Everything trembled before this unparalleled might, each breath filled with despair.

Out of fear, some humans along the coast even prostrated themselves before the Evil Flood Dragon, praying for its forgiveness.

And due to this Immersion, the oppressive might descended upon Zhong Ming as well.

The tyrannical Dragon Flood Dragon wanted to force Zhong Ming into submission.

ROAR!

This power directly provoked the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme within Zhong Ming.

Tainted and provoked by it, the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme erupted within Zhong Ming, causing him to radiate a majestic aura of his own.

Of course, Zhong Ming’s Dao Rhyme was still nascent; it was no match for the Dao Rhyme within the Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map.

Zhong Ming, however, was not disappointed by this.

He had been cultivating for only a short time; it was perfectly normal that he couldn’t compare to the Flood Dragon in the Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map.

Besides, his goal wasn’t to contend with the Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map. He only wanted to activate the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, even if just for a moment.

HUMMM...

Once the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme activated, the first thing Zhong Ming did was stop his Mind Reading.

As the ability deactivated, Zhong Ming’s consciousness immediately withdrew from the Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map.

After Zhong Ming’s consciousness departed, the raging waves, furious torrents, and the tyrannical, majestic Flood Dragon all slowly solidified back into a painting.

Zhong Ming’s surroundings also changed from the cataclysmic Gale and Torrential Rain back to a lavishly decorated secret room.

He was back.

The very instant he returned, as if to prevent any unexpected complications, Zhong Ming subconsciously transferred the power from the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme into his Sword Seed.

And he succeeded.

However, only after the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme had been transferred did Zhong Ming realize something with a jolt.

’Wait, I haven’t withdrawn my Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water yet!’

And just like that, due to a moment of carelessness, his Sword Seed now contained two Dao Rhymes.

At first, this sight made Zhong Ming’s heart seize with tension.

He was terrified the two Dao Rhymes would clash.

But he soon discovered that things weren’t heading in the worst possible direction.

The Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme was indeed tyrannical, but the Flow of Water was another matter entirely.

The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete!

Facing the tyrannical Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, Zhong Ming’s Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water did not contend with it. Instead, under the influence of the Sword Seed, it began to—fuse!

’It’s fusing...’ This scene first took Zhong Ming by surprise, but he soon found himself stroking his chin and thinking, ’This seems... normal, actually.’

The relationship between dragons and water is inextricable. As the monarch of the waters and lord of the world’s Water Race, a dragon is born with the Water Dao Rhyme, able to Call the Wind and Summon the Rain, and stir up monstrous waves.

The probability of these two Dao Rhymes fusing upon meeting was far greater than the probability of them clashing.

Not to mention, Zhong Ming’s Sword Seed inherently acted as a Melting Furnace for all things.

—To focus on a single point and achieve the pinnacle of perfection. This was the core characteristic of Zhong Ming’s Sword Seed.

The process of nurturing the Sword Seed was to take Zhong Ming’s Magical Power, Essence Qi, and Power of the Mind, and transform them all into sustenance, condensing them into a single, ultimate point.

So it was only natural that the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme and the Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water were also smelted by the Sword Seed, becoming that single point of focus, that pinnacle of perfection.

HUMMM!

As the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme integrated, the Sword Seed hanging from the ancient, silver-white tree in Zhong Ming’s spirit also began to change.

The fruit, originally blue-silver with wavelike ripples across its surface, now also bore scales.

A faint phantom of a Flood Dragon even seemed to be coiled within the Sword Seed.

[Ding! Your Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme has fused with your Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water. They have become: Dao Rhyme: Vortex Dragon (48%)]

Because water "does not compete," the fused Dao Rhyme was dominated by the Flood Dragon.

Nearly all the power of the Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water was infused into the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, causing its progress to leap from 9.6% to 48%!

Zhong Ming was completely unable to control the rapidly soaring Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, and its might began to radiate from his body.

And this was the reason why, in the vicinity of the Golden Jade Tower, wind and rain had suddenly erupted and the very color of the sky had changed.

’Dragon Flood Dragon... Water Manipulation, command, Call the Wind and Summon the Rain...’

The fusion into the Dao Rhyme: Vortex Dragon wasn’t the full extent of Zhong Ming’s gains.

The new Dao Rhyme: Vortex Dragon raised the upper limit of Zhong Ming’s Dao Rhymes, and what’s more, it filled his mind with countless sudden insights.

[You have gained deeper insight into Water Manipulation, Calling the Wind and Summoning the Rain, and the Might of the Flood Dragon. Your Longxi Swordsmanship progress +718]

[Your Spirit Stream Finger: Jie Technique progress +615]

[Your Longxi Sword Drawing Skill progress +321]

[...]

Among all his abilities, the one that saw the greatest improvement was the Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique.

After all, the fused Dao Rhyme: Vortex Dragon had improved Zhong Ming’s understanding of Water Manipulation.

And the Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique, with "Dragon" in its name, was fundamentally a technique that imitated how a Flood Dragon performed Water Manipulation.

Now, with the Dao Rhyme: Vortex Dragon, Zhong Ming was practically a ’genuine’ Flood Dragon himself. It made perfect sense that when he cultivated an ’imitation’ Magic Technique, his progress would skyrocket.

[Your Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique progress +1381]

Over a thousand points in one fell swoop. This was the staggering reward Zhong Ming received from the Dao Rhyme fusion.

His Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique was already at the Third Realm, Refinement (13584/14200).

With over a thousand points of progress added, the Cultivation Technique instantly broke through to the Fourth Realm.

HUMMM...

The moment he broke through, Zhong Ming fell into a state of epiphany.

This time, as expected, everything Zhong Ming comprehended during his epiphany was related to transforming flowing water into living things.

’Living... living things... active... From now on, the slashes I unleash and the Magic Techniques I release will no longer be lifeless.’

’They can transform mid-course and automatically track enemies.’