The people of Longhu County gradually came to their senses from the panic, looking at each other. The fear in their eyes was slowly replaced by confusion.
“Yeah… the Dragon Kings are righteous gods. They wouldn’t actually kill all of us, right?”
“That’s right! Three years ago, the East Sea Dragon King still dared to show himself. But now that all Four Sea Dragon Kings have gathered, they’re hiding their heads and covering their tails!”
“Daoist Lu makes sense. They’re just bluffing!”
The people suddenly realized this, and their hearts shook with understanding.
Just as the people’s hearts were coming together again…
Above the clouds, the Four Sea Dragon Kings were angered once more!
“ROOOAR—!!”
An even more terrifying wave of dragon might crashed down.
“CRACK!”
Lu Chen took the brunt of it. The wooden planks beneath his feet shattered with a loud bang, sending splinters flying. He sank half an inch into the platform.
All throughout the Great Dragon Pool, the people were also forced to lie prostrate on the ground under this dragon might, unable to move a single muscle.
…
“My Lord!”
Inside the cave, the Well Dragon King and the Lord of the Earth watched this scene unfold, their eyes turning bloodshot in an instant.
The Well Dragon King was especially agitated. Even though his dragon body trembled under the oppressive tyranny of the Four Sea Dragon Kings, his eyes at that moment were filled with absolute resolve. Even as his dragon claws shook, he still stepped forward.
The Lord of the Earth desperately blocked his path.
“Old Dragon King, please don’t act rashly! The Lord gave orders—do not appear unless he summons you!”
“Lord of the Earth! The Lord has already been brought to such a state! If I keep hiding, the people’s hearts will surely scatter! This entire rain-praying ceremony today will be completely ruined!”
“I understand this principle, little old man really does, but—” Before the Lord of the Earth could finish, his hands rapidly wove magical seals. The ground instantly turned into a muddy swamp. Several mud ropes as thick as bowls burst from the earth and wrapped tightly around the Well Dragon King’s four claws.
“Lord of the Earth! What are you doing?!” The Well Dragon King roared in fury. His dragon cry echoed through the narrow cave.
The Lord of the Earth used his own body to block the way, his voice cracking as he pleaded: “Old Dragon King, listen to me! Trust the Lord!! If you go out now, that will truly ruin everything!”
“ROOOAR!” The Well Dragon King bellowed in frustration. His dragon body twisted, snapping the mud ropes inch by inch, but they kept regenerating without end.
…
Inside the Xuan Dou Palace.
Lord Cai of Wealth radiated surging divine power. A cold, electric light flashed in his eyes. The entire mist-filled palace was instantly tinged half-golden.
The Water Virtue Star Lord felt a chill in his heart.
Then he saw Lord Cai of Wealth suddenly rise to his feet.
“Brother Cai, calm yourself!” The Water Virtue Star Lord blurred and was already pressing a hand on his shoulder. “The Four Sea Dragon Kings are arrogant, but they still understand restraint. They haven’t revealed their true forms yet. Your adopted brother’s life should be safe for now. Why not watch how things develop? Perhaps there will be another turn of fortune.”
Lord Cai of Wealth’s gaze flickered. He hesitated for a moment, and the boiling divine power slowly subsided. But his expression remained gloomy as water as he sat back down heavily.
…
On the high platform.
Struck by the dragon might, Lu Chen immediately spat out a mouthful of bloody spittle.
“Damn it!!!”
He forcibly activated the magical power in his spiritual sea, trying to straighten his spine.
But for every inch he managed to lift himself, the dragon might descending from the cloud tops increased in force, mercilessly pressing him back down again.
Until one knee slammed heavily onto the shattered wooden planks with a dull thud.
“Daoist Lu!”
Wang Zhongmin and the others watched this scene with their eyes nearly splitting open, grief and indignation mixing within them. Even though they themselves were struggling to hold up under the dragon might, they still tried to rush forward with all their strength.
“Don’t come over!” Lu Chen shouted sharply to stop them.
Suddenly, he let out a mocking laugh. He lifted his gaze toward the thick clouds, his eyes burning like torches, as if he could pierce through the layers of clouds and stare directly at the four true dragons: “Four Sea Dragon Kings! You consume the people’s incense offerings, yet because of personal grudges, you sit idly by while the common people suffer from drought! Now we are not begging you, but turning to the Well Dragon King instead! Yet you still dare to block this sacred altar? Tell me, what kind of reasoning is this?! Is this what you call ‘protecting the common people’?!”
