Chapter Twenty-Two: Standing Up for Justice Along the Way
Chapter Twenty-Two
Memories of Standing Up Against Injustice
Li Hao and his five companions mingled with the crowds, walking along the broad, smooth road paved with blue stone. They passed one bridge after another, beneath which streams flowed gently, their origins and destinations unknown. Within these waters lurked monstrous beasts, some with bodies spanning thousands of feet, others so tiny they were barely visible to the naked eye.
Upon the first bridge, over a thousand feet long, coiled a Water Commanding Azure Dragon more than eighteen hundred feet in length. Its massive head rose proudly at the right front end of the bridge, its tail arched at the left rear, making it appear from afar as if it were a statue atop the bridge.
The dragon, revered as the sovereign of all beasts, bore nine distinctive traits: antlers like a deer, a head like an ox, eyes like a shrimp, a mouth like a donkey, a belly like a snake, scales like a fish, feet like a phoenix, whiskers like a human, and ears like an elephant.
Even approaching it slightly, one could feel its immense pressure, as if a mountain were pressing down. The dragon stood at the bridgehead, scrutinizing the passersby—it was the guardian spirit beast of this bridge: the Water Spirit Azure Dragon, which had guarded this place for a millennium.
As Li Hao’s group approached, the dragon’s spiritual sense probed them, trembling when it reached Li Hao. Within Li Hao’s sea of consciousness, Xiao Jiu—sealed by the Divine Lord of the Li Yang clan—was deeply displeased by the Water Spirit Azure Dragon’s investigation of her little master. She silently released her aura as a warning. The pressure the Water Spirit Azure Dragon felt came from deep within its soul, a pure suppression by bloodline rather than power—much like a commoner meeting the emperor’s son. The colossal dragon head instantly bowed to the bridgehead. All of this happened imperceptibly; Li Hao and his companions, lacking sufficient strength, noticed nothing amiss.
The unusual behavior of the Water Spirit Azure Dragon drew little attention from the young people. Li Hao had seen countless powerful spirit beasts in the Valley of Hundred Herbs; he merely glanced at it with indifference.
Only after Li Hao had crossed the bridge did the Water Spirit Azure Dragon, still shaken, resume its lofty, commanding posture.
In its heart, it mused, “This human child is extraordinary. So young, yet his cultivation is already so advanced, and he’s protected by such a noble bloodline. I wonder which land has produced this prodigy—I haven’t heard of any such outstanding young human in the area.”
Li Hao’s group followed the crowd across six bridges of similar size. Between the bridges stood buildings of various styles; these outer pavilions housed servants and maids, while some served as guest quarters. Each bridge had a different guardian spirit beast: the Thunder Commanding Lion, the Fire Commanding Kirin, the Wind Commanding Blood Wolf, the Thunder Commanding Fierce Tiger, and the Thunder Commanding Black Dragon.
The six squeezed into the center of the crowd, observing the status of the twelve registration points projected by a magical array. Below the projection were simple registration summaries: name, age, cultivation, and competition event.
“Sister Mei, let’s register at that point,” Li Hao said, pointing toward a spot with fewer people.
“Alright.”
Their chosen registration point was quite far—at the farthest of the twelve. Many would rather wait five or six hours than go there.
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