Chapter 120: The Ink Flood Dragon

Fairy Jiuxiao began to taste the food with great delight.

At this moment, Master Qingxu chuckled and said, "Haha, as the saying goes, 'no wine, no feast.' It is a rare occasion to gather with Fairy Jiuxiao here in the East Sea to enjoy such fine delicacies. Looking at the table, the spread is quite sumptuous, yet it lacks fine wine to heighten the mood. I would like to add to the pleasure by offering some wine. I wonder if the Fairy would care for a drink?"

"Splendid!" Fairy Jiuxiao replied readily. "Qingxuzi, if there is fine wine, I would be more than happy to indulge."

"Hee hee hee..." She Meier could not help but laugh. "Master Qingxu, I love 'Daughter’s Red'! Why don't you use your 'Paper Talisman Art' to conjure a jar of it?"

"Very well! She Meier, as you wish," Master Qingxu said in a clear voice. He gestured, and a sheet of talisman paper appeared before him. He then used his spiritual power to summon a cinnabar brush and began to draw rapidly upon the paper.

In an instant, the drawing was complete. He retracted the brush, flicked the paper, and with a flash of golden light, a jar of "Daughter’s Red" wine and four white jade cups were conjured into existence.

Fairy Jiuxiao looked on with admiration as Master Qingxu opened the jar and filled the four cups one by one. A rich, mellow fragrance immediately wafted through the air, refreshing the senses. Fairy Jiuxiao felt tipsy just from the scent.

Once the cups were filled, Fairy Jiuxiao lifted one and said with a smile, "Qingxuzi, thank you both for the wine and the meal. Come, everyone, let us raise our cups and drink together!"

Master Qingxu, Yan Chixia, and She Meier all agreed, raising their cups to join the Fairy in a hearty drink.

"Qingxuzi, your 'Paper Talisman Art' is truly remarkable!" Fairy Jiuxiao exclaimed after savoring a sip of the wine. "Last time, when you gave Meier ten thousand 'Dew-Essence Pearls'... that must have been effortless for you, right?"

"Indeed," Master Qingxu replied. "I am aware that you are fond of 'Dew-Essence Pearls.' If you have need of more in the future, please do not hesitate to ask; I guarantee to meet your needs unconditionally. However, I wonder how the quality of the pearls I conjure compares to natural ones?"

"There is no difference at all!" Fairy Jiuxiao said, her face beaming. "Qingxuzi, to be honest, the pearls you produce so easily are worth a thousand pieces of gold to me! Previously, I had to spend a great deal of time traveling far and wide each year to seek them out. Now, with you as my powerful backing, I have no more worries about my supply. Qingxuzi, I have never liked to take advantage of others, so let us be clear: I use the 'Dew-Essence Pearls' to refine 'Nectar.' In the future, if you gift me the pearls, I will provide you with the 'Nectar' in return. This would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. What do you think?"

"Agreed, as you wish," Master Qingxu replied readily. As he spoke, he continued to channel his true energy to steer the wooden boat forward.

Yan Chixia and She Meier chatted freely as they drank. Unbeknownst to them, the boat had traveled a great distance.

The vessel had been moving steadily, but suddenly, it began to rock gently. At first, everyone was too engrossed in their conversation to notice. Soon, however, the rocking became so violent that the wine in their cups began to slosh, drawing their attention.

Master Qingxu, Yan Chixia, Fairy Jiuxiao, and She Meier all looked out toward the sea simultaneously. The once calm, rippling surface had transformed into a expanse of churning white waves, one after another, stretching endlessly.

"Ah!" Fairy Jiuxiao sighed. "The Great Tide is here! Qingxuzi, go no further—turn the boat back!"

"Very well," Master Qingxu nodded, immediately channeling his energy to pivot the bow and speed back toward the Mysterious Island.

Yan Chixia and She Meier were quite excited to witness the Great Tide. As the waters grew turbulent, many species of fish began to swim frantically toward the deep ocean. Some large fish even bumped against the sides of the boat with loud thuds as they crossed its path. Even more remarkably, a squid leaped out of the water and landed on the stern. Seeing its flailing, aggressive posture, Yan Chixia found it amusing and flicked his hand, trapping it within a "spherical barrier."

Feeling endangered, the squid sprayed a cloud of dark ink from its sac, staining the interior of the barrier black. It tried desperately to escape, but despite its frantic efforts, it remained trapped.

She Meier clapped her hands in delight. "Hee hee, how interesting! Yan Chixia, this squid is mine. I’m going to take it back for little Mengmeng!"

Before she could finish, a deafening "bang" shattered the wooden boat. The splintered wood whistled as it flew into the air, and Master Qingxu, Yan Chixia, Fairy Jiuxiao, and She Meier were all launched skyward by the tremendous impact.

Shocked and bewildered, they looked down to see a massive, pitch-black creature with glowing eyes emerging from the sea below.

"Ah? A Black Dragon..." Fairy Jiuxiao gasped.

"ROAR—"

Before she could finish, the Black Dragon let out a heaven-shaking roar. It thrust its head out of the water, opened its giant maw, and sprayed a high-pressure jet of water at them.

The attack, known as "Dragon Playing with Water," was so sudden that they were caught off guard, their clothes drenched in an instant.

"How dare you!" Fairy Jiuxiao was incensed. She struck out with her palm toward the dragon’s head. Filled with potent true energy, the strike was as fierce as a thunderbolt. With a sharp "crack," the dragon’s massive horn was snapped off, and blood sprayed everywhere.

Howling in pain, the Black Dragon soared into the air, lunging at Fairy Jiuxiao with claws outstretched.

She Meier and Yan Chixia were together; seeing the dragon attack the Fairy, she cried out, "Master, watch out!"

The Black Dragon had been targeting Fairy Jiuxiao, but upon hearing She Meier’s cry, it abruptly changed course and swallowed both She Meier and Yan Chixia in a single gulp.