A great river, with wide, surging waves.
The moonlight scattered across the river's surface, like a handful of flowing silver scales, drifting with the waves, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.
Through the murky river water, a sinister and terrifying cave abode dwells sits at the bottom of the water.
Around the cave abode, water plants floated like tangled hair, and bones were piled up like mountains—human bones, animal bones, and demon bones—layer upon layer.
A burly man, dragging a fish tail, swam back and forth inside the cave abode.
His upper body was muscular and his skin was bluish-black. Scales covered him densely from his waist down to the tip of his tail.
A pair of eerie eyes scanned the surroundings, seemingly searching for something, and hissed:
Stop hiding! Come out! I've found you!
His facial features were distorted, and one could vaguely see a resemblance of seven or eight parts to the stone statue enshrined in Five Li Town.
The solemnity and dignity of the stone statue had completely changed, transforming into a near-mad rage.
"Waaah--"
" Demon-Slaying Envoys of Great Li, I am a good demon! It is I who have protected the people of this town from the scourge of evil demons, and it is I who have allowed them to live in peace and prosperity!"
"I am the River God!"
"But... why did you come to kill me?"
The river god's voice was plaintive and sorrowful, loudly expressing his discontent.
He flicked his tail and circled in the water, stirring up an undercurrent that swept all the floating water plants aside.
His gaze swept over every corner.
"All these people have to offer is a paltry amount of incense and the sacrifice of young boys and girls once a month."
"This is it... you actually intend to kill me?"
"Since that's the case, I have no choice but to kill you!"
As he spoke, he grinned, revealing a set of jagged, white teeth. "Come out! Come out now!"
Seeing no movement around him, the river god angrily waved his hand, stirring up gusts of dark currents.
Right beside him, a glamorous woman dressed in a black robe covered her mouth and nose tightly, not daring to make a sound.
Strangely, despite being so close, the river god seemed not to see her at all, his gaze sweeping over the stone wall where she was hiding without pausing.
'Damn it... Did anyone even come after I sent out that message?!'
The woman was curled up in a recess in the rock wall, her whole body pressed against a protruding rock.
The thought of suffocating to death in this underwater palace filled her with despair.
She had been underwater for two whole days.
Although relying on Secret Method to compress the breath to its limit, allowing the breath to slowly circulate in the lungs and then slowly exhale.
No matter how much you try to save air, your lungs are almost empty.
'With incense offerings leading to enlightenment, this demon has truly gained power!'
"With the help of incense, it was able to temporarily harness the energy of heaven and earth to unleash techniques similar to those of the Inner Landscape Realm. Even I was caught off guard and was drawn into the water palace."
'Luckily, I have a Secret Method to conceal my presence; this fiend can't detect me for now.'
However, this place is located at the bottom of the river, where there is not only water pressure but also a lack of air.
She can only hold on for one more day at most, relying on Secret Method; after that, she will suffocate to death!
'Someone please help me!'
In the chilling depths of the water, amidst the menacing river monster, the woman felt a bone-chilling cold.
As dawn broke, Five Li Town came alive with activity.
"Welcome the River God!"
A thin morning mist hung over the Old Dragon River.
A bamboo platform, about three zhang square, drifted away from the shore, with white paper lanterns standing at its four corners, their candlelight flickering in the morning breeze.
In the center of the bamboo platform were two red lacquered wooden trays, with a child sitting on each tray.
The boy was only five or six years old, and the girl was even younger, with faded red ribbons tied in her hair.
The two children had walnuts stuffed in their mouths, their hands and feet tightly bound with red rope, and their eyes were completely blank, as if they did not understand why their parents did not want them anymore.
The boy's eyes searched through the crowd, his little head turning back and forth, making muffled "uh-uh" sounds.
He saw his parents in the crowd, his eyes lit up, and he leaned forward, but was stopped by the red rope.
His mother covered her mouth, tears seeping through her fingers and wetting her entire face.
