Chapter 742: 528 Swallowing Bead_2

"It's been years since we last met, the female cultivator who practices the Purple Thunder cultivation has improved again. I wonder to what extent she has reached. Yes, the seawater descends and the thunder rises in the East Sea, truly an auspicious time for Thunder Cultivation."

He simply bowed his head, after all, being a creature of the Dragon Mansion, Li Qinghong didn't put on airs and asked:

"Does Taoist fellow know anything about the lost seawater?"

Hui Yao immediately understood and shook his head repeatedly, saying in a low voice:

"To answer the Fairy... The Dragon Lord went out some time ago, and now many creatures in this local mansion are running around like headless flies. I asked around in the neighbouring waters and only heard some rumors that didn't seem quite right."

Li Qinghong nodded for him to continue, and Hui Yao said:

"The message from several Water Mansions is that, Bei Jia Dragon Lord and Dragon Lord Xi Yang... have captured a Cave Heaven in the Qunyi Sea... Once the mouth of this Cave Heaven opened, the seawater started flowing into it, ending up in this state!"

Li Qinghong had many dealings with these creatures over the years, but this was the first time she had heard the name Bei Jia Dragon Lord. She only asked:

"Bei Jia Dragon Lord?"

Hui Yao looked stunned for a moment and then realized:

"That is the Heshui Dragon King, as referred to by Purple Pearl Golden Core Path cultivators like the Fairy."

'So it's the lord of the Dragon Kind, the Heshui Dragon Monarch.'

Officially, there were two well-known Dragon Lords among the Dragon Kind. The first was the lord of Heshui, also known to commoners and junior cultivators as the Dragon King of the Northern Sea, with a long life. It turns out that in the Dragon Kind, he is called Bei Jia Dragon Lord.

The other is Xi Yang Dragon Lord, who was divided into three from one by the Immortal's Fenkui. Among those in the Golden Core realm, he is considered a junior and is seen fairly oftentimes, hence he is well-known.

Seeing her expression, Hui Yao immediately added:

"Back then, the Dragon King was enfeoffed in the Northern Sea and received the character 'Jia' from the Immortal."

Listening to this, Li Qinghong nodded. It sounded quite strange and she asked:

"Cave Heaven? How could it be... With the power of two Dragon Lords, to let seawater leak into Thundercloud Temple?"

As the human and the creature were talking, thunderbolts echoed through heaven and earth, causing the seawater to howl. Dark clouds tumbled, and bursts of purple light appeared in the sky to the east.

Then, series of thunderclouds emerged, with faint golden translucent outlines floating in the sky, and pavilions and towers appeared within them, scattered among the purple thunderclouds.

"Cave Heaven!"

Countless thunder lights emerged from the East, and Li Qinghong felt the Immortal Foundation inside her surge, the Thunder Pool unify, and a strong sense of palpitations overwhelm her. The spear in her hands, the Du Ruo Spear, shimmered with flowing colors, clearly agitated.

"Thundercloud Temple, the 'Strategy of Thunder and Anchoring Clouds Path'."

Li Qinghong understood this was where her opportunity lay, but for now, she could only watch. She harnessed the wind and thunder amid the dark clouds and soared up into the heavy thunderclouds.

This place was saturated with intense thunderbolts, and Hui Yao followed behind, shaking with fear. In the surrounding dark clouds, he could see many cultivators looking up in a daze.

She gazed distantly at the far East, silently watching, traversing the bouts of thunderbolts, feeling somewhat regretful.

"It's just a pity that even if I can't touch this thing, it has already fallen into the hands of the Dragon Lord."

The Cave Heaven of Thundercloud Temple, shrouded in the rolling wind and thunder, behind the pale golden barrier, appeared to be a series of thunder palaces suspended in midair.

And numerous dark clouds gathered, enveloping the entire East Sea. Occasionally, dragon scales as large as hills peeked through the clouds, reflecting a indigo purple thunder light, making Li Qinghong's face turn pale, almost causing her to fall from the Cloud Peak.

She pulled back for a while and realized that the dark cloud over the entire Qunyi Sea was like a huge dragon head, gradually swallowing the Purple Pearl.

Now was the moment of intersection between the Cave Heaven and the mortal world, allowing one to see the scenery within just with the naked eye. Li Qinghong, who had cultivated the Pupil Technique, carefully observed and could even see many classical texts flying in the wild wind like raindrops, falling onto the palaces.

She looked upwards, and the core of the Cave Heaven was made up of five Thunder Platforms, with a grand hall on the highest point. Its eaves were finely crafted, and the roof was made of golden bronze, while the floor was paved with purple jade. On the roof of the hall, there stood a figure in green.

"Yuan Tuan..."

