Volume One: The Soul-Guiding Gourd and the Flame of the Spirit Chapter 62: The Python Becomes a Flood Dragon

A chilly wind swept through, and Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou, filthy from head to toe, shuddered violently. All around was chaos—a mingling of scorched odors, the thick scent of blood, poisonous insects and centipedes, and countless other smells, all blending into a suffocating miasma.

Their eyes met, and seeing each other's bedraggled state, they both burst into laughter.

“Brother Gu, your acting was quite impressive! That ‘Dog Egg’ line, truly outstanding!”

Gu Mo wiped away the dirt from his face and smiled.

“Not at all! Brother Xiao, your performance was explosive. How did you come up with flailing your legs and throwing such a tantrum on the ground?”

Laughter echoed through the dense forest.

Soon, the two, clad in blue-and-white striped hospital garb, walked arm-in-arm toward the edge of the woods. But after only a few steps, Gu Mo suddenly froze, his body tensing and his breath quickening as though he'd been injected with adrenaline.

Looking closely, not far off in the trees, seven or eight zombies stood rigidly, shrouded in black mist. Their hollow green eyes were each covered with a yellow talisman, and every zombie wore black robes. Their skeletal iron claws ended in terrifying nails several centimeters long.

To stumble upon so many zombies in the dead of night—one might count themselves lucky just to survive the fright!

Yet Xiao Yulou, ever sly, spoke calmly from his sleeve, “Brother Gu, don’t panic. These zombies were brought here by Lord Xiang.”

Hearing this, Gu Mo suddenly understood and cursed angrily, “You bastard, are you trying to scare me to death?”

Xiao Yulou, with his immortal air, shrugged helplessly. “This isn’t my doing. I merely took advantage of their presence!”

At these words, Gu Mo slowly adjusted his mindset, letting his heart settle back into his chest.

“Brother Xiao, you call that taking advantage? It’s more like trafficking... though, in this case, it’s zombies you’re trafficking!”

After a few exchanges, Gu Mo grudgingly accepted the situation. Since Lord Xiang was a master of the Xiangxi witchcraft tradition, it made sense he would have zombies at his disposal. Clearly, Xiao Yulou had subdued them with talismans; otherwise, Tang Xianshan from the Tang Clan wouldn’t have had such luck.

Gu Mo turned to the sly Daoist and grinned. “Brother Xiao, you’re something else. If you hadn’t suppressed these zombies, Tang Xianshan would be long dead!”

Before Gu Mo finished, Xiao Yulou shook his head and pointed off in the distance. “Not exactly. Look over there, Brother Gu!”

Gu Mo frowned and raised his eyes. In a clearing amidst the forest, there was a large circle of white powder.

Curious, Gu Mo stepped closer to inspect. The circle was filled with red-headed centipedes, each a foot long. No doubt these were Lord Xiang’s prized pets. But within the circle, there was also an empty bowl—odd indeed.

Gu Mo, cautious, crouched and, from a safe distance, touched a bit of the white powder. Bringing his fingers to his nose, he caught a pungent scent.

“Camphor balls?”

Behind him, Xiao Yulou laughed unrestrainedly. “Exactly, camphor balls! Since I anticipated Xiangxi sorcery, I prepared some. And inside the empty bowl is fresh duck blood.”

Gu Mo curled his lips into a devilish smile.

“Brother Xiao, that Lord Xiang was truly unlucky to run into you. You leave your opponents no way out!”

With that, Gu Mo turned to Xiao Yulou, who was forming Daoist hand seals, speaking nonchalantly.

“These poisonous creatures are vicious! Without my little tricks to suppress them ahead of time, Tang Xianshan wouldn’t have lasted even a few rounds.”

Such sharp words piqued Gu Mo’s interest in the Xiangxi clan.

“Brother Xiao, are the people of Xiangxi really that formidable?”

At this, Xiao Yulou was momentarily lost for words.

Suddenly, from the lakeside, a thunderous boom erupted. The tranquil water exploded upward, sending a spray several meters high, mist enveloping the air.

Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou were instantly terrified, their faces contorted as they exchanged glances.

“Brother Xiao, didn’t you foresee this?”

Xiao Yulou, his face ashen, managed a bitter smile. “I truly didn’t!”