The father stood beside the mother, one hand on her shoulder, his own lips bitten until they turned white.
The town mayor knelt at the front, followed by thousands of townspeople kneeling behind him, all with their heads bowed, not daring to look up at the river.
According to custom, if mortals look up while the river god is enjoying offerings, it is considered peeping at the god, and they will be punished.
"Lord River God..."
The town mayor was elderly, dressed in a white coat, yet his voice was surprisingly strong.
"The virgin boys and girls of this month have been sent to you. We pray that you will bless our Five Li Town with favorable weather, abundant harvests, and that every family will return home laden with their bounty!"
He was the first to kowtow, and the townspeople behind him followed suit.
Thousands of people kowtowed at the same time, the cries of children and the sobs of women mingling together and spreading in the morning mist.
At the very back of the crowd, only one person in a blue robe did not kneel.
Lu Guan stared coldly at the river.
This river monster has entrenched itself in the Old Dragon River for hundreds of years, devouring countless children.
The remains of those children could probably cover the entire bottom of the river.
Suddenly, there was movement on the water.
First, the lantern's flame suddenly dipped low, then went out, plunging the four corners of the bamboo platform into darkness.
A layer of bluish light rose on the water's surface, and the river began to churn, as if some enormous creature was swimming beneath it.
A fishy smell filled the air, making one want to vomit.
The red ribbons on the two children's wrists fluttered wildly in the wind, and finally, unable to hold back any longer, they burst into tears.
Bang!
Huge splashes of water erupted from the surface.
A large black-backed fish, several meters long, suddenly leaped up, its tail curling up as it tried to drag the bamboo platform into the water.
"Clang clang!"
The sound of a knife rang out, and a figure in a green robe suddenly appeared.
Lu Guan touched the edge of the bamboo platform with his toes, leaped into the air, raised the black knife in his hand, and slashed down.
Four Symbols Heaven's Will Saber, Azure Dragon Form!
A Azure Dragon, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, suddenly lunged downwards!
It rose from the blade with overwhelming force, crashing straight into the back of the black-backed fish.
In an instant, the Gang Qi from the blade rushed into the river demon's body, running rampant throughout its massive form.
Blood stained the river's surface, a glaring crimson.
"... court death!"
The river god was furious and a thought crossed his mind.
A peculiar aroma emanated from it, somewhat like the smell of incense, yet mixed with a subtle, indescribable sweet and fishy scent.
The river surface instantly became unpredictable and erratic.
Streams of water shot into the sky, curving in mid-air like water dragons, converging on Lu Guan's direction.
Lu Guan landed on the bamboo platform, scooped up the two children, and casually tossed them toward the shore.
The two small bodies drew an arc in the air and were caught by the townspeople waiting on the shore.
Ignoring the children's parents' profuse thanks, Lu Guan stared intently at the dark figure underwater with a solemn expression.
The Qi of Heaven and Earth!
Indeed, the mysterious force driving the Old Dragon River is the very energy of heaven and earth!
"I was able to unleash the power of the Inner Landscape Realm while only at the Gang Condensation Realm because I had a cheat code."
"What makes this river monster so special?"
Lu Guan was somewhat confused.
If just any random wild demon possessed such abilities, then what kind of cheat code was he using?
"This demon can temporarily borrow the energy of heaven and earth by using the power of incense offerings!"
Just then, a charming woman suddenly leaped out of the water and called out to Lu Guan.
Her black robe billowed like a flag in the water, the soaked fabric clinging to her body and outlining her slender waist.
Her face was pale, devoid of any color, and her lips were purple.
It flipped over in mid-air and landed on the other side of the bamboo platform, panting heavily.
"Didn't I say it would be best to have a master at the Inner Landscape Realm?"
Luo Tianshui glared at Lu Guan, his voice hoarse, filled with a resentment born of a near-death experience:
"What are you doing here, a mere Gang Condensation Realm, getting involved in this mess!"