Ranran said smiling to the little dragon, "What, do you want me to grill fish for you again?"
Back when Ranran was healing on the island, she also adjusted the little dragon's tastes, grilling fish for it to eat. At that time, the little dragon had eaten with its dragon beard raised, looking very satisfied.
So when Ranran said this, the little dragon made another sharp coquettish sound, then turned to the golden dragon in the sky and made several calls, as if also strongly recommending the taste of grilled fish to it.
However, the golden dragon remained suspended in the air, looking down at the two people on the large stone with endless dignity and indifference.
Ranran clasped her fists and respectfully said to the golden dragon, "I am Xue Ranran from Xishan. I have come here with a request…"
After she said this, the golden dragon suddenly flipped in the air and let out another roar.
Next, all the dragons on Dragon Island began to roar, even the little dragon opened its mouth and let out a loud cry, shaking the sky with thunderous sounds.
Ranran and Su Yi Shui had to use their true vitality as shields to barely withstand the roars from all the dragons.
Amidst this earth-shattering dragon's roar, the golden dragon suddenly emitted a faint golden light all over its body, turning into a huge sphere of water vapor.
When the mist dissipated, Ranran realized that the golden dragon had transformed into a woman with long golden hair and golden clothes all over her body. However, the dragon horns on her head had not completely disappeared, indicating that she was not an ordinary mortal.
Although there were legends in ancient times about divine beasts undergoing heavenly tribulations and transforming into human forms, such miracles were distant legends.
Yet today on Dragon Island, she could witness a real transformation of a dragon into a human, which made this trip already worthwhile.
Ranran looked carefully at this goddess who could transform into a human form. She was not stunningly beautiful, but carried an aura of majesty. It was a pity that there was a hideous scar on her face, extending from her cheek to her neck.
Without this scar, she would have been an elegant beauty.
As the goddess descended slowly, her eyes glowing with a faint golden color as she stared at Ranran and then at Su Yi Shui. Finally, she spoke to Ranran, "Your life force is not like an ordinary person's. It seems you are someone who has died and been reborn?"
Ranran had come with a request, so she couldn't lie. She replied honestly, "Twenty years ago, my soul scattered and was guided to the Tree of Rebirth, where I was reborn. May I ask the name of the goddess?"
The golden dragon said mildly, "I am a dragon, so I don't have a name. I am the guardian god of Dragon Island. You can call me as you wish."
At this moment, the goddess turned her head to look at Su Yi Shui. Her eyes, glowing with a faint golden color, could see through people's past lives.
But when she saw Su Yi Shui, her brows furrowed even tighter. "You were born with the Emperor's Fire element destiny, but your evil star is in the palace, indicating a natural born tyrant with a lonely fate, the former son of darkness… and yet someone has changed your fate chart, forcefully adding planet Mercury's water to extinguish the fire, leaving a chance for survival… What kind of chaotic fate chart is this?"
Su Yi Shui knew by now that Mu Qingge had tampered with his fate chart all those years ago, but being told by a dragon that his originally fine emperor fate chart had been all messed up, he couldn't help but glare at Ranran.
Ranran pretended not to see, and quickly changed the subject abruptly, pointing to the little dragon cuddling against the golden-haired woman's feet and asked tentatively, "Is it your child?"
The golden dragon furrowed her brows slightly, saying resignedly, "It has no mother. After coming to Dragon Island, I don't know why, but it took me as its mother and I just couldn't shake it off."
Everything now clicked for Ranran, so its her godson… A child from their own family always looks better, and since Ranran had rescued this little dragon, she naturally found it cute and lively like it was her nephew.
When it had first arrived on Dragon Island, it already knew to acknowledge the local dragon leader as its godmother. Such cleverness deserved a basket of grilled fish.
Regardless, perhaps due to the goodwill from saving their dragon kin by these two, the goddess did not immediately bring up the matter of them cutting off the earth dragon's nose. She only asked, "You two have intruded into the forbidden area of the dragon clan. What exactly do you want?"
Ranran did not hide anything and said sincerely, "There are people in the territory of Daqi who are poisoned by the water dragon. We need the blood of the Green dragon from Dragon Island to save them. Can the goddess accommodate us and allow us to take some dragon blood back…"
Initially, the goddess's expression was indifferent, but when she heard Ranran mention the Green Dragon, her expression slowly became terrifyingly fierce. She suddenly reached out and attacked Ranran!
Su Yi Shui remained calm as he stood by the side, but had been on guard against this guardian god of Dragon Island.
When he saw her suddenly attacking Ranran, Su Yi Shui immediately summoned his spiritual shield to block. However, the goddess's power was too powerful. She easily sent Su Yi Shui flying.
When Su Yi Shui's body hit a boulder, the tremendous force even shattered the boulder behind him.
