Carefree Path of Dreams Chapter 295: Dragon Palace

Chapter 295: Dragon Palace
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"The immeasurable!"
In a small temple, the chief Daoist walked out of the room where he was conducting morning classes. He gazed silently in the direction of the Golden Lake Prefecture.
This Daoist was named Qing Xuan, and was in his fifties. His hair was half white, and his complexion was often a healthy pink. He was full of vitality.
However, at this point in time, his face was ash grey as he stared at the reddish skies.
His heart felt as though it was going through a storm.
'The convergence of fate energy, the gathering of an evil aura, this smells of war...the Xu family wants to rebel…'
This was expected, and his sect had invested in this too.
"But according to the plan, wasn't it up to the three grandmasters to advise the head of the Xu family, and subsequently claim all the credit? Why did they act so early?"
This had resulted in a loss and would inevitably compromise the great scheme of things.
"Could it have been the Carp spirit?"
Daoist Qing Xuan pondered, and his eyes were cold.
"I wanted to let her off, seeing that she had already reincarnated into a human being, and also had the protection of dragon aura. Who would've known that she would betray her master? She must be destroyed!"
In truth, if it was only to aid the Dragon Court, it was alright to sacrifice karma and fate.
But the most important consideration was that, this demon was close to the headquarters, and if she antagonised him one day, his investment would most probably fail.
"I doubt that a little demon like her would be this bold…"
The Daoist Qing Xuan pinched his fingers in an attempt at divination, but found the fates difficult to read. He was baffled.
"Although it was destined that our forefathers fought hard for the rise of People Dao...but it remains unclear as to who will have the last laugh when disaster strikes. Although my cultivation in both energy and divination techniques is solid, but I remain confused. Only the three grandmasters…"
"Wait!"
Thinking about the three grandmasters today had put a chill in his heart.
"According to my sect's prophecy, the grandmaster should have arrived, but why hasn't he? Demon hunting is no matter. In the Golden Lake Prefecture, which demon other than the Dragon God would be able to face the combined forces of the three grandmasters together with their purple and green swords?
"Chirp"
At this time, a green light flashed in the skies, and a little green bird landed on a prune tree in the garden. It continued to twitter and chirp.
"This is…"
The Daoist Qingxuan flicked his fingers, and an enchantment was created. His face was extremely solemn.
"What happened exactly? To the extent where the sect has to activate the green bird messenger?"
As Qing Xuan recited some chants, a spiritual aura fell over the green bird.
"Chirp"
The green bird's large beady eyes turned green for a moment, and it opened its mouth to speak. The voice was an old one.
"Qing Xuan! In the Grandmasters' Hall, the jade tablets of the three grandmasters have all broken at the same time, and they are probably in a bad situation. You shall investigate this covertly. Be careful, and remember to not act rashly!"
"What?"
The green bird was not an intelligent animal to begin with, and after uttering the last word, it reverted to the simple beast it was and started to peck its feathers. It was oblivious to Qing Xuan's terror.
"The jade tablets of the Grandmasters' Hall is a secret feature of our sect. The spiritual wills of sect elders will be accumulated on the tablets. Three tablets cracking at the same time can only mean that all three grandmasters have met with harm...could it be the work of the Golden Court Dragon God?"
There were no other possibilities that he could think of.
This problem, coupled with the disturbances in the Xu family's dragon aura, caused him to break out in sweat.
"The forces that the sect has put in place in the Golden Lake Prefecture cannot be entirely activated, but we should not leave them hanging either…"
Daoist Qing Xuan paced back and forth, deep in thought.
"I won't alert the rest, except for the spy in the Xu family. I will send them a message to find out what exactly happened…"
Except that he could not dig too deep or risk disturbing the dragon aura, which could cause things to turn ugly.
It would compromise investigative efforts if that happened.
However, if he put in effort, there would definitely be results.
The reports came in at nighttime.
"Lord Xu intends to send an army to deal with the pirates in the Golden Court Lake?"
The room was dark save for a tiny light. The Daoist Qing Xuan analysed the situation.
"The Golden Court Lake was vast, with countless of small islands. To clear them all was no small feat...also, there were some heroic figures among the pirates who must not be underestimated…"
In truth, Qing Xuan understood that the Golden Court Lake was a god-given chance for the Xu family to grow their power.
Their decision to act now also meant that the odds were in their favour.
Qing Xuan turned to the messenger angrily.
"This is a serious matter. You must report back to the sect immediately. Our people have to participate in this too...or we will lose a great opportunity."
He looked towards the flame ponderously.
Qing Xuan did not have the means to continue investigating the fate of the three grandmasters . He had to appeal to the sect for help.
________
Fang Yuan was not in the mood.
He went to the water's edge and moved his body slightly. A layer of water vapour materialised and lingered about the surroundings. The light rays were reflected into different colours. This was a special occurrence.
