Flood Diversion

White River, designated flood diversion section.

The lingering rain finally stopped. The clouds dispersed, and the long-awaited sun peeked out, showering the wet earth with its intense rays.

Bowers stood on the muddy riverbank, and could even feel his clothes, soaked through, beginning to steam.

Despite the need to deploy thousands of earthquake rune stakes, progress is rapid thanks to the hard work of more than twenty aquatic dragons. The relocation order for the flood diversion area was issued overnight, Zhimeng is leading some dragons to patrol and search the low-lying areas, looking for any stray aliens or dragons that may be stranded within the flooded area.

Before long, all preparations were complete, and Bowers connected with Su Ming.

"Notify the security team at Tianqing Stone to begin operations, and also have the hydrological monitoring stations along the route keep a close eye on water level changes," Su Ming instructed. "Then you can detonate it there."

"Received," Bowers replied.

Su Ming ended the call, gently patted the scales of Mo Yuan beneath him, signaling the dragon to increase its flight altitude.

Before long, a series of muffled rumbling sounds came from the horizon. Because of the great distance, he could only vaguely see a section of the White River bank, which looked as if it had been gnawed open by a giant mouth. The turbid river water, carrying silt, began to cover the vegetation in the pre-designated low-lying flood discharge area with red and yellow hues, gradually seeping and spreading.

"Are you trying to alleviate the pressure of the flood peak?" Ruixiuli asked.

"And while we're at it, let's reclaim a new lake," Su Ming explained simply, "So we can make full use of the water resources in the White River basin."

Water continued to gush out from the breach, causing the water level in the nearby river section to drop and continue to spread downstream.

A hint of envy flickered in Jielusi's eyes; regions with abundant water resources could be so carefree.

The group was en route to the processing site for the Super Crystal Dragon's remains. In addition to Ruixiuli and Jielusi, they were accompanied by five giant dragons as guards, and Elder Mo Yuan personally led the way.

Su Ming has been traveling with this kind of entourage lately. In Mo Yuan's words, all the assassinations and infiltrations he has seen in the past few hundred years combined are not comparable to the scale of this one month.

"Why are you dragging me there?" Miao Xin asked loudly.

"Like building blocks," Su Ming said, pulling up the structural blueprints of the H-6 WZ on his tablet. "Don't you want to be flying a big aircraft as soon as possible?"

"Oh, oh, oh, is that it!" Miao Xin's voice instantly rose, filled with excitement, "You should have said so earlier!"

"If you had said so earlier, I wouldn't have felt like I was forcing you," Su Ming said.

"----"

The destination was reached quickly, and the dragons landed on the muddy, empty processing site. The massive remains of the Super Crystal Dragon had been almost completely decomposed. The tough muscles and the skin covered with crystal luster were meticulously cut and sorted, then stored in a huge cold storage facility built on-site.

The vast majority of the skeletons had been used for the reinforcement and upgrade of the Pansy, leaving only the most resilient parts on site. Su Ming entered the temporary warehouse to carefully examine them, confirming that the strength of these skeletons fully met the requirements for manufacturing the skeleton of the giant aircraft.

He summoned the necromancer leader on site and sketched out the structure of a building with a few strokes. "Take some men to the edge of the Celestite Reservoir, find a suitable location, and build this large hangar."

He then pointed to the pile of Crystal Dragon bones, "Move all of these over there!"

"Yes, sir!" The group leader accepted the order and left.

Su Ming then sent the structural blueprints of the H-6 WZ to the office, "Arrange for the workshop to print them out, and also send a team of necromancers skilled in structural construction to provide support."

"Received!" The administrative office quickly sprang into action.

"You stay here and supervise the construction," Su Ming said, turning to Miao Xin. "If you encounter any problems, go directly to Jisu for solutions."

"Leave it to me!" The Skeleton Pig patted its sternum, making a hollow click.

With the material transportation and structural construction of the H-6 WZ arranged, the next step was the airborne equipment, especially the most crucial engine system. This unprecedented aquatic behemoth required twelve of the largest possible propfan engines to power it.

Su Ming compiled a detailed list of materials and contacted Younier.

"The list has been sent to you," he instructed. "Once all the materials are ready, transport them to the Bluestone hangar."

"The Azure Stone Hangar?" Younier's voice was clearly confused. "Where is that?"

