Chapter 104: Treated Like a Plaything

The Unworldly Water Spirit Pearl had absorbed the Water Jiao Pearl, so not only was Zhou Qing not frozen into an ice block, he emerged completely unharmed. At the same time, within his spiritual platform, the absorption of the Water Jiao Pearl’s power caused a faint blue radiance to appear. The only explanation for why his body remained unaffected after being struck by the Jiao Pearl was precisely this.

Just as Zhou Qing suspected, it was indeed the Jiao Pearl of that water jiao dragon that awakened the unworldly water spiritual root within him, which was why that blue glow manifested in his spirit.

With the emergence of the blue radiance around his spiritual platform, Zhou Qing also noticed a peculiar sensation. Though he was standing in a torrential downpour, he could feel the rain falling from the sky seemingly following his will, leaving his body untouched by a single drop.

Sensing this strange power, Zhou Qing focused his thoughts, and the raindrops falling around him automatically curved away from his body, as if an invisible shield surrounded him. The sensation was utterly wondrous—it was as though he could command the rain itself. Yet, with his current level of control, the effect was faint, only just enough to divert the rainfall from his immediate vicinity.

Experiencing this sudden awakening of supernatural ability, Zhou Qing’s face bore an expression of astonishment as his gaze met the blood-red jiao dragon hovering in mid-air.

The jiao dragon’s deep blue eyes fixed on the small red figure standing at the lakeshore. After a few puzzled, low growls, it erupted into another furious roar. With the sound of its rage, the massive dragon’s body plunged down from the sky, lunging directly at Zhou Qing.

As the giant jiao attacked, Zhou Qing moved swiftly, retreating rapidly while forming a hand seal before his forehead, summoning the Eight Extremes Barrier. At the same time, he condensed his Illusory Peerless into the shape of a spear over a zhang long, gripped it tightly, and charged straight toward the oncoming dragon.

In moments, the immense body of the water jiao descended, and Zhou Qing, clutching his spear, aimed directly for the dragon’s remaining eye. At this close range, Zhou Qing could see that the eye he had previously wounded was shut tight, with a streak of blood at its corner. Now, the dragon before him was a one-eyed jiao—if he could blind its other eye, he might have a slim chance at survival.

The sharp spear tip of Illusory Peerless shot toward the jiao dragon’s eye, but just as it was about to strike, the dragon jerked its head upward, dodging Zhou Qing’s attack. In an instant, its massive tail lashed out, whipping against Zhou Qing’s Eight Extremes Barrier. The protective white shield around him shattered into nothingness, and Zhou Qing himself was sent flying back into the lake.

The force of the jiao’s tail was tremendous; Zhou Qing was hurled nearly half a mile away.

With a splash, Zhou Qing plunged into the water once more. This time, as he swam to the surface, he realized he was now too far from the shore to swim back easily. Moreover, as he broke the surface, he saw the jiao dragon soaring toward him from the nearby sky.

Zhou Qing was never a strong swimmer, and now, after being thrown into the lake by the water jiao, the outcome seemed obvious. Yet, floating atop the lake, he did not panic. For now, he discovered that, just as he could manipulate the rain, he could also exert some control over the lake’s waters themselves.

Though he could not yet overturn the lake with a mere gesture, he found that by focusing his will, the water would part around his body, leaving him untouched. The sensation was akin to standing on solid ground.

Furthermore, Zhou Qing realized that with a mere thought, he didn’t need to swim—the lake’s waters would propel him as he wished.

“So this is the power of the Unworldly Water Spirit Pearl?” he wondered to himself.

Ever since absorbing the Water Jiao Pearl, Zhou Qing had begun to sense the marvels of the Water Spirit Pearl. When he’d first obtained it in the ancient tomb, he hadn’t felt anything special about this so-called unworldly treasure. Before the Jiao Pearl had entered his body, there had been no trace of blue light in his spiritual platform, nor had he sensed any power over water.

But now, after absorbing the Jiao Pearl, he realized the Water Spirit Pearl’s might, and he could feel that the Jiao Pearl had only barely awakened a fraction of its abilities. If the Water Spirit Pearl’s power was ever fully awakened, he had no doubt he could command the rivers and lakes at a whim.

As the giant jiao dragon lunged at him in the lake, Zhou Qing sank beneath the surface with a thought. Although his speed underwater wasn’t great, it was far faster than swimming by his own strength.

Diving seven or eight fathoms down, Zhou Qing reached the lakebed. Looking up, he saw the jiao dragon’s body surging into the water, charging straight toward him. Having suffered at Zhou Qing’s hands before, and with its pearl now stolen, the dragon, instead of biting, swept its massive tail through the water toward Zhou Qing again.

Struck by the tail, Zhou Qing’s body was pushed aside, traveling twenty or thirty yards before stopping. Underwater, buoyancy lessened the force of the blow, so he wasn’t flung as far as before.

Before Zhou Qing could recover, the jiao dragon surged through the water, its twin claws—each tipped with only three sharp talons—reaching for him.

Although the water was the jiao’s domain, Zhou Qing was no longer powerless. As the claws closed in, he willed Illusory Peerless to morph into a large shield, raising it before him. The sharp talons scraped across the shield of condensed spiritual energy in utter silence, draining some of Zhou Qing’s strength but failing to harm him.

Then, the jiao dragon swung its head, once more sending Zhou Qing hurtling dozens of yards through the lake.

Each time Zhou Qing tried to steady himself, the dragon would ram or lash him away again. He felt like nothing more than a toy being tossed back and forth, the dragon’s plaything in the depths.

Seeing the jiao dragon rushing at him again, Zhou Qing chose to stop resisting. He simply gripped Illusory Peerless tightly in his hand, letting his body be buffeted left and right in the water, quietly waiting for the dragon to draw near once more.

He was waiting for an opportunity—a chance to seize hold of the jiao dragon’s body.

Time and again, the dragon approached, each time flinging Zhou Qing in another direction. Yet, since the blows weren’t truly painful, Zhou Qing allowed himself to be played with, biding his time for the perfect moment.