A Great Wind Rises Overnight, Fish and Dragons Dance

Not long after, the wind subsided slightly. The Great Bell fell from the sky, clanging and rolling for dozens of yards before finally stopping.

Xu Ying tumbled out of the bell, his legs still trembling. He nearly buckled and fell to the ground. He quickly steadied himself by leaning on the Great Bell.

After the chaos, everything fell silent.

Xu Ying walked forward unsteadily, climbing a small hill. He froze, seeing that the Plague God's tentacle had blasted a hundred-yard-wide, bottomless pit where they had just been standing!

White smoke still rose from the pit.

Xu Ying caught his breath. The Great Bell wobbled over, saying, "A Ying, the Plague God is most likely fixated on you. Since its attack missed this time, it will surely remember and strike you down every now and then."

Xu Ying shivered and forced a smile. "The Plague God was sent back to the Heavenly Dao World. How could it come down so easily?"

The Great Bell said, "Unless someone summons the Plague God again. After it descends, it will immediately sense your aura and strike at you."

Xu Ying laughed heartily to bolster his courage. "Summoning a celestial being is no easy feat. I don't think anyone will summon the Plague God again anytime soon."

The Great Bell said leisurely, "By the time the Plague God descends again, my injuries should have healed."

Xu Ying's eyes lit up, full of anticipation. "Once you're healed, can you resist the Plague God?"

The Great Bell spat heavily. "Once I'm healed, of course, I'll get as far away from you as possible, you scoundrel, and let the Plague God smite you! Ever since I met you, I've had no good days. I was either gravely injured by a demoness, beaten by deities, or used by you to smash walls. Now I have the blood debt of the Plague God to add to the list!"

Xu Ying said, "I feel my Blood Essence is abundant these days, with the momentum to break through. I'm likely close to entering the Gate Knocking Stage."

The Great Bell's tone softened, and it advised, "Cultivate with peace of mind. Don't keep thinking about the Plague God's revenge. If the sky falls, Uncle Bell will hold it up for you. Uncle Bell is tall. Also, after you break through, can you lend me some Blood Essence to heal my injuries..."

Xu Ying sat down on the hill and activated his Heavenly Eye, looking out at the unfamiliar land. The black plague energy that had permeated the heavens and earth was gradually dissipating. In the distance, there were still people whose Plague God tentacles had been removed, leaving only scars. They would recover from the plague soon.

This land was gradually becoming clear again.

"So, the Maiden in the Coffin's goal was to send away the Plague God and save the world."

Xu Ying felt some doubt. The maiden had been suppressed in a dry well within a stone mountain desolate temple for thousands of years. Shouldn't she be a wicked Demon Lord or Demon King?

How could a Demon Lord or Demon King save people?

If the Maiden in the Coffin was a good person, then were the ones who suppressed her good or bad?

And was the Great Bell good or bad?

Xu Ying suddenly thought that he had assumed the Great Bell's owner was a good person who suppressed evil. But what if the Great Bell's owner was a villain?

"It's also possible they're a pair of villains," Xu Ying thought, glancing at the Great Bell.

As he was lost in thought, the Great Bell, worried about the maiden's return, quietly burrowed into the back of his head, hiding near the Ni Wan Secret Treasury.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, and bright flashes of light occasionally illuminated the heavens and earth, terrifyingly so.

Xu Ying felt a vague sense of unease. After a long while, the anomalies in the sky suddenly vanished without a trace. A moment later, a black coffin flew over and landed in front of him.

Xu Ying looked up and saw the maiden descend gracefully from the sky, landing softly before him.

"I have severely injured the one who summoned the Plague God. I am still tracking their whereabouts to uncover their motives, so I don't have time to escort you back personally."

The maiden opened the black coffin, fumbled for a moment, and took out two leaves and a basin of clear water. She placed one leaf in the water basin and said, "When you reach the River of Oblivion, place this leaf on the water. Stand on the leaf, place the water basin properly, and blow on the leaf in the basin. Remember, no external objects should disturb the clear water in the basin. I have left a spell in the basin that can send you back to Mount Wu Wang."

Xu Ying held the basin of clear water, clutching a leaf. Before he could speak, he suddenly floated up uncontrollably, airborne. In the next moment, he arrived at the River of Oblivion's Edge.

He looked back; the maiden had vanished.

Xu Ying calmed himself and looked at the leaf in his hand. The leaf was an ordinary maple leaf. The two leaves were still tender and hadn't turned yellow.

"Can this maple leaf really take me back to Mount Wu Wang?"

Xu Ying was skeptical. He tossed the maple leaf into the River of Oblivion. As the leaf fell, it rapidly grew larger. When it landed on the water's surface, it was already twenty to thirty feet long, with the stem pointing upward.

