The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 137 The Age of Great Conflict
"Boom."

A large hole appeared in the cliff face, and a giant centipede with shattered armor and missing legs slithered out from inside the cliff, unfurling three pairs of transparent, cicada-like wings, and desperately shot towards the ravine below.

This giant centipede was over ten feet long, its waist thicker than a water bucket. Its glossy black chitinous armor reflected the steely luster under the moonlight, and its hundreds of golden, segmented legs, each as thick as a child's arm, were like blades. Its blood-red, ferocious head gleamed with a scarlet light in the darkness...

Such a large truck would give most people goosebumps just from a glimpse of it from afar.

"boom……"

A large, human-shaped hole appeared in the rock wall, and Wang Wenqing, wielding the Dawnbreaker Spear, burst out of the dust and smoke, laughing strangely as he leaped after the centipede: "Wings? Even with wings, you can't escape!"

The fleeing centipede turned its head and was so frightened that its two antennae, which had been fluttering in the wind, instinctively pressed against the back of its head. It opened its ferocious mouth and screamed in terror, "Don't come any closer!"

"puff."

It spewed out a cloud of blackish-purple poisonous gas, like bubbles rising from the bottom of the water, rushing towards Wang Wen.

Having learned a painful lesson from being completely suppressed and thoroughly thrashed from the ground to the underground, the giant centipede didn't dare to hope that this poisonous creature, refined from the venom of a hundred insects and mixed with miasma from the mountains, could do anything to the ferocious, inhuman beast behind it. It only hoped that the poison could slow it down for a few breaths, giving it some time to escape.

"Thunder comes!"

Seeing the poisonous fog approaching, Wang Wen laughed and released a powerful burst of Crimson Palace Thunder. He used his true qi external force technique to envelop his entire body in the Crimson Palace Thunder, just like a magician in a game wearing a golden magic shield. He accelerated through the misty poisonous fog, caught up with the giant centipede that was fleeing for its life, and thrust his spear forward with a twist of his waist.

Just then, the giant centipede had already fled to the surface of the river. As it was about to enter the water, it looked back to check Wang Wen's position and saw the scoundrel standing about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) away, poking around with that small toothpick. Its heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally relaxed: 'Can you even reach it before you start poking?'

It confidently turned around, ready to enter the water.

But the moment it turned its head, it suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of its head. Looking down, it saw a gleaming spear tip piercing through its jaw.

'how come? ’

Taken aback, it swung its tail with all its might in a dragon-like swishing motion, aiming at the thug behind it. However, its tail struck the gun barrel, and it could only wrap itself around the shaft, screeching and straining desperately to pull out the spearhead that had pierced its skull.

"You'd better come back with me to the bar; the bar is your true home!"

Wang Wen laughed loudly, picked up the giant centipede with one arm, threw it, and with a single shot, pinned the centipede to the pebble beach on the shore.

The excruciating pain from the throw caused the giant centipede to struggle even more desperately, but no matter how it flapped its six cicada wings or how it twisted its thick body to exert force, it could not pull out the seemingly light steel spear.

Wang Wen landed on the river and slowly waded across the water to the riverbank.

He walked behind the giant centipede, seized the opportunity, and stepped on its frantically struggling tail, pinning the entire centipede under his foot. Then he reached out to grab the Dawnbreaker Spear.

"Hero, spare my life..."

Sensing the chilling spearhead spinning inside his head, the giant centipede cried out in terror, its authentic Jianghuai Mandarin causing Wang Wen to pause slightly in his grip on the spear.

It's one thing that the fat carp on the canal can speak human language, but after all, that fat carp is used to extort protection money from people and has dealt with many people.

When will the mountain produce from the deep forests be able to speak fluent Jianghuai Mandarin?
Judging from the appearance of these mountain creatures, they don't seem like spirits or monsters that can live among humans!

Noticing the steel spear pause, the giant centipede quickly added, "Reporting to the hero, I am a leader of the mountain-drilling tribe under the command of the Dragon King of Chaohu Lake. If you spare my life, I will surely express my gratitude to my king..."

