Chapter 124: The Great Flood Dragon Revealed

After Prime Minister Turtle took his oath, Wang Yuanfeng felt a subtle change in the Armillary Sphere. It was not a fundamental shift, but it seemed to grow heavier, and the stellar energy within became somewhat more solidified.

Wang Yuanfeng sighed inwardly, feeling it a pity. There was currently no position in the sphere that perfectly matched Prime Minister Turtle’s destiny, or perhaps the position existed but the timing was not yet right. Due to these various factors, the profound fusion he had encountered in the past did not occur.

The prime minister’s destiny energy was still a bit weak, only managing to thicken the atmosphere of the Armillary Sphere slightly. While there were changes after the alliance oath, they remained limited. The Armillary Sphere was all-encompassing; as a rule, whenever a person with a matching destiny appeared, their corresponding star would be ignited. Since that did not happen with the turtle, it likely meant the appropriate position had not yet manifested, as there were still gray, dormant areas within the sphere. It seemed he would have to wait for the future.

Watching the turtle kneeling on the ground, Wang Yuanfeng stepped forward to help him up. "Please, rise. Our current priority is the matter of the Dragon Vein and the Dragon Maiden. If we succeed, I shall rely heavily on you for all matters concerning the water veins in the future."

"Thank you, Divine Lord." The prime minister’s expression was agitated, as if he had finally caught a glimpse of hope. As a creature of the water, he stood to gain immense power if he could truly unify the nation’s water veins. Perhaps he could even achieve what the Dragon Lord himself had set out to do.

"Oh no, there is trouble in the Dongting Water Mansion," the prime minister suddenly cried out, his face changing color.

"What is it?" Kang Jinlong, who had been basking in the joy of his own growing destiny energy, was jolted back to reality by the exclamation.

The prime minister drew a circle in the air with his hand and chanted, "Circle Light Technique, appear!"

"The Circle Light Technique!" Wang Yuanfeng found the spell curious. It had been common in his previous life, but he had rarely heard of it in this world. The technique originated from alchemical arts and shared the same roots as the Qi-Observation technique, yet it contained principles of the Great Dao. It did not merely rely on a medium but was cast from thin air—it seemed the prime minister’s cultivation was far from ordinary.

As Wang Yuanfeng mused, the prime minister said, "Look, someone is wreaking havoc in the water mansion."

Wang Yuanfeng and Kang Jinlong looked, and indeed, it was so. A youth with a single, two-inch, three-pronged horn on his head—the horn dry and ancient, resembling a withered branch—was clad in green robes. Armed with two broken spears, he was battling over a hundred shrimp soldiers and crab warriors. The horned demon was ferocious; even surrounded by a hundred troops, they were no match for him. From time to time, shrimp soldiers and crab warriors were run through by his spears. Even through the projection, Wang Yuanfeng could feel the intensity of the brutal battle cries.

Kang Jinlong stared at the Jiao for a moment and remarked, "Isn't that the Great Jiao? What is he doing here?"

"The Great Jiao?" Wang Yuanfeng recalled that the elder brother of Erqing and Xiaoqing was named the Great Jiao. He looked at the golden dragon in confusion. The Great Jiao was part of their objective; he had divined that the creature faced a calamity of death on this journey, which was why he had rushed here. Otherwise, he would have gathered more information first. Even if the Dragon Lord ascended to his position, it would not have affected him much, but losing a Great Jiao with a Star God destiny would be a heavy blow. Who knew how many years it would take for such an opportunity to arise again?

The prime minister explained, "This is the Jiao from Taixuan Lake. He was originally a green snake, but he absorbed the Dragon Vein of Taixuan Lake. Lacking the true bloodline, he possesses only a Jiao body, yet his talent is immense. He has always stood in opposition to the Dragon Lord." The prime minister looked puzzled. "He never comes to Dongting Lake. Why is he here now? If the Dragon Lord finds out, how could he possibly survive?"

Wang Yuanfeng agreed it was strange. For a regional ruler to enter another’s territory was a grave taboo. If he were captured or killed, his own territory would likely descend into chaos. He felt the Great Jiao had been reckless. With such a commotion, the Dragon Lord would surely notice and arrive as soon as he was free. It was time to act. He said to the prime minister, "Lead the way. We will first destroy the Dragon Vein to strip the Dragon Lord of his home-field advantage, and then we will save the Great Jiao."

"As you command, Divine Lord." The prime minister opened the entrance to the mansion and said, "This way." He flew ahead, and Wang Yuanfeng turned to Kang Jinlong. "Prepare yourself. Anyone who obstructs us is to be killed without mercy."

"As you command, Divine Lord," the golden dragon replied, following them out. The three moved toward the Dongting Water Mansion at high speed.

Meanwhile, the Great Jiao fought with immense ferocity, having already killed nearly half of the hundred shrimp and crab soldiers. Yet he was anxious; he had not found the person he was looking for, and now that his presence was discovered, he was forced into a desperate fight. He knew that if he caused such a scene in the Dragon Lord's lair, the ruler—who had managed this place for centuries—would soon detect it.

He could escape, but he would never find the person he sought. If he fled now, the next time he returned, he would face far more than a hundred soldiers. If he stayed any longer, his own life might be forfeit. Yet, the Great Jiao felt no regret.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back and let out a muffled groan. A shrimp soldier had seized the moment of his distraction to drive a water-splitting spike into his back. The soldier’s eyes lit up, and he prepared to strike again, only to have his head run through by the Great Jiao’s spear. The Jiao parried other weapons and moved to the side.

"He’s wounded! Everyone, attack! Dead or alive!" a crab spirit brandishing two claws roared, charging at the Jiao. The other soldiers, invigorated by the sight of the Jiao's wound, surged forward with wild cries.

The Great Jiao ran a soldier through, flicked his spear to knock away the spike lodged in his back, caught his breath, and roared as he charged into the fray. The clash of weapons created white waves in the water as several more soldiers fell, though the Jiao sustained further wounds.

By the time Wang Yuanfeng and his party reached the water mansion, they encountered two shrimp soldiers at the entrance. Seeing the prime minister bringing strangers in, they attempted to question them, but the golden dragon crushed them with two swipes of his claws.

The prime minister cast a glamour spell on them, and they reached the scene of the battle unimpeded. Seeing the Great Jiao surrounded by a hundred foes, the golden dragon hesitated and looked at Wang Yuanfeng.

The prime minister suggested, "Let them continue to fight. We should destroy the Dragon Vein first. The Great Jiao of Taixuan Lake should be able to hold out a while longer, and it won't be too late to save him afterward."

Wang Yuanfeng nodded. "Let us attend to our primary mission."

Although the golden dragon felt a pang of reluctance, he had to defer to Wang Yuanfeng. He glanced at the Jiao and then at the prime minister before following. The prime minister sensed the dragon's gaze and felt a tremor of unease, fearing he had offended the creature, but a glance at Wang Yuanfeng steadied him. As long as he remained loyal and Wang Yuanfeng was present, he would be safe. Wang Yuanfeng observed both of them, lost in thought.