The maple leaf stopped in the River of Oblivion, unmoving.

Xu Ying cautiously stepped onto the leaf, testing it before standing on it.

This large maple leaf floated on the water's surface, surprisingly stable and unaffected by the River of Oblivion's winds and waves.

Xu Ying felt relieved. Holding the basin, he sat on the maple leaf and blew on the leaf in the basin. He thought, "She told me to blow like this to return to Mount Wu Wang. Is it true or false?"

The maple leaf in the basin drifted forward with his breath. Strangely, although the basin was only about a foot wide, the leaf drifted forward but never reached the edge of the basin.

This small basin seemed to possess infinite space!

As Xu Ying was looking at the leaf in the basin, a sudden gust of wind blew from behind him, pushing the large maple leaf he was sitting on to surge upstream against the River of Oblivion, traveling dozens of miles in an instant!

Xu Ying was startled and uncertain. He saw the sudden gust of wind gradually weaken, and the speed of the large maple leaf also slowed down.

As if compelled, he puffed out his cheeks again and blew at the leaf in the basin. Sure enough, a strong wind arose again, moving the large maple leaf on the River of Oblivion, causing it to surge upstream at lightning speed, rushing back the way they came!

Xu Ying exclaimed repeatedly, "I never imagined such magic existed in the world. It's truly miraculous!"

The Great Bell flew out from the back of his head, disdainfully saying, "It's just folding space, nothing to brag about."

Xu Ying extended a finger, attempting to poke the leaf in the basin. The Great Bell hastily said, "A Ying, don't mess around!"

Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky above them. Xu Ying looked up and saw the sky split open. An incredibly thick finger rubbed against the air, emitting rolling thunder and fire, coming from beyond the heavens and pressing down on the maple leaf boat!

Xu Ying quickly retracted his finger, and the giant finger from beyond the heavens also stopped.

Xu Ying withdrew his finger, and the pillar-like finger retracted back into the sky, finally disappearing.

Xu Ying broke out in a cold sweat.

The Great Bell breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Space magic isn't something to be played with casually. Be careful not to kill yourself. Behave yourself!"

Xu Ying sat obediently in front of the water basin. When the maple leaf boat slowed down, he would blow a breath to speed it up.

However, being a boy at heart, he quietly extended his finger into the basin. His finger from beyond the sky reappeared, reaching into the firmament.

"My finger is so big!" Xu Ying exclaimed.

He adjusted his position, making the finger outside the sky avoid the river surface, and leisurely admired his own large finger. Suddenly, with a loud boom, the finger hit a mountaintop. Xu Ying's finger throbbed with pain. He quickly withdrew his hand, only to see the tip of his finger was broken and bleeding.

On the left bank of the River of Oblivion, a mountaintop exploded, sending rocks flying for dozens of miles.

Xu Ying was startled and dared not play around anymore.

Seeing him get into trouble, the Great Bell couldn't help but laugh heartily, clanging loudly.

The maple leaf boat traveled eastward for over a thousand miles, arriving at a desolate land with steep mountains and a swift River of Oblivion. As the boat reached a river bend, the current slowed. Suddenly, a light appeared ahead. It was a painted boat, brightly lit, sailing on the River of Oblivion.

At the river bend, the water surface was as wide as the sea. A large moon hung in the western sky, making the mountain peaks appear much smaller than the moon.

Xu Ying secretly praised the scenery of the Underworld, finding it possessed a unique kind of beauty.

"A Ying, not just any boat can sail on the River of Oblivion."

The Great Bell whispered, "That painted boat looks like it's up to no good."

Suddenly, a voice came from the painted boat, "Nai Yue, the wind is strong on the river. Hang the wind-sheltering lantern."

A woman's voice replied, "Yes, Young Master Xiang."

Xu Ying looked and saw a woman carrying a lantern emerge from the painted boat. Her posture was graceful. She stood on her tiptoes to hang the lantern under the eaves.

As the lantern was hung, a strong wind suddenly ceased, and the maple leaf boat slowly stopped, floating on the water.

Xu Ying raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

At this moment, the "Young Master Xiang" from the painted boat emerged. He looked at Xu Ying from afar, surprised, "The one who whipped the Plague God in the Country of Judu and drove him back to the Heavenly Dao World is actually just a young lad."

Another painted boat approached. A beautiful woman in the painted boat chuckled and said, "Young Master Xiang, he's been frozen by your wind-sheltering lantern and is at a loss. He's clearly just a novice. You went to all this trouble to invite me to help, just to deal with such a junior?"

Xu Ying's heart sank. "This is bad! It seems there's more than one person behind the Plague God's arrival. Someone lured away the Maiden in the Coffin, and others are here to stop me on the river."