The Dragon King of Chaohu?

Wang Wen scratched his forehead, muttering "Damn it" under his breath, thinking, "What the hell has become of the outside world? How come a Dragon King keeps popping out every few steps?"

During his last trip, he heard about the "Dragon King of Hongze Lake".

This time, while he was away on a long trip, another title emerged: "Dragon King of Chaohu Lake".

What's going on? The ten-year period is over? Are all the Dragon Kings suddenly appearing out of nowhere?

Lost in thought, he suddenly realized a serious problem: 'Chaohu Lake belongs to Huainan Circuit, right? Hongze Lake also seems to have a part within Huainan Circuit...'

The reason he knew so clearly about the ownership of these two lakes was because both lakes were very important waterways.

Hongze Lake is a vital passage connecting the Bian River and the Huai River, while Chaohu Lake is an important waterway connecting the Yangtze River and the Huai River. Water transport and trade in both places are very prosperous, and water bandits frequently emerge. In the past, the Canal Gang would fight with local water bandits on these two waterways almost every one or two years. Each time, all branches of the Canal Gang in the Jianghuai region would contribute money, manpower and effort. Wang Erhu once participated in the fight at Hongze Lake.

From this perspective, those two "Dragon Kings" occupying two important waterways are most likely after the prosperous water transport trade and the dense flow of ships in the two places, and they are also after the people who travel by water from the south to the north... no different from those water bandits!

The more Wang Wen thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

He had three identities: a local deity, a government official, and a member of the grain transport gang.

And those two damned Dragon Kings trampled on all three of his identities with a single kick!

You might say those two bastards are inhuman, but they know how to block the river and collect protection money.

You'd think those two bastards were human, but they don't know how to curry favor with the powerful when they're doing this kind of business.

So there's only one truth... These two bastards didn't even consider him, the God of Huangshan and the Demon-Slaying General of Huainan Road, Wang Wen, as a threat!
Forget about the saying "ignorance is no excuse." It's no secret that either the God of Huangshan or the Demon-Slaying General of Huainan exist. If those two bastards had been interested in these things, they would have found out that the God of Huangshan came from Huangshan and the Demon-Slaying General came from Huainan.

If they don't know, it only means that those two bastards don't care about these things at all, and they don't take Wang Wen seriously either!

Don't say anything like, "Given their status, even if they came to pay their respects, Wang Wen would definitely not welcome them."

This is a matter of attitude!

They planted their flags on Wang Da Guanren's territory. Wang Da Guanren might not care about their gifts, but they couldn't refuse to give gifts!

In short, those two bastards deserved to die!
Wang Wen gripped the Dawnbreaker Spear tightly, but muttered under his breath, feigning confusion, "The Dragon King of Chaohu Lake? I've never heard the Dragon King of Hongze Lake mention him..."

Upon hearing this, the giant centipede at his feet immediately exclaimed with delight, "Hero, you know the Dragon King of Hongze Lake? Isn't this a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple, and family members not recognizing each other? King Ao Qing and my Black Crocodile King are sworn brothers. My king even went to Hongze Lake to have a drink with King Ao Qing a month ago!"

"Monster, don't try to fool me!"

Wang Wen, half-believing and half-doubting, slightly twisted the Dawn Spear: "If your king and that scoundrel Ao Qing were sworn brothers, how could I have never heard that fellow mention it?"

The giant centipede cried out in pain, "Hero, spare my life! Hero, spare my life! Even if I had the guts to eat lightning, I would never dare to deceive you! My king and King Ao Qing are sworn brothers! The time before last, when King Ao Qing came to Chaohu for a feast, I even offered him wine!"

Wang Wen gripped the Dawnbreaker Spear tightly and sneered, "Still dare to talk nonsense? Fine, you say you once offered wine to that bastard Ao Qing, then I'd like to ask you, do you know anything about that guy's background?"