Li Qinghong could only vaguely see her robes fluttering in the wind as she stood silently like a stone statue atop the grand hall, alone facing the Dragon Head with teeth as large as mountains.

"Boom!"

Thunder boomed, and as the woman sank into the clouds with the purple Cave Heaven, she vanished like a shell-less egg swallowed whole, not even giving the Dragon Lord time to chew before closing his mouth, the splendid purple and gold luster disappearing between the teeth.

In the final moment, Li Qinghong seemed to realize that the green clothes had turned red, disappearing into the Cave Mansion like a scattering of flying sand.

The dark clouds in the sky vanished instantly, retreating to the horizon as if fleeing, as if they had never appeared. Lost in thought, Li Qinghong descended on her thunderbolt, with Hui Yao accompanying her, dumbfoundedly asking:

"Fairy, why did it thunder so suddenly..."

Li Qinghong gave him a quiet glance, her face showing a bewildered expression, and she shook her head, saying:

"The clouds were too dense, and the thunder kept rolling. I couldn't see clearly."

A cultivator and a beast descended on the wind, with Hui Yao babbling about this and that, while Li Qinghong was trying hard to calm her emotions.

"Seeing such surges of thunderbolt, perhaps it was the Dragon Lord dragging the Cave Heaven along."

Longing in his voice, Hui Yao mumbled:

"So the talk in the neighboring waters doesn't count for much, and yes, the Cave Heaven should be on a mountain, not in the sea; there must be another reason."

Li Qinghong had already given up hope of getting any news from him, and politely asked him to leave, silently returning to her Cave Mansion to sit quietly in her seat.

As she sat there, the image of the Dragon Lord swallowing the pearl repeatedly surfaced in her mind, and Li Qinghong understood that Yuan Tuan's chances of survival were slim.

"To be trapped in a Cave Heaven for more than a decade, watching the people who come to rescue you fall, and then slowly awaiting to be ingested by the Dragon Lord... Senior Yuan."

Li Qinghong had seen Yuan Tuan before, when he had come to the Li Family to take Li Xizhi back to the sect, and had a brief connection with her, finding Yuan Tuan gentle and graceful. Later, upon learning that Yuan Tuan had secretly helped protect Li Xuanxuan during a demonic disaster, she felt even more grateful.

"'Qingxuan Yue' could pray for others, but could not pray for his own good fortune... yet still, must end up in tiger's jaws."

"Now, whether Yuan Tuan's jade token in the Yuan Family still holds any efficacy is unknown, but the soul lamp in the Green Pond Sect is definitely extinguished. Xizhi... there's no need for me to notify him, after all, it is something that cannot be seen; I'm afraid it will only complicate matters."

Li Qinghong calmed her emotions for a while before suddenly hearing a crisp knocking sound.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The state of Li Qinghong's mind in that instant was like frost shattering from the blow, filling her heart with both ice and shock, casting out all other thoughts, leaving only astonishment.

"Knock knock knock..."

The sound echoed in the Cave Mansion, feeling cold and clean. Li Qinghong's expression changed slightly, and she quickly grasped the spear in her hand:

'Who is it!'

It must be known that currently, Li Chengwei was in charge of the Sect Spring Island, with Zong Yan assisting. Regardless of which one of these two wanted to find her, they would either activate the formation to summon her out or send her a message.

Under no circumstances would they resort to knocking on the door...

"Creak..."

She hadn't yet responded, just picked up the spear, and the formation of the whole Cave Mansion was like a mere decoration, the stone door of the entrance already creaking open slowly, and a pair of shoes stepped in, very steadily.

The visitor first stepped one foot inside, then pushed the door open, moving forward as the door swung open to reveal a smiling face with eight white teeth showing.

The person was dressed in green, young in appearance, with flowing robes and loose hair, slowly retracting his smile, squinting at her, hands behind his back, appearing very curious.

His pupils were a light blue, and just standing there, he exuded a heavy presence, with numerous cold shadows surging around him, casting a chilly aura.

The clothes he wore were broad-sleeved and wide-robed, the hem fluttering, although all green, his waist was adorned with a golden tassel. Li Qinghong recognized these garments, they were the standard of the Green Pond Sect.

Though the attire of Green Pond Sect disciples, guest elders, Taoists, Peak Masters, the Sect Master, and those of Zifu status were generally similar, the details differed. With the favor of Li Xizhi and Yuan Tuan, Li Qinghong had always been able to identify a Peak Master, yet the clothing of the person in front of her was even more splendid.

Her thoughts lingered on these garments for only a brief moment, as she was immediately drawn to the person's face.

Li Qinghong stared blankly at him, realizing to her shock that she recognized this face; not only did she recognize it, but it also belonged to the last person she would ever want to encounter, mixing shock with fear.

"Chi Buzi!"