Chapter 444: Chapter 162: Slaying the Flood Dragon on the River
Liangzhou Province, with its abundance of mountains, also boasted a well-developed river system. Except for certain areas, the majority of transportation within Liangzhou relied on waterways.
Jiang Li, riding on the Sword Light, located a nearby river and, guided by Magic Calculation, headed towards Shu County.
However, the closer he flew to Shu County, the worse the weather became. Sunshine was still visible before, but then the climate gradually turned overcast, and the rivers below grew increasingly turbulent, with fierce currents smashing against the banks.
After the river below flowed for dozens of miles, it joined a major river. The rage of the water intensified, carrying mud and sand, seemingly on the brink of causing a flood.
"This is far more severe than the heavy rain I encountered in Yu State," Jiang Li thought, observing the momentum of the waters and knowing it must be the work of a cultivator. Otherwise, given the approach of December, the likelihood of a flood was minuscule.
Most likely, it was the Water Demon mentioned by those two Daoists earlier.
The Devil Cultivators of the Huai Water Dragon Palace were no amateur Transformation Snakes nurtured by the Taiping Sect; they lived underwater and, in terms of habits, were no different from real Water Demons.
Once these Water Demons stirred chaos, they could trigger a flood engulfing the entirety of Liangzhou.
And now, as it neared December, the climate in Liangzhou was undeniably harsh. To have a flood at this time was to push people to the brink of desperation.
While pondering, he had flown for hundreds of miles, when suddenly, a thunderous noise erupted, shaking the river and causing a vast expanse of water to splash.
Looking up, he saw buildings in the distance, and towering city walls became visible—an entire city was before him. Outside the city, the river roared; a colossal body emerged from beneath the waters, covered in scales and with horns, resembling a giant serpent—a Flood Dragon.
That Flood Dragon was wreaking havoc, whipping up waves several meters high that crashed in succession against the riverbank ahead, colliding with a golden Qi Shield.
Jiang Li’s gaze settled upon a figure in official robes standing on the river dyke, radiating Divine Power, with specks of golden light spinning rapidly, carrying an imposing majesty.
This must be the city’s official.
The cities of Great Zhou were built either by mountains or near water, not only for the convenience of the people’s livelihood but also to facilitate officials in demonstrating the abilities of the Mountain God or River God Dao Fruit. Should foreign enemies invade, they could suppress foes with the Divine Domain and have the most advantageous terrain at their disposal.
That official must be the River God of the river below.
As a River God, he should be able to command the river effortlessly, yet the Flood Dragon also possessed the ability to control water, and its Grade was even higher than the First Grade, resulting in the river being wielded by the Flood Dragon instead.
The River God managed to resist, but his Divine Domain was the only reason. Launching a counterattack was utterly impossible.
Moreover, the River God was already showing signs of defeat, while the Flood Dragon continued to churn the water, wave after wave. The protective barrier was on the verge of collapse, threatening to flood the surrounding area.
At that moment, Sword Qi soared across the sky, descending from above. Transformed Sword Light, countless sharp swords, fell like a storm, so fierce that the Flood Dragon had no choice but to turn its head away from its adversary.
"Roar!"
With a roar, turbid yellow water spewed from the Flood Dragon’s mouth, like a wild tide, charging towards the rain of swords.
In an instant, Sword Light weaved through, countless torrents of swords piercing the water, stirring muddy waves in the air, the Sword Light advancing almost unimpeded.
An expert!
Immediately, the Flood Dragon twisted its body, intending to dive back into the river.
A cultivator who had ascended to Sixth Rank would usually be rich in experience, knowing when to advance or retreat. Though it was a pity not to flood the surroundings and Demonstrate Dao Fruit, the creature decisively chose to retreat at that moment.
Taking advantage of the muddy waves for cover, the Flood Dragon attempted to escape through the water.
However, the Sword Light, as if with eyes of its own, converged and enveloped it, transforming once more into sharp swords that formed a spinning sword wheel, cutting inward and slicing through the Flood Dragon. Its Dragon Scales were like paper under the sword blades, easily torn asunder. Blood and flesh flew as the sword wheel spun rapidly.
"Ow—"
With a cry of shock and anger, the body of the Flood Dragon split in two, blood rained down from the sky.
"Boom!"
Both halves of the body crashed into the water, stirring up massive plumes of muddy spray.
Meanwhile, the swords merged into a long river, like a Dragon and Snake in the sky, folding sharply to land on the bank, unfolding layer by layer to reveal an imposing figure.
