The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 83 Imperial Conferment and Bestowal of Names
The jade talisman with the character "Tai" radiated a warm and peaceful light. Zhou Yan sensed the possibility of an imperial decree, and the creature beneath his feet, a giant python that was gradually transforming into a dragon, was capable of bearing such a decree.

This giant python itself was a hundred feet long, which, according to Zhou Yan's familiar scale, was equivalent to a hundred feet long.

Three hundred meters long, an absolute behemoth.

Descendants of dragon blood, the Jinghe River aquatic people.

It has a very pure bloodline and is enormous in size.

Yin Zichuan stared wide-eyed at the scene and murmured, "Ah! To be able to ride a dragon and a serpent, to have such an experience, even if I die, it would be worth it!"

Hui Niang tapped Yin Zichuan's knee with a small wooden stick.

Yin Zichuan said, "Ah, yes, yes, I almost forgot."

"I am already dead."

He scratched his head and said, "Then let's change the sentence, let's change the sentence. I really hope that Lianniang can see this scene with her own eyes!"

The gossipy scholar smiled gently and said, "Her health has always been poor. I married her to bring her good luck in our wedding. It seems she got better for a while, but then she fell ill again."

"I can still travel around."

"She could only wait at home, and she hadn't seen many things."

"My lord, wait a moment, I'm going to paint a picture!"

Yin Zichuan shouted. He rummaged in his bundle, but there was no paper, so he used the black cloth that had been used to wrap the big black bean cake to draw. The big black bean cake neighed unhappily. Although it was incredibly strong and could kill a wolf with a single kick, Yin Zichuan was a ghost.

Big Black could kill that type of beast with a single kick, but it was helpless against ghosts and spirits. Shen Cangming sheathed his knife, looked at the unconscious boatman, and said succinctly, "Save him first."

Shen Cangming looked at the monsters running and fleeing in all directions in the Jing River and said:
"The demons of the mountains and wilderness will not gather without profit."

"You ask, did Black Wind offer any promises or benefits?"

The python spoke, saying, "Yes, there is."

He understood Shen Cangming's meaning and said, "Those treasures have no meaning to me. Seeing them only reminds me of my old friend's twisted appearance. It would be better to give them to you, my lord."

"Consider it a thank you from an old friend, my lord, for allowing him to regain his senses at the last moment."

Zhou Yan stood atop the dragon's head.

The python turned around, its massive body parting the water and flowing forward, saying, "My lord, be careful." Suddenly it plunged downwards, and Zhou Yan instinctively held his breath, but a thin film appeared around him.

Zhou Yan breathed softly, without any obstruction.

Reaching out, I gently poked the bubble membrane, feeling the power contained within the magic.

The dragon said, "The Water Avoidance Technique is a skill that all the aquatic creatures of the Jing River know."

He led Zhou Yan forward, and Zhou Yan looked at the scenery in the water. Although it was getting dark below, his eyes had undergone a transformation and were different after becoming a Xuan Guan. He could see clearly underwater, and the scenery was unique, unlike that on land.

The python led Zhou Yan to the cave where he had been cultivating in seclusion. He stirred it with his magic power, and two transparent bubbles floated out. He took out two items: a vermilion fruit and a wine pot.

The python gazed at the two objects, then sighed softly and said, "My lord, these are the last things my friend left behind. The century-old Vermilion Fruit can greatly increase a cultivator's magical power, and this pot of wine is a fine brew with a mellow taste, which can also restore magical power."

“My friend is gone. These two items are only there to remind me of him. I should give them to you, my love.”

Zhou Yan accepted the two treasures. The python took Zhou Yan outside and noticed the two scales that Zhou Yan had picked up earlier.

Then he opened his mouth, and a wisp of spiritual energy landed on the two scales.

“My lord is not good at water combat, so I have inscribed the [Water Repelling Technique] on the scales. If you encounter a water battle, you only need to infuse your magic power into the scales and throw them out. They will then transform into the ball of energy that you just saw, which can repel all water.”

The dragon broke through the water and bowed its head before everyone, saying:
"My benefactors, please."

Shen Cangming looked at the giant python and Zhou Yan on its head, a ripple flashing in his eyes. Two months ago, the boy who only had a fierce spirit and could only fight to the death with the weakest hungry ghosts had now mastered the giant python.

He had complex emotions, sighs, and a hint of indescribable positive feelings.

It surged with a gentle sense of relief, like watching a sapling grow strong, and a joy that was hard to express in words.

The giant python lowered its head, and surprisingly, Big Black wasn't afraid and stepped on it.

Shen Cangming, Huiniang, and the others all sat down, and the giant python asked, "Where does my lord wish to go?"

Zhou Yan said, "Wugong Town."

The giant python said, "Is this the beach fair in Wugong Town? Very well, I'll escort you all the way." It swayed and went directly downstream. Zhou Yan, facing the wind, breathed freely and forgot about the Thai character.

He pressed down on the serpent's head and asked curiously, "Are you going to transform into a serpent?"

The python replied, "Yes."

He whispered, "Back then, although my friend was trying to manipulate me into attacking my husband, he still infused me with all the humanistic energy within this seal."

"How ridiculous, how ridiculous, I have fallen to this state because of the fate of mankind."

"The final step of transforming into a dragon was also due to the fortune of humanity."

Most of the python's body was submerged, with only its head above water. Its voice was deep, and after a long silence, it asked its third question: "If we look at it from this perspective, my lord, may I ask, does cause and effect truly exist in this world?"

Zhou Yan looked at the sky, feeling the wind blowing freely.

