Chapter 132: Submerging Yulei

Time flies like an arrow, and days slipped by in the blink of an eye. Over a dozen days had passed. On this particular day, the waters of the Dujiangyan were exceptionally turbulent, churning with muddy waves. While the Fish Mouth Levee split the current, the waters on both sides still surged fiercely, crashing against the Litui Mountain behind with a roar like muffled thunder. The base of the Yulei Mountain was already submerged, with the water level steadily creeping upward. A massive wave struck, transforming its crest into the shape of a dragon head, and roared, "You mortals! Hand over the children at once!" Behind it, countless shrimp soldiers and crab generals brandished their weapons, hissing incessantly.

The heavy wooden gates of the village at the foot of the mountain slowly creaked open. On a small pushcart, three infants were crying miserably. Two porters, dressed in coarse hemp garments, slowly wheeled the cart toward the banks of the Min River. The Dragon King laughed heartily, "Good! Good! Good! Just toss these infants into the water, and this immortal will surely grant them a bright future."

Suddenly, one of the white-clad porters raised his head and asked, "Why doesn't the Dragon King come and take them yourself?"

"You ignorant mortal, devoid of all manners! Why don't you push them in immediately?!" the Dragon King roared.

"Come and get them yourself!"

"Push them in!"

"You come and get them!"

"Push them!"

The white-clad porter suddenly turned his head and asked his companion, "Senior Brother Liu, isn't this Dragon King a bit foolish?"

Liu Sanguan smiled and replied, "His dragon Qi is impure. At best, he's just a mongrel sprite, nothing like a true dragon."

"You two are no mortals!" the 'Dragon King' exclaimed in surprise. "Could you be sword immortals?"

The two exchanged glances in silence—the creature really was rather foolish. With a clap of Zhou Qian's hand, a mottled-skin giant python emerged from the earth, coiled around the pushcart, and slid away toward the mountains. Seeing this, the Dragon King flew into a rage, continuously churning the waters. Wave after wave rose higher than the last, and countless dark shadows leaped out from the water: shrimp soldiers, crab generals, fish monsters, and clam spirits. Each one possessed a bizarre appearance, copper-skin and iron bones, exuding billowing demonic Qi.

"They are merely minor sprites. I'll leave them to you Junior Brothers," Liu Sanguan said, shaking his head in utter disdain. A wisp of white cloud emerged from beneath his feet, carrying him up into mid-air. With a wave of his hand, hundreds of Taiqing Divine Thunderbolts crashed down, and he released an immortal sword to do battle with the water avatar formed by the 'Dragon King'.

Jiese, Feng Feifei, and Hu Ke also revealed themselves from the shadows as these Min River water monsters charged forward, riding the momentum of the current. Zhou Qian took the initiative, hurling a bead known as the Departing Fire. During his diligent cultivation within the mountain gate, he had rarely found time to refine external objects. Taking advantage of the leisure over the past few days, he had refined it to the level of the sixteen Earth Fiend restrictions, which was also the highest limit this bead could achieve. After all, having suppressed the subterranean Yin veins for a millennium, the internal fire source had long since withered. To push it to its absolute peak, he would need to find the heavenly and earthly spiritual fire, which was one of Zhou Qian's primary objectives for entering the mortal world.

Once the Departing Fire Bead was refined to the sixteenth layer, it naturally manifested a divine ability known as the Departing Fire Divine Thunder. The thunder Qi intertwined with the fire Qi, making it notoriously difficult to extinguish. Ball after ball of thunder fell from the sky amidst rumbling sounds. These water monsters were naturally averse to the Five Elements of fire, and the Departing Fire was a primordial flame; unless a monster possessed a somewhat profound cultivation and could extinguish it with its demonic Qi, to touch it was to die instantly.

Jiese, standing nearby, felt his eyes turn green with envy. He thought to himself, *Qingcheng is truly a great and prestigious sect. Little Dog's cultivation is shallow, yet they bestow such a treasure upon him for self-protection. I have already opened the Five Senses, yet I don't possess a single decent magical treasure! No! If I don't display my prowess, wouldn't the Buddha lose face?*

Thinking thus, he let out a sudden roar—the Dragon-Tiger Buddhist Chant—causing the shrimp spirits and crab generals ahead to become dizzy and disoriented. With another roar, he manifested the illusory Dharma form of a Vajra Vidyaraja: three heads and six arms, standing seven or eight zhang tall. His six massive hands slapped and hammered continuously, smashing shrimp shells and cracking crab claws. Upon death, they all reverted to their original forms: river crabs the size of millstones, lobsters as thick as water barrels, river clams the size of carriage wheels, along with octopuses, five-pointed starfishes, and corals. Every single monster possessed a colossal body that made one's mouth water—at least, that was what Zhou Qian was thinking.

Hu Ke and Feng Feifei were practitioners of the heterodox paths and possessed no such magical treasures or vast magical power. Although Hu Ke was skilled in talisman arts, few could effectively restrain water sprites. Feng Feifei's captive mottled-skin python, after slaughtering a few shrimp and crab spirits, had almost been sliced into seven or eight pieces, causing the Qiang ethnic woman immense heartache. She quickly recalled it, retreating to the sidelines and never charging forward again.

