Dongzhoubu, once a bustling city with numerous fields and paths, is now covered with weeds and vines.
After successive wars, the former capital of the Kingdom of Dahuan had long since become the border between the Kingdom of Pan and the Kingdom of Shao. During this period, the armies of the two countries' important cities were intertwined. In addition, more than ten years ago, the river broke its banks again, and the flood submerged more than a dozen cities.
Hundreds of years of prosperity in Bu were wiped out in the wars and natural and man-made disasters. Among the weeds and vines, small tombs were looming. Even the city of Bu was left with only a pile of broken walls and ruins. At a glance, there was no human habitation for a hundred miles.
"This grass is growing so lushly!"
The young Taoist waded through the weeds that were taller than his waist, looking into the distance, his eyes passing through the vast land.
I saw the weeds growing all the way to the sky, reflecting golden light in the afternoon sun, but they did not bring people the joy of a good harvest, but were filled with a sense of desolation and loneliness.
As Fang Xiu walked, he saw a grave without a tombstone under his feet. The corpse of a child was dragged out by wild dogs and wolves. The small white skull was facing Fang Xiu empty-headedly, as if accusing or begging for something.
Fang Xiu picked up the skull, held it in his palm and wiped it clean bit by bit, then it turned into crystal dust and dissipated in his hand. He then said softly: "This chaotic world should also end!"
"I just wonder how many people will die when this chaotic world ends?"
Fang Xiu kept walking, passing through broken walls and collapsed mud walls, and finally found a stone tablet broken into several pieces and a well among the vines.
He casually pushed aside the vines and saw the former Dragon Locking Well and the rusty chain.
"Hoohoo..."
Suddenly, a long and melodious sound was heard from the distance. Fang Xiu looked up and saw a strong wind blowing up and blowing the clouds in the sky.
A gust of wind came from the sky, rolling the clouds and rustling over the wild grass, lifting Fang Xiu's long hair and blowing it towards the blanket behind him.
The Dragon Locking Well began to churn violently. The water surged up, and the heavy chains collided with each other, making a clattering sound. The rust on them seemed to be only on the surface and shattered in an instant.
Layers of golden light bloomed above the chains, and mysterious talismans appeared one by one. Dragon energy roared up into the sky, shaking all directions, and one could vaguely hear the roar of a dragon mixed in.
Fang Xiu turned around and saw three earth gods standing behind him. They bowed and saluted to him as disciples.
"The land god of Yangshe, Heigu, the land god of Lixiang, and the mountain god of Xiangshan, Weicong, have all seen Fengsheng."
The three men's vows were weak, and their golden bodies were like candles in the wind, about to go out at any time.
"Where is the City God of Bucheng?" Fang Xiu glanced around and saw that there were only three of the five earth gods who originally guarded the Locking Dragon Well left, and the most important one, the City God of Bucheng, was nowhere to be seen.
Yangshe land god Heigu stepped forward. Due to the lack of incense, his body looked old and dilapidated. He hunched over and turned into a white-haired old man. If it were not for the trace of incense that flowed out from the Xundu Academy in the underworld, these three people would have died long ago.
However, the academy was in decline, and the Xundu Academy in the underworld needed supplies from the yang world, and it did not have much power to give back to the yang world.
"Bu City was destroyed more than a decade ago, and the City God of Bu City also died in the disaster!"
Fang Xiu nodded: "I see!"
"It's not easy to wait for a hundred years!"
The three of them knelt down at the same time: "We three are originally disciples of the academy. Let alone a hundred years, even if it's a thousand or ten thousand years, we dare not let down the saint's trust."
The whistling sound of the Dragon Locking Well became louder. Fang Xiu looked at the three people and a smile appeared on his face.
The strong wind lifted Fang Xiu's Taoist robe. Fang Xiu turned around and brushed his long sleeves over the wellhead. All the chains hummed at the same time, and the rustling sound whistled along the earth, following the strong wind and spreading into the distance.
"roar!"
"Roar..."
Dragon roars could be heard beneath the earth, gathering here in all directions.
Under the shocked gaze of the three earth gods, they saw a golden river gushing out from the Dragon Locking Well, flowing back to the sky and surging up into the clouds.
Nine dragons rose into the sky, entangled with each other and floated up to the clouds. The nine golden dragons were seen flying through the sky and crisscrossing the sea of clouds, making people understand what it meant to be a dragon with a head but not a tail.
"A dragon is born, and the dragon energy of Dongzhou gathers in his body!"
"Why don't you leave quickly and choose a master to live with!"
Fang Xiu looked up at the nine golden dragons in the sky, laughed heartily, and shattered the clouds in the sky with a snap of his fingers.
The nine dragons roared instantly, then flew away, heading to all directions of the world, choosing their master.
The three earth gods behind him watched the dragon fly away with a sense of loss. They only knew that this was related to the layout of the entire Xundu Academy, but had no idea what the meaning of this Dragon-Locking Well was and how important it was to the Xundu Academy.
When these nine dragons devour each other and finally become one, the world will be unified again.
The dragon energy of the entire Dongzhou will gather on this person, and he will become the common ruler of the world.
Fang Xiu watched the strong wind stop, the clouds cease, and even the dragon shadow disappear, then he sealed the Dragon Locking Well again.
The strange scenes in heaven and earth disappeared in an instant, and no trace of them could be detected anymore.
But when Fang Xiu looked at the bottom of the Dragon Locking Well, his gaze passed through the hole in the well and he saw a magical seal floating up and down in a special spring.
Fang Xiu snapped his fingers and three beams of golden incense power entered the bodies of the three earth gods. In an instant, these earth gods recovered to their peak state.
Fang Xiu instructed: "In the future, a real dragon will take out the imperial seal from this place. At that time, there will be merits and virtues in the world. At that time, you three will be allowed to enter the Xundu Academy in the underworld. There will be a place for you three. You three should wait well and don't miss this great opportunity."
The three gods bowed once again, and when they looked up again, the saint was nowhere to be seen.
———————-
Nine golden dragons are scattered across the world. These golden dragons are not ordinary dragons, nor are they condensed from ordinary magical instruments. Instead, they are gathered from invisible and intangible dragon energy and luck, just like the power of incense and vows, but they are more hidden. Only some powerful gods, or great beings who are proficient in mathematics and deduction, can sense them slightly.
At this moment, the nine golden dragons were instantly thrown into various places. Some were thrown into the bodies of the rulers of a country, some were thrown into the bodies of princes of the royal family, and some were hidden in the bodies of generals of that country, or frontier garrison officers. Many were also thrown directly into the wombs, waiting to be born.
Although the movement was concealed, it still alarmed many people. Some powerful people from various sects came out and explored the surroundings, trying to find out what had happened.
The mountain and river gods of various countries seemed to have discovered something and wanted to find those who were chosen by the dragon energy.