Chapter 572 434 Chi and Dragon

Li Xuanfeng led a group of people across the Salty Lake to the nearby sea, where the waves were booming and the waters were an azure blue. The eldest brother of the Ning Family, Ning Dingbo, stepped forward and called his fellow disciples together.

When all the disciples of Green Pond had gathered, he revealed his white teeth and said with a smile,

"This place is known as the nearby sea, and the waters are not deep. It all sank during the great battle of old. Most of the islands you see today were originally Immortal Mountains, with the remaining few created later by moving mountains to fill the sea."

Li Xuanfeng stood with his hands behind his back, listening silently. Knowing his disposition, Ning Dingbo continued to introduce,

"Back then, this area was the most densely populated among the Six Great Prefectures in the South, all of which sank to the bottom to feed fish and shrimp, leaving behind many relics. Because the water is not deep, it has long been thoroughly explored by successive generations of cultivators."

"Further afield in Zhu Lu Sea and the foreigner's ravine, that was where the East Sea... Dragon Palaces were everywhere, and Serpent Jiaos ran rampant. If you want to venture deep, you will see many of the Dragon Kind, whom you must not offend."

The cultivators had varied expressions; those in more luxurious clothing seemed unconcerned, clearly having already known, while those in simpler clothes had expressions of sudden realization. Ning Dingbo said,

"Zhu Lu Sea is named after the eighth son of a true Chi. It involves the ancient matter of Lu dissolving Heshui, hence the sea is home to many evil demons, rare treasures, and most have been claimed by the Dragon Kind. Be very careful when you go deep inside."

Suddenly, a finely dressed young man with delicate eyebrows spoke up respectfully,

"May I ask the instructor, why is it... clearly the Dragon Kind, but on the position for Heshui... there was actually a True Chi? Why is it not called the Chi Kind?"

"This..."

Ning Dingbo suddenly faltered, hesitating as he glanced at Li Xuanfeng, shook his head, and said in a deep voice,

"This involves matters of ancient times... I fear few people know of it."

Everyone immediately looked a bit disappointed, only to see Li Xuanfeng step forward and say in a low voice,

"If there had been no Lu dissolving Heshui back then, the True Chi would have become a True Dragon."

Li Xuanfeng, having mingled in the Southern Border for many years, did indeed know a secret or two.

Knowing that Li Chijin had been harmed by an old jiao in the Southern Border, he made a point of catching any serpent-like demons alive during battles to extract information about that old jiao.

The old jiao was a famous Demon King in the Southern Border named Can Lufu, who cultivated the divine skills of Lu Shui and was said to be of the Dragon Kind. Li Xuanfeng had the same doubts as the young man just now and after close questioning, he learned the answer.

As he spoke, the young men and women looked at him with admiration. The brocade-clothed young man appeared somewhat restrained and respectfully said,

"Please, Taoist, enlighten us..."

Li Xuanfeng said softly,

"Back then, the True Chi roamed the East Sea, achieving its position for hundreds of years, reportedly reaching the peak of the Taoist embryo, considering itself the pinnacle of all demons under heaven and proclaiming itself the Demon Emperor, establishing the Demon Palace of the East Sea."

"Thus, it always traveled west until it arrived at an Immortal Temple on a small mountain and met an Immortal Monarch."

"The True Chi asked only one question: 'Is there any creature more perfect than my body in this world?'"

"The Immortal Monarch said, 'The Dragon Kind ascends and hides, scales the universe, dives through the waves, and adapts with the times. You are but a Chi, needing to transform into a dragon.'"

Li Xuanfeng paused for a moment and then continued softly,

"The True Chi inquired in detail about the characteristics of the Dragon Kind, then returned to the East Sea, mobilizing a massive force, and devoured a feathered serpent.

"Alone, he possessed the position of two paths but struggled to control Heshui and Lushui at the same time, ultimately dying in haste, his body divided among nine sons, causing an uproar in the East Sea and extreme chaos for a time."

Li Xuanfeng seemed somewhat nostalgic as he spoke,

"Only then did all the demons in the world realize the difference between Chis and Dragons, and also between Jiaos, Serpents, and Huas, all stemming from what spread from the Dragon Palace."

"Although the True Chi was devoured by his nine sons, this brood now claims themselves to be of the Dragon Kind and established the East Sea Flood Dragon Palace."

It wasn't just the disciples who were hearing this for the first time; even the Ning brothers were amazed. Li Xuanfeng shook his head,

"It's just a story from the mouth of a serpent. Take it as entertainment."

The disciples thanked the Taoist reverently, and Li Xuanfeng waved his hand. His eyes shimmering with a clear light, he stared at the shadows amidst the gale and said softly,

"Speak of them, and they shall come!"

Indeed, not far away, two streaks of light flew towards them, one big and one small. The monster at the front took the form of a snake with double hooks on its tail, pale white in color, leaving behind a streak of blood in the air. The creature in the rear was a size larger, covered in gray-green scales and shaped like a tiger, with a slightly elongated belly, creeping close to the ground.

This gray-green Scales Beast, robust in stature, oddly had a very long waist and belly with a lengthy tail, which seemed bizarre as it floated effortlessly in the clouds, chasing the white serpent playfully like a cat with a mouse.

Ning Dingbo glanced over and quickly, along with his brother, steered the jade boat to create some distance, saying urgently,

"It's a dragon's son... Quick, get away... Let us not disturb this one."

Li Xuanfeng looked carefully, the creature leading the way appeared to be a descendant of the feathered serpent kin, a Hook Serpent with double hooks on its tail. Its scales were broken, dripping pale blue blood, and despair filled its huge, window-sized serpentine eyes as it emitted mournful cries,

"Judging by its appearance, it's been hurt by Heshui! Even if it manages to escape, it won't live long..."

Everyone watched spellbound, while the Ning brothers hurried to increase their speed and distance, also looking on curiously as the dragon's son caught up with the white hook serpent. It did not rush to kill but entangled and grappled with it.

Ning Dingbo's expression turned slightly strange as he cursed under his breath and sped up, thinking,

"True to the Dragon Kind nature... those of the Heshui lineage always enjoy these games... no matter if the species match or not, they always have to give it a try."

The cultivators watched intently, greatly shocked, listening to the wails of the white-scaled hook serpent. Just a few breaths into its flight, a spotty light green rain began falling from the sky.