Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 192 - 189: Wild Ambitions of Transformation, Attack on Mirror Lake

Chapter 192: Chapter 189: Wild Ambitions of Transformation, Attack on Mirror Lake

It seemed as though influenced by some mysterious power, the dark clouds in the sky suddenly dispersed, revealing the vast expanse of stars behind them.

Beneath the gentle moonlight,

originating from Mirror Lake, Mei Stream meandered from west to east through the mountains and eventually ran parallel to Turbid River.

Compared to the roaring river that resembled a furious dragon, it was like a gentle jade belt.

This is because from the end of the midstream "Xuanlong Gate," the entire downstream of Turbid River was an above-ground river.

Not a single tributary could join it from beginning to end, so naturally, Mei Stream was no exception.

Flowing through a tranquil bend of the river far from Yunhe County, the clear and visible water bubbled over the multicolored pebbles at the bottom.

A young woman dressed in snow-white Nichang robes was languorously lounging on a thick tree trunk that slanted into the center of the stream.

Like a mischievous girl, she extended her delicate hands and playfully swirled the crystal-clear water.

Meanwhile, a unique aura spread far and wide with the ripples, beckoning a swarm offish, turtles, shrimps, and crabs, which eagerly approached and circled around her in a large ring.

This was, surprisingly, a miraculous "Tide Summoning Skill."

Not just the unawakened fish, turtles, shrimps, and crabs, even aquatic spirit monsters and demons were not exempt.

In this section of the river in Yunhe County, what was under the control of the White Sun Bodhisattva wasn’t just a Baixi Village, right?

The "Dragon Lord" stationed in this section of the river,

who was using the "Earth God Talisman" which had the ability to ’steer clouds and spread rains’ to disperse rain clouds, displaying divine signs to successfully intimidate the local villagers.

However, before it could even enjoy the children sacrificed by the villagers, it was also attracted by this "Tide Summoning Technique."

At first glance, it was a plump loach spirit, its whole body covered in wet, fishy mucus. It hopped and jumped all the way from Turbid River into Mei Stream.

Upon laying eyes on the woman in white on the tree, a string of thick saliva involuntarily dripped from its mouth corner, reveling in ecstasy:

"Too fragrant, this woman is too fragrant! She surely tastes even more delicious than the young boys and girls!

Fortune truly favors me, old loach. Today, I will indulge in a luscious feast."

Wriggling its tail, it drew a long white line in the water and charged towards her with great force.

Yet, at that moment,

a layer of white mist rose from the surface of the stream, followed by a gust of wind.

When the mist cleared completely, where was the beautiful woman who had been sitting on the tree? Evidently, it was a huge white flood dragon coiled around the tree trunk several times!

Under the moonlight, the white flood dragon was not much different from a dragon, with its twisting body and glinting silver scales. The only difference was the solitary upright horn on its head instead of a pair of branch-like horns.

Divine and dignified, it resembled a gleaming jade belt.

Of course, the white flood dragon was still extremely beautiful to others, but to the loach spirit that had just approached, it was nothing short of terrifying.

"Bodhisattva, save..."

But before it could use its last lifeline to borrow the power of the White Sun Bodhisattva,

the white flood dragon had already opened its frightfully toothed maw and swallowed the "Dragon Lord" in one gulp.

With a shake, it transformed back into human form, her flat abdomen not the slightest bit distended.

It was clear that to her, the loach spirit was nothing more than an appetizer.

Looking up at the near village lit with lights, her pale face filled with compassion and helplessness, she sighed deeply:

"The opening of the Dragon Gate on the second day of the second lunar month next year will lead to the creation of seventy-two Red Seal mixed dragons.

Even a small loach wishes to devour humans and transform into a dragon.

If I kill one now, a new ’Dragon King’ will immediately take its place. With such an endless succession, how can one ever dream of eradicating these demons and evildoers completely?"

Turning her head towards the direction of the vast East Sea at the end of Turbid River, she muttered to herself:

"Perhaps only by successfully transforming into a dragon and ascending to the Yellow Seal rank by crossing Flood Dragon Sea can I slowly turn this stretch of water into my Dharma Domain.

That might give me a chance to protect the local people so they can avoid the slaughter by demons and ghosts.