Su Ming glanced at the necromancer construction team that had just set off. "I don't know either, they're still looking for a place to start construction," he replied. "We'll ask the administrative dispatch center for the exact location later."

"Understood!"

After issuing a few instructions, a group of people rushed to the scene, while Su Ming, the instigator, was left idle.

After the rain, the damp earth of the jungle released a refreshing fragrance of grass and trees. Su Ming was just about to find a corner to rest when he caught a glimpse of a dragon leisurely passing by on the horizon.

"That's Rupert." Ruixiuli had already activated his Eagle Eye, his eyes glowing faintly. "He's sprawled out on the dragon's back, enjoying the breeze and sunshine!"

"Didn't I order Rupert to check suspicious caravans along the White River?" Su Ming raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What's he doing here?"

This place is fifty kilometers away from the nearest bank of the White River. Although it is low-lying, it has no water and is not a place that the Naga Clan would set foot in.

"Rupert's probably slacking off again." Ruixiuli curled his lip, turning to Jielusi, "Why don't you check his attendance record?"

"No need to check." Jielusi said calmly, "This guy is usually lazy, but he also knows how to organize things well, and the process is flawless."

Before the words were even finished, the group felt a flash of light and shadow before their eyes, and the giant dragon that had been leisurely soaring above the treetops vanished without a trace in an instant.

Su Ming stared in astonishment, mouth agape. "Where did it go?"

"Could it be that he overheard us talking about him behind his back and got so scared that he just ran away?" Ruixiuli said.

****

Thirty minutes ago.

The sky was exceptionally clear after the rain, and the sun at nine in the morning did not feel hot in the misty wind.

Rupert's first investigation site was the Celestite Hydropower Station.

The winding White River divides Dragon Valley in two, and the Celestite Dam, spanning the river, is the only land route connecting the east and west banks. Water transport between the dwarves and Silver Moon Forest also connects here, making Azure Stone an important trade and logistics distribution center.

Rupert retrieved surveillance footage from key intersections in Celesteite. Although the "Sky Eye System" could not be deployed throughout the entire Dragon Valley, it still achieved comprehensive coverage of key areas such as Celesteite and Ruby Base.

After careful investigation and analysis, a total of 21 large-scale land caravans passed through within the past 48 hours. Among them, 12 were from dwarves, 5 were from Silver Moon Forest, and only 4 were from third-party merchant guilds.

"This team is problematic!" Rupert's finger pointed confidently at the image of the largest of the four teams.

One of the team members leaned closer for a closer look, looking puzzled. "Captain, how did you figure that out?"

"They didn't put the livestock here to drink water!" Rupert explained.

The team members fast-forwarded through the footage and indeed found that other caravans, without exception, would let their tired pack animals drink at the riverbank to replenish their water before setting off onto the dry trade route away from the riverbank—this was standard practice when crossing waterways.

Only by going upstream along the riverbank, passing through reservoir areas with gentle currents and clean water, can livestock be provided with water at any time, thus avoiding unnecessary trouble.

This path and direction are extremely suspicious!

"Search for the caravan immediately!" Rupert ordered, and a small group quickly set off.

Two other caravans chose to leave via a downstream route along the river, which is also highly suspicious. Although it is very difficult to approach the dam via the downstream waterway, it may be a route that allows those with ulterior motives to avoid attacks as much as possible.

Rupert immediately dispatched two more teams to track down the two teams.

"The primary task is to find out their location!" he emphasized again. "Remember, just keep watch, don't make contact!"

Avoid alerting the enemy!

"Understood!" the investigation team members responded in unison.

Rupert had intended to stay in Bluestone and wait, but his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the intoxicatingly blue sky outside the window, and an urge to go for a drive arose in his heart.

So he deliberately chose the slowest old dragon, which carried him leisurely in the direction the fourth caravan, which had no suspicion of being involved, had left.

Rupert didn't let the dragon rise higher, but instead let it comfortably skim the treetops, the lush green leaves almost brushing against its wings. When the mood struck him, he even teamed up with the old dragon to glide through the dense canopy and pick some plump wild fruits.

The outline of a simple building appeared in the clearing below. Rupert scanned it but saw no sign of human activity. He activated his tactical bracelet, intending to mark the location on the electronic map and call in a drone for a reconnaissance mission.

