Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter 192 Immortal Slaying Dragon

The next day, early in the morning.

The sky was clear and bright after the rain, and sunlight streamed in from the mountains to the east, reflecting the puddles on both sides of the official road as shimmering gold.

Gu Guanqi and his entourage traveled swiftly along the official road and soon arrived outside Qinghe City.

But as soon as they arrived at the gate of Qinghe City, they saw a group of constables dressed in dark blue uniforms, about twenty or thirty men, standing by the city gate.

"This isn't right." Tang Batian rode up to Gu Guanqi's side, his eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of surprise in his voice. "The Tianhe Gang didn't come, but the constables from the government office did. What are they planning to do? Use the government's name to convict us? Or do they want to use the government to keep us out of the city?"

Chen Shanhe rode his horse to Gu Guanqi's left, looking at the group of constables at the city gate, and said, "What Young Master Tang said is very likely."

With Alliance Leader Gu present, the Tianhe Gang dared not act directly. So they went through the official channels, hoping to find a charge or have an investigation taken over; after all, we wouldn't dare kill an official.

Tang Batian glanced at Gu Guanqi and said, "They couldn't possibly not know that my elder brother just quelled a rebellion for the imperial court, could they?"

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and said, "Don't guess, we'll know once we go and see for ourselves."

Just then, a man emerged from the group of constables. He was about fifty years old, of medium build, and wearing a scarlet official robe.

Then, the man came running quickly by himself.

Before Gu Guanqi and the others could figure out the man's purpose, they saw him run quickly to a spot about ten feet in front of Gu Guanqi's horse, then without hesitation, he bent his knees and knelt down with a "plop," his forehead hitting the wet mud heavily, splashing a few water droplets.

His voice was loud and clear as he shouted, "Yang Hui, Prefect of Qinghe County, respectfully welcomes Alliance Leader Gu!"

This series of actions stunned everyone.

They were all stunned. They had considered many possibilities, including whether Yang Hui had lost his mind and wanted to challenge Gu Guanqi alone. But they never expected that a high-ranking official of the fourth rank would come and kneel down to Gu Guanqi in front of everyone.

However, Gu Guanqi wasn't too surprised.

This isn't the first time this has happened.

In this world, there are bold people and timid people. Some are not afraid of Gu Guanqi's reputation, while others are terrified to the core.

Gu Guanqi remained mounted on his horse, his expression unchanged. He leaned down slightly, placed one hand on the front edge of the saddle, and looked at Yang Hui, saying, "Prefect Yang, your greeting is a bit too much."

He said this in a very flat tone, without any discernible emotion; he was simply stating a fact in a calm and unassuming manner.

Yang Hui, kneeling on the ground, trembled with fear, pressed his forehead to the ground again, and said in a hurried yet deliberately lowered voice, "Alliance Leader Gu, this humble official—this humble official is guilty!"

As he spoke, he slightly raised his head to meet Zi Guang and Gu Guanqi's gaze, then quickly lowered it again, saying, "Outside Qinghe County, there is a demonic dragon in the river causing trouble, and inside, the Tianhe Gang bullies the government, oppresses the people, obscures the truth from the heavens, and keeps the people ignorant, causing Qinghe to be in chaos, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and its people to live in misery. As the prefect of Qinghe, I have been unable to control their evil, and instead have been coerced and colluded with them. I deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

Now that Alliance Leader Gu has arrived, Tianhe Gang Leader Situ Jian has fled in terror, allowing the people of Qinghe to finally breathe a sigh of relief. Your humble servant—

As the Prefect of Qinghe, I must express my gratitude to Leader Gu on behalf of the people of Qinghe!

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "Prefect Yang, according to you, everything was done by the Tianhe Gang, and you had no involvement whatsoever?"

Yang Hui quickly replied, "I was involved, but I had my reasons. The Tianhe Gang is very powerful, and most of the officials in the government are their people. I didn't dare to oppose them, otherwise I wouldn't even know how I died."

In Qinghe County, the government's words are not as effective as those of the Tianhe Gang. Even when I send a memorial to the capital, I first go through the Tianhe Gang. I dare not report the matter to the court.

