Volume One: The Cloud Temple of Immortals Chapter Fifty-Three: The Flood Dragon

Chapter Fifty-Three: The Chi Dragon

The turtle leapt down from Yu Nan’s shoulder. Its meager one-meter height made it look like a three-year-old child compared to Yu Nan’s lofty stature of one meter seventy-five, and not just any child—a child from Africa!

“Since all three halls have shown their sincerity, let us see which one you choose.” The Master of the Cloud Mists Hall addressed the turtle in a calm tone.

Standing beside the turtle, Yu Nan nearly stamped her foot in anger at these words. Clearly, she was still fuming over the turtle’s earlier lewd antics, and now, hearing the Celestial Master speak of “sincerity,” it was as if she was being bartered about like fine wine or rare delicacies!

With this thought, Yu Nan bit her lip, glaring at the shameless turtle before her as though she were facing a sworn enemy, wishing she could boil him in a pot right there and then. Her gaze shifted to Zhou Hao, who suddenly felt as if a murderous intent had locked onto him, and he quickly avoided meeting Yu Nan’s eyes.

“Indeed, the Scarlet Mountain Hall offers its rarest insect, the Wood Spirit Hall its finest wine, and the Cloud Mists Hall…” The Scarlet Mountain Master glanced awkwardly at Yu Nan. After all, he couldn’t very well say that Cloud Mists Hall was offering a beautiful woman!

Hearing this, Yu Nan was on the verge of collapse, dark lines shadowing her face. If looks could kill, Zhou Hao and the turtle would have been dismembered a hundred times over!

The Celestial Master of Cloud Mists did not answer the Scarlet Mountain Master. He merely coughed twice and gazed upwards.

“Well then, turtle spirit, make your choice! Will it be the Scarlet Mountain Hall, the Wood Spirit Hall, or the Cloud Mists Hall?” The Scarlet Mountain Master sniffed, looking down his nose at the turtle in a display of arrogance.

Seeing the old man’s haughty demeanor, even pointing his nostrils at it, the turtle made no reply. Instead, it turned its face aside and began humming a little tune.

“Insolence! You, a mere creature from the lower realms, dare show such disrespect to the master of the Scarlet Mountain Immortal Hall?” The Scarlet Mountain Master’s brows furrowed as he rebuked the turtle. Instantly, a wave of sonic force surged toward it.

Yet to the Scarlet Mountain Master’s astonishment, the turtle simply withdrew its four limbs and tail into its jet-black shell, withstanding the sonic blast without so much as a tremor!

Both the Celestial Master of Cloud Mists and the Wood Spirit Hall Master exclaimed softly, clearly finding this unbelievable.

A single rebuke from a Celestial Master could shatter mountains and rivers in an instant. Even those at the peak of Golden Immortal power would be sent flying, let alone a turtle spirit from the mortal realm. But here, the turtle withstood the celestial reprimand, relying solely on its shell, without the aid of any immortal arts!

“I misjudged it,” thought the Scarlet Mountain Master, his hand lowering. “This turtle is no mere spirit from the mortal world—it must have an extraordinary origin!”

“This turtle must belong to the Scarlet Mountain Hall!” His gaze burned with fervor, and he vowed in his heart to win the creature.

Likewise, the Wood Spirit Hall Master stepped forward, considering that the rules set by the Celestial Master of Cloud Mists could be tossed aside…

A sharp sound interrupted the proceedings. On the Immortal Ascension Platform, two massive hands collided ten meters before the turtle—the masters of the Scarlet Mountain and Wood Spirit Halls had both struck, each determined to seize the turtle!

The turtle might well be a rare immortal beast, even in the Immortal Domain; otherwise, how could it withstand a Celestial Master’s attack at such a low cultivation level?

They even suspected that this turtle might be related to one of the supremely powerful Immortal Spirit Clans. If they could bring it back to their own immortal hall, it would be like finding a guardian deity!

With an immortal spirit presiding, who would dare challenge their hall? Look no further than the Colorful Plumage Hall—why could they act as they pleased? Why did the Red Ember Hall Master not rage when Colorful Spirit killed his disciple? Because the Colorful Plumage Hall was ruled by an immortal peacock spirit!

Even at the peak of Celestial Mastery, the Colorful Plumage Hall Master could easily slay a group of hall masters, for he was an immortal spirit, possessing the noble blood of ancient deities. A single drop of his blood could raise the dead or annihilate a city!

In the Immortal Domain, the mightiest powers are not sects or great schools, but the Celestial Clans and Immortal Spirit Tribes. Even the domain lords dare not offend either.

Just imagine: what does it mean to be a domain lord? There are nine Immortal Domains and eight domain lords! To become a domain lord, one’s strength is beyond question—one blow could shatter heaven and earth, destroy a galaxy. Their deeds are legendary. Even so, facing the Immortal Spirit Tribes and Celestial Clans, domain lords too must bow.

The Immortal Spirit Tribes trace their origins to the Age of Gods—a legendary era when the Immortal Domain was still in chaos, and countless primordial gods emerged, each possessing unimaginable power. Some gods could bring daylight by opening their eyes, or darkness by closing them. Some, with a single breath, could flood the chaos or set it ablaze. Others could become the very heavens and earth, opening up boundless starfields…

Celestial Clans refer to the most illustrious human immortal families, worthy of the title only if they have produced multiple immortal lords and won renown throughout the Immortal Domain. They are called clans because their immortal bloodlines elevate their descendants for generations, ensuring that talents arise ceaselessly. Thirty years ago, Zhou Hao saw a mighty river coursing through the void—belonging to a Celestial Clan of the Qin family.

