Yefutidaolu

Chapter 382 The Fate of Yuan Lu

The dark seawater silently slid past the massive dragon body of the Jingjiang Lord, the immense pressure of the water flow easily dispelled by the dragon's powerful physique.

The magnificent outline of the Dragon Palace, constructed of massive coral reefs and crystals, was already faintly emerging at the edge of the horizon, radiating a soft yet majestic light.

Silence enveloped both of them.

Just as they were about to reach the massive, semi-transparent protective water membrane surrounding the Dragon Palace, Takami's calm voice broke the silence, like a pebble thrown into seemingly still water:

"Lord Jingjiang".

"Hmm?" Lord Jingjiang turned his massive head slightly to the side, his dragon eyes glancing at the tiny figure standing on his broad back.

"Do you want to know what the power of the Desire Realm is like?" Gao Jian's voice was not loud, but it still pierced through the background sound of the flowing water and clearly entered Jingjiang Jun's ears.

The enormous dragon body of Lord Jingjiang paused very slightly in the water, stirring up a small patch of undercurrent.

He slowly stopped, and the huge dragon head turned completely, locking onto Gao Jian.

The silence of the seabed was amplified at this moment, with only the low murmur of the water.

"Can I see it?" Jingjiang Jun's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a tension that even he himself was unaware of.

His massive dragon claws curled slightly, the edges of his hard scales reflecting the faint light of the dragon palace, revealing his inner turmoil.

Gao Jian's face was expressionless, neither mysterious nor boastful, as calm as if he were inviting the other party to look at an ordinary object.

He slowly raised his right hand, extending his index finger, the movement as natural as brushing dust off the corner of his clothes.

"Try it?" He pointed his finger at a relatively soft area of ​​skin near Jingjiang Jun's neck, covered with fine dragon scales.

Lord Jingjiang's enormous dragon eyes were fixed on that seemingly ordinary finger.

The dragon's innate pride and absolute confidence in its power prevented him from backing down at this moment, especially since his opponent was a human! However, the layers of mist surrounding Gao Jian and the taboo associated with the words "Desire Realm" set off alarm bells in his heart. A tremendous internal conflict clashed fiercely within him.

Ultimately, pride and a strong desire to explore the unknown power overcame caution. His massive dragon head lowered slightly, drawing closer to Takagi, the fine dragon scales on his neck fluttering slightly, revealing the smooth, jade-like skin beneath.

He held his breath, his muscles and scales went into a state of high alert, and his dragon essence surged within him, ready to deal with any possible impact.

Gao Jian's fingers finally gently touched the warm skin of Jingjiang Jun's neck.

The moment of contact—

hum!
There was no earth-shattering energy eruption, no dazzling light. Only an extremely subtle, uncontrollable... tremor!
The tremor did not come from Lord Jingjiang, but from the finger that Gao Jian pointed out!
Immediately afterwards, an indescribable, bone-chilling, soul-deep tremor, like a maggot clinging to the bone, spread silently yet with unparalleled clarity up Gao Jian's fingertips!

That's not power!
Lord Jingjiang understood instantly! This was definitely not any form of energy he was familiar with—

That's a kind of... concept.

A pure will to die, pointing towards the end of all things.

This deathly aura was extremely faint, like a candle flickering in the wind, teetering on the verge of collapse. Yet, the aura it exuded carried an absolute, unquestionable will to end, transcending all signs of life.

It is as if it is the most quintessential manifestation of the concept of "death" itself! Cold, silent, void, eternal silence! It disregards the glory and struggle of life, proclaiming only the one and only irresistible end!

Everything in the world will eventually perish.

Faced with this faint yet supreme will to die, Lord Jingjiang felt that his proud, powerful life force and dragon essence, which he was so proud of and capable of overturning rivers and seas, were as fragile as a candle flame in a storm! It was as if this will could easily extinguish his seemingly blazing lamp of life with just a thought!

"Roar--!!!"

A suppressed roar, filled with indescribable horror and fear, exploded deep in Jingjiang Jun's throat like muffled thunder! His massive body stiffened abruptly as if pierced by an electric current! Then, with a speed beyond his limits, as if branded by a red-hot iron, he yanked his neck back with a bang!
The movement was so fast that it left a blur! The enormous dragon tail lashed violently through the water, stirring up surging currents and churning up a cloud of murky sand and rocks from the nearby seabed!
Lord Jingjiang instantly retreated dozens of feet! His golden dragon eyes stared intently at the skin on his neck that had just been touched, then he suddenly looked up at Gao Jian, his eyes filled with extreme horror and... a kind of primal, instinctive fear!

