One person: I, Daoist Master, am a cultivator of immortality!

After Sun Yao finished everything, he used his divine sense to investigate again, making sure that all the Onmyoji of the Tsuchimikado family who had just escaped were wiped out before he came down from the wave and stood on the ironclad ship that he had just overturned.

Although he had capsized the ironclad, it hadn't completely sunk yet. Ships are crucial to the navy, and while these Japanese may be morally questionable, they are quite skilled at shipbuilding. If he could take this ironclad back to Chen Yulou, the defensive pressure on the river would be greatly reduced.

However, returning to Hubei and Hunan from here is no easy task. It requires crossing the Yellow Sea and then turning into the Yangtze River via the East China Sea. The sailing distance is too far, making it quite difficult. Moreover, the warlords along the way are very likely to have their eyes on this ironclad warship. After all, the warlords' territories along the route all have their own river basins, and the significance of an ironclad warship is self-evident.

However, Sun Yao reconsidered and abandoned the idea. Leaving aside the long and arduous journey, the sheer number of ruthless warlords along the way made it virtually impossible for the ironclad warship to return safely to the Hubei and Hunan regions.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to sell this ironclad warship to Marshal Zhang, who is known as the King of the Northeast. Not only would we get a lot of resources and weapons from him, but we would also gain his favor and make some connections along the way.

This time, the Ma family approached Marshal Zhang to smooth things over throughout Northeast China, ensuring a smooth path for their "dragon-to-dragon" journey. This demonstrates Marshal Zhang's influence and, in other words, his power and influence in the three northeastern provinces.

Befriending him would be tantamount to gaining a powerful ally for the Xieling faction. Even if he didn't take any concrete action, but simply issued a nationwide telegram in support, many would still be wary of him. After all, this Northeast King was constantly thinking about entering the pass. If he could find an excuse to help his ally, then it would be truly legitimate.

"I would like to trouble you two to tow this ironclad warship ashore and send a message to Commander Zhang saying that I, Sun, have sold this ironclad warship to him. As for how much weaponry, ammunition, and supplies he will receive, that is entirely up to Commander Zhang."

After speaking, Sun Yao once again rode the waves and drifted away. Just after he left, two enormous pythons suddenly appeared on the riverbank. These two snakes were different from the willow spirit who had just delivered the message to Sun Yao; they had never appeared on Changbai Mountain before. Rumor has it that the Ma family once sent immortals to protect Commander Zhang's safety, so these two might very well be the legendary immortals.

The two immortals watched Sun Yao's departing figure without saying a word, only nodding to each other. Finally, they joined forces to drag the sinking ironclad ship ashore.

Meanwhile, Sun Yao, who had long since drifted away, returned to the side of the Fire Dragon. The Fire Dragon had been gathering wind and rain for a full hour, and if Sun Yao hadn't been waiting for its return, it would have already swept downstream with a raging torrent of water.

"Elder Long, the matter has been settled. From now on, there will be no obstacles on your path to transforming from a dragon into a dragon, but your fate will depend on yourself."

Sun Yao patted the fire dragon's head. This journey of transformation from a dragon to a dragon was not yet over. If he wanted to share in the dragon's fortune, he still had to accompany the fire dragon on this final journey.

Having received Sun Yao's reply, the fire dragon ceased its lingering. Carrying the raging floodwaters, it once again surged forward, creating towering waves. This time, there were no obstacles in its path, and Sun Yao sat atop its head, witnessing its near-perfect transformation into a dragon.

It swam and darted along the river, arriving in no time at the place where Sun Yao and the Tsuchimikado family had just fought. The ironclad warship had been towed ashore, and to prevent it from being swept back into the river by the aftershocks of the flood, the willow fairies had deliberately dragged it a little further away.

After glancing at it, Sun Yao stopped paying attention to the ironclad warship and focused all his attention on the fire dragon ahead. The estuary was right in front of him; once he passed through it, he would overcome the heavenly tribulation and transform into a dragon.

The fire dragon unleashed its full power, rushing towards the estuary. This time, without exception, no one stood in its way. The fire dragon carried Sun Yao all the way to the estuary, and once inside the sea, it swam freely like a dragon emerging from the abyss. However, at this point, there was nothing left for Sun Yao to do. Sun Yao got up and leaped off its head, landing steadily on the sea surface.

The next moment, a whirlpool suddenly appeared on the sea surface. Immediately afterwards, a waterspout, like a waterspout sucking water, shot into the sky, lifting the fire dragon to the heavens. Above, dark clouds had already gathered and thunder rumbled; clearly, a heavenly tribulation was brewing above their heads.

Everyone knows that becoming an immortal requires undergoing tribulations, but even on the path to immortality, there are tribulations of lightning. The tribulation of the Golden Core stage is called the Three-Nine Lightning Tribulation, the tribulation of the Nascent Soul stage is called the Six-Nine Lightning Tribulation, and the tribulation of the Deity Transformation stage is even more severe, known as the Nine-Nine Tribulation. Only after reaching the Tribulation Transcending stage can one undergo the tribulation of becoming an immortal, and only in this way can one become an immortal.

In truth, every tribulation of lightning descends because of a leap in one's level of life, hence the Heavenly Dao sends down a tribulation, as this is something the Heavenly Dao cannot tolerate. However, in return, those who can overcome the tribulation will receive corresponding rewards from the Heavenly Dao; this is the Heavenly Dao's reward for someone who has transcended the level of life.

The current heavenly tribulation is the Fire Flood Dragon's transformation into a dragon. If it can successfully overcome this tribulation, it will complete its transformation from a Flood Dragon to a Dragon, at which point it will be able to roam the world freely. Not only will its lifespan be extended, but its strength will also become invincible.

However, Sun Yao remained pessimistic about whether it could survive the heavenly tribulation. In the present world, the Heavenly Dao would never allow a dragon to appear again. The dragon transformation tribulation had been brewing for a full 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the tribulation thunder crashed down, striking directly at the fire dragon's horns.

The fire dragon immediately let out a miserable howl. This tribulation was not only a physical injury, but also a shock to the soul. Sun Yao looked at the fire dragon in mid-air, which was constantly enduring the power of the tribulation, and sighed, "Will it be like this when I undergo the Golden Core tribulation in the future? This kind of power would not only melt a human, but even a piece of iron."

The wailing continued in mid-air, and only Sun Yao's figure swayed with the waves on the entire sea surface. The creatures of the sea dared not show themselves on the surface, let alone the sea spirits that had sensed the power of the lightning tribulation.

There is no doubt that all spirits and monsters will fear the power of heavenly tribulation. After all, the power of lightning tribulation is extremely yang and strong, which is exactly what mountain spirits and monsters fear most. Therefore, even in the Heavenly Court, it is often the gods of the Thunder Department who are responsible for slaying demons and monsters in the world.