"A horned dragon has power over water, and also has the ability to control the weather…"
Fang Yuan took a step forward and there was a flash of golden light. He had transformed into a horned dragon, and dashed towards the blue skies.
"Huff"
The winds had risen and the clouds were gathering. The sky was darkening. Before long, rain began to fall.
"The horned dragon can master the elements, which is a prodigious ability! The other major demons will never be able to achieve this…"
As Fang Yuan traversed the clouds, he was experiencing something entirely new to him.
"Following the transformation into a horned dragon, one can manipulate all the water vapour in the immediate area. He is no different from a water god!"
Of course, being the youngest dragon around meant that his powers were still very much limited.
Additionally, Fang Yuan had no intention of causing storms and floods, and thus flew about carefully trying to familiarise himself with the art of weather control.
"A good rain knows its season, and comes when spring is here...in truth, this is the limitation of a horned dragon. To create real storms that affect a large area would require one to become a water dragon!"
The horned dragon was a junior dragon, but the water dragon was powerful and was always accompanied by the winds and rain.
"A pity...I've only managed to progress to the 8th step in the 9-Step Dragon Transformation Technique. The most crucial step is the True Dragon Transformation!"
The water dragon was powerful, but was no match for the true dragon.
The water dragons were numerous, like the various lords of the mortal world. But there could only be One True Dragon, just like how there was only one emperor.
As his thoughts wandered, Fang Yuan could not help but examine his luck and karma.
Dealing with Xu Ren had triggered the recovery of his People Dao Karma, which was previously down by half.
Of course, an evil aura was gathering, which was the backlash created from trying to change the general trend.
"Who cares if I am to be dealt with with tribulations...it cannot be out of the blue...with my skills in magic, no one can challenge me in the Golden Court manor . The Daoist Xuan Zhen knew that the revenge plan would take a lot of plan, which leaves one more possibility!"
Fang Yuan's eyes gleamed. He had no intention of slowing down, and the rain began to spread to the edges of the Golden Court Lake.
From the torrents of water rose a water demon mounted on a black fish.
"Who is the one causing such a great disturbance? Do you not know that this is the territory of our Dragon God?"
If Fang Yuan could create such a turbulence, the water demon should rightfully show him some respect.
But the water demon defied expectations and raged on. Following a wave of its arm, a jet of water shot up into the skies.
"Insolence!"
Fang Yuan swung his tail and the water jet fell apart immediately.
Not only that, but he willed the lake waters to become turbulent. The water film formed a bubble and levitated into the air.
The water demon was frightened and was trapped in the bubble like an insect in amber.
Fang Yuan examined it with interest. He had every intention to kill it.
'Hmm...this must be the workings of karma and fate, altering the potential of opportunities to confuse the mind?'
If it was a native, he would definitely be irritated, kill the water demon in one blow and begin a massacre. This would foster an enmity with the Dragon God.
Although this was the worst case scenario, it was a highly probable result.
But Fang Yuan was different!
Gods and spirits from another world had high resistance towards the temptations of fate.
"You actually dared to challenge me, water demon."
Fang Yuan released the demon partially from the water prison, and revealed his true dragon form. He then asserted his authority.
"My...my lord?"
The water demon was terrified.
The dragon was the lord of all water beings, born to be a king.
The water demon had disrespected a dragon and knew that his actions were treasonous. No words could express the fear it was experiencing at the moment.
At this point, Fang Yuan felt a tinge of regret. It was unlike him to be provoked so easily.
"I was playful and did not realise that I was trespassing. This is partially my fault. This, I will spare you. Go report my arrival to the Dragon God, now!"
Following a nod from Fang Yuan, the water demon dived into the deep and disappeared from sight.
In truth, these were but Fang Yuan's excuses.
Knowing that the tribulations were impending, he acted first to bring the ball into his court. This was a useful method.
Like what happened just now. With a clear plan, one would be become more reserved in their actions.
Otherwise, following the activation of heaven's will, one will still suffer. Without any preparation, the effects would be more profound.
Before long, a swirl formed in the water. Water beings formed two rows, and a turtle appeared. It bowed down solemnly.
"My lord the Dragon God, upon finding out that a fellow dragon has come to visit, was extremely happy. May I invite you to join us in for a gathering at the Dragon Palace!"
"Mm lead the way!"
Fang Yuan was intent on finding out more about the Dragon God of Golden Court Lake. He dived into the water and appeared as his human self. He then sat on the back of a large turtle.
"Yes, let your old servant lead the way!"
The turtle was obsequious and pointed out the road ahead.
The turtle race was related to the dragon race, and yet it was very difficult for turtles to cultivate the dragon form. Most of them were loyal followers of the Dragon God, and looked forward to the day where he could become a true dragon and elevate them together with him.
Now that the turtle had met a young dragon in Fang Yuan, it considered him a master too and decided that it would not compromise on the formalities.
The turtle was a sturdy creature, but yet moved at an alarmingly fast speed in the water. Before long, a glittering place of gold and jade appeared before Fang Yuan's eyes.