Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 155 Water Mines Unleash Their Power to Slay the Eel Demon; Liu Qing Takes Over Dawan Lake
The moment that voice rang out, Liu Qing swiftly swept his cold gaze toward Bie Jingyuan Haowen.
Could it be that you really intend to compete with Master Liu for the position of Lord of the Manor?

Unexpectedly, Yuan Haowen was hungry and had just secretly taken out a handful of dried earthworms from his pouch and stuffed them into his mouth when he choked on them. He was now choking so hard that his face turned purple and he was pounding his chest.

Ok?
Not you?
Alas, prejudice in people's hearts is like a mountain. I've wronged this old turtle. Liu Qing smiled apologetically and turned to look at the crowd.

A river demon with an eel's head stepped out from the power of the Dawan Lake water system, looked at Liu Qing, and smiled disdainfully.

Meanwhile, the guards stationed at the nearby ditches stared in disbelief and shock, wondering if the creature had lost its mind.
Those who reacted quickly moved away from the eel.

Yuan Datou frowned, both furious and puzzled. This eel was the garrison commander of the Floating Dragon Canal, one of the Seventeen Canals.

He was usually quiet and reserved, rarely stood out, and his cultivation was not particularly impressive. What's wrong with him today? Why did he suddenly jump out to compete with Brother Liu Qing for the position of manor lord?
Damn it, I, Yuan Datou, haven't even left yet, and you dare to disobey me? Believe me or not, I'll smash you to death with my turtle shell.
Yuan Datou's eyes blazed with green light, his bald head turning red with rage. He snorted coldly and was about to step forward.

Liu Qing reached out and stopped him, saying, "Master, this brother is not satisfied with my taking over as Master. Perhaps he wants to test me. In that case, let me deal with him."

Although it was melodramatic, it was inevitable. Liu Qing was prepared for this, and although it was sudden, she remained calm.

Hong Gu wasn't worried. She transformed into human form with an eel's head, which was nothing more than a mere Qi Refining and Divine Transformation cultivator. Xiao Qing could suppress her with one hand.

But as Liu Qing walked away, the eel demon, which had been incompletely transformed and still staring at its original head, gave a sinister smile. Its demonic energy instantly surged forth, and in the next instant, its original head vanished, its aura rapidly increasing.
In the blink of an eye, he surpassed the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation realm and reached the Spirit Refining and Void Returning realm. But that wasn't the end of it; he continued all the way from the early stage of Spirit Refining and Void Returning to the late stage.

Oh my, is he the reserved type?
That's it? A mere late-stage Refining Spirit Returning to Emptiness, trying to pull off some kind of "pretending to be weak while actually being strong" trick?

"Shan Wuji, the garrison commander of Fulong Canal, would like to seek guidance from Brother Liu Qing!"

Liu Qing smiled dismissively, raised his hand, and instantly a towering wave surged outside the island in the middle of the lake. A wisp of water essence was gathered and swirled in his palm.
As it rotated, tiny electric snakes were born from the friction of the rotation, instantly turning the lake water black and accompanied by rumbling thunder.

A water mine the size of a bowl appeared beneath Liu Qing's palm.

"As long as you can withstand this naval mine from me, what does it matter if the position of Lord of Dawan Lake is yours?"

Although it was only a minor-level water mine, its power was still extremely terrifying. In addition, the monsters instinctively feared lightning, so how could the eel demon Shan Wuji withstand this attack?

With a casual wave of his hand, the water mine roared down with a devastating force, crashing down upon him.

The eel demon Shan Wuji's pupils constricted instantly, and his whole body trembled. His previous arrogant demeanor vanished completely.
It opened its mouth urgently: "Father, save your child—"

A figure darted out from the guests' direction; it was none other than Old Eel Shan Xun, the lord of Floating Dragon Lake in the Five Lakes Alliance.
This demon is of similar cultivation level to Lord Yuan Datou, both being at the late stage of the Refining Emptiness and Merging with the Dao realm.