Within the government office, it wasn't that no officials had opposed the Tianhe Gang, but in the end, they all died mysteriously. Leader Gu, you may not know this, but in Qinghe County, there are only orders from the temple and the Tianhe Gang, not orders from the government.

Gu Guanqi said in a deep voice, "If you really have no status, why would the Tianhe Gang give you 30% of the wealth collected by the Dragon King?"

"I'm innocent!" Yang Hui hurriedly said. "Thirty percent, that's what Situ Jian said to the outside world. Because the real mastermind behind the Dragon King Sacrifice is Wei Qi, the High Priest of the Heavenly Gate of the Temple. Wei Qi needs to get the lion's share of the profits, and Situ Jian said that the government mainly took thirty percent so that he could get a bigger share for himself."

In reality, the government office only had half a unit of revenue, barely enough to cover labor costs. The Dragon King Festival has been held for three years now, and this is the fifth time. The total amount of money I embezzled was 3,282 taels, all buried under the trees in the backyard of the government office. I—I didn't dare touch a single penny!

"Leader Gu, everything I've said is true. If you don't believe me, you can go to the government office to check the accounts right now. I'm actually just a powerless puppet. I know it's wrong for me to collude with the Tianhe Gang, but I dare not disobey. I'm afraid of dying, but I'm also afraid of being purged sooner or later. So, I haven't dared to spend a single penny!"

Gu Guanqi thought for a moment and then asked, "You said Situ Jian ran away, but what about Wei Qi? As far as I know, he's also in Qinghe City."

Yang Hui quickly replied, "I heard that Alliance Leader Gu has arrived, and Wei Qi has run away too!"

Gu Guanqi: "————"

He had expected a fierce battle upon arriving in Qinghe City.

Gu Guanqi thought for a moment and said, "Since Situ Jian and Wei Qi have both run away, can you stop the Dragon King Sacrifice now?"

'

Yang Hui shook his head and said, "Although Situ Jian has run away, the Tianhe Gang still has two hall masters in charge. No one will listen to the government's orders."

Gu Guanqi raised his eyebrows slightly. The environment in Qizhou was roughly the same as that in Hongzhou back then. However, there were still some differences. The Hanyue Sect was ambitious, so they controlled the government and turned the people who spoke in the government into their people.

In Qizhou, the government was merely a figurehead, ruled by the temple above and controlled by martial arts forces from various regions below.

At this moment, Chen Shanhe said, "Alliance Leader Gu, I will lead my men to wipe out the Tianhe Gang later, and then immediately order all counties to stop the Dragon King Festival."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I'll go with you later."

"Alright, thank you, Alliance Leader Gu."

Just then, Yang Hui raised his head and hesitated before saying, "Alliance Leader Gu, the Dragon King Festival... I'm afraid it can't be stopped—"

Gu Guanqi said in a deep voice, "What do you mean by that?"

Yang Hui said, "If the Dragon King's ritual is stopped, the Dragon King will surely be angry. At that time, there will probably be another great flood, and the people will suffer!"

"What do you mean?" Gu Guanqi said. "Get up and tell me!"

"Alright, alright," Yang Hui said, standing up tremblingly. "Alliance Leader Gu, you might not believe it, but the Dragon King is real. In fact, although the Dragon King Sacrifice is immoral, it is, to some extent, truly saving the people of Qinghe."

Gu Guanqi frowned and said, "Tell me more details."

Yang Hui pondered for a moment, organized his thoughts, and said, "Actually, before the Dragon King Festival, there had been incidents of demonic dragons eating people in various parts of Qinghe County for many years."

At that time, the previous leader of the Tianhe Gang and I were at a loss, so we reported the matter to the Temple. Later, the Temple sent several groups of people to investigate, but in the end, all of them came to nothing.

Until three years ago, before the previous leader of the Tianhe Gang passed away, he invited Situ Jian back to succeed him as leader. After taking office, Situ Jian reported the incident of the demonic dragon eating people to the temple.

Because of Situ Jian's identity, the temple took this matter seriously and dispatched Wei Qi, the High Priest of the Heavenly Gate, to investigate personally. What happened during the investigation is unknown, but not long after, the flood season arrived, and the upstream reservoir of the Qinghe River was attacked by a demonic dragon, causing the dike to breach and resulting in a flood.

