Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Chapter 177 The Unranked Dragon Seed

The aesthetic standards of the Great Rakshasa Kingdom are completely opposite to those of the Central Plains. Ma Ji gained appreciation here by blackening his face, but since it was a foreign land, he could not integrate into the social circles of those officials who looked strange. The people opposite him also regarded Ma Ji as an outsider and did not think much of him.

Since he couldn't stay any longer, he decided to leave. Ma Ji packed his things and bid farewell to the old man who had taken him in. He had come to this Great Rakshasa Kingdom because of a shipwreck, and knew that he probably wouldn't be able to bring back much if he went out to sea again. So he gave the gold and silver treasures he had earned by blackening his face and performing in operas to the villagers in the beggar village who, in his eyes, looked "normal".

He wasn't of the same race as the villagers, but these villagers, who were classified as "inferior people" in the Great Rakshasa Kingdom, were the most "human-like" in appearance, making Ma Ji feel the most comfortable in the Great Rakshasa Kingdom. Even though in their eyes Ma Ji was still incredibly ugly, like a demon, at least when he was with them, he didn't have to blacken his face and could see them as he was.

With the gold and silver jewelry given by Ma Ji, the villagers no longer had to beggars. Knowing that he was leaving, they sent several representatives to take him to the sea market connected to the Great Rakshasa Kingdom to find some treasures for him in return.

The two illegal travelers had indeed disrupted trade in Hai City, but those who could come here to do business were either highly skilled and daring or extremely wealthy. The chaos lasted for a while, but things quickly returned to normal.

After this battle, the East Sea paid more attention to the Sea Market, and the Third Prince visited the Sea Market more often. He didn't want to encounter such trouble again, as the enemy who had plotted against him was hiding in the Sea Market and the victims' remains had been refined into various artifacts for sale.

As in the original trajectory, Ma Ji arrived at the sea market and encountered the Third Prince of the East Sea. The sea market was connected to the Great Rakshasa Kingdom, and it was a mixed bag of people, with many who looked strange. Ma Ji, who was handsome and good-looking, was an exception, and the Third Prince spotted him at a glance.

This time, the two sides had another thing in common: they had both been saved by Tian Shanzi. One was almost swept into the waves, and the other was almost ambushed by villains when he was seriously injured. Both were life-saving graces. If it weren't for the fact that it's hard to keep track of days at sea, they would have discovered that Tian Shanzi saved the man and the dragon on the same day.

Talented, good-looking, and sharing a common savior—it was such a coincidence that even the Third Prince wouldn't believe it was fate. He immediately invited Ma Ji to the Dragon Palace as a guest.

When Ma Ji was talking about going to the Dragon Palace, he didn't realize the meaning of the word "dragon" at the time. He had been away from his hometown for some time, and in order to cater to the preferences of the Rakshasa people, the tunes and content of the songs he sang had been changed. Even now that he had left, he would still habitually think in the Rakshasa way.

So when the Third Prince mentioned the Dragon Palace, Ma Ji's first reaction was that the Dragon Palace was some small country at sea, and he didn't associate it with the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.

However, he soon remembered that the Third Prince had taken him to the Dragon Palace after they left the sea market, and then the three of them, along with their horse, plunged into the sea.

Humans cannot live underwater, let alone have a country, so the so-called "Dragon Palace" must be the Dragon King's palace.

Upon arriving at the Dragon Palace beneath the sea, Ma Ji's talent was appreciated by the Dragon King. It also happened to be the time when the Dragon Princess was looking for a husband. Although Ma Ji had no cultivation and was just a mortal, he was handsome, talented, and came from the land, which perfectly met the Dragon Princess's requirements for a husband.

Thus, Ma Ji's journey home by sea was interrupted at the very beginning, and his identity changed from a stranger who had accidentally drifted to the Great Rakshasa Kingdom to a noble prince consort of the East Sea Dragon Palace. This time, he didn't need to use black face paint to flatter others; instead, various sea monsters would bring gifts to flatter Ma Ji.

"So he really can't come?"

Upon receiving Liu Qingyuan's reply that Tian Shanzi couldn't attend, the Third Prince felt regret but wasn't too surprised. When he had previously interacted with this benefactor, the other party had always been the kind of person who said, "Don't get close to me, whether you're a friend or a stranger." Since it was the other party who suggested that Tian Shanzi attend the banquet last time, he thought he could try again.

Last time, I listened to that Sword Immortal's advice and used the Dragon Palace Seafood Feast to lure the Heavenly Fan. But in such a short time, no new species of seafood can emerge from the sea. I'm afraid this method won't work anymore.

"Are you talking about that immortal who can control the wind with a fan?"

