Chapter 328: The Impostor

　　As soon as Lu Fei hit the water, he swam toward Jing Jian and the other two with all his strength.

　　The black python's dark green pupils narrowed slightly, as if it were puzzled by why this person was not under its control?

　　"Friend Lu, was it a success?"

　　Seeing Lu Fei return, He Yunsong and Wu Tie opened their eyes wide, looking at him with anticipation.

　　"Run!" Lu Fei hissed, giving them a meaningful look.

　　"What?"

　　"Run fast!"

　　Lu Fei infused his hands with magical power and slapped He Yunsong and the bodyguard Wu Tie on their foreheads with great force.

　　Then, he pushed Jing Jian, "That's not a dragon, it's a monster!"

　　"A monster?"

　　Jing Jian was stunned for a moment, bit his tongue, and looked at the enormous long shadow again, instantly turning pale with shock.

　　"The gold, where did the gold go?"

　　"How did the elderberry tree turn out like this? Little Friend Lu, come and see what's going on..."

　　The gold at the bottom of the pool had turned into eerie white bones. He Yunsong and Wu Tie were both dumbfounded, rubbing their eyes desperately, unable to believe what they saw.

　　"It's all fake, run!"

　　Lu Fei gave the two a hard push and, seeing that they were still reluctant to leave the illusion, he and Jing Jian each grabbed one of them, desperately swimming towards the shore.

　　The dark green vertical pupils flashed, and upon seeing the four trying to escape, the black flood dragon's eyes suddenly changed.

　　A fierce light flickered in its eyes.

　　Waves rippled across the water pond layer by layer.

　　A pitch-black vortex spun crazily, like a giant mouth of an abyss, swallowing towards the four of them.

　　"Hurry!"

　　A series of suction forces came from behind.

　　Lu Fei, burning with anxiety, carried He Yunsong and swam with all his might towards the shore.

　　This black flood dragon was suppressed by the Dragon Subdueing Stone, so as long as they left the water, it would be powerless against them.

　　Fortunately, the cold water brought He Yunsong and Wu Tie back to their senses, and in their panic, they saw the true form of the black flood dragon, nearly scaring them out of their wits.

　　Wave after wave pounded heavily against the four of them.

　　The shore was only a few meters away.

　　A huge suction force came from behind.

　　In desperation, Lu Fei pulled out the black umbrella and threw it with all his might toward the shore.

　　The black umbrella spun lightly and got stuck in a crevice, its canopy opened, and strands of black hair gushed out, extending into the water, wrapping around Lu Fei layer by layer.

　　Lu Fei clung tightly to Jing Jian and He Yunsong, while Jing Jian pulled the bodyguard.

　　The whirlpool swept over them, submerging them completely.

　　The black hair instantly tensed up, stretching taut.

　　The black umbrella began to sway, and just when it seemed it would not hold on, the canopy emitted a faint red light, and enchanting, magnificent red petals bloomed one by one.

　　The black hair instantly gained strength and pulled with force.

　　Lu Fei and the other three were like grasshoppers on a string, all dragged onto the shore.

　　Splash, splash, splash!

　　A large wave surged high on the shore, its roaring sound like an angry howl.

　　The black hair faded away, and the umbrella closed.

　　"Cough, cough, cough!"

　　Lu Fei felt his chest loosen, and air rushed into his lungs. He coughed up a mouthful of murky water and finally could breathe smoothly.

　　"Are you all okay?"

　　After catching his breath, he quickly looked at the others.

　　"Not dead yet!" Jing Jian spat out a few mouthfuls of dirty water, wiped his face, and gasped for air.

　　He YunSong and Wu Tie were still conscious.

　　However, due to his advanced age, He YunSong had inhaled a lot of cold water during the chaos, and his complexion was very poor.

　　The four of them were like drowned rats.

　　Their clothes clung to their bodies, drenched and cold, causing them to shiver uncontrollably.

　　But to have survived that enormous creature was already a stroke of luck.