Xu Ying coughed and, mustering his courage, said, "Who are you people? How dare you block my path! How do you compare to that Plague God?"

The beautiful woman and Young Master Xiang exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh.

Xu Ying said coldly, "I could defeat the Plague God, but I can't defeat you? Hurry and retreat. I won't bother with you two juniors."

The beautiful woman giggled, "This little devil is still putting on airs in front of us. We can see your cultivation level at a glance. Young Master Xiang, do you want to make a move, or should I?"

Young Master Xiang held a folding fan and, with a swish, opened it. He waved it slightly, looking dashing and elegant, and said, "Thirteen Niang, capturing the one who sent away the Plague God is also a great merit. I'll let you have this merit."

The beautiful woman looked at Xu Ying and suddenly felt a stir in her heart. "In previous years, we've always captured handsome, fair-skinned young men. I haven't tasted what it's like to have someone with dark skin..."

Xu Ying was both shocked and angry. "She wants to eat me!"

The beautiful woman giggled, and suddenly two red silks flew from the boat, dancing on the river. They abruptly transformed into two red dragons, their heads as large as small mountains, exuding immense ferocity!

The leading red dragon roared, its cry echoing through the mountains, and lunged towards the maple leaf boat.

Without hesitation, Xu Ying pressed a finger into the bronze basin in front of him. Instantly, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the sky, and a colossal pillar of flesh, crackling with rolling thunder and fire, descended from the heavens. The pillar, entwined with rolling thunder and fire, pressed down on the red dragon as if it were an earthworm, pushing it from the water's surface all the way to the bottom of the River of Oblivion!

The water surface exploded, creating waves hundreds of feet high, tossing both painted boats and the maple leaf boat into the air.

Young Master Xiang and the beautiful woman were greatly alarmed. They quickly stabilized themselves. The beautiful woman shouted, "He was pretending to be weak! He's an old schemer! We underestimated him!"

Xu Ying formed a circle with another finger and his thumb and flicked his finger.

A giant thumb suddenly descended from the sky, interlocking with his middle finger. As his middle finger flicked out, the other red dragon spat blood and was sent flying, crashing into the nearby mountains of the Underworld. Its internal organs were shattered, its bones broken, and it was clearly on the verge of death.

The red dragon he had crushed at the bottom of the water also had its internal organs pulverized. Its flesh and blood were completely corroded by the River of Oblivion, leaving only a pile of dry bones.

Xu Ying was both surprised and delighted. "This bronze basin has this ability?"

The beautiful woman was shocked and furious. She let out a sharp cry, and layers of Cave Heavens appeared behind her, large ones enclosing smaller ones, with visions of a Long River and roaring Dao Rhyme outside the Cave Heavens!

Just as she was about to attack, Xu Ying quickly placed his hand in the bronze basin and flicked his finger again. That middle finger instantly broke through layers of Nuo Dharma Divine Abilities, shattering all of them. The immensely thick middle finger directly struck the beautiful woman.

The painted boat exploded with a loud bang. The woman was sent flying, spitting blood, her hair disheveled. She retreated several miles and crashed heavily into a large mountain.

On the other side, Young Master Xiang was waving his folding fan and was about to attack when he suddenly felt dark clouds pressing down on him. He hurriedly looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Above the sky, a hand that blotted out the sun, carrying endless flames, descended from the heavens towards him!

He didn't have time to think and immediately ascended into the air, stepping on the void and running at full speed, desperately fleeing.

The hand transformed into a fist and pursued him for a hundred miles. With a distant punch, it smashed into his body.

Young Master Xiang fell into the mountains and wilderness, his fate unknown.

The beautiful woman's body exploded from the rocks burying her with a swish. She flew up like a startled swan and shouted, "Thirteen Niang was mistaken and has offended the Black-Faced Senior. I beg for your forgiveness!"

"Black-faced?"

Xu Ying was furious. He extended his index finger and poked the bronze basin several times, finally hitting the beautiful woman. He beat her until her bones were broken and her muscles were torn. She spat blood and fell to the ground.

Behind Xu Ying, the Great Bell had been watching, stunned.

"It seems the only thing that hasn't improved over the years is me."

It thought to itself, "The Demoness has been suppressed by me for three thousand years. Her cultivation hasn't improved, but her divine abilities are truly earth-shattering. Even if no one came to rescue her, she would have defeated me and escaped on her own after some time!"

It had hung in the Stone Mountain Desolate Temple, sleeping for thousands of years, wasting time. Meanwhile, the Maiden in the Coffin had continued to improve. With the gap widening, it realized it could no longer see through the Maiden in the Coffin's divine abilities.