Chapter 129: Intelligence on the Heaven Flood Dragons
“One Heaven Flood Dragon, named Cangming, was buried in the Abyss of Ruins in the East Sea......”
“Its strength was at the superior grade of the Heaven Rank, its body stretched a thousand zhang long, its entire form clad in pitch-black scales as cold and hard as deep-sea iron, capable of controlling storms across ten thousand li of ocean. It once slew three Heaven Rank flood dragons in a single breath when they attempted to challenge its status.”
“After it sat in meditation, its body remained incorrupt for a hundred years. Within a thousand li, no demonic beast dared to offend its corpse.”
“One Heaven Flood Dragon, named Crimson Scales, resided in the Blazing Sky Volcano Range of the Southern Wilderness. It was of the mid-grade Heaven Rank, able to transform into flames and shuttle between volcanoes, delighting in playing with underground fire and molten lava......”
“One Heaven Flood Dragon, named Yinrong, at the superior grade of the Heaven Rank, had roamed the Yin River of the Western Regions for many years. Once, a Heaven Rank monk of White Horse Temple walked the world and passed by the Yin River, intending to capture it, but was instead swept by its tail, his cultivation realm collapsing, falling into the Earth Rank, never again able to return to the Heaven Rank.”
“Our White Horse Temple once had a high monk foretell that this Heaven Flood Dragon Yinrong would, within three years, certainly journey the rivers and break open the barrier between Postnatal and Innate beings.”
Mo Lin, upon hearing this, felt a stir in his heart.
Over there, Qudeng continued to talk eloquently:
“Just two years ago, yet another Heaven Flood Dragon had already touched the limits of a Postnatal being. Unfortunately, during the process of journeying the rivers, it was slain by the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring of the Great Qian Dynasty.”
Qudeng seemed quite regretful about this, letting out a sigh, as if mourning the fall of a hero.
Qudeng glanced at Mo Lin and said:
“Hmph, Anaconda Demon, these are all examples of Heaven Flood Dragons I can list. Haven’t you been frightened enough to want to crawl back into your burrow?”
Mo Lin did not take offense at Qudeng’s provocation.
He hadn’t expected that by merely probing a little, he would actually extract a piece of information he wanted from Qudeng’s mouth.
“One Heaven Flood Dragon, named Yinrong, superior grade of the Heaven Rank, roaming the Yin River of the Western Regions for many years......”
The Yin River of the Western Regions—Mo Lin seemed to have heard of this place before. It was said to connect directly to the Netherworld, and only demonic beasts of extreme yin and utmost evil could survive in its waters.
This Yinrong, could it actually be a Heaven Rank Yin Flood Dragon?
Mo Lin thought for a moment, then decided to stop beating around the bush:
“Yinrong, is it a Yin Flood Dragon?”
“What?”
Qudeng was stunned for a moment.
Mo Lin repeated the question.
Only then did Qudeng realize:
“You wouldn’t be trying to learn about Yin Flood Dragons, would you?”
Once Qudeng understood, he immediately looked smugly at Mo Lin:
“You see, I told you—you’d definitely need me for something.”
Mo Lin looked at Qudeng, whose “tail” was practically wagging up to the sky, and narrowed his eyes:
“Oh?”
“!”
Qudeng, who had just revealed a bit of his true nature, instantly shuddered. He realized only then that he was still firmly under Mo Lin’s control and had no right to put on airs.
So, he quickly became obedient again:
“Uh, although I’ve traveled far and wide and indeed seen many Heaven Rank demonic beasts, I truly have never personally encountered Yinrong.”
“My knowledge of it comes only from what that White Horse Temple Heaven Rank monk, who had been knocked down in realm by it, told us when he returned to the temple.”
“I’m not sure if it is truly a Yin Flood Dragon, but there’s a very high possibility.”
Mo Lin thought for a moment and asked:
“Did that monk say what Yinrong’s abilities were?”
Qudeng replied:
“At the time, I had only just awakened intelligence, so when I heard these things, I treated them as mere anecdotes and didn’t pay much attention. Thus, I don’t remember all the details very clearly.”
