162: Chapter 162 Thunder Dragon

Zhang Wen turned to look at everyone, the sky-splitting startling thunder spear gleaming coldly in the twilight: "Prepare the ship, we're going to the East Sea."

"Now?" Xiao Zhan looked up while chewing on some dried meat, the red glow of his Overlord Body not yet fully faded. "Those guys from the Onmyōryō have probably already run far away."

"They won't get far." Zhang Wen opened the System map. A flashing red dot had already lit up in the East Sea region—that was the real-time location marked by the System based on the spiritual power fluctuations of the Sakura Country speedboat.

"Although their ship is fast, the territory of the Deep Sea Thunder Flood Dragon is in 'Black Reef Bay.' To lure the flood dragon out to sea, they need to prepare at least three days' worth of offerings."

Su Qing sheathed her rusted sword, twirling three Nine Palaces copper coins between her fingertips: "I'll go prepare the ship. The Dragon Kingdom has a vessel called the 'Wave Breaker,' and its speed can catch up to them."

Ye Chen suddenly spoke, his black-mist-like pupils looking toward Chu Yao: "Her vines can track scents; take her with you."

The vines at Chu Yao's fingertips trembled. She didn't refute him, only saying in a low voice: "The ocean currents in Black Reef Bay are very strange. 'Spirit-Devouring Jellyfish' are hidden in the whirlpools; if you get stung, you will temporarily lose your spiritual power."

[Team collaboration intent detected. Triggering mission: Intercept the Deep Sea Thunder Flood Dragon, prevent Sakura Country from obtaining the Thunder Flood Dragon Inner Core. Reward: Points +300,000, Team Coordination +10%.]

As soon as the System notification finished, Zhang Wen strode toward the pier: "Let's go."

When the ship lights of the Wave Breaker pierced the night, the silhouette of Black Reef Bay had already emerged on the horizon.

The seawater here was ink-black, and the reefs pierced out of the sea like fangs. The air was filled with a faint fishy smell and fluctuations of spiritual power—clearly, Cultivators were already active here.

"Stop the ship." Zhang Wen stood at the bow, able to see the flickering rune Shimmer in the distant reef cluster. "They are setting up a 'Flood Dragon Luring Formation'."

Lu Yan clung to the ship's railing, peering out, and suddenly pointed at a huge black reef: "I see it! There's an iron cage tied to that reef, and inside it seems to be... a live spirit deer?"

"Using the essence blood of a living creature to lure the flood dragon—that's ruthless." Su Qing frowned, the crimson patterns on her rusted sword lighting up. "Should we make a move now?"

Zhang Wen shook his head. The red dots on the System panel were moving around the reef, clearly showing the opponents were still setting up the Formation.

"Wait until the Thunder Flood Dragon comes out. They will inevitably have to go all out to deal with it; that's when we strike."

He took a "Thunder Source Pearl" from his Storage Pouch—this was a low-grade spiritual material rewarded from a previous mission, capable of inducing faint Lightning Radiance underwater.

"Lu Yan, your Vajra Body can withstand the water pressure. Dive underwater and stand by. Wait for my signal, then smash their formation eye."

"Got it!" Lu Yan wiped his face and jumped into the sea with a "splash," his bronze-colored figure instantly disappearing into the ink-black waves.

Half an hour later, a dull rumble suddenly came from the reef cluster.

The runes of the Flood Dragon Luring Formation lit up blood-red. The spirit deer in the iron cage let out a shrill neigh, and blood flowed through the crevices of the reef into the sea, actually forming a blood-colored stream on the water's surface.

"It's coming!" Chu Yao's vines suddenly went taut, pointing toward the depths of the ocean floor.

A huge wave suddenly rose on the sea surface, and a giant flood dragon ten zhang long broke through the waves. Its blue-black scales were covered in Lightning Radiance, and the single horn on its head flickered with purple-gold light—it was indeed the Deep Sea Thunder Flood Dragon!

It was clearly enraged by the smell of blood; with a flick of its giant tail, it struck toward the Onmyōryō Cultivators on the reef.

"Now!" Zhang Wen leaped out, pointing the sky-splitting startling thunder spear directly at the formation eye. "Instant Prison Thunder Sound Spear: Thunder Waterfall!"

Bolts of lightning filled the sky, pouring down like a waterfall and striking the runes of the Flood Dragon Luring Formation with precision.

Those blood-colored runes instantly dimmed. Abe no Seimei (main body), who was controlling the Formation, turned pale and violently spat out a mouthful of blood: "Baka! It's Zhang Wen!"

