In a sea region of the Northern Sea:
A flying ship hovered in the sky. Dark clouds blanketed the region below, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring. One could vaguely see an epic battle taking place at sea.
Fifty dragons circled the air or swam in this sea region.
When the sea met the dragons, it overturned. The seawater seemed to heed the commands of these fifty dragons.
As the dragons swam around, they trapped hundreds of black tortoises in the middle. The black tortoises were of varying sizes; the smallest was only a little over three meters long, while the largest was one kilometer long. At this moment, they all faced the dragons, feeling panicked and at a loss.
The dragons were all at least one thousand six hundred meters long. The longest one was even two thousand six hundred meters long. They all worked together to trap the black tortoises in the center, suppressing them.
“Roar!”
Suddenly, a black dragon shot over.
“Protect the young. I’ll take care of this!” A one-kilometer-long black tortoise suddenly shot forward.
Boom!
The black tortoise crashed into the black dragon; both sides rebounded. However, another black dragon took advantage of the opening to bite a thirty-three-meter-long black tortoise.
“No! My son! Let go of my son!”
Crunch!
Gulp!
As the other black tortoises bellowed in protest, that black dragon crushed that small black tortoise and swallowed it.
That black dragon showed a cold light in its eyes, as though it thought that the small black tortoise could not even fill the gaps between its teeth, continuing to stare coldly at the herd of black tortoises.
“Gather close to each other. Don’t give him any more opportunities!” the largest black tortoise roared anxiously.
However, this scene was like a game of eagle catching chicks. Even the strongest black tortoise was no match for the dragons. How could they protect their young? Thus, the dragons ate more black tortoises over time.
[TL Note: Eagle catching chicks is a Chinese children’s game. It is sort of like a game of catch. The eagle is the catcher, and everyone else stands in a line holding the shoulder of the person in front. The person at the front of the line is the hen. The hen’s job is to prevent the eagle from catching any of the chicks behind.]
The black tortoises could affect the weather. However, dragons could do the same and were even better at it.
This sorrowful scene dyed the sea in blood.
——
At this moment, a group of people stood on a flying ship in the sky.
The leader of this group was a very handsome, white-clad youth. Leaning against the railing, he revealed a faint smile as he looked down.
A group of subordinates stood behind this white-clad youth, including a burly man with a golden saber on his back. This person seemed to have a higher status than the rest.
“Young Master An, does the duke know that you brought these dragons to the Northern Sea to graze? Would there be…?” The man with the golden saber frowned.
“Fang Minghou, my grandfather sent you only to protect me, not to tell me what to do!” the white-clad youth rebutted coldly.
“Yes! This subordinate does not dare to. However, these dragons…,” Fang Minghou said worriedly.
The white-clad young master narrowed his eyes as he looked below. “It will be fine. I previously heard rumors that Li Shenji discovered this tribe of black tortoises, so I rushed here. And, indeed, that was the case. These dragons are loyal to us; we naturally cannot mistreat them. Don’t they want to eat black tortoises? Well, let them have enough of these black tortoises!”
Fang Minghou frowned but eventually nodded without saying anything more.
The scene of the dragons hunting black tortoises looked extremely bloody.
Suddenly, a beam of light shot over from a distance.
“Huh?” Fang Minghou raised his eyebrows as he turned his head to look.
He saw an approaching flying ship. However, that ship flew lower, below the dark clouds.
A black dragon happened to erupt from below, wanting to consume another black tortoise.
“No! Don’t eat me!” that black tortoise screamed miserably as the black dragon bit it.
“You bastard!”
Suddenly, a furious roar came from the approaching flying ship as a man flew out and threw a palm strike at the black dragon.
Boom!
A loud report rang out as the attack knocked back the black dragon, causing it to release the black tortoise in its mouth.
“Ah? Elder Miao! You finally returned! You finally returned!” the black tortoise that managed to escape cried out in joyous surprise.