The fear was so pure that it even surpassed the awe he felt when facing the Dragon King's oppressive aura! His dragon scales stood on end, his muscles trembled uncontrollably, and his enormous heart pounded wildly in his chest like a war drum!

"What...what the hell is this?!" Jingjiang Jun's voice was hoarse and distorted, with a tremor he himself was unaware of, and his huge claws unconsciously scratched at the void.
That feeling was terrifying! Even a true dragon as powerful as him felt the very foundation of his existence being shaken! He felt that he... was going to die!
Gao Jian slowly withdrew his finger, the slight tremor at his fingertip had subsided.

He watched Jingjiang Jun's reaction, which resembled that of a frightened beast, but his face remained expressionless.

“Don’t ask,” he said with a smile, his voice exceptionally clear in the seawater, “I’m leaving.”

Before he finished speaking, Gao Jian's figure had already leaped lightly off the broad back of Lord Jingjiang, sinking like a falling leaf towards the entrance leading to the Dragon Palace.

He didn't glance at the dragon behind him, which was still in a state of immense shock and fear.

Only the enormous dragon body of Lord Jingjiang remained, stiffly suspended in the dark sea, motionless for a long time.

Passing through the familiar entrance, the warm, bright light and soothing waters of the Dragon Palace enveloped him, dispelling the darkness and chill of the deep sea. Takami didn't linger, swimming directly towards the side garden where Dansha often stayed.

Sure enough, surrounded by colorful and strangely shaped underwater plants, Dansha's slender and graceful silver dragon body was quietly coiled on a huge piece of warm white jade.

She seemed somewhat absent-minded, her silver dragon head slightly lowered, her beautiful dragon eyes gazing blankly at a slowly swaying, glowing water plant in front of her.

Feeling the ripples in the water, she abruptly looked up. When she saw it was Gao Jian, her clear dragon eyes instantly lit up.

"Brilliant!" Her voice was filled with surprise, and her tail unconsciously swayed slightly, stirring up a string of sparkling bubbles. "You...you're back?" She seemed to want to come forward, but hesitated and stopped.

Gao Jianyou approached and stopped a few steps away from Bai Yu.

"Yes, you're back." He nodded, his tone gentle. "It shouldn't have been six hours yet, right?"

“No,” Dansha quickly shook her head, her silver whiskers swaying gently with the water, but her eyes dimmed for a moment, filled with a cautious inquiry, “But… are you leaving?” She could sense the aura of impending departure emanating from Gao Jian. “Yes,” Gao Jian did not deny it, his gaze falling on her, “I’ll leave after looking at you.”

The light in Dansha's eyes dimmed a little, but soon, as if she had mustered up her courage, she gently tapped the empty seat next to Baiyu with the tip of her tail: "Then... sit for a while?"

Gao Jian did not refuse. He swam over and sat down on the edge of the white jade. The massive dragon body of Dan Sha slightly adjusted its posture, gently placing a huge dragon head covered with warm, silvery scales on the white jade, very close to Gao Jian.

She didn't speak, and neither did Gao Jian.

All around were the gentle murmur of flowing water, the subtle sound of rising bubbles, and an indescribable tranquility.

Half an hour passed silently.

There was no sorrow of parting, no heartfelt words exchanged, just quiet silence.

Time's up. Gao Jian stood up.

Dansha raised his head.

In the end, she simply said softly, "...Be careful."

Gao Jian nodded, a faint smile on his face: "Okay, I'm leaving." He didn't say goodbye, turned around, and his figure quickly disappeared at the end of the colorful coral passage.

On the white jade, Dansha placed the dragon's head down again, its silver tail unconsciously curling around a small sea anemone, gazing at the direction where Gao Jian had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

In the clear dragon's eyes, the flowing water and dappled sunlight are reflected, as are the unspoken emotions within.

After bidding farewell to Dan Sha, Gao Jian did not linger at all, heading straight for the depths of the Dragon Palace, to the forbidden abyss—the place where Yuan Lu slumbered.

As he had expected, the outer perimeter was completely deserted. The Dragon King's withdrawal of the guards was both a sign of his trust in Yuan Lu's breakthrough and a tacit approval.

