novelapdf Chapter 198 Taking a Risk to Lure the Demon Out of its Cave
Chapter 198 Taking a Risk to Lure the Demon Out of its Cave
"Fifth Brother, when will Eldest Brother and the others arrive? The water pressure below this crack is getting increasingly intense. If we delay any longer, we might both lose our lives here!"
"Don't be impatient. My brother and the others are over at the swamp. When I came down, I received a message saying they were on their way. Even if they go as fast as they can, it will still take several hours, assuming there are no other two families blocking their way."
Hearing the complaints of the person next to him, another person offered advice:
"What we need to do now is keep an eye on the Water Curtain Sky Flower and prevent that monster from eating it."
"It's easier said than done. That beast has already reached the peak of the fourth rank and has survived in this crevice for many years. Even if it wants to eat spiritual creatures, even without water pressure, we can only watch helplessly."
"What else can we do? Going to the Cold Marrow Abyss to fight the Huang family is probably a one-way trip... This is the only way for us with the fewest casualties and the safest option. As for everything... let's wait for our elder brother to arrive before making any further plans."
Beneath the crack, darkness and silence reigned. The two men's words traveled upwards with the flowing water, reaching Zhang Lingyu's ears from the shadows.
They didn't need to communicate secretly, since being in this situation meant that every bit of magic power they used would reduce their chances of dealing with the monsters. Besides... they had no idea that there was a cultivator hiding behind them.
As for whether the monster could hear it, the faint sound had long been masked by the water flow... and since it was asleep, as long as the noise wasn't too loud, there wouldn't be any problem.
After all, the secrecy surrounding this plan was handled with utmost care!
Zhang Lingyu initially thought that someone was being held captive down there, but he didn't expect that someone had arrived here first. As he slowly approached with the Misty Shadow Jade Pendant, he was able to see the faces of the two people clearly.
The Du family.
Both are in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
Come to think of it, only cultivators at the late stage or above can come here. The Du family is, after all, a Golden Core Immortal Clan. In addition, the late-stage cultivators entered the Water Moon Secret Realm earlier, so they were naturally much faster than him.
How did the Du family know about the Water Curtain Sky Flower here?
Without an intelligence system, Zhang Lingyu would never have known this place existed, even if he were beaten to death. But the Du family had a clear objective and came here as soon as they entered the secret realm, which shows how well prepared they were.
After much thought, he guessed that a cultivator from the Du family must have entered this place when the secret realm opened last time, discovered the immature Water Curtain Heavenly Flower, and was waiting to harvest it after this opening.
As for why they risked entering this place last time, they probably guessed the same thing as Zhang Lingyu.
The Du family was the weakest of the three. They opened the secret realm four times, but failed each time. After realizing that they were no match for the other two families, they changed their strategy and began a thorough search of the secret realm.
Thanks to this method, they were able to find a second Water Curtain Flower in this area.
Now, the Cold Marrow Abyss seems dispensable to them. They only need to stay on the perimeter and wait for the secret realm to close. However, such behavior will likely attract the attention of the other two families.
Whether they succeed or not, the Du family's Foundation Establishment Peak must be reached.
"The Du family is truly formidable..."
Zhang Lingyu couldn't help but admire the Du family's formidable methods. For two hundred years, even with countless spies planted within their ranks by the other two families, they had managed to keep this secret hidden from everyone.
However, these are not the worst of all!
According to the two of them, they weren't confident they could defeat the demonic beast below and would have to wait for their own peak Foundation Establishment cultivator and the other two late Foundation Establishment cultivators to arrive before they could make a move.
This news was undoubtedly the worst possible. Once the five high-level cultivators from the Du family arrived, he would have no chance at all.
Even if a fourth-tier peak demonic beast interferes, once we obtain the Water Curtain Heavenly Splendor, the opponent will have no hope of escape if they send a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to stop us.
"If we're going to make a move, now's the time!"
The other three will need some time to get to Dragon Whirlpool Lake, and it will take even longer to dive. Calculating the days, it will take at least four or five hours, just like the other two said, which is the fastest time.
During this time, only the three of them and a demonic beast were present.
Zhang Lingyu has absolutely no chance of defeating the two people and the beast now. In fact, his original plan was not to confront them head-on, but to lure the demon beast out and then take the spiritual item.
Now all we need to do is lure that monster out and have it fight the two members of the Du family, then strike while they are locked in combat!
Actually, this method is safer than his previous one.
"First, scout out the location of the Water Curtain and the demonic beast!"
Since the demon beast considers the water curtain and sky as its own, it will certainly not be too far away. In order to avoid being discovered by the demon beast, the two people below must have kept a distance, but they could not be too far apart, since they still had to observe its movements.
Zhang Lingyu remained silent, carefully manipulating the Misty Shadow Jade Pendant to continue diving downwards. The two members of the Du family were completely focused on the ground below and did not notice that someone was slowly approaching from behind.
