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

Chapter 193 Heavenly Serpent Transformation and Flying Immortal Technique

"Good stuff! Don't waste it!"

Just then, Tang Batian rushed to the riverbank, staring at the two halves of the giant python's carcass slowly sinking into the river, and shouted, "Brother Gu! Don't let that python sink! It's a valuable treasure!"

Gu Guanqi, who was still floating in the air, nodded slightly upon hearing this.

He raised his right hand, fingers spread, and gently clenched it towards the river.

In an instant, the previously calm river surface suddenly became turbulent.

Two waves surged from the river, like two invisible giant hands, lifting the two enormous halves of the snake's body out of the river and gently tossing them onto the riverbank, splashing up large amounts of water and mud.

The people on the shore who were still kowtowing and worshiping were startled by the sudden commotion and retreated, but they couldn't help craning their necks to look.

Tang Batian's eyes lit up. He rushed to the giant python's corpse, his eyes gleaming, and exclaimed in admiration, "This kind of strange beast is a treasure from head to toe!"

Gu Guanqi floated down from the sky and landed beside Tang Batian. He also looked down at the giant python's corpse and said, "It's really not easy for this python to grow to this size. It has absorbed a lot of spiritual energy from heaven and earth. Eating its flesh can nourish the body, but it won't be very effective for martial artists."

Tang Batian waved his hands repeatedly, his tone urgent: "Meat is the most useless! Snake skin, snake scales, snake bones—those are the good stuff! Especially the snake bones!"

As he spoke, he crouched down and used his short knife to pry open a patch of flesh soaked in blood, revealing the thick spine beneath. The snake bone was a deep blue-green color, with a faint, fine layer of pale gold veins on its surface, like the blood vessels of a living creature, shimmering slightly in the sunlight.

"This snake bone has clearly mutated," Tang Batian looked up at Gu Guanqi, his eyes filled with excitement. "If we use special materials and have a master craftsman help us, we can definitely forge an extraordinary divine weapon!"

Gu Guanqi asked, "Will it work?"

"Of course it can be done!" Tang Batian suddenly stood up, patting his chest and saying, "Here's what we'll do, Brother Gu, leave the snakeskin and scales to our Mechanical Gate. I'll have my father design them himself, and we'll definitely be able to create a batch of rare armor!"

After he finished speaking, he squatted down and examined the snake bone carefully. He pointed to the pale golden patterns on the joint and lowered his voice, saying, "As for this snake bone—in my opinion, it should be sent to the Divine Mechanism Sect to avoid wasting it."

"Shenji Sect?" Gu Guanqi raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Tang Batian nodded, "the best weapon-making sect in the world is still the Shenji Sect. Most of the skills of my Mechanical Gate were passed down from the Shenji Sect, but we didn't learn their most secret techniques."

Our Mechanical Sect specializes in concealed weapons. In terms of weapon crafting alone, we certainly can't compare to the Divine Mechanism Sect. These snake bones are truly rare; it would be a waste to have them crafted by the Mechanical Sect. Only the Divine Mechanism Sect can make the most of them.”

"Alright!" Tang Batian grinned, stood up, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the dock, and called out to Chen Shanhe and Yang Hui, "Alliance Leader Chen! Prefect Yang! Call some men to help carry it!"

Immediately, Chen Shanhe and Yang Hui each led their men to the shore.

Gu Guanqi then stepped into the dock.

As soon as he stepped onto the dock, he heard a loud splash, and many people knelt down before him.

"May the immortals protect you!"

"Please, divine beings, bless my family with good health!"

"May the immortals bestow blessings!"

"May the immortals bless me so that I may give birth to a son!"

Gu Guanqi: "————"

He sighed softly; there were some things he couldn't change.

In Qizhou, a place where everyone prays to gods and Buddhas, he can kill the demonic dragon, but he cannot kill the people's faith in God.

Seeing more and more people kneeling, Gu Guanqi lost interest in staying any longer. He lightly touched the ground with his foot, and his figure rose into the air like a wisp of cloud blown by the wind, quickly flying away.

"The immortal has passed away—" "The immortal has passed away—"

""

Shouts rose and fell from the dock.

Gu Guanqi swept across the riverbank and landed outside the tall inn at the dock.

As soon as they entered, Xu Rongrong and the female disciple from the Tang Clan came to greet them.

