Chapter 1181: Cloudwater City, the Water Dragon Clan

It was extremely rare for both members of a pair to make it into the top thirty and then compete together in the final rounds, even in previous Rising Dragon Competitions. The Dragon Knights had already taken notice when Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu first emerged. And that was before Lan Xuanyu had absorbed that strange energy on the Rising Dragon Platform. “She” was now one of the Celestial Dragon Alliance’s most closely watched subjects.

Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu’s opponent did not walk straight into the arena. Instead, he turned toward the direction outside the Rising Dragon Platform and let out a resounding dragon roar toward the sky.

The next moment, a roar answered from the distance. A massive silhouette was already flying toward them from afar.

Gradually, a small black dot grew larger. It did not dare fly higher than the Rising Dragon Platform, but approached at roughly the same height. Seeing his Dragon Mount, Contestant Number Fourteen’s expression finally improved somewhat, and he unconsciously clenched his fists.

Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu also fixed their gazes on his Dragon Mount.

As it drew closer, they could make out the dragon clearly. Its entire body was covered in pale blue scales, and it was enormous—over fifty meters long. The scales were tightly packed, and the dragon emitted a pale blue glow. Beneath its body, light was beginning to coalesce into what looked like the start of a halo. It was unmistakably a Higher Dragon.

The blue giant dragon landed on the platform and first prostrated itself toward the distant Seven Dragon Power Pillars.

Only then did the referee announce: “Seventh match: Lan and Huang Xiuxiu, versus Song Junhou and Luo Shuiyun.”

The dragon rose and went to the contestant’s side, lowering its huge head to rub against him. The contestant stroked its head in return, and only then did they enter the arena together.

“Hello, both of you. I am Song Junhou. This is my wife, Luo Shuiyun.” Contestant Number Fourteen nodded slightly to Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu. Somehow, after the blue dragon, Luo Shuiyun, arrived, his emotions had stabilized. Clearly, the dragon’s presence had a very positive effect on him.

“I am Luo Shuiyun. Greetings to you both,” the blue dragon said in a female voice.

A couple pairing. Lan Xuanyu turned his head to glance at Bai Xiuxiu and received a glare and a pinch in return.

She understood exactly what Lan Xuanyu was implying—he was saying, look, the man is the knight and the woman is the Dragon Mount. The husband rides his wife!

“The match begins.” The referee did not care what they were doing and announced the start directly.

Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu both nodded to their opponents in return. Then their auras surged upward.

Song Junhou pushed off the ground and leaped onto Luo Shuiyun’s massive head. In an instant, the blue light radiating from both dragon and rider intensified dramatically.

The air grew noticeably damp, and gentle water elements surged forth. Everything around them took on a hazy, misty quality.

A water-attribute dragon. Neither Lan Xuanyu nor Bai Xiuxiu had encountered one in their previous battles.

Both were very familiar with the water attribute. Bai Xiuxiu’s martial soul had once been the Demonic Spirit Great White Shark, which excelled in aquatic combat. Her ice attribute had also evolved from water. As for Lan Xuanyu, the first element he had mastered with his Silver-Patterned Blue Silver Grass was water, and water-element control was the skill he had cultivated the longest.

Throughout this Rising Dragon Competition, facing dragons of various attributes had been highly enlightening for him. A dragon’s command over the elements far surpassed that of humans—it was a natural talent. With their powerful physiques, their ability to summon the elements was beyond human comparison.

But command was one thing; how to command was another. Facing powerful opponents one after another, observing their methods of elemental control had given Lan Xuanyu many insights. The match against Xu Yanmo, in particular, had deeply impressed upon him the many applications of light-element manipulation, and he had benefited greatly.

Bai Xiuxiu did not transform into a Dragon Mount. Instead, she held hands with Lan Xuanyu and soared into the air, charging straight at their opponents. Dragon Force cycled through her, and a faint golden light shrouded her as her aura surged. The two moved as one, their dragon roars resounding as they flew upward.

Bai Xiuxiu reached out with her free hand and condensed an ice spear, handing it to Lan Xuanyu beside her. Then she grabbed again and formed another ice spear for herself.

Both excelled at fighting with long spears. However, when competing with a Dragon Mount, they were not permitted to use Divine Dragon Armor or Dragon Lances. Condensing ice-element spears for combat was not restricted.

“Roar—” A resounding dragon roar came from the opposite side. The next moment, Luo Shuiyun opened her mouth and blasted a massive column of water toward the pair in midair. Song Junhou narrowed his eyes but did not attack. His body surface was now covered in blue scales, his eyes had turned pitch black, and dark clouds were gathering above his head.

Lan Xuanyu glanced up at the sky. Beside him, Bai Xiuxiu pointed her ice spear forward, and a large cloud of icy mist shot out to meet the water-column breath. The water froze into ice on contact, and the breath collapsed.

In terms of cultivation, Luo Shuiyun was clearly inferior to Bai Xiuxiu—otherwise, she would not have failed to make the top thirty. But Lan Xuanyu kept his attention fixed on Song Junhou above her head.

Since they were fighting as a pair, there had to be something special about their combination. Between a Dragon Mount and a Dragon Knight, it was not just about their suitability—there had to be a chemical reaction, something akin to a martial soul fusion skill, for them to be the best pairing.

Huang Yuanlang had once told them that those who already had Dragon Mounts in the Rising Dragon Competition would definitely be in this situation. The norm was to reach god rank before choosing a Dragon Mount, like Qi Tianlong, who went for a pairing of strong with strong. Other dragons could think of that too. Yet even so, those who still chose to acquire a Dragon Mount early must have that chemical reaction with each other and mutual recognition—only then was it possible.

The ice pillar struck the ground, scattering icy flowers and large chunks of ice. Bai Xiuxiu pointed her ice spear at the sky, and suddenly, heavy snow began to fall from the darkening heavens.

At that moment, Lan Xuanyu clearly saw Song Junhou’s expression change as he stood on the dragon’s head; the light on his scales intensified markedly.

“Boom!” The next instant, Song Junhou’s body seemed to explode, releasing a vast cloud of mist that surged skyward. At the same time, Luo Shuiyun spread her wings and soared into the clouds, appearing and disappearing amid the roiling mist.

The snowflakes danced but were blocked by the mist, which rose higher and higher along with Luo Shuiyun’s figure.

Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu hovered in midair without pursuing. The snowflakes in the air grew larger—blue goose-feather snow drifting everywhere—as the temperature continued to drop.

In terms of attributes, Bai Xiuxiu’s ice attribute was a natural counter to their opponents. In a sense, ice could be considered an advanced form of water. Throughout this opening exchange, Lan Xuanyu had not acted at all. But anyone could see that “she” was holding Bai Xiuxiu’s hand, and Bai Xiuxiu’s strength was clearly surging—a very significant amplification effect.

In effect, Bai Xiuxiu alone was suppressing the husband-and-wife pair, forcing them to unleash their most powerful abilities. Though it was not yet clear what those abilities were, the fact that they had transformed into clouds and risen into the air suggested there was certainly some mystery behind it.

“Boom—” Just then, a thunderclap rumbled through the sky. In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared within the greatly expanded cloud cover.

Lan Xuanyu’s eyes lit up, and he immediately understood what the couple’s combined ability was. A thunderous bombardment of lightning?