The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 76 Soaring Through the Nine Heavens (410)

The fog arrived quickly, soon covering the entire river surface. All around, swirling wisps of mist filled the air, slowing the boatman's movements as he pushed the boat forward. The boat, like an arrow, crashed through the water, creating countless ripples.

Zhou Yan said, "Boatman, your boat is moving a bit slowly."

The boatman chuckled and said, "The fog is thick, young man. To make a living on the water, you have to be careful. For example, when you're on the boat, you can't look back or down. There's someone in the water below the boat."

Zhou Yan asked with a smile, "Who?"

The boatman smiled and said, "You."

“That person looks just like you. When you look down at your reflection in the water, it looks so familiar. You're staring at it when suddenly, with a splash, someone reaches out, grabs you, and pulls you down.”

"You fell into the water, and that person climbed out."

"Sitting in the same spot where you used to sit, with the same face and the same eyes as you."

"Back then, he was you."

"Be careful when it's foggy."

There was another woman on the boat who, upon hearing the story, chuckled coquettishly and said, "Oh, this kind of story about water ghosts taking someone's place, they actually use it to scare people, young man. Don't listen to him, he's just trying to frighten you."

"My lord, why don't you listen to my song?"

"Back then, I also sang and played the pipa in Pingkangfang."

Shen Cangming closed his eyes.

Zhou Yan, with a magic sword slung across his back, sat cross-legged with his saber lying horizontally, and smiled slightly:

"please."

The woman smiled and said, "My lord, you are so far away. Why don't you come and listen in my arms?"

She smiled beautifully.

The scholar Yin Zichuan said, "Bah, shameless, shameless."

"My lord, let me tell you, you can't marry a wife like this. You have to marry someone like my Lianniang..."

The woman adjusted her voice, which was clear and bright. In the mist, it was ethereal and distant, like a voice flying in from a dream, wonderful beyond words. But the lyrics were simple: "Swaying, swaying, swaying through the nine bends and eighteen rapids, my love, do not fear the fierce wind and waves."

"Look, there are golden houses on the shore and white jade plates in the water."

"Follow me across this river, and you'll have no need to covet wealth and gentleness."

"The moon is crescent-shaped, like a golden hook fishing for a silver toad."

The sounds gradually faded, and the fog deepened. Gradually, the sky disappeared, as did the riverbanks in front and behind. Eventually, everything vanished. The boatman rowed his oars, the water splashing and gurgling, the sound so indistinct it seemed to blend into the fog.

Beneath the mist, the water began to swirl.

The woman's voice was soft and alluring, carrying a dreamlike quality:
"To ferry love, to help the madman, to help him overcome his tribulations, the water is his canopy, the waves are his bed."

"Don't look back, don't think about it."

The whirlpool gradually became more turbulent, and the boatman's movements of rowing the oars became strangely slow. The mist turned into a whirlpool. Zhou Yan's right fingers pressed against the hilt of his sword, and he tapped the scabbard. Suddenly, he shouted:
"The Yellow River flows westward, breaking through the Kunlun Mountains, roaring for thousands of miles to touch the Dragon Gate!"

The sound was intense, tearing apart that hazy, dreamlike quality.

Zhou Yan continued:
"The waves surged to the heavens, and Yao sighed in despair. Yu the Great tamed the hundred rivers, and even when his child cried, he did not look out of his home. He quelled the raging torrents and filled in the floodwaters, and the nine provinces began to cultivate silkworms and hemp."

"The harm has gone, leaving only a vast expanse of wind and sand!"

He was reciting a poem by Li Bai.

As the sound rang out, the magic sword also began to whistle slightly, and the sound seemed to weaken as they blended together. The big black beast hissed and roared, shattering the atmosphere. The boatman suddenly dazed himself and opened his eyes wide.

“This, this is!!!”

The entire Jing River seemed to have turned into a whirlpool, spinning and roaring violently. The boat was on the water, uncontrollably heading towards the whirlpool. The boatman screamed, his legs went weak, and he sat down there.

The woman who had just been beautiful and captivating, with her enchanting voice, had now lost her original appearance. Upon closer inspection, her lower body was revealed to be two seashells, from which emerged a woman draped in colorful ribbons, her gaze fierce.

A faint dust cloud was hidden in the mist.

The dust resembled finely ground pearl powder, reflecting rainbow-colored light in the air. However, these particles somehow coalesced into a vortex and flew into the gourd at Zhou Yan's waist.

This treasure is specially designed to absorb miasma!

The illusion then vanished, losing its original effect.

The woman's transformation technique was not very refined, and she immediately revealed her true form. The boatman screamed, sat on the boat, supported by his hands, his face pale, and stammered, "It's...it's Lady Dan."

This is a monster that is the subject of local legends among the villagers.

Zhou Yan laughed, "Madam Dan, your singing doesn't seem very good." Gripping his knife, he suddenly charged forward. The ship rocked violently, but the power of the beacon tower made his stance extremely stable. He drew his sword and slashed at the woman's face.

A single slash left a bloody gash on his body, and blue blood spurted out.

Zhou Yan paused in his steps.

The force within the body creates a counterforce, which in turn unleashes an extremely powerful burst of power from a single point to a surface.

Similar to the power delivery of a one-inch punch, the chopping motion is transformed into a stabbing motion.

He said it was the common sword technique taught by Shen Cangming, which he described as being used by border troops.