Without this horde of river sprites stirring up the waters, the flood gradually subsided. Some of the bolder villagers and townspeople cautiously poked their heads out to watch the battle, and a few even cheered enthusiastically. Looking back, Zhou Qian spotted Sun Dayong among them, realizing the man was truly courting death just to watch the excitement.

On the other side of the main battlefield, a whirlpool over a dozen zhang wide sent forth deep, rumbling roars. Flashes of immortal light and demonic Qi illuminated the area until, finally, Liu Sanguan soared into the sky. The water avatar had been completely shattered by him, and the demonic entity finally broke the surface of the water—it turned out to be a giant dragon-turtle.

The dragon-turtle's head was the size of a water vat, and its shell looked like seven or eight round tables pieced together. Two coral horns with seven or eight forks protruded from its head, and whiskers grew beneath its jaw. Shaking its head, it spoke in a human voice: "Junior of the Qingcheng Sect, this Old Immortal has just escaped formation and wishes no conflict with you. If you leave me be, I will head downstream and seek no blood-food within your mountain gate's territory. You would do well not to be foolish and provoke this Old Immortal into anger, lest I swallow you whole!"

"And what of the three women harmed by you? Where are they to seek justice?!" Liu Sanguan asked coldly.

"Those mere mortals—once this Old Immortal has had my fun, I shall swallow them. What of it? If you want them, how about I catch a few hundred another day and gift them to you?" the dragon-turtle cackled, completely oblivious to the fact that these words had thoroughly enraged everyone present.

"Those of us who cultivate immortality cultivate our original hearts and seek freedom. Since you deem it natural for demons to eat humans, Liu finds it equally a matter of course with a clear conscience to subdue demons!" Before his voice faded, Liu Sanguan's body transformed into the Fivefold Profound Purity Divine Light, wrapping tightly around the monster's physical form. Amidst swirling white clouds, murderous intent lurked on every side!

This Fivefold Profound Purity Divine Light could well be considered the supreme art of Chongxuan Peak. Not only was its might astonishing, but it also possessed a unique characteristic: its generation and cessation followed the wielder's will, flowing ceaselessly. Without immense magical power and great divine abilities to pierce through the foggy barrier, no matter how profound one's cultivation might be, one would inevitably be slowly ground to death.

Though the dragon-turtle was of dragon descent, rich in vitality, and possessed deep magical power spanning eight hundred years, no matter how continuously it spat water thunder or filled the air with demonic fire and dragon Qi, the Fivefold Profound Purity Divine Light constantly dispersed and re-aggregated, covering the sky and earth. After an hour or two, the monster finally grew exhausted, pulling in its head and limbs to rely solely on the Qi of its tortoise shell for defense.

Though Liu Sanguan usually possessed a mild temper, when an honest man grew angry, it was earth-shattering. The Profound Purity Divine Light expanded and contracted, executing one of its core restriction techniques: the Great Millstone of the Two Realms. The divine light transformed into clear and turbid Qi—the clear Qi rising, the turbid Qi descending. As the upper and lower forces converged, the river instantly dissolved into chaos. Earth, fire, wind, and water surged, their might grinding the hard tortoise shell and flesh into dust. The entire stretch of river water exploded, sending flying foam and torrential currents that soaked everyone nearby to the bone.

Suddenly, a streak of gold shot out from within. Jiese, having the highest cultivation among them, recognized this as the dragon-turtle's internal core, with its primordial spirit attached. He hurriedly drove the Buddhist Great Handprint, pressing down with a giant palm. The internal core changed direction, only to encounter a streak of white sword light. The old turtle's consciousness had long since been battered by the restriction technique, leaving it unable to distinguish directions. Caught in the crossfire like a firecracker amidst loud snapping noises, the golden core plummeted to the ground. Hu Ke, possessing sharp eyes, hurriedly reached out and caught it. At last, the dragon-turtle old demon's soul was utterly scattered.

"Amitabha, merciful and benevolent. This monster has finally met a fitting end!" Jiese muttered hypocritically, his eyes darting toward the wet, graceful figure of the Qiang woman, Feng Feifei.

*This old dragon-turtle's internal core is a fine treasure...* Before Hu Ke could finish his thought, a bird's cry descended from the sky. A blue-feathered bird swooped down, its talons sinking straight into the dragon-turtle's internal core, and with a flap of its wings, soared straight into the heavens.

Furious, Hu Ke cursed aloud, "Which filthy, wretched scoundrel raised this thieving bird, daring to snatch a Daoist master's—" His foul-mouthed tirade continued for the duration of it takes to burn a stick of incense. Zhou Qian had originally intended to summon the blue bird and gift the core to the little Daoist Hu Ke as a reward for his assistance, but after a second thought, he decided against it. It was better to acquire wealth quietly.