That flood killed many people, submerged countless farmlands along the Qinghe River, and displaced countless people. At this time, the Tianhe Gang began to claim that the people had disrespected the Dragon King, so the Dragon King had punished them, and thus the Dragon King Festival began.

At this point, Yang Hui paused, sighed, and said, "Later, one time, I was drinking with Situ Jian, and he got drunk and inadvertently revealed the truth."

Wei Qi found the demonic dragon, but he was powerless against it. Normally, the temple should have been the one to handle the situation. However, Wei Qi saw this as a good opportunity and surprisingly reached a cooperation agreement with the demonic dragon.

The demonic dragon needed a large number of virgins as food, and Wei Qi could take the opportunity to plunder the people's wealth. So they hit it off and created that flood. Later, the demonic dragon even cooperated with Wei Qi to appear many times and promote the Dragon King Sacrifice.

As you all know, the Dragon King Festival took place twice a year, providing the demonic dragon with ample blood sacrifices, while Wei Qi and the Tianhe Gang plundered a large amount of wealth from the people.

Tang Batian exclaimed in surprise, "You mean there really are dragons?"

"It's true," Yang Hui said. "I've seen the demonic dragon appear with my own eyes. Not only me, but many people in Qinghe County have seen it. Otherwise, the Dragon King Festival wouldn't have been implemented so easily."

Gu Guanqi asked, "So, the demonic dragon appears frequently?"

Yang Hui nodded and said, "During the Dragon King Festival twice a year, the demonic dragon will appear in various places. Starting from Qinghe City, the Dragon King Festival times in each county are staggered so that the demonic dragon can accurately eat the virgins offered in various places."

Tang Batian quickly asked, "You mean, during the Dragon King Festival in every region, the demonic dragon will appear?"

"That's basically it," Yang Hui said. "However, because the river is very fast-flowing in many places, people sink as soon as they go in, so you can't see the demon dragon. But in places where the river is calm, there's a good chance of seeing the demon dragon!"

Gu Guanqi said, "In other words, regardless of whether we saw it or not, it is certain that the demonic dragon was present during the Dragon King Festival."

"Yes," Yang Hui replied, "Because of these Dragon King Festivals, thousands of people have been sacrificed, but not a single corpse has been found. They must have all been eaten by the demon dragon."

39

Gu Guanqi asked coldly, "Where is the next Dragon King Festival held? When is it?"

Yang Hui said, "In Changlong County, two days later."

Gu Guanqi looked at Chen Shanhe and said, "Alliance Leader Chen, after we take control of the Tianhe Gang, let's not cancel the Dragon King Festival for now. I'm going to Changlong County to meet this demonic dragon."

"Brother Gu," Tang Batian said, "are you going to use those women as bait to lure out the demonic dragon?"

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and said, "Why use a woman? Don't those temple keepers and monks at the Dragon King temple all claim to be able to communicate with the Dragon King? Have them go and invite the Dragon King out for me!"

Subsequently, Gu Guanqi and his group entered Qinghe City.

Then, Gu Guanqi and his group headed straight for the Tianhe Gang headquarters. Gu Guanqi only needed to draw his sword once to kill many of the Tianhe Gang's high-ranking members on the spot. After that, he left the rest to Chen Shanhe.

After that, he went to the government office again and purged a group of die-hard Tianhe Gang members.

Gu Guanqi hadn't originally planned to get involved in these matters, but as she learned more about the dire situation in Qinghe County over the past few days, she decided to intervene.

He had no intention of purging the world or eradicating demons. However, since he had encountered this situation, he would still try to intervene if he could.

That afternoon, the group set off for Changlong County.

Two days later, in Changlong County.

At the riverside dock, sunlight poured down from the cloudless blue sky, making the rushing river sparkle.

A wooden platform, easily three people high, had been erected on the shore, decorated with lanterns, red ribbons, and colorful flags. On the platform—

The room was covered with brocade, and in the center stood a statue of the Dragon King, taller than a person. The statue was gilded all over, with a dragon's head and a human body, a ferocious face, and a trident in its hand. Its eyes were inlaid with obsidian the size of a fist, which gleamed with a somber light in the sunlight.

The crowd below the stage was dense, a sea of ​​people, numbering over a thousand, all looking toward the riverbank, where about twenty bamboo rafts were lined up and tied to stone posts on the bank with thick hemp ropes.

