Black Loong
Behavior
Beware of when he charges his fists and then slams them into the ground as if playing a drum. This will send out a series of shock rings that you must dodge in quick succession. Alternating dodging to your left or right upon each approaching ring will suit you well. Avoid trying to jump over them, as some rings come shortly after each other and you will get hit. Another way to dodge the rings is to stand on the pile of rocks in the arena, but he might destroy them with his melee attacks if not careful.
Location
Black Loong is located in a secret area "Hidden Loong Cavern", reachable from the [Yellow Wind Ridge](/yellow-wind-ridge) - [Fright Cliff](/fright-cliff) - Rockrest Flat shrine. The area is protected by a sand waterfall and requires [Loong Scales](/loong-scales) to dispel it.
Upon its defeat, the Black Loong will drop a [Mind Core](/mind-core), [Refined Iron Sand](/refined-iron-sand) x2 and a chest. The chest contains: [Thunderbone](/thunderbone) and [Tridacna Pendant](/tridacna-pendant).
Background
With iron whiskers and devouring lips,
Twin hammers held in fierce embrace,
Lightning sparks powerful force,
In thunder's roar, he holds his place.
Long had the fishermen beside the River Ji spoken of a black loong, dwelling far beneath the waters in the Nine Depths. Upon its neck rested a pearl of wisdom, said to grant great enlightenment to any who held it, a prize beyond the worth of gold. Many had braved the depths to find this fabled gem, yet few had been fortunate enough to return. With bitter tears, they told of the perils below, of returning with nothing to show for their trials, and worse, of facing the wrath of the fearsome loong prince. Armed with twin hammers that summoned forth the fury of thunder, the prince could smite those before him, leaving nothing but dust.
Long ages passed, yet still, there were those who sought the pearl. Among the people, it was whispered that when the River Ji burst its banks and the waters rose in wrathful flood, it was surely the doing of the loong prince, his wrath roused by the trespasses of those who sought his treasure. In hopes of appeasing him, they built a grand and splendid temple, where they offered worship and tribute to the lord of the watery depths. Then came a day when a young man arrived, clad in a midnight hue, with a necklace of moon-pale stones around his neck. He named himself a master thief with skills beyond compare. Though all cautioned him against earning the loong prince's wrath, he paid no heed. With a single swift dive, he set his course for the loong's palace.
To his surprise, he found the palace strangely silent and empty, with no sign of the soldiers he had expected. A heavy sense of desolation hung in the air. Puzzled, he went to seek the sea treasury and saw a sturdy, tawny-skinned man sitting amid piles of chests, his brow furrowed in worry. At the sound of his approach, that man, who turned out to be the loong prince, stirred, dug a string of pearls from a chest, and tossed them on the ground. "The pearl of wisdom you seek is not mine to give," he said in a weary voice. "Take these if you must, and go."
Surprised, the young man asked, "The people on shore spoke of your fierce temper, of how you strike men with your thunder or flood entire lands for the smallest slight." The loong prince shook his head. "The flesh of mortals holds no savor for me. Think you that I am some petty yaoguai, to wreak havoc at my own whim? No, I would not dare to call forth the smallest storm save at the bidding of those higher. Idle talk, all of it! My own sire was condemned to the bite of steel for one trifling error. We loongs, though our hearts are true as any, are treated with such injustice..."
The young man said, "I have heard of the Loong King's plight. A grievous injustice, indeed. Is it for his sake that you find yourself in such reduced circumstances?" Seeing he was no mortal, the loong prince said, "Precisely. I have no wish to meet my end upon the Loong-Slaying Terrace. I asked a fortune-teller, and he said if I hide well and kill some westbound monkey, I may yet atone for my misdeeds and restore my honor."
The young man pondered this. "A fortune-teller, you say? It was the words of a fortune-teller that led me to this place. There might be some strange design at work in this meeting of ours. Why not go with me to where I come from? It just so happens to be on the very road that leads to the west." The loong prince was overjoyed, but the young man added, "I ask no small price, however. All the treasures in your hoard, they must be mine."
Since the day of the young man's arrival, fewer and fewer were those who sought to plumb the river's depths in search of the pearl. Later on, the tools of their quests were one by one set aside. And in time, the tales of the loong prince far below and the pearl of wisdom he guarded were no longer spoken of.
Lore
In the Journey to the West novels, the Xiaolilong lives in Jidu（济渎，Ji river）, the second son of the Loong King of the Jing river(泾河龙王) and the nephew (sister's son) of Aoshun(敖顺), Aoshun is the Loong King of the North Sea(西海龙王), because the Loong King of the Jing river married Aoshun's sister.
There are four Loongs in the four rivers of Jiang, He, Huai and Ji river（江, 河, 淮, 济）, and they are all sons of the Loong King of the Jing River. This includes Xiaolilong.
The four rivers(四渎) refer to the four large rivers that flow into the sea. In Chinese culture, they represent the world along with other important mountains and oceans.
The narration of the game mentions that "the four rivers are out of control"(四渎失管)[1], which is probably a reference to the Loong living in the four rivers being in rebellion.
