Splash!
The river murmured gently, its white waves blooming like flowers, revealing clear water so transparent that the riverbed’s pebbles and greenish fish could faintly be seen.
This river was called “Zhushan River,” stretching for dozens of miles and serving as a tributary of the Nulong River.
Wu Ming stepped off the ox cart, dismissed Wu Tiehu, and stood silently by the riverside, seemingly waiting for something unknown.
“The person has already broken through in a bloody battle and will arrive here within a stick of incense!”
Suddenly, a voice emerged from the river’s depths.
Viewed from above, one could see a shadow resembling a dragon or snake coiled within the Zhushan River.
Splash!
A layer of water surged upward, revealing a human figure floating atop it.
This figure had a face as refined as carved jade, wore regal attire, and exuded majesty, surrounded by a golden glow, clearly no ordinary being.
“Greetings, Hebo… May I know your name?”
Wu Ming bowed respectfully. Observing this transformed dragon-like figure without a beard, whose face bore a resemblance—about fifty to sixty percent—to the illusionary Water Lord he had seen in a dream, he immediately suspected that the dream might have been a memory from the white dragon itself, and that the Hebo mentioned in the dream was actually the old dragon deity from back then.
“Since you have attained the rank of Water Lord and achieved the perfected form of a great dragon, there’s no need to dwell on past matters. You may now address me as ‘Ao Nu.'”
The Water Lord spoke, adding, “Humans and deities walk different paths. This time… it’s up to you.”
Ao Nu smiled, then pointed a finger.
Buzz!
The water rippled, waves of spiritual energy surging forth to form a cycle.
A golden cloud appeared, interwoven with streaks of green, vibrant and lush, flowing toward Wu Ming.
Wu Ming felt a resonance in his heart but did not open his fortune aura. Instead, he took out the Su Houzhu (the Pearl of Sui Hou).
Immediately, the fortune aura was absorbed by the pearl like rivers flowing into the sea, perfectly harmonizing with it.
After acquiring this cloud of energy, Wu Ming observed the pearl again. The golden-green clouds within had grown denser, and even the serpent’s shadow had regained its length, becoming slightly thicker. He nodded approvingly and placed the pearl back into his robe.
“This pearl of yours truly is a rare treasure!”
Ao Nu remarked, his eyes flickering with surprise, then continued, “Earlier, I lent you the dragon’s energy to help you escape, and now you’ve gained the merit of Heaven’s Dao. This threefold water dragon energy is my repayment. From now on, our debts are cleared, and all karmic ties are severed!”
With these words, the water curtain dispersed into droplets falling down.
The majesty instantly faded, and the dragon shadow at the riverbed’s bottom, along with the golden eyes, vanished without a trace.
“Indeed, this is the dragon energy of the waterway… The accumulation of three hundred miles of Nulong River is truly enviable…”
Wu Ming sighed.
Every action and consequence, every borrowing and repayment, was destined.
And it wasn’t just that the fortune he had lent before brought such a significant return, which was already astonishing.
This change was due to the shifting of circumstances.
When the dragon was trapped, even with the river’s spiritual energy abundant, not a single thread could be mobilized, and every drop was crucial.
But now, as the Hebo Dragon King, ruling over three hundred miles of the Nulong River and commanding its waterways, the situation was entirely different.
“It’s like investing in a company before it becomes successful—once it goes public and grows, you naturally receive dividends… It’s a form of investing in a hidden dragon. Unfortunately, this Dragon King’s temperament is unpredictable, so it was only a short-term investment…”
Wu Ming sneered, sensing that the dragon still harbored some desire for his Su Houzhu but was restrained by caution.
…
At the former palace of the Water Lord within the Nulong River.
This place had always been a sacred land, though sealed for a hundred years and somewhat in ruins, its foundation remained intact.
Once the Water Lord ascended, spiritual energy surged forth, restoring the palace to its former glory within the shortest time.
“Ao ao!”
At this moment, a white jade dragon with a single horn, whiskers, and four claws on its belly descended, transforming into a deity with a face as refined as carved jade, surrounded by a hazy golden glow of water vapor.
“Greetings, Hebo!”
Some water creatures, including shrimp soldiers and crab generals, led by a tall, dark-skinned man as black as an iron tower, respectfully saluted.
“Enough!”
Ao Nu remained expressionless, waved his hand, and entered the Pearl Palace directly.
After sitting on the main throne, a golden gleam flickered in his eyes.
He could sense that the dragon pearl contained a trace of true dragon essence, far superior to an ordinary dragon pearl. Even among true dragons, it was a rare treasure, especially for him.
Unfortunately, as a heavenly ordained deity, there were many rules he could not violate.
Moreover, the dragon pearl carried immense fortune and karmic ties, even a malevolent deity would hesitate to seize it, let alone a righteous deity like himself—doing so might invite heavenly punishment!
The higher one’s power, the greater the reverence for the laws of heaven and earth.
Ao Nu’s eyes darkened momentarily.
Even following the original course of events, when the Wang family rescued him, he would have been obligated to repay them with no less than half of the water dragon’s energy, along with other forms of compensation.
But now, ending things this way wasn’t too bad.
At this thought, resentment flared in his heart again.
“Hehe… Wang Zhong… This Sovereign shall see your lineage wiped out!”
The River Lord chuckled softly.
“My Lord!”
At that moment, the black iron-like man who had greeted him earlier entered, kneeling with his face marked by water clan patterns, his expression firm as iron, loudly declaring, “Whatever command you give, I shall obey without hesitation!”
