A low roar erupted, and the river surged with towering waves, cascading toward them layer upon layer.
Lu Zheng was at the river bottom, calmly casting the Water Avoidance Technique with his fingers. This wave, devoid of any Spiritual Qi, posed no threat to him whatsoever.
Guangyue held a wooden rod vertically, breaking through the waves with a precise strike.
A middle-aged man dressed in black stood atop the water surface not far away, casually conjuring streams of river water into water arrows aimed at Lu Zheng and Guangyue.
Lu Zheng dismissed the Water Avoidance Technique, rushing through the waves while dodging the water arrows to charge at the man.
Guangyue's True Qi surged, the Golden Buddha Light cloaking his body. The water arrows met the Buddha Light and transformed back into river water, scattering upon the ground.
Lu Zheng had just enveloped the surroundings with illusions, using a fake body to draw attention while aiming to surprise with his real form, but discovered a pervasive water mist infused with a faint Demon Qi.
Despite deploying an Illusion Technique, the opponent had set up a detection network.
The illusion to defeat the enemy failed!
"Damn, life's really tough nowadays!" Lu Zheng grumbled, drawing the Brocade Spring Saber from his back.
A tiger roar sounded as the saber light sliced forth, cleaving through the water arrows ahead.
"Brother, you should be content. Your Illusionary Technique is formidable enough that, if caught unaware, even those with higher cultivation could suffer a minor setback," Guangyue remarked. "Gaining a slight advantage in Magical Combat increases your odds by thirty percent!"
Guangyue blocked the water arrows with Buddha Light, then leaped into the air, swinging his wooden rod to release a golden Buddha Light from its tip, targeting the Fake River God.
Under the radiance of Buddha Light, the water mist dissolved and the Demon Qi retreated.
The Fake River God's face changed as his body sank beneath the water.
The next moment, a long tail, a foot wide, surged from beneath the water, striking toward Guangyue.
Though uninjured, Guangyue found no leverage in midair, forced to ride the momentum of the tail's strike away.
Meanwhile, Lu Zheng seized the opportunity to reach the Fake River God.
"Revealing your true form, are you? Pitch black, four short limbs; you're a Black Flood Dragon?"
The Black Flood Dragon opened its massive jaws, snapping toward Lu Zheng.
If not a Body Refining Martial Artist, anyone caught by its bite would face death and Dao's obliteration.
Lu Zheng flicked his hand, releasing ten Cold Condensing Talismans.
The Black Flood Dragon felt a chill invade its mouth, ice spreading through its body as it tried to retreat into the water.
By then, Guangyue had arrived.
A 'Mani' character flickered in his palm, then flew forth to imprint on the Black Flood Dragon's forehead.
Capable of rivaling Lu Zheng's 'Eighteen Mountain-Carrying Techniques,' Guangyue's magic was undoubtedly formidable.
The 'Mani' character pressed down, the Black Flood Dragon felt as though a mountain weighed on its head, forcing its body to sink for refuge in the water.
However, Lu Zheng suddenly appeared, activating the Water Avoidance Technique.
The massive dragon head crashed onto the bottom of the Lanshui River.
Guangyue landed, pressing the wooden rod onto the critical seven-inch point of the Black Flood Dragon.
Lu Zheng drew his saber, Blood Qi surged, a tiger's roar echoed underwater.
"Please, Immortal Master, spare my life!"
The Black Flood Dragon was stunned; how could it be at death's door when their Dao Practices were just on par?
With a slash, its body separated from its head.
Over sixty streams of the Light of Fortune accrued once more.
Then Lu Zheng carried the dragon's head while Guangyue bore its body as they both went ashore.
Guangyue seemed incredulous, "I never thought this Black Flood Dragon with nearly two hundred years of Dao Practice couldn't last even three rounds against us?"
Lu Zheng blinked; he had considered triumphing over the Black Flood Dragon with Guangyue's assistance but hadn't expected it to unfold so smoothly.
"Must have been a wild breed, lacking any spells or Divine Techniques, right?" Lu Zheng hesitated, then remarked.
Guangyue blinked, "Or did it not have a chance to use them?"
"Hmm?" Lu Zheng retreated a step, wary of Guangyue.
Guangyue proposed logically, "Brother, since we cooperate so adeptly, should we not travel together and seize this opportunity?"
I won't accompany you into trouble… nor squander the chance…
What tiger and wolf idiocy is this!
Lu Zheng ignored him, confident he couldn't best him.
The dragon's size was substantial, three feet thick and nearly five zhang long, though not the hundreds of meters like legends, yet it was the largest demon form Lu Zheng had ever seen.
"Wow, it's huge!" Lu Zheng clicked his tongue, "How long will it take to finish eating this?"
Guangyue chanted, "Better to give it to those villages; this Black Flood Dragon bullied them for decades, now providing them sustenance aligns with the Buddhist path of reincarnation."
Lu Zheng pursed his lips, not refuting as he had similar thoughts. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by N0veI.Fiɾe.net
"I'll first extract its tendons to see if they can be refined into a Magical Treasure?"
Guangyue blinked, "Amitabha Buddha, this Black Flood Dragon's pair of short horns will make a fine set of Buddhist Beads, truly blessed!"
According to the villagers of Linhai Village, the Black Flood Dragon rarely moved from Lanshui River, so it likely didn't possess much wealth.
Moreover, the riverbed of Lanshui River had numerous undercurrents, spanning over several dozen miles from upstream to downstream; who knows where its lair was?
Thus, Lu Zheng abandoned any thoughts of plundering, sharing the valuable items from the Black Flood Dragon with Guangyue before carrying its corpse back to Linhai Village.
"Is this... a dragon?"
"Its head's severed, so tragic. Was this the River God tormenting us for decades?"
"What River God! It's a demon!"
"Yes, yes, a demon! A demon! Never thought it was so big!"
"One bite could devour a person!"
"Wah, my little Zhuzi, you're ill-fated! Had it been a year later, you'd have survived!"
The families fortunate to escape rejoiced, their years of sorrow now culminated in joy, while those who sent away their children years ago felt the pangs of grief anew.
"Ah! How may I assist, Immortal Master?" The village chief of Linhai Village responded promptly.
"I don't know the way out, find us a boat to take us to the nearest ferry," Lu Zheng requested.
"I'll go!" a man, a father of a sent-away child, volunteered immediately, eager to be helpful now that he had recovered from his heartbreak.
Lu Zheng watched as the man rushed to the village dock to fetch a boat, leaving those who hadn't volunteered gazing enviously.