"Gu—Alliance Leader Gu." Xu Rongrong walked up to Gu Guanqi, head bowed, looking very nervous.

Gu Guanqi was somewhat surprised; this was the first time in the past few days that Xu Rongrong had dared to speak to him on her own initiative.

"Miss Xu," Gu Guanqi replied.

Xu Rongrong hesitated before saying, "Could you—could you let me see that dragon ball?"

Gu Guanqi looked at Xu Rongrong with some suspicion, then took out the dragon ball from his sleeve and handed it to Xu Rongrong.

Xu Rongrong lowered her head, carefully took the dragon ball and examined it closely for a while before handing it back to Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi took back the Dragon Pearl and asked, "Miss Xu, do you recognize this?"

Xu Rongrong nodded slightly, then raised her head and said, "Actually—actually I lied to you. I'm not from Qinghe City, and I wasn't the one chosen to be the Dragon Mother for the sacrifice. I went in someone else's place."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly, sat down on the stool, and poured himself a cup of tea.

Xu Rongrong asked in confusion, "Aren't you surprised?"

Gu Guanqi said, "Two days ago, after arriving in Qinghe City, Vice Sect Leader Pan sent someone to the family you mentioned. That family is not surnamed Xu, and they also learned from them that you suddenly appeared and took the initiative to be sacrificed in place of their daughter."

Xu Rongrong's face stiffened, and she said, "Then—Young Master Tang, he knows too?"

"Yes," Gu Guanqi said. "However, he felt that you must have your reasons for not saying anything, and that you wanted us all to pretend that we didn't know."

Xu Rongrong whispered, "He's such a good person!"

"You can't say things like that," Gu Guanqi quickly said. "He wants to marry you. The way you've said that makes me feel like things are a bit uncertain between you two."

Xu Rongrong blushed and quickly said, "No, as long as he is willing to marry me, I am willing to marry him. I am already single, and as long as his family doesn't object, no one here will object."

Gu Guanqi asked, "Are you willing to reveal your identity now?"

"Hmm," Xu Rongrong said, "I didn't want to tell you, but now I have no choice."

37

Gu Guanqi asked, "Is it because of that dragon ball?"

Xu Rongrong nodded.

Gu Guanqi said, "Then let's wait for the Fourth Young Master to arrive and talk about it together!"

"Okay." Xu Rongrong nodded.

The female disciple from the Mechanical Gate said, "I'll go call Fourth Young Master."

After saying that, the female disciple went out the door.

Not long after, Tang Batian and Pan Lin rushed back.

As soon as he entered, Tang Batian rushed to Xu Rongrong's side and said, "Rongrong, as long as you're not a notorious bandit or a heretic, I can accept any other identity you may have."

Xu Rongrong chuckled and said, "What if I were a notorious bandit who kills without hesitation?"

Tang Batian said in a deep voice, "I like you, and I want to marry you, but love cannot be without restraint."

Xu Rongrong chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. I'm not a notorious thief, nor do I have the ability to be one."

Tang Batian breathed a sigh of relief, grasped Xu Rongrong's hand, and said, "Then I'm relieved."

Gu Guanqi said, "Miss Xu, you can now tell us your identity."

Xu Rongrong was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "I wonder if you've ever heard of the Dragon Hunter Clan?"

Tang Batian quickly said, "When I was a child, I heard from the elders in my family that the Dragon Hunter Clan is a race that specializes in hunting dragons. They are incredibly powerful, and the people of that race possess abilities that are unimaginable to ordinary people. They can fly, move mountains, and overturn seas. Could this be true?"

Xu Rongrong shook her head and said, "The Dragon Hunter Clan is real, but they don't have the ability to fly, burrow underground, or move mountains and overturn seas. I am a member of the Dragon Hunter Clan, and also the last member of the Dragon Hunter Clan."

Tang Batian's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "There really is a Dragon Hunter Clan!"

Xu Rongrong nodded slightly and said, "The Dragon Hunter Clan was born five hundred years ago. However, how exactly it was born is just a legend in our clan, and we cannot confirm its truth."

Legend has it that our Dragon Hunter clan's ancestor was a person obsessed with seeking immortality and asking questions. He spent his whole life searching for traces of immortals. Later, in the Kunlun Mountains, he encountered an immortal and became a disciple.

