Chapter 283: This Awful World Should Just Explode Already

The lake wasn't exactly deserted.

On the cliffs surrounding it stood twelve figures, each shrouded in a glow of spiritual energy, positioned according to the Twelve Earthly Branches, encircling the lake.

Each of them tightly gripped a golden chain.

The chains extended deep into the lake.

The night was pitch black. Amid the silence, the clanging of chains would occasionally burst forth, and the previously calm surface of the lake would suddenly tremble violently, as if some massive creature was thrashing about within.

“Who’s there?”

Among the twelve figures,

an old man in a dark robe glanced toward Chen Huaian and Li Qingran, a flash of surprise and confusion crossing his face.

“A 9th-layer Qi Refining and a Golden Core at the out-of-body Yang Soul stage?”

Chen Huaian said nothing.

Because he hadn’t figured out what kind of BS to spin yet.

Also, the aura from these twelve figures was similar to Li Qingran’s—

No, stronger than hers.

For Li Qingran’s safety, and his own, he had to be cautious with his words.

Compared to the Ascenders they’d encountered along the way,

these twelve old cultivators lacked that out-of-place nouveau riche vibe, but instead gave off a stale, musty feeling—like a group of antiques freshly dug out of their graves.

Clang—!

The chain trembled again.

The old man’s face darkened. He withdrew his gaze and refocused on the lake.

“Forget it. Since you two managed to make it here, whether by strength or luck, it’s your fate… Once the formation is activated, you can supply spiritual energy from the auxiliary nodes. You’ll be credited some of the points for suppressing the Flood Dragon.”

So it really was a Flood Dragon chained beneath the lake?

Chen Huaian touched his chest.

The Dragon Soul’s resonance had reached a peak.

Clearly, the Flood Dragon now trapped by the twelve peak Golden Cores was strongly connected to the Dragon Soul—it was calling out to him for help.

Only he could hear the Flood Dragon’s anguished howls from beneath the water.

The so-called Dragon Lord, a being meant to dominate a region—

and yet, here it was, locked down by twelve cultivators.

This was the classic tale of a tiger fallen to the plains, bullied by dogs…

“Master, should we make a move?”

Li Qingran mouthed the words, gesturing at her neck.

“Not yet.”

Chen Huaian replied with lip movements as well.

Mostly because they’d get wrecked if they tried. Otherwise, he’d already charged in.

Besides, they still didn’t fully understand what was going on with this formation.

Better to wait and observe.

“Senior.” Chen Huaian cupped his hands toward the twelve cultivators in the air, putting on a humble front. “May I ask where the auxiliary node is located?”

The old man shot him a glance. “Didn’t your sect elders teach you this? Hmph! Getting more careless by the generation.”

He raised his hand and pointed toward a cave by the lake.

“Head over there. The other nodes are already full.”

“Many thanks, Senior.”

Chen Huaian gave Li Qingran a look.

After doing a quick sweep to confirm there was no danger, the two of them entered the unassuming cave.

Inside were already more than a dozen Ascenders,

all gathered around a circular bronze formation disk that hadn’t yet been activated.

And one of the faces was surprisingly familiar.

“Governor Chen!”

At the formation disk, Wang Shouyi’s eyes lit up when he saw Chen Huaian.

Chen Huaian’s face instantly darkened at the sound of that title.

He quickly glanced at Li Qingran beside him. Luckily, her focus was fully on the formation disk and didn’t seem to notice.

“Ahem, so it’s Brother Wang. What a coincidence!” Chen Huaian cupped his hands. As Wang Shouyi stepped closer, Chen dropped his voice and said, “Just call me by my name. ‘Governor Chen’ sounds way too formal. Are we really that distant?”

“Alright, Brother Chen.” Wang Shouyi adjusted right away, flashing a bright white grin. Then he turned and introduced him to the other Ascenders:

“This is the senior I met at the Exorcist Division. If it weren’t for him, I’d be long dead. From today on, you all better show him the same respect you show me!”

“Senior Chen!” the group of Ascenders behind Wang Shouyi immediately cupped their hands and shouted in unison.