Miao Chen had no time to bother with that black tortoise as he charged into the battlefield.
“You bastards! How dare you?!” Miao Chen roared. Seawater suddenly shot into the air and swelled again.
“The elder returned! The elder returned!”
“We are saved!”
“Elder, save us!”
The black tortoises yelled in terror.
When Miao Chen charged in, he attacked relentlessly, launching palm strikes to knock back the dragons.
“Roar!”
The dragons roared and charged at Miao Chen. The largest dragon, which was two thousand six hundred meters long, swung its tail.
That dragon tail swept down, splitting the sea with overwhelming force.
Rumble…!
Water shot everywhere with great momentum.
Miao Chen’s expression changed. Then, his figure trembled as he turned into a one-thousand-six-hundred-meter-long black tortoise.
“Roar!”
The dragon tail crashed into the tortoise shell as Miao Chen roared.
Boom!
The surrounding seawater splashed into the sky, but the dragon tail could not do anything to the tortoise shell.
However, this clash forced apart the surrounding black tortoises and dragons, which were fighting.
The dragons swam behind this largest black dragon as it looked at the gigantic tortoise coldly.
The black tortoises fled behind Miao Chen in a panic before glaring furiously at the dragons.
——
Above the dark clouds:
“Young Master An, that flying ship seems to be Elite Hall’s White Cloud. So, it is Long Wanqing?” Fang Minghou said with a frown.
Young Master An narrowed his eyes and said, “Long Wanqing? Why is she with the black tortoise race’s Miao Chen?”
——
White Cloud flying ship, below the dark clouds:
Long Wanqing, Venerable Liu Nian, Gu Hai, and Shangguan Hen stared at the battle ahead.
“A hunt? Hahaha! These dragons are here to hunt black tortoises?” A cold glint flashed in Shangguan Hen’s eyes.
“Dragons like to eat black tortoises?” Gu Hai asked with a slight frown.
“Your Majesty, black tortoises and dragons are oceanic creatures. The black tortoises provide great nourishment, so the dragons come and eat them. Unfortunately, this is not eight centuries ago. Back then, black tortoises ate dragons as well. Now, the black tortoises are in decline. The situation reversed, and dragons are eating them now,” Shangguan Hen said as his eyelids twitched wildly.
“Black tortoises eat dragons?” Gu Hai appeared slightly confused.
“Black tortoises are not picky. They eat dragons and even phoenixes. Unfortunately, they can only get eaten now,” Shangguan Hen said calmly. However, Gu Hai could make out overwhelming rage in Shangguan Hen’s voice.
“Something’s not right. Hall Master, these dragons are sin dragons!” Venerable Liu Nian said with narrowed eyes.
“Sin dragons?” Long Wanqing appeared slightly shocked.
“What are sin dragons?” Gu Hai asked, feeling bewildered.
“Sin dragons are dragons who committed a great offense in the dragon race. They are ostracized by other dragons and have a sin mark on their forehead. They should receive capital punishment, but they are spared from death on account that they are also dragons. However, they are not spared from suffering, so they are sent to my Qian Heavenly Dynasty as slaves. They can regain their freedom after one thousand years. Dragons are my Qian Heavenly Dynasty’s national beast. Even if they are sin dragons, my Qian Heavenly Dynasty does not go overboard with them. They are normally sent to the borders to guard the dynasty against enemies,” Long Wanqing explained.
Gu Hai looked at where Long Wanqing pointed. Indeed, every dragon has an asterisk-shaped scar on its forehead, which looked extremely malevolent.
“During recent years, Ying Province’s borders have had the most activity, so most of the sin dragons were sent there for Duke Lu Yang to use. The sin dragons can only remain in the Qian Heavenly Dynasty to make contributions to atone for their sins; they are not permitted to leave their post. Why are they in the Northern Sea?” Long Wanqing said in shock.
Boom!
Miao Chen started fighting with the largest black dragon. The intense battle kicked up a surging storm.
