Chapter 42: A Situation Doomed to Fail
"Lifting a hand is a trivial effort, not worth mentioning," Qin Yitian dismissed Mo Yan's gratitude indifferently, her phoenix eyes gazing at Lu Qingshan. Her voice was cold and clear as she asked Lu Qingshan, "However, I currently have nowhere to go. Where do you plan to head next? May I join you on your journey?"
Lu Qingshan was taken aback.
Qin Yitian's request had caught him by surprise.
Yet, he couldn't deny that, although he didn't know the reason, spending time with Qin Yitian was indeed very pleasant.
So, after only a slight consideration, Lu Qingshan made up his mind, turned his head, and asked Mo Yan, "Is it convenient on your end?"
Next, they would return to Jiaolong Island through a small Teleportation Array.
As the small Teleportation Array was one of the Dragon Slaying Saber's secrets, Lu Qingshan was unsure whether Mo Yan would feel comfortable letting Qin Yitian, a stranger, come into contact with it.
Mo Yan shook his head. "Of course, there's no problem. Let's set off for the island now.
This trip to the Dragon Pool, thanks to Miss Qin's help, went unexpectedly smooth despite some twists. With the speed of the Jiao Clan, we might even reach Jiaolong Island before they land."
"Then let's set off now," Lu Qingshan agreed.
Mo Yan nodded, activated his Escape Technique, and his figure began to move through the ocean depths.
"Why was Miss Qin in the Jiao Clan territory? And how come she's so familiar with the Dragon Pool?" On the way, Lu Qingshan couldn't help but ask, then added, "If it's inconvenient to talk about it, then never mind."
If Qin Yitian merely knew the location of the Jiaolong Demon King's Lair, it might not be too extraordinary.
But clearly, the second exit of the Dragon Pool, unknown even to the Jiao Clan that had occupied the Dragon Pool for a thousand years—how did Qin Yitian come to know it so well?
Qin Yitian thought for a moment, her lips pursed as she said, "That group of Jiao Beasts weren't really the masters of the Dragon Pool, just newcomers. How could they know the Dragon Pool better than me?"
Lu Qingshan was slightly taken aback.
The implication of Qin Yitian's words seemed to suggest that she was the master of the Dragon Pool.
If Qin Yitian wasn't merely speaking casually, then her true origin was indeed intriguing.
Lu Qingshan guessed Qin Yitian's identity in his mind, giving rise to many new speculations.
If the Jiao Clan knew that Qin Yitian had left the Dragon Pool with them, that scene would indeed be somewhat amusing…
....
At the exit of the Dragon Pool.
Hundreds of Jiao Beasts were arrayed in tight formation, guarding the exit.
Just as Lu Qingshan and others left the Dragon Pool, something in the pool seemed to slowly fade away.
A moment later, one of the Jiao Beasts finally sensed something was amiss and reacted.
"Jiao Chen, do you feel it too?" Jiao Yuan, the commander, asked another nearby Third Grade Jiao Beast, somewhat uncertain.
Jiao Chen incredulously said, "The Dragon Breath encircling the Dragon Pool seems to be… weakening. How could this be? For a thousand years, the Dragon Breath inside the Dragon Pool has never shown any change, why would it suddenly start to weaken?"
....
Above the sea.
Hundreds of Jiao Beasts, with immense momentum, swiftly flew through the air.
The leader of the Jiao Beast group was a Jiaolong Demon King over sixty zhang long, its pair of huge eyes filled with a cold and stern look.
Not far off, the silhouette of Jiaolong Island had already come into sight.
With his speed, he should have reached Jiaolong Island by now.
This time, however, he wasn't landing on the island alone but bringing most of the clan's warriors. Naturally, to arrive with the clan's Jiao Beasts, he had to maintain a moderate speed, which caused such a long delay.
"Human Race, damnable!" The Jiaolong Demon King's heart brimmed with bitterness and hatred.
The use of the Dragon Slaying Saber against his only offspring undoubtedly touched his reverse scale, igniting his towering rage.
...
Spiritual Light flickered as the figures of Lu Qingshan and his three companions appeared at the other end of the Teleportation Array, atop Jiaolong Island.
Upon their arrival, Mo Yan hurriedly took out a Communication Token from the Storage Ring, sending several Spirit Messages to understand the current situation. A few moments later, Mo Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "As expected, we made it in time. The Jiaolong Demon King has not yet arrived at Jiaolong Island.
