Flood Dragon!

No wonder.

Liang Qu stood on the steps and glanced over.

A strong river wind blows, and banners flutter in the breeze.

Today is a rare sunny day, and the entire Shang Rao Wharf is packed with people.

Strong young men moved among them, maintaining order to prevent anyone from taking the opportunity to steal.

The entire Yi Xing Town has nearly 10,000 people. If you include those from surrounding towns and villages, the number definitely exceeds 10,000. There wasn't enough room on the Azure Stone Street, so they flooded into the crevices of the rocks and filled every alley.

With so many people, even their hushed conversations, when combined, created a surging frenzy, startling the surrounding water birds so much that they dared not land on the eaves and instead circled in the sky for a long time.

The crowd stood in silence, and their restlessness gradually subsided.

The wealthy families took their seats in order and dispersed in turn.

There was only one chair at the very front, but it was currently unused. The owner of the chair was standing to the side, talking quietly with Chen Zhaoan.

The long, coiled strands of fragrant white smoke curled upwards, with a reddish glow shimmering at the boundary between the ash and the incense, spreading outwards in wisps.

Ordinary households typically used a copper water clock with a vertical arrow shaft in the middle marked with graduations. Once full, water was poured out and the clock was started again. It was only used on grand occasions.

The so-called "more fragrant" incense involves adding markings to regular incense sticks, coiling them into various shapes, and some of these incense sticks can even burn continuously for several days to more than ten days.

Because it is a one-time use item, it is naturally much more expensive than a copper water clock.

The incense stick before him was even more impressive, with an iron ball hanging from a thin thread. It was truly superior to the last sacrificial ceremony in every aspect, and Liang Qu looked forward to the final feedback with increasing anticipation.

The red light spread to the thin rope, burning through the loop.

"Sulfuric acid!"

The iron ball fell into the metal pan below with a crisp sound, rolled around the edge of the pan, and left two clear engravings on its surface.

Noon, 2:45.

"The time has come."

Chen Zhaoan nodded and turned his head to relay the message.

"Beat the drums."

Chen Tongmin ran down the road, shouting loudly.

"Beat the drums!"

The shirtless man holding the hammer suddenly roused himself, let out a loud roar, and slammed it down with both arms.

Boom! The sound of drums soared into the sky, and dust swirled in the beam of light.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The six large drums struck in unison, the surging sound rising higher and higher, becoming more and more powerful.

Dust on the ground swirled and rose, spreading in all directions.

In just a moment, the bare-chested giant turned completely red. He roared again and slammed the drum hard with his final blow. The six strong men stopped beating the drum almost simultaneously.

The sound subsided.

Those present seemed to have just escaped from a storm of thunder and lightning; their ears were ringing, and they couldn't hear anything else for a long time.

"The Present Sacrifices!"

The old priest's loud and clear voice echoed throughout the dock.

The drumbeats resumed, gentle yet powerful.

Chen Jiechang took the lead, pulling the four-wheeled cart forward step by step, and tied the "Lionhead" with ropes.

The onlookers were deeply shocked, but dared not utter a word, for fear of offending the River God.

Lin Songbao and Li LiBo followed suit.

Li LiBo was accompanied by several burly men, all Martial Artist from the town, who helped pull the specially made cart forward slowly.

The Crimson Beast's robust physique delivered an unparalleled shock and awe, and the crowd could no longer contain themselves, erupting in a suppressed uproar.

The three beasts were too heavy, especially the Crimson Beast, which could no longer be hung high like the pigs, cattle, and sheep. It could only be used to raise the sharp knife on the cart.

The Crimson Beast's pupils shrank sharply, and it struggled desperately but to no avail.

Not a single muscle in his body obeyed it; he could only helplessly feel the coldness of the sharp knife against his neck.

The priest remained expressionless and shouted again.

"Prick!"

The three men strained to plunge the dagger into the blade, then with a powerful slash, a gush of blood erupted from the wound.

The thick stench of blood splattered in the air, spreading throughout the entire wharf on the humid river breeze.

Everyone shivered under the scorching sun, involuntarily holding their breath, and the atmosphere grew increasingly silent.

Waves of blood gushed out, filling several wooden barrels in succession—a spectacle never before witnessed.

The light in the three beasts' pupils gradually faded, eventually turning into a deathly darkness.

The villagers' faces flushed red, their hearts pounding violently at the smell of blood.

Spirit Monster! A truly Great Monster Spirit! Dead!

"Rise!"

Li LiBo and his two companions lifted the wooden buckets and, following the sound of the drums, came to the shore and lined up the buckets one by one.

"Fall!"

One wooden barrel after another was poured down, and scalding hot blood gushed out, flowing into the water and spreading against the tide, staining the marshland Great Marsh.

