Demon Serpent Runs Amok (Please Bookmark, Please Vote)

At the edge of six mu of spirit fields atop Azure Stone Mountain.

Though Ling Pengyun was a cultivator, he worked in the spirit fields just like the ordinary clansmen of Azure Stone Village.

The ordinary villagers of Azure Stone Village were harvesting rice, while Ling Pengyun was pulling weeds from the six mu of spirit fields.

The growth cycles of spirit plants differed from those of plants in the mortal world. While the rice outside had already ripened, the Yellow Jade Spirit Rice planted long ago on Azure Stone Mountain had yet to mature.

Spirit plants grew according to the years!

There had originally been no weed seeds in the six mu of spirit fields.

These weeds had come about because, during this harvest season, certain plants such as dandelions grew their fluffy crowns, which drifted upon the wind and accidentally fell into the six mu of spirit fields on Azure Stone Mountain.

Because the Spirit Soil in these fields contained gentle spiritual power, ordinary plants would grow lush and strong within three days of taking root.

As for pulling these weeds, it was because they absorbed the spiritual energy in the Spirit Soil as nourishment during their growth, more or less affecting the spirit plants growing alongside them in the same fields.

Since the beginning of autumn, countless plants had raced to ripen. Basically, every time Ling Pengyun pulled the weeds from the six mu of spirit fields, another batch would sprout three days later.

After nearly half an incense stick's time, Ling Pengyun finally carefully brushed away the Spirit Soil around the weeds' roots and cleared every last weed from the six mu of spirit fields.

He piled the weeds he had pulled together, summoned flames to burn them into ashes, then wiped the sweat from his brow. Looking at the golden Yellow Jade Spirit Rice in the six mu of spirit fields beside him, already bearing ears and standing a leg high, the three-inch-tall Qi Training Grass, and the Sword Star Grass shaped like long swords, a smile spread across his face.

"By my calculations, this batch of spirit plants has been in the soil for more than eight months. Judging by the Yellow Jade Spirit Rice, Qi Training Grass, and Sword Star Grass planted in these six mu of spirit fields, they should mature one after another by November this year at the latest—one month earlier than my original estimate of before year's end. That is a good thing!"

"By then, letting these spirit plants grow a little longer in the fields will allow them to contain even more spiritual energy!"

"When the clan elders come to harvest these spirit plants, it will also be time for me to receive my share of the profits from the two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice!"

"After that, I can use this harvest to buy a batch of Yellow Sprout Pills at Cloud Mist Market. I can also buy two more First Rank Middle Grade spirit fruits, and perhaps I will even have enough spirit stones to purchase a Flying Magical Item!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

To prevent clansmen stationed at external spirit veins from lining their own pockets, spirit plants grown on spirit veins could not be privately harvested by the stationed cultivators. They could only wait for the clan to dispatch specialists to harvest them.

Three days later, Ling Dong arrived alone at the foot of Azure Stone Mountain, half a li outside Azure Stone Village, his face filled with urgency. He shouted, "Immortal Elder!"

Before his words had even faded, a green figure drifted down from the mountainside of Azure Stone Mountain.

It was Ling Pengyun, the cultivator stationed at Azure Stone Mountain.

Ling Pengyun was quite puzzled by Ling Dong's sudden arrival at the foot of the mountain. Though Ling Dong had interrupted his cultivation, he did not blame him. Instead, seeing the anxious look on Ling Dong's face, the moment he landed, he immediately asked, "Village Chief Ling, have you encountered some trouble?"

Ling Dong's voice choked slightly as he said, "Immortal Elder, a Demon Serpent at the Qi Refinement realm has appeared in Azure Stone Lake. Over the past three days, it has devoured one child from Azure Stone Village, three women washing clothes by the lakeshore, and one Strong Man fetching water at the lake to irrigate the rice fields. Even among the three Lingxiao Guards in heavy armor who discovered the Demon Serpent's tracks, only one survived. The other two were brutally killed by the Demon Serpent while trying to stop it from committing its atrocities!"

As a direct descendant of cultivators, Ling Dong had heard from his elders about the general realms of cultivators when he was young.

"A Qi Refinement realm Demon Serpent is committing atrocities in Azure Stone Lake?" Ling Pengyun asked in surprise.

"That is correct, Immortal Elder. Every word I have spoken is true. A child went missing in Azure Stone Village three days ago. If someone had not personally seen the Demon Serpent appear, I would never have dared disturb your cultivation!" Ling Dong hurriedly explained, afraid that Ling Pengyun would not believe him.

Ling Pengyun had dealt with Ling Dong quite often. Though this man was a Martial Artist, he was thoughtful and upright. It was plainly impossible for him to lie about a Demon Serpent.