Without hesitation, the giant centipede loudly argued, "How could this little demon not know? King Ao Qing is a green python that has transformed into a dragon. As soon as he transformed into a dragon, he grew two horns. It is said that King Ao Qing has the bloodline of a green dragon and is expected to transform into a true dragon within a hundred years!"

'I wondered what it was, turns out it's some kind of psychopath!'

Wang Wensong fired his Dawnbreaker Shot, softening his tone: "You monstrous demon, you've actually seen that scoundrel Ao Qing... So what's the situation with your Great King? Why did you become sworn brothers with that scoundrel Ao Qing?" Seeing a glimmer of hope, the giant centipede became even more ingratiating, its words flowing like a torrent of information, as if it knew everything: "Good sir, you may not know this, but although my Great King is merely a crocodile dragon in human form, he possesses a trace of black dragon blood. Upon transformation, he sprouted four arms, each with the strength of ten thousand jin, and he wields a three-pronged water-splitting spear, capable of overturning rivers and seas. Back then, my Great King and Great King Ao Qing once vied for control of Hongze Lake, but because Great King Ao Qing was more skilled in naval warfare, my Great King narrowly lost a move..."

'Alligator dinosaur? Chinese alligator, a Class I protected waste species?'

Wang Wen was stunned for a few seconds before he reacted: 'This little thing, whose fighting power can't even compare to a goose, can it really amount to anything? But then again, at this stage of life, anything that can become a spirit either has wealthy ancestors or some kind of good fortune...'

This reminded him of his own cowardly black bull, whose scales on its back were almost completely connected, and the saddle could barely cover them.

As the saying goes, if you're quick in one step, you'll be quick in every step.

It has only been a short time since the spiritual energy revival began, yet these innate exotic species have already left the Dragon Palace and formed a continuous whole.

If given more time, wouldn't they just claim territory and openly fight with humans for supremacy?

We must deal with this as soon as possible, otherwise it will become a major problem!
Thinking of this, he also thought of those giant creatures in the sea. Those giant creatures were already far more powerful than the monsters on the inland. The sea was rich in resources and there were no Xuanmen cultivators competing for them. Once those giant creatures rose to power...

'A time of great strife!'

He sighed inwardly, then stirred the steel gun in his hand, and the giant centipede at his feet, which was still chattering incessantly, immediately shut up, its taut body slumping down.

Before he even landed, he had already used his divine eye to examine the giant centipede. He could see that its demonic aura contained churning resentment and malevolent energy; this thing had harmed many people…

He pondered for a moment, then probed the divine artifact he carried with him into the palace, asking the many underworld officials, "Is anyone familiar with the environment around Chaohu Lake?"

The underworld officials inside the temple were in an uproar for a moment. Soon, one of them stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I am Ruan Damao. I once served as a patrolling water soldier in Chaohu Lake and I am quite familiar with the waterways around Chaohu Lake."

"It's you!"

Wang Wen immediately summoned the underworld messenger and nodded with a pleasant expression, saying, "Da Mao, take me to Chaohu Lake."

Ruan Damao glanced at the giant centipede at his feet, then, trembling with excitement, crossed his arms and exclaimed, "Here it is!"

Wang Wen, with one arm twisting the Dawnbreaker Spear, lifted the giant centipede at his feet, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and soared into the air.

Upon seeing this, Ruan Damao quickly floated up, observed the surrounding environment from left and right, and then made a "please" gesture to Wang Wen facing east: "This humble one will lead the way for Your Excellency."

"You are all soldiers under my command, what is there to be humble about? From now on, just call me your subordinates..."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Damao's gaze became even more fervent, and he clasped his hands, saying, "I will obey Your Majesty's decree!"

He floated slowly ahead, while Wang Wen followed behind, flying at a leisurely pace.

Based on the giant centipede's account, he could easily deduce that the giant crocodile in Chaohu Lake was a warrior-type monster, and its fighting power was far inferior to that of the mad snake in Hongze Lake.