This was the difference between a god and a human. Even though Su Yi Shui was exceptionally talented and had high cultivation, without ascending and crossing the tribulation, he had not reached the level of a god.
Now, he was like an ant compared to this guardian god of Dragon Island, completely incomparable.
Fortunately, the little dragon had been clinging to the goddess's ankle and let out a low cry in time, causing her to exert slightly less force. Otherwise, it would not have been difficult for her to shatter Su Yi Shui's soul.
However, Su Yishui quickly stood up, glaring at the goddess coldly. He suddenly drew out a golden-glowing club from his body.
The goddess furrowed her brows slightly. "The Dragon-Subduing Club… You actually have such a divine object?"
"This is the last Dragon-subduing Club left by the former god after driving the dragons into the island, left in the human realm. Do you want to try it?" Su Yi Shui said with a dark expression.
Although she was a goddess, with this Dragon-subduing Club, he could still fight her. He had Yu Tong bring this precious treasure from Xishan as a precaution for just such a situation. If the golden loach wanted a fight, he would fight her to the end.
Ranran flew to Su Yi Shui's side, protecting him with her body. If the golden dragon goddess attacked again, she could block it for Su Yi Shui. At the same time, she also realized that she must have said something wrong just now, quickly smiling and trying to smooth things over, "Why resort to such force? It's just a misunderstanding. The goddess looks benevolent and kind. Why would she make things difficult for us? Although we trespassed into the forbidden area, we had no evil intentions and have not come to take the life of the Green dragon. We just hope to obtain some blood to save people. Please calm down, goddess."
Her voice was clear and sincere, with a hint of likable charm, looking much less aggressive than Su Yi Shui.
The little dragon cuddling the goddess let out a hmpph hmmpph with its nose, coaxing its godmother, whining softly for a while. It's unclear what it said, but it finally calmed down the goddess.
However, her tone remained cold, "Using the blood of the Green dragon to dispel evil curses? Who taught you this method?"
Ranran continued respectfully, "I wonder if the goddess knows about the Elder Jiu of Cuiwei Mountain. He is a master at making talismans, and this was the only method he could come up with."
Upon hearing this, the expression of the goddess became even more peculiar, but it didn't seem like anger. Instead, it was a mixture of astonishment and understanding.
"The Wine Immortal? Does he have an older brother who ascended to immortality?"
Ranran was surprised. She didn't expect the guardian god of Dragon Island to know an old drunkard from outside the island!
So she honestly replied, "Yes, his older brother is the Medicine Immortal, who has successfully ascended and is ranked among the immortals… When did the goddess meet him?"
The goddess said mildly, "A long time ago, I have also went out of the island, and met some people…"
Ranran was somewhat puzzled and asked in a low voice, "As the guardian god of Dragon Island, can you also leave the island?"
The goddess gently touched the scar on her face and said softly, "Every dragon can leave the island, as long as they can pay the corresponding price… When the mother of this little dragon left the island to help her friend, she paid with her life and could never return to Dragon Island. I also paid with five hundred years of my cultivation and this scar on my face…"
She seemed unwilling to continue and changed the subject, "…You two once saved my dragon kin, so you should not be wicked people. However, your wish this time may be in vain, because… there is no more Green dragon on Dragon Island!"
When she said this, Ranran was at a loss. Dragon Island was sealed by the former god as the dragon clan's territory. If there were no Green dragons on Dragon Island, where could they find them?
"May I ask where the Green dragon has gone?"
The goddess glanced at them and said, "Follow me…"
Ranran was about to step forward, but Su Yi Shui stopped her. This goddess seemed unpredictable. If they followed her, it could be good or bad.
Ranran channeled a message to him "Either way, we can't beat her. Whether we die on the edge of the island or in the center, it doesn't make much difference. Let's just follow her."
Although her words made sense, Su Yi Shui felt like her words implied that he was weak and couldn't beat a golden loach… the man's expression darkened a bit.
He had been originally influenced by his father, and was more focused on worldly gains. But now his life had been completely changed by his good mentor, and maybe due to losing some memories, his former competitive spirit and desire to win seemed to have diminished somewhat.
However, when he was just now completely overwhelmed by this golden dragon's absolute strength, that competitive spirit seemed to return… He wasn't strong enough yet, not strong enough to kill gods… He needed to become stronger…
Thinking like this, faint runes appeared again on Su Yi Shui's forehead, but they quickly disappeared.
Ranran didn't look back, and did not notice the anomaly on Su Yi Shui's forehead. She just pulled him along to follow the goddess, and they soon arrived at a valley in the center of the island. Although sunlight spilled in, the valley remained gloomy, with an aura of death which can't be dispersed.
