Chapter 419: Dark Binding
As the bustling sunset came to an end, a full moon rose high in the sky.
The lonely, cold light of the full moon reflected upon the waters of the Xiang River, casting a hint of chill. Beneath the moonlight were countless figures.
In the distance, the sound of something tearing through the air rang out. The crowd turned their gazes, and their eyes all froze in unison.
What were they seeing?
In the direction they were looking, nine flood dragons danced through the void, coiling forward as they moved. One after another, dragon roars emerged from their mouths, distant and resounding.
Even more shocking was that amidst these nine flood dragons was a soft sedan chair, a yellow one. On the curtains of the sedan chair were carved shadows of true dragons.
At the same time, beside the sedan chair, many powerful figures were flying through the air. These people had sharp eyes, were full of energy, and exuded strong auras.
“The Sovereign!”
The crowd’s hearts trembled. What a majestic display—nine flood dragons pulling a sedan chair, with powerful figures clearing the way, a truly awe-inspiring sight.
Everyone had already guessed the identity of the person inside the sedan chair: the Snow Moon Sovereign.
“Roar…”
The nine flood dragons raised their heads and roared toward the sky. The majestic dragon roars vibrated in the eardrums of the crowd, as if they could feel an overbearing kingly intent descending upon them, stirring within them a faint urge to prostrate in worship.
A kingly intent had merged into the flood dragons’ long roars.
“At the Snow Moon genius gathering, even the Sovereign has come in person.” The crowd was shocked in their hearts. From this alone, one could see how important this gathering of geniuses was. Even the Sovereign was paying attention.
This kind of grand event, like the Snow Domain Grand Competition, occurred once every ten years. Many people might only witness it once or twice in their entire lives.
The figures of the nine flood dragons descended to the ground, landing directly on the waters of the Xiang River. They lay quietly on the surface, incredibly light and agile.
Flood dragons could ascend to the heavens, soaring through the void above; they could also dive underwater, floating on the surface without disturbing the flow.
What the crowd saw now were flood dragons descending from the void to the water’s surface, stirring the hearts of the onlookers.
Each of the nine flood dragons floating on the water was several dozen meters long, their whiskers touching the water, exuding immense majesty.
The vast space suddenly fell silent. At this moment, no one spoke. Everyone simply turned their gazes toward the Xiang River, as if waiting for the person sitting in the soft sedan chair to speak.
“Go ahead!”
A low voice rang out. It wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone to hear.
As soon as the words fell, a series of dragon roars erupted wildly. The nine flood dragons shot into the void, soaring straight upward.
“What are they doing?”
The crowd’s eyes trembled as they watched the nine flood dragons ascend into the void, coiling and dancing, swallowing clouds and spitting mist as they spun wildly in a high-altitude area.
A surging current of air rolled violently. The nine flood dragons spun in the void, encircling a massive space.
The flood dragons’ roars were unceasing, while the soft sedan chair floated alone on the water’s surface, quiet and serene. Despite the turbulent flow of the Xiang River, the soft sedan chair only swayed gently on the lake, not moving an inch—an extremely peculiar sight.
Finally, the coiling flood dragons stopped and returned to the banks of the Xiang River. In the void, a massive circular ring had appeared, enclosing a space within it.
Along the edges of this circular ring, violent air currents churned endlessly, as if they would never cease. It seemed that the nine flood dragons had soared into the sky just to carve out this circular ring.
“The Snow Domain Grand Competition occurs once every ten years. Teams are formed from the most talented young geniuses of the thirteen kingdoms of the Snow Domain to battle. Anyone who has participated in the Snow Domain Grand Competition and survived has become a generation’s strong figure or a regional overlord. This competition is an opportunity—an immense opportunity—for all the geniuses of Snow Moon.”
At this moment, a ethereal voice slowly emanated from the soft sedan chair on the Xiang River. Though not very loud, it was clear enough for everyone within a hundred miles to hear.
This voice seemed to possess a magical power, able to spread infinitely and drill directly into the eardrums of the crowd, allowing everyone to hear.
“Anyone who has participated in the Snow Domain Grand Competition and survived has become a generation’s strong figure or a regional overlord!”
Hearing these words, the crowd’s hearts were filled with longing. Take the four great geniuses from eighteen or nineteen years ago, for example. They had participated in the Snow Domain Grand Competition and survived. When they returned to the Snow Moon Kingdom, no one could compare to them. Those four had become the most dazzling geniuses of Snow Moon.
Participating in the Snow Domain Grand Competition—battling the geniuses of the entire Snow Domain’s thirteen kingdoms—what glory that was! Everyone dreamed of it, but the vast majority could only look up in admiration, lacking the qualifications to take part.
“I am not exaggerating. You must understand that the Snow Domain is vast and boundless, with thirteen kingdoms. Among them, our Snow Moon is considered weak. Every kingdom has countless geniuses. If you can participate in the Snow Domain Grand Competition, it means you have the chance to step out, to compete with the true geniuses of the thirteen kingdoms, to broaden your horizons, to understand the strength of others, to make up for your own shortcomings. At the same time, participating in the Snow Domain Grand Competition can bring many benefits, even the blessing of fortune, changing your destiny. No one can predict how far you might go in the future.”
The ethereal voice slowly transmitted from the sedan chair once again. Everyone listened in silence.
The Snow Domain Grand Competition—blessing of fortune, changing destiny!
As long as they could participate in the Snow Domain Grand Competition, they could step out of the Snow Moon Kingdom and witness the geniuses of the various kingdoms.
“But, to participate in the Snow Domain Grand Competition, you must first show me your strength or talent. Only after I have seen it will I recommend you to the empire’s representatives, allowing them to personally select you.” The person in the sedan chair spoke slowly again. “This time, the people I have invited are the best of Snow Moon’s younger generation. All of you who have been invited have a chance. Now, those who have received the invitation letters, please enter the Dark Binding in the sky. I will conduct the first round of screening. Of course, any of the Eight Young Masters need not enter.”
“Screening, assessment!” The crowd immediately understood. So the nine flood dragons had used their bodies to carve out the ring so that those who had received the invitation letters could enter it. They wondered what was so mysterious about this Dark Binding.
The Eight Young Masters did not need to enter, meaning that any one of them had effectively passed this round of screening.
“I’ll go first!” Suddenly, a figure shot into the air, charging toward the Dark Binding. But the moment he touched it, the dark energy roared, completely enveloping him. His figure vanished, as if he had disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
“What’s going on?”
The crowd’s pupils contracted sharply. The dark currents within the ring had actually swallowed and engulfed the person. It seemed very difficult to enter the Dark Binding.
This round of screening had already begun!
PS: I’ll update early tomorrow. So sleepy, brothers. Wash up and go to bed. Don’t forget to hand over your flowers first!