The dark shape broke the water's surface with unmatched power, rocketing straight into the sky.
At that exact instant, lightning tore through the heavens, illuminating the shadowy form twisting and coiling like a manic dragon amidst the thunderous glare.
Liang Qu stood frozen on the sampan, his mind completely blank, his heart gripped by overwhelming terror.
The shadow seemed unimaginably far away, yet terrifyingly close.
Was that... a flood dragon?
He recalled the dread-filled tales passed among the fishermen on the wharf—legends told of flood dragons sleeping deep within Zeye Marsh, slumbering for a cycle of sixty years, only to stir up calamitous wind and waves upon waking.
No, that wasn't right.
A flood dragon... shouldn't it at least be long and serpentine?
That brief glimpse caught in the flash of lightning convinced Liang Qu that the thing possessed a round, spherical body.
Before his thoughts could settle, the dense storm clouds suddenly shattered, and moonlight poured down. Liang Qu finally saw the shadow's target: a colossal bird wreathed in blazing flames!
With every beat of its feathered wings, the dark clouds churned into swirling vortexes. The fierce radiance nearly burned through the overcast sky, looking as though fire were consuming the heavens above.
The sky flared with blinding brightness. Liang Qu squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, the two behemoths slammed into each other like falling meteors, rebounded, and plummeted toward the lake.
The giant bird struck the water, unleashing a shrill cry.
The lake water boiled in an instant. Scalding steam surged into the air, spouting and erupting as though an underwater volcano had detonated.
A blast of mist exploded outward, only to rapidly cool and condense in the surrounding night air, forming bands of white vapor visible beneath the moonlight. The billows of mist rolled rapidly across the water's surface, spreading and billowing outward.
A massive temperature gradient formed above the lake; the alternating clash of hot and cold, expanding and contracting, sent the air rushing into a howling gale.
Liang Qu's sodden hair whipped wildly in the tempest, making it impossible to keep his footing.
The spherical shadow crashed into the lake alongside the bird, striking like a boulder hurled down by a god.
As the massive weight plunged completely beneath the surface, the entire lake seemed to become a pair of giant lungs, contracting and expanding, contracting and expanding. Every outward surge unleashed a thunderous roar, driving an endless wall of water.
The surface fractured as tens of millions of tons of boiling water surged and rushed in every direction.
It was a scene of pure cataclysm.
A colossal wave rose high. Only seconds later did the thundering roar of the swell reach Liang Qu's ears, followed by the shrieking wind, and right behind it came the screeching, surging crest!
The sky-blotting wave was right before his eyes, poised to flip the boat and drown him in an instant. Cold sweat drenched Liang Qu's body. His eyes went wide with desperation as a sudden surge of strength welled up from deep within him. He sprang up and landed heavily on the bow.
The sampan tilted sharply upward, its tapered prow blocking out the crescent moon.
Boom!
A torrent of lake water, weighing tens of millions of tons, surged and spread outward, slamming into the underbelly of the hull with unstoppable force.
Roar, roar!
Nothing filled his ears except the furious crash of rushing currents.
Everything aboard the boat began tumbling downward. Under the immense pressure, Liang Qu felt as though his knees would snap.
His long hair, which had been whipping backward, was abruptly hurled forward to dance chaotically in the squall. Blinded to his surroundings, Liang Qu stomped down hard against the deck with both feet and gripped the gunwale tightly with both hands, using his body to shield the falling fish basket and pressing down with all his weight.
His bones and muscles shook violently, making it impossible to tell whether the lake itself was vibrating or his body had been pushed past its limits.
Crack, crack.
The wooden gunwale shattered under Liang Qu's desperate grip. Clutching a fistful of splinters, he clamped down again, finding another hold along the rim.
Fast, far too fast.
His muscles strained to the point of tearing. The world blurred into streaks of light and shadow, leaving him to react purely on instinct. He could feel himself rising—both man and boat hoisted high into the air. One misstep, and he would be smashed down into oblivion.
Breathe, breathe, breathe!
Liang Qu breathed with all his might, pumping oxygen into his strained muscles. He fought frantically to manipulate the water, his stamina draining at terrifying speed.
Whenever a crest grew too steep and threatened to flip the vessel, a surge of current would shove against the stern, righting it once more.
For a brief moment, the two forces maintained a bizarre equilibrium, locked in an agonizing contest of strength.
Boom!
At last, the massive wave, far enough from the center of the clash, collapsed ahead of them, dispersing into smaller rivulets that scattered in all directions.
The upturned sampan gradually leveled out and settled back down, floating upon the lake's surface.
Flap, flap.
A few tiny whitefish flopped around inside the boat.
"Cough, cough!"
Liang Qu slumped limply into the cabin and retched. He didn't know how much water he had swallowed while gasping for air, but his stomach was terribly bloated.
