“Sigh...”
Nan Zhi lowered her voice, and as she recalled everything within the Locust God's memories, she couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
“You truly should not die here.
If you live, you can at least ensure the safety of the Rakshasa Sea Market, and the North Province will not fall into the hands of demons and become a land devoid of spiritual energy, overrun by Sky Demons.
When that time comes, the spiritual energy that both humans and demons depend on for survival will gradually diminish until you are forced back to the three provinces. The surviving demons will only be able to cultivate by devouring blood and flesh, regressing into bloodthirsty beasts without a shred of intelligence.
Over time, as karmic retribution weighs upon you, you will only find death under the heavenly lightning.”
What Nan Zhi described was the original historical end of the Four Provinces Continent, and there was not a single trace of falsehood in her words.
The Dragon Girl could naturally sense the horror in that vision. Bursts of hot air escaped her dragon maw, as if she were infected by such a desperate future.
The calamity of the Sky Demons had already begun to threaten the twelve nations of the four directions. Perhaps other human cultivators had not yet noticed, but as the lord of the Rakshasa Sea Market, she felt it most acutely.
Wherever the Sky Demons passed, not a blade of grass would grow, and even the seawater would become a place of dead silence.
The Sea Dragon people living in those waters, whether male or female, found it increasingly difficult to conceive. Their bodies grew weaker until they regressed into ordinary sea dragons, losing their intelligence and retaining only their animalistic instincts.
Such a result...
The Dragon Girl’s breathing grew even more rapid. Though she was suspicious by nature, she would not doubt the words of a Great Witch.
The Witch race had not involved itself in the affairs of the world for ten thousand years. Even if a member of their race was occasionally seen, they were usually young, low-level witches.
A witch like the mysterious woman before her, who could travel freely through the Wuwang Sea and summon wind and rain with a casual wave of her hand, was someone the Dragon Girl had only heard of and never seen.
The other party had no need to deceive a dying dragon.
If she were to perish here, the Rakshasa Sea Market she had managed for so many years would surely fall into the hands of others from the Dragon Palace.
How could the Dragon Girl be willing to hand over her life's work to someone else?!
Furthermore, the news of the Great Calamity of the Four Provinces had to be brought back by someone living.
Certain doubts in her heart gradually dissolved.
She finally understood why the gods and Buddhas of the Heavenly Court had vanished and why the spiritual energy of the mortal realm was disappearing. It turned out that while the cultivation world was blissfully ignorant, a world-shattering Great Calamity was approaching!
She could not die!
She absolutely could not die!
Thinking of this, the Dragon Girl immediately used the last of her strength. Her massive water-blue dragon head slumped to the ground, showing her submission with utter obedience.
“Ao Mingzhu greets her master. From this day forward, I am at your disposal and shall not dare to disobey.”
It was done.
Nan Zhi immediately threw out the golden-quality Spirit Beast Contract. A drop of essence blood floated from the center of the dragon’s brow and landed directly on the contract. In an instant, she felt a new connection within her soul.
There were now two connections in total: one from Hongluo and the other from the dying true dragon before her.
Fearing that her origins might be discovered, Nan Zhi did not offer any pills. She simply took back the Spirit Beast Talisman and, with a wave of her long sleeve, the colossal creature instantly vanished.
“The golden-quality Spirit Beast Contract is indeed useful. As long as the Dragon Girl doesn't die, the Sea Market won't fall into chaos. Moreover, once this news is sent back, the three major sects will surely react.”
Nan Zhi noticed a warning from the light breeze brushing her face, realizing that high-level Sky Demons were approaching. She immediately collected the Jiao dragon's corpse, not leaving behind even the scattered dragon scales or bones, before vanishing back into the mist just as the newcomers were about to arrive.
...
In less than ten breaths, the surrounding seawater began to boil. Bursts of black mist surged and tumbled like boiling water as they rushed toward the small island, but they were ultimately a step too late.
Eight White Bone Heavenly Maidens carried an exquisite crane sedan and landed gracefully on the island. Beneath the layers of gauze curtains sat a monk with a shaven head.
If Nan Zhi were here, she would have certainly recognized his identity.
“Strange, truly strange.”
The monk had a smile on his face as the prayer beads in his hand turned incessantly. He released his divine sense to carefully investigate the area, but he could find no trace of the dragon corpse.
