The Chi and the Flood Dragon

Five hundred li north of Nanzhao lay a lake in which Purple and Green grew in abundance. When they bloomed, they covered the lake, so it was named Cibi Lake.

North of Cibi Lake, it was early summer, yet the land enjoyed spring all year round. Here and now, the pear blossoms on ten thousand pear trees were in full bloom.

Golden Ao Mountain stood thirty li north of Cibi Lake. It was not tall, but a Demon King held it.

The Bai people at its foot had suffered under him for generations. Only in recent years, as the Qing Dynasty developed the region in earnest, had the great Demon on the mountain become more restrained.

Even so, he still came down the mountain to harm people from time to time.

But today, two figures stood in the sky above Golden Ao Mountain.

One was gray-black, with moonlight encircling him.

The other was azure, with a fine rain drifting around him.

They were none other than the two True Persons, Nuoli and Changlu.

Below them, a one-horned black flood dragon was circling over the mountain, glaring viciously at the two in the sky.

Seeing that the black flood dragon showed no remorse, Nuoli called out, "If you don't leave today and end up ruining the lords' business, I'm afraid you'll have to take a trip through the Eight Trigrams Furnace someday."

The black flood dragon sneered, "Don't try to scare your grandpa! I didn't grow up scared!"

Nuoli frowned at his words and thought to himself, Just as I expected of a Demon Beast from the wilds. He doesn't have a shred of reverence in him.

Changlu's face darkened, and he turned to Nuoli with a suggestion: "Fellow Daoist, I have a Spirit Treasure here called the Formation-Rending, Mystery-Startling Chain, which came from the Thunder Bureau. It's especially good at breaking formations..."

Nuoli was taken aback at first, then his heart went cold. He gave Changlu a long, searching look.

He knew of the Spirit Treasure, but it was entangled in too many matters.

If not for the True Lord's orders, he would rather have sought help from an old friend than continue traveling with Changlu. It was best for him to stay out of this matter as much as possible.

So he smiled and said, "This treasure belongs to the thunder element. Though it could easily break the formation, it could also damage the earth veins. It would be best not to use it."

Changlu said no more. Instead, he glanced at Nuoli and thought to himself, There really is something wrong with this Spirit Treasure. I meant to take this chance to sound him out, but I didn't expect him to refuse outright. But now that it's been delivered into my hands, how can I still refuse it?

As he pondered, he suddenly heard the black flood dragon shouting below again: "What's the matter? Can't break your grandpa's formation, can you?"

Changlu was about to fly into a rage when the black flood dragon continued, "A chi that cultivates fu water and has had its Dao Path severed is obviously just a mongrel. Add a man-goat cultivating this rootless water, and how could you possibly break my great formation?"

"Hahaha!"

Enraged, Changlu was about to thrust the Spirit Artifact longsword in his hand downward, but Nuoli stopped him.

Changlu looked at Nuoli in anger, only to see that Nuoli had already removed the Great Yin Dharma Robe that concealed him.

His human form had also transformed into that of a beast.

A slender chi, entirely white, appeared before his eyes. It resembled a flood dragon, but had no horns.

Yet gray-white and gray-black fu Water Qi shimmered over its pure white body.

Nuoli fixed his eyes on the black flood dragon below and said in a low voice, "A mongrel? Do you think I'm a mixed-blood flood dragon like you? I'm a spirit born and nurtured by heaven and earth. How could a mixed-blood mongrel flood dragon like you compare to me?"

When he finished speaking, raindrops appeared around his chi body, carrying threads of cold. Then his chi body slowly turned, head and tail joining.

In an instant, countless water veins converged.

In the blink of an eye, they gathered into the phantom image of a great marsh.

Then countless islands emerged within the marsh, and countless wisps of water vapor rose above it.

One curtain of water after another rose, making his slender, white form look all the more sacred.

Once everything had taken shape, he parted his jaws slightly and adjusted his aim toward Golden Ao Mountain below, then opened his mouth and spat.

First came a longsword, its blade pure white and radiating cold.

