Chapter 112
Chapter 112: Azure Dragon
Buzz!
In an instant, the very air within the cave trembled sharply.
From the distant shadows, a streak of azure light shot forth, swiftly soaring above the spinning stone bead. In the blink of an eye, it revealed itself—a ghostly Azure Dragon, barely half a zhang long.
The Azure Dragon’s phantom jaws snapped open, aiming to swallow the floating stone bead whole. But just as its teeth clamped shut, the stone bead vanished completely, leaving the dragon to bite nothing but air.
At the same moment, Li Mu Sheng flipped his palm open, carefully observing the bead he had just captured through the void. A strange expression quickly crossed his face; from this dull-gray bead, he sensed a mysterious energy, remarkably similar to the Qilin blood.
It wasn’t exactly the same kind of power, yet each contained a unique and mysterious Qi current—utterly distinct from the martial Qi cultivated by warriors.
Li Mu Sheng’s eyes brightened with joy.
Since the Qilin blood had greatly benefited him, this stone bead would surely offer something just as valuable. Thinking this, he decided to absorb the peculiar force inside the bead.
But right then, from within the darkness ahead, a deep, labored breath echoed.
Meanwhile, the Azure Dragon phantom that had missed its prize circled slowly in midair, its bright azure eyes flickering open. Its gaze fixed sharply upon Li Mu Sheng.
At the same time, the low whispers that had filled the cave suddenly became clear. Two words were distinctly heard:
“Dragon Bead!”
Li Mu Sheng raised his eyebrows slightly, glancing at the bead in his hand.
Then, lifting his gaze, he saw an elderly man appear suddenly from the gloom ahead. Narrowing his eyes, Li Mu Sheng asked him, “Old man, are you saying this bead in my hand is called a Dragon Bead?”
The white-haired elder wore tattered clothes, his disheveled hair hiding most of his face. Only his corpse-like pale features were faintly visible. Standing casually atop the water, he lowered his head, muttering in a broken, raspy voice, “This…is not…yours…to take…”
Slowly, he lifted his sleeve, revealing a bony, pale arm resembling a withered branch. His voice grew sharper as he said:
“Give…it…back to me!”
Li Mu Sheng carefully studied the elder, casually tossing the bead in his palm. He chuckled lightly, “Don’t say I’m bullying an old man. Answer a question first, then I’ll think about returning this to you.”
Without waiting for the elder’s agreement, he continued, “Earlier, I ran into a group of reanimated corpses. Tell me honestly, old man, was that your handiwork?”
At this, the elder standing silently on the water remained still. His pale, lifeless eyes rolled slowly, as if struggling to comprehend the question.
Li Mu Sheng grew impatient, sneering coldly, “Still pretending? It must be you, old man.”
Just as he raised his hand to strike, another figure suddenly flashed through the darkness, coming to a stop in midair near the elderly man.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t recklessly attack him,” said the newcomer—a middle-aged man clad in a long azure robe, standing calmly in the air.
His aura was reserved, and a scar extended across his weathered face from eyebrow to chin, making him appear quite fierce. Strapped to his back was a longsword wrapped in gray cloth. His eyes, unlike his quiet presence, were sharp and hawk-like, exuding a hidden danger as he stared intently at Li Mu Sheng and the bead in his hand.
Li Mu Sheng glanced at him, pausing his raised hand, and asked suspiciously, “It’s getting crowded here. Who might you be? Do you also plan to snatch this Dragon Bead from me?”
Hearing this, the middle-aged man’s gaze shifted from the bead to the elderly figure. He shook his head slightly, responding, “Who I am does not concern you.”
“All you need to know is, as long as he remains here, no one can take the Dragon Bead away from the Dragon-Sealing River. I myself gave up thoughts of possessing it long ago.”
Li Mu Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly. [This fellow certainly talks big.]
But seeing no deception in the man’s expression, Li Mu Sheng nodded slightly. “It’s good for you that you have no designs on it…”
Pausing suddenly, he changed his tone and asked uncertainly, “Those corpses I encountered earlier—they weren’t your doing, right?”
The middle-aged man frowned, inspecting Li Mu Sheng for a moment, then shook his head slowly. “Those corpses have nothing to do with me. They are the work of Azure Dragon Elder. He not only cultivates the supreme divine art, the Azure Dragon Cang Ming Scripture, but also controls a mystical secret technique, capable of commanding an army of corpses.”
Li Mu Sheng’s eyes flickered briefly, though he seemed unconcerned about this revelation. Nodding slightly, he said, “As long as it wasn’t you. That means I didn’t pick the wrong person. This old man definitely deserves a beating.”
Without further delay, Li Mu Sheng’s hand dropped swiftly through the air, striking towards the Azure Dragon Elder, who still stood motionless, eyes slowly rolling.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man’s face changed drastically, preparing to intervene.
But before he could even move, the Azure Dragon Elder, previously standing atop the water, was flung backward by an unseen force as if he were merely a discarded sack. He became a shadow, tumbling into the darkness from whence he had appeared, vanishing instantly.
“Hm?” Bu Cheng Yang was stunned, furrowing his brow deeply.
He gazed into the shadowed depths ahead, then turned back to Li Mu Sheng, disbelief evident on his face. Normally, Li Mu Sheng should have been the one thrown back, yet somehow it was Azure Dragon Elder who had flown away.
Before Bu Cheng Yang could ponder further, a dreadful aura erupted violently from the darkness, shaking the entire cavern. The whispering echoes turned frantic, escalating into the furious growls of savage beasts.
The Azure Dragon phantom floating above began to change. It revealed claws and fangs, and its half-zhang form rapidly expanded, reaching over ten zhang in length in mere moments.
The giant Azure Dragon phantom bared its teeth and claws fiercely, plunging down toward Li Mu Sheng.