Behavior
Beware of when he charges his fists and then slams them into the ground as if playing a drum. This will send out a series of shock rings that you must dodge in quick succession. Alternating dodging to your left or right upon each approaching ring will suit you well. Avoid trying to jump over them, as some rings come shortly after each other and you will get hit. Another way to dodge the rings is to stand on the pile of rocks in the arena, but he might destroy them with his melee attacks if not careful.
Location
Black Loong is located in a secret area "Hidden Loong Cavern", reachable from the [Yellow Wind Ridge](/yellow-wind-ridge) - [Fright Cliff](/fright-cliff) - Rockrest Flat shrine. The area is protected by a sand waterfall and requires [Loong Scales](/loong-scales) to dispel it.
Upon its defeat, the Black Loong will drop a [Mind Core](/mind-core), [Refined Iron Sand](/refined-iron-sand) x2 and a chest. The chest contains: [Thunderbone](/thunderbone) and [Tridacna Pendant](/tridacna-pendant).
Background
With iron whiskers and devouring lips,
Twin hammers held in fierce embrace,
Lightning sparks powerful force,
In thunder's roar, he holds his place.
Long had the fishermen beside the River Ji spoken of a black loong, dwelling far beneath the waters in the Nine Depths. Upon its neck rested a pearl of wisdom, said to grant great enlightenment to any who held it, a prize beyond the worth of gold. Many had braved the depths to find this fabled gem, yet few had been fortunate enough to return. With bitter tears, they told of the perils below, of returning with nothing to show for their trials, and worse, of facing the wrath of the fearsome loong prince. Armed with twin hammers that summoned forth the fury of thunder, the prince could smite those before him, leaving nothing but dust.
Long ages passed, yet still, there were those who sought the pearl. Among the people, it was whispered that when the River Ji burst its banks and the waters rose in wrathful flood, it was surely the doing of the loong prince, his wrath roused by the trespasses of those who sought his treasure. In hopes of appeasing him, they built a grand and splendid temple, where they offered worship and tribute to the lord of the watery depths. Then came a day when a young man arrived, clad in a midnight hue, with a necklace of moon-pale stones around his neck. He named himself a master thief with skills beyond compare. Though all cautioned him against earning the loong prince's wrath, he paid no heed. With a single swift dive, he set his course for the loong's palace.
To his surprise, he found the palace strangely silent and empty, with no sign of the soldiers he had expected. A heavy sense of desolation hung in the air. Puzzled, he went to seek the sea treasury and saw a sturdy, tawny-skinned man sitting amid piles of chests, his brow furrowed in worry. At the sound of his approach, that man, who turned out to be the loong prince, stirred, dug a string of pearls from a chest, and tossed them on the ground. "The pearl of wisdom you seek is not mine to give," he said in a weary voice. "Take these if you must, and go."
Surprised, the young man asked, "The people on shore spoke of your fierce temper, of how you strike men with your thunder or flood entire lands for the smallest slight." The loong prince shook his head. "The flesh of mortals holds no savor for me. Think you that I am some petty yaoguai, to wreak havoc at my own whim? No, I would not dare to call forth the smallest storm save at the bidding of those higher. Idle talk, all of it! My own sire was condemned to the bite of steel for one trifling error. We loongs, though our hearts are true as any, are treated with such injustice..."
The young man said, "I have heard of the Loong King's plight. A grievous injustice, indeed. Is it for his sake that you find yourself in such reduced circumstances?" Seeing he was no mortal, the loong prince said, "Precisely. I have no wish to meet my end upon the Loong-Slaying Terrace. I asked a fortune-teller, and he said if I hide well and kill some westbound monkey, I may yet atone for my misdeeds and restore my honor."
The young man pondered this. "A fortune-teller, you say? It was the words of a fortune-teller that led me to this place. There might be some strange design at work in this meeting of ours. Why not go with me to where I come from? It just so happens to be on the very road that leads to the west." The loong prince was overjoyed, but the young man added, "I ask no small price, however. All the treasures in your hoard, they must be mine."
Since the day of the young man's arrival, fewer and fewer were those who sought to plumb the river's depths in search of the pearl. Later on, the tools of their quests were one by one set aside. And in time, the tales of the loong prince far below and the pearl of wisdom he guarded were no longer spoken of.
Lore
In the Journey to the West novels, the Xiaolilong lives in Jidu（济渎，Ji river）, the second son of the Loong King of the Jing river(泾河龙王) and the nephew (sister's son) of Aoshun(敖顺), Aoshun is the Loong King of the North Sea(西海龙王), because the Loong King of the Jing river married Aoshun's sister.
There are four Loongs in the four rivers of Jiang, He, Huai and Ji river（江, 河, 淮, 济）, and they are all sons of the Loong King of the Jing River. This includes Xiaolilong.
The four rivers(四渎) refer to the four large rivers that flow into the sea. In Chinese culture, they represent the world along with other important mountains and oceans.
The narration of the game mentions that "the four rivers are out of control"(四渎失管)[1], which is probably a reference to the Loong living in the four rivers being in rebellion.
Details
typeYaoguai King
locationFright Cliff