25: Jiaolong
Right at that moment, another cold and sinister aura descended.
A cloud of black mist appeared out of thin air. Within the mist, one could vaguely see the figure of a hunched old man dressed in tattered black robes. He held a bone staff, and green ghost-fires flickered in his eye sockets.
“It's the 'Old Demon Bone-Shadow'! Isn't that old monster always refining his Myriad Soul Banner at Corpse Yin Mountain? How was he drawn here too?” a knowledgeable Golden Core Rogue Cultivator whispered in alarm, his voice carrying fear.
This Old Demon Bone-Shadow was a notorious Demonic Path Loose Cultivator within the borders of Chu State. With a Golden Core Late Stage cultivation, his methods were cruel and bizarre; he had committed many acts of slaughtering cities to refine souls and was a major wanted criminal by the Righteous Path Sects.
Old Demon Bone-Shadow gave a couple of sinister cackles. His dark, greedy gaze swept over the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce's flying ship, lingering especially long on the Nine Dragons Flag before finding a remote corner to hide. However, his viper-like aura made everyone around him feel uneasy.
In addition, Gao De noticed some peculiar presences: a woman in green sitting on a giant lotus leaf holding a jade flute, her temperament ethereal. Her aura blended seamlessly with nature, seemingly some kind of plant spirit that had attained the Dao;
A figure shrouded in starlight whose face could not be seen, possessing a vague and unpredictable aura; and several Cultivators wearing uniform armor with strict discipline, said to be representatives from a certain great family in the heart of Wu State that preserved the military school's legacy... Various powers, various powerhouses, and various grudges and debts of gratitude converged above Dongting Lake at this moment!
The grand opposition between the Human Race and the Yao Race, the resource competition between Sects and Loose Cultivators, the natural enemy vendettas within the Yao Race, the incompatibility between the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path, and local private feuds like those between the Lin and Zhu families... All contradictions were temporarily suppressed beneath this seemingly calm lake surface, waiting only for a spark to potentially trigger a complete explosion!
Lurking in the deep water, Gao De relied on his [Breath Concealment] talent and [Size As Desired] transformation to disguise himself as a piece of lake stone drifting with the current, cautiously observing everything above.
He memorized those powerful auras and obvious grudges one by one in his heart.
“The Rot Poison Swamp Dragon has a grudge against the Crimson Feather Thunder Eagle... Old Demon Bone-Shadow is cruel and malicious with many enemies... Demon King Fushui's strength can overawe the various yao... The hatred between the Lin and Zhu families has not faded...” Gao De's brain worked rapidly, analyzing this complex situation.
He knew that this auction would definitely not be as simple as the highest bidder wins. These intertwined grudges were very likely to evolve into violent conflicts during the auction process or after it!
And for him, with his relatively weak strength, this was both a massive danger and a potential opportunity to fish in troubled waters!
Amidst this eerie and tense atmosphere, a gentle yet clearly audible voice rang out from the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce's flying ship, reaching the entire field:
“The auspicious hour has arrived. The grand auction officially begins! Welcome, Fellow Daoists, for gracing us with your presence. My Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce will surely not disappoint you!”
The figure of the business steward Wang Fugui appeared at the front of the flying ship's deck. He wore a smile, as if he didn't feel the tension in the air at all.
Meanwhile, the guard Elder Li Pojun stood silently half a step behind him like a monolith. His cold gaze scanned the field, his invisible deterrent force causing some restless individuals to restrain their thoughts.
A fierce battle between dragons and tigers was about to officially play out on Dongting Lake! And Gao De, the Dragon Fish lurking in the abyss, also held his breath and focused his mind, preparing to move when the opportunity arose.
Just as Wang Fugui announced the start of the auction and everyone's attention was drawn to the ship's deck, preparing to welcome the first auction item—
Another change occurred!
Without any warning, the light above the entire Dongting Lake suddenly dimmed by several degrees! It wasn't dark clouds blocking the sun, but a purer 'darkness' that seemed to originate from the Void Realm itself.
An indescribable, ancient, and vast pressure carrying a primeval aura, like a giant beast that had slept for eons slowly opening its eyes, silently enveloped the world.
This pressure was completely different from the imperial dragon might radiated by the Nine Dragons Flag.
It was more primitive, colder, and... closer to the Origin of life! At this moment, the hearts of every living being present, whether Human Cultivators or Yao Race powerhouses, involuntarily skipped a beat.
Cultivators with lower cultivation at the Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining stages turned pale, nearly falling from the sky.