“How DARE you!!!”
Above the clouds.
The North Sea Dragon King was furious beyond measure: “Big brother, this brat is far too insolent! Why don’t we reveal ourselves and crush him!”
The South Sea Dragon King quickly tried to advise him: “Fourth brother, don’t be rash! This is already hard to clean up!”
The West Sea Dragon King also said, “Second brother is absolutely right. It’s already a stretch to claim we’re patrolling our territories or that immortals are passing through. If we reveal ourselves now, there will be no room left for compromise.”
Ao Guang’s gaze was icy cold, his killing intent surging like a tidal wave. But he still held onto a shred of reason, knowing where the line was drawn.
So he simply intensified the dragon might once more, pressing it down hard upon that tiny figure below.
He refused to believe that a mere mortal could truly withstand his majestic dragon might!
“CRACK!”
On the high platform, Lu Chen let out a muffled grunt. An even stronger wave of dragon might, like an ancient mountain pressing down from above, forced his other leg to crash to its knees as well.
His five internal organs and six bowels felt as if they had all been shifted out of place.
He forcibly swallowed the metallic taste rising in his throat. The searing pain all over his body made him slam his fists against the platform again and again in frustration!
At that moment, countless citizens of Longhu County lay prostrate under the dragon might, their faces twisted in pain.
Lu Chen’s eyes were bloodshot. His gaze swept over them.
And the countless citizens of Longhu County were also looking at him.
“Daoist Lu…”
In that instant, waves of emotion surged through countless hearts—an unprecedented, stirring intensity!
For three years, not a single cultivator had ever gone this far for their Longhu County!
Over these three years, how many times had hope flared up, only to be thoroughly extinguished again and again by heartless shakes of the head.
They were filled with hatred!
They hated the tyranny of the Dragon Kings!
They hated the incompetence of the spirit seekers!
But now!
At this very moment!
Even in the face of the supreme dragon might of the Four Seas!
That figure was still holding on!
Even with both knees on the ground, his body nearly crushed into the splintered wood!
He was still holding on!
…
“My fellow townspeople!”
On the high platform, Lu Chen’s voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it carried clearly to every corner of the Dragon Pool.
He knew deeply that if the people’s hearts scattered now, everything would truly be lost!
Only action, only absolute resolve—
could rekindle the dying flame within their hearts and resist this majestic dragon might!
Lu Chen spat out a mouthful of bloody spittle. With adrenaline surging through him, only a single thought remained in his mind.
With absolute, desperate resolve, he shouted: “No matter how fierce the dragon might is, it can crush our bodies, but it cannot crush our hearts!”
Without any more hesitation, Lu Chen resolutely raised the peachwood ritual sword in his hand. Gripping the blade with his other hand, he slashed it hard across his palm!
Vivid red blood immediately welled up, flowing along the grain of the peachwood, staining it a shocking, breathtaking crimson!
“I, Lu Chen, stand here today and swear this oath with my own blood!”
“The rain for Longhu County—I will bring it! Even if divine might is like a prison, it cannot stop me!”
Lu Chen poured every ounce of his strength into his voice, shouting until he was hoarse: “When people’s hearts are united, they can shake the heavens! When the will of the people gathers, it can reach the gods! I beg you all, lend me your strength—will you?!!————”
“ROOOAR!!!”
Above the clouds, the dragon roars reached their peak of fury!
Almost instantly, several bloody gashes burst open on Lu Chen’s hands and face!
Wang Zhongmin: “Daoist Lu!!!!”
At that moment, that blood-stained figure on the platform burned itself like a red-hot brand deep into everyone’s hearts.
“AHHHHH!”
At that moment—shame, grief, fury, emotion, defiance… all kinds of feelings.
They collided violently within the people’s chests, and finally transformed into a raging wildfire, completely burning away all fear!
“Damn it all! Daoist Lu is willing to throw away his life for us! So what the hell are we still afraid of?!”
A burly, rough man suddenly tore open the front of his shirt, his eyes bloodshot as he roared, “Let’s fight!! Together with Daoist Lu—let’s pray for rain!”
