Chapter 23: The Golden Flood Dragon King (Thanks to "Twin Heroes Gathering" for the reward)
“There are many arrays in the world designed to target the intelligence of spirit beasts, but most are used to deal with large-scale beast tides. Such arrays are generally only capable of annihilating the intelligence of third-rank and lower spirit beasts, whose minds are incomplete.”
“To destroy the intelligence of spirit beasts of the fourth rank and above—”
“There is only the Celestial Annihilation Array!”
Although it had just wiped out the intelligence of all serpents and pythons within several miles, the Celestial Annihilation Array was not famed for its wide area of effect. Those arrays designed specifically for large beast tides often covered areas stretching hundreds of miles.
What made the Celestial Annihilation Array so renowned was its formidable power against single targets; it had once annihilated the intelligence of a fifth-rank Golden Wolf.
Once spirit beasts reach the fourth rank, they often awaken higher bloodlines within, and their intelligence becomes equal to that of humans. It is rare for a fifth-rank beast to have any flaws in its intellect.
Though the fifth-rank Golden Wolf, whose intelligence was destroyed by the Celestial Annihilation Array, had already suffered mental damage due to being controlled by others, the array’s ability to finish it off in one blow was a remarkable feat regardless!
“If the complete Celestial Annihilation Array can destroy a fifth-rank Golden Wolf, it must be at least a fifth-rank array.”
“As long as this Sea Dragon Ginseng cannot fully transform into a flood dragon and perfect its intelligence—even if it advances to the fourth rank, when its mind is just awakening—the Celestial Annihilation Array can still annihilate it!”
“All I need to do now is accumulate power within the array, targeting this Sea Dragon Ginseng specifically!”
In the previous activation, Lu Sheng had mainly sought to slaughter the surrounding serpents and pythons to gain merit. The array was not aimed at the Sea Dragon Ginseng, which was nearing the fourth rank and on the verge of transforming into a dragon, so it was barely affected.
Now, it was still devouring the corpses of the slain serpents.
Lu Sheng was about to replenish the array’s power, focusing it entirely on the Sea Dragon Ginseng.
“Before, I used the power my great-grandfather had left within the array; the profound energy within me only served as a catalyst.”
“Now, I must rely on my own strength!”
With this thought, the profound energy within Lu Sheng surged madly into the array. Although he had only just reached the level of Martial Master, he trained with three dantians. With merit as an energy supplement, Lu Sheng did not fear he would be unable to activate the array.
“This array has been fully restored; as my profound energy pours in, its power will only grow.”
“As for this Sea Dragon Ginseng, whose intelligence has already awakened, if it does not wish to have its mind erased, it must evolve quickly—”
“Either transform into a dragon, or ascend to the fourth rank!”
“But even if it devours all the dead serpents in the pond, it is not enough for a complete dragon transformation.”
“So, in truth, it has only one path—”
“To ascend to the fourth rank!”
A Sea Dragon Ginseng of the fourth rank, already infinitely close to becoming a flood dragon, must surely be even more valuable!
———
What Lu Sheng had surmised, Wang Gu Xiao and the brothers Ma Buting and Ma Buti, after careful consideration, could also deduce.
At this moment, they no longer cared to reproach Lu Sheng for failing to follow orders and destroy the Sea Dragon Ginseng while it was still at the third rank. Instead, their eyes burned with fervor as they stared at the vortex where the Sea Dragon Ginseng continued to devour the serpents—intense fanaticism in their gaze.
“A fourth rank, and so close to transforming into a dragon—what would that be worth?”
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Wang Gu Xiao suddenly swept his arm, hurling a heap of already dead, intelligence-deprived serpents into the vortex, feeding them directly to the Sea Dragon Ginseng.
No one knew how large this Sea Dragon Ginseng truly was; despite devouring so many serpents and pythons, it showed no sign of stopping.
Moreover, it seemed to sense the looming crisis—its devouring grew ever more voracious, as if striving to hasten its evolution!
