Volume One: The Soul-Gathering Gourd and the Soul-Igniting Lantern Chapter 63: The Yellow Immortal’s Wrath

The raging inferno soared skyward, burning with such ferocity that it seemed personal grudges were fueling the flames. In an instant, the acrid scent of charred wood filled the air.

A thunderous roar echoed—an earth-shaking dragon’s cry that sent shivers through the soul. Mere milliseconds later, from the water's edge, a massive white figure burst forth, surging straight toward the fresh grave of the mystical master Hui Guangji.

At that exact moment, the dense forest erupted into chaos: stones and debris whirled through the air, dark clouds churned violently. Out of the turmoil, a white creature the size of a hound, riding a sinister wind, flashed by like a fleeting shadow.

Before Gu Mo could react, a deafening crash sounded—instantly, the white flood dragon let out a shriek, knocked aside by the collision.

Crack!

In the blink of an eye, a swath of towering trees toppled with a thunderous crash. Amid this sudden upheaval, Xiao Yulou yanked Gu Mo by the arm, and they turned to flee without a second thought.

Hearts pounding, the two fugitives heard a terrifying exchange behind them.

“Kunsheng the Serpent, you fiend! Do not push your luck! As long as I’m here, you will not have your way!”

A piercing, enchanting voice rang out in reply. (So, this master Liu Kunsheng is actually a female serpent demon!)

“White-haired rat, do you still wish to meddle at this point?”

Hearing this, Gu Mo’s heart clenched, his mind racing: Damn! These two beasts have become true spirits—they can even speak!

But almost immediately, Gu Mo was resigned. (They’re legendary immortals after all, surely their cultivation is deep. Is it really that strange they can talk like people?)

At a glance, the immortal Huang Jin’gui stood before the white flood dragon, clad in steel armor as hard as iron, hands clasped behind his back. For a moment, he radiated an unstoppable aura, majestic and awe-inspiring.

“Leave a little room in all dealings, so we may meet again in peace!”

But the white flood dragon not far away threw back her massive jaws in a wild laugh.

“Haha… leave a little room? Why didn’t Hui Guangji the gray rat leave me any mercy? He disrupted my cultivation and devoured my young. What more is there to say?”

With that, the white flood dragon’s eyes blazed crimson, and a searing torrent of flame erupted from her gaping maw.

The yellow immortal recoiled in alarm, twisting to shelter behind a boulder. The scene was engulfed in raging fire.

Cracks split the iron-hard boulder as the heat seared it relentlessly. With nowhere to hide, the white-haired immortal danced through the scorching wind, leaping nimbly, his claws weaving a bizarre pattern.

Suddenly, from the blue pool, massive waves rose seven or eight meters high, surging toward the white flood dragon with a roar—an unstoppable onslaught.

Just then, from deep within the forest, came a series of strange, bounding noises. In a blur of shadow, the corpses brought by Old Ghost Xiang shot forward like arrows.

The scene froze: the black-tinged zombies’ foreheads bore yellow talismans that flared with flames, the suppression lost.

But zombies, tough as they might be, were no match for the white flood dragon—they weren’t even in the same league!

Seeing the swarm of zombies clawing forward, the white flood dragon roared, jaws yawning wide. In a single breath, a torrent of burning flame utterly consumed the undead.

The crackling sounds of burning filled the air as the zombies crashed lifelessly to the ground. (Well, this is awkward! Old Ghost Xiang’s painstakingly trained zombies didn’t even last a moment against the white flood dragon. If Old Ghost Xiang knew this in the afterlife, he’d probably weep in the underworld’s restroom!)

A foul, choking stench of scorched flesh quickly spread. Hiding in the shadows, Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou clamped their hospital gowns over their noses and mouths.

Then, a rustling came from the depths of the forest. A fierce wind swept through, and a swarm of black shadows blotted out the sky as they hurtled overhead.

Splat—

Something filthy, seeded and sticky, plopped right onto Gu Mo’s head. He grimaced, reached up, and muttered, “Damn it, bird droppings?”

After cursing, Gu Mo wiped his hand clean on Xiao Yulou’s hospital gown. Xiao Yulou shot him a deadly glare.

But suddenly, from the forest depths, a pack of howling wolves burst forth—followed by two cows and seven or eight wild chickens flapping their wings. Even ants and pill bugs scurried from the earth!

Seeing this, Gu Mo was stunned. All the birds, beasts, insects, and rodents had poured forth from their lairs. (Wait… no snakes! After all, Liu Kunsheng—the white flood dragon—was the ancestor of all snakes.)

What the hell is going on? As Gu Mo wondered, a vast flock of birds and bats swooped overhead toward the white flood dragon.