Mrs. Dan's abdomen was torn open, leaving a large hole.

Lady Dan tumbled backward. With a crash, she plunged into the water, the waves surging violently, and she quickly disappeared from sight. In the distance, on a mountain, Black Wind stood proudly, its gaze fierce. On the mountain, a mist serpent was inhaling and exhaling clouds.

These are fairies who feed on fog and can also bring fog to the mountains and waters.

Such monsters actually dwell in the fog of the Central Plains, Lingnan, and many other places in the south. Hei Feng found a fog serpent that had grown powerful and made it breathe out fog, which obscured the path of Zhou Yan and Shen Cangming's ship.

"I originally planned to use that clam spirit to pull everyone on this ship into the water, swallow them, turn them into pearls, and sell them for some money. It seems that won't work now. Fellow Daoist, it's your turn to step forward!"

He used his supernatural powers, causing the water to surge. The giant python, which he controlled with evil magic and human fortune, parted the water and flew towards the small boat from the bottom of the water. Zhou Yan stood at the bow of the boat with his knife, urging the boatman to set sail quickly.

The water surged and dispersed, and Zhou Yan saw a colossal creature charging towards him from underwater. He recognized it as the old man who had asked him questions on a rainy night a few days ago. However, back then, the old man exuded a pure and refined aura, but now he emanated a terrifying and menacing aura.

There is also a distorted humanistic destiny.

Zhou Yan said, "Uncle Shen, be careful!!!"

The giant python charged forward relentlessly. Being a dragon species with an enormous body, the impact was amplified by the current, causing the ship to shatter into pieces almost instantly, scattering in all directions.

boom! ! !
Everyone fell into the water. Zhou Yan grabbed Hui Niang with one hand and the boatman with the other. He threw them both over suddenly. Da Hei roared and carried the two of them on its back. Da Hei treaded on the water, its muscles bulging, and the water only reached its chest.

This guy can swim?!
Dog paddle?

This discovery made Zhou Yan laugh even in this crisis. The next moment, accompanied by a sound almost like a dragon's low growl mixed in with the water, the hundred-foot-long python stirred up huge waves and slammed down.

Shen Cangming shoved Zhou Yan aside with his shoulder.

Before he could speak, the massive impact sent Shen Cangming flying. His hidden wound in his abdomen was finally aggravated, causing blood to flow out. He and the giant white python then fell into the water together.

boom! ! !
The Jinghe River basin had an enormous volume of water in this era and in this world.

The waves surged violently after the explosion.

Zhou Yan said, "Uncle Shen!" Seeing that everything was going according to his plan, Hei Feng couldn't help but laugh loudly: "Hahaha, finally, finally! A mere human, even if he has some skills, is missing an arm and is blind. How could he be a match for the dragon python?"

"Come, come, come!"

"My physical body, come!"

The black wind rushed towards Zhou Yan.

Several monsters were clinging to Zhou Yan's legs in the water.

He gripped the knife and lashed out fiercely, slashing at the faces of these monsters.

What was torn out was transparent, blue blood.

After swiftly and neatly dealing with the two little water ghosts, Zhou Yan dove-paddled onto the boat, panting heavily. He couldn't see Shen Cangming anywhere in sight. Although Zhou Yan trusted Uncle Shen very much, he was still feeling irritated at this moment.

Blue claws stretched out and clung to the ship.

Those skilled swimmers who drown in the water, their bodies rotting and turning bluish-green, are considered water ghosts.

These are pitiful wanderers in the water, constantly yearning for life.

They keep pulling innocent people down, yearning to embrace the flame of life.

However, there is no possibility of taking someone else's place in death; instead, the number of wandering souls underwater will only increase. The desire to survive transforms into an embrace of death. This pursuit of life is, in fact, the source of the tragedy of water ghosts.

Although Zhou Yan couldn't sense the earth's veins, he still managed to force the water ghost back with his horizontal slash and heavy blows. With a flick of his wrist, blazing flames exploded. Although the power was reduced on the water's surface, it still forced the water ghost back.

Black Wind's eyes were bloodshot as he approached. He had been patiently waiting until this moment to make his move, though he was puzzled as to why Dragon Python hadn't immediately dealt with the one-armed man and joined forces with him.

What happened? The dragon and python seemed to have vanished along with the one-armed man.

But he couldn't hold back any longer.

At most, it will just take the dragon and python a little longer.

He grinned maliciously and charged forward, shouting, "Hahaha, kid, I'm back again!"

Zhou Yan grabbed the tiger blood ointment and stuffed it whole into his mouth.

With a flick of his wrist, the blazing sword flared up once more.

Black Wind unleashed its supernatural power, a gale swept through, the flames were blown away, the ship surged, and Zhou Yan fell into the water. Martial artists all rely on their strength to rise from the ground, and this time Zhou Yan naturally exposed an opening. Black Wind grinned maliciously.

"Got you!"

However, these words were spoken by two people together.

Black Wind was stunned as he watched the young man make his decision.

Zhou Yan swallowed the tiger blood plaster.

His magic power was restored, but was completely exhausted in an instant.

"First move—"

"Soaring through the nine heavens!"

The magic sword suddenly flew out from behind, a sharp aura soaring into the sky, its sword cry clear and crisp.

Stirring up the water and storms, carrying the elegant and unrestrained sword intent.

It struck Black Wind directly in the face.

(End of this chapter)