However, Gu Hai started looking around at this moment.
“Your Majesty, above! There is a flying ship above!” Shangguan Hen called out.
Dark clouds covered the sky, obscuring Gu Hai’s view. However, Shangguan Hen’s eyes could see through the dark clouds.
“Fly up!” Long Wanqing shouted.
Whoosh!
The flying ship quickly soared, passing through the dark clouds in the blink of an eye.
“Duke Lu Yang’s descendant? Lu An? Isn’t that Lu An’s flying ship?” Venerable Liu Nian frowned slightly.
“Is this Lu An very problematic?” Gu Hai asked.
“He is very problematic. He is Duke Lu Yang’s most beloved grandson and seems to be quite capable,” Venerable Liu Nian replied.
“Oh?” Gu Hai frowned slightly.
The White Cloud flying ship soon arrived before the other flying ship.
Lu An leaned against the railing and looked at Long Wanqing. “So, it is Younger Sister Wanqing. What brings you to this Northern Sea?”
“Young Master An, please address me as Long Wanqing. Younger Sister Wanqing is not an address for you to use. Also, did you bring out these sin dragons?” Long Wanqing said with a glare.
“What’s wrong? Younger Sister Wanqing does not like being addressed like that? How about Wanqing, then?” Lu An smiled faintly.
“Young Master An, these black tortoises are my friends, so please leave with your sin dragons!” Long Wanqing said seriously.
“Oh? Your friends? However, I’m helpless. These sin dragons won’t listen to me.” Lu An smiled.
Venerable Liu Nian, who was at the side, said, “Young Master An, the sin dragons are not permitted to leave the battlefield unless there is a decree from His Holy Eminence. This is the rule of my Qian Heavenly Dynasty. Bringing the sin dragons away from the battlefield at Ying Province should count as going against His Holy Eminence’s decree, right? I wonder if you did it of your own accord, or did Duke Lu Yang arrange for this? Is it you who disobeyed the decree, or does Duke Lu Yang no longer care about His Holy Eminence’s decree?”
“Huh?” Lu An’s cheerful expression immediately turned sullen and cold.
“Hahaha! What a great accusation! Teacher Liu Nian, you have already renounced the world and become a monk, yet your tongue is still so venomous?” Lu An said coldly.
“Young Master An, if you still do not call these sin dragons off, I’ll immediately write a letter to my maternal grandfather to inform him that Duke Lu Yang has disobeyed the decree and allowed the sin dragons to do as they please in the Northern Sea!” Long Wanqing said while glowering.
Lu An stared at Long Wanqing and revealed a cold smile. “Younger Sister Wanqing, I find that you were cuter when you were young. But, now, you are becoming increasingly dislikable.”
Long Wanqing stared at Lu An with a cold gaze, not yielding at all.
Lu An coldly scanned everyone on the White Cloud flying ship. When he saw Gu Hai, he felt slightly bewildered. However, he did not think much of it.
“Gui Mian, it’s time to return!” Lu An said coldly.
Boom!
A loud sound suddenly rang out below, and the battle stopped.
The sin dragon fighting Miao Chen looked up at the flying ship in the sky.
“What? Young Master An, we are leaving now? After I deal with Miao Chen, all these black tortoises will be ours!” that black dragon said in shock.
“We have to go. Otherwise, someone will accuse my grandfather of rebellion. Humph!” Lu An said coldly as he stared at Long Wanqing.
“Yes!” the black dragon Gui Mian answered.
“Let’s go!”
“Roar!”
The dragons immediately flew into the sky.
Rumble…!
Suddenly, the dragons took on human form and landed on Lu An’s flying ship.
Lu An turned his head and looked at Long Wanqing. Then, he guffawed while showing a shady expression, “Younger Sister Wanqing, come to my Ying Province when you are free. I’ll definitely show you a good time. Hahahahahaha!”
Then, Lu An’s flying ship shot into the distance, reaching the horizon in the blink of an eye.