But even Sister Qingyan, the Wood Element Green Dragon, couldn’t do it. Can I really do it?

Fifteen years have passed! Where did you go, Sister Qingyan? Why can’t I feel your presence at all anymore?"

...

The next day,

Mirror Lake was somewhat similar to Turbid River; Turbid River was an above-ground river, while Mirror Lake was an above-ground lake.

Because the lake was actually within a large volcanic crater.

Resembling a perfect, miles-wide circle, the lake was vast and waveless, like a giant water mirror — hence the name "Mirror Lake."

Several luxuriantly wooded islands dotted the center of the lake, like green snails on a white jade plate. Above were neatly arranged palaces, although not grand in size, they were quite elegant.

In the light drizzle,

a figure approached swiftly like a wisp of green smoke, arriving at the foot of the mountain in the blink of an eye.

Wang Yuan was not clad in official attire but wore a simple green robe, his hair tied with a bamboo hat, in his hand was a paper umbrella, and he walked in wooden clogs as if mist and fog rose with each step that covered several meters.

He indeed possessed the casual elegance described as "with staff in hand and straw shoes on feet, effortlessly outpacing horses."

Actually, he was a "True Qi" Realm Mage who used the "Water and Wind Attire" with such an absence of any worldly aura, suggesting his realm was likely far superior even to Dao General Zheng Wan of earlier times.

A skilled magician is one who can truly bring out the best in Divine Power Skills.

Stepping into the volcanic crater, Wang Yuan was immediately taken aback by the view.

The scenery here was acceptable, but the key was that the air was vibrant and uplifting, with a refreshing aura coursing through one’s body, offering a sensation of mental clarity and intuition.

After Wang Yuan’s enlightenment of True Qi, he opened the bridge between his inner and outer body, making him all the more sensitive to the variations in the qi between heaven and earth.

Standing here, I turned to look back at Yunhe County.

I discovered that upon reaching this place, the violently surging, aggressive energy of the Turbid River was slightly blocked by the terrain, much like a screen wall warding off evil spirits, and then it flowed towards Mirror Lake and the "Black Water Temple".

Mirror Lake, taking advantage of the gentle mountains and the lake to store energy, then nourishes back Yunhe County through a stream called Mei Stream, sustaining coexistence, indescribably wonderful.

This was the first time I witnessed such a magnificent and vast array in action, and I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration:

"What a marvelous Water Dragon Formation that nurtures and cultivates!

The entrance to the Cloud Tower Ghost Market is only at the foot of the mountain. Although I had traveled back and forth several times, I nearly missed this grand spectacle by a hair’s breadth.

The energy of a mountain and a lake, the wishing power of a county’s populace, all radiate from here and transfer, protecting all directions of Yunhe County and nurturing the land and water.

It is infinitely superior to the rigid City God Temple.

Residing here long-term, mutually benefiting, will naturally share some of the spirit mechanism and Dragon Energy. If I were to live here for an extended period, my cultivation speed at the True Qi realm could increase out of thin air by a third.

Those ’Dragon Lords’, who became Earth Gods by devouring humans, are simply unworthy to even carry the shoes of the true master of this place!

Mountain Lords, River Gods, Water Gods, Earth Gods... The main source of power for these Earth Gods is the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism.

They mostly occupy the spiritual veins and nodes of geomancy, regulate the Earth Qi of geomancy, not subjected to the chaotic influence of the "Heavenly Spirit," and also unrelated to the Incense Fire Vow Power, holding the most orthodox Divine Position.

Yin Yang Inversion, the heavens are Yin, the earth is Yang, they dwell in between.

Most are naturally born elves or powerful demons who manage to take shape, but their final form all depends on their individual abilities.

"Taoist Fellow Qianshan overpraises me. Long Shao simply benefited from the guidance of an old friend to gradually create this scene. The nurturing of the Water Dragon is not my sole achievement."

Wang Yuan turned to look behind and saw a lady clad in white Water and Wind Attire standing with a smile on her face.

Her beauty was not overwhelmingly stunning, but looking at her was akin to seeing the regal beauty of the mountains and rivers around, with an unspeakable dignified air!