On each bamboo raft sat a woman dressed in a wedding gown with a red veil covering her head.

Their hands and feet were bound with hemp rope. Some were sobbing softly, while others had cried until they were too weak to continue and collapsed on the bamboo raft.

Suppressed sobs could be heard intermittently from beneath the red veil, one after another, carried away by the river breeze, only to echo back again, making one's heart clench.

Behind the bamboo raft, a dense crowd of people were kneeling.

Those were the women's families. An elderly woman with gray hair knelt on the bank, her hands tightly clutching her clothes, her lips trembling but unable to cry out; a middle-aged man knelt on the ground, his fists pressed against his forehead, his shoulders twitching; and a child of about ten years old was being held down by adults, struggling desperately, trying to rush over, but was blocked behind him by rough hands.

The scene was filled with wails and cries.

On the high platform, a group of monks dressed in crimson robes were chanting and dancing, their copper bells jingling, and they were reciting incantations. Their expressions were solemn and dignified as they were performing a highly sacred ceremony.

The leader was an old woman with white hair, a thin figure, and dark skin, who held a dragon-headed wooden cane aloft in both hands.

This old woman was the temple keeper of the Dragon King Temple in Changlong County, and the locals called her "Grandma Ma." She held a very high position in Changlong County, and everyone treated her with great respect.

At this moment, Granny Ma was standing at the very front of the high platform, her eyes slightly closed, her lips moving as she uttered indistinct chants, the dragon-headed wooden staff in her hand occasionally drawing arcs in the air.

Suddenly, Granny Ma opened her eyes wide.

A glint of light flashed in her cloudy old eyes, and she raised her wooden cane and slammed it hard onto the table.

Thump!

'

A dull thud resounded, and the platform beneath their feet trembled slightly.

Granny Ma opened her mouth, her voice sharp and high-pitched, echoing across the open ground of the dock: "The auspicious time has arrived! Send the Dragon Mother to the Dragon Palace!"

'

Upon hearing this shout, a chorus of sobs erupted from the audience.

Several of the women tied to the bamboo raft struggled violently, their red veils swaying, uttering muffled cries. Their families on the shore collapsed to the ground, some pounding the earth and weeping, others screaming their daughters' names at the top of their lungs.

On the other side of the dock, several county constables stepped forward to untie the thick hemp ropes tied to the stone posts and send the bamboo raft into the river.

Just then, several sharp whooshing sounds suddenly rang out.

Several figures darted out from behind the crowd, their toes touching the shoulders of the people to propel them into the air, and in an instant landed on the riverbank, blocking the group of bamboo rafts.

These men, all dressed in black and with weapons at their waists, swiftly struck and knocked several county constables to the ground.

For a moment, the scene was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned; no one expected that someone would dare to cause trouble at this time.

Just then, a deep voice boomed like thunder over the dock.

"Prefect Yang has arrived!"

'

With the support of internal energy, that sound drowned out all the cries and clamor.

The crowd, like a pot of boiling water being stirred, all turned to look in the direction of the sound.

At the entrance to the dock, a squad of soldiers in iron armor were seen marching in formation, clearing the way and instantly parting the crowd.

Behind the soldiers, Yang Hui, dressed in a scarlet official robe, strode forward with a solemn expression.

Gu Guanqi, Bai Xu, Chen Shanhe, and others arrived together with Tang Batian, Pan Lin, and other disciples of the Mechanical Sect, as well as dozens of experts from the Qizhou Martial Arts Alliance. They formed a dense, imposing crowd.

On the high platform, the monks in crimson robes looked at each other, full of doubt, and then subconsciously glanced at Granny Ma.

Granny Ma stood at the front of the platform, leaning on her dragon-headed wooden cane, her pupils slightly constricted, filled with doubt. Then, with a light step, she leaped down from the high platform, landing beside Yang Hui, and cupped her hands, saying, "I wonder what instructions Prefect Yang has for me?"

Yang Hui waved his hand without speaking, but strode to the shore, pointed at the group of bamboo rafts, and said, "Someone! Lift all the veils!"

Granny Ma's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly said, "Prefect Yang, you can't do that. It's unlucky and will offend the Dragon King."

