Volcanic Age

Chapter 308: The Dragon Palace in the Midst of the Water (2)

"E-eeek…!" the Dragon's Tail let out a feeble scream. She curled up and bit her lips while keeping her eyes shut. Zhou Xuchuan walked past Chi Shuishui without even glancing at the latter, whose actions were unbefitting her achievement of reaching the peak of cultivation.

I actually thought that it could be an underwater city where mermen lived because it was said to be a legendary hidden sect, but it was as expected. He found himself in a cave that was as deep and wide as an abyss.

The Valley of Phantoms' branches weren't even this big.

The only entrance was that tunnel of water Chi Shuishui had guided him through.

The strangest part was the crystals that harmonized with the pure and white bluish lights. There were crystals of various sizes everywhere.

When he raised his head and looked at the ceiling, he saw stalactites scattered across the cave. The stalactites looked bizarre as well; they looked as if they were half crystal and half stone.

Lowering his head, he looked straight ahead to see a luxurious palace.

Based on the circumstances, it was definitely the Dragon Palace.

"Thank you for guiding me."

After letting Chi Shuishui escape so that she would guide him to the Dragon Palace, he followed her at a certain distance while hiding his presence. Whether it was because of her wounds or her fear, Chi Shuishui never realized that she was being pursued and "kindly" guided Zhou Xuchuan to the South Sea Dragon Gate.

Boooong.

The sound of a conch shell flowed out from the Dragon Palace.

Twice, three times, four times… the sound grew louder as it repeated.

The conch shell rang out from everywhere, seemingly sounding a warning.

They had to have noticed the intruder.

"I-I-I can't just let him go…!"

Chi Shuishui hovered around twenty steps away from Zhou Xuchuan, unable to do a thing. Although she wanted to attack right away, she couldn't do anything because of what had happened earlier.

Even though she was losing face as the Dragon's Tail, her body wouldn't follow her instructions, and she could only stomp in frustration.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xuchuan walked majestically toward the magnificent red dragon-patterned main gates.

BOONG!

Before he even reached the massive gates, they cracked open by themselves.

They moved slowly, as they were incredibly heavy.

Judging from the hostility and bloodlust flowing out from beyond the Dragon Palace, it seemed that, at the very least, they had no intention of surrendering.

BOOONG!

The heart-pounding sound of the conch echoed one last time.

At the same time, the gates opened completely.

"Dragon's Tail!"

"Are you okay?"

"What are you fools doing?! Hurry up and bring the medical team over immediately!"

As soon as the gate opened, a dozen or so armed and armored South Sea Dragon Gate warriors appeared.

It was surprising that there were so few of them, considering that this was the South Sea Dragon Gate's main base. However, if one simply thought about what was happening outside, one wouldn't find it that strange.

The South Sea Dragon Gate possessed considerable martial might, but it was impossible for any force to conserve its manpower during an all-out war.

"How dare one of you land humans come here?!"

"Leave!"

"The sea will bring its wrath down upon you!"

Zhou Xuchuan almost burst out laughing.

And what, is this supposed to be underwater?

He didn't know exactly where he was, but judging from its shape, he seemed to be under some island.

He estimated that it was roughly a thirty-minute trip inland. Moreover, they had been swimming at a fairly fast speed. He was certain that they were underground, not underwater.

"Where is the South Sea Dragon Gate Master?"

"You dare?!"

Groans mixed with rage flowed out from the South Sea Dragon Gate warriors.

"You really do speak audaciously with your wicked tongue! Even if you're a mere land human, to dare step on his Majesty the Dragon King of the Four Seas—"

"Enough!" A furious voice echoed from inside the Dragon Palace. It was so loud that it echoed throughout the entire cave.

"Grant him an audience!"

"We obey your command!"

The South Sea Dragon Gate warriors bowed at once as if they were of one body.

"Follow me!" a sharp-eyed youngster shouted, holding his trident ready as if he was going to attack at any signs of danger. Zhou Xuchuan didn't even blink an eye at the bright-eyed youngster as he walked along the red silk path.

On that note, I'm not sure who crafted this, but it really is…

The floor inside the Dragon Palace wasn't a rough and damp stone ground like the outside.

The floor wasn't made of marble, but it was flat and wide and was made of well-polished limestone. The crystal structure shone with an antique and beautiful feel, and it really felt like one was looking at the Dragon Palace.