“You bastard, what on earth have you done…”

Before Gu Mo could finish, a deep, resonant hum echoed from beneath the water, making his entire body tremble—every cell and nerve quivering, legs weak and cold sweat pouring in torrents.

In a flash, Xiao Yulou dragged Gu Mo behind a large tree, crouching low.

Hush!

Hidden, both men held their breath, desperately hoping to avoid any sound.

‘Can’t see me, can’t see me, can’t see me!

Repeat that three times!

Northwest Xuantian, clouds, crows among phoenixes!

God and Mary, grant us mercy!’

Gu Mo muttered inwardly, as a dazzling white light burst before his eyes. A pure, enormous white shadow leapt from the lake.

Bathed in moonlight, the hovering white silhouette seemed oddly familiar. It appeared that the white-scaled serpent hadn’t been destroyed by the Nine Yin Purple Thunder after all. In fact, its jade-like body had changed.

Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou held their breath, hearts pounding, as they watched.

The white shadow coiled above the lake, moonlight casting a gentle glow. A faint mist enveloped the monstrous serpent’s body.

Its head, as large as a train engine, bore yellow eyes the size of wells. Stranger still, a pair of spiritual horns atop its head now had two additional forks.

Hiss…

With its mouth open, the serpent revealed scimitar-like fangs. The forking on its head was gone—now it had fully transformed into a flood dragon.

Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou were so stunned they forgot to breathe.

The newly transformed flood dragon swung its massive tail, and a charred skeleton, smaller in size, was flung out of the lake.

With a heavy thud, the skeleton landed at the water’s edge.

Xiao Yulou finally understood: the white-scaled serpent had anticipated the danger and used a smaller kin as a scapegoat. The golden core earlier must have been the serpent’s cultivation product.

Damn! Even this creature played its cards masterfully!

While Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou pondered, the white flood dragon on the lake convulsed violently.

Within a few breaths, scales the size of wells peeled off its body. A fine, snow-white fur grew on its entire form, and four protruding flesh spheres appeared along its coiled shape.

Gu Mo was baffled, but then a bold speculation sprang to mind—those flesh spheres might be dragon claws!

His mind went blank, nerves and cells trembling.

Dragon?

Was this the suppression of bloodlines?

Was this fear etched into his very genes?

Damn immortal ‘Gold Grand,’ how does one destroy such a thing!

In a split second—an electric moment—the flood dragon turned its massive head, fixing its gaze on the flickering fire deep in the forest.

The burning was none other than the remains of Lord Xiang and Tang Xianshan.

Whoosh!

A fierce wind blew as the white flood dragon rushed toward the flames, its passage rippling the lake and toppling the nearest trees.

Seeing this, Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou, hidden in the shadows, felt their hearts tighten, breathing rapid and blood surging.

A harsh sound echoed, and the distant flames extinguished instantly.

The two men, crouched in darkness, felt every second stretch into eternity, nerves taut.

In the blink of an eye, the flood dragon, warm and jade-like, slithered slowly back to the lake and plunged beneath the surface.

After a long while, Gu Mo, nerves frayed, glanced at Xiao Yulou. The Daoist, once so composed, now looked pale as wax.

Gu Mo knew his own face must be no better.

It was ages before Xiao Yulou finally gasped for breath.

Gu Mo nudged him with his elbow, exchanging subtle glances.

Their eyes held only one thought: run.

Carefully, they stood and retreated step by step, as if walking on ice. In five minutes, they moved only three steps, each one fraught with peril; any misstep could mean disaster.

Then, without warning, a massive burst of flame shot from beneath the lake, illuminating the night sky as bright as day.

Gu Mo nearly lost control of himself in terror.

‘It’s over, we’ve been discovered!

Damn it, if not for that bastard’s urging, I wouldn’t have been greedy. Those nine gold bars really were the price of survival!

Hallelujah, God protect us!

Up, down, left, right, BABA! Little Tyrant, lend me thirty lives!’

As Gu Mo prayed with taut nerves, the blazing fire smashed into a huge tree.

A deafening crash sounded!

The distant woods erupted in a towering inferno.

Gu Mo suddenly realized—that spot was the new grave of ‘Immortal Hui Guangji!’

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