“Human affairs will be settled by humans themselves…”
Seeing his loyal subordinate, Ao Nu’s expression softened slightly.
This man was the giant turtle spirit who had once carried Wu Ming on his back. Since the previous River Lord’s time, the water clan had scattered, yet this servant remained steadfast in his service, never wavering in loyalty, thus earning special treatment.
“I see this sacred land and recall the past glory of the Water Palace, when thousands of water soldiers gathered and honored us from all directions. I can’t help but feel nostalgic… Our current priority must be to rebuild the system and gather the water clan…”
As the Dragon King, Ao Nu naturally mastered the art of awakening. Those scattered shrimp soldiers and crab generals were merely his casual creations.
Unfortunately, compared to the grand Water Palace and Dragon Court, it still seemed rather desolate.
But that couldn’t be helped. Within the three hundred miles of the Nulong River, there should be many water creatures who had cultivated to a certain level. With the method of summoning and gradual awakening, things would improve.
“Ao Bai!”
Thinking thus, Ao Nu immediately called out.
“At your command!” The black iron giant, a transformed giant turtle spirit, immediately bowed.
“I hereby appoint you as the first general of the Water Palace’s spiritual troops!”
With this declaration, a golden light flew from Ao Nu’s body, entering Ao Bai and transforming into red threads, gradually expelling the black qi from his body.
A deity’s words manifest reality, and this Water Palace general was indeed a legitimate position, blessed with divine authority. Though the rank wasn’t high, it could still purify the original demonic aura.
For this giant turtle spirit, this meant entering the official ranks and achieving true cultivation success.
“Thank you, my Lord!”
Ao Bai’s eyes became clearer, and joy appeared on his face as he immediately bowed again.
“Good! Now go out and inspect the waters, selecting soldiers for the water forces!”
After dismissing the general, Ao Nu sighed softly. Within the River Lord’s palace, there were actually not many positions that could receive his divine ordination and truly attain a divine rank, with the highest being the position of Turtle Chancellor.
Unfortunately, Ao Bai wasn’t a turtle by nature, and though he excelled in martial prowess, he lacked the ability to strategize and manage both spiritual and worldly affairs, thus missing out on a great blessing.
…
Wang Yu ran wildly, his hair disheveled, bloodstains on his body, appearing extremely ragged.
His family had collapsed, and in an instant, the situation within the commandery shifted dramatically. Even those families that had secretly pledged allegiance began desperately hunting him down—offering him as a tribute to the Li family. In a short time, he had experienced firsthand the fickle nature of the human world.
“The Lin family and even the Zhou family have turned against me… I am the legitimate heir of the Wang family; I cannot die here. I still have martial arts and Daoist techniques, and the blessings of my ancestors will protect me. I will surely make a comeback…”
Wang Yu gritted his teeth. The Lin family was one thing, but the Zhou family had been a long-standing ally and marital partner of the Wang family. Their sudden betrayal caught him completely off guard.
These injuries were all left from the Zhou family’s martial artists and sorcerers chasing him down.
“It seems… I really should leave Chufeng Commandery now!”
His wounds had already been dressed, but he endured the pain, his eyes showing faint bloodshot lines, nearly teary with emotion.
The Wang family was a prestigious clan in Chufeng Commandery, and making this decision to abandon everything felt like tearing away a piece of his flesh. In reality, for the family, leaving Chufeng Commandery meant a drop in status by several levels at the very least!
He truly couldn’t understand.
Why had everything gone so wrong? Their plan had seemed perfect in every simulation, yet when it came to execution, everything fell apart, casting him from a favored son of heaven to the depths of despair.
“Once I cross this river, I can hide in Zhushan, then cross the commandery border…”
Wang Yu reached the riverside, drank several handfuls of cool river water, and gazed at the distant rolling mountains, his eyes regaining a glimmer of hope.
“Hmm?”
Just then, his eye twitched as he noticed a group of flames.
Not far away, someone was sitting with his back turned, lighting a campfire with a golden, oil-dripping roasted chicken on it, emitting a fragrant aroma.
“Gurgle!”
Wang Yu couldn’t help but swallow hard, taking a couple of steps forward, his eyes flashing with a predatory gleam!
“This must be your fate; don’t blame me…”
To him, the person ahead represented complete clothing, abundant food, and supplies!
Heaven help him—he had been on the run for so long, how long had it been since he last had a proper meal?
Now, as he prepared to enter the deep mountains to evade his enemies, he needed to stock up on supplies. This person appearing before him—wasn’t this practically asking for death?
“Who are you?”
However, Wang Yu hadn’t completely lost his senses. The timing and location of this person’s appearance were somewhat strange. After taking a couple of steps forward, he shouted a challenge.
Yet, in his heart, he had already made a decision. Even if this wasn’t an enemy, he would have to kill him to prevent any information from leaking.
“I am Wu Ming! Greetings, Prince Wang Yu!”
The person turned around, revealing a youth of about sixteen or seventeen years old. What surprised Wang Yu even more was that the other person actually recognized him!
“Wu Ming? Wait… It’s you!”
Wang Yu took a couple of steps back, his pupils contracting.
Originally, this name in his ears was just synonymous with a spoiled noble son, but after this person destroyed Zhan Hongzhao’s group, it carried a completely different meaning in his ears.
“That’s right! It’s me, here to personally see Prince Wang off on your final journey!”
Wu Ming smiled slightly, his tone polite and casual, as if merely inviting Wang Yu to a meal or a visit.
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