PDLP Chapter 541 - 529: Jiao Dragon Appears!
Chapter 541 - 529: Jiao Dragon Appears!
Was the reaction speed of a Gang Realm Master fast? That was beyond question. Across the entire Martial Arts World of Huaxia, for over ninety percent of its people, a Gang Realm Master was a legendary figure—an existence to be revered.
However, when this legendary existence faced the sweep of the Jiao Dragon, his pupils suddenly dilated in horror. He had already dodged the lethally aggressive water droplets, but before Hua Xiaotian could even pause, the Jiao Dragon’s body was upon him, sweeping forward with immense power. His instincts screamed at him to flee, but by the time the thought fully formed, the opportunity was lost. Facing the whipping body of the Jiao Dragon, Hua Xiaotian felt as if he were locked in place, unable to move a muscle before the mass of glistening red scales struck. It was too late to dodge, too late to escape. As his eyes widened in shock, the Jiao Dragon’s body slammed heavily against him.
BOOM!!!
A deafening crash, like a meteor striking the Earth, erupted from Hua Xiaotian’s body.
PFFT!
At the moment of impact, despite being a vaunted Gang Realm Master, Hua Xiaotian could not withstand such ferocious might. Even with the protection of his Gang Qi, the lash from the Jiao Dragon’s body sent him flying high into the air. He couldn’t stop himself from violently spitting out a mouthful of Essence Blood. His body traced a high arc before crashing heavily into the river. The impact was like a depth charge detonating, sending a colossal spray of water into the air.
And at that moment, as the great waves receded, the Jiao Dragon’s body was fully exposed above the river’s surface, its head held high.
RING—!
On the riverbank, when the Jiao Dragon finally revealed its true form, the faces of the many Magicians, led by Lai Zhuge, turned deathly pale. It was shock, fear, and above all, disbelief.
A Jiao Dragon! It’s truly a Jiao Dragon!
Only months after the Jiao Dragon at Yanjing Ridge was slain by some unknown divine entity, another has appeared in Huaxia? And this one was hidden in the depths of the Qiantang River?
In that instant, everyone’s mind went blank. The Jiao Dragon of Yanjing Ridge had only been a rumor; no one had seen what it looked like or how terrifying its power truly was. But now, a genuine Jiao Dragon was right before their very eyes.
Its body was covered in red scales as hard as iron. It had low, malformed horns and whiskers, and its feet were like a dragon’s claws. Its thick, massive body was well over ten meters long. What was this if not the Jiao Dragon described in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*?
Such a massive body, such a violent temperament. It revealed its penchant for stirring up chaos the moment it appeared. With a single sweep of its body, it had critically wounded Hua Xiaotian—reputed to be the greatest martial artist in Huaxia—and made him vomit blood.
This... this is a catastrophe! Gazing at the blood-red Jiao Dragon glowing in the darkness, everyone began to tremble uncontrollably. Even Lai Zhuge was no exception.
The existence of Jiao Dragons was something they had only mused about in their spare time; no one had ever thought they would truly see one with their own eyes. Even the stories about the Yanjing Ridge creature were just hearsay, and without seeing it for themselves, they hadn’t taken it to heart. But now, it was different. When the creature of their imagination was laid bare before them, they panicked. They wanted to flee. Even Hua Xiaotian had been grievously wounded by a single flick of its body, coughing up blood. What could a group of Magicians possibly do? This is a Mutant Beast of Heaven and Earth, not some ordinary demon or ghost!
THUD!
The dull sound broke the dead silence as the elderly Master Chen stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Master Chen?" Lai Zhuge called out, his throat dry.
"I have to go! I must leave now! We can’t fight this beast, we absolutely can’t! If we stay, we’re just waiting to die, and I don’t want to die! I’m not ready to die!" Scrambling to his feet in a panic, Master Chen leaned forward, about to run, but he was quickly grabbed by a middle-aged man.
"Let go! Let me go! My family spans three generations, and we’ll soon have a fourth! Facing this Demon Beast, a man my age can’t be of much help! Let me go, I’m begging you!" Master Chen shouted, waving his arms in a panic as spittle flew from his mouth. It seemed he was trying to drown out his inner terror with his roars, but the effect was clearly minimal.
"Master Chen! Calm down! Please, calm down!" the middle-aged man roared hysterically. "If you leave, if we all leave, do you have any idea what that means? We came here to fight this cursed beast to the death! It’s not just you who has a family to enjoy! I do, too! I wrote my will before I even left home! Can’t you see the situation we’re in? If we can’t subdue this fiend, what will the consequences be? Disaster! Countless people will suffer unimaginable calamities as it wreaks havoc! Master Chen, we possess the power of Yin and Yang, a gift from Heaven itself! Should we only use it to chase fame and fortune?! AH!!!"
But as his roar faded, Master Chen tore his arm free again. Breathing heavily, he shouted back, "Yes, we shouldn’t just chase fame and fortune! But tell me, if we really fight to the bitter end, can we subdue that beast? Huh?! Even Master Hua couldn’t withstand a single whip of its body! Tell me, how are we supposed to fight it? With our meager skills? This isn’t some common ghost or zombie, this is a Jiao Dragon! A Jiao Dragon born from the very fortune and destiny of Heaven and Earth! If we fight it, we will die! All of us! Death itself doesn’t frighten a man my age, but I’m afraid of dying for nothing! If I could take it down with me, I wouldn’t care, but tell me, do we even have that chance? DO WE?!"
After his outburst, Master Chen ignored the stunned looks from the others. On trembling legs, he stumbled away as fast as he could.
"Chen—!" the middle-aged man cried out, clearly shocked by Master Chen’s words. He only found his voice after the elder was already ten meters away, but before he could finish, Lai Zhuge cut him off.
"Master Chen is right. Let him go," Lai Zhuge interrupted. "Forced to choose between the joy of a family with four generations and certain death, his decision is only human. Let anyone who wants to leave, go. Although we haven’t even fought it yet, it’s unrealistic to think our meager cultivation is enough to subdue this fiend. As Master Chen said, this isn’t some demon or ghost. It is a Mutant Beast of Heaven and Earth."
Following Lai Zhuge’s words, the other Magicians exchanged uneasy glances. After three seconds of silent terror, they all turned in unison and hurried away. Many were not afraid to die a worthy death, but faced with this kind of meaningless sacrifice, they lost their nerve. They truly lost their nerve.
"Master Li, you should go, too," Lai Zhuge said, watching the magicians flee with a calm indifference. He then turned to the middle-aged man who had tried to stop Master Chen. "You have a family, with elders to care for and children to raise. You shouldn’t stay here."
"Lai Shenxiang, if I must choose between death and watching helplessly as disaster strikes, I choose the former," Master Li declared. "At least that way, when the catastrophe is over, I can face the souls of the innocent in the netherworld without guilt and tell them I did everything I could."