Beside him, the brothers Ma Buting and Ma Buti exchanged glances, fully understanding Wang Gu Xiao’s intent. They knew he was accelerating the Sea Dragon Ginseng’s evolution to enhance its medicinal properties.
Yet this was a delicate balance—should they miscalculate even slightly, the Sea Dragon Ginseng might truly become a flood dragon and consume all four by the pond.
“Perhaps Wang Gu Xiao has laced these dead serpents with deadly poison, enough to fell even a flood dragon!”
So they thought, but did not intervene. They, too, had their own plans. With a sweep of their arms, they sent large numbers of dead serpents into the pond, seeming even more eager than Wang Gu Xiao.
Perhaps intentionally, perhaps not, Ma Buting and Ma Buti piled up masses of dead serpents at the pond’s edge.
Their actions were even more peculiar than Wang Gu Xiao’s.
———
“Blinded by greed! Truly blinded by greed!”
Lu Sheng shook his head inwardly and thought to himself:
“This Sea Dragon Ginseng already has intelligence and has witnessed the power of the array—how could it not be wary?”
“If it has even a modicum of cunning, it would hide its evolution. It might truly succeed in transforming into a dragon!”
Recalling how the three had reacted when the Sea Dragon Ginseng began to transform, and now watching them aid its evolution, Lu Sheng gained a new understanding of the trio:
“These three, they truly are reckless beyond compare!”
“A single misstep, and we all perish here!”
Yet, though he sensed the danger, Lu Sheng had no intention of intervening.
Not only was he merely a Martial Master, without the power to interfere with three Grandmasters, but even if he had the strength, he might not choose to stop them!
———
“A dragon—every part is a treasure!”
“Dragon pearl, dragon horn, dragon whisker, dragon sinew, dragon bone, dragon blood, dragon marrow, dragon liver, dragon scale, dragon claw…”
“Every part is a treasure!”
Thinking of all the legends about dragons in this world, Lu Sheng mused,
“Yet, true dragons have never appeared here. The so-called ‘dragons’ are mostly flood dragons.”
“But even flood dragons are at least fourth-rank in strength.”
“And the mightiest of them are stronger than many Grandmasters!”
“That year, the Golden Flood Dragon King who fought Emperor Qin reached the sixth rank—”
“And was formidable even among sixth ranks!”
“Otherwise, after being wounded by Emperor Qin, it would not have fled to the deep sea before finally being slain!”
Recalling the records of that epic battle between Emperor Qin and the Golden Flood Dragon King, Lu Sheng felt a surge of excitement:
“After Emperor Qin slew the Golden Flood Dragon King, he bathed in dragon’s blood, consumed the marrow, and absorbed the power stored within the dragon pearl, becoming the greatest Grandmaster of all time!”
“The two dragon horns became Emperor Qin’s Golden Dragon Sword—”
“Later, he split mountains with that very sword!”
“The dragon sinew, whiskers, and bones were fashioned into several Golden Dragon Bows—”
“With which he once slew Grandmasters!”
“And from the dragon scales, Emperor Qin derived the Golden Armor Art, forging twelve sets of Golden Dragon Armor—”
“Those who practiced the Golden Armor Art and donned the armor became as impervious as Grandmasters,”
“And could form battle arrays capable of besieging and slaying Grandmasters!”
“With these, Emperor Qin’s descendants were able to rule the world for eight hundred years after his ascension—”
“Until the emergence of the Void Ancestor, which finally ended their reign!”
Remembering the legendary feats accomplished with materials from the Golden Flood Dragon King, Lu Sheng’s heart surged with anticipation as he watched the Sea Dragon Ginseng’s transformation.
“With forty-seven thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five merit points, I should be able to halt the complete awakening of the flood dragon’s intelligence!”
Gazing at his merit, Lu Sheng thought.
This was his true assurance—his reason for not fearing the Sea Dragon Ginseng’s ascension!