Volume One, Chapter Eight: The South Sea Dragon

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No, this can’t be right!
The old man finally realized that the young man before him had actually opened the prison door and swaggered in without hesitation.
“You… you’re not afraid?” the old man asked uncertainly.
After all, something unusual must mean something sinister was at play. He would rather believe the Celestial Sanctuary was up to some trickery than think Liu Yiyun was foolish enough to confront a monster like him so recklessly.
Liu Yiyun seemed distracted, his gaze drifting over the scales in his hand. “Afraid of what?”
“Don’t you fear I might take the chance to escape? If that happens, at least your cultivation will be crippled.”
Liu Yiyun calmly shook his head. “I’m not afraid.”
“That’s true. The prison is guarded by powerful beings from the Celestial Sanctuary, and outside there are many cultivators on watch. How could a minor monster like me break free?” The old man nodded in agreement with Liu Yiyun’s words.
“You misunderstand. What I mean is, if you try to escape, I’ll break your legs,” Liu Yiyun said indifferently.
“Uh…”
The old man clearly didn’t take Liu Yiyun’s words seriously, brushing it off as a joke from a youngster. He sat cross-legged in front of Liu Yiyun and closed his eyes to rest.
Liu Yiyun glanced at the old man, then at the scales in his hand.
Connecting the dots—the long name of the formation the old man mentioned, and the tearing sensation he felt on his back just now…
It all became clear to him in an instant!
The four divine beasts are Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. Since these scales relate to the four divine beasts, they must belong to a dragon.
He was quite familiar with dragons, having once been served by one.
But he wouldn’t assume the old man was a pureblood dragon. The dragon clans rank among the top ten powers across the entire Heavenly Mysterious Continent—far too formidable for a single sanctuary in the Southern Region to provoke.
The old man was at most a flood dragon with dragon bloodline.
The Celestial Sanctuary sure has clever methods. This was no prison for monsters—it was clearly a renewable resource reservoir.
Still, keeping a monster like the old man confined was understandable. The snake demon and the corpse puppet could easily be eliminated, so why keep them alive?
Could the high-ups of the Celestial Sanctuary share his taste and enjoy watching a snake demon transform into a beautiful girl dancing?
But that didn’t add up—what about the corpse puppet?
Could someone have an unusual fetish, liking this kind of thing?
No, no, better not delve any deeper.
Some knowledge isn’t good for him; it might get him silenced by the big shots.
Since these scales were part of the formation’s materials, they had to be worth some spirit stones, so Liu Yiyun reluctantly accepted them.
However, after taking them, he found himself in a bit of a dilemma.
He had originally intended to provoke the monster inside the cell to gain some cultivation experience. But the old man sat there lost in thought, seemingly uninterested in him.
Would it be rude if he just marched up and slapped the old man?
While he was still hesitating, the old man opened his eyes and spoke: “Young one, are you in a hurry to report back? If not, would you stay and chat with this old relic? I have been imprisoned in this demon prison for centuries, and in all those years, I have spoken to very few. Now, as my life nears its end, I wish to ease the burdens in my heart with you.”
“Sure, what do you want to talk about?” Liu Yiyun agreed without hesitation, curious to hear the old man’s story.
Cultivators and monsters are natural enemies. Whenever they meet, it’s kill or be killed. There’s basically zero communication—a big attack is always the first move.
Seeing Liu Yiyun’s willingness, the old man grew suspicious; this reckless youth didn’t look like someone sent by the Celestial Sanctuary.
A monster initiating conversation was clearly suspicious, yet Liu Yiyun was joking along with him.
Whatever, he decided to start spinning stories and try to glean some information.
The old man lifted his head slightly, tears glimmering in his eyes. “Then this old relic shall tell you my tale.”
Liu Yiyun clapped happily, “Haha, great! I love stories.”
“Centuries ago, I was undergoing the Nascent Soul tribulation deep within a mountain in the Celestial Sanctuary’s domain. Unfortunately, I failed the tribulation and lost all my cultivation, falling from the skies, barely clinging to life. A mortal passed by, and with my last bit of spiritual power, I transformed into human form. That mortal kindly brought me back to a human town to recuperate…”
“Stop there! What happened next? Keep going.”
“*Huff!*” The old man took a deep breath, seemed to recall something, then continued, “After decades of recovery and regaining my cultivation, I devoured the entire town of over a million people.”
Liu Yiyun frowned in confusion. “What’s the point of telling me this? Are you feeling regretful near death and want to confide in me?”
“Regret? Indeed, I do regret it. Eating so many people at once caused me constipation for months. I really shouldn’t have gorged myself.”
Liu Yiyun: “...”
This old geezer’s mind seemed a little off.
“Finished? Anything else? Like, after so many years of cultivation, have you ever spied on female demons bathing?”
“...No.”
“That’s a pity.”
Then silence fell between the two.

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Liu Yiyun pondered how he might get the old man to attack him a few times to boost his cultivation.
The old man wondered why the youth hadn’t reported back yet—hadn’t he already given him the flood dragon scales?
After a long moment, the old man seemed to grow uncomfortable with the strange atmosphere between the two men.
“Young one, why haven’t you reported back yet? If you miss the battle, you’ll be punished severely!”
Liu Yiyun blinked. “Report back on what?”
The old man frowned. “Weren’t you sent by the Celestial Sovereign to retrieve my flood dragon scales?”
“No, I’m just a patrolling disciple. I came in to have a look.”
Hearing this, the old man’s chest heaved erratically. “You… why didn’t you say so earlier!”
“You didn’t ask either.”
“...”
Boom!
The old man’s kindly smile vanished instantly, replaced by a ferocious grimace. Suddenly, the prison cell was swept by raging winds and stormy rain, and the old man’s robe fluttered wildly.
“Human, how dare you fool me! I will make you pay with your life!” the old man roared in fury.
In the next moment, countless icicles and bolts of lightning surged toward Liu Yiyun.
[ Ding! Congratulations, host has been attacked by the South Sea Flood Dragon. ]
The old man, being a flood dragon, wielded far more powerful arts than the snake demon. Liu Yiyun’s cultivation surged greatly.
[ Ding! Cultivation +5. ]
[ Ding! Cultivation +4. ]
[ Ding! Congratulations, host has broken through to Qi Refining Stage Five. ]
Liu Yiyun suddenly felt a tremendous force surge through his body, filling him with inexhaustible energy.
This familiar feeling of growing stronger thrilled him.
“Old man, put some strength into it! You hit me like a wet noodle, and you still dare call yourself a flood dragon!”

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