Chapter 151 Dual Demise

Over the Qingyuan River, the sky was overcast. Holding a compass in his hand, Gao Mingjun navigated his boat forward.

This compass was a tracking artifact, a relatively rare tool used for pursuit. Originally, the Gao family had specially procured it from Qingteng County to deal with the Corpse Daoist, but now it was being used to search for Gao Siyuan.

"Damnation, this tracking compass is merely a replica. Even though I extracted Siyuan's aura from items in his home, the range this artifact can cover is still extremely limited, and most importantly, its directional guidance is only a rough approximation."

Looking at the swaying needle in the palm of his hand, Gao Mingjun could not help feeling a surge of anxiety after fruitlessly searching for so long. The longer the delay, the more Gao Siyuan's lingering aura would fade, making their tracking task even more difficult. He had every reason to be anxious.

Over the past few days, guided by the tracking compass, they had already located several places where Gao Siyuan had left behind a strong aura, including the county town of Qinghe, yet they had never managed to catch sight of him.

"Siyuan, wherever have you gone?"

Gazing into the distance, watching the rolling river waters surge forward without turning back, the sense of unease in Gao Mingjun's heart grew increasingly intense.

Right at that moment, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky, and mist started to rise from the river surface.

Faced with this sudden change in the weather, Gao Mingjun, preoccupied with his worries, did not think much of it at first. After all, it was already an overcast day, and rain was quite normal. However, he quickly realized something was amiss. The mist grew thicker and thicker, shrouding the surroundings in the blink of an eye and isolating his small boat from the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, Gao Mingyue, who had been lingering in the shadows and quietly following Gao Mingjun, also sensed that something was wrong.

Gao Siyuan had inexplicably lost contact, and Qinghe County was suspected to harbor some unknown danger. For greater safety, she and Gao Mingjun had decided that one would remain visible while the other stayed hidden. Gao Mingjun would stand in the open, handling all matters likely to leave a trace, while she remained perfectly concealed in the shadows, ready to provide backup when necessary. Although her cultivation level was not high, she possessed a certain talent for concealment.

"This mist is unusual. Could it be..."

Connecting this to some intelligence gathered previously and realizing the danger, Gao Mingyue, with a verdant bamboo leaf hovering above her head, immediately retreated. She wanted to distance herself from the mist and avoid becoming completely trapped like Gao Mingjun.

However, it was already too late. The wisps of mist had already interfered with her perception, preventing her from noticing in time the dark shadow that flashed beneath the river's surface.

With a rumbling sound, a slender flood-dragon tail burst out of the water, carrying the might of the river and churning up a great wave that struck her directly.

With a loud crash, the attack came with such ferocity that even though Gao Mingyue had raised her defenses at the very first moment, it was to no avail. As the dragon tail slammed down, her spiritual light barrier shattered instantly.

"Ah..."

The unleashed might of the flood dragon crashed over her. Gao Mingyue felt as though she had been struck by a devastating blow; every bone in her body shattered, and she was instantly transformed into a bloody pulp.

Accompanied by a miserable shriek, Gao Mingyue lost all ability to resist. Like a bird with broken wings, she plummeted directly from the air. In truth, had the physical body of a Qi-refining cultivator not been exceptionally sturdy, that single blow would have already reduced her to a pool of mud. Even so, she was breathing in much more than she was breathing out, and her time left was short.

"Mingyue..."

Vaguely perceiving Gao Mingyue's plight through the mist, Gao Mingjun's expression changed drastically.

Without hesitation, he immediately conjured his middle-grade artifact, the Azure Serpent Whip, attempting to blast open the mist, but it was of no use. Not only did the mist refuse to dissipate, but it also grew even denser.

"Just what kind of creature is this..."

Anxious at heart, Gao Mingjun probed continuously, desperately searching for a way out.

At a certain moment, having caught a fleeting trace, his true qi surged. Gao Mingjun fiercely swung the Azure Serpent Whip, lashing out violently at a patch of mist.