“Yeah! If they won’t let us live, then let’s fight!! Pray for rain!”
“Pray for rain! Pray for rain!”
The scattered shouts started like sparks, but in the blink of an eye, they became a prairie fire, rapidly sweeping through the entire Great Dragon Pool, merging into a deafening tidal wave that actually drowned out the dragon roars from the heavens!
Seeing this, Wang Zhongmin trembled with excitement. Tears of joy streamed down his face. Using every last bit of strength in his life, he screamed: “Fellow townspeople! Quick! Light the incense!”
“Right! Light the incense! Make our plea!” Chen Tiansheng also snapped out of it. His previously deathly pale face flushed bright red as he raised his arm like a madman and shouted.
The people, completely ignited by Lu Chen’s blood oath, now moved like a bursting dam. They frantically lit the incense sticks in their hands.
…
“How DARE you!!!!!”
Within the clouds, the Four Sea Dragon Kings were shocked and enraged!
Ao Guang was nearly at his limit of fury—he was about to reveal his true form!
An even heavier wave of dragon might surged down once more!
But this time, after witnessing the blood oath, not a single person backed away. Trembling, they still resolutely lit their incense.
…
Now was the moment!!
Lu Chen raised the blood-stained peachwood sword. Kneeling on the ground, he called out in a loud, questioning voice: “Fellow citizens of Longhu County, what is your request today? Speak it quickly, so that the Lord of the Spring Source Water Mansion may bear witness!”
“We respectfully beg the Well Dragon King to descend upon our county and bring us sweet, life-giving rain!”
“We respectfully beg the Well Dragon King to descend upon our county and bring us sweet, life-giving rain!”
“…”
The prayers of a hundred thousand people. The shouts of a hundred thousand people. The incense-offering power of a hundred thousand people!
Countless fine but blazing rays of light rose from every kneeling citizen. Now, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, they rushed wildly toward the Offering Altar on the high platform!
The Offering Altar, whose five-colored divine light had dimmed slightly due to the interference of the dragon might, now, with the infusion of a hundred thousand pure streams of vow-power, suddenly erupted with an unprecedented, dazzling brilliance!
A pillar of light shot into the sky, like a magnificent five-colored dragon, piercing straight through the clouds and scattering the dragon might that filled heaven and earth!
…
“It’s done!”
Inside the Xuan Dou Palace, Lord Cai of Wealth watched that pillar of merit—vast as an ocean, formed from a hundred thousand heartfelt wishes—in the Mystic Light Mirror. He suddenly clenched his fist.
The Water Virtue Star Lord couldn’t help but be moved as well. He gazed at the pillar of merit that had broken through the clouds, deep astonishment flashing in his eyes.
Above the clouds, the East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang saw that pillar of merit power, now more than ten times larger than before. His dragon eyes contracted sharply, and his expression completely changed: “Not good!”
Panic and alarm also crept into the dragon roars of the other three Dragon Kings.
They had thought that their dragon might alone would be enough to frighten off these mortals. They never imagined that Lu Chen would be so fiercely resolute—that he would not hesitate to swear a blood oath to unite the people’s hearts and summon such a vast amount of merit power!
On the high platform, Lu Chen watched that pillar of merit shooting into the sky. He no longer had a single moment of hesitation.
He raised the blood-stained peachwood sword once more, holding it vertically before his chest. His voice rang out like a great bell or a massive drum, echoing through heaven and earth:
“I respectfully beg! The Lord of the Spring Source Water Mansion—return to your post!! “
The command fell like a thunderclap from the nine heavens, booming into the cave.
At that moment, within the cave, everything fell silent. All extraneous sounds faded away. Only those two words—”return to your post”—echoed with tremendous force.
The next instant, the mud ropes wrapped around the Well Dragon King silently dissolved.
The Lord of the Earth, who had long since been watching with tears streaming down his aged face, suddenly swung his arm in a wide arc. Using every ounce of his strength, he turned and pointed toward the light outside the cave. Then he let out a gut-wrenching, heart-tearing roar:
“GO FOR IT!! OLD DRAGON KING!!!”
An earth-shattering, heaven-startling dragon cry exploded from within the cave, soaring straight up to the nine heavens!
“ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!!!!!!”