Shan Wuji, Shan Xun?
If it weren't for the fact that this old yellow eel had a bald head after transforming, Liu Qing would have thought it was the Golden Lion King.

Hong Gu scoffed, completely unconcerned. Xiao Qing could easily handle a mere old eel at the Void Refinement and Dao Integration stage.

Xing Gu knew Liu Qing's strength, but Yuan Da Tou did not. Upon seeing this, he immediately unleashed his demonic energy and was about to step forward to help. Meanwhile, Eunuch Shan, Little Alligator Dragon, Shrimp Traveler, and others who were on good terms with Liu Qing were also preparing to step forward to assist in the battle.

"Damn it, no wonder your place is called Fulong Canal, it turns out you've been in cahoots with Fulong Lake all along."

"As a fellow eel, I despise such a traitor."

"Old eel, old eel, what can I, Yuan Datou, say to you? You think that just because I'm gone you can bewitch a puppet and seize my Dawan Lake? Bullshit! I'm just going to become a god, not to die!"

"Today, I'm going to skin you, you old eel, remove your tendons, fry you in oil, and stir-fry you before the feast!"

Liu Qing summoned the lake water to form a wall of water, blocking Yuan Datou and Xia Kexing: "Brothers, it's just a mere Refining Void and Dao Integration, leave it to me. This kind of filth is not worth getting your hands dirty."

Yuan Datou, Xia Kexing, and their close associates were taken aback. "Look at this, is he even speaking human language? This is just a mere attempt to refine the void and unite the Dao."

Willow Snake, have you taken the wrong medicine?
Yuan Datou, his face dark, tried to pass through the water wall blocking Liu Qing's path, but to his surprise, he couldn't. He then tried to fly, only to find that the water wall had grown taller as well.

Suddenly, he was startled. The Liu brothers had such extravagant methods. Could they really catch the old eel?
With a wave of his hand, Liu Qing unleashed a water chain, blocking the old eel Shan Xun. Taking advantage of the delay, Liu Qing activated his water mine to accelerate, arriving above Shan Wuji's head in the next instant.

Dan Wuji was terrified and hurriedly dodged, but the water mine was controlled by Liu Qing; wherever it went, the water mine followed.

Once the eel reached the shore, it swam quickly into the water. After a few strokes, it was stopped by a mine, until it could no longer escape.

A fierce glint flashed in Shan Wuji's eyes as he revealed his true form—a yellow eel over ten feet long—and activated his berserk state.
Unfortunately, before he could even breathe properly, he was struck by a mine. With a loud bang, Shan Wuji's flesh rolled, his tendons and bones broke, and wisps of black smoke rose from his body, emitting an enticing aroma. Xia Kexing swallowed hard.

After Shan Wuji's death, the old eel Shan Xun was enraged to the extreme. He ripped off the water chain, revealing his true form, which was three or four zhang long, and lunged at Liu Qing like a monstrous python.

Undeterred, Liu Qing intended to establish his authority today. He didn't resort to his fanged sword for sneak attacks or assassinations, but instead relentlessly hurled water mines. In the blink of an eye, eight or nine mines had been launched, arranged in a nine-star formation.
Amidst a series of deafening explosions, the smoke and vapor dissipated, revealing Old Eel Shan Xun, covered in wounds, its eyes red as it glared at Liu Qing.

With a flick of its tail, it instantly drew in the lake water from outside the island, causing it to spin in place, threatening to transform into a waterspout and grind Liu Qing to dust.

Liu Qing grinned, pointed his finger, and his divine power transformed into an ice point on the waterspout. In an instant, the water from the waterspout froze into ice, which collided and shattered on the ground.

The onlookers were all shocked. This snake demon was incredibly powerful; first, it used water and thunder magic, and now it had displayed its ice-melting technique.

