The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 211 Scratching the Dragon
After a brief meeting, the parties reached this temporary alliance.

They then went their separate ways to begin their grand undertakings.

They aimed to gain the upper hand in one decisive battle.
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Du Yuan, who was at the center of the incident, walked back to the Dragon Locking Well in the heavy rain.

He didn't say anything, but just sat by the well and continued to watch the hard-won heavy rain.

"You've come." The Dragon King's voice rolled out from the well along with the water vapor. It was still as deep as ever, but it had lost some of its previous arrogance and had become somewhat stiff, as if something was pressing against it.

Although he was trapped in the well, how could the mighty Dragon King not know about the torrential rain outside?

The surge in water transport is undeniable.

And it's not just this one place, it's the entire southwest!
Therefore, he knew he had no chance.

We still have to stay holed up in this well.

Du Yuan laughed:

"I am coming."

After saying that, Du Yuan even looked forward to the black dragon's response.

Sure enough, the other party replied with mixed feelings:
"You shouldn't have come."

These words made Du Yuan laugh so hard she looked up at the sky and said:
"I'm already here!"

But then, he felt very lonely.

No one else could understand, only myself.
The indescribable loneliness was even slightly felt by the black dragon in the well, because he felt the rain above his head—was getting colder.

Such a major overhaul, every word and action, will affect all things in heaven and earth.

I remember that in the thirty-six days of the past, he once met an unnamed old Taoist priest who, with just a sigh, caused snow to fall for three hundred miles.

At that moment, I realized that this old Taoist must be a hidden master of the world!

He still remembered the old Taoist priest he had met years ago, who was far less imposing than the man he was today.

If that's the case, then this person must have thought of something that triggered their emotions, causing the cold rain to fall heavily.

After a prolonged drought in the southwest for three years, the coldest days of winter arrive, and even the summer heat is hard to dispel.

Therefore, although many people standing in the rain noticed this subtle change, they did not shy away from it, but instead felt extremely comfortable.

They simply told the elderly and weak who were in poor health to go and hide there.

After all, they didn't know what had happened, but for the black dragon at the bottom of the well, it was a bit of a torment.

These masters are all notoriously difficult to please, and the Taoist lineage is especially known for its eccentric temperaments.

The Taoist priest above looks like he has a good temper, but who knows if he might suddenly change his attitude.

Not to mention that they might kill themselves, what if they have to move a rock to block the well opening?
In that case, he wouldn't even be able to see the sun and moon reflected in the well!
The well is dark and unchanging, and the only hope he has had in recent years is the glimmer of light at the wellhead.

After pondering for a long time, the black dragon in the well said:
"What are you doing here?"

Du Yuan finally withdrew her dejected expression.

Then he looked down into the well and said:
"I just feel that I can't just walk away like this. You committed heinous crimes before and have not repented since. You can't blame anyone else."

"But you have indeed been locked up for far too long, it's not right to give you absolutely no hope!"

Black Dragon was utterly astonished, and the little thought that had been extinguished reignited.

In an instant, it spread like wildfire!

"You, what do you mean?"

Well, this guy is really realistic; he's changed from "you" to "you" again.

Du Yuan was indeed indifferent to the black dragon, but she also felt that she couldn't let it have no hope of ever turning things around.

Even if you kill someone, they can at least be reincarnated.

After being locked up for so many years, we should at least try to see if he can repent. As for whether it will work out in the end, that's none of Du Yuan's business.

"Yes, you're right. I'm here to show you a path. As for whether you can walk that path or understand it, that's not my business."

"Please, Master, enlighten me!"

The black dragon in the well almost buried its face in the water mirror, looking with great hope at the light of day shining through the well opening.

Sitting at the mouth of the well, Du Yuan said leisurely:
“I told you before, there is no cage in the world, but you have made the word ‘freedom’ a new shackle. Day and night, you have been torturing yourself with this obsession.”

"So much so that even after being locked up for so many years, you not only can't let go of that inner demon, but you've allowed it to grow even bigger. The reason you don't feel it now is simply because you're more afraid of this cage."

Black Dragon lowered his head in shame. He truly didn't know if going out would allow him to hide for a while before he went berserk and began to take revenge.

Du Yuan raised her hand and caught a drop or two of rainwater.

After pretending for so long, he has gradually grasped the proper speaking style for this identity.

The water in my hand is shallow and thin, while the water in the well is as deep and vast as the sea.

But as Du Yuan looked closely, the black dragon suddenly felt that the bottom of the well, which had been dark for countless years, was now suddenly clear and bright.

He saw the torrential rain pouring down from the blue sky, the endless curtain of rain, and the towering Du Yuan!
Utterly horrified, the black dragon hurriedly looked to its left and right.

Five towering peaks, resembling pillars reaching to the heavens, suddenly came into view.

At this moment, the black dragon was so frightened that he was almost scared out of his wits.

I... I was lifted from the bottom of a well and held in the palm of this Taoist priest's hand?!

The divine punishment that Xi Shen used to imprison herself actually failed to stop this Daoist from the very beginning?!

This, this, this is definitely a Taoist giant who possesses the Great Yu!
But why have I never heard of such a person?
Am I really so imprisoned that I've lost track of time?
Du Yuan's voice slowly emanated, the sound of the Great Dao, arriving serenely.

The dizzy black dragon was dazed and confused in the shallow water in the palm of his hand, feeling the world spinning around him.

"After enduring so many years, you should have left long ago. So, this well doesn't imprison your past sins. It imprisons the demons in your heart!"

Rather than spending their lives in prison, many serial killers would almost always choose suicide without hesitation.

This black dragon was not simply imprisoned for a lifetime.

Every time Du Yuan uttered a word, the wellhead where he sat would slowly change color.

"Buddhism has a grand vow to save all sentient beings and achieve perfect enlightenment. Taoism also has the saying 'The sage has no fixed mind, but takes the people as his heart.' Confucianism further emphasizes 'cultivating oneself to benefit the world and achieving harmony and benevolence.'"

"If you want to subdue the demons in your heart, why not try one?"

Black Dragon finally managed to regain his senses from the dizziness.

But what followed was even greater confusion:
"Immortal, I don't understand. I'm trapped in this well, so even if I make a choice, it will be useless!"

What the immortal said was nothing more than helping people and saving the world, and using merit to overcome demonic obstacles.

But he's trapped in the well, where can he accumulate merit?

Unexpectedly, Du Yuan laughed and said:

"You are only thinking about repaying your debts, not about practicing the truth. Let me ask you, among the three religions, do those who utter these words truly think this way, or are they like you?"

Black Dragon immediately said:

"These three sentences are either the golden words of a sage or the original vow of a great Bodhisattva. They naturally come from one's own heart!"

Du Yuan laughed:

"If that's the case, how can you say that being trapped in a well means choosing something useless?"

The black dragon was struck as if by lightning.

(End of this chapter)