Chapter 363: A Change in Temperament! Stirring Up Trouble! Decree of Bestowal!

When Li Yanchu and Fang Qinglan returned to the inn, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

The rooster crowed, and dawn spread across the land. The golden roosters of Yingchuan were famous throughout the realm, renowned for their fierce and unyielding nature.

Li Yanchu also noticed that within the city of Yingchuan Prefecture, the golden roosters were sharp of beak and claw, bold and majestic. Indeed, they were extraordinary.

Though they had not transformed into demons, nor cultivated spiritual energy, the saying went,

“When the rooster crows, the world awakens.”

Such golden roosters were truly auspicious beasts, capable of warding off evil. He even considered buying one to bring back, but after some thought, decided against it.

At this moment, he tossed the large green-scaled fish onto the ground, sealing it with his divine brush.

Li Yanchu sat boldly upon the chair, and began questioning the fish demon about the Dragon Palace of the Chu River.

Fang Qinglan sat by his side, listening attentively.

However, the fish demon’s knowledge was shallow, and it did not know much about the origins of the Dragon King. The Dragon Lord was fond of eating humans, often overturning passing boats and devouring those who fell into the river. The Chu River was known for its fierce winds and waves, so capsizing was a common occurrence, and so no one thought much of it.

Who would have guessed that all of it was the work of monsters?

In recent years, the Dragon King had focused on cultivation, no longer stirring up storms in the Chu River, leaving the affairs of the Dragon Palace to his crown prince.

He had three sons and one daughter. Fearing heavenly wrath and mortal resentment, they usually only dared to secretly consume humans, or bewitch villagers into offering up boys and girls as sacrifices.

Yet recently, the Dragon King’s temperament had changed. He stirred up waves in the Chu River once, nearly flooding the entire city of Yingchuan Prefecture, though afterward, he quelled the waters himself. This led the people of Yingchuan to exclaim that the Dragon King had revealed his divine presence.

Little did they know, the true culprit was none other than the Chu River Dragon King himself!

After that disturbance, the Dragon King withdrew again into seclusion within the Dragon Palace.

But the Prince, for reasons unknown, grew restless and agitated. Using elixirs and enchantments, he lured Song Heng, a wealthy merchant of the prefectural city, into offering up a young maiden as a bride, to be sent into the Dragon Palace for the prince’s amusement.

The Dragon King’s Crown Prince was named Ao Ang. His magical power was profound, but his nature cruel. He brutally killed the bride and discarded her without care. It was only then that her body floated up from the riverbed.

When Li Yanchu heard this, he frowned slightly. He felt that the matter was far from simple.

If the Chu River Dragon Palace’s crown prince were merely cruel, he would not have deliberately erased the demonic aura from the bride’s corpse. There must be something hidden behind all this.

That Dragon Prince is definitely up to something strange!

Li Yanchu pondered in his heart.

The fish demon had spilled everything about the Dragon Palace, its layout, personnel, and treasure hoards. From what Li Yanchu gathered, this Chu River Dragon King sounded quite formidable. But more likely than not, he was not a legitimate Dragon King at all, only a self-proclaimed one! Perhaps he wasn’t even a true dragon, but merely a flood dragon.

Even so, to occupy a river and establish a Dragon Palace, this Chu River Dragon King had to be a great demon of immense cultivation, one who would be extremely difficult to deal with!

Li Yanchu then struck down the once-mighty River Patrol General, forcing him back into his original form, just a large green-scaled fish. He sealed away all its demonic power, and after finishing his questions, knocked it unconscious. His actions were quick and clean!

“This brush really is handy!”

Li Yanchu looked at the divine brush in his hand, unable to suppress a sigh of admiration. So far, he had only discovered its power of sealing and suppression, but its potential was clearly far greater. It felt as though it had yet to reveal its true strength!

After Fang Qinglan returned to her own room, Li Yanchu sat alone, lost in thought. The situation with this Chu River Dragon King was far from normal. That recent incident of stirring up storms in the river, if it wasn’t madness, then it must have been a case of cultivation gone awry.

Though the disaster was narrowly averted last time, who could guarantee that he wouldn’t lose control again?

And then there was the Dragon Prince, Ao Ang[1]], murdering innocent maidens, as if cultivating some sinister, forbidden art. He was no simple foe either!

On top of that, the other two dragon sons and the dragon daughter were all powerful demons in their own right. If this wasn’t handled carefully, the matter could spiral out of control.

