Not long after Zhong Ming entered the area with the True Intent Maps, the cry of a Flood Dragon echoed out. Since he was preparing to view the *Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map*, it was easy for Yi Yunyan, Yi Yunhai, and the others to deduce—so long as they weren’t complete fools—that Zhong Ming was the one who had caused it.

But knowing was one thing; accepting it was another entirely!

’This aura... How can he be so strong!’

The mountain-like pressure didn’t just make their bodies tremble; it dealt a heavy blow to their spirits.

Surprise, disbelief, fear, lingering terror... A storm of negative emotions churned within them, their faces a messy kaleidoscope of expressions.

While they were stunned, the expressions of Qin Rou, Dong Jinhai, and Yi Qing were also grim.

The oppressive might that descended with the dragon’s cry naturally had no effect on those three.

But its implications made the expressions of Qin Rou and Dong Jinhai turn grave.

As for Yi Qing, she was mostly just embarrassed.

One moment, she was saying Zhong Ming lacked aptitude; the next, a dragon’s cry, thick with majesty, was swirling around them. The turn of events left Yi Qing utterly speechless.

Silence spread between the three of them. After a moment, Qin Rou, the first to recover, smiled faintly at Yi Qing. "So, dear sister, do you still think Zhong Ming has no aptitude?"

"Ahem, this is nothing." As befitting a Vice Tower Lord, Yi Qing quickly composed herself. Her expression was back to normal as she said, "Zhong Ming just entered the area with the True Intent Maps. That dragon cry is the artistic conception inherent to the map itself, not something he produced."

"He just happened to activate the artistic conception in the True Intent Map, and it’s not even certain he did it himself."

"Many things can trigger a True Intent Map’s artistic conception—stimulation from special items that carry their own conception, for example, or treasures of a compatible element... Yun Ya values Zhong Ming so highly, there’s no guarantee she didn’t prepare something for him..."

Yi Qing was forcing an explanation to downplay Zhong Ming’s uniqueness, but before she could finish, she was once again struck dumb.

That first cry of the dragon was not the end, but the beginning.

WHOOSH...

A wind surged from all directions, gathering dark clouds that instantly turned the sky above the Golden Jade Tower as black as ink.

The next moment, a torrential downpour cascaded from the heavens. This scene of interweaving wind and rain, of heaven and earth changing color, forced Yi Qing to swallow the words of justification that were on the tip of her tongue.

Beside her, the expressions on Qin Rou and Dong Jinhai had become extremely grave.

Dong Jinhai spoke. "This feeling... It’s different from the first dragon’s cry. The first was domineering, untamable, and cold. This second cry, while still domineering, is less untamable but has an added sharpness... Zhong Ming... he has comprehended his very own Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme!"

After him, Qin Rou also spoke.

"From what I know, Zhong Ming comes from a humble background. He’s never cultivated any Daoist Skills, and he only joined the Seven Profound Sect twenty days ago... To comprehend such a Dao Rhyme in just twenty days..."

At this, Qin Rou turned to Yi Qing with a wry smile. "Dear sister, do you still feel that Zhong Ming lacks aptitude?"

This time, Yi Qing had no reply.

Even she was staggered by Zhong Ming’s aptitude, her mind reeling with disbelief.

’In just twenty days, how did he cultivate such a powerful artistic conception?’

But after the disbelief came a rush of elation.

’Whew... thank goodness. A monster like this belongs to our Yi Family...’ Now she understood. ’No wonder young Yun Ya was so determined to bet everything on him. If I had met him first—ten years ago, no, even today—I would have also poured everything into nurturing him.’

While Yi Qing felt a sense of relief upon realizing Zhong Ming’s Talent, the gazes of Qin Rou and Dong Jinhai turned dark and profound.

’A prodigy like this can’t be monopolized by the Yi Family...’

This was the first thought that surfaced in the minds of both Qin Rou and Dong Jinhai. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

But they quickly frowned. ’Zhong Ming isn’t just from a humble background; he’s a prodigy of the Seven Profound Sect. Making a move against him would mean declaring war on the Sect... The only option is to try and win him over...’

「...」

Drastic changes were occurring outside as a result of his enlightenment, but Zhong Ming remained completely oblivious.

He was, at this moment, ecstatic over his transformation.

After entering the area with the True Intent Maps, Zhong Ming first took a short rest. He waited until noon, just as the Divine Sound from the Clear Sound Spring Stone was about to reset, before activating Mind Reading and beginning to study the *Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map* in front of him.

HUM...

DING!

Mind Reading, combined with the Divine Sound, did not disappoint him.

The instant he activated both abilities and stared directly at the *Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map*, he felt his consciousness leave the lavishly decorated secret chamber and arrive above a vast river churning with towering waves under a sky filled with dark clouds.

At this moment, upon the vast river, between a heaven and earth ravaged by a Gale and Torrential Rain, a wild, domineering, and merciless black Flood Dragon was wantonly unleashing its power.

ROAR!

As the Evil Flood Dragon danced wildly, a torrential current of water submerged everything in its path with unstoppable force.

In the sky above, the dark clouds grew thicker and more ominous, with massive Thunderbolts flashing between them.

This terrifying scene made the Evil Flood Dragon, indulging wantonly in its own power, look like a malevolent deity bringing calamity upon the land.

But even a malevolent deity is still a god. Its oppressive aura, its domineering presence, its wild defiance, and its cataclysmic power made everything along the riverbanks tremble—from the birds in the sky and the beasts on the land to the scaled creatures in the water, the insects in the thickets, and even the plants and trees rooted in the soil.