The immortal had suppressed a wicked dragon in the mountains. Later, the ancestor was bewitched by the dragon, broke the seal, and released it, causing widespread suffering. The immortal then taught the ancestor the art of dragon hunting, instructing him to descend the mountain and hunt dragons to atone for his sins.

After that, the ancestor went down the mountain to search for the evil dragon, but he never found it. So he established an ancestral precept that the dragon-hunting clan should always prioritize dragon hunting.

However, I don't know whether this is true or false. But the art of dragon hunting does have a lineage, and every few decades, someone in our clan awakens a special talent.

However, by my generation, I was the only one left. My parents had both passed away a few years ago. I had almost forgotten my identity as a member of the Dragon Hunter Clan, but recently, after coming to Qinghe County, I heard about the Dragon King Festival.

I thought to myself, this might be my destiny. So, I took the ancestral weapon, the Dragon-Subduing Pestle, and took the place of the girl who was sacrificed. I went down into the river to hunt the dragon.

Tang Batian exclaimed in surprise, "Aren't you incredibly brave? You've never actually seen a dragon before, how could you take such a risk?"

Xu Rongrong lowered her head and said, "My parents are both gone. I have no ties in this world, so I thought it wouldn't matter if I died." Then, Xu Rongrong raised her head, looked at Tang Batian, and said, "However, things are different now!"

Tang Batian grinned and scratched the back of his head somewhat embarrassedly.

Xu Rongrong continued, "However, my cultivation level was not high enough. Before I could even use the Dragon-Subduing Pestle when I fought that dragon, my Turtle Breathing Technique was broken by a wave brought up by the dragon as it swam by. I almost choked to death and had no choice but to run away."

Fortunately, I awakened a special talent—a unique affinity for water—which allowed me to hide very well. The dragon couldn't see me, and I managed to escape. Then I met you.

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "So, you prepared to hunt a dragon, but in reality, you failed before you even met the giant python."

Xu Rongrong smiled awkwardly and said, "That's true. In fact, in my generation, no one in our Dragon Hunter Clan has seen a dragon for many years. Not to mention dragons, no one has even seen this giant python that is about to transform into a dragon today."

Therefore, although I practiced dragon hunting techniques, I didn't take it seriously and had no idea how powerful dragons really were. Furthermore, I hadn't properly studied my awakened talent, and since I didn't practice martial arts, my physique was no different from an ordinary person's. That's why that happened.

Gu Guanqi smiled. He was quite interested in the dragon-hunting technique Xu Rongrong had mentioned, but since it was someone's ancestral heirloom, he couldn't very well ask for it. So he asked, "Then what's this dragon ball you were talking about?"

Xu Rongrong quickly said, "That's what I wanted to talk about. According to the Dragon Hunting Technique, there are two types of Dragon Pearls. One type is formed by the dragon through its own cultivation. This type of Dragon Pearl gathers all the dragon's divine power and is the source and foundation of the dragon's abilities."

Another type is the fake dragon ball, also called the Qi-gathering dragon ball. This type of dragon ball is not cultivated by the dragon itself, but is made by humans using special materials, with an array set up inside, and then a dragon or python is allowed to refine it into a dragon ball.

The difference between these two types of Dragon Balls is obvious. A pure Dragon Ball is formed from condensed energy, embodying the dragon's cultivation; it is extremely violent and possesses spirituality. A Gathering Dragon Ball, on the other hand, is different. This type of Dragon Ball converts the energy cultivated by the dragon into ki (energy) and stores it within the ball; it lacks spirituality and there is no energy leakage.

Gu Guanqi suddenly realized and said, "So, the dragon pearl we just saw was a Qi-gathering dragon pearl."

"Yes," Xu Rongrong said, "The Dragon Pearl means it was man-made. In other words, the giant python that Alliance Leader Gu just killed, which was about to transform into a dragon, had a master behind it, and that master was the true Dragon King."

Tang Batian exclaimed in shock, "This beast was artificially bred? That person is incredibly evil!"

Xu Rongrong said, "That's why I said I have to reveal my identity now, because I want to tell you about this. I'm worried that the person behind that giant python will retaliate."

The other party must have invested a great deal of effort in cultivating such a python that is about to transform into a dragon. Moreover, dragons are generally arrogant and difficult to control, so the cultivator most likely used this python as a furnace, with the true purpose of cultivating the dragon pearl.

Gu Guanqi asked, "What can this dragon ball be used for?"

