Chapter 010: Crimson Blood Golden Flood Dragon

Open sea.

On a certain island.

A flash of light erupted from the teleportation array, revealing the tall, broad-shouldered figure of a man. His long hair hung over his shoulders, his posture was upright and imposing, and his eyes shone with a restrained brilliance. With the stride of a dragon and the bearing of a tiger, he stepped out from the array.

“Young master!”

Outside the array, several cultivators clad in the attire of the Zheng clan bowed respectfully.

“No need for formalities. Tend to your own affairs,” Zheng Peng said, casting a glance around. Spiritual light surged about him, and in a sudden leap, he soared into the sky. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a vast azure bird, beating his wings and vanishing into the distance.

...

Across the boundless, endless sea, a white jade tower-ship cut through the waves. Though it sailed upon the water, its speed rivaled that of those flying through the air.

On the deck, six cultivators laughed, jested, and drank with unbridled joy. Among them was a young lady in a pink dress, delicate and charming, capable of stirring pity in any heart. Rising gracefully, she joined the others in exchanging toasts, her words bright and merry, her manner intimate.

“Fair Lady Long, though your vessel cannot soar to the heavens, it is surely best suited to these waters. It requires no spirit stones, drawing upon the spiritual energy of water to drive itself, and yet travels at such speed. Truly an extraordinary treasure,” one cultivator praised.

Long Ying’er laughed, her voice like silver bells. “Brother Xu, you flatter me. You five are setting out to explore the ancient Jindan cultivator’s abode—who knows how many treasures await you? Just don’t look down on my humble ship when the time comes.”

Brother Xu quickly replied, “Why so distant, Lady Long? You too have a share in the exploration of the Jindan abode. The six of us advance and retreat as one, each seeking what we desire.”

The other four echoed their agreement.

Long Ying’er’s beautiful eyes swept over the group. With a graceful bow, she declared, “Then from this day forth, the Five Friends of Bamboo Mountain shall become the Six Friends!”

“Indeed, indeed!” The Five Friends of Bamboo Mountain raised their cups in merriment.

“As I have been favored by you, brothers, I have a great gift for you all as well. Have you ever heard of the Dragon Scale Fruit?” Long Ying’er’s smile was radiant.

“Dragon Scale Fruit—could it be that legendary treasure that strengthens the body?” the five friends asked eagerly.

Long Ying’er nodded. “Exactly.”

“Do you mean to say—?”

“It so happens that I have obtained the location of a Dragon Scale Fruit tree, which is why I set sail. That place is quite near where you intend to go. Why don’t we fetch the fruit first, and then proceed to the ancient Jindan abode?”

...

Dragon Scale Island.

Pang Yue sat cross-legged in midair, a red-and-white sword-light swirling about him with the grace of a spirit-fish, tracing dizzying arcs. Over the years, his swordsmanship had advanced greatly.

Except for the “Sword Refinement into Threads,” which only Jindan cultivators could achieve, he had long since mastered Sword Qi Thunderclap, Splitting Sword-Light, Unity of Body and Sword, and Clarity of Heart and Sword. Since obtaining the Flame Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword, his strength had grown even further, and his speed in flight had become swifter still.

This sword, forged by a Jindan expert of the Demon Talisman Sect, was a perfect match for his “True Record of the Flame Demon.” If he combined with his sword and fled at full speed, none beneath Jindan could hope to catch him.

This was his fallback.

In the past five years, he had also perfected the Dragon Elephant Subduing Fist, mastering all thirty-three formulas, and his strength now surpassed three million catties—exceeding the limits of a Foundation Establishment body-refining cultivator.

With such power and a punch as fast as sound itself, he could, with his physical strength alone, shatter a small island.

Pang Yue had expected the Zheng clan to come for him, but the first to arrive turned out to be a demon cultivator.

A man in golden robes emerged from the sea, circling in the air, his gaze fixed intently on the island ahead.

...

“So it really is the scent of Dragon Scale Fruit—pity it’s not yet ripe!” he muttered warily, making no move to land.

“With this fruit, I can awaken my true dragon bloodline, raise my cultivation, perhaps even surpass my elder brothers and reach the Jindan realm ahead of them!” His eyes gleamed with determination.

“Still... best to test the waters first.” He raised his trident, stretched his arm, and suddenly hurled it!

With a piercing sound, the heavy trident shot through the air, striking directly at the mountain valley of Dragon Scale Island.

With a sigh, the illusory formation was torn apart by the force, revealing within a courtyard of green stone and a Dragon Scale Fruit tree.

A hand reached out and caught the trident firmly.

The golden-robed man stared in astonishment, then sneered. “As expected—there’s always trickery. No human cultivator can ever be trusted.”

With a wave of his hand, he summoned his power, attempting to retrieve the trident.

But... the trident did not budge.

His gaze fixed on the gray-robed man below, and seeing only a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the third tier, he assumed his weapon was trapped by a formation. “You, Daoist! Release the restriction, hand over the Dragon Scale Fruit tree, and I’ll leave your corpse intact!”

In the courtyard, Pang Yue frowned.

“How did I attract a late-stage Foundation Establishment demon...”

This demon was brimming with essence and demonic power, his cultivation at the seventh tier of Foundation Establishment, his presence overwhelming.