Then, led by the longsword, countless gray-white and gray-black water veins shot toward Golden Ao Mountain below, together with the great marsh above, the cold rain, and the curtains of water.

When the black flood dragon below saw Nuoli reveal his chi form and use his Divine Ability, he immediately sensed trouble.

He poured Law Power into the formation on Golden Ao Mountain without cease.

Before Nuoli's attack landed, curtains of water and the phantom image of a great marsh rose from Golden Ao Mountain as well.

The sword arrived first, and countless streams of cold gathered.

The curtains of water all froze, then shattered.

The two phantom marshes collided and vanished.

Nuoli's curtains of water and cold rain fell upon the formation, and its operation faltered for an instant.

Nuoli roared, "Changlu, what are you waiting for? Strike!"

Changlu came to his senses as if waking from a dream. An orichalcum chain several zhang long appeared in his hand, with a three-edged spike at its tip engraved with blue-gold lightning patterns.

When he unleashed it, the chain moved like a swimming dragon. He swung it hard and poured Law Power into it.

The spike shot straight toward the formation. The black flood dragon was still clearing away the cold rain and curtains of water.

He had no time to stop it. The moment the spike touched the formation, the force of thunder burst along the chain. The formation broke with a crack, leaving a brief opening.

Nuoli seized the chance. His chi body grew rapidly, holding the opening in the formation firmly apart.

Changlu kept swinging the orichalcum chain, sending it again and again to coil around the black flood dragon.

Seeing this, the black flood dragon caused the phantom image of a great marsh to light up around him.

He meant to block the attack, but Changlu had already activated his Divine Ability, Submerge the Old Ford.

Countless torrents of brownish-white water surged forth, submerging the phantom marsh.

The black flood dragon was startled, but the next moment, countless springs flowed beneath him and overturned him.

Crying out in pain, the black flood dragon was about to strike back when he saw that a scarlet ring had already descended over his head.

Countless vines poured from the scarlet ring and bound him.

He was about to use a Spirit Artifact to counterattack, but his vision suddenly swam.

A blue light was shining between Changlu's brows.

Unable to resist at all, he was drawn into the scarlet ring.

Nuoli looked at the blue light between Changlu's brows and thought to himself, To have cultivated this Gui Water Heaven and Earth Overturned, he really must be a great devil.

Paying it no further attention, he recalled the scarlet ring and shook it gently. A black talisman fell out.

He poured Law Power into the black talisman and took control of the great formation. After briefly examining it, he smiled at Changlu and said, "This black flood dragon had some skill after all. Despite being a Demon, he managed to set up an Abyss-Encompassing Great Marsh Formation. He had some talent."

Changlu said nothing more and merely nodded, secretly astonished. A chi cultivating fu water instead of gui water is rare enough in itself.

And he's a spirit born and nurtured by heaven and earth, rather than one formed from a bloodline. The waters here run far too deep. I'd better get the Cultivation Method and spirit item and leave as soon as possible. So he spoke. "Fellow Daoist, what about the Cultivation Method and spirit item?"

Nuoli frowned. "You won't be shortchanged. Once this place has been put in order and the formation removed, the Dao Child will be able to come here through that secret realm. You'll naturally receive them then."

With that, he flew upward. His white chi body assumed human form, and the Great Yin Dharma Robe concealed it.

In the distance, on the southern shore of Cibi Lake, the many Bai and Han people in the city saw the chi's silhouette on the northern shore. Thinking the lake god had revealed himself and a divine dragon had appeared in the world, they all knelt where they were and bowed.

The cultivators in the city, meanwhile, wore grave expressions.

Nuoli looked at the common people in the distant city, then turned to Changlu with displeasure. "Whether it's the followers of Supreme Purity, those of Highest Clarity, or the Human Emperor now seated in Jiankang, or the Confucian School, they all speak of nurturing the people so they know proper conduct. Yet ten thousand years have passed, and I don't see much difference."

Changlu was taken aback, and then his face went pale. "All I want is to cultivate the Dao. I know nothing at all about such worldly matters."

Nuoli sneered and paid him no heed.

Then he descended toward Golden Ao Mountain below.