed up the steps to the shore.

Zhang Qiudao looked back and said, “Could this be the real altar?” He spoke while sending the scene they had just filmed to Mao Xiaoli, who requested a video call.

Du Shuo pointed at the sky and said to Chen Yang, “Look.” Chen Yang looked up, and the sky was heavy with thunderclouds, so thick they covered half the mountain. Terrifying lightning flickered, and the thunder roared deafeningly.

At that moment, the villagers of the Wu Tribe, the Ma family, and the people at the nearby scenic area hotel were all awakened by the thunder, all looking at the overlapping thunderclouds on the mountain. Some even took photos and posted them on Weibo, joking: “Which Daoist is crossing the tribulation today?”

Then, a thunderbolt, as thick as a water barrel, struck down, scaring the person taking the photo so much that their phone fell to the ground. The scene before them was like the end of the world, the lightning seeming to split the sky open, relentless. Along with the thunder, the sound of a dragon’s roar could faintly be heard. Those who heard it thought they had misheard, so they posted another Weibo update: “Flood dragon crossing the tribulation.”

The thunder lasted about an hour before it stopped. The dark thunderclouds gradually dispersed, and golden light suddenly burst forth. A golden dragon-shaped creature, accompanied by a loud, echoing dragon’s roar, heralded the sunrise. Residents in the nearby town of the scenic area all claimed to have seen the dragon crossing the tribulation through the clouds and even took photos. In the photos, the black clouds hadn’t fully cleared, and the golden light pierced through the clouds as a giant dragon roared and soared into the sky.

Unfortunately, the photo was soon believed to be an optical illusion, not a real dragon. The dragon’s roar that people had heard was also considered a hallucination caused by the thunder.

But the day after people spread rumors about seeing the flood dragon cross the tribulation, the first rain in six months fell in Sichuan Province, and in the following decades, the province never experienced droughts or floods.

Therefore, the story of the flood dragon crossing the tribulation was still considered a strange tale in a certain city in Sichuan Province, and some who believed in dragons used it as proof.

 

The author has something to say:
Uh, I just realized I’ve been reported for promoting feudal superstition, along with a lot of violent killings and supernatural content.
I suddenly feel… I finally got reported too, hahaha.
But I need to clarify what feudal superstition is—basically, it’s about folk legends and Taoist beliefs. I went to the Taoist official website and public accounts to look up information for this.
The most important thing is, it’s just a novel for fun, so please don’t take it too seriously.

 

 

 

 

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