Lu, my friend, I need to rush to the frontline to see if I can be of any assistance, so I must take my leave for now."
Then, Mo Yan thought for a moment, took out two portions of Spirit Stones from the Storage Ring, enveloped them in Spiritual Power, and pushed them in front of Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian. "This was the agreed upon compensation for your assistance; it's the reward I owe you both."
Lu Qingshan didn't immediately accept the Spirit Stones but took out a white jade bottle containing Dragon Transforming Spiritual Liquid and said, "This Dragon Transforming Spiritual Liquid was obtained by the three of us together and should be equally divided, but this liquid is of great use to me.
I don't need the Spirit Stones for now and would like to exchange them for an equivalent amount of Dragon Transforming Spiritual Liquid. Could you possibly part with it, Master Mo?"
Mo Yan once again pushed the Spirit Stones towards Lu Qingshan. "Both of you were willing to assist me to venture to Dragon Pool, for which I'm endlessly grateful. How could I still face splitting the spoils with you?
This portion of Dragon Transforming Spiritual Liquid should rightfully belong to the two of you; just divide it between yourselves, and don't mind me." Discover exclusive tales on empire
"I'm in a bit of an urgent situation here, so please forgive my early departure," Mo Yan said hurriedly, and without waiting for Lu Qingshan to react, he was enveloped in Netherfire and shot away like a meteor into the distance.
This Master Mo is indeed very generous.
Seeing Mo Yan leave behind a pile of Spirit Stones and disappear, Lu Qingshan thought silently.
"Shall we divide it equally between us?"
Zang Xiaojian waved his hand, full of righteousness, "Since you said this liquid is useful to you, just keep it. Why be so formal with me?"
"Lu Qingshan, do you think they can win this battle?" Zang Xiaojian asked curiously, blinking his eyes.
Lu Qingshan indeed needed the Dragon Transforming Spiritual Liquid, so he didn't bother with further courtesies and put away the white jade bottle. He shook his head and sighed, "It's a losing battle."
"Huh?" Zang Xiaojian was somewhat surprised by Lu Qingshan's certainty. "Why are you so sure they can't win? They've prepared for so long; they should have some confidence, right?"
"That's true, but they indeed can't win," Lu Qingshan confirmed.
As for the reason, it was quite simple.
According to the historical progress, in March, Xue Zhuyong would fight the Jiaolong Demon King with the Three-feet Edge.
Although Lu Qingshan didn't know the reason for Xue Zhuyong's action, he knew that if the Dragon Slaying Saber were successful now, the Jiaolong Demon King would have perished, and how could he fight Xue Zhuyong two months later?
Zang Xiaojian furrowed his brow, "Is there any way we can help them? If the Jiao Clan is so brutal to mortals, won't the humans on Jiaolong Island be condemned forever if Master Mo and the others lose?"
"Lu Qingshan, you always have ideas; there must be a way, right?" Zang Xiaojian looked at Lu Qingshan with hope.
Lu Qingshan frowned slightly.
His own desire was similar to Zang Xiaojian's; with the Jiao Clan being so brutal, he naturally also hoped the Dragon Slaying Saber could successfully slay the dragon and rid the Human Race of this menace.
However, the Jiaolong Demon King was a Fourth Grade Demon Beast; with such level of combat, how could he, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, be involved and change anything?
To be of help, they would need the support of a powerful ally; at least a Nascent Soul True Monarch was needed to potentially help the Dragon Slaying Saber turn the situation around.
Wait?
In a flash of insight, an idea crossed Lu Qingshan's mind.
Zang Xiaojian had been closely observing Lu Qingshan's expression and immediately noticed the change. Excitedly, he said, "Lu Qingshan, have you thought of a way?"
Lu Qingshan hesitated, "Perhaps, there is indeed someone on Jiaolong Island who could help the Dragon Slaying Saber against the Jiaolong Demon King."
"Who?"
"The Mo Family Head... Xue Zhuyong."
Xue Zhuyong could challenge the Jiaolong Demon King alone; even if it resulted in his own demise, it still proved that Xue Zhuyong's combat power was nearly on par with the Jiaolong Demon King.
Under such circumstances, if Xue Zhuyong could join forces with the Dragon Slaying Saber, the outcome would surely be much more favorable.
"Right!" Zang Xiaojian also realized, saying excitedly, "The Mo Family was overthrown by the Jiao Clan, so he must also have deep-seated hatred toward the Jiao Clan. Now that there's a chance for revenge, he would definitely be willing to help."