Xu Rongrong said, "It mainly has two functions. One is that it can absorb the Dragon Ball, thereby allowing one's cultivation to break through."

Because these mythical beasts have a far greater affinity with the heavens and earth than humans, their cultivation is twice as effective with half the effort, and they absorb an enormous amount of energy. Therefore, directly refining a dragon pearl is equivalent to a person cultivating for decades or even centuries.

However, there is a limitation: the cultivation method must be compatible with the Dragon Ball. This is what the cultivator prepares when making the Dragon Ball.

Then, besides improving their cultivation, they need to forge weapons and magic arrays. However, this is also very difficult; not just any weapon-forging master or array master possesses the ability to manipulate the power of the Dragon Balls.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "So, this Dragon Ball is actually quite useless; it's basically pointless."

Xu Rongrong said, "The Qi Gathering Dragon Pearl is useless. The real Dragon Pearl is different. The real and pure Dragon Pearls all have powerful abilities. It is said that some can bring the dead back to life, some can increase cultivation, and some can give people extraordinary talents."

However, whether it's real or fake is unknown, since I've never seen it myself. But logically speaking, the True Dragon Pearl is definitely more powerful than the Qi-Gathering Dragon Pearl.

"That works too," Tang Batian's eyes lit up as he looked at Gu Guanqi and said, "Brother Gu, ordinary weapon-refining masters certainly don't have the ability to mobilize the energy of this Dragon Gathering Pearl, but the masters in the Divine Mechanism Sect definitely can!"

How about this, you come with me to the Shenji Sect? My family has connections there, but if it's just about getting someone to forge weapons using that snake bone, we can definitely get them to do it. However, since it involves the Dragon Ball, the difficulty is different; I'm afraid we'll need the intervention of those elders of the Shenji Sect.

Those few figures, let alone my Mechanical Gate, I can't get them to come. Even within the Divine Mechanism Gate, unless it's something extremely important, it's not guaranteed I can persuade them. So, it's safer for you to come with me."

Gu Guanqi said, "Even members of the Shenji Sect might not be able to persuade them, so how could I possibly do that?"

Tang Batian said, "You're really something. After all, the favor that Sword Immortal Gu Guanqi did is invaluable."

Gu Guanqi thought about it and decided it was a good idea. Although ordinary weapons didn't enhance his martial arts much, divine weapons were naturally different. Besides, even if he didn't need them, he could give them to others, or keep them as a trump card in one of the martial arts alliances in Qingyun, Hong, or Sanzhou.

He now possesses a Qilin Tear, and if he forges another divine weapon and then finds another powerful divine weapon, he can give each of the three martial arts alliances a trump card.

So Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go to Shenji Sect then. However, I'm not free right now. I have some things to do in Qizhou, and I also need to go to Tianzhou afterward."

Tang Batian said, "It's alright, you go ahead with your work. I'll wait for you in Yunzhou. I'm available anytime. We can go to Shenji Sect whenever you arrive in Yunzhou."

"Alright." Gu Guanqi nodded slightly, then said, "However, right now, we really need to pay attention to the issue Miss Xu raised. Regardless of the purpose behind the giant python's cultivation, this is definitely going to cause a big problem, and we must find this person!"

Tang Batian said, "According to what Prefect Yang said before, the Dragon King Sacrifice was discussed between the High Priest Wei Qi of the Heavenly Gate of the Temple and the Dragon King. Wei Qi must know who the person behind it all is."

"Um.

""

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "Leave this matter to me. The matter here is considered settled. You can all go back to Yunzhou now."

The dock was bustling with people, creating a chaotic scene.

Almost everyone is talking about the immortals descending to earth to slay the demonic dragon today.

At the dock, many people craned their necks to look at the riverbank, where Chen Shanhe and Yang Hui were directing the martial arts alliance members and government soldiers to load the giant python's carcass into a cargo ship.

At this moment, a hunched old man in hemp clothing walked slowly through the crowd, being jostled and pushed around, looking quite disheveled.

It was a struggle to finally squeeze to the edge of the pier.

He looked at the giant python's corpse, which had been split in two, his eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face. Then he couldn't help but wail and cry loudly.

Those around him assumed that the old man had a relative who had been sacrificed to the giant python as a dragon mother, because many others were weeping like the old man.

"Old man, that damned dragon has been killed by the immortals. Your revenge has been achieved. Don't be too sad!"

