Chapter 288: Chapter 228: Underwater Battle: Wrestling the Flood Dragon

Cheng Zhihong and Yuna stood frozen, watching everything unfold with utter disbelief.

Yi Beidou dodged to the side in a flash, evading the attacks of four Sea Flood Dragons, only to run right into a surprise attack from the last and most powerful one!

The scene looked as if Yi Beidou was willingly walking into a trap, diving headfirst into the Sea Flood Dragon’s massive maw. There was a bizarre, almost choreographed feeling to it.

It was like a choreographed play, like a twist of fate that was always meant to be.

’With Yi Beidou’s power, how could he possibly make such a rookie mistake?!’

Neither of them could believe what they were seeing.

But it happened all the same.

Yi Beidou was now within range of the Sea Flood Dragon’s gaping maw.

’This is bad!’

Even for someone like Yi Beidou, a bite from the sharp teeth of this massive creature—a beast capable of capsizing ships—would be devastating. His body couldn’t possibly escape unscathed; he might even be torn in two instantly!

Unfortunately, no one could change what was fated to happen.

The next moment.

BOOM!

A sonic boom erupted as the Sea Flood Dragon’s gaping maw snapped shut, unleashing a terrifying amount of force.

The resulting shockwave instantly vaporized the sea spray, shrouding the scene in a thick mist. Through the haze, they could vaguely make out the shape of Yi Beidou’s body caught in the Sea Flood Dragon’s jaws, the mist tinged with a ghastly scarlet.

At a glance, it looked like a gruesome spray of blood and gore.

For a moment, Cheng Zhihong and Yuna felt as if they were suffocating.

’They hadn’t even reached the Immortal Mountain, hadn’t even seen their enemy’s true form... Was this mighty being, an existence who had made the entire Mortal World of Japan bow, really going to die here, his blood staining the sea?!’

It just went to show that the power and terror of these ancient beings, especially one in control of a legendary ruin, were truly immeasurable.

Meanwhile, inside Penglai Pavilion, the five avatars surrounding the Alchemist were now shriveled husks, devoid of life. The Alchemist himself watched the scene unfolding within his Round Light Technique, a faint smile touching his lips.

Within the image, Yi Beidou could be vaguely seen caught in the Sea Flood Dragon’s bite, a blast of bloody light erupting from the point of impact. It was a gory scene.

’True, the scene has some discrepancies from the one ’set’ by my Light Condensing Cause and Effect Curse,’ he thought. ’There’s this shroud of mist, like an extra layer of fog making it hard to see clearly, but the overall outcome hasn’t deviated.’

’That’s to be expected, though.’

He knew full well that the Light Condensing Cause and Effect Curse didn’t kill through so-called "destiny." Everything might look like fated causality, but in essence, it didn’t directly interfere with reality. No one possessed that kind of power. The true nature of this Curse Art was to subtly and unknowingly influence a living being’s core self.

To put it in terms of modern psychology, the Curse Art used a remote magnetic frequency to covertly influence the target’s subconscious. It would secretly implant a plausible scenario deep within the target’s mind, thereby guiding that very scene into becoming reality.

In a way, this could indeed be called "manipulating causality."

Since the curse didn’t truly alter reality, it was perfectly normal for the actual event to have some minor deviations.

"This is the power of a Curse Art amplified by the Immortal Mountain Grand Array. You let your guard down, young man." The Alchemist muttered this with a smile as he wiped away two streams of blood trickling from his nose.

「Back on the sea.」

"We have to find a way to get him out of there!"

Snapping out of his initial shock, Cheng Zhihong immediately dashed forward.

’Even after being bitten by the Sea Flood Dragon, he might not die instantly,’ he thought. ’The hope is slim, but if we can rescue him in time, with the powerful constitution of a Saint, there might be a chance to save him.’

Yuna also surged forward, her expression grim.

However, they had only taken a few steps before they both came to an abrupt halt.

SPLASH!

The mist that had been thrown up by the Sea Flood Dragon’s bite fell back to the sea like rain. The scene was no longer obscured, appearing clearly before their eyes.

The reality of the situation was not what they had imagined.

Yi Beidou was indeed caught in the Sea Flood Dragon’s jaws, but he wasn’t a bloody mess. The crimson light that had burst through the hazy mist came from the Tribulation Fire Demon Flame that now cloaked his body in scarlet!

Right now, Yi Beidou had his hands braced against the Sea Flood Dragon’s sharp fangs, forcing its mouth open and holding his ground. The two were locked in a stalemate.

In that unavoidable instant when the Sea Flood Dragon attacked, Yi Beidou had realized something was wrong. He had immediately triggered the Tribulation Star within him, entering the peak state of Reverse Tribulation and Calamity.

He might not have been able to dodge the attack, but that didn’t mean he lacked the power to face the monster head-on.

He possessed the Great Success Celestial Demon Body and was under the effect of Tribulation Fate Possession—his strength and courage were peerless!

’In ancient times, mighty sages could capture flood dragons and slay Primordial Ancient Beasts. Why couldn’t he do the same!’

"Hmm?!"

Inside Penglai Pavilion, the Alchemist saw this through his Round Light Technique, and the smile on his face froze.

As the saying goes, a tiny discrepancy can lead to a colossal failure.

The scene he was witnessing was similar to the one his Curse Art had intended, but the outcome was completely different. It was a pale, twisted imitation of his design.

This meant that at the very last second, Yi Beidou had broken free from the influence of the powerful Curse Art—a spell cast at the cost of five avatars and amplified by the Immortal Mountain Array. Otherwise, this would have been impossible.

’If he can instantly shrug off a Curse Art of this magnitude,’ the Alchemist realized, ’it means there is virtually no stronger curse that can affect him from a distance.’