The Ancestor of All Demons

The Alchemy Creek in this world runs for nearly a hundred miles, with a vast and mighty current that is refreshing and invigorating. Shi Feiyang frolicked within, tumbling and playing, sometimes drifting downstream or speeding upstream. He stretched his body to his heart's content, reveling in the experience.

As a dragon, he was delighted, but the villagers at the foot of the mountain suffered greatly.

This year's rainfall was more substantial than in previous years. The landscape was saturated, many riverbeds were overflowing, and the floods surged onto both banks. Large tracts of farmland were destroyed, houses collapsed, and the people's cries of distress were unceasing.

Shi Feiyang's dragon eyes could see for miles, and his ears could hear from all directions. He quickly picked up the sobbing of the people on both banks.

He was swimming to a river bend when he sensed a flash flood occurring in the distance. He hurriedly leapt out of the water, enveloped in a cloud of mist, and flew towards it.

Not far away, there was a small valley where seven or eight households lived. Upon the arrival of the mountain torrents, their houses and fields were completely washed away.

These villagers, young and old, altogether over thirty in number, were now trapped on a raised piece of land, surrounded by murky floodwater, with only enough space to stand on that was as big as two tables.

As the water level continued to rise, everyone, young and old, huddled together, letting out cries of despair.

The rain kept falling, and the water's fury grew. Multiple torrents from the mountains converged and squeezed through one valley mouth, bringing with them a massive amount of mud and sand, like a thousand horses galloping fiercely with earth-shaking momentum.

Shi Feiyang arrived just as the flood was descending from the mountain, about to sweep all the people on the mound into its grasp. He hastily expelled a breath of Dan Qi and activated the True Water Primordial Pill within him to halt the flood's advance.

The seven households on the mound embraced each other in the pouring rain, convinced they would perish in the flood. But to their astonishment, the torrent stopped several yards away, as if an invisible wall had blocked the water. The muddy yellow waters, carrying dead branches and decayed leaves, formed waves a yard high that stood still, unable to advance any further.

The villagers were still reeling from shock, looking around when suddenly a small girl pointed and shouted, "Dragon! Dragon!"

Everyone followed the direction of her finger and saw Shi Feiyang.

His thirteen-yard-long Dragon Body curled and twisted within the thick fog, revealing just enough of his scales and claws to inspire awe and fear.

Water continued to gather above, raising the tides higher and higher, bringing with it an increasing pressure.

Shi Feiyang poked his head out of the clouds and spoke in human tongue, "All of you run to the northeast, do not stop, and keep running until you reach a towering elm tree. The land is high there, and the water won't reach it."

The villagers stared in amazement, and one of the braver ones asked, "Prince Dragon, indeed, the terrain is higher near the elm in the northeast, but the floods cover everything in between. How can we get there?"

Shi Feiyang didn't answer him but instead breathed out an extremely cold Dan Qi. Wherever it passed, the floodwater swiftly froze, forming an ice bridge from the villagers' feet towards the northeast, two to three yards wide and over ten miles long.

He shouted loudly, "Hurry! Don't look back; there's a cliff about to collapse overhead!"

Seeing such Divine Skills, the villagers wasted no time. The able-bodied carried the elderly and the children, holding hands, they stepped onto the ice bridge. After testing it and finding it to be even firmer than a stone bridge, they felt reassured and began to run forward, with some shouting, "Thank you, Prince Dragon!"

Shi Feiyang watched as they quickly moved away. When they were a safe distance, he released the Water Escape Technique in front of him. By now, the flood's crest had accumulated to over three yards high, and in an instant, it began to burst forth. The floodwaters, carrying mud, stones, broken wood, and weeds, thunderously surged forward.

Shi Feiyang used a True Water Primordial Pill and cast a Prohibition Technique on it, squeezing the waters on both sides to form an invisible conduit, compelling the floodwaters to rush eastward, pouring straight into Alchemy Creek.

The torrential flood raged for nearly half an hour before gradually subsiding. Shi Feiyang saw that the villagers had already successfully reached the high ground beneath the elm trees. Deciding not to go over, he turned his head and flew towards the downstream of Alchemy Creek.

On the rushing creek water, a big black turtle swam against the current. On its broad shell sat two children, a girl who appeared to be about seven or eight years old, holding an even younger boy. Both were covered in mud and in a pitiable state.

Shi Feiyang approached and asked what had happened.

Red Snake and Xuan Turtle were a pair. The Red Snake was fiery and poisonous by nature, and if disturbed, wouldn't hesitate to poison to death anyone, whether human or demon.

The Xuan Turtle, however, was kind-hearted. Occasionally, it would consume fish and shrimps but never wantonly killed. Regardless of whether it was a human or demon, as long as they possessed some intelligence and sought its help, it would render aid.

This time, it had rescued two children swept down from upstream, using its shell to carry them back.

Shi Feiyang thought this act commendable and encouraged the Xuan Turtle, who then wagged its tail like a little dog: "Old Red said humans are the worst. Upon seeing us, they'd want to kill. These human cubs are tender and delicious. He suggested wrapping them in spotted leaves and dip them in fennel sauce to eat. I stopped him, and he called me stupid..."

Shi Feiyang was amused by its aggrieved manner: "I'll teach him a lesson later."

As the old turtle delivered the children upstream, Shi Feiyang noticed a potential dike breach across the river, so he flew over to redirect the water flow.

For several days he busied himself like this, seen by many villagers below, who started telling stories of how Immortal Mountain housed a Dragon King, with turtle and snake generals under his command, displaying miracles and saving lives from the floods.

Among those Shi Feiyang saved was a villager named Yao Suxiu, who in his youth had studied in a private school, was quite literate, and often spoke in well-composed sentences. He had a good reputation within ten miles around.

His descriptions of the Black Dragon were especially vivid and graphic, often enthralling his audience, which led to people seeking him out to talk about the Dragon King revealing his divinity. As he embellished the stories, the impression that "he had seen the Dragon King more often," "the Dragon King especially favored him," and "he could summon the Dragon King from his mountain," was unintentionally fostered in people's hearts.

Yao Suxiu, sensing the profit to be had, continued to spread his stories of "Three Encounters with the Dragon King" and "Six Encounters with the Dragon King" in the village.

One morning, he announced to everyone that the Dragon King had appeared in his dream the night before, taking him to visit the Underwater Dragon Palace in Alchemy Creek. The Dragon King had treated him well, feeding him many Immortal Pills and spiritual fruits, and had made a request for him to construct a temple for the Dragon King.

"The Dragon King has asked me to tell everyone that once the Dragon King Temple is built and he is offered incense, he will be able to ensure good weather for us. Otherwise, a greater flood will descend and wash away all the villages in the area!"

His relatives and brothers echoed his speech: "The Dragon King has done so much for us, saved so many lives. If we can't even build him a temple, then we are heartless. Not to mention the calamity the Dragon King would send, we couldn't allow such cold-hearted people to live here! Drive them out first!"

Many villagers indeed received the "Dragon King's" blessings and saw the "miracles". When it came to building a temple for them, there wasn't much resistance.

To construct the temple, they had to raise funds first, and Yao Suxiu tasked each village with contributions, forcing them to donate money.

The villagers had more or less suffered from the disaster and had sustained significant losses at home. It was difficult to spare any more money, especially for those whose homes were destroyed and fields ruined. Those who truly had no money were ordered by Yao Suxiu to contribute labor instead, helping to transport tiles and stones for constructing the temple.

Someone then suggested: "Building construction is hampered on rainy days. Why not ask the Dragon King to show up and stop the rain from above?"