The Great Tide / The Water-Curtain Strangling Net

When they peered inside, they gasped in astonishment, covering their mouths. An old monk lay sprawled on the ground, surrounded by signs of struggle. He seemed unable to rise for a long time, his breathing extremely weak.

"Quickly, save them!"

Mochizuki Chiharu rushed over and carefully helped the old monk up. At the same time, gray-blue vines spread from her hands to act as a support, wrapping around the old man's broken leg and arm.

She gently patted the old man's back, trying to soothe his breathing.

Lu Jun wasn't idle either; his eyes subtly flashed with the light of his soul, awakening the soul that was about to fall into darkness.

Under this double stimulation, the old monk finally awoke slowly and began to cough violently, cough cough cough!

Mo Fan, who was standing nearby, quickly found a small bowl, filled it with water, and carefully fed the baby with a spoon, sip by sip.

The tricky part is that none of the three people present had any medical expertise and couldn't assess the elderly person's condition.

Fortunately, the old monk seemed to have considerable cultivation and quickly recovered. Only Lu Jun, the future Lord of Death, saw through the other's physical condition at a glance and shook his head slightly.

The old monk was nearing the end of his life; his body was filled with deathly energy. It wasn't a serious illness, but rather the limit of his lifespan. In this situation, there was no cure.

Even with Xin Xia's Resurrection Soul arriving, there was nothing they could do.

The only way to prolong life is to travel to the Tianshan Mountains in the Nine Provinces and search for the Heavenly Snow Lotus. Many important figures in the world have hired hunter teams to try this when they are on their Tianshan Mountains, but so far no one has succeeded.

Soon, the old monk's cloudy eyes cleared, and he said gratefully, "Thank you so much, young people. If you hadn't appeared in time, this old man would be gone."

"As a token of my gratitude, I've decided to give you something," the old man said magnanimously. "Anyway, I'm old and frail; I can't take my remaining wealth with me when I die."

"Master Qixiu!" Mochizuki Chiharu said eagerly, "I am Qianxun. I met you when I was a child."

Upon hearing this, Master Qixiu examined Qianxun closely, his expression growing increasingly astonished. Then he laughed heartily, "Look at my memory! It's little Qianxun! You've grown up so much, you've become quite beautiful. I almost didn't recognize you!"

The old monk asked gently and kindly, "What do you want from me?"

Hearing this, Mochizuki Chiharu felt a pang of sadness. The once-mighty Hunter King, now in his twilight years, had lost his former glory and was left with a desolate old age.

Lu Jun sighed. It was a case of the rabbit mourning the fox's death. No matter how high one's cultivation or how outstanding one was, one could not escape the fate of turning into a handful of dust after a hundred years.

Despite such high cultivation, once the time came, he still encountered the ailments that come with old age. If he fell at this age and no one helped him up, he basically wouldn't make it past that threshold.

Mo Fan had some doubts. At his age, was he truly capable of purifying the Evil Bead, as the Mochizuki Meiken claimed?

Never mind, he took out the evil bead wrapped in silver gauze and explained his purpose.

"It's the Red Demon!"

Master Qixiu gasped, then smiled bitterly, "Look at me like this, how can I purify the Condensation Evil Bead? My Spiritual World is about to collapse."

Upon hearing this, as the three of them had expected, they were all filled with regret.

As mages age, their magical combat abilities gradually decline.

Just like Old Man Bao in the original novel, he almost died in the battle of Magic City. Even after surviving, he was crippled and had to avoid using his magical energy to prevent wasting his remaining lifespan.

Soon, Master Qixiu opened the letter from his old friend, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

He looked at Lu Jun and the other man and said, "I understand why you've come, but I've spent too much time hunting the Red Demon over the years. The wealth I have left might be enough for ordinary people, but it's far from enough for High-Order Mage."

"So if you really want something good, you might be disappointed."