"Yes, old man, that beast has been brought to justice!"

,

Upon hearing this, the old man collapsed to the ground, his legs kicking wildly, and he cried even more bitterly, wailing, "My darling, my darling, you died so tragically—"

"I raised you for twenty years, a full twenty years—"

"How can I live without you!"

'

The old man wept bitterly, stamping his feet and beating his chest. Those around him, hearing this, couldn't help but feel sorrow for him.

"It seems that his granddaughter was eaten by that beast!"

"Judging from this, he's so old and only has one granddaughter. What a tragedy!"

"Luckily, a celestial being descended and slew that beast!"

"Yes, thank goodness! That demonic dragon deserves to die, it deserves to die!"

"Aaaaaahh ...

Hearing what the people around him said, the old man cried even more bitterly, almost fainting. It wasn't until the cargo ship had sailed far away that the old man slowly got up from the ground, tears streaming down his face, and squeezed back into the crowd, slowly walking towards the dock.

As he walked, the old man looked up at the tall inn outside the dock, clenched his fist tightly, then slowly relaxed it, and whispered, "We can't be impulsive. That kid's martial arts are too high. We definitely can't win by robbing him directly. We have to outsmart him! Twenty years of hard work can't be ruined."

"That brat is despicable! I'm just half a step away, just half a step! If I could take that one more step, I'd be invincible! I must restrain myself, I can't be impulsive, I have to outsmart him, or maybe I should lure him into the water and then kill him!"

Night falls in Qinghe County.

The daytime hustle and bustle had completely subsided, and the entire county town had fallen into silence, with only the occasional bark of a dog heard in the streets and alleys.

Yang Hui dragged his tired body to the backyard of the county government office.

The hem of the crimson official robe was stained with mud from the riverbank, which had mostly dried and solidified into patches of grayish-brown hard scabs.

He spent the entire day dealing with the aftermath of the Dragon King Festival and appeasing the people, so the county government office was temporarily requisitioned. He was only able to leave after dark and then prepared to rest.

He stopped in his tracks as soon as he stepped into the courtyard.

-

The courtyard was too quiet.

It was unusually quiet.

The two constables who were supposed to be on guard duty under the corridor remained standing in the same spot, but their postures were excessively stiff, and their eyes stared blankly into the void, showing no reaction to Yang Hui's arrival.

Yang Hui immediately realized that the two of them had definitely fallen for the trap.

His heart tightened suddenly, and he immediately wanted to quietly slip away.

Just then, a sound, light and airy, like a wisp of cold wind seeping from the ground, drifted into his ears from the well in the courtyard—

Yang Hui — Yang Hui —

"6

The voice was drawn out, with a slight upward inflection at the end, carrying an indescribable stickiness, as if it were slowly gliding over his earlobe, instantly making him feel a chill in the courtyard.

Yang Hui shuddered and abruptly turned his head to look at the well.

The well opening was small, made of bluestone, with a thin layer of moss growing on the edge, and wisps of white mist slowly rose from the well opening.

"Who?!" Yang Hui exclaimed in surprise.

"I died a terrible death—"

The sound rang out again.

This time, Yang Hui heard it clearly; the sound was indeed coming from the well.

He immediately turned around and prepared to run.

But at that very moment, the water vapor at the wellhead suddenly surged, and then a huge snake head emerged from the well. Its black scales gleamed coldly in the moonlight, and its two lantern-sized eyes had contracted vertical pupils that shone with a dark golden light.

On the top of the snake's head, two antler-like horns grew diagonally backward, forked in two, and covered with fine patterns. They were exactly the same as the giant python that Gu Guanqi had killed during the day, only much smaller.

In an instant, the giant python squeezed out of the well and swam to Yang Hui. The snake slowly lowered its head and came close to Yang Hui, its dark golden vertical pupils staring at him coldly.

Yang Hui was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

"Dragon—Dragon King?!" Yang Hui's voice had changed. He braced himself against the ground behind him, desperately trying to move backward, but his legs were too weak to obey him. "Aren't you—aren't you already dead?!"

66

A deep, mournful voice came from the fanged mouth of the snake: "My body has been killed—but my soul has not yet dissipated. Gu Guanqi can kill my physical body, but can he kill my soul—"

'

Yang Hui trembled violently, his lips quivering as he said, "Dragon King, it's not my fault! I didn't kill you! If you want revenge, don't come looking for me!"