The blood of the Spirit Monster attracted a large number of carnivorous fish, which leaped and jumped incessantly, creating a spectacular sight.

Hearing the splashing sound of the water, countless people felt a surge of suppressed excitement and agitation.

"The Witch Doctor has been reinstated!"

Five gongs sounded.

Several shamans walked to both sides of the altar, singing hymns and performing bizarre, unidentified dances, this time without the tremolo.

It's my turn now.

Liang Qu was dressed properly and holding a long wooden stick.

"Chief Priest, okay!"

Clang! Clang! Clang. Nine gong sounds echoed, the clamor rolling endlessly.

The musician raised his brass horn, and the large drum with its oxhide surface was struck by Great Hammer hammer.

All eyes are on us.

Liang Qu took a step forward.

A strong river wind, carrying wisps of white mist, surged from the river surface, thick as spilled milk, obscuring the bluestone slabs.

Many people were bewildered and astonished.

Take two steps.

The white mist surged and billowed upwards, instantly covering everyone's ankles and spreading in all directions.

Astonishment turned to shock, and whispers arose beneath the altar.

Three steps.

Four steps.

One drumbeat, one step.

With his feet firmly planted on all sides, Liang Qu, displaying extraordinary heroism, slowly ascended the steps along the central axis of the altar under the gaze of millions.

With each step up the stairs, a layer of thick fog surged and rose until it reached waist level, making the entire Shangrao feel like a fairyland!

What... what's going on?

Chen Zhaoan was speechless.

The two museum owners, Tang Zutao and Lin Yao, took a step back, the bench scraping against the stone slab, making a harsh friction sound.

Everyone looked down in disbelief, their emotions churning like the white mist before them.

Fog! Fog has risen! At Noon Three Quarters, the time when the yang energy is at its peak, fog has actually risen!

The priest's legs trembled.

He remained calm despite the mass sacrifices offered to him.

He was slightly alarmed by the Spirit Monster of sacrificing to spirits.

The fog appeared out of thin air. Having lived for over sixty years, I have never seen or heard of anything like it!

Overwhelmed with intense emotions, the priest knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face.

"The River God is overjoyed! It has appeared! It really has appeared!"

This single act caused a great stir, instantly resonating with the villagers.

Such a fairyland must be a manifestation of the River God! "It's a manifestation! It's the Jiang Huai River God manifesting!"

"The River God has appeared! The River God has appeared!"

"River God, please protect me!"

Countless people prostrated themselves on their knees, and the enormous roar surged forth, converging into a terrifying torrent!

Tang Zutao stared at Liang Qu on the altar, then turned his head to look at Lin Yao, his eyes flickering.

Lin Yao noticed Tang Zutao's actions and gently shook his head.

As Galloping Horse Martial Master, the two men could not be easily deceived like ignorant villagers, yet they could not understand how the strange sight before them had come about.

Could it really be the Jiang Huai River God manifesting himself?

The power of nature is not to be underestimated, even by the Perfected Elephant Grandmaster.

A sense of awe inevitably arose in the two men's hearts, and looking at the villagers kneeling around them, they also bowed down.

Liang Qu stood in front of the offering table and waited for a while. He did not hear the priest shout. He only noticed it when he lowered his head slightly.

The old man had somehow fallen to the ground, curled up in a ball, trembling and sobbing uncontrollably.

That went too far...

He looked at Li LiBo and the others who were also kneeling beside him.

Noticing Liang Qu's gaze, Lin Songbao, being the quickest, bowed and ran to the old priest's side.

"High Priest, it's time to light the incense, otherwise we'll miss the appointed time, which would be a great disrespect!"

A single word awakened me from my dream.

"Yes, yes, we must not miss the appointed time."

The priest nodded repeatedly, and with Lin Songbao's help, he stood up, wiped away his tears, and shouted loudly.

"Light incense!"

Liang Qu breathed a sigh of relief, lit incense with hot charcoal, and bowed to insert it into the incense burner.

"Chancellor!"

The wine clinked against the glass, shimmering in the sunlight.

"Ode, Sacrificial Text!"

" With the Jianghuai above, I, relying on the land of Yixing Yi Xing Town, overlooking the waters of the Linjiang, carrying the hopes and aspirations of the people, lead the masses in worship before you today, and present this Sacrificial Text..."

"In the beginning of chaos, heaven and earth came into being. The sun and moon shone in the sky, and rivers flowed on the earth..."

The river is calm for ten thousand miles, yet waves rise and ripple.

The vastness of heaven and earth, the lingering echoes.

His long sleeves fluttered in the wind, and he stood tall and imposing.

[The Sacrifice to the Huai River was performed with utmost devotion, resulting in a +0.97 River's Favor.]

The deepest part of the Jiang Huai Great Marsh.

A pair of eyes, as bright as the blazing sun, suddenly opened.