Chapter 83: The Four Dragon Kings of the Seas Emerge Together
“What? A mere Great Shaman dares to kill my son?”
In the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, upon hearing the report from several aquatic soldiers, Ao Guang was seized by fury and shock.
As one of the earliest clans to join the Celestial Court, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas now all held princely rank, their status equal to that of the Ancestor Shamans. Thus, when Ao Guang heard that a Great Shaman had slain his son, his heart was ablaze with anger and disbelief.
A mere Great Shaman—how dare he? Did he not fear the vengeance of the Dragon Clan?
“Dragon King, please avenge my son!” The Dragon Queen, upon hearing the news, hurried over with tears streaming down her face, pleading desperately.
“What sort of display is this, all this weeping?” Ao Guang frowned, yet his son’s murder could hardly leave him unmoved.
“Attend me! Sound the Dragon Bell and summon the other Dragon Kings!”
Having lingered in the Celestial Court for many years, each of the Four Seas had long since acquired a spiritual treasure for severing their corporeal selves, thus attaining the rank of Quasi-Saint. In truth, with Ao Guang’s early Quasi-Saint strength and the aid of his treasure, he need not fear Hou Yi. Yet he prized his life too dearly to risk it lightly; in his mind, only the combined might of the Four Dragon Kings would guarantee victory.
“Dragon King, do not let Hou Yi escape; I want him torn to pieces!” The Dragon Queen pressed closer, her voice venomous.
“I know what to do. You need not meddle.” Ao Guang, vexed, waved her aside.
...
The ringing of the Dragon Clan’s great bell swiftly gathered the Four Dragon Kings. Upon hearing Ao Guang’s account, they too were enraged.
“Hou Yi, how dare you kill my nephew!”
“This is an outrage against our Dragon Clan! He cannot go unpunished!”
Ao Guang declared, “Hou Yi remains in the Youqiong tribe. If we go now, he will be at our mercy, and we may avenge my poor child!”
With the Four Dragon Kings united, even the Ancestor Shamans would not be certain of victory against them; Hou Yi, a mere Great Shaman, would be an easy kill.
“Well said! Does Hou Yi think our Dragon Clan has truly fallen? Let him learn that, even now, our clan is not to be trifled with by the likes of a Great Shaman!”
“Hou Yi must die!” The Four Dragon Kings were ablaze with righteous fury.
The Dragon Clan had languished in obscurity for too long—it was time to show the world their might once more!
...
Meanwhile, the entire Youqiong tribe was bustling with joy, smiles alight on many faces.
Their chieftain’s daughter, Chang’e—the first beauty among the humans—was soon to wed the Great Shaman Hou Yi!
Ordinary humans held Hou Yi in awe; after all, he was the warrior who could slay a divine dragon with his bare hands. Surely only such a man was worthy of Chang’e.
At that moment, Hou Yi resided in the Youqiong tribe, his thoughts rippling with anticipation at the prospect of marrying that beautiful woman in a few days. Though he had only met Chang’e a handful of times, her every expression was etched into his heart, indelible.
He had not sent word of his marriage to the Celestial Court, nor informed the other Great Shamans or Ancestor Shamans. The matter had arisen too suddenly; he himself had not fully accepted it and did not know how to explain it to others.
As the wedding day approached, Hou Yi grew more nervous—a feeling unknown to him in countless years.
...
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Hou Yi sensed a powerful oppressive force.
“Quasi-Saint masters have arrived—and more than one?” He frowned, puzzled by the sudden appearance of such powerful beings in this ordinary human tribe.
After a moment’s hesitation, Hou Yi picked up his bow and stepped outside.
“Where is Hou Yi?”
From the boundless heavens, dark clouds rolled in, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Within them, several enormous nine-clawed golden dragons writhed, their tempestuous thunder and overwhelming pressure sweeping down.
The people of Youqiong, cowed by this tremendous force, trembled in their homes, awaiting the dawn within the endless darkness.
“Nine-clawed golden dragons—the Four Dragon Kings?” Hou Yi, stepping outside, looked up and frowned.
He recalled that the dragon he slew days ago claimed to be the son of the Eastern Sea Dragon King; this realization brought clarity—and he knew today’s events would not end peacefully.
But as a Shaman, he feared nothing.
By rights, after defeating Ao Luan, Hou Yi should have considered his next steps carefully, rather than acting impulsively. Perhaps it was to display his courage, or perhaps love—never before felt—clouded his judgment, causing him to overlook the consequences and act on a whim.
Afterward, the tribe’s flattery and the impending wedding made him forget to ponder further, leaving him unprepared for the Dragon Clan’s vengeance.
...
“I am Hou Yi. Since this cannot be avoided, let us settle this with a battle.”
Hou Yi strode to an open space outside the Youqiong tribe, gazing resolutely at the churning storm above.
“Hou Yi!” The Four Dragon Kings, spotting him, glared with eyes ablaze, thunder roaring as they bore down upon him.
Never had they imagined a mere Great Shaman would stand so defiantly before them.
Hou Yi’s eyes grew cold as he looked upward; he drew his longbow to its fullest and shot an arrow at Ao Guang.
“Abominable!”
This act of provocation enraged the Dragon Kings. Ao Guang was the first to summon his spiritual treasure, knocking aside Hou Yi’s arrow and roaring, “Return my son’s life!”
The other three Dragon Kings also summoned their treasures, shouting, “Die!”
The overwhelming power descended; Hou Yi, grave, summoned his true form, transforming into a giant that towered to the heavens, battling the Four Dragon Kings.
Though the Shamans possessed unmatched physical strength, they did not cultivate the soul, and the Dragon Clan’s physical prowess was not far behind. Furthermore, each Dragon King wielded a spiritual treasure; thus, even against a single Dragon King, Hou Yi was at a disadvantage—against four, defeat was inevitable.
Yet Hou Yi fought on, relying on the unique battle instincts of his clan to hold out.
“Die!”
At a certain moment, Ao Guang seized an opening, his eyes flashing as he unleashed his treasure, striking fiercely at Hou Yi’s back.
“Hm?”
By the time Hou Yi sensed the attack, it was too late; he could only grit his teeth and endure it.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, Hou Yi’s giant form staggered backward under the force, the earth cracking beneath him.
“Kill!”
The other three Dragon Kings seized their chance, unleashing their treasures and pressing their attack.
Hou Yi struggled to rise, feeling the immense power bearing down on him, his face pale.
“My fate is sealed.”
As the endless onslaught descended, Hou Yi closed his eyes. In his mind flashed an image of radiant beauty, and a single tear slipped from the corner of his eye.