After getting to a certain distance, he finally saw what was at the bottom of the crevice.
That curtain of water, Tianhua, took root in the cracks of the rocks. Its roots, about an inch in diameter, were dark brown and covered with spiral water ripples. They were firmly embedded in the rock crevices, fixing the entire plant in the turbulent undercurrent.
"It's ripe as expected!"
Its leaves are divided into nine, which is a sign of maturity. Zhang Lingyu showed no joy and turned to look at the object not far away.
On the black rock wall to the left of the Water Curtain Sky Flower, a monster the size of a small mountain was quietly coiled up, and even the water flowed automatically three feet away from it.
"It's the Mysterious Water Turtle!"
He never expected that this thing would be the one occupying this place.
'No wonder...no wonder these two didn't dare to rush forward...they really aren't people ordinary cultivators can handle.'
The Xuan Shui Ao is an ancient and exotic species, possessing the bloodline of Xuanwu. It is incomparable to that Yaksha You She. This one is nearly ten zhang long, and its carapace is like an inverted giant bell, covered with layers upon layers of scales.
Even when it's completely still, it feels suffocating.
If they were ordinary fourth-tier peak cultivators, these two could try to fight each other, but now, let alone two late-stage cultivators, even two peak cultivators would find it extremely difficult to fight.
Moreover, it's underwater...
......
Du Yonghua and Du Yonghuai looked at the motionless Xuan Shui Ao below, recovering their magical power while silently calculating the time it would take for their elder brother to arrive.
"Um?"
Nearly half an hour later, the two seemed to sense something. They saw a rock not far away suddenly explode. Because it was underwater, the sound wasn't very loud, but it made their heads buzz for a moment.
"What happened? Why did it suddenly collapse?"
"Could it be... someone followed us?"
A hint of doubt arose in their hearts, and the next moment their expressions changed drastically. They hurriedly expanded their divine senses to the maximum, but with the help of the Misty Shadow Jade Pendant, Zhang Lingyu did not detect him at all.
During their investigation, they found no trace of humans, or even demonic beasts.
But the rocks in the crack were incredibly hard and wouldn't collapse for no reason. Du Yonghua quickly looked at the collapsed rocks, which had clear signs of an explosion, caused by talismans!
"Oh no, someone is following us!"
He was both shocked and furious. He never expected that he was being secretly followed, but the person following him was completely unaware of it!
He immediately sent a telepathic message to Du Yonghuai beside him, but the latter completely ignored it, instead pulling out a magical artifact and rapidly ascending into the air. Seeing that he was still searching for traces of the hidden person, he cursed:
"What are you all standing there for? Get ready to be eaten by the Xuan Shui Ao!"
These words immediately brought him back to reality. He saw the rocks from the explosion land precisely on the Xuan Shui Ao. The monster suddenly opened its eyes and immediately looked at the two people in its line of sight.
"Damn it!"
Du Yonghua cursed under his breath, realizing he'd been used as a pawn. Unable to find the man, he hurriedly followed his brother, trying to escape upwards. But after only a few steps, he said again:
"Yonghuai, Shuimu Tianhua, the person hiding in the shadows must have come for this. Their actions just now were to lure the Xuan Shui Ao to hunt us down. Now they must be heading down to retrieve the spiritual treasures!"
Sure enough, as the brothers lowered their gaze, they saw not only the Xuan Shui Ao chasing after them, but also a thin, almost imperceptible streak of light escaping downwards.
If they hadn't cultivated a spiritual technique, and if the other party hadn't finally stopped hiding their tracks, they really wouldn't have been able to find them.
"You wicked thief!"
Du Yonghua was seething with hatred. Xuan Shui'ao's divine soul was not as strong as theirs, and he didn't even notice Zhang Lingyu passing by. Now his eyes were only on the two brothers.
"Yonghuai, we can't just leave like this. Are we going to watch that thief take away the Water Curtain Heavenly Flower? We have to stop him."
"Then what do you suggest we do? The Xuan Shui Ao is after us, and we can't deal with it on our own. If we try to fight it head-on, we're afraid we'll all perish here."
As the enormous figure drew closer, Du Yonghuai felt an overwhelming fear rise within him, and he trembled as he said:
"Let's go up first. Big Brother and the others should be here soon. I don't believe that person won't go up after getting the spiritual item. We'll seal off Dragon Whirlpool Lake then, and he won't be able to escape!"
His plan was the safest, protecting both himself and the spirit object from falling into the hands of others.
"No, that thief must have a high-level magical artifact that can conceal his aura, otherwise he wouldn't be able to evade our divine sense detection. I think even my elder brother might not be able to find him!"
"This is the only chance. I'll hold off the Xuan Shui Ao while you go down and snatch the spiritual treasure."
