"I truly didn't expect that such a profound mystery still existed in this world..."

Gazing at Qi Xiu for a long time, Elder Shui let out a light, wistful chuckle. His spirited eyes once again returned to their usual undisturbed calm, as ancient as time itself.

"Even the Dragon Binding Rope is willing to acknowledge you as its master. Your half-Dragon Clan identity must be genuine. Throughout history, you're probably the first person to attain a position within the Dragon Clan while in a human body."

Elder Shui's expression was complex, as if he were recalling something from the past.

"The Flood Dragon King is dead, but it was you who delivered the final blow. How about this: I'll gift you an item, consider it completing our agreement."

Elder Shui had previously agreed with Qi Xiu: if Qi Xiu could retrieve the Dragon-Slaying Banner, Elder Shui would help him kill the Flood Dragon King. Furthermore, he would also teach him a method to transcend calamity. The Flood Dragon King may have been gravely wounded by Elder Shui, but Qi Xiu delivered the killing blow. This Water God of Dianchuan was a man of his word and immediately proposed giving an item to complete their agreement.

"That's very kind of you."

Although Qi Xiu had ultimately killed the Flood Dragon King, he had no intention of extorting Elder Shui. After all, without Elder Shui's intervention, he could have at best injured the Flood Dragon King with the Dragon Binding Rope, with no chance of killing him. But now that Elder Shui was willing to compensate him with a treasure, he happily accepted. He wasn't so wealthy as to disdain a treasure from such an ancient deity.

Amused by Qi Xiu's unabashedly eager expression, Elder Shui flipped his palm, revealing an item.

It was a... dragon scale!

Within its deep, ink-green hue, the scale seemed to step out of ancient legends into reality. Its surface was not smooth but bore the traces and ravines of ages past, as if each groove chronicled a piece of history. The dragon scale radiated a profound and weighty luster, light and shadow interweaving across its surface like a tapestry of mountains and rivers. The edges of the scale undulated slightly, as though it inherently possessed a form of fluidity.

Upon closer inspection, some sort of script appeared to be hidden beneath its somewhat coarse and mysterious surface. These characters were elusive, barely noticeable from certain angles. Yet, when light refracted in a particular way, or one's gaze focused on certain subtle points, they could be faintly discerned. These characters were neither any known linguistic symbols of the Human Race nor any common shapes found in the natural world. Instead, they exuded an extremely ancient aura, imbued with a sense of ritual.

"This is..."

The moment he saw the ink-green dragon scale, Qi Xiu's gaze was captivated. Judging by the aura and appearance of this dragon scale, even a blind person would know it to be an incredibly rare and precious treasure.

"When the Dragon Court appointed me Water God, my lord personally bestowed this treasure upon me. So many years have passed, and all my other original Magical Treasures have been eroded by time. Only this dragon scale has been preserved."

Looking at the dragon scale in his hand, a faint reminiscence emerged in Elder Shui's eyes, and his voice grew deeper.

"Today, I pass it on to you. Guard it well; when the opportune moment arrives, it will be of great use to you."

Elder Shui gently extended his hand, offering the ink-green scale to Qi Xiu.

"This is... far too precious. I cannot accept it, Senior. Please, take it back. Your contribution to the Flood Dragon King's death was paramount; I merely delivered the finishing blow. Let's consider the agreement fulfilled. You don't need to compensate me with anything else," Qi Xiu said, his voice hesitant. After a moment's thought, he politely and frankly refused the treasure so close at hand.

He was not a greedy person. Although he appreciated a bit of wealth, he was not without principles. This dragon scale was the last memento Elder Shui had from his lord. If he were to take it, he would undoubtedly be depriving Elder Shui of something he cherished. Elder Shui had treated him well. He found it truly difficult to do such a thing.

Seeing Qi Xiu decline, Elder Shui was quite surprised. He smiled amusedly at this interesting young Daoist and raised the ink-green dragon scale in his hand: "Have you thought it through? This item was bestowed by my lord himself—a true Crown Prince of the Dragon Palace. In terms of value, this treasure surpasses even the Dragon Binding Rope. Are you really going to refuse it?"

Gritting his teeth, Qi Xiu forced himself to turn his head away. He then squeezed out, from between clenched teeth, two words that made his heart bleed: "I...decline!"

"Hahaha, interesting, very interesting."

With a hearty laugh, Elder Shui stepped forward, took Qi Xiu's hand, and tucked the dragon scale into it.

"You little rascal, since I, this deity, have said I'm giving it to you, it's not your place to refuse. Take it. You are, after all, considered one of the Dragon Clan. This item is no disgrace to you. Besides, perhaps before long, I..."

Before Elder Shui could finish speaking, he felt a sudden disturbance in the fabric of the universe.

"Hmm?"

Frowning, Elder Shui slowly looked up towards the sky dome overhead. The vast expanse, where countless stars twinkled, was being compressed by an immense, mysterious force. After carefully sensing the source of this immense force that had suddenly appeared, the Dianchuan Water Monarch's eyes widened slightly in astonishment. He couldn't help but glance sideways at Qi Xiu, who was still oblivious to what was happening and was curiously fiddling with the ink-green dragon scale.

Could it be him?

What a treasure! Stroking the ink-green dragon scale in his hand, Qi Xiu nodded repeatedly. The dragon scale had an unexpectedly wonderful feel to it. Though its surface appeared coarse, it felt surprisingly smooth and warm to the touch, with an affinity like that of skin.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.