With a muffled explosion, the mist burst apart, and a figure finally appeared within Gao Mingjun's field of vision. Yet, the moment he beheld the true form of his enemy, Gao Mingjun felt no relief, only sheer terror.

"A flood dragon..."

With a single horn upon its head, icy-blue manes at its neck, a length of ten zhang, and a body covered entirely in snow-white scales, Gao Mingjun confirmed that his eyes were not deceiving him.

At that moment, he finally understood why Gao Siyuan had lost contact in this tiny Qinghe County.

"Mingyue..."

Realizing that Gao Mingyue had likely met a grim fate, Gao Mingjun formed hand seals to stimulate the Azure Phosphorus Toxic Fire, transforming the Azure Serpent Whip into a venomous, blazing python. He unleashed his most powerful offensive measure.

Upon seeing this, a ripple finally stirred within the azure-blue eyes of Jiang Chen, who had transformed into a flood dragon.

"Artifact and technique fused into one. These long-lived Qi-refining cultivators certainly possess some tricks up their sleeves, but unfortunately, it is still not enough."

Watching the Azure Serpent Whip wreathed in Azure Phosphorus Toxic Fire as it whipped toward him, Jiang Chen extended a dragon claw.

Hum. Moving with blinding speed, the moment it was seized by Jiang Chen's dragon claw, the venomous python formed by the Azure Serpent Whip was gripped as if by its fatal seven inches, showing signs of immediate collapse. Under the压制 of absolute power, Gao Mingjun's little tricks were completely useless.

Seeing this, Gao Mingjun's heart sank entirely. Yet, he still had no intention of giving up. The moment this flood dragon had revealed itself, he knew he was no match for it, but he had to pass the news out somehow so that the Gao family could be on their guard.

As for death, he did not fear it. In fact, when he chose to personally come to Qinghe County to investigate the situation, he had already prepared himself to die.

"Azure Phosphorus Toxic Fire, go!"

Triggering three clusters of Azure Phosphorus Toxic Fire in succession, Gao Mingjun launched another attack against Jiang Chen.

However, the very instant the toxic flames descended, the flood-dragon form of Jiang Chen vanished into an illusion, leaving behind only a shroud of mist.

Simultaneously, a dragon claw thrust out from the mist behind Gao Mingjun, grabbing him firmly in its palm as easily as one would clutch a fledgling chick.

The moment he was seized by the dragon claw, Gao Mingjun struggled desperately with all his might, but it was utterly futile. As the dragon claw tightened slightly, the vine armor protecting him began to shatter continuously, and the bones throughout his body wailed in agony.

"Flood dragon, you..."

With a flushed face, looking upon Jiang Chen who had fully manifested his flood-dragon body, Gao Mingjun's eyes were filled with venomous hatred.

It was precisely at that moment, sensing something, Jiang Chen's gaze shifted slightly as he fully closed his dragon claw.

Crack, crack. Every bone in his body shattered instantly, and Gao Mingjun's breath ceased entirely. The vine seeds hidden within his flesh, which were about to burst forth through his skin, simultaneously lost their vitality.

"Hiding vine seeds within flesh and blood—come to think of it, Gao Siyuan learned this trick from you."

Looking at the thoroughly deceased Gao Mingjun, Jiang Chen casually discarded his corpse.

"The Mist Flood Dragon possesses arts such as Mist Swamp, Illusory Mist, Riding Mist, Summoning Tides, and Frigid Light. In terms of sheer might, the strongest is the Frigid Light art derived from the flood dragon's breath, which can freeze rivers solid when unleashed at full power. However, the most profound remains the Mist Swamp."

"Once the Mist Swamp is deployed, the inside and outside are completely isolated. Those trapped within will find their perception heavily suppressed, while the Mist Flood Dragon's various abilities receive a certain enhancement, and even the consumption of true qi is reduced. It grants an absolute home-field advantage."

Using this minor skirmish with two Qi-refining cultivators as a sacrifice, Jiang Chen gained a deeper comprehension of the abilities of the Mist Flood Dragon.