Du Yonghua was very decisive. As soon as he finished speaking, he took out several mid-grade fourth-order talismans and threw them all at the Xuan Shui Ao behind him. In order to successfully hunt this beast and obtain spiritual items, the Du family had also paid a considerable price.
It can be said that everyone has prepared a lot of measures to guard against unexpected situations like this.
Therefore, Du Yonghua alone could hold off Xuan Shui'ao for a while.
"Boom!"
The explosion of several mid-grade fourth-order talismans caught the Xuan Shui Ao off guard. The spiritual shield on its shell, which had not yet unfolded, shattered instantly, and the pain from its body made it unable to help but roar to the sky.
The aftershocks made the undercurrents in the area even more turbulent, and for a moment the two of them could hardly maintain their balance.
However, seeing that his methods had worked, he was overjoyed and continued to attack while using magical artifacts, spells, and talismans, all the while looking for an opportunity to dive down and seize the Water Curtain Heavenly Flower.
"Yonghua, I'm leaving him to you!"
Du Yonghuai seized the opportunity and poured all his magical power into the flying artifact beneath his feet. If it weren't for the fact that the speed was greatly suppressed here, it would have been comparable to the escape speed of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Just as he was about to cross the Xuan Shui Ao, a vortex suddenly appeared beneath his feet, its terrifying suction making it impossible for him to move an inch!
"That's the Xuan Shui Ao's innate divine power!"
He suddenly realized that he was being targeted. Although the vortex wouldn't injure him, as long as he couldn't break free, he would be a lamb to the slaughter.
Without hesitation, he immediately took out a top-grade fourth-tier defensive talisman to protect himself.
Sure enough, the enormous body of the Xuan Shui Ao appeared before him in just two breaths. Before he could even see it clearly, the Ao's powerful tail lashed out, sending him flying backward, coughing up blood, and embedding itself deep in the rock wall.
"Forever in our memories!"
Du Yonghua, his eyes blazing with fury, roared to the sky and charged forward wielding his magical weapon.
In order to stop the Xuan Shui Ao and seize the spiritual object, they have already used a secret technique that depletes their lifespan!
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Du Yonghuai struggled to his feet from the rock wall. If he hadn't activated the talisman in time and his magic robe hadn't blocked some of the damage, he would have been either dead or unable to move after that blow.
He coughed a few times, swallowed a few pills, and looked at his brothers in the distance who were sacrificing their lifespan to hold back the Xuan Shui Ao. His eyes reddened slightly. Although he wanted to go up and help, he still descended.
"Very decisive!"
Zhang Lingyu, who was at the bottom, was dumbfounded. He had thought that the Xuan Shui Ao could suppress the two of them, but he had underestimated the determination of the Du family cultivators.
Although it has cost him his lifespan, such an ancient and exotic creature cannot be delayed at will. Right now, the monster has gone mad, and Du Yonghua's aura is getting weaker and weaker. However, even with the magical artifacts and talismans bestowed by his family, he still cannot get rid of it.
"I estimate we can only buy ourselves another thirty-odd breaths."
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Lingyu quickly stored the Water Curtain Heavenly Splendor in his storage ring, poured all his magical power into the flying shuttle left to him by True Person Mingyu, and desperately fled upwards.
"How can that thief be so fast!"
Du Yonghuai, who came to chase him, was dumbfounded. Even he himself might not be able to catch up with this speed when he was at full strength. But with the spiritual object in front of him, how could he give up?
Without any hesitation, he immediately used his secret technique to chase after them. What did it matter if he lost some lifespan as long as he got the item? His family would definitely compensate him later.
Seeing that he was getting closer and closer to Zhang Lingyu, he took out several more talismans and threw them over, while also urging his magical artifacts to attack continuously.
Faced with a barrage of attacks, the opponent cannot afford not to defend themselves. Once they use their techniques and magical artifacts, their hidden identity will be immediately revealed.
"I'd like to see if you're from the Huang family or the Li family, daring to steal our things!"
As one might expect, magical artifacts and spells did not appear. The figure in the distance simply flicked out a fourth-grade top-quality defensive talisman, which blocked the series of attacks.
But he was not disappointed; anyone would know that he could not easily reveal his identity here.
The fact that he's being so secretive right now only proves that he's a cultivator from the Huang or Li family!
"Heh heh, let's see how many talismans you have at your disposal!"
Du Yonghuai sneered. He had received a lot of things from his family, and now he took them all out at once and threw them forward as if they were free.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The struggle between the three humans and the demon caused the place to tremble continuously. The chaotic water flow greatly reduced their already slow speed. If Zhang Lingyu hadn't been physically strong and had been protected by talismans, he would have been caught up by the people behind him.
Seeing how reckless the other party was, he gritted his teeth and thought, "Looks like I'll have to use that first!"
......
......
The system has matched you with a Xianxia (fantasy martial arts) novel category. Click to view details.