"Hmph—" The black snake tilted its head slightly, its vertical pupils reflecting Yang Hui's entire body. Its voice carried a sinister threat, "Go tell Gu Guanqi to return my dragon pearl—otherwise, I will flood Qinghe County."

Yang Hui hurriedly asked, "How—how do you want to repay it?"

Black Snake said, "Just have him take the Dragon Ball to the dock tonight and throw it into the river."

Yang Hui swallowed hard and quickly said, "Okay, okay! I'll go right now! I'll go tell him right now!"

"You'd better keep your word."

Having said that, the giant python raised its head, its thick body quickly pulled out of the well, its scales scraping against the bluestone well rim with a fine, grating sound. Then it suddenly leaped into the air, transforming into a black shadow, and in the blink of an eye, it merged into the night sky, disappearing without a trace.

The water mist at the wellhead slowly settled, as if being gently pushed back to the bottom of the well by an invisible hand.

The courtyard returned to silence.

Yang Hui collapsed to the ground, soaked to the bone, panting heavily. He then scrambled to his feet and stumbled toward the courtyard gate.

Just as he ran out of the county government office, in the shadow of an old locust tree by the roadside, a pair of cloudy eyes were quietly watching his back through the gaps in the branches and leaves.

It was a hunched old man in hemp clothing, thin and with loose skin. His face was covered with deep wrinkles, but his exposed neck, the back of his hands, and his wrists were covered with a dense layer of fine black scales that gleamed with a cold luster in the moonlight.

He watched Yang Hui's departing figure, slowly clenching his fists at his sides, and muttered, "Forget it, let's not cause any more trouble. Let's leave as soon as we get the Dragon Ball. A gentleman takes his revenge, even after ten years. Hmph, Gu Guanqi, fortunes change, don't underestimate the poor in their old age!"

1

In an inn in Qinghe City.

Gu Guanqi, Chen Shanhe, Tang Batian and others are all staying at this inn.

When Yang Hui rushed over, Gu Guanqi and his group were having dinner. Seeing Yang Hui appear at the door, panting, Tang Batian laughed and said, "Prefect Yang, what's with the panic? Did you see a ghost?"

Yang Hui, pale and sweating profusely, exclaimed in surprise, "How did you know?"

Tang Batian was slightly taken aback, then exclaimed in surprise, "You really encountered a ghost?"

"More terrifying than ordinary ghosts," Yang Hui walked into the house, slumped down, and gasped for breath. Looking at Gu Guanqi, still shaken, he exclaimed, "Gu—Alliance Leader Gu, the Dragon King—the ghost has returned!"

Gu Guanqi raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "What exactly happened?"

At this moment, Bai Xu, who was sitting next to Gu Guanqi, poured Yang Hui a cup of tea and said, "Prefect Yang, please have some tea first, and then speak slowly."

Yang Hui picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp. He then cupped his hands to Bai Xu and said, "Thank you, Elder Bai." He then looked at Gu Guanqi and said, "I just encountered the ghost of the Dragon King at the county government office—he wants you to return the Dragon Pearl to him—"

Yang Hui then recounted what had happened.

After listening, Tang Batian's pupils shrank slightly, and he said, "Brother Gu, it seems Rongrong was right. That giant python really was raised by humans. It seems they wanted to take back the Dragon Pearl and were deliberately putting on a show to scare you!"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "That's perfect. I was missing him. He took the initiative to come out, which saves me a lot of trouble. I'll go to the dock now."

Bai Xu hurriedly said, "Alliance Leader Gu, this is too dangerous. We know nothing about the other party, nor do we know how powerful he is."

Gu Guanqi said, "He probably can't beat me. At least, he's not confident he can beat me. Otherwise, he wouldn't be playing tricks like this; he would have come directly to me."

Bai Xu quickly said, "Why don't we discuss this further?"

Gu Guanqi said, "I know what I'm doing, so you don't need to go. Just wait for me here."

After saying that, Gu Guanqi picked up his sword and went out the door, quickly flying towards the dock.

The dock is located on the outskirts of Qinghe City, not far away.

Gu Guanqi arrived at the dock in no time.

Because of what happened during the day, the pier was closed today, so it was very quiet at night, and there wasn't a soul in sight.