[The Dao Fruit has made some slight advancement, insignificant though it may be, but for Jiang Li, any bit of progress is invaluable.]
[That meant he was one step closer to Perfection.]
[For others, the flood was a disaster, but for Jiang Li, it might not be so, as he was probably not far from achieving Sixth Grade Perfection.]
The Karma Collection displayed Jiang Li’s gains, and he could also precisely sense that his Dao Fruit Ability had become more harmonious.
"Many thanks for your assistance,"
the official, who was barely holding on, breathed a sigh of relief as he barricaded the river with his River God Dao Fruit Ability and then quickly came forward to bow and express his gratitude to Jiang Li.
He appeared to be around thirty years old, with a short beard and an air of high spirits on his face, not one whose appearance was solidified by cultivation, but truly of that age.
In the officialdom of Great Zhou, such a sight was generally synonymous with having a powerful background, for one to be promoted to Seventh Rank at a young age almost always meant being of noble birth; otherwise, no matter how talented, after joining the official system of Great Zhou, one had to steadily slog through their tenure.
"I am Li An, the unworthy Prefectural Governor of this region, and on behalf of everyone in Jun City, I wish to thank you for saving our lives,"
Li An thanked Jiang Li, then looked at the dragon corpse on the river and sighed, "If not for Taiping Sect’s meddling, the Inspector would not have been too preoccupied to deal with the flood. Had it not been for your aid, our Luonan County might have been breached by this demon."
The tidal waves had not yet ceased, still surging powerfully, foreshadowing the catastrophic scene if they breached the city walls.
Li An seemed to have a strong sense of responsibility.
"Did the inspector gather all the manpower in Shu County?" Jiang Li frowned and asked.
Such an act, judged by its importance, was correct, after all, Taiping Sect was the biggest threat; however, in terms of urgency, it was a big mistake.
Without suppressing the calamity of the demon flood, even if they kept a close watch on Taiping Sect, what use would it be? The crisis would still unfold.
People wouldn’t be able to survive, and what would remain would be revolt.
If Taiping Sect saw this outcome, they would probably die of laughter.
’Liangzhou Province really is full of holes, no wonder it was chosen by Taiping Sect as a point of rebellion. The question is, is the Inspector a member of Taiping Sect or some other faction?’ Jiang Li thought.
Being an Inspector of a Province theoretically meant being a bona fide member of the court, but nowadays the roots within the court were not necessarily loyal, with some even plotting to help establish the reign of Yellow Heaven, making their noble background useless.
"It’s said that King Shu has given orders to prevent Taiping Sect from gathering and causing chaos," Li An said, his face showing dissatisfaction, "Once this is over, I shall definitely write a memorial and submit it to the Divine Capital, impeaching King Shu. And then there’s Daode Sect; an illegitimate sect that produced Lawless Freedom, that traitor. Had it not been for him, the Huai Water Dragon Palace might not have caused this flood."
"After the floods subside, I will definitely..."
Li An was about to continue when suddenly there was a blur of movement in the distance.
A monk approached with a seemingly slow but swift gait, moving with poise and without revealing his Qi Mechanism. However, as he walked, mud and water splashed beneath his feet, taking on the shape of lotus petals, a sight full of marvel.
Wearing only plain monk’s robes in the cold weather, he showed no signs of discomfort. With a few steps, his sallow face came into view of the two men.
"Amitabha, it seems this humble monk has arrived late,"
the monk intoned, upon seeing the demon’s body in the river slowly losing its demon form and chanting a Buddhist prayer.
"Not too early, not too late,"
Li An suddenly turned sarcastic, "If not for the help of a noble person, the flood dragon would have just reached the shore; Master, you have actually arrived just in time."
The city submerged, a monk subdues the dragon, and thus once again a fine tale emerges, an excellent opportunity to harvest faith.
Li An’s words were not far off.
Upon hearing this, the monk showed a bitter smile. He shook his head and said, "This is indeed this humble monk’s fault, but Benefactor, please be cautious. Even though the flood dragon is dead, the crisis may not have passed."
He looked at Jiang Li with a solemn expression, "Noble indeed is the noble one, but whether foe or friend, that is yet unknown. Senior Li Qinglian."
"Li Qinglian?!" Li An’s face showed a drastic change.
This name was not unfamiliar to him, especially since he had just cursed that person.
Li Qinglian, Lawless Freedom, thanks to someone’s blessing, those two titles were now completely equated.
And Jiang Li, having heard this while incognito, let out a faint smile, "My intent? There was none before, but now, there is."