Chapter 130: Shifts in Destiny

The Dragon Lord’s fortune had been wounded, and the entire Dongting Lake underwent a transformation. The oppressive, deathly stillness that once hung over the waters vanished, replaced by a newfound vitality; every ripple, every blade of aquatic flora, and even the smallest fish seemed to be rejoicing.

The local people felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of joy, a happiness that welled up from the depths of their hearts.

In a courtyard on Divine Dragon Island, the Leopard of Jishan Mountain also sensed this shift in fortune. The Dragon Lord’s aura, which had previously loomed with the weight of an inescapable prison, had suddenly diminished, as if a great portion of his influence had been forcibly extracted.

The Leopard had once been deeply wary of the Dragon Lord’s fortune, but it no longer seemed so formidable; shorn of its sacred halo, it appeared dull and faded. Tracing the source, the Leopard realized it originated from the Water Palace.

Anxious, he blurted out, "Oh no, the Great Flood Dragon has gone to the Water Palace!"

He hurriedly gathered his belongings, slipped out through the back gate, reached the water’s edge of Divine Dragon Island, and plunged into the depths, swimming toward the Palace.

As he swam, he kept a wary eye on the shifting fortune of the island, fearful that the Dragon Lord might reach it before he did. Even without the blessing of his fortune and with his divine halo dimmed, the Dragon Lord remained a formidable entity—his near-millennium of cultivation meant that if he were pushed to desperation, he was not someone easily countered.

Suddenly, a sinister aura permeated Divine Dragon Island. An inner voice warned him to flee, lest he be caught in a brewing catastrophe.

When he caught sight of a murderous intent descending from the heavens, the Leopard was so startled he nearly capsized in the water.

A deep sense of dread filled his eyes. He had heard his mother speak of this: it was the "Killing Intent of Heaven and Earth." As he carefully examined his own spirit, he felt a sudden, violent urge to slaughter.

The Leopard knew this was the aura of calamity. Though invisible, it ravaged the spirits of holy beings, inciting anger and goading them to unleash every suppressed negative emotion within them. The rise of this killing intent, accompanied by the aura of calamity, was an intangible force—a natural reaction of the world. As the positive energy waned, the darkness surged, feeding and driving one another.

The Leopard grew frantic, terrified that the Great Flood Dragon would reach the Water Palace first, which would surely lead to his death. He hoped to arrive and retreat from the Palace immediately.

Inside the Water Palace, following the shift in fortune caused by Wang Yuanfeng releasing the Dragon Vein, he set out to find the imprisoned Dragon Princess, the so-called "Little Princess."

Meanwhile, the Great Flood Dragon had already slaughtered more than half of the two hundred shrimp soldiers and crab warriors. He was in a sorry state, his garments shredded and his body covered in numerous wounds. Yet, he seemed oblivious to the pain, desperately wielding his two short spears as he charged forward once more.

The shrimp and crab soldiers, initially terrified, had seen their resolve crumble. They fought with dwindling spirits, offering only passive resistance. Had they pooled their strength, they might have overwhelmed the Flood Dragon, but accustomed to a life of sloth, they sought only to drag out the fight. This lack of resolve made their total slaughter a matter of time.

When Wang Yuanfeng released the Dragon Vein, every living creature in Dongting Lake felt that surge of jubilation—the shrimp and crab soldiers included.

"Kill!" they roared in unison, fueled by a sudden, frenzied burst of adrenaline as the Flood Dragon charged.

The Flood Dragon impaled one shrimp soldier and prepared to finish off another. But the wounded soldier did not collapse to await his end; instead, with a ferocious snarl, he dropped his trident and gripped the spear stuck through his neck with both hands.

The Flood Dragon tried to pull his spear back, but it was held fast. He flicked the tip of the weapon, but it felt anchored by an immovable force. He looked over to see the shrimp soldier clinging to the weapon with death-defying grip.

As more attacks loomed, he blocked them with his right hand, then drove his other spear into the soldier’s chest, shouting, "Let go!"

Blood gushed from the shrimp soldier’s mouth, but he did not release his hold.

Dragging the soldier, the Flood Dragon used his right-hand spear to parry the incoming barrage. He sought an opening to retrieve his weapon, but the soldiers, now seemingly devoid of the fear of death, gave him no chance. He had no choice but to keep fighting while dragging the carcass of his enemy through the fray.

But one cannot defend forever. A stray iron hammer struck his back. Instinctively, he swung his spear, knocking a soldier aside, but a fresh wave of violent attacks followed, leaving him no room to breathe.

*If this continues, I am finished,* the thought flashed through his mind as his injuries worsened.

At that moment, Wang Yuanji and his companions arrived at the chamber where the Dragon Princess was held. Guided by the Turtle Prime Minister, their journey had been smooth; with the Flood Dragon drawing all the fire, they had encountered no guards.

Wang Yuanji sensed the shift in the atmosphere outside—the fighting had intensified, and the reeking aura of slaughter reached them from afar. He used his divine perception to look out and exclaimed, "This is bad!"

"What is it, Divine Master?" the Golden Dragon asked. He knew there was a battle, but he had assumed the Great Flood Dragon could handle a few hundred soldiers.

"The Flood Dragon is in trouble. Go and assist him," Wang Yuanji commanded.

"Understood, Divine Master!" The Golden Dragon looked out, his eyes sharpening as he spoke to Wang Yuanfeng and took flight.

"Roar!" A dragon’s cry shattered the chaos, snapping the shrimp and crab soldiers out of their frenzy. They looked up to see a three-zhang-long Golden Dragon descending from the sky.

Before they could react, the Golden Dragon swept his tail, sending seven or eight soldiers flying, and followed up with a flurry of claws that tore several more to pieces.

The Golden Dragon released his aura, and the soldiers felt a primal pressure. The sudden contrast left them breathless; it felt more terrifying than facing the Dragon Lord himself. Their momentum vanished, and their fighting spirit instantly curdled into a death wish.

The shrimp soldier who had been clinging to the Flood Dragon’s spear, feeling the weight of that immense presence, finally saw his pupils dilate as his life force faded. His hands, which had gripped the spear in a final act of defiance, slowly loosened.

The Flood Dragon exhaled, casting a look of gratitude at the Golden Dragon before returning to the slaughter with renewed vigor.

In the place where the Dragon Princess was held, a metal cage stood in the center. Inside sat a girl of seventeen or eighteen, with white, jade-like horns atop her head. She rested her chin on her hands, lost in thought, her limbs bound in chains.

"Divine Master, this is the Dragon Princess," the Turtle Prime Minister said to Wang Yuanfeng, pointing toward the cage.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, startled by the arrival of strangers. She stood up, gripped the bars, and asked with a flicker of hope, "Did Brother Flood Dragon send you to save me?"