“What do you two mean by this? Have you forgotten our agreement?” The Celestial Master of Cloud Mists glared at the Scarlet Mountain and Wood Spirit Hall Masters, who were locked in fierce struggle.

“Hmph! I care nothing for agreements. This turtle must belong to the Scarlet Mountain Hall, and no one will stop me!” declared the Scarlet Mountain Master.

“Dream on! Such a rare immortal turtle cannot grow in your boorish hall! Only the Wood Spirit Hall is fit to nurture it!” The Wood Spirit Hall Master sneered, his black hair flying as a green light flashed in his eyes.

“If that’s so, then I’ll have to act as well. The Cloud Mists Hall cannot let this turtle go. Let our skills decide!” The Celestial Master of Cloud Mists was enveloped in white radiance, instantly blocking the way before Yu Nan and the turtle.

“Hahaha! Excellent! Your disciples are outstanding—let’s see if their master is just as impressive!” the Scarlet Mountain Master laughed.

“Just as I hoped—let our abilities speak!” the Wood Spirit Hall Master said coldly.

With those words, the Wood Spirit Hall Master was the first to strike. Stretching out his palm, hundreds of verdant vines gushed forth, snaking around the Celestial Master of Cloud Mists to ensnare the turtle.

Boom!

The Scarlet Mountain Master swung his arm, and a storm of earthen energy swept toward the turtle, its might so terrifying that even the surrounding disciples felt the space itself shifting and warping.

Pop!

At the same instant, the Celestial Master of Cloud Mists also acted. With a pointed finger, a ray of white light illuminated the platform, withering the vines and dissolving the earthen tempest in an instant.

In this first exchange, the Celestial Master of Cloud Mists was victorious!

“What a Cloud Mists! Even after centuries, he can suppress my arts with a single strike!” The Wood Spirit Hall Master was unsettled.

Once, he and Cloud Mists had been sworn brothers, cultivating and vanquishing demons together. Their strength was evenly matched, until one day the Wood Spirit Hall Master realized he was no longer Cloud Mists’ equal. Jealousy consumed him, and he sought to defeat—or even kill—his former friend. Only Cloud Mists’ vigilance saved him. From that day, they were mortal enemies.

“Cloud Mists, if you can withstand this next blow, the turtle is yours!” the Wood Spirit Hall Master shouted, beginning a secret immortal art. His hands formed seals at lightning speed, conjuring a vast, emerald vortex in the void—like a gateway to another dimension. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, wind and rain lashed the Ascension Platform!

“What a sinister aura! It’s as if the whole world has become a hunting ground and we’re all prey!” a disciple shuddered.

“It’s oppressive—so stifling I can’t breathe!” another said, his face pale.

“Are the Celestial Masters going all out? Will we be caught in the crossfire? Will we die?” blurted a terrified disciple.

A roar thundered from within the emerald vortex, shaking the entire platform. If not for the Celestial Master of Cloud Mists’ timely protection, every elder and disciple present would have perished from the sound alone, save the three hall masters.

Unimaginable! The Wood Spirit Hall Master was utterly reckless, caring nothing for innocent lives—not even those of his own hall.

“You madman!” cried the Celestial Master of Cloud Mists in fury.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…

He gestured in the void, summoning another vortex from which tens of thousands of violet swords of mist burst forth. Sword energy surged, cleaving and weaving, all of it hurtling toward the emerald vortex—Cloud Mists’ famed technique: The Clouds Part, Mists Disperse!

With a thunderous roar, a massive figure burst forth from the vortex, its cry echoing across the heavens.

It was a thousand-zhang long, its body covered in green scales gleaming with a metallic sheen. It resembled a dragon, though its head lacked horns—yet was unmistakably that of a dragon. It was also a “one-eyed dragon,” for its left socket was a gaping black pit.

“A chi dragon!”

All the watching elders and disciples cried out in shock. It was a true chi dragon. They had thought that, at most, some monster shaped by immortal power would emerge from the vortex, not a corporeal being. Now they were utterly confounded.

“That venomous chi—you… Fine! Today I’ll make you see sense!” The Celestial Master of Cloud Mists, having suspected but never confirmed the truth, now understood completely.

All the violet swords turned as one, aiming for the chi dragon’s sole eye. The dragon roared, swinging its massive tail to block the onslaught.

“Well, well! To think your Clouds Part, Mists Disperse would falter today. Cloud Mists, I think your powers have waned, not grown!” The Wood Spirit Hall Master stood atop the chi dragon’s head, arms folded, sneering.

“Enough talk. Today, we settle this!” The Celestial Master of Cloud Mists, radiant in flowing white, seemed almost divine.

“Still so stubborn? Then die!” shrieked the Wood Spirit Hall Master.

Boom!

The void trembled. The heavens split with dense black fissures, lightning lashing down like celestial dragons. The Ascension Platform shook violently. In that moment, the Celestial Master of Cloud Mists transformed into a giant a thousand zhang tall, grappling the chi dragon by hand. Each clash between the two shook the very world.

The chi dragon struck with its tail, like a mountain crashing down, but Cloud Mists withstood it—first blocking with his hands, then grasping the tail, attempting to overturn the dragon.

The chi dragon was swift, coiling its body and then, with a fierce swipe, its massive claw pierced Cloud Mists’ left side. Blood gushed forth, startlingly bright.