The Dragon

The sudden turn of events had everyone on high alert. Though no one showed signs of making a move, everyone tensed up, prepared for any situation.

Zhong Michu quickly scanned the area. They were surrounded by enemies, with the leaders of the three immortal sects present. If it were just these people, she and Gu Fuyou could leave safely.

However, the most problematic was the angry Qingluan in front of them—a cultivator of the Immortalization stage. Even if she and Gu Fuyou teamed up, they might not win. Furthermore, the intentions of Jiu Yao were unclear, and Du Pan was sneakily observing from behind.

Zhong Michu figured that the key to resolving this situation lay with Qing Jun. Qing Zhe was angered because Qing Jun’s body had been possessed. The only way to settle this matter was for Qing Jun to come forward.

She turned to Gu Fuyou and said, “Qing Jun.”

Gu Fuyou, hearing her name, turned her head, looking at Zhong Michu curiously.

Was Zhong Michu calling her Qing Jun? When had she ever called her that?

Zhong Michu commanded, “Come out.”

Gu Fuyou’s expression shifted from surprise to contemplation, as she silently stared at Zhong Michu.

After a moment, there was no change in Gu Fuyou.

Zhong Michu could easily distinguish between Gu Fuyou and Qing Jun. Qing Jun was still asleep. She remembered that the previous times, Qing Jun seemed to awaken only when Gu Fuyou was asleep.

Zhong Michu closely observed Gu Fuyou’s face again. She seemed completely alert.

Should she knock Gu Fuyou unconscious in an attempt to wake Qing Jun? But she wasn’t sure if this method would work. If Qing Jun still didn’t wake up, they’d be even more at a disadvantage.

Qing Zhe already had his spirit sword in hand. Zhong Michu, holding Gengchen, stepped forward and said softly, “Elder, please calm down.”

Qing Zhe’s gaze had been firmly fixed on Qing Jun, almost as if he was about to spew fire. Only then did he notice Zhong Michu.

Zhong Michu spoke, “There seems to be some misunderstanding. Please allow us to explain.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes.” Knowing it was best to be entirely transparent at this moment, Zhong Michu continued, “Regarding the matter of body possession, Elder Qing Jun is already aware and has consented.” Gu Fuyou’s eyebrows twitched slightly at this.

Qing Zhe shouted angrily, “Lies! She’s been asleep for thousands of years. Her consciousness is almost gone. How could she be ‘aware’ and ‘consent’? Even if she could awaken, she wouldn’t want to.”

He knew in his heart that she would not awaken. His anger partly stemmed from a sliver of hope that was dashed upon realizing Qing Jun wasn’t really Qing Jun. He said fiercely, “She is our Qingluan Clan’s leader, revered and noble. She used her body to suppress evil. How dare you defile her body, you shameless wretches!”

Qing Zhe lifted his sword, Qingshuang, and his stance revealed he was an external cultivator. Just by inhaling, he vanished from his spot, his aura pressing down like a wall, making it difficult to breathe.

Zhong Michu’s eyes sharpened, and Gengchen spun, blocking the sword.

But before contact, Zhong Michu sensed something off. Qing Zhe’s sword was faster than it appeared. While it seemed a foot away, it was already upon her. Zhong Michu swiftly angled her sword, using the flat of the blade to counter Qing Zhe’s edge. His initial thrust at her throat deflected, skimming past her face.

The sword energy still hit her cheek, forcing her Dragon scales to emerge. It was a close call; if not for her Dragon instincts, she would have been severely injured by that strike.

Seeing the Dragon scales, Qing Zhe’s eyes grew cold, “White Dragon…”

“Even so…” Qing Zhe took a deep breath, as if restraining something, “Getting involved with you lot never ends well!”

Qing Zhe attacked more fiercely, Zhong Michu hitting a cloud pillar, frowning in pain. Without a moment to breathe, his next strike cracked the pillar behind her.

To any onlooker, Zhong Michu was clearly at a disadvantage.

Suddenly, a sharp shout rang out, “You old fool!” Knowing Qing Zhe wouldn’t recognize it was directed at him, but it was Qing Jun’s voice. He turned, his expression changing drastically.

Gu Fuyou held Yinhen to her neck, chin lifted, her red eyes defiant, “Try touching her.”

Qing Zhe saw her using Qing Jun’s body as a threat. After a long pause, he squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth, “You…” Others’ expressions changed too, not just Qingzhe’s.

Zhong Michu shouted sternly, “Gu Fuyou!”

Her voice was harsh, her golden eyes narrowed, intimidating.

So much so that Gu Fuyou was startled, thinking, “I was just scaring him, why do you look so frightening?”

This outcry from Zhong Michu, in a moment of urgent panic in the middle of a nightmare-like scenario, led her to lose her composure and call out Gu Fuyou’s name.

The three sect leaders, hearing this name, were visibly shocked and in disbelief. Li Mingjing glanced at Qing Jun, breaking into a cold sweat, and asked Zhong Michu, “Your Majesty, what did you call her?!”

