Chapter 454: Chapter 439: This Requires Extra Payment
There are many types of Flood Dragons, commonly including Golden Flood Dragon, Silver Flood Dragon, Cyan Flood Dragon, Green Flood Dragon, Blue Flood Dragon, Fire Flood Dragon, Ice Flood Dragon, Poisonous Flood Dragon, Ink Flood Dragon, and more.
Each type of Flood Dragon specializes in different divine techniques, some Flood Dragons are proficient in Fire Element Divine Techniques, others in Ice Element Divine Techniques. To distinguish what type of divine techniques a Flood Dragon specializes in, it can generally be known from its appearance.
However, one commonality is that every type of Flood Dragon innately masters Water Control Divine Techniques, even the Red Fire Flood Dragon, known for specializing in Fire Element Divine Techniques, is no exception.
When Zhouyang and Wang Wei chased Zhao Hao all the way to the battlefield where Li Yuan and others were engaged in slaying the Flood Dragon, Zhouyang glanced at the black Flood Dragon silhouette trapped within the array and immediately recognized it as an Ink Flood Dragon, skilled in Water Attribute and Poison Attribute Divine Techniques.
The Ink Flood Dragon belongs to one of the relatively weaker types within the Jiao Dragon Race. Their size does not compare to Golden Flood Dragons or Silver Flood Dragons, nor are they as specialized as Fire Flood Dragons or Ice Flood Dragons.
The Ink Flood Dragon in Zhouyang’s line of sight stretched over thirty zhang, its body pitch-black like ink, with only its pupils being black and white.
As if sensing the humans approaching, it resisted even more fiercely within the "Five Elements Trapping Dragon Array," its agile and strong tail fiercely striking the five-colored protective shield formed by the array. Each strike caused web-like cracks to appear on the shield, showcasing the power it wielded.
However, each time those cracks appeared, the five Purple Mansion Cultivators of Celestial Cauldron Sect controlling the array would increase their magical power input, repairing the damaged protective shield.
Li Yuan would seize these opportunities to drive his Magical Artifact to launch fierce attacks on the Ink Flood Dragon.
Up to this point in the battle, many of the tough Dragon Scales on the Ink Flood Dragon had been shattered, exposing the dark red flesh inside. The five Purple Mansion Cultivators of the Celestial Cauldron Sect were harvesting a considerable amount of Flood Dragon Spirit Blood dripping from its wounds.
Still, while the Ink Flood Dragon was disadvantaged, it wasn’t easy for Li Yuan to kill it.
In Zhouyang’s view, unless Li Yuan could unleash an attack equivalent to the Late Stage of Golden Core, breaking through the Ink Flood Dragon’s Protective Divine Techniques and Flood Dragon body at once, he could only resort to gradually wearing down its magical power and stamina.
Would Zhao Hao really just stand by and watch him do this?
"Elder Zhao, what should we do next?"
As Zhouyang wondered what Zhao Hao would do, Wang Wei asked the question he wanted answered.
"Are you afraid of Celestial Cauldron Sect?"
Zhao Hao looked at Zhouyang and Wang Wei and suddenly asked this seemingly irrelevant question.
Considering Li Yuan and the others came from Celestial Cauldron Sect, Zhouyang and Wang Wei understood the implications of his question.
"Elder Zhao, forgive me. I am, after all, a cultivator from Great Yun Country. If I offend Celestial Cauldron Sect, it might be hard to live in Great Yun Country afterward!"
After a brief silence, Wang Wei shook his head with a bitter expression, revealing his decision softly.
He clearly did not want to offend Celestial Cauldron Sect, the top Major Sect in Great Yun Country, for the sake of Zhao Hao and a tenth of the gain.
Zhao Hao was not surprised by Wang Wei’s choice. He merely turned his gaze to Zhouyang and asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, what about you? What is your choice?"
He truly valued Zhouyang, not Wang Wei whom he pulled in as a backup.
Upon hearing his words, Zhouyang’s eyes flashed, and he couldn’t help but say, "I am not a cultivator from Great Yun Country, so I don’t care about the repercussions from Celestial Cauldron Sect. Moreover, this Li Yuan is just an Elder of Celestial Cauldron Sect and went out for his personal matters, so he does not represent the entire sect!"
"However, if I help Elder Zhao seize his opportunity, it means I make mortal enemies with him and five peers, a price that is considerably high!"
He didn’t outright refuse to assist, but the hidden meaning in his words already told Zhao Hao that he would need to pay more to continue helping.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hao was unsurprised by his demand.
Having considered it himself, if he were in Zhouyang’s shoes, he too would make the same decision.
Therefore, after some contemplation, he nodded and said, "Since Fellow Daoist Wang chose to withdraw, then the tenth he would have earned can go to you, Fellow Daoist Zhou, and I Zhao can offer you a favor to aid you once in the future within my capabilities. How does that sound?"
Offending a Golden Core Stage Cultivator only to obtain another Golden Core Stage Cultivator’s favor seems like a losing deal.
But Zhouyang understood it couldn’t be calculated this way.
He and Li Yuan were originally strangers, and he had no intentions of developing in Great Yun Country. Once he offended the opposite party, as long as he left Great Yun Country, the likelihood of Li Yuan wasting time hunting him down, a Purple Mansion Stage junior, was minimal.
If nothing unexpected occurs, he would remain in Jinyang Country for a significant period, utilizing Zhao Hao, a local Golden Core Stage Cultivator from Jinyang Country, would greatly assist him in entering the circle of High-Tier Cultivators there.
Finally, the Flood Dragon Spirit Blood is crucial to his cultivation of the "Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique," allowing it to advance. Given the opportunity, he naturally should strive for this chance.