Wang Yuan didn’t need to think twice to know that it was Mrs. Long Shao herself, a high-level cultivator at the Yin God realm, greeting him in person.

He hurriedly paid his respects:

"Junior Wang Qianshan pays his respects to Mrs. Long Shao!"

Not merely because of her strength, but also because in the Dharma Eye that Wang Yuan received through the "Yunhe Position" granted by his sister, Mrs. Long Shao had a halo of golden light rising above her head, radiant for thirty feet.

Although Yin Morality doesn’t show during one’s lifetime and is utterly undetectable by cultivators not within the Yin Official System,

Mrs. Long Shao clearly did not possess the high-level technique to transform Yin Morality into the Merit Golden Wheel in her lifetime.

But just by seeing this phenomenon, Wang Yuan knew that her accumulated Yin Morality must be even more substantial than his own, leading to his sincere admiration:

"Daoist arrays are merely a form; what’s most precious is Madam’s compassionate heart, gathering and nurturing the disordered and violent energy of the Turbid River for the benefit of the land.

Making the Black Water Temple a hub of earth veins, water veins, and Human Qi is due to merit. This has become the pivot of the Earth Qi.

Causality and creation are indescribably wonderful, relying entirely on your nobility, Madam!"

Mrs. Long Shao gave a slight smile, no longer showing modesty, and beckoned:

"Please, Taoist Fellow Qianshan, come into the temple for a chat."

Both of them displayed their Divine Skills, riding on the mist and water vapor across Mirror Lake. In no time, they sat separately in an elegant courtyard on the lake island.

The courtyard was filled with blooming flowers, and colorful butterflies chased and played among them, presenting a scene akin to a Paradise.

’Truly a benevolent deity, being in her company is like drinking sweet spring water.’

Wang Yuan, merely by sitting next to Mrs. Long Shao, felt a sense of peace in his heart, and even his recently advanced realm felt more stabilized.

Without a doubt, Mrs. Long Shao must have used the most orthodox method when she "Refined Form".

——Learning to read and write, receiving teachings, understanding human speech and affairs, and naturally achieving the ability to "Spirit Communication Transformation" with Human Qi.

She is a genuinely good "person," or more accurately, since encountering this Divine Deceit World, Wang Yuan had never met anyone purer than her.

Although Qiu Shaobai and the others are also good people, they have been brought up this way from their ancestors and received such education from childhood.

But Mrs. Long Shao had never been influenced by such external factors.

She was originally a beast, struggling through the treacherous world of Survival of the Fittest to her current state; all her kindness originated from her own heart.

She certainly is a rare stream of purity in the Divine Deceit World.

Wang Yuan admired her from the bottom of his heart and was even more determined to ensure her safety, so she would not follow in the tragic footsteps of his own concubine aunt!

After some polite small talk, Mrs. Long Shao cut to the chase:

"Previously, Taoist Fellow Qianshan had Golden Feather send a warning, saying there would be a disturbance above the Turbid River. There even might be demons plotting against me; may I know if you have any advice?"

Since Wang Yuan didn’t know precisely when the No-Life Dao would arrive, he had already shown a warning through Jin Shengshui to Mrs. Long Shao before he went into seclusion.

This was what led to the current invitation from Mrs. Long Shao.

Wang Yuan had a prepared response and, instead of replying directly, he asked back:

"Madam, do you know that over thirty years ago, someone in Dengzhou Prefecture succeeded in becoming a dragon?

And do you know what the fate of that True Dragon was?"

He initially wanted to use the incident of his aunt to lead into the Xue family’s behind-the-scenes plotting of the "stealing of the Dragon Robe" from before and after.

However, he didn’t expect that upon hearing this, Mrs. Long Shao’s complexion changed instantly, with white scales exploding all over her body and her eyes turning into dangerous slits.

"What did you say? What happened to her?!"

Wang Yuan instantly felt as if he were being targeted by a cold, horrifying behemoth, and even Mirror Lake itself seemed to be pressing down upon him.

However,

Before the utterly confused Wang Yuan could explain, a sense of alarm arose in his heart.

Subsequently, he saw a silver butterfly in the courtyard, ignoring the terrifying pressure, flying between the two of them.

All at once, it burst forth with a hazy silver light, swallowing both of them whole.