Even the two Nascent Soul Elders on the flying ship, Wang Fugui and Li Pojun, had their expressions change slightly. Their gazes instantly became incomparably sharp as they simultaneously looked toward the north—the direction of the Yunmeng Great Marsh!
In the northern sky, where it originally met the blue horizon, space began to ripple like water.
There were no ten thousand rays of divine light, nor any rolling wind and clouds; there was only an ultimate 'stillness.'
In the next moment, a slender, elegant, yet supremely powerful figure slowly 'swam' out from those rippling spatial undulations.
That's right, it 'swam'!
It wasn't flying, but rather winding through the sky as if playing in water.
Its body was only about ten-odd zhang long, entirely covered in scales as deep as the night sky, with dark purple thunder patterns faintly flowing through them.
Its head resembled a camel's, with no horns on top, yet it possessed a natural majesty! Long whiskers floated beneath its jaw, and four claws grew under its belly, each with five toes, flashing with cold light!
Its form was already infinitely close to the legendary True Dragon, with only minor details still retaining the characteristics of a flood dragon!
This was a flood dragon! A Fourth-Rank Flood Dragon with an extremely pure Bloodline that had already begun its transformation into a True Dragon!
Its vertical pupils, like molten gold, indifferently swept over the field. Wherever its gaze passed, whether it was the arrogant Old Demon Bone-Shadow, the ferocious Rot Poison Swamp Dragon, or even that Demon King Fushui, they all lowered their heads in a display of awe!
This was the absolute obedience originating from the depths of the Bloodline toward an existence closer to the top tier of life!
“Hiss... This is... which Dragon Lord from the depths of Yunmeng Marsh?” Demon King Fushui's voice carried a hint of trembling. As an existence with the Baxia Bloodline, it was most sensitive to Dragon Clan auras and could clearly feel the vast, sea-like Dragon Clan Origin within the opponent, which was far beyond what its own thin Bloodline could compare to.
“I've never seen it... the intelligence never mentioned that Yunmeng Marsh had such an existence!” The Green Wave Sect Core Formation Ancestor's forehead was beaded with sweat, his heart filled with horror.
Their Green Wave Sect had dominated Lake for centuries and prided themselves on knowing the outskirts of the Yunmeng Great Marsh like the back of their hand, yet they didn't know such a terrifying existence was hidden in its depths!
The dark purple flood dragon ignored the reactions of the crowd. Its gaze finally landed on the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce's flying ship and that Nine Dragons Flag.
Within its molten-gold vertical pupils, a very faint, indescribable look flashed, as if it were scrutinizing, or perhaps carrying a hint of... reminiscence?
It did not speak, nor did it radiate any hostility; it simply floated there quietly, as if it were a world unto itself.
Its arrival instantly added the greatest variable to the already incomparably complex situation!
A Nascent Soul Late Stage flood dragon from the most mysterious and dangerous depths of the Yunmeng Great Marsh, with unfathomable strength and unknown intentions!
Wang Fugui and Li Pojun exchanged a look, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.
This uninvited 'guest' was completely beyond their expectations.
Its Bloodline was so strong that it likely ranked at the very top among fourth-rank Yao Beasts; its strength was definitely not something an ordinary Nascent Soul Late Stage could compare to!
Wang Fugui took a deep breath, suppressing the waves in his heart. A professional smile returned to his face as he cupped his hands toward the dark purple flood dragon: “We did not know the Dragon Lord would grace us with your presence, please forgive our lack of a proper welcome.
The Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce is holding an auction here. If the Dragon Lord is interested, why not participate? Our chamber will surely treat you with the etiquette of an honored guest.”
The dark purple flood dragon remained silent, only giving a slight nod as a response.
Its massive Divine Sense, however, was like invisible tentacles, lightly sweeping through every corner of the field as if searching for something. Finally, it withdrew in disappointment, having found nothing.
Deep underwater, Gao De only felt a bone-chilling intent that seemed capable of piercing through all his secrets sweep past. It scared him so much his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, and he pushed his [Breath Concealment] talent to its limit, his very thoughts nearly freezing!
Fortunately, that Divine Sense only swept past and did not linger.
“Did... did it discover me?” A storm rose in Gao De's heart. “No, it shouldn't have. It's just that the Dragon Fish Bloodline in my body might have caught its instinctive attention for a moment...”
This sudden interlude made the atmosphere of the entire auction even more bizarre and oppressive.
Everyone's mind was more or less preoccupied by this mysterious and powerful flood dragon.