Stranger Danger

“Since this man dared to challenge us alone, he must be emboldened by something more than just pure audacity. Moreover, we don’t yet know what kind of strength or art he possesses. If you win, then it is the expected outcome. But if you lose, then our reputation would suffer.”

Yu Longzi answered slowly, “Rather than taking the fight to him, I would rather wait in leisure and probe our quarry’s strength using the Dragonscaling Road, Dragon Nursing Gorge, and Dragon Subjugating Platform. If he does not survive our arrays, then perfect. If not, then we would find out how strong he is and deplete his strength. Why take an unnecessary risk if we can defeat our quarry without doing anything?”

“You’re right, my lord. Once we captured him, you have all the time in the world to torture him, Hualong!” Zhao Yuanrong added.

Yue Hualong grunted and returned to his seat. “Fine. I will wait. We might as well find out what this bastard is capable of, but whatever the case, he must have a death wish to challenge our mountain alone!”

“If we are all in agreement, then let us see how he’ll overcome the Dragonscaling Road,” Yu Longzi ended the conversation before returning his gaze to Ye Qing.

……

“So this is the Dragonscaling Road. Interesting!”

Ye Qing remarked with interest while allowing the lightning, thunder and gale of the Dragonscaling Road to strike him again and again. It was as if the deadly elements were no stronger than a harmless breeze.

He already knew from Innocent Miao’s memories that there were three stages and arrays protecting Dragonrider Mountain. They were the Dragonscaling Road, the Dragon Nursing Gorge, and the Dragon Subjugating Platform.

Legend had it Trueman Dragonrider, founder of Dragonrider Mountain, slew countless true dragons in his life. After he founded the Dragonrider Mountain, he forged the Dragonscaling Road using their bones, built the Dragon Nursing Gorge using their blood, and created the Dragon Subjugating Platform using their soul. They were both the great arrays that protected the mountain and the obstacles Dragonrider Mountain used to test potential recruits and disciples.

The Dragonscaling Road was forged using the bone of true dragons, so it was imbued with the pressure and elements of a true dragon. The higher one climbed, the greater the pressure and elements would become. It was an obstacle that tested the tenacity and determination of a challenger.

The Dragon Nursing Gorge was built using the blood of true dragons. Although it was called a gorge, its actual depth was unknown. Countless dragons, serpents, and mixed breeds were raised within the gorge. Impossible to cross via flying, the only way a challenger might cross the Dragon Nursing Gorge was to walk across a single iron chain. It was an obstacle that tested a challenger’s courage.

Finally, the Dragon Subjugating Platform was created using the souls of true dragons. Imbued with the power of true dragons, a challenger must enter the platform, overcome its trials, and subjugate the dragons. It was an obstacle that tested one’s resolution.

Obviously, the three arrays were only partially activated during recruitment day. In fact, the power the potential recruits were subjected to was less than one percent of their true power.

When the three arrays were activated as lines of defense against the enemy though, they could destroy heaven and earth and repel even Sages.

Take the Dragonscaling Road for example. When it was activated to test potential recruits, the lightning, thunder and gale would not be present at all. They only needed to endure the pressure of true dragons.

At full power though, it would manifest its deadly elements to destroy the enemy’s soul.

It was worth noting that the arrays really did possess the power to “destroy heaven and earth” and “repel even Sages”—when Trueman Dragonrider was still alive, that was. After his passing, Dragonrider Mountain declined day after day, and no successor were ever able to reach Trueman Dragonrider’s heights again, much less surpass him. Over time, Dragonrider Mountain lost even the ability to maintain their three arrays, and the long neglect meant that the arrays were far, far weaker than what they used to be.

Otherwise, Ye Qing would not dare to show his face within a hundred kilometers of Dragonrider Mountain, much less challenge their arrays alone. He was daring, not stupid or suicidal.

“What a shame.”

Ye Qing sighed as he felt the terrible pressure pressing down on him, and endured the various elements striking his body.

He was sighing because Trueman Dragonrider’s successors were disappointments who allowed such a magnificent array to decay to this extent.

He was also sighing because he had no choice but to deal the array a grievous blow and add to its misery.

Clasping his hands behind his back, Ye Qing opened his mouth and sucked in a deep breath. The wind, rain, lightning and thunder permeating the road all disappeared into his abdomen, and the Dragonscaling Road abruptly returned to calm.

The welcoming sun beams peeking out of the clouds almost seemed to add insult to injury.

“What the…”

On the mountain, Yu Longzi and the rest of the elders were speechless. Beneath the mountain, Zhou Xianyang and the crowd were speechless as well.

