Beiluo, lake-heart isle.
Lu leaned on Thousand Blade Chair, bronze cup empty of plum wine.
Eyes lines danced.
Suddenly smiled.
"Supreme black dragon?"
Lu inhaled—white robes and hair wild in wind, light snow—perhaps Great Zhou's final fall.
"Who influenced whom—Yuwen Xiu the dragon, or dragon Yuwen Xiu?"
Lu weighed cup.
Evil path, demonic path—cultivation ways; Lu shouldn't interfere. But black dragon deviated—perhaps from first flesh fed.
Or Yuwen Xiu's blood lure...
Doomed outcome.
"From blood, to flesh, to humans, now cultivators..."
Evilization process—mirrored Yuwen Xiu's heart change.
"Devour cultivators—evil path fake pill luck; true Golden Core far."
Lu shook head.
Yuwen Xiu's supreme claim—amusing.
Black dragon fastest evolving among gates.
But strongest? No.
Not top three.
Looked up—Beiluo lake Dragon Gate: little Yinglong sprawled, white Heavenly Secret Pigeon cooed atop.
Yinglong still—wings drooped, "squirted" water arc.
Hit pigeon—soaked, flapped away.
Yinglong grinned, climbed gate, squirted more—chased pigeon.
Joyful.
Lu glanced, withdrew.
Doubted if spoiled silly.
Silly yes—but in fight, black dragon no match.
"Whatever..."
Lu smiled—silly fine; he protected, none bully.
Mind stirred.
Next, consciousness entered gate.
Yinglong playing paused—sensed intrusion, eyes rolled seeking.
None—resumed squirting.
...
Buzhou Peak, Dragon Gate.
Girl sat bluestone, flute long—melody悠悠.
Snow fell—peak evergreen.
Suddenly.
Girl paused, closed lashes trembled, chin lifted excited to void spot.
...
Imperial city, Imperial Garden.
Black dragon head up, eyed pool Dragon Gate—sharp knife eyes.
Gate figure stood quiet.
Garden all shocked.
"Baiyujing disciple?"
"Young Master Lu's driver..."
"Baiyujing... Nie Changqing!"
Many tensed, stunned.
Baiyujing—top cultivation force!
Yuwen Xiu eyed Nie—sudden shock.
Unexpected—meant Lu reclaiming dragon?
Yuwen Xiu unwilling.
Once Bai Qingniao wounded dragon garden.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Now Nie—to capture.
Baiyujing no interference?
Why target him?
Nie leaned gate edge, bearded lips curled—eyed ferocious dragon; aura strong, hairs raised.
Unknowing—little black jiao grown thus?
Pity...
No devouring breakthroughs—Young Master ignore. But lives, cultivators—pure evil.
Nie hand on pig knife—dragon strong, post-Guards half Golden Core.
Pre-fifth floor Nie—no confidence.
But attribute-derived—fight possible.
Nie stepped—robes wild, floated from gate.
Toes rippled pool.
Drew knife sudden.
"Pig knife slays pigs... dragons too."
Nie light laugh.
Top lightness—crossed void, snow steps—knife swung.
Black dragon roared!
Neck gills shook—pool splashed.
Claws ground—snow exploded, four limbs pounced Nie.
Nie stood—robes wild.
Tossed knife—black spun fast front.
Aura soared—five qi vortices armored exquisite...
"Blade Control."
Nie low drink.
Waved—knife whistled, blade shadow clashed dragon.
Air sharp—iron clash rang.
Nie drew hate.
Overlord relieved.
Stood snow—eyed even fight, face condensed.
Nie stronger!
Nie light raised knife—qi crisscross dragon body; unbreakable scales cracked faint.
Nie blade far Overlord axe!
Dragon tail sweep—Nie floated, gripped knife, slashed.
Qi spread garden.
Dragon suppressed.
Xiang, Xuanwu tongue-smacked—shocking.
Dragon mighty—Overlord evaded.
Yet Nie hard-clashed pig knife.
"Nie Changqing!"
"Dragon forming Golden Core—no chance!"
Overlord snow bellowed intense Nie.
Nie nodded slight, "Know."
Eyes sharp.
"Young Master send bring Beiluo—walk yourself, or beat half-dead drag?"
Nie barked.
Dragon eyes flashed—roared angry.
Scales blasted waves.
Faster charged Nie.
Thud thud!
Claws thousand force—ground cracked faint.
Nie eyes changed—aura blade intent burst—body pig knife shadow.
"Metal blade intent!"
Nie low roar.
Gold brilliant—like molten splash.
Gripped knife flung—ground exploded.
Gold qi terrible—snow blasted, pool bombed.
Dragon threatened—Nie blade death sense.
Coiled—mouth opened.
Breath sprayed.
Hot breath vs metal attribute blade!
Attributes clashed!
Tip vs tip!
Faint—dragon breath suppressed.
Gold slashed dragon.
Scale cracks echoed world—with dragon wail.
One blade black dragon.
Dragon blood splashed.
Dragon crashed—body gash neck to tail.
