Chapter 414: Just Who Could This Be?
Inside the Wandering Immortal Inn.
When the vision reappeared in their minds, a crowd of people immediately squeezed out of the inn, eager to see what had just happened outside.
A few, however, did not leave.
It wasn't that they didn't want to—it was simply that they couldn't push their way through the mass of people.
Even so, the new vision was enough to shock them, especially that moment when the mysterious figure casually smashed the flood dragon down with a single strike.
"Th-That's incredible… Father, that person looks so powerful! Is that the so-called Holy Saint of the Demon Sect you always mention?"
A child blinked his big, shining eyes and asked the middle-aged man at his side.
But the voices around them answered before the father could.
"The Demon Sect's Holy Saint…? No, that's impossible. Remember this, child: that black creature is a flood dragon. Any flood dragon is at the Tribulation Crossing Realm! And the Demon Sect's Holy Saint—what's his cultivation? Even if he can fight Nascent Soul cultivators, against a Tribulation Crossing Realm being…"
"Exactly. A lot of the recent incidents have involved the Holy Saint, but today… he couldn't possibly pull off something on this scale."
"Then just who is that shadowy figure? Could it be a hidden Tribulation Crossing Realm senior of our Immortal Nation? And why would a flood dragon appear atop the Trial of Ascension Platform?"
The royal capital had clashed with the Netherkin Race often enough that many knew exactly what the presence of a flood dragon implied.
Tribulation Crossing Realm—that was the peak tier of existence in the world today!
The Holy Saint of the Demon Sect was ferocious, yes, but in front of a true Tribulation Crossing Realm being, he would likely be crushed like an insect beneath a single finger.
At that moment, the outside world—stilled for a few breaths by the shocking sight—erupted into noise once again.
Someone with keen hearing caught the shouts outside.
He froze where he stood, spilling tea all over himself.
The Trial of Ascension Platform… had been smashed down by the one who subdued the flood dragon?!
Good heavens! Just who was that person—how could they possibly be this terrifying?
. . . . .
The young Empress felt the urge to rub her eyes.
With just one shift of space, the scene before her had already changed.
A pillar of light piercing the heavens.
A colossal black flood dragon.
A vague figure suppressing the beast.
Is that really a flood dragon?!
She stole a discreet glance at the robed old woman beside her.
Elder Yun truly lived up to her reputation as an experienced Tribulation Crossing Realm cultivator of the Daoist Sect—her guess had been frighteningly accurate.
But what was that blurred figure? To seize with one hand a flood dragon that even Elder Yun could not guarantee to stop in midair—even if it was only the beast's true spirit?
How could there be such a person within the royal capital?
The young Empress pondered this, only to realize her old companion seemed even more stunned than she was. Only now was the elder coming back to her senses.
And just then, the giant flood dragon crashed into the platform. The twin pillars of light reaching into the sky gradually faded away.
"Your Majesty, beware!"
Elder Yun, fully recovered, suddenly barked a warning. Her palm shot forward—then abruptly changed course to press the young lady's shoulder instead.
In the blink of an eye, their figures shifted far to one side.
A moment ago, they had been standing directly beneath the Trial of Ascension Platform. But now, they had already moved out from under its shadow.
The next instant, a mass of black spiritual energy plummeted downward, tearing through the very spot where the young Empress had just stood.
She couldn't see clearly, only felt the black spiritual energy resembled a small serpent.
"Elder Yun!" she cried.
But the old woman had already anticipated it. With a flick of her whisk, she spat a single word:
"Seal!"
No obvious change could be seen, yet the small black serpent's body slowly lit up with a Daoist sigil, locking it completely in place.
Only then did the Empress see it clearly. This wasn't some small serpent at all—it was a miniature version of the enormous black flood dragon she had glimpsed in her mind!
That shadowy black flood dragon noticed them as well. In its crimson eyes, the madness only grew stronger.
Its body quivered once—and then it shattered on its own, leaving not even a wisp of smoke behind.
"True spirit self-destruction… Hmph. This flood dragon is quite decisive," Yun Elder snorted coldly, drawing back her whisk.
But she and the young Empress both lifted their eyes skyward at the same time.
From here, they could finally see the Trial of Ascension Platform itself.
And it was growing larger and larger—
No, not larger. It was falling closer and closer toward them!
In just an instant, they both understood what was happening.
The Trial of Ascension Platform was falling.
But the hundred-zhang-long black flood dragon and the two sky-piercing beams of light had both vanished.
The four chains that had bound the four corners of the platform, stretching from the void itself, were also gone.
The fall of the Trial of Ascension Platform was an event that only occurred on the eve of the Human Immortal List.
Yet now, there are still nearly four days until the scheduled contest.
What in the world had happened?
Could it really be that man, just by smashing the flood dragon down once, brought the entire platform crashing down?
The young Empress's breath grew unsteady for a moment. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind before she suddenly spoke:
"Elder Yun—"
"There's no need to speak, Your Majesty. This old one already knows what you wish to say."
The old woman cut her off, shaking her head gravely.
"The Trial of Ascension Platform has not yet fully dispersed the aura of the Ancient Heavenly Gate. Even I cannot halt its descent. At this point, our only option is to activate the formation ahead of schedule."
Hearing this, the young Empress pursed her lips, her gaze flickering.
For a long time she stared at the platform, which was drawing ever closer. Then she exhaled lightly and gave a soft nod.
"Very well. Let us also see just who this person really is."
. . . . .
Luo Wusheng was a little dumbfounded himself.
He hadn't expected the flood dragon's counterattack to be so ferocious.
It was as if the beast had suddenly decided to risk everything—and it had picked such a precise moment to do so.
'But… why did it suddenly surge upward like that?'
He vaguely thought he had seen the black flood dragon swallow something. Then, immediately after, its power seemed to reach its limit and collapse, allowing him to slam it down into the ground.
But that wasn't the most urgent matter right now.
The instant he struck it down, the chains tethering the platform on all sides snapped apart like paper and vanished without a trace.
And immediately afterward, the platform began to plummet!
"Damn! What kind of shoddy construction is this?!"
The sudden turn of events forced him to curse out loud.
He had only given it a light smack—was that really necessary?
'Wait a second. I still haven't completed my Immortal Aura Guidance mission…'
It looked like his Junior Sister and Little Yuli had both already finished their parts, but he hadn't yet reached the designated place.
And besides that…
Luo Wusheng looked down at his own hand.
The enormous flood dragon, once a hundred zhang in length, had now shrunk drastically—and was still shrinking.
Ten zhang.
Five zhang.
Three zhang—
Until at last it was only a few feet long.
But what was bizarre was that its abdomen bulged unnaturally.
In that instant, Luo Wusheng felt the Immortal Aura that had been wrapped around him, blurring his figure, suddenly shifted.
The intense distortion effect along his arm flowed into the motionless, shrunken flood dragon.
The next moment, the flood dragon vanished without a trace.
And at the very same moment, Luo Wusheng saw two figures flicker into view as they landed upon the platform.
It's an old woman in Daoist robes, and the familiar young Empress herself.
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Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD[1]
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 532: What On Earth Is Master Talking About?[2]
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[1] https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-532-what-156146549
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-532-what-156146549