Yang Hui said in a deep voice, "I received an order from the Dragon King. The Dragon King said that the Dragon Mothers sent this year were too perfunctory and not pretty enough. So, I came here to see how you were being so perfunctory."

After saying this, Yang Hui waved his hand, and several soldiers stepped forward to lift the veil.

"No!"

Granny Ma slammed her dragon-headed wooden cane heavily on the bluestone slab with a dull thud, and tried to stop it.

However, just as she raised her hand halfway, it was grabbed by a hand as strong as an iron clamp.

Chen Shanhe had appeared beside her without her noticing, his five fingers precisely gripping her pulse point, and then pressing her acupoint.

Granny Ma froze on the spot, unable to move.

Immediately, the soldiers went to lift the veil.

The moment the veil was lifted, young faces were exposed to the sunlight.

Some of them had teary eyes, some were pale, and all of them were crying with tears streaming down their faces.

Yang Hui's self-glow slowly swept across those faces, and he said in a deep voice, "None of you are pretty enough. You have been so perfunctory towards the Dragon King. No wonder the Dragon King is angry!"

'

Granny Ma said coldly, "Prefect Yang, what exactly do you want to do?"

'

Yang Hui turned his head and looked directly into Granny Ma's eyes, saying, "I must personally select a Dragon Mother for the Dragon King. This batch cannot be sent, so I will trouble the temple keeper and the priests to speak to the Dragon King."

Granny Ma's face immediately changed, and she exclaimed in shock, "Yang Hui, do you know what you're doing, Chief Situ—"

Chen Shanhe silenced the temple keeper by striking his pressure point.

Grandma Ma's words came to an abrupt end.

Immediately, Chen Shanhe waved his hand.

At the same time, a group of martial arts alliance members, as well as Tang Batian, Pan Lin, and others, rushed onto the high platform.

Most of the monks on the platform didn't have any real skills. In just a short while, more than a dozen monks were subdued, tied up, and thrown off the platform.

Seeing this, Granny Ma's wrinkled face finally changed color, her eyes filled with terror, but she couldn't utter a word.

Afterwards, the martial arts alliance members released all the women and then threw Granny Ma and the monks onto the bamboo raft.

For a moment, the monks all cried out and begged for mercy.

But no one paid attention to their pleas for mercy, and one bamboo raft after another was pushed into the river.

The river was swift, and the bamboo rafts drifted dozens of feet away in the blink of an eye before they began to break apart. The monks on board screamed in terror, their cries piercing, but the sound of the river made their cries intermittent, and they all sank quickly.

The dock was deathly silent.

The family members who had been weeping just moments before now stared wide-eyed at the bamboo rafts drifting further and further away on the river.

At this moment, someone in the crowd shouted, "Prefect Yang, this will offend the Dragon King!"

'

Immediately afterwards, more voices of fear emerged from all directions.

"If the Dragon King gets angry, there will be another flood!"

'

"What should we do?!"

"Prefect Yang—you can't gamble with the lives of the people of Qinghe!"

'

Yang Hui stood on the shore, listening to the increasingly loud discussions and cries behind him, without turning around, but his back was already soaked with sweat.

He knew very well that if Gu Guanqi and the others didn't handle things well after what he did today, he would surely die a horrible death. However, he had no other choice; if he didn't perform well now, he wouldn't be able to get past Gu Guanqi.

He turned slightly to the side, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Gu Guanqi, and asked nervously, "Alliance Leader Gu, how is it? Have you detected the demonic dragon?"

Tang Batian, Bai Xu, and the others also looked at Gu Guanqi.

At the same moment, outside the dock, in a tall building, Xu Rongrong and a female disciple of the Mechanical Sect were standing at the window looking at this scene.

Xu Rongrong didn't know martial arts, and Tang Batian was worried about something going wrong, so he didn't let her go to the dock and instead had that female disciple from the Mechanical Gate accompany and protect her.

"Gu—Can Alliance Leader Gu really kill the dragon?" Xu Rongrong asked nervously.

The female disciple said, "Rongrong, don't worry, Alliance Leader Gu's martial arts are unparalleled, there won't be any problems!"

Xu Rongrong was very nervous, gripping a dark wooden pestle tightly in her hand, and said nothing more.

