222: Chapter 222 The Dragon King's Wrath

From then on, the three snakes watered at night and secretly observed how the farmers tended to their crops during the day.

While fetching water, the three snakes were discovered by other monsters, who mocked them incessantly. Snake Second, who had transformed into a carrying pole, felt utterly humiliated and wanted to quit.

Snake First hurriedly advised, "Don't pay too much attention to what others think. You are not that important in their eyes, and they are not that important in yours either."

Snake Second thought about it and realized that seemed right. Why care about others' opinions when it doesn't make you stronger? So the three snakes continued their work!

A few days later, when the villagers came to the mountain temple to make offerings, there was a new complexity in their eyes.

Fat Third hid on the roof beam, watching the dry rations and fruits, his stomach rumbling, but he didn't dare go down to take them.

"They know we're not the Dragon King, but three snakes," he whispered. "Will they hate us?"

Snake First didn't speak. He looked outside the temple.

"Tonight," he suddenly said, "we're going to play a big game."

...

The 'big game' Snake First referred to was going to the source of the Black Dragon River.

That small pool formed after being blocked by a giant boulder. They would have Fat Third gulp down water desperately and then use it for watering.

Fat Third's belly was huge, capable of holding a thousand catties.

"Third, it's up to you!" Snake First and Snake Second encouraged him.

"Mm-hmm!" Fat Third nodded fiercely with his plump snake face.

He swallowed for a full hour until his belly swelled into a drum, almost transparent.

"Can't... can't take it anymore..." Fat Third groaned.

"Hold on!" Snake First and Snake Second supported him on either side, climbing to the mountaintop behind the village.

"Open your mouth, spray down!"

At Snake First's command, Fat Third exerted a mighty force, and Snake Second helped by squeezing him. Instantly, water mixed with fish and shrimp cascaded down.

This time, it really rained, with the added bonus of live fish all over the fields.

"It's raining, it's raining!" A villager rushed out, seeing the fish jumping on the ground, both shocked and delighted.

"It's the Dragon God! The Dragon God sent rain and even gifted us fish!"

Cheers woke the entire village.

The three snakes watched the villagers' happy faces and smiled too.

Especially Fat Third. Although exhausted, he felt it was all worth it.

He had always been a burden, but now he was useful too. This made him very happy and satisfied.

Inside the mountain temple, the power of incense and faith instantly surged severalfold, flooding in like a tide.

The people of White Stone Village were also overjoyed, and the quality of their offerings improved.

The incense grew increasingly prosperous. The three snakes absorbed it day and night, and their bodies gradually began to change.

First, tender horns sprouted on their heads, then fine claw tips grew beneath their bellies.

Later, they actually grew hands and feet. Their scales took on a faint golden sheen, and they began to look somewhat draconic.

"We have horns! We have feet!" Fat Third was ecstatic.

"Are we... really transforming into dragons?" Snake Second's voice trembled.

Snake First looked at his newly grown hands and feet, trembling with joy, and happily gave a victory sign!

Fat Third watched him with full admiration from the side, giving Snake First all the emotional support he needed!

His plump face was very cute. He was always like this, never a killjoy.

The little girl had long realized the temple didn't house a real Dragon King. That day during the watering, she had clearly seen the forms of the three snakes.

But seeing the crops in the fields come back to life and smiles appearing on the villagers' faces, she was no longer afraid.

That day, the little girl, clutching a freshly bloomed wild chrysanthemum, quietly slipped into the temple. She placed the flower on the stone tablet and softly said to the three snakes, who now had the initial form of dragons:

"Thank you."

The three snakes gazed at the tender yellow wild chrysanthemum, then looked outside at the villagers busily harvesting crops. A strange warmth arose in their hearts.

Snake First touched the dragon horns on his head and suddenly felt that becoming a True Dragon might not be so important after all.

Some time later, the villagers' lives got better and better.

Not only did they double their offerings, but they also beat gongs and drums to recast a majestic golden statue for the Dragon King Temple.

This made the three snakes tremble with excitement, tears unconsciously streaming down.

"This... this is for us?" Fat Third couldn't quite believe it. Could he one day have a golden statue made for him?

Could he be this useful?

But this warmth didn't last long. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the sky, thunder rumbled.

A golden light tore through the clouds. The Dragon King descended riding thunder and fire, his dragon eyes wide, his roar shaking the mountains and earth:

"Audacious fiends! How dare you impersonate the Dragon King and swindle the faith of the people!"