Both of these supernatural powers are specifically designed to counter river demons; which one can withstand them?
In such a short time, his cultivation has advanced to the level of Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness. Now, with such extravagant and wasteful methods, even the heads of the Five Lakes, Four Rivers, and even the Seven Families of the Jing River would probably be no match for him.
With such a person taking over as the head of the manor, apart from these two brainless eels, who wouldn't be convinced?
"I thought I could take advantage of the old lord's departure to support a puppet and usurp his position, but I didn't expect to run into a snag. Let's see how that old eel will handle this?"

The mockery from the mountain and river demons enraged the old eel, and in a fit of rage, it disregarded everything else and unleashed its most powerful abilities.

Even if you, snake, are highly skilled, your cultivation is still inferior to mine. I have already achieved Yang Spirit, and today I will show you what I'm capable of. Suddenly, a slightly smaller eel flew out from the fontanelle, arriving in an instant with terrifying demonic aura.

In the heat of battle, one will not dissipate their yin or yang spirit to fight unless it is absolutely necessary, simply because leaving only the physical body after leaving the body makes one vulnerable to being ambushed by others.
Unless there is no one around or a family member is watching over them, what reckless person would do such a thing?

This old eel must have been furious at being ridiculed.

This was the first time Liu Qing had seen the demon's yang spirit. He immediately activated the Yin Jade Spirit Banner, releasing a wisp of the Jing River Old Dragon's aura from his body, suppressing the old eel's yang spirit halfway through its journey.
The old dragon of the Jing River still retained some of its cultivation from its previous life. Coupled with the suppression of its bloodline, it restrained the old yellow eel's yang spirit with its qi alone, making it unable to advance or retreat. Halfway there, it hovered motionless, its eyes filled with terror.

Liu Qing stepped forward and examined it closely. He found that the old eel's spirit was as solid as a physical body, seemingly made of flesh and blood. It did not appear sinister, and there was a warm feeling when he got close. There was a faint red light shining at the center of its brow.

So this is the Yang God.

Yin gives rise to Yang, Yin and Yang are one, able to receive the moonlight and unafraid of the sunlight. Nodding slightly, Liu Qing understood and felt confident about the path ahead for his Yin spirit.

With a single swallow, the old eel's yang spirit rapidly shrank and was swallowed. The yin jade banner remaining within its body then took over, quickly refining the old eel's yang spirit and erasing its intelligence.

At the same time, Liu Qing glanced at the already dead Shan Wuji. Under the influence of the Yin-Yang Divine Power, a phantom soul was standing next to Shan Wuji's corpse. Liu Qing walked in, swallowed it, and handed it over to the Yin Jade Spirit Banner to be refined into a puppet.

Previously, if Liu Qing wanted to see Yin spirits and demons, he had to rely on the Yin Jade Spirit Banner. But now that he has the Yin-penetrating supernatural power, which forms a pupil technique, he can see the soul at any time, which is quite convenient.

If a spirit, whether yin or yang, is left unattended after death, it will quickly become a demon or ghost, or be discovered by the City God and imprisoned in the underworld, or slowly dissipate.
Only after reaching the Divine Power Realm is it possible for one's soul to remain immortal, allowing one to possess the body of another being and be resurrected.

In this battle, in front of a group of mountain demons and river demons, Liu Qing did not openly take out and use the Yin Jade Spirit Banner.

At most, it might just be a feigned intimidation using its aura, or swallowed into its mouth and then handed over to the Yin Jade Spirit Banner for disposal.

To avoid being terrified by other mountain and river demons, they had no choice but to use the illusion of awakened talent to conceal the existence of the Yin Jade Spirit Banner.

It's important to know that Liu Qing's Yin Jade Spirit Banner is specifically designed to counter Yin and Yang spirits. Those with shallow cultivation can be easily dealt with, but against those with deeper cultivation, the Yin Jade Spirit Banner provides the necessary protection.

Therefore, regardless of the depth of their cultivation, Liu Qing could easily crush them. If the great demons who had refined their spirits and returned to the void, or refined their void and merged with the Dao, were to guess the truth, they would probably live in constant fear.