"Damn it," Mo Fan muttered, "They left us with the Condensation Evil Bead without even solving the problem, and we've made this whole trip for nothing."

Mochizuki Chiharu also felt embarrassed, as her father's actions seemed to be an attempt to quickly shift the blame.

Lu Jun, being more composed, noticed something others hadn't. He said, "Old Mo, you can keep the Condensation Evil Bead yourself. Go back and find Old Man Bao; he's a high priest of the Holy City and can handle it."

"Really? Then I won't stand on ceremony?"

Mo Fan was surprised, but overjoyed, he put the Condensation Evil Bead into his pocket. Although the demonic sounds kept blaring in his ears, they were nothing compared to that explosive method.

Then Mo Fan thought of Lu Jun and asked, "What about you?"

"It's nothing." Lu Jun fixed his gaze on Master Qixiu and asked, "Master, as a hunter, you have traversed many cities and restricted areas for decades. You must have accumulated a lot of knowledge and information."

"I would like to ask you, do you know where I can find the Water Element Spirit?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Xiu smiled with relief and said, "Very good, young man. You didn't just focus your greedy gaze on that illusory tangible wealth, but instead sought valuable knowledge."

He said proudly, "That's right. Over the years, I've traveled all over the country and witnessed countless things. Some were cursed, bound by confidentiality agreements, or had their memories erased so I can't speak of them, but the rest are incredibly rich in experience."

As he spoke, Qi Xiu became slightly agitated and coughed violently, then stopped accepting Mochizuki Chiharu's support and continued:

"I have to admit, you've given me a tough problem. If you're looking for Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures like Soul Seed or sacred cultivation sites, I have a whole bunch of specific locations, some of which I've even personally surveyed, only to leave when they weren't ready."

"As for the Water Element Spirit, it's on the same level as the Elemental Sky Seed. The information I have is only highly reliable; I can't guarantee it 100%."

Lu Jun's eyes lit up. Sure enough, every old Bi Deng had a hidden trick up his sleeve. This was going to be a gold rush!

After chatting for a while and receiving the news, Lu Jun took Mo Fan and said goodbye, leaving with a smile on his face.

Mochizuki Chiharu stayed behind to take care of Master Qixiu and contact the hospital. Judging from her somber expression, she probably knew that Qixiu was nearing the end of his life. Now she would take care of the old man for the last few days and send him on his way.

Mo Fan asked curiously, "So, was it worth the price?"

"Yes."

Lu Jun was in a good mood. In the original novel, news about a single Soul Seed could fetch seven or eight hundred million, let alone Water Element Spirit.

He entrusted his Zu Family to search, but unexpectedly, Japan was the first to make a discovery. After all, it's an island nation surrounded by the sea, and the old monk had spent his whole life dealing with the ocean.

Chapter 293 The Great Tide

As Lu Jun made his way to the Sea Battle City, he recalled the intelligence he had gathered.

As luck would have it, the habitat of the Water Element Spirit is located in the waters near Japan. One needs to break through the surging Sea Monster Tide from the east to reach that [Mermaid Sea].

This is extremely difficult; even Super Rank mage wouldn't dare guarantee traversing the entire battlefield of the Sea Battle City.

The key issue is that even the old hunter couldn't be 100% certain that the Mermaid Sea possessed Water Element Spirit; the label he gave it was "suspected."

Although Lu Jun believed it was highly likely, there existed a large group of Elemental Demon mermaids there, similar to the large number of Fire Element Elemental Demon living in Dunhuang.

When the Elemental Demon bloodline reaches the Monarch Level, and the pure energy body possesses the ability to possess others, it becomes Elemental Spirit; the Karma relationship between them is close.

Furthermore, according to Master Qixiu's description, those elemental merfolk seemed to be guarding the nest, a privilege usually reserved for the most powerful beings of any species, which further increases the likelihood of such a situation.

But now he's afraid that if he finds Water Element Spirit, it will turn out to be a mature monarch, and then he'll Muggle. Forget about making a contract, he won't even be able to escape.