Gu Guanqi walked to the shore and raised the dragon pearl.

The golden dragon ball gleamed.

Gu Guanqi said in a deep voice, "Dragon King, I have come to return the Dragon Pearl."

After saying that, Gu Guanqi threw the dragon ball into the river, and the dragon ball sank quickly.

Then, he stood on the shore for a moment, not sensing anyone, and as the Dragon Ball gradually sank, he gradually lost his senses.

So he turned and left, quickly disappearing into the night.

Meanwhile, deep in the riverbed, stood a person covered in scales, unmoved by the rushing river and the eroding sand.

Before long, the golden dragon ball slowly descended.

The man's eyes lit up, and a human-like smile appeared on his scale-covered face. Then, he quickly walked over and reached out to grasp the dragon ball.

However, it was only then that he noticed a very thin silkworm thread wrapped around the dragon ball. He pulled hard, but couldn't break it.

Immediately, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes, and he muttered, "Damn it, I've been tricked!"

In that instant, an extremely thin, blood-red sword aura pierced through the river and arrived in a flash.

The scaly man quickly raised his hand to defend himself.

But that crimson sword energy, even after passing through a river twenty or thirty feet deep, still managed to pierce through the scales on the scaled man's arm and then through his arm itself.

In that instant, the silk thread wrapped around the dragon ball suddenly moved, binding the scaled man, and then a tremendous force pulled the scaled man directly to the surface of the water.

The Scaled Man forcefully snapped the silkworm threads, but in that instant, countless more silkworm threads pierced through the water's surface, binding and entangled him. A terrifying force pulled him directly to the water's surface.

As soon as he poked his head out of the water, he saw a person in white standing on a tree on the shore.

"Gu Guanqi!"

The scaly man cried out in alarm and immediately broke several silk threads, his body about to fall into the water.

With a twist of his waist, his toes stirred up a ripple of dark current, and he disappeared into the water like a slippery eel, leaving only a murky whirlpool slowly spreading on the surface.

Gu Guanqi stood on the treetop by the shore, his left hand outstretched.

In an instant, countless fine black silk threads surged from his palm, like a black torrent bursting its banks, flooding the river.

The silk threads intertwined and gathered beneath the murky water, forming a giant net that wrapped layer upon layer around the scaled people's bodies.

The silkworm retracts at the slightest touch, forcefully pulling the scaly figure back to the surface of the water.

The scaly human struggled desperately within the silken silk, appearing quite disheveled, yet a smile played on his lips.

He then threw out a bundle and let out a deep roar. The sound was like muffled thunder exploding underwater, causing the entire river surface to tremble violently.

In an instant, his body swelled up rapidly, the scales on his skin suddenly opened, his spine bulged out one by one, and his head extended forward, transforming into a giant snake head.

In the blink of an eye, the humanoid torso disappeared, replaced by a giant, jet-black python.

The python's body was even thicker than the one from earlier in the day, its scales as thick as iron plates, and it stirred up towering waves as it churned underwater.

Its thick body twisted violently, and the silk threads instantly became entangled. Then, it twisted its body violently, unleashing a terrifying force that directly pulled Gu Guanqi into the water.

The giant python opened its mouth and spoke in a human voice, saying smugly, "Gu Guanqi, you've been fooled! I'm invincible in the water!"

Before the words were even finished, the giant python's tail swept across the water, instantly creating a massive whirlpool. The whirlpool spun faster and faster, the white waves surging on the surface reaching several feet high, sweeping up the bluestone and mud from the banks. The terrifying suction force was like a gaping maw, intent on dragging Gu Guanqi to the bottom of the river.

Gu Guanqi's protective aura surged, resisting the suction force. He said calmly, "Invincible in water, but what about in ice?"

In an instant, an extremely terrifying chill surged out of his body.

The cold air was so pure and intense, it seemed to be the primordial chill emanating from the depths of the ancient tundra.

The whirlpool suddenly stopped, and the surging white waves froze instantly upon contact with the cold air. Water droplets, waves, and rapids—everything was frozen in an instant.

In an instant, the turbid river water changed from moving to still, from muddy to clear, and from water to ice, freezing the entire village within a radius of ten zhang into a single, enormous block of ice.

The ice layer was several meters thick. Before the giant python could react, it was frozen inside. Its huge body remained in a twisted posture, and a trace of panic flashed in its dark golden vertical pupils.