Then this matter had to be true.

Yet when Ling Pengyun had first arrived in the vicinity of Azure Stone Mountain nine months ago, he had inspected Azure Stone Lake.

He had even used his divine sense to search the lake, but had found no trace of any demon beast.

Yet now, a Demon Serpent had suddenly appeared. That was strange indeed.

Lingxiao Guards patrolled around Azure Stone Village day and night. It was clearly impossible for the Snake Demon committing these atrocities to have evaded them and entered Azure Stone Lake.

Then it could only be...

Could it have come from the Underground River at the bottom of the lake? Ling Pengyun's expression shifted slightly as he silently guessed.

Azure Stone Lake had no upstream tributaries. Its waters all came from the Underground River within the lake, while that river's downstream branch lay beside Azure Stone Village. It would likewise have been impossible for the Demon Serpent to pass through without alarming the villagers.

"I will go inspect Azure Stone Lake first!" Knowing the gravity of the matter, Ling Pengyun lightly tapped the ground with his feet and sped toward Azure Stone Lake, swift and weightless as a drifting feather.

As a cultivator stationed in a region, if too many people died in a village under his charge, he would be punished by the clan.

Moreover, Ling Pengyun could not stand by while a demon beast committed atrocities right under his nose. He could not stomach it.

Azure Stone Mountain was not far from Azure Stone Lake, only half a li away. In less than ten breaths, Ling Pengyun arrived at the lakeshore.

As soon as he approached Azure Stone Lake, Ling Pengyun summoned the Black Iron Shield and Black Iron Sword, gripping a Water Shield Talisman tightly in his hand.

The three Water Shield Talismans the clan had given him had long been used up during the matter of the Ink Cloud Poisonous Snake. The Water Shield Talisman he held now was one of the three Ling Ruguo had given him.

Ling Pengyun used his divine sense to cautiously inspect the perimeter of Azure Stone Lake, yet he found no trace of the Demon Serpent.

"My divine sense is stronger than that of cultivators at the same level and can now cover a range of sixty-five zhang, but Azure Stone Lake is thousands of zhang wide. Since I failed to find the Demon Serpent this time, it must have hidden near the center of the lake!"

"This is troublesome. We cultivators are not skilled in water. Once we enter it, our strength will be weakened by more than thirty percent!"

"I do not know the true extent of that Demon Serpent's strength, so I cannot rashly enter the lake!"

"In this situation, I can only wait passively. If this Demon Serpent refuses to emerge, I fear there will be nothing I can do to it!"

Ling Pengyun looked helplessly at Azure Stone Lake before him, which stretched thousands of zhang wide, and muttered to himself.

Afterward, he lightly tapped the ground and entered Azure Stone Village, where he found Ling Dong, who had just returned to the village. After discussing it with him, he proposed that in a few days, they have several children play in the shallow waters of Azure Stone Lake to lure out the Demon Serpent hiding within the lake and make it reveal itself as it committed its atrocities.

Ling Dong naturally understood the reason for this plan at once. His face was filled with difficulty as he said helplessly, "Immortal Elder, the entire village now knows that there is a Demon Serpent in Azure Stone Lake. Not to mention children—even adults do not dare approach the lakeshore lightly! Asking children to lure the Demon Serpent into attacking would be difficult!"

"How about... I do it?" Ling Dong hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and speaking.

Hearing this, Ling Pengyun looked at Ling Dong in surprise and could not help regarding him more highly. Worthy of being Third Grandfather's grandson. If he possessed a spirit root, with such courage and responsibility, the Ling Clan would surely gain another talent. What a pity...

"Very well. You will do it. But do not worry—I will definitely save you before the Demon Serpent can harm you," Ling Pengyun reassured him.

"Mm." Ling Dong lowered his head and said no more.

Ling Pengyun considered it further before saying, "But today is not the right time. My search around the lake just now must have alerted that Demon Serpent. If you go to the lakeshore now, it will surely become suspicious. We will act in two days. During these two days, warn the villagers to remain indoors as much as possible. I will also stay in Azure Stone Village, in case the Demon Serpent goes berserk!"

Upon hearing this, Ling Dong said gratefully, "On behalf of Azure Stone Village's three thousand villagers, I thank you, Immortal Elder, for lending us your aid!"

"We share the same bloodline; when bones are broken, the sinews remain connected. There is no need for more words. Find me a place to stay," Ling Pengyun said.

"Immortal Elder, Azure Stone Village was only recently established and has no vacant houses. If you do not mind, would you be willing to stay in my home?" Ling Dong asked.

"Mm," Ling Pengyun replied.

Thanks to boss Gui Youbai for the 100-point reward.

Thanks to reader 20210812134432483 and reader 20210818104947604 for the monthly votes.