Liu Sanguan had also re-manifested his physical form, though his face was deathly pale. It was evident that executing such a powerful restriction technique had inflicted heavy injuries upon him.

After a final chaotic slaughter, the underwater sprites were utterly routed, forced to retreat back into the Min River. It was estimated they would not dare set foot on the riverbanks again for the rest of their lives.

"Senior Brother Liu, are you alright?" Zhou Qian asked with concern.

"It's nothing, merely a backlash of magical power. I need to recuperate in quiet seclusion."

Since everyone was more or less exhausted or suffering from internal injuries, they had no choice but to return to the nearby village to recuperate. Fortunately, having witnessed their divine prowess in defeating the Dragon King, the villagers treated them almost like deities. They hurriedly arranged the finest dwellings for them to stay in. Liu Sanguan's injuries were the most severe; after three days and nights of quiet meditation, he had merely suppressed them and would need to return to the mountain for full recovery.

Before even pushing open the door, an exotic fragrance assailed the senses, making mouths water. Liu Sanguan had never smelled such an aroma before. Stepping out of his room, the fragrance grew even richer, seeming to permeate the entire village. Walking a hundred paces, he spotted over a dozen large cauldrons set up in the open space in the middle of the village. The cauldrons were filled with the flesh of the shrimp, crab, octopus, and clam spirits slaughtered days prior. Zhou Qian was directing the villagers to toss various seasonings into them. Billowing waves of rich fragrance wafted out, causing nearby poultry to scurry wildly and dogs and wolves to loll their tongues, as if all were irresistibly drawn to the spot.

Noticing Liu Sanguan approaching, Zhou Qian called out, "How has Senior Brother been recuperating these past few days?"

"Barely managed. Junior Brother Zhou, what is this?" Liu Sanguan asked with curiosity.

"The flesh of these river sprites has been nourished by the essence of the sun and moon they swallowed for centuries. It is crystal clear and completely devoid of impurities. It would be a waste to throw it away, so I had these people gather it to prepare a grand feast!"

"Junior Brother, you even understand the culinary arts?"

"Hmph! Zhou doesn't boast, but if compared with contemporary master chefs, I can easily rank in the top three!"

"Umm..." Liu Sanguan rarely saw his junior brother so full of confidence, bordering even on arrogance, but the aroma was undeniable. Even he, who had fasted for a hundred years, felt an urge to give it a try.

Zhou Qian inspected the ingredients in the cauldron, tasted the broth, and nodded with satisfaction. "These seafood items are quite difficult to cook. I labored for a day and a night to get the seasoning just right. Now they're thoroughly cooked, and the fishy odor is gone! We can uncover the pots!"

Instantly, a cheer went up from the surrounding crowd as everyone set to work with hands and mouths, uttering cries of amazement one after another. Zhou Qian was unceremonious as well; picking up a giant shrimp leg as thick as a man's arm, he stripped away the outer shell and crunched into it. It was tender, juicy, crisp, and refreshing—and most importantly, packed with meat! After a moment, he declared, "Utterly refreshing!"

Seeing Liu Sanguan still observing him, Zhou Qian hurriedly handed over a crab claw as thick as an arm. "Senior Brother, try some too!"

"This... very well. Your brother hasn't tasted mortal delicacies in a long time either." Liu Sanguan flicked a strand of sword Qi from his finger, slicing open the thick shell to reveal snow-white crab meat. This single limb alone weighed over a dozen pounds. Taking a bite, his eyes instantly lit up, and he thought to himself that he ought to taste such mortal delicacies more often when he had the time; it might even help consolidate his injuries and temper his Dao heart.

Little monk Jiese looked on with burning envy, though alas, he was a monk who only ate vegetarian fare. sidling up to little Daoist Hu Ke, he hypocritically whispered, "Amitabha, Junior Hu, don't you know that our Daoist tradition emphasizes a calm mind and the elimination of desires? Indulging blindly in gluttony like this is most improper."

Hu Ke was currently holding a basin-sized oyster and gorging himself uninhibitedly. Hearing this, he raised his head, wiped his oily mouth, nodded very solemnly, and then—proceeded to gorge himself even faster.

Unreconciled, Jiese sidled over to Feng Feifei. She was intently roasting a pair of octopus tentacles as thick as small pillars. Seeing the heat was just about right, she ignored the scorching heat and all female decorum, tearing into them with gusto, her mouth full of fragrance. Noticing the little monk approaching, she impatiently snapped, "Scram!"

Reluctantly, Jiese cast a longing gaze toward the delicacies ahead, chanting silently in his heart, *Master, Buddha, Jiese is about to commit a grave wrongdoing and betray your teachings!* With that, he lunged toward a river fish the size of a wooden board.

"Senior Brother?"

"What is it?" Liu Sanguan asked, his mouth full of clam meat and his speech slurred.

"The grand master Li Bing suppressed countless major demons and sprites—some possessed profound cultivation, while others were cunning and deeply scheming. Why was it precisely this foolish dragon-turtle sprite that managed to escape?"

Liu Sanguan's expression froze. "This... I do not know either—"