With a sweep of his eyes, Xiao Yulou realized that all these creatures had fallen under the mental control of the white-haired immortal. It was said he could bewitch the mind—and now, Gu Mo saw it was no exaggeration.

With a roar, the white flood dragon opened her jaws, incinerating the mindless creatures with a breath of fire.

Soon, the forest was ablaze with towering flames, the air growing oppressively hot. All those ill-fated beings perished in the inferno.

In the blink of an eye, corpses littered the ground beneath the white flood dragon, rivers of blood flowing amid the charred remains—a scene of utter carnage.

Witnessing this tragic spectacle, Gu Mo felt a pang of pity for the white-haired immortal, though his methods were cruel beyond measure. (Then again, immortals are not human—they’ll go to any lengths to achieve their ends!)

Frantic and desperate, the white-haired immortal glared fiercely, hurling rocks and earth like a storm of arrows at the white flood dragon.

But with a single sweep of her fanlike tail, the dragon deflected the barrage with ease.

Seeing his efforts fail, the white-haired immortal ground his teeth in frustration. The white flood dragon laughed wildly.

“Hahaha! White-haired rat, have you any tricks left?”

Suddenly, the white-haired immortal leapt with all his might to a thickly branched tree. With a mere flick of his claws, two glittering golden objects flew through the air, landing at the feet of Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou.

With a dull thud, the golden lumps sank into the mud. The two men were nearly frightened out of their wits.

Looking closer, they saw it wasn’t anything else—just two hefty gold ingots!

At once, Gu Mo’s features contorted, a thousand curses rushing through his mind. Damn it, this white-haired beast is trying to buy us off with gold again!

As Gu Mo silently cursed, the white-haired immortal perched in the treetop gave a cold laugh.

“Hahaha… It’s come to this. Mr. Gu, Daoist Xiao, won’t you come out and face battle?”

Hearing this, Gu Mo was utterly dumbstruck.

Beside him, Xiao Yulou bent down, picked up the two gold ingots, and tossed them into Gu Mo’s arms.

Gu Mo reflexively caught them, then, thinking better of it, dropped them to the ground with a clatter.

“Damn it, what are you playing at? These are bribes for our lives! Are you that blinded by greed?”

But the roguish Xiao Yulou merely shrugged, a picture of impish ease.

“Brother Gu, he’s called us out by name. Do you really think we’re getting out of this unscathed?”

Gu Mo’s face fell, a bitter smile twisting his lips. “Damn! You’ve analyzed it so well I can’t even retort!”

With that, Xiao Yulou formed a Daoist seal, and his black robe appeared on his body. In the blink of an eye, the two men had changed clothes and stepped out from the forest.

The tension on the battlefield was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Everything hung in the balance.

Now, seeing the white flood dragon up close, freshly awakened from her tribulation, she was clearly extraordinary.

Her body was larger than before—a single snap of her massive jaws could swallow the entire head of a high-speed train. Her form shone white as jade, the slimmest part as thick as a chimney.

Most of her old, plate-sized white scales had been replaced by layers of shimmering, silken fur, dreamlike in its beauty. Even her head was crowned with a mane of dragon hair, and her tail fanned out with a plume of glowing white fluff.

If there was a flaw, it was the four massive flesh orbs on her underbelly, wrapped in translucent scales. In the moonlight, brown claws could be glimpsed within.

Gu Mo could scarcely believe that he was witnessing a python’s metamorphosis into a flood dragon. For a mortal, just seeing this would have made a lifetime worthwhile!

But now was no time for awe.

After all, the majestic white flood dragon was staring down at Gu Mo and Xiao Yulou with blood-red eyes, brimming with fury.

Gu Mo, clutching his black satchel, felt his scalp tingle and his body tremble. If you wondered why he didn’t wet himself at the sight of the flood dragon—

Heh, he already had earlier!

By contrast, the sly Daoist Xiao Yulou stroked his chin in calm contemplation, already plotting how to slay the dragon.

Grinning wickedly, Xiao Yulou leaned over to whisper, “Brother Gu, this white flood dragon is remarkable. If it comes to dragon-slaying, aim carefully—maybe I can salvage some equipment!”

Gu Mo was instantly at a loss, black lines forming on his face—enough to knit several sweaters and scarves.

After a few seconds, he twisted his face and growled, “You moron! Have you lost your mind? This isn’t some rotten fish or shrimp—we’re talking about a living flood dragon! You think you’re a dragonslayer? Who do you think you are—Sparta the Dragonslayer?”

But Xiao Yulou, ever the scoundrel, flicked his robe with an air of immortal bravado. “Fear not, Brother Gu. I still have one last trick up my sleeve!”

…