Ye Qing wasn’t done though. Something even more shocking happened the next moment.

After he devoured the elements, Ye Qing’s bones and muscles popped like a crow’s cry, and his vigor swelled so much it touched the sky itself. As soon as he transformed into a demonic ape, he let out a roar so vigorous that both heaven and earth turned as red as blood.

Finally, he raised his foot and brought it down mightily.

It was a stomp that felt like it tipped the sky over and shook the nine provinces.

BOOM!!!

As soon as Ye Qing’s right foot made contact with the ground, countless people’s ears fell silent for a brief moment. It took them a moment to realize that their eardrums had burst. At the same time, people both on the mountain and below the mountain fell to the ground even though most of them were warriors. That was how hard the earth was shaking.

Crack crack crack…

The people could only watch in stunned horror as a crack appeared beneath Ye Qing’s foot and stretched up toward the mountain like some sort of dragon. At the same time, they could hear a mournful wail from the Dragonscaling Road before the pressure still encompassing the area abruptly vanished like it was never there.

In one breath, Ye Qing had swallowed the wind and thunder, and in one stomp, he had shattered the Dragonscaling Road. With that done, Ye Qing shrank back to normal and calmly began his ascent up the Dragonrider Mountain.

“What… in the…”

Inside Dragonslaying Hall, Yu Longzi’s face was a storm of anger and worry. He had no words to offer his retinue or himself.

Yue Hualong, Yun Chaoyu, Yu Ningxin and Zhao Yuanrong were exchanging heavy looks with each other as well.

If before they did not think much of Ye Qing’s “challenge” at all, now they were forced to accept that he was a true threat.

Although the Dragonscaling Road’s power was a pale, pale shadow of what it used to be, it still wasn’t something anyone—not even a powerful warrior—could overcome as they pleased.

However, that youngster they thought were in over his head had consumed its skyful of wind and thunder in one breath, and shattered the Dragonscaling Road in one stomp.

Everyone in the Dragonslaying Hall possessed the power to perform the same feat, but to do it with the level of ease Ye Qing had displayed? They weren’t conceited enough to believe that they could.

That was why even the loudest, most disdainful among them had fallen silent.

“My lord…”

Yun Chaoyu broke the silence and tried to say something, but Yu Longzi waved him off.

“There’s still the Dragon Nursing Gorge and the Dragon Subjugating Platform. Let us keep watching for now.”

Without the draconic pressure and the deadly elements, the Dragonscaling Road was just a normal, perfectly harmless road. It took Ye Qing no effort to reach the main gate.

A group of Dragonrider Mountain disciples were standing in front of the main gate. Their faces were a mixture of emotion as they watched Ye Qing leisurely making his way toward them like he was taking a walk in the park.

There were anger and hatred, shock and fear. Regardless of what they thought, they automatically opened up a path for Ye Qing when he finally reached them.

Ye Qing ignored their complicated gazes and passed through the main gate. He continued forward without a single pause in his footsteps.

Despite its name, Dragonrider Mountain was made up of two mountains. The mountain at the front was where the outer disciples and servants resided, whereas the mountain at the back was where the inner disciples, hallmasters, and the mountain lord stayed. What this meant was that the mountain at the front was just the support. It was the one at the back that was the heart of Dragonrider Mountain.

Legend had it that Dragonrider Mountain didn’t originally have two mountains. It was Trueman Dragonrider who, during the inception of his sect, split a single mountain into two with his palm. Henceforth, there was a front mountain and a back mountain in Dragonrider Mountain, and the deep gorge between the two mountains was what they called the Dragon Nursing Gorge.

Right now, Ye Qing was standing in front of the Dragon Nursing Gorge. As it was foretold, the gorge seemed bottomless from where he stood, and the cliffside looked as smooth as a mirror. Floating within the gorge was a sea of persistent dark red fog or water.

The dark red fog were the true dragon’s blood. Back in the day, when Trueman Dragonrider was building the Dragon Nursing Gorge, he had dropped the blood of true dragons into this gorge until it formed a lake of blood. The steam rising from the lake of blood was what had permeated the gorge for decades.

On a related note, Trueman Dragonrider had used his immense power to lock down the space of this area after splitting the mountain in half. That was why it was impossible to cross the gorge via flying.

There were no bridges or paths that linked the two shores of the Dragon Nursing Gorge; none save for a singular, finger-width iron chain. The only way to cross the gorge was to walk over the chain.

Obviously, the chain was no mundane object. Forged from the Cold Metal of Supreme Yin, the chain was very, very cold. What this meant was that those who tried to walk over the chain must endure a constant stream of unbelievable cold that only got worse as time passed.