"Hopefully I'll have better luck; even a peak Commander-level being would be fine. I'm confident I can subdue them."

Lu Jun was filled with trepidation. Contracting with the Elemental Spirit truly required the right timing, location, and people. He admired Mo Fan's luck; he had obtained information about Flame Princess with just a casual draw of the [Knowledge Scroll], and it just so happened that she was still in the right age for her birth.

Under these circumstances, it appears that mages who can sign contracts with Elemental Spirit are extremely rare in the world.

He pondered the map of the sea borders near Japan. The old monk said that the Sea Monster and the merfolk had a tacit understanding. They would surge from the deep sea but would not harm the sea monsters, and the merfolk would make way for the Sea Monster to pass.

The two sides have effectively formed a double barrier, guarding their main base and stronghold.

Fortunately, Lu Jun cultivates a Mind Element. In the past, Intermediate Level fourth-tier cultivator, he could move freely in the Undead Forbidden Zone as if it were empty. Now, as a high-level cultivator, he could probably easily sneak in.

The subsequent subjugation contract is likely to cause a huge commotion, with the Sea Monster attacking from all sides.

"Sigh, if only those noble Demon Beast were as easy to fool as the Night Thunder Dream Beast."

Lu Jun shook his head. In reality, if Summoner wants to contract a powerful Summoned Beast, they basically have to fight a battle.

The Great Demon is a local overlord in every region; he would never bow down and submit. He would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Have you not seen how much effort Asian legislator Su Lu meticulously planned and schemed to secure a contract with a real dragon? Fei Niao City was just one part of that plan.

He thought of the Night Thunder Dream Beast and realized the tragic scene of Master Qixiu, which he had just witnessed. He had to extend his lifespan, otherwise he wouldn't even survive his Summoned Beast.

Night Thunder Dream Beast: Good grief, you want me to work for you for the rest of my life, huh?

Lu Jun and his companion were heading towards the Sea Battle City when they suddenly stopped!

The sky had changed color, turning a dense gray, as if a rainstorm was imminent.

Rumble!!

Immediately afterwards, a massive blue-white canopy rose from the horizon, blotting out the sun and leaving no gaps. The tide line stretched straight to the clouds, and the visual shock and psychological terror it brought far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people...

Amidst the blue and white surging tide, numerous black dots could already be seen, densely distributed across the rolling wave screen. Those were none other than the protruding Sea Monster. The giant waves were at least hundreds of meters high, obscuring the magnificent seawall.

Seeing this, Mo Fan was dumbfounded. "This tidal bore is a bit terrifying. I feel that the scene at the Sea Battle City is no less than that of the Ancient Capital."

Lu Jun was also surprised and said, "This Sea Monster' attack is fierce. It's the biggest wave in recent years. I estimate that everything outside the tenth block will be submerged, and half of the twentieth block will be lost."

The so-called street areas are actually numbered sections of the Sea Battle City. The higher the number, the greater the height and the less likely it is to be covered by giant waves.

It must be said that the Japanese Sea Battle City was ingeniously designed, employing a layered encampment tactic to limit the Sea Monster's ability to stir up trouble to the greatest extent, while also luring them into the realm Sea Monster excelled at—land warfare.

As the tide rises, people retreat; as the tide falls, people advance, engaging in a constant back-and-forth struggle within the thick, complex maze of city walls, hundreds of meters high and hundreds of meters wide.

Aside from the number of floors, each street was deliberately designed to resemble a cluster of buildings, making it convenient for mages to move around, avoid Sea Monster, and even hide as temporary resting points.

Several years later, the invasion of the Sea Demon Empire was already showing signs in various places, such as the rapidly multiplying Sea Monster in Fei Niao City and the escalating Sea Battle City in Japan.

Mo Fan said anxiously, "With such huge waves, Mu Ningxue and the others might be in danger. We need to hurry back."

