The white flood dragon in the sky exuded immense majesty, its long body coiling, and its white scales glistened under the sunlight, revealing a unique luster. It gave off an aura of mystery and nobility.
Dragons, across the endless wilderness in many regions, are considered supreme beings. They are born powerful, and countless ancient texts contain records of dragons.
According to legend, dragons are cruel and unpredictable, with every action governed by their ever-changing moods. In many terrifying tales, dragons are the central figures, known for devouring living beings, destroying kingdoms, and wiping out entire races.
Though a flood dragon is not as powerful as a true dragon, to the people of Tai Cang, there was little difference between the two. Both were insurmountable existences.
At this moment, the flood dragon unfurled its body, and Ji Xia's mind clouded with confusion. He thought, "This flood dragon is incredibly strong. How did Meng Gui end up having any connection with such a being?
Most dragons are unreasonable and capricious. If this one suddenly attacked Tai Cang, we would be in grave danger."
Many of the people of Tai Cang noticed the white flood dragon in the sky. They rushed to call their friends, their expressions a mix of fear and curiosity.
In Tai Cang's beliefs, the people didn't particularly revere the unknown. Only a few bowed to the white flood dragon.
Ji Xia's concern didn't last long. The flood dragon only hovered in the sky for a moment before its body suddenly stretched, transforming into a streak of light that shot westward, heading directly towards Tai City. The speed was breathtaking.
As the dragon departed, Ji Xia breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, "The endless wilderness is full of hidden dangers. To see a living flood dragon so easily is alarming."
He felt a little relieved: "Meng Gui must have some prior connection with this flood dragon; otherwise, Tai City would be in danger."
But then, his expression changed as he frowned. "Why did the flood dragon show hostility towards me? It seemed ready to attack just now."
While Ji Xia pondered, Jing Ye suddenly stuttered, "Your Majesty… that flood dragon is coming back!"
Ji Xia froze and looked up. The hundred-foot-long body of the dragon reappeared, surrounded by a glowing aura. It roared loudly and charged straight at Ji Xia and Jing Ye.
The flood dragon's speed was so fast that Ji Xia barely had time to react before a massive dragon claw descended upon them.
Alarm bells rang in Ji Xia's mind. The vast spiritual energy from the Snowy Mountain surged out, reinforcing his body. He twisted his body in an impossible way, knocking Jing Ye out of the way by more than ten feet while he managed to slide a short distance away.
Boom!
The dragon claw struck, sending out a thunderous sound. Nearby, many stone buildings disintegrated into dust, filling the air with a cloud of debris.
The powerful gust of wind sent Ji Xia and Jing Ye tumbling more than ten feet, crashing into a stone house and flattening it.
Ji Xia emerged from the rubble, covered in dust, looking disheveled.
He saw that the flood dragon had soared again, its claw still holding the stone house it had destroyed.
The dragon's head turned westward, and it sped off again.
Ji Xia stared blankly at the ruined street, forcing a wry smile. "Truly tyrannical."
Unfortunately, in the endless wilderness, powerful beings have the right to be tyrannical. With a breath, the flood dragon could turn a hundred miles of land into a barren wasteland. Destroying a street with few inhabitants seemed merciful in comparison.
Suddenly, Ji Xia was shocked by his own thoughts. Frowning, he murmured, "I've been affected by the endless wilderness. How could I think that I should be grateful to her for not destroying all of Tai Cang?"
He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Other beings cannot remain strong forever, and humans will not stay weak forever. One day, humanity will rise above and be revered by other powerful races."
With the dragon's claws still holding the stone house, it flew rapidly through many regions and soon arrived near the Green Mountain. It hovered above the mountain, circling restlessly and letting out a series of anxious roars, as if undecided about something.
Suddenly, small lights appeared in the sky, countless points of light that glowed with a red hue. As the lights grew brighter, they formed into a gigantic human face.
The face was imposing and colossal, with two sharp eyebrows and eyes that emanated an overwhelming aura.
When the red human face appeared, the sky turned blood-red, casting a crimson hue over everything below, as if the face were a setting sun, enveloping the entire world in its fading light.
Looking at the scene, the distant mountains appeared to be sketched in a few strokes, like a painting of autumn mountains under the evening sun.
At the center of it all, the enormous face floated in the sky, its eyes wide open, exuding a powerful presence.
"Little white flood dragon, stop."
The red face's words echoed across the sky, as a mouth formed from countless light points moved in unison. The voice rang out, booming across the land.
The white flood dragon lowered its head. Smoke billowed around it, and its body rapidly shrank. The woman in white, once again stepping from the mist, stood floating in the air.
"Lord Domain Spirit, may I be permitted to leave? Xiang Miao has something very important to do," the woman said with a soft, melodic voice, in stark contrast to the powerful tone of the red face.
Upon hearing her words, the red face furrowed its brow, made of tiny light points. "I have not imprisoned you. If you wish to leave, you are free to do so. But think carefully. Once you step outside my spiritual domain, the curse will fall upon you, and they will descend upon the world, dragging you into the underworld."
"More than twelve hundred years ago, I promised your father to protect you until you transformed from a flood dragon into a true dragon. You are still far from achieving that transformation, yet you want to leave. What could be so important that you are willing to risk your life?"
The woman in white bit her lip, glanced at the stone house held in the smoke, and thought of a face, a time when she was happy.
Those moments had been the happiest of her life over the past twelve hundred years.
Her expression gradually firmed. She nodded resolutely, saying, "Lord Domain Spirit, I must leave. If I don't leave now, it will go against my heart. I will never have another chance to transform into a true dragon. I will never leave this land again!"
"I must leave!"
Her tone was firm, and she added, "Please, Lord Domain Spirit, open the seal and let me go."
The red face stared at her with a deep expression, sighed, and said, "Since you have made up your mind, I won't stop you. But if you regret it midway, just call my name in your heart, and I will come."
The woman in white bowed deeply, showing both gratitude and reluctance. "I know your kindness, Lord Domain Spirit. I have troubled you for over twelve hundred years. I cannot bear to ask you to make any more sacrifices. Please accept my bow."
The red face grew somber, and after a moment of silence, numerous red light points appeared and formed a red gateway.
"Since you have made up your mind, go. Our disturbance has surely awakened the Great Emperor from his slumber."
With that, the red face closed its eyes, and slowly spoke.
The woman in white bowed again to the Domain Spirit, then turned toward the direction of the Great Emperor Mountain and offered a final salute.
Without hesitation, she transformed into the massive white flood dragon and flew through the red portal.
The red face watched her leave and sighed again, turning into countless light points that scattered and disappeared.