Seeing her identity now exposed, Gu Fuyou, at this point, didn’t care about hiding it anymore. She openly admitted it, turned around, and with a smile, greeted the three leaders, “You seem to have forgotten. Seven hundred years ago, I, Gu Fuyou, was quite ‘famous.’ Could it be that death erases one’s name?” She feigned confusion.

Li Mingjing exclaimed in astonishment, “No wonder, no wonder…” He took a sharp intake of breath.

Du Pan retreated two steps. Gu Fuyou, with her blood-red eyes, glanced sideways at him and sneered, “Now that you know who I am, you should also know I’ll never let you go. Where do you think you can escape to?”

Her sword, Yinhen, glowed with linear blue light as she attacked Du Pan, still laughing. “You old fool, I’ve taken over Qing Jun’s body. If you’re unhappy because I’ve possessed her, then show some guts and try to drive me out. Otherwise, you’ll have to destroy both this evil spirit and her body together.”

Invisible wind blades struck towards Du Pan, contorting his limbs into bizarre angles upon contact. That Du Pan turned out to be a puppet, dropping several more doll-like figures, which transformed into human forms upon hitting the ground.

Gu Fuyou’s eyes narrowed, and she smirked as Yinhen silently deployed a formation. The formation spread under her feet, emitting sound waves in all directions, piercing ears like needles.

Scanning the area, Gu Fuyou noticed one person bleeding from the ears. The puppets weren’t affected by the sound, only flesh-and-blood beings were vulnerable.

Gu Fuyou stepped forward, activating another formation, turning the white jade-like stones into golden liquid. Du Pan conjured a cloud of black mist and flew upwards, but columns of the golden liquid surged towards him.

“I will cast you into a golden statue, forcing you to kneel in front of my Gu family graves for thousands of years!”

The dolls lunged forward to block the golden flow.

Gu Fuyou stepped forward again, a whirlwind of sand and stone tearing the dolls to shreds. As the world darkened, her bright red eyes shone like those of a beast, coldly fixating on her prey.

Qing Zhe’s face turned ashen, every word from Gu Fuyou stoked his fury, she always knew precisely how to provoke others, she was well aware of how much Qing Zhe valued Qing Jun’s body.

Ignoring Zhong Michu, Qing Zhe headed straight for Gu Fuyou.

This was exactly what Gu Fuyou wanted.

Qing Zhe, hovering in the air, was surrounded by blue electric light, his azure eyes turning snow-white from the electric charge.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, thunder rolling ominously, like the precursor to a tribulation.

Pointing to the sky, the darkness transformed into blinding brightness, as if transitioning from night to dawn in an instant. A lightning bolt, as thick as a man’s waist, struck down in a flash.

With a loud crack, it felt as if the world itself, like a mirror, shattered in that moment.

Just as Gu Fuyou was about to capture Du Pan, the lightning struck. She barely dodged it, but the defensive formation of the Biluo Sect shattered, and the remaining lightning still destroyed half of the long steps beside her.

Gu Fuyou was astounded and couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

Cultivators fear lightning, especially those like her, supposedly evil spirits, even more so.

Surprisingly, this Qingluan is of the thunder spiritual root. Summoning thunder at the Immortalization stage, it might be comparable to the thunder tribulation of the same stage.

Gu Fuyou’s gaze shifted to Qing Zhe, who stood with a gesture towards the sky, his demeanor radiating a majestic and divine aura. Above them, the lightning danced and flickered, its display in the heavens far from finished.

When Zhong Michu caught sight of Qing Zhe levitating, a realization struck her with sudden clarity – he was a thunder spiritual root. This revelation sent a pang of anxiety through her heart. But just as she braced herself to react, she felt a firm grip on her hand.

Turning her head, she saw it was Jiu Yao.

Zhong Michu said, “Jiu Yao, don’t stop me. I don’t want to fight with you,”

Jiu Yao, with a grave tone, replied, “Michu, this involves our clan, and as the clan leader, I need an explanation.”

Zhong Michu responded, “It’s not entirely her fault. What I’ve said is true. Elder Qing Jun had already agreed to give her this body. I’ll tell you everything you want to know, but not right now.”

Jiu Yao stared at her for a moment and said gravely, “I need a promise from you, Michu. If it’s as you say, I’ll believe you.”

Zhong Michu’s eyes sparkled, and she nodded, “Alright…”

Jiu Yao released her hand and said, “The opponent is also an elder of our clan. Although I won’t stop you, I can’t help you either. Michu, I’ll be waiting for your explanation.”

Jiu Yao wouldn’t interfere. Zhong Michu glanced at the three sect leaders again. Except for Nianhua, who stood back with his arms folded, seeming uninterested in intervening, Li Mingjing and the Cangwu Sect leader appeared worried and hesitant about adding fuel to the fire.

Zhong Michu frowned, knowing she needed to focus entirely on dealing with Qing Zhe…

If she couldn’t handle him, she’d have to ensure Gu Fuyou’s safety first.

