Chapter 754: Promise

He was insignificant before the giant shadow, which effortlessly swallowed an adult. He Lingchuan did not run; he had nowhere to go.

He felt as if he had fallen into a deep pool; the last glimmer of light vanished as the giant shadow's maw closed. The surroundings were pitch black; he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.

In the dark space, all was utterly silent; He Lingchuan could only hear his own breathing. After an unknown time, a powerful beam of light burst forth directly ahead.

He Lingchuan thought he had been spotted by a searchlight. He instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes. When his eyes adjusted to the light and he reopened them, the sight before him was utterly unexpected: he was back in the Coiling Dragon Secret Realm, with its majestic South Gate still standing, along with secret realm creatures like demonic apes and birds, and even a colossal black dragon still perched atop the city wall!

A black dragon? Wasn't this Zhong Shengguang's avatar? After a moment of stunned silence, He Lingchuan suddenly realized that what he was seeing must be a fragment of events that had occurred within the Great Square Flask.

This was the Coiling Dragon Secret Realm where the He family father and son had just defeated Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu! The enormous black dragon let out a low sigh. Its dark body quickly became covered with a layer of gray frost, and then it plummeted from the city wall, crashing to the ground and shattering into countless pieces like pottery.

Yes, this scene was truly magnificent, and he remembered it vividly! But this time, his perspective had shifted. He was looking directly at the city gate from a tall tower within the city, so he wasn't blinded by the endless dust stirred up by the black dragon's fall.

As a result, he witnessed a scene no one had ever noticed before: Although the black dragon's body was shattered, its head remained intact upon landing, and there was still light in its eyes.

He Lingchuan looked at the city wall again; it was empty. He recalled that the Blackwater City army had already been teleported back to the desert by then.

And this secret realm was a completely enclosed environment, devoid of any outsiders or living beings. The black dragon unexpectedly spoke again, its deep voice still echoing through the ruins: "The successor has appeared. You must guide him to uphold our last wishes; this path is fraught with hardship, and you must offer assistance at critical moments. If he truly has no other recourse, guide him back to the Ancient Coiling Dragon City. Here, under the protection of the Great Square Flask, no power can harm him!" It sighed deeply, its voice tinged with regret, relief, but also lingering concern: "Awaken, my daughter!" The light in the black dragon's eyes finally extinguished, but at the same time, a red light soared into the sky from the ruins to the east!

The light was so dazzling it dyed the sky of the Coiling Dragon Secret Realm blood-red. On this crimson night, everything in the ruins was coated with a viscous red, making it impossible to tell if it signified celebration or ill omen.

Then, the surroundings darkened, returning to pitch black. When He Lingchuan could see again, he found himself standing in the desolate city, ravaged and decayed.

Before him lay the temple; the blood in the pool well had completely dried. What he had just witnessed felt like a dream. But he knew it wasn't a dream, but rather the Great Square Flask's response to his request.

He Lingchuan slowly sat down by the edge of the pool well, letting out a breath of relief. As long as he entered that illusion, no one, not even Naraka, could threaten him. This was the first time the Great Square Flask had given such a firm promise.

Only a peerless divine artifact like the Great Square Flask could withstand the power of the Divine Covenant. So now, he had a clear direction, a goal, and could begin to plan!

After enduring so many hardships and completing impossible tasks, he treasured his own life even more.

Otherwise, there would have been no need to rush back to the Coiling Dragon Ruins from a thousand miles away. He speculated that the Great Square Flask had not responded to his repeated calls via the divine bone necklace perhaps because its promise only took effect when his physical body entered Coiling Dragon City.

He Lingchuan's spirit entered Coiling Dragon City at night, but the divine descent targeted the physical body. If the Great Square Flask was to provide him with complete protection, from spirit to flesh, he would have to make the trip himself.

So, in other words, he needed to ensure he was inside the Coiling Dragon Secret Realm precisely when Naraka descended?

Would Naraka... agree to that? Trying to deceive the "God of Destiny" seemed like no small feat.

Incidentally, the black dragon's final words before its demise confirmed that General Hong was indeed Zhong Shengguang's daughter, Zhong Wuzhan.

He Lingchuan had already deduced this, so he wasn't surprised. He was propping his chin, lost in thought, when the thick clouds in the sky parted, and a ray of sunlight shone down, directly illuminating the toppled statue.

He Lingchuan stared at this ray of light for a long time, lost in thought, then suddenly jumped up. "Huh? Isn't this the Frenzied Sand Season? Everything should be a hazy yellow. How can the sun be out now?"

He looked around and discovered that the wind and sand outside had stopped. He Lingchuan hurried outside the South Gate, where the violent sandstorms had vanished at some point, leaving the dunes shimmering golden under the bright sun.

Looking up again, the sky was utterly cloudless. The anomaly in the Coiling Dragon Desert had begun without warning.

As for He Lingchuan, he was about to face his next great gamble: this time, he intended to deceive "fate."

Because of its proximity to the Coiling Dragon Desert, Blackwater City often experienced strong winds at night during late winter and early spring.

The people of Blackwater City were long accustomed to falling asleep to this sound. But that morning, Liu Baobao happened to overhear two servants discussing: "Strange, there hasn't been any wind these past few days?" He thought back and realized it was true: ever since a certain night, the banging of strong winds against doors and the rustling of fine sand against window frames had vanished.

The snowy night was left with an unaccustomed silence for the people of Blackwater City. That same afternoon, Liu's Merchant Association received a monumental, indeed earth-shattering, piece of news: The frenzied sand of the Coiling Dragon Desert had vanished!

Liu Baobao thought he had misheard, but when he climbed to the North Gate to gaze out, he found the visibility remarkably clear, easily able to see hundreds of feet away.

There was no sand haze. A few hours later, scouts dispatched by Blackwater City to the north returned, confirming the news: the Frenzied Sand Season had truly vanished.

The overwhelming sandstorms were gone, and ordinary people walking into the desert would no longer inexplicably lose their minds. Simply put, the Coiling Dragon Desert was now no different from any other desert.

This sudden change left the people of Blackwater City momentarily bewildered, unsure how to react. What exactly had happened?

But for merchants, this was excellent news, meaning the Red Cliff Trade Route could be open year-round without obstruction. That evening, the Liu family hosted a celebratory banquet at the Wild Goose Tower.

After dinner, Liu Baobao, buoyed by the evening's drinking, began to walk back. His residence was only a hundred paces away, so there was no need for a carriage.

However, after walking less than ten paces, a person suddenly emerged from the alley ahead and blocked his path.

Liu Baobao was almost shocked sober, and his young servant immediately stepped in front of him: "Who's there!"

The person stood in the middle of the street, wrapped in a grayish-yellow cloak, a rather intimidating sight.

But when he lifted his cloak and smiled, revealing a mouthful of large white teeth, Liu Baobao's fear vanished, replaced entirely by shock.