HPDBC Chapter 591: Return of the Sea Emperor
Chapter 591: Return of the Sea Emperor
Chapter 591: Return of the Sea Emperor
Watching the statue sink back into the depths of the sea, the three exchanged glances, each with a sense of unreality and a touch of sadness that they could not conceal.
The island had been a paradise, perfect for cultivation, living, and treasure hunting. It was a shame they had only stayed for a single day, rushed as if they were on a tight schedule, and even their bickering had been cut short.
The thought of the Sea Emperor got in the way of their bickering.
The thought of the Sea Emperor got in the way of his desire to indulge in wine and women. They had come all this way, yet his dream of having them all in his arms remained unfulfilled. Just one more day, and his chances of success would have perhaps doubled.
All three came to entertain thoughts of returning to the island for some peaceful time after dealing with the most important task at hand. Quickly, they regained their composure, masking their thoughts.
“It turns out a flood dragon’s body doesn’t entirely disintegrate after exploding. There’s still some of its body left here.”
It was a casual remark Zhao Changhe made to fill the silence, but he suddenly shivered as a realization dawned on him. “I’ve found my bowstring!”
The two women caught on immediately. What could make a better bowstring than a dragon tendon? An ordinary person would find it impossible to draw such a bow even a single cun, but for Zhao Changhe, it was a perfect match.
Although this was just a flood dragon and not a true dragon, having been possessed by the Sea Emperor for so long, its body had clearly undergone immense fortification. Xia Longyuan’s punch could not even destroy its throat, and even self-detonation failed to completely obliterate it—its strength was not far from that of a real dragon. And with such a massive body, even a small section of a tendon would be enough for numerous bowstrings.
And there was still its hide, bones, meat, and blood, all of which were incredibly precious. Lady Three, who had not eaten anything to advance her cultivation while on the island, now had dragon meat delivered straight to her.[1]
A genuine surprise; the real spoils awaited them here...
Lady Three’s eyes sparkled. “Mine! All of it’s mine!”
In a flash, she stowed the dragon hide into her ring, then dove into the water, swimming quickly toward a piece of dragon meat not far away.
There were so many treasures on the island yet she never acted this greedy, so why is she... Oh, right, she didn’t recognize anything there, but I guess it’s pretty clear just how valuable this is.
At that moment, it seemed Lady Three had forgotten all about the Sea Emperor, feeling grateful that they had emerged from the island early, before the treasures were snatched up by others—or eaten by passing sharks.
Zhao Changhe and Xia Chichi could not help but laugh as they dove underwater to search as well. The massive body of the flood dragon, brimming with extraordinary energy, glowed like a beacon in the dark waters. Soon enough, they had gathered a pile, including several tendons of varying lengths.
Zhao Changhe did not overdo things. He picked one of the shorter tendons, trimmed it to fit, replaced his bowstring, made some adjustments, and was all smiles from then on.
The power of his bow was astounding. While it lacked the presence of a spirit, its quality may even surpass that of Dragon Bird. As for a spirit, Yue Hongling had said it best: a martial artist should aim to have their weapon develop its own spirit while being used by them. This bow was the perfect opportunity for Zhao Changhe to do just that.
Who needs the embrace of two ladies when you’ve got a fine weapon?
Also, the combination of Dragon Soul Wood and a bowstring made from dragon tendon should provide more than exceptional power and a soul-damaging effect, it should make it so that my shots with it do even more damage to dragons. The only question is, how many dragons are even left in this world... Do tortoises count?
Lady Three and Xia Chichi soon gathered around, still excited by their finds. Lady Three, her eyes sparkling, said, “I can finally remake my whip. Oh, here, take these...”
She tossed over a piece of dragon fang and dragon bone to Zhao Changhe. “Keep these for forging later. When you’re forging the Night Emperor’s sword, you could try adding some dragon bone powder. Don’t be fooled by those records saying only Night Flowing Sand is needed. If we get good materials, we can add them in.”
Zhao Changhe realized he really was just a tool for the blind woman, a means to her end... a vibrating stick.
“Where is Hai Changkong now?”
“He returned to Penglai, saying he needed to eradicate the remaining enemies and restore order. I naturally didn’t follow him as I still needed to find Your Highness.”
“And the temple? Was it completely destroyed?”
“The temple was blasted apart. I didn’t see anything left of it worth mentioning...”
Zhao Changhe shook his head. “There’s definitely a secret realm there. The Sea Emperor has been recovering for an entire era. Do you really think his actual base would just be sitting there out in the open? Hurry and take me there immediately. If we delay any longer, Penglai could face a disastrous retaliation.”
* * *
At the chaotic reef islands where the Sea Emperor’s temple was located.
The area was a sprawling stretch of jagged reefs with a mess of rocks towering over the sea. The place hardly seemed suitable for a temple, yet not only did a temple stand here, it was quite the grand and magnificent one. It was a mystery as to how it managed to remain standing amidst the tumultuous stones.
The Sea Emperor required the power of faith, and naturally, a temple was needed for worship. Ironically, this was what gave Hai Pinglan a clear target and therefore led to the temple’s ruin.
Hai Changkong’s fleet had unleashed a barrage of cannon fire, and with the Sea Emperor embroiled in a fierce battle, the protective barrier that usually shielded the temple was disabled. The once-grand temple was reduced to rubble, splintered wood and stone from the temple’s walls scattered across the sea’s surface, or hanging from the reefs.
Among the ruins were countless corpses belonging to members of the Sea Tribe, their bodies floating across the ocean, unclaimed and left to rot.
On the surface, it seemed like total destruction. Hai Changkong had already returned to Penglai, urgently restoring order in his rear.
But no one noticed that the scattered corpses of those of the Sea Tribe seemed to be gradually fading away, as if some mysterious force was slowly absorbing them, pulling them into an unknown destination.
In the hidden depths of a secret realm, a figure floated in the void, transitioning from the ethereal to the tangible—hands, feet, and facial features slowly taking shape, as did eventually a face... one covered in fish scales.
It was the Sea Emperor—his true body and soul, actually humanoid.
“Hai Pinglan... You forcibly burned your lifespan to break through to the Profound Control Realm, how ignorant... You’ll never comprehend what it means for gods and demons to be immortal.” The Sea Emperor’s low whisper voice echoed in the abyss as countless energy bodies flowed into his body, making him increasingly tangible and solid.
“You will soon learn the meaning of regret—whether that be for your Penglai... or your daughter.” The Sea Emperor opened his eyes.
Boom!
As he opened his eyes, the water surrounding him surged violently, triggering a colossal tsunami that crashed upon the reefs outside the secret realm.
His recovery was far faster than Hai Pinglan had anticipated—much, much faster!
1. The raws here say Xia Chichi, but she is in fact the only one who did eat something to advance her cultivation. ☜