“If I recall correctly, he said that flood dragon was half-real and half-illusory, able to slip into alternate spaces. Its breath could freeze the soul. The reason his realm collapsed was precisely because, after crossing blows with Yinrong, his soul suffered grievous damage.”
Mo Lin fell into thought.
According to Qudeng, the likelihood of that flood dragon being a Yin Flood Dragon was very high.
This thought ignited a flame in Mo Lin’s heart:
“Since that White Horse Temple monk was also of the Heaven Rank, his strength shouldn’t have been weak, right? Did he manage to injure that flood dragon at all and take something from it?”
“For instance, the flood dragon’s heart’s blood?”
Qudeng shook his head:
“No, he wasn’t able to inflict any serious injuries on Yinrong.”
“Rather, it should be said that the only reason he survived was because Yinrong had no interest in him and let him go.”
Mo Lin couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret.
If White Horse Temple had obtained Yin Flood Dragon heart’s blood, he might have been able to find a way to make Qudeng steal it for him. But from what Qudeng described, Yinrong’s strength was truly formidable.
Besides, stealing something from White Horse Temple would certainly be no easy task. Best not to indulge in such unrealistic fantasies.
Mo Lin pondered:
If Yinrong really was a Yin Flood Dragon, then in order to obtain three drops of heart’s blood, would he have to make a trip to the Western Regions?
Mo Lin thought it over, hesitant.
After all, he was currently only at the mid-grade Earth Rank. To try and extract three drops of heart’s blood from a superior-grade Heaven Rank being—one that might even break through to the rivers within three years—was no different than climbing to the heavens.
And White Horse Temple was also situated in the Western Regions. If they discovered he had gone there, wouldn’t that be the same as delivering himself to their doorstep?
Yet, to give up now left him unwilling.
After all, who could say whether he would find Yin Flood Dragon heart’s blood anywhere else?
After much internal struggle, Mo Lin finally decided to temporarily keep the option of heading to the Western Regions. If there was truly no other choice, then it wouldn’t be too late to go.
Having reached a decision, Mo Lin looked at Qudeng, his killing intent still burning.
Yes, he still had no intention of letting this Buddha Pagoda remain.
The pagoda’s ability wasn’t essential to him. The intelligence it contained—he had already extracted the most important parts.
To him, there was no longer any reason to keep Qudeng.
On the contrary, since Jingyue had come straight for him after Jingchen’s death, in his heart, White Horse Temple had already been branded with the word “danger.”
If he kept this pagoda, a magic artifact originating from White Horse Temple, who knew if it would leave further leverage for them?
When the time came, perhaps the very instant he took Qudeng along in search of the Yin Flood Dragon in the Western Regions, White Horse Temple would mark him.
In any case, his enmity with White Horse Temple was already deep enough. With so many lice, he no longer feared being bitten again.
Killing one more Qudeng made no difference—if anything, it would remove a hidden danger.
And so, having squeezed all value out of Qudeng, Mo Lin decisively lashed his tail against the pagoda.
The Buddha Pagoda, already worn down and weakened by the Soul-Respecting Banner, immediately cracked.
Qudeng was dumbfounded:
“Brother, I’ve already shown such sincerity, and you still want to kill me?”
Facing Mo Lin’s ruthless and merciless nature, Qudeng could only curse helplessly, “Anaconda Demon, you are without morality! In the future, you will surely be burned by karmic flames!” before being shattered alive by Mo Lin.
Once the pagoda was destroyed, a stream of energy was absorbed by the Soul-Respecting Banner, while most of the rest flowed into Mo Lin’s stomach along with the fragments, where he digested and absorbed it.
Mo Lin closed his eyes to sense it, then opened them with delight across his face:
“Good heavens, Qudeng, you actually kept this hidden from me until the end. Had you told me about this technique earlier, I might really have spared you.”
After devouring the Buddha Pagoda, Mo Lin unexpectedly obtained a new demonic art—something he hadn’t even gained when he devoured Jingyue’s corpse.
And this new demonic art was—“Soul Refinement.”