Lu Jun agreed. Now that he thought about it, the team was probably in a bad situation and was facing its biggest test to date.

In a short period of time, half of the members lost their fighting ability and were severely injured. Nan Rongni was on the verge of death, and Mu Ningxue was about to exhaust her soul essence.

Unfortunately, Ai Jiangtu alone is a high-level individual and cannot support the entire team. Generally, it takes several high-level individuals working together to guard a street.

"Even fledglings need to leave their shelter to grow; I'm sure the mentors at the Nationalist government are happy to see this happen."

Lu Jun thought to himself, but his hands moved quickly. He summoned the dashing and handsome Night Thunder Dream Beast, mounted it, and galloped towards the sea battlefield.

Mo Fan's lips twitched. He quickly summoned his General-level Old Wolf. Although it was tall, imposing, handsome, and domineering, it was far inferior to Lu Jun. He was dissatisfied with it no matter how he looked at it.

Even the Old Wolf was dejected, no longer as playful as before.

"Get lost, you drama queen. Alright, alright, I'll find a way to enhance you."

Mo Fan chuckled and cursed, secretly vowing to himself, "Damn it, after this I'm definitely going to find a top-grade Beast Soul, and make sure it's as a status symbol."

The two charged into the battle zone of the Sea Battle City, one after the other.

By this time, the colossal wave had already crashed down, its immense force slamming into the thick city walls, shaking the earth, and causing the entire Tokyo to tremble.

However, Japan is located in a volcanic and earthquake zone, so small earthquakes like these are commonplace. With various preventative measures in place, no damage was caused.

When massive tides surge in, vast white fog rises, extremely dense and rich in moisture, which is very effective in concealing the Sea Monster's attack.

Swarms of Sea Monster rained down, instantly covering the entire Crescent Seawall stretching for hundreds of kilometers. Every few hundred meters, a Commander-level sirens would fall, a density beyond comprehension.

In an instant, a brutal and bloody battle erupted on every inch of the land.

As Lu Jun rode the Night Thunder Dream Beast into the white mist, every pore on his body felt refreshed, and the Water Element star river in his Spiritual World was incredibly active. With just a little cultivation, he could break through to the High-level Two.

Similarly, their home ground Water Element system, will generate huge fluctuations.

"Who's approaching? The Sea Monster is attacking! Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach. Please show your identification."

From within the white mist, a team of specialized Sound Element Military Mage came to intercept them.

However, Lu Jun's credentials had already been confiscated by his instructor, so he could only ignore them and urge the Night Thunder Dream Beast to cross over.

Chapter 294 Water Curtain Strangulation Net

In the white mist, the Night Thunder Dream Beast moved with light steps, its shadowy form slipping through the gaps between several soldiers.

Because of the shadow, even the Japanese officer didn't notice for a moment. He scratched his head and stood there dumbfounded, thinking it was a hallucination.

Upon entering the Sea Battle City, Lu Jun immediately took control of the stars. With One Thought Star Chart and his mental probes layer by layer, covering an area of several kilometers in radius. The figures of countless Sea Monster mages appeared in a 3D image in his mind.

He quickly found his teammates, among whom Mu Ningxue, who was not far away, was in the most dangerous situation. A mere Intermediate Level mage was fighting Commander-level Blue Valley Fierce Beast alone!

He recalled his performance at the Intermediate Level 3, assisting Professor Yuan in barely killing the Sub-Commander.

Lu Jun could only say that he was too narrow-minded back then and should have won the one-on-one challenge.

Cough cough cough, although he was far from reaching the peak of the Intermediate Level during his training in the Yangtze River, these young people from the National Government were all more outrageous than the last.

After a moment's hesitation, Lu Jun decided not to interfere and left it to Mo Fan, who would arrive later.

He skipped ahead and charged to rescue the main force.

Soon, he saw in the distance that swarming green Demon Beast covered the mountains and fields, besieging one of the buildings.