The golden-robed man tried again to summon his trident, but found it unmoved in Pang Yue’s grasp, no matter what he tried.

“Very well, if you’re just a low-tier Foundation Establishment cultivator, I’ll destroy your formation first!”

With that, he shed all pretense and revealed his true form—a golden flood dragon, a hundred feet long.

“Crimson-Blood Golden Flood Dragon!”

Pang Yue’s expression shifted. The Crimson-Blood Golden Flood Dragons were among the mightiest demon clans in the outer seas, said to be ruled by a Demon Emperor.

A Demon Emperor equaled the Nascent Soul realm among human cultivators.

Without another word, the flood dragon soared skyward, unleashing its innate magic. In an instant, towering tsunamis swept toward Dragon Scale Island.

Waves a hundred feet high roared, threatening to obliterate the island.

Suddenly, the shadows of five great peaks appeared. Within a radius of ten miles, all fell silent—wind and wave stilled.

Tidal waves crashed against these phantom peaks, but could not advance.

The golden flood dragon let out a piercing roar, then dove, spitting golden flames, seeking to melt the great formation.

But at that moment, a sudden sense of danger seized his heart.

Before he could react, a gray divine radiance swept over him.

In terror, he watched his demonic power forcibly stripped away, his strength falling from late-stage Foundation Establishment to its early stage.

And that was not the end.

Before his eyes, a flash of red-and-white sword-light flickered.

Only after a long moment did the thunderous boom reach his ears.

“Sword Qi... Thunderclap...”

With these final words, the dragon’s massive head slipped from its neck. The wound was smooth as a mirror.

Far away, in the depths of the sea, within the Dragon Palace.

A maiden in a golden dress felt her expression shift. She crooked her finger, only to grasp at empty air.

“The soul-link thread has snapped...”

There could be but one explanation—her eighth brother was dead.

“Who could have slain my eighth brother? A human Jindan, perhaps?” The maiden’s brows knit, her gaze icy with killing intent.

...

Pang Yue deftly retrieved the demon core from the flood dragon, and from its corpse found a peculiar dragon scale—its “storage pouch.”

Upon inspection, he was overjoyed.

Within the scale, aside from a few demon cultivation manuals, there was a jumble of rare treasures of little use to human cultivators.

But two items caught his eye.

The first was a small, transparent orb—though tiny, it was extraordinarily heavy, sealed with nine restrictions. Like the trident before, it was a top-grade magical artifact.

The second was a chunk of meteorite ore. Stripping away its stone shell, he found the iron within weightless yet incomparably hard.

Clear Void Iron!

One of the nine supreme treasures of his previous life—the main material for the Invisible Sword!

“Was this all sent here for me?” Pang Yue smiled. The orb was likely the legendary Calm Sea Pearl, a foundation for forging a true treasure.

With the trident from before, this Crimson-Blood Golden Flood Dragon had delivered him gifts worth at least a million spirit stones!

He waited several more days.

At last, a great azure bird appeared on the horizon, circled once, and in a flash of light turned into a tall, powerfully built man.

He hovered in the air, swept his hand before his eyes, and sensed carefully. “There’s a formation—so this place is already claimed.”

After a moment, he called out, “Zheng Peng of the East Sea Zheng clan. I have heard there is a Dragon Scale Fruit here, and have come to seek it. I hope the owner will grant me an audience.”

His voice boomed across sea and sky.

After a pause, a voice drifted from the island below.

“No visitors. This belongs to the Demon Talisman Sect. Please leave.”

Zheng Peng’s eyes flickered. “That may not be so. The outer seas are vast—do you claim it’s the Demon Talisman Sect’s by mere word? Show yourself, and I am willing to offer a great price for the Dragon Scale Fruit.”

“Please leave.”

Zheng Peng chuckled. “If you are truly a high disciple of the Demon Talisman Sect, why not show yourself? Or do you invoke their name to seize this treasure for yourself?”

“In this world, treasures belong to the worthy. Do you think a mere formation can bar my way?”

There was a moment’s silence from the island. “What do you want?”

“I wish only to see the Dragon Scale Fruit tree,” Zheng Peng replied, hands clasped behind his back.

A cold laugh answered him. “I fear if you see it, you’ll want to take it whole!”

Zheng Peng laughed aloud. “You possess a treasure, yet let word of it slip—whether you can keep it depends on your own skill. Who can you blame?”

The island’s owner replied, “If that’s so, then come and break the formation!”

A slit opened in Zheng Peng’s brow, and a third eye appeared, gazing downward.

The illusions over the valley vanished before his gaze; though the Five Peaks Suppressing Array was not entirely clear, he glimpsed its workings, the flow of spiritual energy, and the heart of the formation.

“It truly is a Dragon Scale Fruit tree!” he exulted, spotting the great tree in the courtyard.

Even better, its guardian was only a third-tier Foundation Establishment cultivator!

What grand array could such a one possibly set?

He had but one thought: “If Heaven offers and I do not take, I will be punished!”

With supreme inheritance and eighth-tier Foundation Establishment cultivation, how could he let this opportunity pass?

Having weighed the odds, Zheng Peng called out, “Then let me test your formation!”

With that, he shot toward Dragon Scale Island like a falling star.