Water Monkey

Xu Yuan hovered above the river, his divine sense spreading out like a fishing net as he carefully probed the surroundings.

The river surged mightily, brimming with water spiritual energy. It truly was a fine place for nurturing aquatic creatures.

Yet this waterway, once bustling with traffic, now seemed somewhat desolate. Though the river was broad, large vessels were rarely seen passing through. The occasional fishing boat kept cautiously close to the banks.

"The water demons' scourge has reached such a state."

With a thought, Xu Yuan slowly flew downstream along the current, extending his divine sense into the water as he sensed the changes in the spiritual currents and demonic aura beneath the surface.

After flying roughly a hundred li, he came upon a dangerous shoal ahead. The channel abruptly narrowed here, jagged rocks rose along both banks, and the current ran swift, forming several hidden eddies and whirlpools. Submerged reefs lay everywhere. It was a perilous place for ships—and an ideal place for an ambush.

Xu Yuan's heart stirred. Just as he was about to investigate more closely, a faint cry of alarm and the clash of metal reached him from ahead, accompanied by violent fluctuations of demonic aura and water spiritual energy.

His gaze sharpened, and the light of his flight suddenly accelerated. In an instant, he swept across several li of river, only to see a dangerous shoal in midstream ahead.

A massive merchant vessel over thirty zhang long, laden with cargo, was under attack from several enormous pillars of water!

The water pillars were black as ink, churning up mud and sand from the riverbed. Each carried the force of a thousand jun, and every impact made the vessel's protective barrier shudder violently, flickering on and off.

More than a dozen cultivators aboard were struggling