"This is the place of dragon demise. Although dragons can live for thousands of years or even ten thousand years, occasionally some dragons die during the three-hundred-year tribulation due to insufficient cultivation. Their skeletons are all here. The Green dragon you're looking for… is over there."
There were dozens of dragon bones of various sizes arranged in the deep valley. But the dragon body the goddess pointed to was different, as the bones still had dragon skin on them.
However, the once shiny Green dragon skin was now dull and dry. The most eerie part was that the dragon skin clung tightly to the bones, as if it had been drained by some creature.
At this moment, the goddess said coldly, "The Green dragon you're looking for has long been sucked dry of its dragon blood and died. There are no more Green dragons in the world."
Ranran was shocked, realizing why the goddess had reacted so angrily when she mentioned taking the Green dragon's blood.
"Who did this? Ordinary people can't come to Dragon Island, right?"
The goddess smiled coldly, "I was in seclusion at the time and submerged deep in the sea. When I sensed something wrong and came back up, the Green dragon had already been sucked dry and died. Ordinary people indeed cannot come here, but Dragon Island can block people, but not gods. The one who can slaughter dragons on Dragon Island without anyone knowing must be a deity!"
Su Yi Shui frowned, "Dragons are natural spiritual creatures. Killing a spirit dragon is a serious crime that incurs divine punishment. Which deity would knowingly commit such a crime?"
**The Green dragon is the god of the East, symbolizing the *Spring. Its blood not only has rejuvenation effects but is also said to revive the soul.
*少阳
However, these are just legends, unconfirmed by anyone, and it's almost impossible for anyone to obtain Green dragon blood. It's unbelievable that a deity would offend the dragon god and commit such a cruel act, draining the blood from the entire Green dragon.
What is the purpose behind this, is both puzzling and chilling.
The goddess said coldly, "If I find out who it is, even if they are an ancient deity, they will be torn apart by my dragon clan. If you have no other business, please leave Dragon Island as soon as possible. Otherwise, the scent of the water dragon on you is too tempting. Once the dragon horde loses control, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave even if you want to."
But Ranran was unwilling to give up and asked loudly, "Please, can the goddess guide me on how to break the Seven Evil Transformation Seal without the blood of the Green dragon?"
The goddess shook her head and then thought for a moment before saying mildly, "Actually, there is another person who should have the blood of the Green dragon. I just don't know if he has any dragon blood left…"
Ranran asked curiously, "Who is it?"
The goddess paused and said, "It's the elder brother of your friend—now the Medicine Immortal who has ascended to the lower god realm. He is obsessed with alchemy and loves to collect various rare medicinal materials. I remember that although he didn't enter Dragon Island back then, he used the talismans given by his younger brother to drive two water rats into Dragon Island. While the Green dragon was fast asleep, he took a few drops of dragon blood."
As she spoke, the goddess didn't show regret for letting a thief into her home; instead, her tone carried a sense of melancholy, as if recalling the past.
The Medicine Immortal? Ranran now knew that the person she met on Tianmai Mountain was an impostor. But where to find the Medicine Immortal who has ascended, would be another problem.
Moreover, the people from the Qiongqi Village couldn't wait until they found the Medicine Immortal either.
However, the goddess said mildly, "If I'm not mistaken… Every Qixi Festival, he will place thousands of lotus lanterns along the banks of the Lijiang River. It seems tomorrow happens to be Qixi Festival. I wonder if he, now an immortal, will still place lanterns by the river…"
Ranran was delighted to hear this. Their journey to Dragon Island had not been in vain, they had still found a lifeline.
Just as Ranran was about to bid farewell, the goddess kept staring at her. Her pale golden eyes turned a few times. After a long while, she said, "The scent of the black dragon on you is too strong, concealing your true essence. I just realized now that I seem to have seen you before your reincarnation…"
Ranran widened her eyes. What? Did she come to Dragon Island before? She suddenly remembered that the mother of that little dragon had helped her during the Fan Yao Battle. Did she come to Dragon Island and steal *the little dragon's mother?
*苍龙 its confusing because this is another name of the Azure/Green Dragon but the author used 青龙 for the Azure dragon, so there should be a distinction
But the goddess seemed to sense her confusion and said lightly, "The Cang Dragon was born to respond to a heavenly calamity, so its death had nothing to do with you. However, you did come to Dragon Island before and deposited something here. Since you've reincarnated and came back here, I'll return it to you."
After saying that, she pointed to the highest peak of Dragon Island and said, "There is a stone wall there. What you left behind is there."
With that, she seemed unwilling to speak any more to outsiders. She leaped into the air, transformed back into a golden dragon, and went into the sea. However, her voice still echoed in the air, "I have given the dragons of the whole island orders to grant you an hour of convenience. If you find the person who slaughtered the Green dragon in the future and inform me, I will be very grateful…"
As the golden dragon's words faded, Ranran said, "Let's go, let's go up the mountain quickly."