Chen Huaian: “…”

This f***ed-up world should really just explode already.

Are you kidding me right now? Seriously?!

He turned his head—and sure enough, Li Qingran was looking at him with her big blinking eyes, curiosity and wonder sparkling in those watery pupils.

If he were a love expert, he’d know this was the moment the girl’s heart began to fall.

After all, a girl's first step toward falling in love was always curiosity and fascination.

Too bad Chen Huaian was no love expert.

He was straight-up panicking.

“Alright, alright, enough of that nonsense.”

Chen Huaian quickly changed the topic. “Brother Wang, since you’re a disciple of Kunlun Immortal Palace, can you tell me who those twelve old guys outside are?”

“Brother Chen, you’re asking the right guy.” Wang Shouyi smacked his lips and organized his thoughts: “Those twelve are elders from various hidden sects. Each of them has lived for hundreds—maybe over a thousand—years. They’ve only come out recently because of the spiritual energy surge.

Their goal is to hunt the Flood Dragon.

Ordinary Ascenders just target cursed beings and monsters.

And those monsters? They’re the Flood Dragon’s minions. But the dragon itself is tough to kill, and the twelve elders can’t risk being interrupted during the formation.

So, to avoid being swarmed, they organized this whole Monster Hunting Tournament.”

Chen Huaian had a lightbulb moment.

No wonder the rewards had seemed too good to be true.

Turns out… they were just using them as labor.

“Did the Flood Dragon do anything evil?” Chen Huaian asked again.

“Uh… I’ve never heard of anything specific.”

Wang Shouyi shook his head, then added with conviction:

“But monsters and cursed spirits are all threats. Just because they’re not hurting people now doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. Better to wipe them out—or at least bring them under human control. That’s the only way to eliminate the danger completely.”

The Ascenders behind Wang Shouyi all nodded in agreement.

Clearly, they shared his views.

Or rather—this was the mainstream opinion now.

Chen Huaian thought of Little Qing with the beautiful legs, and the buff black cat Bajii back at the containment center.

And the shy Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid.

Technically, all of them were monsters. But none of them had ever shown any signs of being dangerous.

The prejudice in people’s hearts… really was like a mountain.

Chen Huaian only nodded, choosing not to debate whether or not the Flood Dragon was evil, or if it deserved to die.

Wang Shouyi was an Ascender from the Kunlun Immortal Palace—it was that sect that brought him into cultivation.

From both identity and upbringing, Wang Shouyi was bound to support the doctrine.

But…

Today, he would have to go against Wang Shouyi.

The Dragon Soul was calm and noble. If the Flood Dragon was truly a remnant of the Dragon Soul, then it couldn’t possibly be evil.

Just like Zhu Yu—who, under the Flood Dragon’s teachings, had only ever saved people, never harmed them.

Chen Huaian walked to the mouth of the cave and looked out across the lake and toward the opposite shore.

He noticed that aside from their current cave, there were eleven other obviously manmade caves carved into the cliffs. They corresponded to the twelve Earthly Branches, clearly serving as the other nodes of the formation.

He genuinely liked Wang Shouyi.

If he destroyed the formation disk Wang Shouyi was guarding, it’d bring him trouble.

So he’d have to mess with the other eleven instead.

He turned back to glance at Wang Shouyi.

On Wang Shouyi’s head, red light and Purple Qi intertwined—the same as Lin Lingling’s. Clearly, he was someone with strong talent and great destiny.

But there was still a layer of gray mist shrouding him—though thinner than most other Ascenders.

Just what was this gray mist…?

Never mind. One thing at a time.

First, go mess with the other formation nodes.

With that thought, he prepared to leave the cave with Li Qingran.

But he had barely taken two steps when Wang Shouyi called out behind him:

“Brother Chen! The formation’s about to activate—where are you and sis-in-law going?”

Chen Huaian stumbled, nearly faceplanting.

Next to him, Li Qingran lowered her head and pinched her skirt, her pretty face turning red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“Ahem—don’t worry about it.”

Chen Huaian cleared his throat. “This Venerable One just needs some fresh air!”