At that moment, on the riverbank, Gu Guanqi waved his hand slightly and said, "You all step back, something's coming into the river!"

Chen Shanhe, Yang Hui, and the others immediately retreated quickly.

Just then, a colossal wave suddenly surged up from the river, crashing straight towards the dock. The wave was two or three meters high, carrying mud, sand, and weeds, covering everything as if it would swallow the entire dock and everything on the shore.

Gu Guanqi stood alone on the shore, his white robes fluttering slightly in the spray. His expression remained unchanged as he raised his right hand and casually struck out with his palm.

That palm strike seemed casual, devoid of any martial arts prowess, yet the moment the force landed, the air suddenly emitted a deep hum. A bluish-white energy shot out from his palm, like an invisible giant hammer, striking precisely at the center of the giant wave.

"boom"

With a muffled roar, the giant wave seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall, bursting open from the middle, splashing water everywhere and turning into white foam that surged to both sides.

The wave was violently shattered, and the aftershocks washed over the bluestone slabs on the shore, making a splashing sound, but without any further impact.

Chaos erupted at the dock.

The people rushed out of the dock, their cries and footsteps mingling together like a pot of boiling water churning on the riverbank.

"hold head high!"

Suddenly, a deafening dragon's roar echoed from the river.

The sound was deep and resonant, like muffled thunder coming from the depths of the riverbed, carrying a chilling pressure that caused the entire river's surface to tremble violently.

Immediately afterwards, the water surged and the turbid waves rose high.

The river surface suddenly exploded in the next instant.

A black snake head, larger than a millstone, burst out of the water, splashing water everywhere like a waterfall cascading down from its head.

The head was covered in dark scales, each the size of a palm, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen.

Above its head, two antler-like horns grow diagonally backward, forked in two, their surfaces also covered with fine patterns, gleaming with a dark blue light in the sunlight.

The giant python suddenly leaped up, its lantern-sized eyes with narrowed vertical pupils, gleaming with a cold, dark golden light, as it looked down at the crowd on the shore.

"Dragon King—!"

"The Dragon King has appeared!"

"Oh no, oh no, I knew the Dragon King would be furious!"

"Prefect Yang, you've offended the Dragon King!"

"It's over, we're all finished!"

59

On the dock, countless exclamations surged up like a tide, and all sorts of panicked remarks spread instantly.

Many people even knelt down on the ground, their foreheads hitting the damp mud heavily. Some of them bleed profusely but dared not raise their heads, repeatedly crying out, "Dragon King, please calm down!" and "Dragon King, spare my life!" their voices trembling and out of tune.

Even those who were brave enough not to kneel were trembling like leaves.

The river was churning, and the sound of huge waves was incessant.

The giant python raised its head, its body rising continuously from the water.

First the neck, then the torso; its thick body was as thick as two adults could hug, and its entire body was as black as ink, with scales that gleamed heavily in the sunlight.

It only rose to its waist, yet it was already over three zhang tall. Its enormous snake head was held high, like a black iron tower standing on the river, casting a suffocating shadow.

"hold head high!"

The giant python opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar at Gu Guanqi. Its two fangs were as long as an adult's forearm, and their tips gleamed with a cold, white light.

The waves in the river surged even more rapidly, and the turbid waves churned into an arc-shaped wall of water, rushing towards Gu Guanqi. The huge waves were towering and the surrounding area was in turmoil.

"Ha, Dragon King!"

Gu Guanqi snorted coldly, and then, with a light step, his figure rose up like a cloud blown by the wind. His clothes fluttered in the wind, his long hair flowed behind him, and sunlight poured down from behind him, bathing him in a halo.

Then, Gu Guanqi drew his sword.

The moment the Autumn Water Sword was drawn, a clear and melodious sword cry resounded throughout the heavens and earth. A layer of lustrous white light emanated from the sword, like solidified moonlight, yet it appeared even colder and more translucent under the sunlight.

Gu Guanqi stood in mid-air, his right arm raised, the Autumn Water Sword pointing diagonally towards the sky. His movements were unhurried, with a natural ease, as if he were not drawing his sword, but rather raising his hand to brush away a wisp of cloud that had inadvertently drifted in front of him.

