Chapter 123: The Dragon-Sealing Well
Following the source of the sound, Ye Tian stepped forward through the spring water until he reached the center of the pool.
Beneath the clear, cold water lay a circular well opening. Eight iron chains were fastened to the well walls, extending downward into an unfathomable abyss.
From the depths of the well came increasingly piercing roars.
With the agonizing howls, thin streams of crimson liquid surged out of the well, tinting the surrounding spring water a pale pink.
“Locked Dragon Well?” Ye Tian raised his brow. Of course, this was the very Locked Dragon Well!
Legend had it that during the Xia Dynasty, a hornless female flood dragon wreaked havoc, causing widespread flooding. King Yu subdued it with iron chains, imprisoning it in the well to keep it sealed forever.
Since then, people had imitated King Yu’s method, constructing many such Locked Dragon Wells across the land.
In truth, these were not wells to lock dragons, but to imprison flood dragons, for true dragons could transform and could not be restrained by mere iron chains.
The wells were not truly built for flood control, but because flood dragons cultivated for a thousand years to achieve immortality, their blood and flesh were precious. Drinking their blood could regenerate flesh and bone; eating their meat could grant one their path.
In short, it was greed.
“I never imagined that the so-called spiritual spring was merely flood dragon’s bloody water mixed in. No wonder just bathing in it can greatly enhance cultivation,” Ye Tian murmured, shaking his head.
The Yang family truly wasted such a treasure…
Flood dragon blood was immensely nourishing. Drinking it could regrow a severed arm; those healthy who drank it would gain boundless vitality. Long-term consumption could grant lifespans exceeding a thousand years, even immortality.
Yet they used it for mere baths.
Gazing into the abyssal well bottom, Ye Tian felt a pang of sorrow.
How many years had this flood dragon been imprisoned, trapped beneath the earth without seeing the sky, unable to die — a torment beyond measure.
Its blood was suffused with spiritual energy, already faintly imbued with the Dao’s resonance. It must be just one step from sprouting horns and becoming a true dragon. Such a loss…
If it failed to grow horns and become a true dragon,
the Locked Dragon Well would suppress it until its blood drained dry, until death.
This flood dragon was a primal spirit, born a serpent, transforming over a millennium into a flood dragon, then cultivating nearly another thousand years to reach its current power — truly remarkable!
Thinking of this, Ye Tian’s heart softened, and he felt an impulse to break the chains and release it back to nature.
Sacrificing living beings to gain the Dao was not his way.
“Enough, enough!” he quickly dismissed the thought.
After all, the Locked Dragon Well was built by the Yang family ancestors. If he released it, wouldn’t he destroy their centuries-old legacy?
Better to just draw some dragon blood and return home.
Yet just as he turned to leave, an even more mournful howl came from the well’s depths.
“True Man… save me!”
A faint human voice reached his ears — the flood dragon imitating human speech.
Ye Tian’s heart trembled.
This dragon already possessed such a high intelligence!
Seeing Ye Tian stop, the flood dragon continued:
“True Man, I was born from the great river, cultivating for over 1,400 years, never harming humans. Yet the Peng family ancestors lured me up the mountain, claiming they offered incense to help me gain the Dao!”
“Eight iron chains bind my spine, suppress my soul, for five centuries now!”
“I hate it, True Man, I hate it!”
“Now my lifespan wanes; even if I attain the Dao immediately, I will perish under the thunder tribulation. True Man, I beg your compassion: release me, grant me a chance to avenge myself!”
Hearing this, Ye Tian was puzzled.
The Peng family? Shouldn’t this Locked Dragon Well belong to the Yang family of Phoenix City? Where did the Peng family come from?
“Sorry, I cannot let you out,” he finally chose to refuse.
Whether the flood dragon’s words were true or false was uncertain. If it was gathering strength to escape, once free, it might turn against him. With its cultivation, it might not be a match even for a half-step true dragon.
“True Man, if you do not believe me, I swear by the Dao. If I have lied even once, let the heavenly thunder strike me down, shatter my cultivation, crush my inner core, and annihilate my flesh and bones!”
“Whoa!”
Ye Tian’s eyes widened in shock.
Brother, no need to be like this!
For such a flood dragon to swear by its Dao cultivation showed how deep its hatred was.
The heavenly Dao was merciless — cultivators who swore by their Dao must not lie, or the thunder tribulation would indeed strike.
Looking up at the sky for a long moment, seeing no sign of disturbance, Ye Tian finally believed the dragon and nodded:
“Very well. In that case, there is no harm in releasing you.”
Once the flood dragon died, its body could no longer produce blood, and the Yang family’s spiritual spring would soon lose efficacy. Rather than letting it rot in the well, it was better to release it and settle the past.
Several flashes of blade light, and the eight iron chains snapped with a clang!
A soaring dragon’s roar burst forth from the well mouth. In the pale pink spring water, a fierce flood dragon’s head emerged.
At first glance, it was a large snake’s head, with canine teeth and a slightly pointed forehead; only its pair of golden vertical pupils radiated a divine light, showing great spirit.
The flood dragon first glanced at Ye Tian and nodded, then twisted and slid out of the well opening. Its body, as thick as a water jar and covered with fine down along its spine, slowly appeared.
At the same time, the eight iron chains pierced its back, hanging behind it with a clinking sound.
Crimson blood gushed forth.
After a while, the flood dragon fully slid out of the well and fell into the shallow pool. Then, with a flick of its body, its jet-black form, still shackled by iron chains, vanished instantly.
But a closer look revealed it was still there.
The water’s surface rippled faintly, indicating the flood dragon had merged with the water, concealing its form.
“Thank you, True Man, for your kindness!”
Indeed, its deep voice sounded again.
“When I have settled my grudges, I will return to offer my inner core to aid you in uniting with the Dao!”
Hearing this, Ye Tian felt deeply moved. He hadn’t expected the flood dragon to be so sincere, willing to give its core without hesitation.
“There’s no need for that. I hope you become a true dragon instead.”
“Don’t waste time—go quickly.”
“Thank you, True Man!”
The flood dragon expressed its gratitude, and suddenly, the water in the pool surged, rising dramatically. The small shallow pool erupted into towering waves, roaring toward the cave entrance!
“Doctor Ye, are you alright?”
Hearing the tremendous water roar, Yang Yan, who was guarding the cave entrance, finally noticed and hurried over to investigate. But he saw the flood of water rushing in like a tidal wave.
“Mother of God!”
Yang Yan’s face turned pale. Terrified, he spun around and fled.
Watching the torrent rush away, Ye Tian couldn’t help but gasp, utterly astonished:
“Water rising from dry land… this great flood dragon is just a step away from true dragonhood…”
Soon, the raging floodwater flooded out of the cave, sweeping up the hapless Yang Yan and rushing toward the mountain’s base.
Ye Tian flashed forward, catching the man who was being swept away in confusion and pulled him back.
“Doctor, what on earth is happening? Why did the spiritual spring suddenly go berserk?” Yang Yan asked, still shaken.