Clouds around Zhong Michu thickened, drifting upwards and merging with the clouds above, casting a massive shadow. The whole atmosphere changed.

A chill breeze swept through.

Gu Fuyou looked up, stunned, “Zhong Michu…”

She was completely captivated.

Like an eclipse, shadows spread on the ground, and all the cultivators of the Biluo Sect looked up, their hearts skipping a beat, finding it hard to breathe.

Atop the mountain where the sect was located, a massive Dragon coiled in the clouds, enveloping the entire peak.

The White Dragon’s head emerged from the clouds, as large as the main peak itself, just as described in the legends – Its gaze brings daylight, its closing eyes bring night, its breath brings winter, its exhalation brings summer, its rest brings the wind, its body spans a thousand miles, eclipsing the sun and sky.

Everyone gazed up at it, feeling like mere pebbles looking up at a mountain, their legs weakening, a sense of submission rising in their hearts, too overwhelmed to express their emotions, only managing trembling gasps.

The Dragon King.

The wind tousled Gu Fuyou’s hair and clothes, but she didn’t care, smiling. Looking at the Dragon in the sky, she thought “After seven hundred years, this is the form you truly deserve.”

Qing Zhe sneered, “You think you can protect her?”

Intense white light burst from the gaps in the coiled body of the White Dragon.

Gu Fuyou realized what it was— the entire cloud layer was filled with lightning. The previous strike that shattered the steps and the defense formation was just a fraction of it.

A cold realization hit her, and she shouted, “Zhong Michu!!!” The fear of facing it herself couldn’t compare to the terror she felt now.

The heavens and earth resonated with a thunderous noise. This time, the entire ground trembled, and the world became as bright as day.

The White Dragon raised its head and roared. Not a single bolt of lightning reached the ground.

Qing Zhe was momentarily lost in awe. During his distraction, the White Dragon extended a claw and scooped up Gu Fuyou.

Snapping back to reality, Gu Fuyou turned and exclaimed, “Du Pan is still there!!” But there was no sign of Du Pan; had already escaped in the middle of the chaos.

Annoyed, Gu Fuyou slapped the White Dragon’s claw. The Dragon let out a sound, loud as thunder.

Gu Fuyou quickly reassured upwards, “I’m not blaming you.”

The White Dragon shifted, its massive form turning into mist. Although it shrank within the mist, it remained large enough that its claw could easily hold Gu Fuyou.

Regaining his composure, Qing Zhe declared, “You won’t escape!”

It was only then that Gu Fuyou could see clearly – the entire mountain peak was covered in thunderclouds, immeasurably thick and extensive, with no end in sight. The clouds constantly flickered with white light, rumbling incessantly.

To escape, they had the option of flying to the edge of the thunderclouds below or ascending through them towards the high skies. Either way, it was extremely dangerous.

The entire expanse of thunderclouds was Qing Zhe’s domain, harboring the thunderbolts of an Immortalization stage cultivator. Entering was akin to stepping into a land of deadly peril.

The White Dragon chose to ascend through the thunderclouds. Thunder roared, striking the Dragon like spears of light. Agilely maneuvering, the dragon tried to dodge, but thunderbolts came from all directions, making some unavoidable, forcing it to endure the strikes.

Dragon scales are thick and resisted piercing the flesh. Initially, the Dragon let out pained roars, but soon fell silent, only producing muffled rumbles, blending with the sound of thunder. Inside the claw, Gu Fuyou remained unharmed.

Suddenly, the thunderbolts changed its pattern. Multiple bolts intertwined, forming an electric net that enveloped the Dragon from above, pressing it downward. As the White Dragon struggled upwards, the fine net exerted such force that it shattered a scale, causing Dragon blood to splatter. With an angry roar, the Dragon shattered the electric net.

The shattered thunderbolts danced in the air, and blood droplets floated up, appearing to Gu Fuyou as if everything was moving in slow motion. This moment seemed to stretch indefinitely, capturing her entire focus.

She remembered the interlocking stone forest, the thunderous lightning, the dragon’s mane singed by the flames, the angrily thrown magical artifact exploding into a burst of fire; the snow-white waterfall plunging three thousand feet, the rapid underwater pursuit; the falling rocks, the relentless pursuers, and their ascent to the skies, narrowly escaping death, painting a magnificent canvas of the world.

These were memories to be cherished for a lifetime, never to be forgotten.

Laughter gave way to tears for Gu Fuyou. Her throat tightened, her body trembled, and her emotions swirled—excitement, passion, melancholy, reflection, indignation. Past and present intertwined, awakening something deep within her.

“I am no longer the Gu Fuyou of the past!”

“Zhong Michu, I’m not helpless anymore, no longer needing others to risk their lives to protect me. Zhong Michu!”

She pushed away the White Dragon’s claw, rose with the wind, stood on the Dragon’s back, grasping her sword Yinhen, and bravely faced the massive thunderbolt descending towards the Dragon’s spine.