Then he swung his sword.

A sword fell.

Sword energy poured out from the tip of the sword, a pure light without any impurities. The light originated from the tip of the Autumn Water Sword, initially only a thin line, as fine as a hair, but in less than a breath, it rapidly expanded, surged, and extended.

It grew wider and longer, like an inverted galaxy hanging from the sky. The clear light spread rapidly through the air, and wherever it passed, the wind stopped, the water froze, and even the sunlight seemed to be swallowed and assimilated by the sword energy in that instant, becoming part of it.

In an instant, the sword energy expanded to tens of feet long, like a silver chasm descending from the sky, carrying an irresistible, godlike power, and slashed down at the giant python.

The giant python raised its head and let out a deafening roar, its dark golden pupils reflecting the approaching sword light. It instinctively tried to dodge, but the sword energy was too fast, so fast that it didn't even have time to think before the sword light was already upon its head.

"Hiss—"

A very soft, delicate sound, like a sharp blade cutting into thin paper.

The sword energy pierced through the center of the giant python's head, traveled down its spine, and sliced ​​its head, neck, and torso in two, cutting them straight apart.

The scales shattered like rotten wood before the sword light, and the cut surfaces of the flesh were as smooth as mirrors, without a single drop of extra blood splashing out the moment the sword light touched them.

Then, everything erupted at that moment.

The giant python's massive body split open from the middle, tilting to both sides, and blood gushed out from the broken surface like a waterfall, turning into a scarlet rain of blood in mid-air, falling in a flurry.

The turbulent waves on the river subsided completely at that moment, replaced by a dark red surface stained with blood, gleaming dazzlingly in the sunlight.

The two enormous halves of the snake crashed heavily into the river, splashing up two towering columns of water before slowly sinking and being swallowed by the rushing current, leaving only a river of dark red and churning blood foam.

The dock was deathly silent.

Those people who were just kowtowing and begging for mercy were all frozen in place. Some had their mouths open, some had their eyes wide open, and some still had their hands clasped together. All their movements were frozen in that moment.

Even the wind seemed to have stopped, even the river seemed to have stopped, and the only sound left on the entire dock was the faint sound of blood rain falling into the water, rustling like silkworms eating leaves.

After an unknown amount of time, a trembling voice suddenly rang out from the crowd: "The immortal—the immortal—the immortal has slain the dragon!"

Immediately afterwards, the second, third, and tenth voices followed one after another, like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, causing ripples to spread rapidly.

"An immortal has descended to earth! An immortal has slain a dragon!"

"An immortal—that's an immortal—"

"Qinghe County is saved! Your Majesty—the Dragon King is dead!"

"Does this mean we won't have to hold the Dragon King Festival anymore?"

"Thank you, immortal! Thank you, immortal!"

"

Suddenly, someone burst into tears, and soon, cries, shouts, and cheers surged up like a tide. Those people who had been kneeling on the ground, trembling, all raised their heads. The sunlight pierced through the blood mist and the sunlight, landing on the figure standing in mid-air.

Gu Guanqi stood in mid-air, his white robes fluttering gently in the wind, his long hair swaying slightly, the sunlight making him appear cool, otherworldly, and untouched by the world's hustle and bustle.

He looked down.

On the river, blood rain continued to fall in torrents, the dark red water churning and carrying fragments of scales and flesh downstream.

Within that churning blood mist, a golden bead was rapidly descending.

The bead was about the size of an egg, perfectly round, and had a warm, golden luster, like a piece of solidified amber.

Just as the giant python was slain, Gu Guanqi saw the bead fly out of the python's body.

Gu Guanqi reached out, and the golden bead floated up and landed steadily in his palm in an instant.

It feels warm to the touch, with a subtle warmth. The bead is golden and transparent, with fine golden light flowing slowly inside, like a miniature golden river meandering through the bead.

"Could it be the legendary Dragon Balls?"

Gu Guanqi probed it slightly and sensed a strange, unknown energy within the bead.

Meanwhile, on a high-rise building outside the dock, Xu Rongrong stood by the window, looking at Gu Guanqi who was suspended in mid-air, and whispered, "How could it be this kind of Qi-gathering Dragon Pearl? Could this dragon be a furnace cultivated by someone else?"

>