She was indeed curious. Why did she leave something in such a remote and uninhabited place like Dragon Island in her past life?
The two of them rode the wind all the way, encountering no obstacles along the way. Although they often saw dragon heads of various sizes in the trees and ponds, their lantern-like big eyes staring at them, drooling.
This constantly reminded the master and disciple that with their bodies emitting the scent of the black dragon, they were quite tempting to the dragons. Once the hour was over and the goddess no longer protected them, those dragons might rush over eagerly, unable to resist the temptation of wild prey from outside the island.
When they finally reached the mountaintop, they could see the entire Dragon Island. Although there were many exotic flowers and plants, and the scenery of the island connected with the blue waters was enchanting, they were not in the mood to enjoy it. They hurriedly climbed to the top of Dragon Mountain.
At the top of the mountain stood a thick stone pillar, as if a divine staff had been fixed here.
In the ancient past, dragons freely roamed between heaven and earth as divine beings. Later, it was said that the dragon clan violated heavenly rules, so the supreme god used this Dragon-Sealing Staff to seal them here, forever unable to leave the island.
Occasionally, dragons would leave the island, but their final fate was always death without reincarnation. The little dragon Ranran saved was born outside the island, and the fact that it could return alive back here, was probably due to this reason.
They found a cliff on the mountaintop, bare and covered with vines and black-green moss.
On one side of the cliff, there was a peculiar giant rock, several times taller than a person. The rock had many weathered holes, resembling a broken beehive.
Su Yi Shui waved away the vines on the cliff and guided water to wash it, revealing its true appearance.
In her past life, Mu Qingge must have loved exploring mountains and rivers and leaving behind her calligraphy. There was a long poem here, depicting the excitement of watching hundreds of dragons swimming freely.
Ranran tilted her head and looked for a while, thinking that her calligraphy in her past life was quite good, unlike her current self who hadn't put much effort into writing.
However, Su Yi Shui focused on the poem for a while and paused at the end of the verses.
He squinted at the poem and realized it was an acrostic poem. Taking the first and last characters of each line, it formed the phrase "Wait until the sunset."
It was already evening, and the sun was about to set. He said, "It looks like we have to wait a little longer…"
And so, the two of them sat on the side of the cliff, waiting for the sun to set in the west. They also had time to admire the rare beauty of Dragon Island.
The little dragon they saved refused to leave and kept bringing Ranran big fishes. So Ranran took the time to make a fire and roasted two fish for the little dragon to eat.
The goddess's guidance had been crucial, and this little dragon was of big help, so it was only fair to roast fish for it.
Just as the two were enjoying the roasted fish with the dragon, the sun gradually lowered to the sea level.
Ranran looked up, and suddenly the setting sun shone through the largest hole in the weathered big rock, casting light on the ground next to the cliff.
The two looked at each other and immediately understood. They ran over, picking up branches to dig the soil. Before long, they unearthed something.
Buried there was a sandalwood box locked with a strange mechanism that couldn't be opened by force, with runes attached to the box preventing it from being forcibly opened.
Ranran felt that her past self was really too mischievous, coming up with so many obstacles even on Dragon Island, which was full of hostile dragons. What could be inside this box?
However, the time limit given by the Golden Dragon goddess had expired. Accompanied by the roars of countless dragons, seemingly drooling and rushing over towards them.
Su Yi Shui reached out and grabbed Ranran, whispering, "Take the box, we need to leave Dragon Island immediately!"
After saying that, they each rode the wind and rushed towards the border of Dragon Island.
When they reached the boundary amidst lightning and thunder, the voice of the Golden Dragon goddess came again, faintly saying, "After you leave, if anyone asks about me, say that you have never seen me…"
After saying this, a golden dragon tail came out from the sea, creating a wave that pushed them out of the barrier.
Caught in the waves and pushed out, they heard Yu Tong urgently shouting not far away, "Master, Ranran, are you both okay?"
Ranran waved from the water and then jumped onto the large boat with Su Yi Shui.
They had spent almost a day on Dragon Island, but Yu Tong and the others said they only felt that they had been inside for less than four hours.
It seemed that Dragon Island was indeed an isolated immortal realm, and time there did not synchronize with the human realm.
Thinking of the guidance from the Golden Dragon goddess, they didn't want to waste any time and only wanted to find the person who lit thousands of lotus lanterns on the banks of the Lijiang River on the Qixi Festival.
The Lijiang River was not far from the entrance of Dragon Island's sea area. The river stretched for thousands of miles, flowing into the sea at its mouth.
When the large boat reached the banks of the Lijiang River, they could already see people placing the lotus lanterns in the night.
Before long, many young men and women arrived at the riverside one after another. It felt like finding someone here was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.