Yi Shuyuan gazed at the scroll before him, filled with emotion. This treasure was not quite complete and could not yet be used, but all that remained was patient, painstaking work.
It truly came down to timing and fate. Even Yi Shuyuan had no confidence that he could succeed if he tried again.
Yet as he looked at the scroll shimmering with a hazy radiance, boundless joy rose in his heart alongside his emotion.
He rejoiced not only at having created such a peerless treasure, but even more at the breakthrough his cultivation had made amid this desperate ordeal.
"Sometimes, the Dao reveals itself where you least expect it. Sometimes, you see it coming but lack the courage. Today, I suppose I encountered both."
There were times in cultivation to follow nature's course, and times when one had to fight for something. Today, Yi Shuyuan had followed nature's course while fighting courageously, contending for his own allotted fortune and winning a chance at life for the countless living beings as well.
As Yi Shuyuan thought of this, murmuring to himself, a sensation stirred in his heart almost immediately.
Waves of indistinct energy surfaced deep within his consciousness. This change, imperceptible to ordinary people and even many cultivators, might well have been the gathering of merit.
Now, when Yi Shuyuan looked again at the Flood Dragon far away at the edge of the underground lake, its terrifying aura seemed somewhat diminished, a few shades brighter than before. The Flood Dragon himself, however, was clearly unaware.
Seeing the immortal look his way, the Flood Dragon endured his pain and swam over. Though his whole body felt as if it were falling apart, he soon reached Yi Shuyuan's side.
"I never imagined you possessed such power. Were you really holding back against me