When one looked closely at the carvings on the pillars that were erected at regular intervals and wrapped around with dragons, one would feel as if they were staring at the natural representation of the word "art."

The further one went, the more ornate the murals and structures became.

After walking for a short while, Zhou Xuchuan finally arrived at his destination.

"Welcome, land human."

"So you're the Gate Master of the South Sea Dragon Gate?"

The Gate Master's appearance was striking at first glance.

He was old, but he still easily stood over eight chi tall. His arms were as thick as a log, and his bulging muscles were overwhelmingly large.

Unlike the South Sea Dragon Gate warriors, who generally looked like they were in their twenties or thirties, the Gate Master was old and thus couldn't help but draw attention.

He had a bald head, which was unlike his immortal-esque long white beard and eyebrows, and there was a golden crown forged of pure gold sitting on it.

He truly stood out amidst the backdrop of red.

His callused and wrinkled hands held a golden trident that stood tall like a pillar.

If the emperor were to find out about the South Sea Dragon Gate, his eyes would roll into the back of his head.

In addition to calling himself "King," the man before Zhou Xuchuan even acted like one as well. Regardless of their status in the murim, this was crossing a line.

No one would be able to refute even if the entire Gate was arrested for treason.[1]

Even the officials, who wanted nothing to do with the murim, wouldn't have any choice but to intervene. Zhou Xuchuan truly hoped that the South Sea Dragon Gate wouldn't advance into the Central Plains.

"Not only did you disturb the sea, but you also invaded the Dragon Palace without permission, so don't ask for mercy," the South Sea Dragon King said as he slowly raised his giant body.

"Wait." Zhou Xuchuan held out his palm to ask for a conversation.

The South Sea Dragon Gate warriors were furious at Zhou Xuchuan's impudent attitude and wanted to say something, but the South Sea Dragon King stopped them with a gesture.

"Before we fight, I have a few questions to ask."

"Something to ask?"

"Yes. By chance, is there a blacksmith named Gan Yezi here?"

The South Sea Dragon King wiggled his eyebrows. It was a reaction that needed no answer.

"I've come to fetch Gan Yezi."

"You've come to fetch Gan Yezi?"

"Yes. I need his skills, so…"

"How shameless!"

The South Sea Dragon King swung his beard and let out a furious snarl. His face turned red and blue, and his forehead was bulging with blood vessels. The veins in his eyes also became prominent.

Bloodlust gushed out from his large body. Negotiation was no longer possible.

"You land humans, out of greed, angered the sea and destroyed the Nine Children of the Dragon Pillars! Now, you plan on taking even the blacksmith, and you wish to destroy the Dragon Palace! You bastards truly know how to infuriate the heavens!"

The South Sea Dragon King lost his senses out of fury and hatred.

Zhou Xuchuan tried to calm the other party down, but it seemed pointless.

Destroy the Nine Children of the Dragon Pillars? Zhou Xuchuan frowned and thought about it. What's going on?

The South Sea Dragon Gate appeared while the Hainan Sword Sect and the Returning Deer Gate were weakened by their long-standing conflict.

It had seemed as if they were trying to take advantage of the gap made due to the weakening of the powers that divided Hainan Island. It wasn't a certainty and was only a guess, but it was a highly probable one.

Otherwise, there would be no explanation as to why they appeared at the opportune moment.

Of course, it was true that the Hainan Sword Sect and the other forces had disrupted the nature of Hainan Island due to their greed. However, their greed wouldn't have been enough to invoke the fury of the sea.

The sea and weather of the South Sea had been this crazy for more than a day or two. The formations were also changing along with the weather. In fact, the changes to the flow of the sea and the number of artificial Nature Formations had increased only after the appearance of the South Sea Dragon Gate.

Is someone lying to me?

He assumed that the South Sea Dragon Gate had been lying all this time, but judging from what was happening before his very eyes, it seemed like it wasn't true.

Of course, that was the same for the Hainan Sword Sect and the Returning Deer Gate.

Not only was there no reason for them to lie, but above all, they didn't have the ability to come to this underwater cave.

It wasn't that they had no water immersion arts, but their access to good ones was almost non-existent. That was why they had been having such a hard time and hadn't been able to keep up with the South Sea Dragon Gate.