Thunder and fire immediately struck the Dragon King Temple. The golden statue shattered, incense and candles turned to ash, roof tiles clattered down.

The Dragon King's wrath unabated, he summoned heavenly thunder to strike the village. Flames instantly devoured the houses and fields of White Stone Village.

Villagers wailed as they fled in all directions. That wild chrysanthemum also turned to ash in the fire.

The three snakes, propping up the temple plaque cracked by lightning, desperately fled towards the Black Stone Cliff outside the village.

Behind them was raging fire; ahead, a giant boulder blocked the waterway. Snake First looked back at the wailing villagers, at the village burning into a sea of fire.

Watching the villagers cry and run, watching a woman holding a child stumble, the child wailing in terror, Snake First suddenly stopped.

Snake Second was stunned for a moment, then clenched his claws: "Boss, run! What are you doing?"

"Can't run," Snake First's voice was hoarse.

"Boss, are you crazy?" Snake Second and Fat Third looked at him.

"The fire was brought by us," Snake First stared at the crack in the giant boulder.

"If we run, what will happen to these Mortals? What will happen to this village? We received their incense and faith; we must take responsibility for them, even if it was obtained by deception."

Snake First turned and looked at his two brothers: "After cultivating for so many years, all we learned was to flee when trouble comes? That won't do. To transform into a dragon isn't just about growing hands and feet!"

Snake Second and Fat Third were stunned.

They looked at the great fire, at the crying villagers, then at Snake First's determined gaze.

"Damn it!" Snake Second gritted his teeth. "Let's go all out!"

"I... I'll go all out too!" Fat Third trembled but did not retreat.

"That giant boulder blocks the waterway. The only thing that can extinguish the fire burning the village is the mountain stream water."

"Good!" Snake First looked at that boulder. "Thunder can split stone. We'll draw the thunder, split that boulder, release the water, and put out the fire!"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!"

Three snake shadows rushed against the flow of people, charging towards the upper reaches of the river channel deep within the sea of fire.

Snake First leaped onto the top of the giant boulder and roared at the sky, "Bald-Tailed Dragon, if you have the guts, come at me!"

A bolt of thunderfire was diverted, striking straight down!

Snake First continuously dodged.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck from behind Snake First. There was no time to dodge at all.

"Boss, watch out!"

Fat Third roared, lunging forward, using his round, rolling body to block the front!

"BOOM!"

Most of the thunderfire struck him.

Scales exploded, charred black. He tumbled from the boulder, falling into the puddle below.

"Third!" Snake First's eyes nearly burst with rage.

"Boss, why aren't you leaving..." Fat Third's faint voice came.

"Because... you're pinning me down," Snake First wiped his tears, pretending not to be heartbroken.

"Oh. Then I'll eat less in the future," Fat Third gave a simple-minded smile and fell silent.

"Third!"

Snake First and Snake Second were overcome with grief and indignation.

The two snakes glared fiercely at the so-called Dragon King in the sky and shouted, "Come on then!"

The so-called Dragon King was furious. He never expected mere little monsters would dare provoke him!

"I sentence you to death!"

A second bolt of thunderfire followed immediately.

Snake Second, eyes red, used his newly formed forelimbs to desperately cling to the crack, wedging his body inside: "Boss, guide the thunder into the crack!"

"Second!"

"Boss, hurry!"

Snake First, tears streaming, roared as he guided the lightning.

"CRACK!" Thunderlight poured into the crack!

Snake Second's body convulsed violently in the electric light, instantly charred black. But his body, wedged in the crack, caused the fissure to suddenly widen twofold, and more water gushed out.

"Suc...ceeded..." Snake Second's voice faded.

Only Snake First remained. He wiped his tears and continued dodging and drawing the thunder.

He raised his head and, mustering all his strength, let out a cry mixed with demonic power and boundless grief and fury!

That sound faintly carried the low, deep resonance of a dragon's roar.

Heavenly thunder transformed into a blinding pillar of light, striking straight down!

Just as the thunderlight was about to touch Snake First!

"BOOM!"

An earth-shattering roar!

The thunder struck Snake First and also struck that giant boulder!

The giant boulder exploded with a crash!

The river water, pent-up for so long, roared like an enraged dragon breaking free from its cage, rushing and surging downwards!

The flood rushed into the burning mountain forest. Fire and water met, erupting into towering white steam.

PS: A transitional chapter. For everyone's reading comfort, I'm adding an extra chapter today to speed up the progress. Please urge for more updates and leave good reviews!