After thinking it over, Li Yanchu realized that among the techniques he currently possessed, only the Water-Repelling Talisman could help him deal with this situation. That talisman could part and shield against water, and was an essential tool for fighting beneath the waves.

At present, he had only one single-enhanced Water-Repelling Talisman, but its power was insufficient.

He took out the talisman, and began to simulate within his mind the sound of the Great Dao, “Decree of Bestowal!”

- 2,000 merit points!

The talisman’s spiritual resonance strengthened, divine light radiating brilliantly.

“Decree of Bestowal!”

- 3,000 merit points!

“Decree of Bestowal!”

- 4,000 merit points!

“Decree of Bestowal!”

- 5,000 merit points!

The talisman’s divine radiance illuminated the entire room, its brilliance flowing and its Dao resonance astonishing. Looking at this Water-Repelling Talisman that had been enhanced with fifteen thousand merit points, Li Yanchu finally felt a measure of calm. The talisman had already been deified!

However, this type of Water-Repelling Talisman possessed no offensive power, and it was purely a supportive tool. Thus, he did not continue reinforcing it.

Instead, he drew out his Jiaoslayer, the saber he had worn at his side for years.This saber had already undergone three rounds of enhancements, making it incomparably sharp, and especially effective against flashy and deceptive techniques. It fit his hand perfectly.

In both the illusory soul world conjured by Lady Qingyi’s demonic thoughts, and within the Blissful Land of Mount Jinting, he had already slain flood dragons with this saber. Its sharpness was unmatched.

Now, he brought forth the saber for another round of enhancement.

Fourth enhancement:

- 4,000 merit points!

But he was far from satisfied. In one breath, he enhanced the saber the fifth time.

On the Jiaoslayer, a keen, icy light burst forth. Even with Li Yanchu’s martial cultivation and Primordial Spirit realm, he dared not gaze at it directly, and his eyes stung with pain.

When he reached out his hand, he could already feel that fierce aura, as though it would slice his palm open in an instant!

“What a fine saber!” Li Yanchu’s eyes lit up.

Next came the talismanic armor upon his body. It was a Daoist divine treasure, his main defensive artifact, guarding his flesh.

With a thought, an ancient-looking talisman floated up from his palm, hovering quietly before him. This treasure was of a higher grade.

The talismanic armor was armor made from talismans. As it combined both aspects, activating it was relatively straightforward. The only drawback was that it placed high demands on the cultivator’s physical body and vital essence. That was precisely why Li Yanchu had long refrained from enhancing it.

He could barely control it as it was; once enhanced further, it would be even harder to manage. But now, with his physique honed to terrifying strength and his blood energy surging, he should be more than capable of wielding it even after a seal!

“Decree of Bestowal!”

- 5,000 merit points!

At this time, Li Yanchu was stunned. As expected of a Daoist divine artifact— among all the treasures he had enhanced so far, this one’s base attributes were the highest!

His mind stirred, and he decided to keep going.

- 6,000 merit points!

Aside from the Dao Dust Bead, this was the second artifact that required six thousand merit points per enhancement. From the talismanic armor surged a boundless, blazing force of pure yang blood energy, like the blazing radiance of the great sun itself.

In the inn, Fang Qinglan could not help but glance over, a flicker of surprise in her eyes as she looked toward Li Yanchu’s room. “Such domineering pure yang energy!”

Li Yanchu withdrew the talismanic armor, his face breaking into a wide smile of satisfaction. With such immense pure yang energy, this treasure could likely elevate his physical body to an utterly fearsome level!

After that, he brought forth the Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman.

Fifth enhancement: - 5,000 merit points!

This talisman was already an old companion, and it was his hidden trump card for slaying enemies across realms!

T/ N: As some of you may have noticed, I’ve changed from spelling out the merit points consumed or earned to simply writing it as “-XXX merit points” or “+XXX merit points”.

I decided to make this change mainly for the sake of clarity and brevity. By using “-XXX merit points” or “+XXX merit points,” it’s immediately clear whether points are being deducted or added, without having to read through a longer sentence. It also helps keep the updates consistent and easy to scan at a glance, especially when tracking multiple transactions or actions over time. Personally, I find it makes the record feel cleaner and more organized, and I hope it helps others follow along just as easily.

1. To me, the name 敖昂 immediately conveys a sense of boldness and grandeur. With 敖 suggesting freedom, roaming, or a dragon-like spirit, and 昂 evoking pride, elevation, and ambition, the combination paints the picture of a character who is fearless, strong-willed, and destined for greatness. It’s a name that carries both heroic energy and a sense of nobility. ☜