Huge damage.
Nie robes wild, bathed blood—knife hovered head, slow walked.
Heart wary.
Dragon... strongest blade no kill?
Dragon breed—defense human far.
But...
One no—more!
Nie eyes brilliant—intent surged, knife clang.
Metal intent—slashed again.
This—slay dragon!
Afar.
Yuwen Xiu pale.
Unexpected dragon beaten...
Flesh-fed dragon last hope—once hesitated, sleepless.
But power grew, Guards stronger—Yuwen thought deaths worthy.
Intensified.
Thought devoured many—strong; if not Lu, not weaker disciples.
Reality struck.
Baiyujing disciples... dragon inferior!
Afar.
Tantai Xuan, Jiang Li, Daxuan generals trembled.
Great cultivator vs evil dragon.
Earth-shaking—blade qi aftermath no resist Xuanwu.
Tantai Xuan complex: "Cultivators... this."
Jiang Li silver spear torch eyes.
Knew Baiyujing strong—underestimated.
Dragon strong—Baiyujing stronger!
Overlord blood boiled—dragon beat him, Nie beat dragon...
Vs Nie—ground pounded.
Nie derived attributes—Body Storage peak, half Heaven Lock!
Lagged again?!
Unwilling!
Dragon crisis sensed.
Nie metal intent slash—death feel; beasts sensitive.
No die.
Mouth opened.
Black pearl floated—souls wailed devoured.
Eyes red flash.
Force form dragon pill Golden Core!
Knew untimely... Nie forced.
Roared!
Scales molted—black blood seeped, wrapped pill.
Nie cold—metal intent no mercy.
Allow Golden Core—disaster.
Unless Young Master—who suppress?
Nie no allow.
Blade intent, unbreakable metal qi.
Slashed.
Hit black pill.
Boom!
Black light surged—blood splashed, hot evaporated, black mist wrapped dragon pill.
Oppressive muffled aura garden.
Nie grave—looked black clouds...
"Heaven phenomenon—forming Golden Core?"
Nie inhaled.
Gripped knife horizontal—step snow parted waves, charged black mist.
Knife raised—slashed mist dragon.
Mist faint dim gold.
Golden Core!
Nie heart tight.
Claw shot mist.
Power aura enhanced.
Forced pill—succeeded!
Claw vs knife—surface crisp...
Crack—chip!
Nie pupils shrank.
Knife flew.
Gripped—force spun ground circles, stabilized.
Mist cleared.
Dragon mouth dim gold pearl.
Formed pill, condensed Golden Core!
Eyes mad joy—succeeded!
Gambled win!
Fake pill—time nurture true!
Now vs Nie—fake enough!
Eyes brilliant.
Devour cultivators shortcut!
Locked Nie, Overlord, Xuanwu Xiang armies...
Cultivators!
Devour all—further transform?!
Nie exhaled—knife chipped, raised glance—time change.
Ordinary knife—no spirit tool.
Back isle—seek Gongshu blade.
Dragon greedy Nie.
Now craved devour.
But... heart figure emerged.
Lone boat, calm fishing.
Figure—lost devour thought.
Nie his disciple.
Untouchable.
Shifted—Overlord, cultivator armies.
Roar!
Dragon roared—pill released mighty aura.
Nie sighed—can't beat; Young Master task failed.
First failure—frustrated.
Suddenly.
Flute悠悠 echoed.
From pool gate—melodious floated.
Garden heavy atmosphere.
Nie stunned.
Yuwen Xiu excited dragon paused.
Air roaring dragon scales tight—extreme cold wrapped.
Stared gate—more fear than Nie.
Gate.
Graceful shadow slow.
Closed-eye girl, flute held, played—emerged gate.
"Her?"
Nie heart shock—Buzhou Peak mysterious girl?
Tantai Xuan recognized—face changed.
Immortal path loss—unforgettable!
Why here?
Dragon eyes dead stare girl.
Flute ceased.
Girl lowered flute, chin lifted—long lashes trembled, fair face to dragon.
Dragon body shook uncontrollably.
Low roar—no confidence.
Golden armored Yuwen Xiu eyed dragon—first so weak!
Who girl?
World besides Baiyujing Lu—fear dragon?
"Follow me."
Girl Zhulong said.
"Roar!"
Dragon fear unwilling low.
Swallowed pill—sky black clouds, fled no look back!
Scene stimulated all.
Yuwen Xiu most.
Transformed dragon... fled?!
Girl soft sigh—hair floated, gave chance.
Lashes trembled.
Heavy closed eyes slow opened.
Left black, right white.
Boom!
Garden all vision blurred...
Dark white alternated—extreme discomfort.
Ears dragon terrified roar.
Like shouting...
Don't come.
Finally...
Roar sank.
Vision cleared.
Haze gone—snow quiet fell, white ground.
Ears flute悠悠—gate front, girl white hand dragon tail, flute lips slow play—with melody, dragon claws ground scrape...
Dragon huge body dragged, vanished gate.
World silent.
All bewildered.
Just... what happened?