Lu Yan, underwater, received the signal. His fists, carrying the immense strength of his Vajra Body, smashed toward the bottom of the reef—that was the rune hub where the formation eye was located.

With a "crack," the reef shattered, and the Flood Dragon Luring Formation completely failed.

Having lost the constraints of the Formation, the Deep Sea Thunder Flood Dragon's violent aura turned toward the nearest living beings—the Sakura Country Cultivators.

Opening its mouth, it spat out a bolt of Lightning Radiance, blasting two Onmyōji into charcoal, its massive body rampaging through the reef cluster.

"Retreat!" Abe no Seimei gritted his teeth and ordered, waving his folding fan to release several Shikigami to block, while he himself turned and jumped onto the speedboat.

"Want to leave?" Xiao Zhan had long been waiting by the speedboat, kicking the deck with the vibrating force of his Overlord Body.

The entire speedboat shook violently. Abe no Seimei couldn't stand steadily and was grabbed by the collar by Xiao Zhan: "Weren't you quite arrogant just a moment ago?"

Zhang Wen didn't pay attention to them, pointing the sky-splitting startling thunder spear toward the Deep Sea Thunder Flood Dragon.

The Inner Core of this giant flood dragon was exactly the source of points he needed, and even more so, the key spiritual material to evolve the sky-splitting startling thunder spear.

"Domain: Nine Heavens Thunder Prison!"

The Thunder Domain unfolded on the sea surface, the violent Lightning Radiance and the aura of the flood dragon mutually attracting each other.

The giant flood dragon seemed to sense the threat; it raised its head and let out a roar, the purple-gold Lightning Radiance on its single horn surging, and it actually unfolded a small Thunder Domain of its own.

[Same-attribute spiritual object confrontation detected. Triggering "Dao of Thunder Resonance." sky-splitting startling thunder spear evolution progress +10%.]

Zhang Wen's eyes lit up—this Thunder Flood Dragon could actually trigger Dao of Thunder Resonance! He no longer held back, driving the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder to its limit: "Instant Prison Thunder Sound Spear: Profound Truth: Dao of Thunder Reincarnation!"

The power left behind by the bronze armor's remnant soul erupted at the spear tip. A beam of light, fusing Nirvana Thunder and Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder, shot straight into the sky, then transformed into threads of lightning that fell, disintegrating the Deep Sea Thunder Flood Dragon's Thunder Domain layer by layer.

The Thunder Flood Dragon let out an unwilling wail, its massive body gradually stiffening amidst the threads of lightning.

When the last bolt of Lightning Radiance dissipated, its single horn shattered, and a fist-sized purple-gold Inner Core flew out from its mouth, hovering in front of Zhang Wen.

[Deep Sea Thunder Flood Dragon killed. Obtained Points +500,000, Thunder Flood Dragon Inner Core x1, sky-splitting startling thunder spear evolution progress: 40%.]

[Intercept mission completed. Reward Points +300,000, Team Coordination: 68%.]

The points on the System panel instantly soared to 963,450; it was only 36,550 away from the thunder source crystal core.

Zhang Wen put away the Inner Core and looked at Abe no Seimei and the others, who had been tightly bound like a package by Xiao Zhan, as well as his teammates who were cleaning up the battlefield.

Lu Yan ran over carrying a huge dragon scale, handing it to him like a treasure: "Zhang Wen, this scale armor can block lightning strikes. How about I give it to you as a heart-protecting mirror?"

Su Qing wiped the bloodstains off her rusted sword, a smile in her eyes: "Your Thunder Waterfall and Lu Yan's Formation-breaking were quite coordinated just now."

Chu Yao's vines were wrapping around the injured Young Flood Dragon (which hadn't been noticed earlier), and she said in a low voice: "This Young Flood Dragon can still be saved. Perhaps it can be raised in the Alliance's spirit pool."

Zhang Wen looked at them and suddenly felt that the eighty-seven days didn't seem so pressing anymore.

[Team Coordination: 70%.] The System notification sounded at just the right moment.

The distant horizon turned a fish-belly white. The Wave Breaker, carrying the captives and the spoils, slowly sailed back toward the shore. Zhang Wen stood at the bow, holding the warm Thunder Flood Dragon Inner Core, his gaze once again cast toward the direction of the Shattered Archipelago.

The points were almost enough, the team's tacit understanding was improving, and the sky-splitting startling thunder spear was also evolving.

Everything was developing in a good direction.

But he didn't notice that the vines at Chu Yao's fingertips had quietly coiled around a small piece of talisman paper dropped by Abe no Seimei. The curse seal on that talisman paper had the same fluctuations as the hoarse voice in her water mirror.