The incense smoke in Chang'an City somewhat shielded Qingming Fangzhu from his prying eyes. Now, with the power of Xuan Guan, he had defeated the pursuing monsters and had a brief respite. Looking at the sky and clouds, he seemed to see another world, his hometown.

Zhou Yan said, "I don't know."

He replied, “I have heard many opinions on this topic. Some say that cause and effect are determined by me, while others say that every cause and effect is predetermined. But upon closer examination, cause and effect is simply a way of explaining the world.”

"In the final analysis, it is a dragon or python."

Zhou Yan faced the wind, lowered his head, and asked with a smile:
What do you want to do?

These words were like a thorn, gently piercing the heart of the giant python.

The python calmed down. It had always listened to the advice of others and done things accordingly. When it was in the Jing River, there were seniors who had long since transformed into dragons and peers who were born with dragon seeds who told it to cultivate. After leaving the Jing River, it was time to seek immortality and ask questions, which meant to cultivate in seclusion.

He knew, of course, that he could find all sorts of excuses.

Answering a question is not difficult.

But here, this was an inquiry into one's true nature, so the dragon answered with its own conscience, saying, "I don't know." "Then, what does my lord wish to do?"

Zhou Yan said, "I didn't know before, but now I do. Of course, it's revenge." The young man sat cross-legged, tapping his knees with his fingers. Qingming Fangzhu, even though he was still weak, often people forgot one thing.

The fire of revenge has nothing to do with the weak or the strong.

This is not a right exclusive to the strong.

The strong have the power to ravage, but drawing a blade and wielding it against the stronger is the fire of the weak.

It wasn't just that Qingming Fangzhu wanted to kill him; it was that he wanted to kill Qingming Fangzhu.

Even a feud spanning a hundred generations can be avenged.

"And after taking revenge, I think what I really want is to find my way home."

"On this journey, I will travel across the world, through mountains and rivers, see different landscapes, meet different people and different demons, and witness countless hearts. If I encounter injustice, I will draw my sword."

"I have come into this world once!"

"How can we just live a life of mediocrity and emptiness?"

With a wide-open view ahead, Zhou Yan opened his heart and arms, saying, "I must climb to the highest peak, see all the world's rivers and lakes, and travel the world on my own two feet. If there really are immortals and gods in this world!"

He thought of those six figures, and of the Duke of Taishan.

The young man said, "Let me ask you, what brings me here!"

"If there really are immortals in this world."

"Why can't I be?"

The giant python asked, "Where is your home, young master?"

Zhou Yan said, "I don't know either..."

Having come down from Mount Tai himself, and now possessing the jade talisman with the character "Tai," he decided to make Mount Tai his first destination. He was quite optimistic, looking at the python and smiling, saying, "I've heard a saying..."

"A person is the sum of all the people and things he has experienced in the past; these form a person's character, and character further determines his choices. The choices we make together constitute destiny."

"Perhaps this is what you mean by cause and effect."

The python murmured, and suddenly had a feeling that it could no longer remain trapped like this. It said sincerely, "I really want to travel with you across the world. Then, perhaps I will know what I truly want."

Zhou Yan asked, "Can you leave this area of ​​water?"

The python said, "I haven't transformed into a dragon yet, so I can't go far, but I can at least accompany you around here. Besides, what's wrong with this area?"

Zhou Yan froze, looked at him, and suddenly laughed.

"So that's how it is! The fish are in the water, but they don't know there's water!"

"Have you gotten used to this part of the water and your senses?"

The python asked, "What are you saying, sir?"

Zhou Yan's eyes shimmered with golden ripples as he said, "With only a wisp of human fortune, how could you possibly transform from a python into a dragon? You are practically the water god of this water system; you just haven't looked back yet."

This immediately dispelled the illusion.

The giant python was stunned.

The young man swept his sleeve across the giant python's head, but his clothes were already torn. However, he didn't care and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, Fellow Daoist, God of Mountains and Rivers, how should I address you?"

As the python recalled this experience, he was sometimes in a daze and sometimes had a feeling.

Every transformation of living beings involves tribulations and a thread of destiny.

Perhaps my old friend is fate, and this young man is fate.

They are the aquatic creatures of the Jing River, the spirits of the mountains and rivers, and the maddened dragons and pythons.

When will it be you?

The python felt an urge to cry. Tears welled up in its eyes, and it sighed deeply, choking back sobs. As the wind subsided, it said, "The past is gone, and my old friends are all gone. I am no longer who I used to be."

"My lord has enlightened me, and I am grateful for your kindness. Please, my lord, bestow upon me a name."

The jade talisman with the character "泰" (Tai) automatically appeared in my finger.

Zhou Yan looked at the giant python and asked:
"Uncle Shen once told me that the name is the original curse."

"If you let me name it, there might really be a karmic connection."

The giant python said, "In the past, I died with my old friend; now, I am reborn because of you, my love. If there is any cause and effect, let me bear it."

This is what the Lord of the Azure Netherworld yearns for but cannot obtain.

Zhou Yan said, "...Okay."

The jade talisman in his hand lit up, dispersed, and he placed his palm on the top of the giant python's head.

Pale golden ripples spread across Zhou Yan's scales, his robes billowed, and a faint light shone in his eyes as he chanted:

"The waves surge, revealing the true form of the dragon."

"The past is like the past death; the present is like the present birth."

From this day forward, I will call you by your name—

"Ao Xuantao".

The giant python raised its head, its hissing sounds converging and overlapping among the mountains and rivers, finally merging with the roaring waters of the Jing River basin and the humming of the wind passing through the cave.

That was the dragon's roar.

A new page has appeared in the jade book.

(End of this chapter)