Therefore, after listening to Zhao Hao’s words, he immediately said, "Junior basically agrees with Elder Zhao’s opinion, but I want to add one more condition: whether we succeed or fail, I hope to leave Great Yun Country together with Elder Zhao!"
"This is easy to handle. When the time comes, Fellow Daoist Zhou only needs to accompany Zhao to Jinyang Country. Even if Li Yuan had ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare to act recklessly in Jinyang Country!"
Zhao Hao agreed to Zhouyang’s condition in one breath, his words full of disdain for Li Yuan.
"Then, I ask Elder to wait a moment while I send a message for my wife and others to leave Yunlong Square and head for Jinyang Country."
As Zhouyang spoke, he immediately took off his "Spirit Rhinoceros Jade Pendant" and placed it in his palm. After sending a message to it with his slightly open mouth explaining the situation, he reattached the jade pendant to his waist, readying himself for battle.
On the other side, Xiao Ying, who was initially resting in Yunlong Square, noticed the unusual movement of the "Spirit Rhinoceros Jade Pendant" at her waist. She quickly removed it and extended her Divine Sense to listen.
Her expression changed, a hint of worry flashed in her eyes, and she immediately moved to leave the Immortal Inn. She found Zhou Guangxiang, who was setting up a stall in the marketplace selling unique Spiritual Objects from the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm, and hurriedly left Yunlong Square with him, rushing towards Jinyang Country.
At this time, after Zhouyang finished sending his message, he followed Zhao Hao’s instructions and took the "Dragon Luring Pill" he retrieved from Wang Wei to the section of water where he found the "Unihorned Thunder Eel" before.
It turned out that Zhao Hao did not intend to directly seize the beast. Instead, he planned to "use beasts to save the flood dragon" by leveraging the power of the "Unihorned Thunder Eel" to attack Li Yuan and others, creating an opportunity for the Ink Flood Dragon to escape.
Li Yuan and he, although from different sects, were at least both members of the Anti-Light Alliance.
If he directly attacked Li Yuan and seized his opportunity, he wouldn’t stand morally justified. If this went up to the high ranks of the Anti-Light Alliance, they’d have to punish him in some manner.
But if Li Yuan inadvertently freed the trapped flood dragon due to the demon beast’s attack, and he then killed the flood dragon, not only would he not bear the guilt of seizing a fellow cultivator’s chance, but he could also claim the fame of saving a comrade and slaying a demon.
The most ingenious part was that Zhouyang, who lured the "Unihorned Thunder Eel" to attack Li Yuan, was not part of the Anti-Light Alliance. The alliance’s rules did not apply to him.
As long as he didn’t kill or severely injure Li Yuan, even if Li Yuan belonged to the Celestial Cauldron Sect, they wouldn’t specifically target him for this matter.
Ultimately, Li Yuan’s venture to slay the flood dragon was a personal mission. Even if he killed the Ink Flood Dragon, he wouldn’t offer its corpse to the Celestial Cauldron Sect.
The Celestial Cauldron Sect wouldn’t use communal resources to retaliate over a member’s personal affair.
Ultimately, at most, Li Yuan would issue a bounty for Zhouyang as an Elder of the Celestial Cauldron Sect within the borders of Great Yun Country, offering a reward to pursue Zhouyang.
However, a bounty issued by a mere Golden Core Stage Cultivator—once outside Great Yun Country, how many cultivators would heed it?
Unless he’s willing to offer treasures that would tempt even Golden Core Stage cultivators for Zhouyang’s pursuit.
But let’s not even discuss whether he possesses such treasures; even if he does, whether he would be willing to use such precious treasures on a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator is an entirely different issue.
In conclusion, neither Zhouyang nor Zhao Hao actually took Li Yuan seriously.
As long as they didn’t kill or severely injure Li Yuan to an irreparable extent, they had nothing to fear from Li Yuan’s later retaliation.
It’s unclear whether to consider Zhouyang lucky or Li Yuan unlucky.
When Zhouyang, alone, took the "Dragon Luring Pill" back to the water where he found the "Unihorned Thunder Eel," he easily lured the beast out.
Then, following Zhao Hao’s instructions, he shaved off small pieces of the "Dragon Luring Pill" at intervals and tossed them into the river below to be swallowed by the "Unihorned Thunder Eel."
Using this simple chicken-pecking method, he lured the "Unihorned Thunder Eel" all the way to the battlefield where Li Yuan was trapping the Ink Flood Dragon.
Roar!
When the Ink Flood Dragon spotted the "Unihorned Thunder Eel," it indeed followed Zhao Hao’s expectations, immediately roaring and commanding the "Unihorned Thunder Eel" to help break the array.
As a Tier Five pure-blooded flood dragon, the Ink Flood Dragon naturally possessed dominion over the "Unihorned Thunder Eel," a mixed-blood dragon descendant demon beast with flood dragon bloodline.
With just one flood dragon roar, the "Unihorned Thunder Eel’s" blood would boil with frenzy, compelling it to obey its orders.
"Damn bastard!"
"Zhao Hao, Li will remember this grudge, and there will come a day when you regret this!"
On the battlefield, seeing the "Unihorned Thunder Eel" rush towards them at the summon of the Ink Flood Dragon, Li Yuan’s eyes nearly burst, glaring with fiery anger at Zhouyang and Zhao Hao, bellowing furiously.
He then had to retract the black pointed cone magical artifact that was attacking the Ink Flood Dragon to guide it towards the charging "Unihorned Thunder Eel," preparing to first deal with this foolish fish seeking its own demise.