"Breaking 1"

The giant python roared, unleashing a tremendous power. With a deafening boom, the entire block of ice shattered from the inside, scattering fragments in all directions.

The giant python broke through the ice and flew quickly into the water.

But in that instant, Gu Haiqi drew his Autumn Water Sword, and the crimson light on its blade shone once more under the moonlight. The sword light was as thin as a hair, yet it carried an unapproachable sharpness, as if all the sharpness in the world had been condensed into that extremely thin trajectory.

A sword separates two worlds.

A streak of blood-red sword light almost transcended space and time, piercing directly through the giant python's body.

Where the sword flashed, the scales shattered.

The giant python's body stood upright for a moment in the moonlight, then its massive body fell and crashed onto the ice with a dull thud.

Then, the enormous snake's body began to transform. Its scales shed, its bones retracted, and its head slowly returned to a human-like shape.

In a short while, the enormous python's body disappeared, replaced by an old man covered in bluish-gray scales.

He lay hunched over among the broken ice, a deep wound piercing his chest, from which dark red blood gushed, flowing down the broken scales and spreading a dark, wet stain on the ice.

Immediately, Gu Haiqi had a thought, and countless silk threads shot out, invading the old man's meridians through the gaps in his scales, creating countless tiny holes in his body.

Even so, the old man was still alive.

Gu Guanqi asked in surprise, "Spirit Serpent Transformation? What's your relationship with Qingxiao of the Four Extremes Palace?"

The old man struggled to raise his head. His scaly face revealed a pair of cloudy eyes that gleamed as he looked at Gu Haiqi and said, "My name is Yu Tong, and Qingxiao is my disciple. However, don't compare that good-for-nothing to me. She cultivates the Spirit Serpent Transformation, while I cultivate the most authentic Heavenly Serpent Transformation!"

Gu Haiqi didn't seem to care: "What's the difference?"

"Of course there is," Yu Tong said excitedly. "What is the Spirit Serpent Transformation? Besides turning scales into armor, what use is it? But my Heavenly Serpent Transformation is different. I can transform into a serpent, I can become a true Heavenly Serpent, I can be invincible in water, and I have a near-immortal body."

Most importantly, I have also found the ultimate path of the Heavenly Serpent Transformation. Do you know that I have a divine technique called the Flying Immortal Technique? I have cultivated it for twenty years and planned it for twenty years. I am about to succeed. I will be able to surpass the Heavenly Serpent Transformation and ascend from a serpent to a human!

Laugh, laugh! Do you even know what laughter is? It's about summoning wind and rain, riding the clouds, controlling lightning, being immortal, and living forever!

"Gu Haiqi, I beg you, please let me go, give me a chance, let me become Xiao, please? I beg you, once I become Xiao, I'll let you be my mount, and you can do whatever you want with me, okay? I'm just half a step away, just half a step away, I beg you, I really—I really want to become Xiao!"

Gu Haiqi tossed aside his draft and said, "Have you ever seen a smile? You're about to transform into a smile. But what did you just say? You also cultivate the Flying Immortal Technique?"

Yu Tong exclaimed in surprise, "You know the Flying Immortal Technique?"

"Hmm," Gu Guanqi said, "it's a method of cultivating spiritual power by splitting it in two, which allows you to invoke the gods."

Yu Tong asked in surprise, "You actually know that?"

As he spoke, Yu Tong glanced at the bundle he had thrown out before transforming, which was still floating on the water.

Gu Haiqi stretched out his hand and sucked the bundle into it. Then he opened it and found some loose silver, a book, and a dragon ball inside.

Gu Haiqi picked up the book, and it was indeed the Flying Immortal Manual.

He quickly flipped through it and found that it was the same book he had previously obtained from Liu Qingning, but the inner chapters were quite different.

"Damn, just as I suspected, is this Flying Immortal Technique tailor-made for each individual?"

Gu Haiqi's pupils contracted slightly as he looked at Yu Tong and asked, "How did you obtain the Flying Immortal Technique?"

After Gu Haiqi used silkworm silk to control Yu Tong, Yu Tong did not die. Gu Haiqi did not continue to kill him because he heard Yu Tong say that he was cultivating the Flying Immortal Technique.

After studying the Flying Immortal Technique for the past few days, Mu Gu Haiqi felt that the Flying Immortal Technique was somewhat strange and not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

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