Even so, the old demons, including the Lord of the Prefecture Yuan Datou, looked at each other in bewilderment.

Liu Qing caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of his eye and knew he was in trouble. He quickly bit his tongue, pretending to vomit blood, and then reversed his demonic energy to make his aura rapidly decline, creating the illusion of a backlash after activating his talent.

Having spent a long time with Liu Qing, Hong Gu guessed the reason. She rushed over, hugged Liu Qing, and cried out in alarm.
"Honey, what happened to you? Waaah, don't scare me! I told you not to use that talent, and look what happened! Now you're suffering the backlash, and I don't even know if you'll survive. Waaah, honey, please don't die! I don't want to be a widow!"

She acted so well that Liu Qing was really angry. Who did Hong Gu learn to be so bad from?

Yuan Datou and the other powerful demon lords of the rivers and lakes exchanged glances and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it's just a talent, and the backlash after using it is so great. Although it's terrifying, it's not insurmountable, so I'm relieved.

After a brief interlude, Liu Qing successfully took over as the Lord of Dawan Lake. Although he was 'seriously injured' at the moment, he was fortunate to be alive. It was good that he was alive. River demons are lucky. As long as he was alive, he could recover. After finding a demon doctor, he would recover quickly.

The dead eel father and son were skinned and gutted by Yuan Datou, then roasted on the spot, sprinkled with salt, and distributed to the demons to enjoy.
This scene broke Liu Qing's heart. One refines the Void to merge with the Dao, the other refines the Spirit to return to the Void. If he were to devour the corpses of the father and son, he would likely advance to the Void Refinement and Dao Merge realm.

What a pity.

After Liu Qing took over as the prefect, a group of river demons from the Great Bay Lake were stationed there, while the patrol officers all came forward to pay their respects. Since Liu Qing was seriously injured, Hong Gu had to express her gratitude on his behalf.

Leaving aside Xia Qianqian and Xia Kexing, who knew the truth, the other river monsters were all in awe of Master Liu Qing's aesthetic taste.

The mandarin fish demon, feeling sorry for herself, couldn't understand why her brother Liu Qing would rather have an ugly woman with a barrel waist than her.
But then I thought, this Liu Qing brother abandons his beautiful wife at home and instead seeks out a mistress outside; he's a real scumbag.

After figuring it out, he was very disdainful, feeling that his previous infatuation was not worth it, spat, turned and left.

After much effort, Yuan Haowen, the old turtle, finally squeezed his way to Master Liu Qing. He was just about to open his mouth to express his admiration...

Unexpectedly, he was cursed by the mandarin fish demon and spat a mouthful of phlegm.

vomit--

I had such a bad day.

Using the corpses of the two eel demons as a pretext, Yuan Datou took the opportunity to start a feast. With a wave of his hand, the shad steward, who was helping to serve Liu Qing, was stunned for a moment before realizing what was happening. He then hurriedly ordered the spirit maids to serve old wine, earthworms, snakeberries, and cherries.

Yuan Datou glared at the steward, "Old man, I haven't even left yet, and the tea's already cold?"
Butler Shi was also aggrieved. "Don't be angry, former master. It's all my fault for getting into the role too quickly. It's not that people forget you just because you're gone."

With the highly organized old demon, Steward Shad, in charge, the thousands of river demons, large and small, who came to offer their congratulations were quickly taken care of.

With Tai Wan Lake becoming the new host, and the new master of the mansion seriously injured, the old master had no choice but to overstep his bounds and summon the lake water, which transformed into tables and chairs for the guests to sit on.
He then picked up an old jar of Sanle wine and, on behalf of Liu Qing, offered a toast to the demons. The commotion continued until midnight.
The guests had just finished enjoying themselves.

Yuan Datou looked up at the night sky, tossed aside the wine jar, laughed heartily, and climbed onto the altar in the middle of the square.

(End of this chapter)