Since that's the case, he decided to go and take a look while he was there.

If I can beat them, I'll just take care of it while I'm at it, so I don't have to make another trip later.

If he can't win, he can easily run away on his own without any worries.

As for whether it would be given away for free... that was not even in his consideration.

With 6180 merit points in hand, would he give them away for free?

Doesn't the Lord of Heaven have any dignity?

Unlike Hongze Lake, whose jurisdiction is somewhat disputed, Chaohu Lake is a true territory of Huainan Dao, and its jurisdiction is within its boundaries.

It's better to deal with this big crocodile sooner rather than later when it causes a big commotion and then we have to deal with it.

Perfect timing! It can also be used as the first act of a new official to make a splash in the capital, in exchange for the emperor's support.

As for that crazy snake in Hongze Lake...

There are no units of measurement at present, so he can't estimate the weight of that mad snake.

However, according to his current plan, it would be best to wait until the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion is completed before using it as the first team-building activity for the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, so as to make his name as the Demon-Slaying General known throughout the Jianghuai region.

This time gap is just enough for him to improve again.

The man and the ghost flew eastward for about two quarters of an hour before the sound of gentle waves reaching Wang Wen's ears.

Ruan Damao eagerly clasped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, this place is Chaohu Lake. Please give us your instructions!"

Wang Wen glanced at the dark lake surface, then looked up and nodded with a smile, saying, "You can't help with what happens next for now, so go back first."

With that, he waved his hand and put Ruan Damao back into the divine palace's magical artifact.

Then, carrying the large centipede, he opened his magic eye and traversed back and forth across the vast lake, searching carefully.

After searching aimlessly for more than an hour, his divine eyes finally spotted a few wisps of demonic energy in a body of water near the lake shore.

He immediately moved closer and used his divine sense to probe below the lake's surface. He discovered that the lake was unusually deep in this area that seemed close to the shore. His divine sense probed at least thirty meters below the surface before he found a hole more than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) high at the bottom of the lake, near the shore. Two crabs the size of millstones lay quietly in the mud on either side of the hole, like gatekeepers.

When Wang Wen probed the cave entrance with his divine sense, he only felt that the cave was filled with demonic energy, and that a large number of fish, shrimp and crabs, which emitted a faint demonic aura, were moving around in groups in every corner of the cave.

His divine sense extended into the cave for about two or three miles before finally emerging from the water and arriving at a dry underground space.

Within this underground space, many monsters exuding faint demonic energy also roam, including Yangtze alligators, snakes, and toads...

This atmosphere is even more prosperous than that of Huangshan Mountain, which is obviously not something that can be nurtured by the waters of Chaohu Lake alone.

Combined with the identity and location of the giant centipede on his shoulder, Wang Wen easily came to a conclusion: this giant crocodile was consciously gathering demons that had become spirits!
Soon, Wang Wen's divine sense found a humanoid villain lying on a tiger-skin chair, drinking and eating meat deep in the cave!
The villain was probably twelve feet tall, with black skin, a pig-like snout, two legs and four arms, a head of green hair like waterweed, and bulging muscles all over his body. He wore an eye-catching leopard skin skirt around his waist, and leaned against a three-pronged fork as thick as a crossbeam. His fierce demonic aura was like oil being poured on a fire, with countless resentments and evil spirits churning within the oil...

This was the first time Wang Wen had ever seen a monster in human form!
Without hesitation, he unleashed his divine sense and delivered two powerful blows to the thug's face.

"Roar……"

In an instant, a furious roar echoed throughout the spacious underground cavern.

All the monsters in the cave reacted and started to riot, running around the cave like headless flies.

Wang Wen, who was floating on the lake, calmly used the Dawnbreaker Spear to pry open the giant centipede's mouthparts and took out a bead the size of an egg that shimmered with a bright red light in the darkness from its lower jaw. Then he raised his hand and threw the giant centipede into the water, letting it drift and fall towards the underwater cave entrance.

(End of this chapter)