“Could it be that the two dragons fought, and their corpses were already devoured by the Sky Demons in the sea?”
The prayer beads turned faster and faster, mirroring the monk's complicated state of mind.
“That Lord Jiao was truly a waste. Even with two Nascent Soul Sky Demons and the assistance of the White Bone Heavenly Maidens, he still managed to get himself killed by that Mingzhu woman...”
“And that Qinglong was also quite useless. Could it be that anyone with ‘dragon’ in their name is fated to be my nemesis?”
As it turned out, after Daoist Qinglong was exposed, Huiyuan had fled to the Rakshasa Sea Market. He had been lurking and gathering information for many days before finding an opportunity to incite Lord Jiao to fight the Dragon Girl for power.
He frowned, his bald head reflecting the light. A cloud of black mist slowly descended upon the spot, and Huiyuan hurriedly stepped off the sedan to greet it.
It was the Sky Demon Duanyu, who had escaped earlier.
“A low-level Sky Demon came to report that the dragon has fled.”
Half of its head had been sliced off by Zong Zheng, but it had already grown back. A mocking expression appeared on its human-like face.
“Is this the ‘absolutely foolproof’ plan you guaranteed to my master?”
“It shouldn't have gone wrong, but who would have thought a problem would arise at such a critical moment!”
Huiyuan’s expression was somewhat unsightly, but he soon sneered:
“Although the Mingzhu woman is difficult to deal with, even if she can leave the black mist alive, her cultivation realm will surely have plummeted. She won't last long.”
Having said that, he manifested an image in the air: a humanoid creature with a dragon head, wearing silver armor and a pearl hanging from its waist.
“The Demon Lord wishes to take over the Rakshasa Sea Market. Even if we can't get rid of the Mingzhu woman, I have other ways. That Dragon Prince was killed by me on the Yin Yang Road, a fact that very few people know.”
“I still have a fragment of the Dragon Prince’s soul in my possession. With the Mingzhu woman heavily injured, if the Dragon Prince were to go and contest the Rakshasa Sea Market now, he would have a perfectly legitimate reason. Even the old Dragon King wouldn't say anything.”
“You want me to impersonate that Dragon Prince.”
Duanyu looked at the illusory Dragon Prince. Although it was a question, it was stated as a plain fact.
“For the glory of our race and the honor of our King, it is worth a try. However, this time, I do not wish to see anything go wrong.”
“You can rest assured on that.”
Huiyuan’s eyes were dark and malicious as he spoke through gritted teeth:
“The only person left who knows about this and has a chance to expose it is a certain human female cultivator.”
“A little ghost came to report that the female cultivator has already headed to the Qingjing Sect to participate in next year’s sect selection. I have already ordered two White Bone Heavenly Maidens to pursue her, kill her, and reclaim the evil treasure.”
Furthermore, the Sea Market was thousands of miles away from the Qingjing Sect. No matter how capable a minor female cultivator was, it was impossible for her to know what was happening so far away.
He possessed a wisp of the Dragon Prince’s soul. Even if the Dragon King himself arrived, he wouldn't be able to spot any flaws!
This plan was seamless!
“Very well. When I succeed and claim the reward from our King, I will not forget your contribution.”
Duanyu looked at the soul of the Dragon Prince and swallowed it in one gulp. In the next instant, flesh-colored skin grew all over its body. Within moments, it transformed into a naked, imposing Dragon Prince.
“It is better to be cautious.”
Huiyuan narrowed his eyes and shook his body, transforming into a hunchbacked Prime Minister Turtle with a turtle shell on his back, wearing an official’s hat and two ridiculous spots of makeup on his face.
The other eight White Bone Heavenly Maidens also giggled as they tore off their faces, transforming into shrimp soldiers and crab generals to attend to them.
The “Dragon Prince” tried to open his mouth, and half of his cheek sagged. He expressionlessly pushed it back into place and, mimicking the lingering memories within the soul fragment, said arrogantly:
“To the Sea Market. I haven't seen my dear sister in a long time; it's time we caught up. Since she is heavily injured, as her elder brother, I should naturally share some of her burdens.”
“Clothes.”
Prime Minister Turtle wiped his sweat and whispered a reminder, “You forgot to manifest some clothes.”
The “Dragon Prince”: “...”
The Demon race was truly a hassle; even after taking human form, one still had to wear clothes.
Rate on N.U.