Now, he couldn't figure out what was right.

There are many problems in front of me, but it seems that I won't have the time to think about them leisurely.

BOOM!

The South Sea Dragon King kicked off the limestone floor and flew forward.

I won't kill him because that might lead to losing Gan Yezi.

It was harder to leave someone alive than to kill them. However, they weren't in the water anymore but on solid ground, so it couldn't be that difficult.

On the other hand, he would have to make appropriate adjustments to prevent the cave's collapse.

"Grah!" the South Sea Dragon King roared. The trident in his hand emitted a dazzling light and drew a line in the air.

Shing!

Nothing stood in the trident's path. The air split into three, opening up a road that led to Zhou Xuchuan's head.

"Heup!"

Zhou Xuchuan took a deep breath and swung his sword straight up.

Clang!

The sword and trident clashed, creating the crash and grind of metal.

The cave buzzed with a metallic noise. Not only was the sound loud, but the Gate Master's attack was also powerful. Zhou Xuchuan's feet were actually sinking into the ground.

As expected, he's worthy of being called the South Sea Dragon King.

While Zhou Xuchuan had properly received the South Sea Dragon King's greeting, his sheer power alone was still extraordinary. Even though the Dragon King wasn't using aura, Zhou Xuchuan's hands were slightly shaking.

He's quite impressive! The South Sea Dragon King's eyes widened in surprise, and then his expression returned to normal as he launched a thrust forward three times.

Clang, clang, clang!

It wasn't a mere clash of metal. Every time the two weapons collided, a huge shockwave would erupt, making it feel as if there were an ongoing earthquake.

They weren't using any fancy moves, but both were fast and strong, which was more than enough to shake things up.

In terms of martial arts alone, the South Sea Dragon King ranked at the top of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven.

However…

That was all there was to it…

In terms of speed or power alone, he wasn't at the level of the Seven Empyrean Overlords. That was the limit. Any further exploration would be meaningless.

Zhou Xuchuan wrapped the blade of his sword with qi. Then, the qi hardened like water turning into ice. Now, instead of sword qi, it was sword aura.

"Heup!"

He took a deep breath and…

"RAH!!" He let out a dragon's roar. It was Dragon's Roar, which rivaled the Shaolin's Lion Roar.

"…!" The Dragon King of the Four Seas flinched for a moment, seemingly overwhelmed by the roar.

Although Zhou Xuchuan hadn't reached the completion stage of the Dragon's Roar, his Dragon's Roar echoed as if it were at the completion stage, and it was all because he was an Absolute Master.

The Dragon King's heart was pounding, and he couldn't move. His head was throbbing as well. Without missing that gap, Zhou Xuchuan swung his sword against the trident with all his might.

Clang!

There was a long, metallic sound.

The trident wasn't cleaved through by the sword aura, and it ended up bouncing off.

Of course, it wasn't because the trident was a treasure-grade sword, or rather, a treasure-grade spear. There was a red, rippling spear aura on the spear's blade.

"What the…?"

The South Sea Dragon King's face was filled with shock.

However, the level of shock was unusual. It seemed that he wasn't just surprised by Zhou Xuchuan's cultivation.

"You brat! Just who the hell are you?!"

"The Mount Hua Sect's…"

"That roar was definitely the lost Dragon Roar of the Dragon Gate! Just where did you get that technique?"

Huh? Zhou Xuchuan was also dumbfounded by the South Sea Dragon King's shout.

The Dragon's Roar is a lost art of the Dragon Gate?

Zhou Xuchuan was about to retort and say that it was nonsense, but he quickly shut his mouth. The Sound God—no, the damned Dark Heavens Association, does go everywhere.

The Sound God had collected all of the sound techniques of not only the Central Plains but also the martial arts that roamed the gangho. The Dragon Roar had to be one of them.

Its source was most likely contested as well.

"Not only did you mess up the sea, but you even stole the martial arts of the Dragon Gate! I'll tear you to pieces and kill you!"

They said nothing is easy, but…

Zhou Xuchuan sighed. The situation was getting more and more complicated.

1. Note that since they're in Hainan Island, they're still under the "authority" of the imperial government. Even though the murim doesn't get involved in the regular world, a King is still a rebellion to the throne. ☜