The deep cave entrance, like the gaping throat of a giant beast, exuded a darkness and coldness even more intense than the deep sea. Gao Jian swam in without hesitation.

The abyss was not the complete darkness one might imagine. A few strange minerals, emitting a faint, eerie blue glow, dotted the rock walls, barely outlining the space. Deep within, a figure stood silently.

It is precisely the Yuan law.

He was still wearing a loose, light-absorbing black robe, with the hood hanging low, obscuring most of his face. However, this was completely different from the deep, reserved feeling he had before, like a dormant volcano.

At this moment, Yuan Lu's demeanor became extremely elusive. He stood there, the outline of his black robe seemingly blurred, as if he might merge into the surrounding darkness at any moment, or perhaps, he himself did not fully exist in this spatial dimension.

Beneath the shadow of the hood, his eyes, vaguely visible, were vacant and unfocused, as if covered by a thick layer of dust.

Yet, within this blankness, there was a subtle, indescribable, almost superhuman sense of profound mystery. It was as if his empty gaze had pierced through the surface of matter and seen the more fundamental laws of the universe.

Gao Jian was not surprised at all. He swam to Yuan Lu's side and stood a step away from him. He did not call out with ordinary words, but gathered his divine will and said with a special "divine charm" that carried a strange rhythm and attraction: "Senior Yuan Lu, let's go."

After that glimpse of divine grace, his blank stare remained unchanged, and his head under the hood didn't even turn an inch.

However, Yuan Lu's body moved forward very naturally, as if pulled by invisible threads. His movements were fluid and without the slightest hesitation, as if "walking" was the only program he could understand and execute at this moment.

He didn't speak, nor did he make any unnecessary movements or expressions. He simply followed quietly, half a step behind Gao Jian, like a silent, elusive shadow.

Gao Jian turned around and, carrying the strangely auraed Earth Immortal, swam towards the edge of the abyss.

Yuan Lu's signature wide black robe and hood gave him an aura of unapproachability and the coldness of a master.

With his aura almost completely concealed and his eyes hidden in the shadow of his hood, he walked through the magnificent corridors of the Dragon Palace. Although the Dragon Palace attendants and aquatic generals who passed by were surprised and curious about the appearance of this human powerhouse, they did not dare to approach him to question him because they sensed the faint yet unsettling ethereal aura emanating from him. Instead, they all bowed respectfully from a distance, their eyes filled with awe.

Thus, Gao Jian, accompanied by Yuan Lu who followed him silently like a puppet, made his way unimpeded to the magnificent crystal palace where the Dragon King rested.

The enormous dragon king, as large as a small mountain range, was perched on a jade platform carved from a single piece of giant warm jade. He seemed to be dozing, his huge eyelids slightly closed.

The moment Gao Jian led Yuan Lu into the main hall, the Dragon King's eyelids, covered with thick, bluish-gold scales, slowly opened.

His gaze first fell on Gao Jian, with a hint of understanding. Then, his gaze shifted to Yuan Lu, who stood quietly behind Gao Jian, his black robes fluttering, and his aura strange.

When the Dragon King's gaze fell upon Yuan Lu, a distinct and obvious look of astonishment flashed across his enormous, seemingly calm dragon eyes! That astonishment wasn't directed at Yuan Lu's appearance, but rather at his current state!
The Dragon King's gaze seemed to pierce through the fluttering black robe, revealing the inhuman, strange state deep within Yuan Lu's soul—a state that was both intimately connected to the laws of heaven and earth and strangely empty.

He seemed to understand something instantly.

However, the Dragon King is the Dragon King after all. That hint of surprise lasted only a very brief moment before quickly disappearing, and he regained his usual composure and majesty.

His massive head was slightly raised, and his deep, resonant voice, like thunder from the deepest part of the ocean, echoed throughout the hall:

"Yuan Lu has already broken through to the Earth Immortal realm... So you're going back to the Divine Capital?" The voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

Gao Jian bowed slightly to the Dragon King and said, "That is not the case, Your Majesty."

He raised his head, his gaze calm: "How about we send us back to Yuezhou?"

"Send him to Yuezhou? In his current state? Tsk." The Dragon King glanced at Gao Jian.

But he rolled his eyes, smiled, and said, "Then go ahead."

After speaking, he gently flicked his tail.

(End of this chapter)