Now that he had become the Dragon Prince's son-in-law, Ma Ji and the Third Prince could be like brothers, and Ma Ji knew what the Third Prince was looking forward to.

Compared to Ma Ji, the Third Prince was better off. He knew more than one innate person and also had dealings with Tian Shanzi. Ma Ji and Tian Shanzi really only met once, and it was just a fleeting encounter on the sea. After Tian Shanzi helped him deal with the waves and left, Ma Ji never saw Tian Shanzi again.

"Yes, according to Immortal Sword Master, my benefactor went into seclusion after returning home and will not see any guests."

"It's a pity that I can't repay the life-saving grace I received back then."

Hearing that Tian Shanzi couldn't come, Ma Ji was also very disappointed, knowing that he would never have the chance to repay this kindness.

"Immortals are like this; if they are destined to meet, they will meet again; if they are not, they will never meet again."

The Third Prince knew from the beginning that these immortals from outside wouldn't stay in this world for long, and yet, people still came to this wedding banquet.

"Using a dragon to suppress a snake? That is indeed a solution."

After listening to Jian Feidao's words, Liu Qingyuan couldn't help but sigh that it was indeed convenient to use his brain in several ways. The dragon's racial suppression of other animals was less evident in the Bitter Realm, and with such a good relationship with the East Sea Dragon Palace, he really hadn't thought of taking advantage of the dragon's racial advantages.

When Tian Shanzi met the Third Prince of the East Sea, the prince had been tricked and seriously injured by an illegal transmigrator. Then his relatives in the Dragon Palace were killed, and the Dragon Shepherd of Changbai Mountain came out looking for the brat... Anyway, from the moment they met the Dragon Clan, the "Dragon's" prestige was shattered, and it never had a particularly high-class image, which led Liu Qingyuan not to realize that the "Dragon Clan" was actually quite noble in this world.

If we're really talking about the prestige of "dragons," compared to those he'd seen, he still felt that Shulou Longsu was the most impressive.

However, the giant snake was so stubborn that Cang Yu did not respond.

"So far, the snake has only ever shown its head?"

"Yes, it will only stare at those who come in, without making a sound."

Jian Feidao didn't know why Liu Qingyuan asked this, but he still answered truthfully.

"Can't you even tell what kind it is?"

"It has too many mutated parts, unlike ordinary snakes."

"Is there any possibility..."

The Taoist priest, dressed in pure white, drew out his words, as if he were about to make some major discovery.

"Is the snake stuck in the well? Only its head is sticking out, and its body can't get out?"

Some snakes have bodies much thicker than their heads, such as pythons. The opening of a well is slightly larger than the snake's head. If the head is small and the body is large, the body may not be able to pass through a place where the head can pass.

Yes, snakes have flexible bodies that can stretch and contract to some extent, but for a giant snake, a small head and a large body would only make its body look more exaggerated. No matter how much it shrinks, it can't actually get much smaller.

Putting aside the logic of Liu Qingyuan's conjecture, it's quite malicious. It's like someone who is unusually tall and doesn't come out of the house. Instead of guessing that the other person doesn't want to talk to him, he guesses that the other person is "big but weak" and is trapped inside the door.

"Don't look at me like that. No one can prove that the giant snake was this size before the snake pit was formed, right?"

Liu Qingyuan shrugged indifferently, feeling that his idea was worth considering. Since the snake cave was accidentally discovered, he had only seen the snakes and their offspring going in and out of the well, but had never seen the giant snake come out on its own.

Given the aggressiveness of the snakes in the cave, the giant snake doesn't seem to be the type to do nothing when faced with an intruder. Several attempts to command the smaller snakes to attack have been ineffective, so it's time to try attacking on its own.

Without speaking or launching an attack from the well, Liu Qingyuan could only guess that this guy couldn't get out, which was why he couldn't give anyone who entered the snake pit a bite.

Given its size, the giant snake could easily swallow a person whole. It's unreasonable for it to allow only smaller venomous snakes around it to attack it, especially considering its size advantage.

"Once we reach the Dragon Palace, we'll go and tell the Third Prince about the situation."

The two were flying peacefully over the sea when suddenly a thunderclap erupted in the sky ahead, followed by a colossal object falling from the clouds and crashing directly into the sea, splashing up a huge spray of water.

If Liu Qingyuan and the others weren't seeing things, the massive object crashed down with electric current and sparks, creating a sound like it was blasting fish. Luckily, there were no ships on the surface at that moment; otherwise, the resulting waves could have easily caused another maritime disaster.

The two almost collided with each other. If that was a coincidence, then what happened next was even more coincidental. After the waves on the sea returned to normal, the giant creature in the sea emerged. It was a dragon that had already lost consciousness.