Suddenly, multiple Gravity Spell slammed down on him and the dragon, while several restrictive and dragging forces descended and bound them. Rupert didn't even have time to discern the source of these forces; he only felt the world spin before he and the dragon crashed to the ground!

Bang!

Rupert crashed into the dragon's spine, dirt flying everywhere. He felt a slam into his chest, and blood gushed out. The excruciating pain in his chest made Rupert realize that he probably had several broken ribs!

The giant dragon beneath him also crashed violently, its massive body convulsing in agony, its eyes bulging. The old dragon's ferocious head was tightly bound by dark blue binding runes, preventing it from uttering even a mournful cry.

****

The rustling sound of scales rubbing against the grass blades drew closer. Rupert struggled to lift his head, and in his blurry vision, several Naga were wriggling their slippery bodies as they surrounded him.

One of the Naga struck with lightning speed, its scaly claws shattering the tactical bracelet on his wrist with a "crack."

"Judging by their equipment, they should be combatants from the Final Bone Mad Machines." The leading Naga had deep purple scales and wore a headband, clearly a leader of considerable rank. "Get them to talk and find out their intentions!"

"Yes!"

Two Naga stepped forward, chanting obscure incantations. Blue binding runes extended like living things, tightening their grip on the heavily wounded dragon, almost embedding themselves into its scales.

Rupert couldn't sense the opponent's strength, but judging from the situation, they were at least at the level of Magister.

"Our actions will still alert them," a Naga high priest holding a serpentine staff hissed in cryptic language. "His companions will be coming to find him soon."

"It's alright." The Naga leader, with her deep purple scales, looked up towards the distant river, her eyes flashing with a cold light. "The explosion happened beforehand, and the river level has dropped significantly—this means the second group has successfully created a landslide dam upstream!"

"Indeed," the Naga High Priest nodded. "It's been a while; the overflowing floodwaters will soon reach here."

Based on the terrain, once the landslide dam at the designated location overflows, the river will flood the low-lying area, turning it into a vast swamp. The nearby warehouses storing the precious remains of the Super Crystal Dragon will also be within the flood zone!

That will be the glorious moment when this elite Naga will leverage their racial advantages to stage an astonishing theft amidst the vast, murky floodwaters!

A Naga warrior grinned maliciously, using his long trident to lift Rupert from the mud, then pressed the blade against Rupert's bleeding neck. "Speak! What are you trying to do, sneaking in here like this?"

Rupert remained silent.

"Did you discover something?" A Naga mage approached, her sinister gaze sweeping over the broken tactical bracelet on the ground. "You used a magical device just now, were you trying to tip someone off?"

Rupert grinned, his mouth stained with blood, and spat a mouthful of thick, bloody phlegm at the other man's face.

The spit was easily dodged, but it successfully ignited the Naga's fury.

"You're asking for death!" The Naga warrior swung the heavy end of his trident, slamming it down hard on Rupert's forehead with a dull thud.

Rupert groaned and collapsed to the ground again.

"You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences!" The Naga warrior spat, drawing his curved sword with a swift motion. "I'll take both your arms off, then let's see if you're still so tough!"

He raised his hand, swung the blade, and slashed down hard at Rupert's arm!

****

Laugh!

A whip tip flashed out with ghostly speed, striking the curved blade and producing a piercing metallic clang.

The scimitar flew from the Naga warrior's hand, but the whip's momentum didn't dissipate, coiling around his neck like a venomous snake. Immediately afterward, a corrosive energy spread up the whip, instantly seeping into his scales!

The Naga warrior let out a shrill scream, his neck veins bulged, and his skin quickly turned ashen.

The Naga mage beside him was shocked and furious. Just as her staff glowed blue in an attempt to come to his rescue, her whip lashed out, carrying intense Magic Power, and sent him flying.

Su Ming parted the jungle and strode forward with a somber expression.

Just as the Naga leader was about to offer assistance, he suddenly felt a chilling cold and quickly dodged to the side.

A figure with a faint scar on his face suddenly appeared where he had just stood. The heavy bone sword, accompanied by a whooshing sound, crashed into the ground, splashing up a large amount of wet soil.

"Curse Blade - One - Ruixiuli!" The Naga leader's pupils constricted as he recognized this dangerous opponent.

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