The next morning, the pair of Flood Dragons arrived as promised, ready to fulfill their agreement with Prince Nolan: they would carry the warship out to sea, while Prince Nolan would destroy the Heaven-Son Sword to set them free.
The Flood Dragons were not entirely foolish. Instead of acting immediately, they hovered in midair and mimed the motion of smashing the Heaven-Son Sword. Only after Prince Nolan confirmed his intent did the two dragons, one in front and one behind, lift the warship and head for the sea.
The warship rose directly into the air, hovering steadily as if walking on water. Standing at the bow, Serena Feng could only marvel: The Former Dynasty was truly mighty.
For such an astonishing dynasty to still fall, it proves that educating one’s descendants is crucial. Serena touched her lower abdomen and silently warned herself: If she ever had a child, she must raise him well, so he wouldn’t ruin his own house or bring disaster to others.
If not for the Lan clan’s destruction, the Phoenixfield Clan and Lu pirate clan would never have been nearly wiped out. The Phoenixfield Clan was lucky; but as for the Lu clan, only her mother and aunt survived. To say she didn’t feel regret would be a lie.
The Flood Dragons’ strength was truly enviable. Lifting a warship packed with weapons and gold was effortless for them; they carried the ship steadily all the way to the shore.
Though simple-minded, the Flood Dragons were far from stupid. Otherwise, the Former Dynasty would not have bothered to tame them and leave them behind for future generations to use.
When the two Flood Dragons carried the warship out into the sea, they refused to set it down, leaving it suspended in midair. Serena and Prince Nolan understood: this was the dragons’ way of demanding that Prince Nolan fulfill his promise first.
If Prince Nolan did not destroy the Heaven-Son Sword, the Flood Dragons would flip the warship into the sea, sending everyone and everything aboard to the ocean floor, never to wake again.
The Flood Dragons were bound by the Heaven-Son Sword. Their minds were simple, and unless they saw the sword destroyed with their own eyes, they would never be at ease.
But... for Prince Nolan to actually destroy the Heaven-Son Sword was impossible. There were still five unexplored levels in the Ninefold Heaven Palace; just because they couldn’t access them now didn’t mean they never could. The Heaven-Son Sword must not be destroyed.
But if he didn’t destroy it, how could he get the Flood Dragons to let go?
Sean watched Prince Nolan, waiting for his move; he knew Nolan had already prepared a plan—this man was cunning indeed.
Sure enough, Prince Nolan didn’t hesitate. He produced the Heaven-Son Sword, and when the Flood Dragons saw it, a feverish gleam flashed in their eyes. Their massive bodies shuddered; barbed tongues flicked out, and their fist-sized eyes wordlessly urged: Hurry, destroy it.
Prince Nolan didn’t make them wait. The corners of his mouth curled into a cold smile, and under the Flood Dragons’ gaze, he threw the Heaven-Son Sword toward the mast, where five thunder-blast grenades were bound.
"Fall back." As the Heaven-Son Sword flew upward, Prince Nolan stepped back, and the Eighteen Riders retreated in perfect unison. Still, they kept their bows drawn, arrows aimed at the Flood Dragons.
The Flood Dragons feared Prince Nolan’s tricks, just as he feared theirs. Both sides distrusted each other, yet had no choice but to cooperate.
The moment the Heaven-Son Sword flew toward the mast, the thunder-blast grenades exploded with a deafening boom, shaking the entire sea. The Flood Dragons were startled, and the violent shockwave even tore through their outer scales...
Fire and smoke burst from the mast, the blinding light making it impossible to keep one’s eyes open. Not only Prince Nolan and Sean, but even the two Flood Dragons shielded their eyes from the glare—and in that instant...
A hair-thin silver wire gave a gentle tug; in the blaze, the Heaven-Son Sword shot into the mast and vanished...
Clang! When the explosion ended, debris rained down. The entire bow was a wreck, with many things falling into the sea. Even with the Flood Dragons steady, the warship rocked uncontrollably—proof of just how powerful the blast had been.
After the explosion, only fragments remained at the bow; the Heaven-Son Sword was nowhere to be seen. The two Flood Dragons exchanged cautious glances. Instead of releasing the ship, one dragon braced the warship while the other crawled onto the bow to inspect it.
Only shards of iron remained at the bow, and they felt no trace of the Heaven-Son Sword’s pressure aboard. It must have been destroyed.
The Flood Dragon inspected the bow for a long time, then finally withdrew, satisfied, and slipped into the sea. It nodded to the other dragon, who, without hesitation, hurled the warship into the water. With a flip and a lash of its tail, it whipped up waves and vanished beneath the surface...
Everyone aboard—Prince Nolan and the others—were in trouble. The dragon’s toss left the warship unstable; water even flooded the bow. The ship rocked so violently that no one could stand, let alone balance the vessel.
As the Flood Dragon departed, its tail struck the mast, destroying the last few remaining spars. The waves it raised engulfed the warship, tossing it about; swept by the whirlpool, no one knew which direction they were headed.
"Damn it, those two Flood Dragons are too cunning," Sean and the Eighteen Riders were tossed about. If not for their martial skills and quick thinking in grabbing hold of something, they might have been thrown overboard.
A fall like that would likely mean sleeping forever in the sea.
"Protect yourselves first," Prince Nolan gripped the ship tightly as the warship drifted with the waves.
The sea belonged to the Flood Dragons. If they wanted to trap the group, there was no way to fight back. All they could do was hope the warship was sturdy enough to withstand the wind and waves—otherwise, if the ship broke apart, they’d be left adrift at sea.