A Flood Dragon Emerges

The matter in Yushang County.

Could only be considered a minor interlude along the journey.

The convoy stayed in Yushang County for only two days.

Then it set off again for the prefectural city.

Along the way.

The more than twenty disciples from the martial hall all put away their laziness and began training diligently in preparation for the martial examination.

Mo Chen, on the other hand, was somewhat idle.

Every day, he was either telling stories to the two girls or thinking of ways to make money.

"Poor! The first thing I need to do when we reach the prefectural city is find a way to get some money."

Training in the Great Power Bear Demon Fist had used up all three hundred-odd taels of silver he possessed.

If he were suddenly asked to train in martial arts now, he definitely would not be able to afford it.

Fortunately, while telling stories to Tantai Xiasang and Su Jinse along the way, he had also learned quite a bit about the prefectural city.

Once they arrived, he would not be completely in the dark.

Another four days of travel passed in a flash.

That day, the morning sun had just risen.

Shouts rang out from the campsite.

"Wake up, wake up! We'll reach the prefectural city by this evening. Everyone, hurry up and pack up so we can set off!"

Excited cheers erupted.

Everyone prepared themselves and continued onward.

Along the way, everyone in the convoy could barely contain their excitement, gathering in small groups to chat.

"The prefectural city, the center of our Martial Suppression Office. I heard it's especially huge and prosperous. This is my first time coming here!"

"Me too! I'm really looking forward to it!"

"I heard the prefectural city has a population of three million. I wonder if that's true?"

"Of course it's true! Besides the residents who live in the prefectural city, merchants and travelers from all over the country gather here as well. Three million is an understatement—there must be at least five million!"

"Wow! Our county only has a population of several tens of thousands. The prefectural city is way too big!"

Listening to their discussion.

Mo Chen gazed ahead with longing.

"A massive city from ancient times?"

"I really do want to see it."

As the convoy continued onward.

Finally, by evening.

A massive dark silhouette appeared in the distance, built against the mountain.

And as they drew closer to that silhouette, there were more and more carriages, horses, and pedestrians on the official road.

All the passersby could not help looking into the distance, their eyes shining.

"Look! That's the prefectural city!"

"I can already see the buildings! The city walls are so high!"

"Is someone flying in the sky? Damn, what a huge bird!"

"There are clouds and palaces on the mountain behind it too!"

"That's Martial Suppression Academy on the mountain! That's our destination!"

Martial Suppression Academy was built on Cloud Mist Mountain north of the Martial Suppression Office's prefectural city.

It was said that the Martial Suppression Office had been given its name because of its connection to this mountain.

In ancient times, a great flood dragon dwelled atop Cloud Mist Mountain. It was intelligent and sentient, took human form, and named itself Martial Dragon.

Later, the great flood dragon failed to transform into a true dragon. Its temperament changed drastically, and it became violent and bloodthirsty, making a habit of eating people.

The human experts were enraged, so they joined forces and set up a grand formation to suppress the great flood dragon beneath Cloud Mist Mountain, ensuring it could never emerge again.

Thus, the Martial Suppression Office came into being.

Several thousand years later, Martial Suppression Academy arose within Cloud Mist Mountain.

This place became the center of power and martial strength for the entire Martial Suppression Office.

"Hah, we're finally back!"

Su Jinse lifted the carriage curtain and smiled faintly as she looked at the distant mountain.

Tantai Xiasang and Mo Chen also jumped down from the carriage and looked toward the buildings hidden amid the clouds.

"Is Martial Suppression Academy up on that mountain?"

Mo Chen asked in surprise.

Tantai Xiasang nodded, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. "That's right! We're here!"

Mo Chen stared fixedly at the distant mountain. The pavilions and towers layered up its slopes like an immortal realm from a dream.

He had never seen such beautiful scenery before.

Just then.

Roar!

Mo Chen vaguely seemed to hear a roaring dragon's cry.

Immediately afterward, he saw a gigantic azure flood dragon phantom soaring up from Cloud Mist Mountain in the distance before vanishing in an instant.

"What was that..."

Mo Chen's face filled with shock.

He hurried forward a few steps, rubbed his eyes hard, and looked again.

That enormous flood dragon phantom had already disappeared.

At the same time, one of the flood dragon statues among the divine beasts guarding the eight directions within the system's martial training ground suddenly began trembling violently.

The flood dragon statue seemed to come alive, vivid and lifelike. It raised its head and released a resounding dragon's cry before falling silent once more, as though it had never been activated.

"A divine beast in the outside world can actually resonate with the statues in the martial training ground?"

Mo Chen was shaken.

What he found even more unbelievable was that there really was a flood dragon suppressed beneath Martial Suppression Academy!

And that flood dragon was incomparably massive, a thousand zhang long, with five claws growing from its belly.

Its entire body was covered in azure scales that radiated a dazzling divine glow. It looked exceptionally majestic.

"That's a flood dragon! A legendary divine beast..."

[Ding! A divine beast suitable for upgrading the martial training ground has been detected!]

[If the divine beast is captured, the martial training ground's level can be raised.

Permanently increases the chance of fortuitous encounters during martial training by 20%.

Permanently increases the chance of enlightenment during martial training by 20%.

Permanently reduces the chance of injury during martial training by 20%.

Permanently increases gang qi recovery speed during martial training by 20%.

Permanently increases vitality recovery speed during martial training by 20%.

Permanently increases soul nourishment speed during martial training by 20%.

Permanently increases your own gang qi recovery speed by 20%.

Permanently increases your own vitality recovery speed by 20%.

Permanently increases your own soul nourishment speed by 20%.]

Holy shit!

Holy shit?

Holy shit?!

The system notification rang through his mind.

A series of martial training ground upgrade bonuses bombarded Mo Chen's brain.

Mo Chen was completely stunned.

"No!"

"That's a fucking flood dragon! You want me to capture a flood dragon?"

Although capturing the flood dragon would grant his martial training ground enormous upgrade bonuses.

That was a flood dragon, not some little snake!

Even if it were a little snake, he would still need to spend time finding and catching it.

Let alone a flood dragon.

Yet Mo Chen himself did not notice that his heart was pounding, while every muscle in his body trembled uncontrollably with excitement.

He clenched his fists. A thrilling sense of excitement and challenge kept luring his gaze toward Cloud Mist Mountain.

"My martial training ground has eight divine beast statues. Doesn't that mean that as long as I capture eight divine beasts, I can activate them all?"

The first upgrade alone could increase every martial training bonus by 20%.

There were also permanent boosts to his own attributes.

What about upgrading it eight times?

Wouldn't that increase every attribute bonus by 160%?

At that thought, Mo Chen's blood began to boil.

"If all eight divine beast statues are activated, the chance of enlightenment will increase by 160%, and the chance of fortuitous encounters will increase by 160%. That's completely heaven-defying!"

And with the permanent increases to his vitality recovery speed, gang qi recovery speed, and soul nourishment speed.

Would there be any martial art under heaven that he could not learn?

"The flood dragon is suppressed and sealed underground. I still have a chance."

Mo Chen took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

The upgrade rewards were tempting!

Extremely tempting!

But he needed the strength to seize them.

For now, he still had to settle down and face Martial Suppression Academy's martial examination!

Once he entered Martial Suppression Academy and improved his strength, he could consider how to capture the flood dragon!