"Blegh!"
As if a valve had been opened, his stomach spasmed and contracted. Where nothing had come out moments ago, Liang Qu now spewed water like an open faucet, reminiscent of a brutal hangover morning. He vomited for nearly a full minute before his stomach was finally emptied.
His gut churned, a splitting headache pounded behind his eyes, and every muscle and bone groaned in protest. The slightest exertion sent uncontrollable tremors through his limbs.
Nothing he did could ease the deep ache, as though a python had coiled around him and squeezed his blood vessels completely shut.
He felt miserable beyond belief, but he was alive.
Another swell rolled in, violently rocking the sampan. Liang Qu's chin banged against the wooden boards, but he was too numb to feel the pain.
Mustering what little strength he had left, he rolled over to lie on his back, gasping desperately for air like a suffocating fish washed ashore.
He inhaled and exhaled as deeply as possible to steady himself. It took nearly a quarter of an hour for his sluggish brain to regain the ability to think.
Was... was that a great demon from the depths of Zeye Marsh?
Liang Qu had always heard that great demons existed in this world, but he had never laid eyes on one. He never imagined he would witness a clash between two such beasts today, one violent enough to shatter the storm clouds and bring the downpour to a sudden halt.
It was terrifying.
The two creatures had appeared close, but the actual distance between them must have been immense.
Even so, the moment he had turned and seen that shadow, icy dread had seized his heart like a giant hand, leaving his body shaking uncontrollably.
Just the aftershocks of the battle... no, it wasn't even an aftershock! Just the waves raised by the great demon falling into the lake had nearly shattered his boat and ended his life.
He couldn't begin to imagine what kind of apocalyptic nightmare a face-to-face encounter would be.
No wonder the fishermen of the wharves around Zeye Marsh always warned one another never to venture into deep waters. That caution had surely been bought with blood over generations, an instinct etched into their very bones.
He wondered if Master Yang could match that spherical great demon.
In this moment, Liang Qu finally understood why underwater resources were so difficult to obtain.
The aquatic realm was inherently hostile to human survival. Against such a great demon, even an Attaining Elephant realm martial practitioner would struggle to gain an advantage.
As for that flaming giant bird, its chances of survival were likely even slimmer.
Although both had plunged into the water together, fire and flight were both entirely countered by Zeye Marsh, while the spherical beast was clearly an aquatic monster.
Judging by its shape, Liang Qu strongly suspected it was a giant toad.
The beast had probably sensed the bird's presence, leaped out of the water to hunt, and dragged it down into the lake. Fighting on its home turf, it was a simple matter of catching a turtle in a jar.
Lying in the boat, Liang Qu faintly caught a shrill, mournful bird cry. Regaining some strength, he hauled himself up to look, but could only see thick fog in the distance, punctuated by a momentary flicker of firelight. Beyond that, nothing was visible.
He needed to leave immediately. This was not a spectacle anyone should linger to watch.
Liang Qu was thoroughly shaken. Forcing himself past the ache in his muscles, he picked up the oars, intent on making a run for it.
Wait, what about Ah Fei? How was Ah Fei doing?
Splash!
Sensing Liang Qu's summons, the Fat Catfish bobbed up to the surface with a loud splash. Its body was trembling all over, rippling the surrounding water, yet it bore no injuries.
After passing through dozens of meters of water, the violent winds, driving rain, and crashing waves had been reduced to gentle swells. Ah Fei was simply scared out of its wits.
"Quick, guide me back to the wharf. Let's get out of here."
The Fat Catfish was more than eager to comply. Liang Qu rowed behind it, and a quarter of an hour later, he finally spotted the riverbank, safe and sound.
The massive wave had swept Liang Qu a great distance, and since his back had been turned toward the wharf at the time, it had actually cut down his return journey.
Liang Qu directed the Fat Catfish and Cannot Move to guard the lotus roots together, then headed back toward the wharf alone.
The wharf was pitch-black. All the lights were extinguished, and the fishing yard was completely silent.
The boats, which had once been moored in neat disorder, were now smashed together in a tangled jumble by the wind and waves.
Liang Qu had no choice but to find a wooden post along the outermost edge to tie his hemp rope. Inspecting the boat, he found that only the fish basket and the mooring stone remained—saved solely because their size had allowed his body to pin them down. The dip net, stone knife, and everything else were gone.
Inside the waterproof compartment, the stove lay in pieces, and his newly bought winter coat was utterly soaked. Even the compartment's cover board had vanished, leaving the space filled with murky water.
Pulling up the heavy, waterlogged winter coat, Liang Qu felt like crying.
Once soaked through, the cotton inside would surely clump together into hard lumps, losing all its softness.
Fortunately, the fish basket remained, and the red-blood perch hadn't been lost. All in all, not a bad outcome!
Chapter 44