Yes, yet another severely injured dragon. It's not that Liu Qingyuan deliberately thought the dragons in this world had no ranking; if even one could appear in a normal state, it wouldn't have left him with this impression.

This newly fallen dragon looks quite different from the East Sea Dragon Clan. It has no horns on its head and square ears, and it seems to be a Chi Dragon.

"A Chilong? Or a Chiwen?"

The creature bore numerous marks from lightning strikes, particularly on its tail and head, where the edges of the fur were charred black. This made it impossible to immediately determine whether the dragon was too badly injured to coma or simply stunned by the electric shock.

Although the clouds in the sky were thick, there were no dark clouds or thunderclouds. Its injuries looked as if it had just survived a tribulation of lightning.

"Since we are of the same clan, let the Third Prince come over and acknowledge him."

Dragon species are generally related in some way, and since the other party appeared on the East China Sea, not far from the Dragon Palace, there might actually be some connection.

When the Third Prince received the letter and arrived with a head full of questions, he looked out at the sea and realized that it was an incredible coincidence. He recognized the dragon and could even guess how it got its injuries.

"It's that kid again..."

The Third Prince rubbed his forehead, his face filled with speechlessness.

"Don't worry, either of you. His injuries are either from being struck by lightning or from some other deity who can control lightning. This kid often gets himself into this state, so he's very resistant to electricity."

As he spoke, he kicked the dragon in the head. The Third Prince was currently in human form, which made him appear extremely small compared to the dragon's form. The kick barely made a sound.

"This kid is a half-baked expert at controlling clouds and rain. He always made mistakes in the past. Then he suddenly said he wanted to learn the art of controlling thunder. He can't even make rain properly, yet he wants to control lightning? After failing, he was not convinced and went around looking for gods who could use thunder to spar with him."

Dragons, though varying in strength, are generally known for their thick skin and tough flesh. Their basic stats are what they are, and many people are unwilling to fight them, not out of fear, but because they find them annoying.

It's a thankless task that you can't kill, and if you hit it too hard you'll make enemies. Even if the Chilong only says it's a friendly spar, not many people are willing to mess with it.

So the Chilong changed its strategy. It would strike first, and if the opponent didn't want to be attacked for no reason, it could retaliate with lightning. Sometimes, when both sides got heated and the fighting got bigger and bigger, the battle would become increasingly intense.

So the electric shock injury on this dragon was basically its own fault. It's okay that it's unconscious; there's still a lot of lightning power left on its body. This current is nothing to a thick-skinned dragon, but other species can't touch it. See those fish floating on the sea? That's what happens when you try to do something wrong.

"Just let him stay in the water. I heard that this kid went and provoked the Thunder God a while ago. His methods seemed a bit excessive, and he got a good lesson."

The Third Prince was already used to the Chilong falling down covered in electric currents. In the eyes of others, it was just a weak and playful warmonger. However, compared with many dragon species, this Chilong was still young and had a more unruly personality; it was just an unruly brat.

How can you manage this kind of fellow animal? You can't. You discipline them and teach them a lesson, and they immediately start causing trouble again. It's better to just let them roam free. Anyway, they'll always be the ones getting beaten, and one day they'll learn their lesson.

"This kid isn't very talented. He has to perform a 'dragon sucking water' before the rain even starts. It's a pipe dream for him to think he can master lightning magic. He hasn't improved much in his cultivation so far, but his scales that resist lightning and block electricity have been tempered to be exceptionally hard."

Although he said not to worry about it, since they were of the same clan, the Third Prince still left a few people to guard the unconscious Chilong and wait for him to wake up so he could tell him what had happened.

"After being reprimanded like that, what did he do?"

Judging from its appearance, the electric shock marks on the Chilong's body looked really frightening. Even though the Third Prince said not to worry, Liu Qingyuan still felt that the Chilong had been electrocuted inside and out.

But why does the idea of ​​fighting with the Thunder God sound so familiar?

"I heard that they found something and sprinkled it on the Thunder God, causing him to fall from the sky. Because of this, he was chased and beaten for many days. He was quiet for a while recently, probably to recover from his injuries."

As the Third Prince explained, Liu Qingyuan's sense of déjà vu grew stronger. Had Yue Wuque told him that he had seen the Thunder God fall from the sky and seemingly fight with a dragon?

But that happened some time ago. If that's true, why did it only fall from the sky today? Could it be that after the dragon recovered from its injuries, it went to provoke us again?

If that's the case, then this dragon truly deserves the title of "mischievous child," causing even more trouble than the group of little dragons in Changbai Mountain.

So far, among all the dragon species' first encounters, it seems that only the East Sea Dragon King's appearance was normal and impressive. What's wrong with you dragons? Are you professional losers?