　　The massive, long shadow coiled deep in the pond, staring at them with a chilling gaze, its vertical, ink-green pupils flashing with an unwilling green light.

　　"Young Lu, is that really not elderberry?" He YunSong asked, shivering.

　　"It's fake! The elderberry and the gold are all fake! It's an illusion created by that monster!" Lu Fei wrung out the water from his clothes, answering with utmost certainty.

　　His white hair plastered to his face, He YunSong's eyes visibly dimmed as he muttered to himself in a low voice.

　　"How could this be? Old Duan had clearly sensed the aura of a true dragon here..."

　　Wu Tie lay on the bank, staring at the faintly visible white bones at the bottom of the pond, rubbing his eyes hard as if he still couldn't believe it.

　　As he continued to watch, the green phosphorescence at the bottom of the pond seemed to turn golden.

　　He couldn't help but reach out his hand.

　　"What are you doing? Be careful not to fall in!" Jing Jian pulled him back with a strong grip.

　　"It's all gone, the gold is all gone..."

　　Wu Tie was in a daze, suddenly as if he had thought of something, he frantically searched his pockets, only to pull out a piece of ghastly white bone.

　　He was so frightened that he plopped down on the ground, his face as pale as paper.

　　"You still haven't seen clearly?" Jing Jian shook his head speechlessly, "Those are all bones! If not human, then they're from pigs, cows, or sheep!"

　　"Pigs, cows, and sheep, aren't they the three sacrificial animals?" Lu Fei narrowed his eyes, deep in thought, "Could it be that the dragon deity worshipped by Bālóng Village is actually this demon?"

　　"Their so-called dragon deity is a fake. The demon is masquerading as a god to deceive people for their offerings!" Jing Jian snorted.

　　"But this black flood dragon, pinned down by the dragon-suppressing stone and unable to leave, how did the sacrificial offerings in the Dragon God Temple end up in the cave?"

　　After Lu Fei finished speaking, Jing Jian was also taken aback.

　　Both of them had a bad feeling.

　　"Elder He, we should not linger here!"

　　"Is it really impossible? Old Duan wouldn't make mistakes in geomancy; maybe we just found the wrong place." He Yunsong shakily stood up, looking around the gloomy cave.

　　There was no dragon here, only a black flood dragon on the other side of the pond, staring at them in a sinister manner.

　　"That monster has the ability to deceive the eye! Perhaps that's not dragon energy at all, but demonic energy!" Lu Fei observed his surroundings, searching for an exit.

　　The cave was over ten meters high, with no other openings, and the surroundings were filled with rugged rocks.

　　"We fell from above. If we climb back up and retrace our steps, we should be able to find the exit."

　　"Then what are we waiting for? I have a feeling that the monster is up to no good!"

　　Jing Jian took the lead, grabbing onto the rocks and starting to climb up.

　　The cave walls were very irregular, with many places to find a grip, making it troublesome but not impossible to climb up.

　　"No problem! What are you all waiting for, hurry up and climb!"

　　Jing Jian turned around and happily gestured to everyone with a tilt of his head.

　　"Alright..."

　　Just as Lu Fei was about to push He Yunsong up, there seemed to be a long, dark shadow above Jing Jian's head.

　　"A snake?!"

　　Lu Fei's heart tightened, and he hurriedly shouted out.

　　"Jing Jian, be careful above!"

　　"Above?"

　　Jing Jian raised his head, only to see a long, forked tongue.

　　His body suddenly stiffened.

　　It was a black python, its body as thick as a basin, with a triangular mouth open wide enough to swallow his head in one bite.

　　Bang!

　　Lu Fei picked up a stone and threw it hard at the python's eyes.

　　The python slightly turned its head.

　　Seizing the opportunity, Jing Jian drew his Seven Stars Magic Sword and stabbed fiercely.

　　The light of the Seven Stars flowed, and the black python jerked its head back. Not lingering in battle, Jing Jian retreated several steps using both his hands and feet, then jumped down.

　　"Hiss——"

　　The black python flicked its tongue and charged down after him.