Chapter 208: The Dragon’s Journey

As darkness fell, the sky churned with turbulent winds, a phenomenon not born of sorcery. Nearby, in the woods along the banks of the great river where Zhou Qing and the woman in white stood, several massive whirlwinds could be seen dancing. These gusts were immensely powerful; ancient trees, thick enough to require a man’s embrace to circle, were uprooted as the winds swept through, a testament to their devastating force.

Amidst the chaos of the whirlwinds at the riverbank, a trail appeared on the surface of the wide river, carved by something moving at high speed beneath the water. From time to time, a massive tail would lash out from the depths, sending spray flying high into the air.

Witnessing this, the two combatants, who had been locked in battle for a day and a night, came to a halt. Both understood exactly what was unfolding.

"Shall we continue?" Zhou Qing asked, glancing at the strange sights in the sky, the woods, and the river, before turning his gaze to the obstinate woman in white.

"No more fighting. I’ll spare you—get lost." The woman replied impatiently, her figure flickering to dodge a massive whirlwind that swept toward her.

As the wind passed, the behemoth swimming through the river surged past their position on the bank. Seeing this, the woman in white leaped into the river, pursuing the creature. Zhou Qing followed suit, diving into the water to trail behind the woman and the entity beneath the surface.

Zhou Qing had seen such a phenomenon before during his years of wandering. In the parlance of the world, it was called a "Dragon’s Ascent." Because he had witnessed it once prior, he had recognized the tail breaking the surface instantly. He also understood why the woman, who had hounded him for twenty-four hours, had abandoned their duel to chase the creature.

The "Dragon’s Ascent" was the mandatory process for a flood dragon to transform into a true dragon, requiring it to endure a heavenly tribulation. Should it succeed, the dragon would be born; however, during the tribulation, the creature would be rendered incredibly weak, whether it succeeded or failed.

If it successfully transformed into a dragon, slaying it during its period of vulnerability to claim the dragon pearl would be a stroke of immense fortune for any cultivator. A dragon pearl was far more potent than a flood dragon’s core, its effects exceeding the latter by more than tenfold.

Zhou Qing’s own cultivation progress—reaching the Spirit Movement realm—was largely due to that previous encounter. After consuming a dragon pearl, his power had surged, and combined with other fortuitous events, it had paved his path to his current strength.

Both Zhou Qing and the woman sought this great opportunity. As they tracked the creature—the dragon in the lead, the woman in the middle, and Zhou Qing at the rear—the woman noticed him and lashed out with a blast of energy.

"Let’s cooperate, fellow Daoist," Zhou Qing said, dodging the strike. "Neither of us can swallow this prize alone. Let us join forces to take the dragon pearl and split it down the middle, what do you say?"

Of course, this was a lie; one could hardly share such a treasure so easily. The woman, having fought him to a stalemate, weighed her options. She eventually feigned agreement: "Fine. Let us put our feud aside and secure the pearl together."

"Agreed. Then stop attacking me."

With their temporary pact, they continued the pursuit in an uneasy truce, both knowing that if they continued their duel, they would likely miss the prize. They merely waited for the moment the dragon fell to betray one another.

"Fellow Daoist, we’ve been fighting since we met, and I still don't know your name. I am Zhou Qing. And you?" Zhou Qing called out during the chase.

"Lingji," the woman replied curtly.

As they spoke, the black dragon in the river suddenly lifted its head above the surface. It was a massive beast, its maw filled with fangs large enough to swallow an ox whole. Upon surfacing, the black dragon exhaled toward its pursuers, instantly manifesting a massive whirlwind that roared toward them. The gust was dozens of feet high, its base several men wide, and it grew in size as it sucked up river water and forest debris.

Zhou Qing and Lingji dove simultaneously to the riverbed, letting the whirlwind pass overhead before resurfacing further ahead.

"It’s your fault," Lingji complained as she broke the water’s surface. "Your red robes are too conspicuous; you’ve drawn its attention. Stay underwater."

"If it were daytime, perhaps, but it is pitch black. I’d say your white robes are far more visible than mine," Zhou Qing retorted. "Let us continue beneath the surface."

They submerged again, swimming side by side until the river opened into the vast ocean. After a long pursuit, they saw the black dragon’s massive body rise above the sea. The two stopped at a distance, cautiously peeking out from beneath the waves.

The dragon had ascended into the clouds. Despite the darkness of night, lightning struck continuously, illuminating the sky. Having seen this before, Zhou Qing dove deep and swam a great distance away, maintaining a safe gap between himself and the ascending dragon.