Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 586 Black Swamp Dragon
Thick, white miasma seeped from the stagnant swamp, turning the world into a chaotic mess.

The narrow boat broke through the fog, its oars stirring the stagnant water, meandering among floating branches and skeletons, startling the phosphorescent flames that scattered in the air.

"Brother Wolf, is it appropriate for us to leave without waiting for Nangong Mu?"

A young man with a round face sat at the stern of the boat, and unconsciously stopped what he was doing while talking.

A scar appeared at the corner of Duanmu Lang's mouth, adding to his fierce look. His face was grim as he glared at him: "You know that kid's temper. It's not easy for us to go into the swamp to collect mud. He insisted on casting a net to catch snakes, creating unnecessary trouble."

When he returns, he will surely bring with him a net full of dark, muscular bones.

If I let him onto the ship, all the monstrous bones of the Yellow Springs Marsh will come rushing towards us. You may not care about your life, but I do!

The round-faced youth looked embarrassed: "He is, after all, the senior brother. If we abandon him, we might not be able to explain it to our master."

"Explain what?"

Duanmu Lang retorted loudly, then sneered disdainfully, "What kind of senior brother is he? He's just relying on his higher cultivation level. How many disciples of the Five Scattered Sect listen to him? Aren't they all just following the lead of you and me, brothers?"

He paused, then kicked the sack at his feet: "Anyway, we successfully completed the mission. If Master asks, just say there are signs of wind rising in Huangquanze."

Upon hearing this, the round-faced young man's expression calmed down slightly.

The miasma in the Yellow Springs Marsh never dissipates, especially in the depths of the marsh, where the line of sight is only three to five feet.

Every so often, strange winds would rise in the swamp, whipping up the thick miasma like surging waves. People in the fog could not see their own hands in front of their faces; even Foundation Establishment cultivators would have difficulty discerning their location with their spiritual senses, let alone Qi Refining cultivators like them.

In this situation, forcibly leaving the swamp might lead to an even deeper dive, satisfying the appetites of the monsters.

Staying is not an option!

Because the miasma in Huangquanze contains highly poisonous substances, it can cause mild symptoms such as muscle and bone weakness, or even severe symptoms such as unconsciousness.

It took the Five Scattered Sect two years to refine a suitable miasma-repelling pill, which gave them the confidence to explore the marshland.

However, the miasma pill is not a sugar pill that can be taken casually.

Each time a disciple enters the swamp, the miasma-repelling pills they receive can only last for two or three days at most.

Once the strange winds blow and the poisonous miasma becomes "rampant," disciples entering the swamp will lose their way and be trapped for at least a month. Those outside will also lose their way and will be unable to rescue them.

In the past two years, the Five Scattered Sect has lost twenty or thirty disciples who died trapped in the Yellow Springs Marsh.

Therefore, the Five Scattered Sect has a strict order that if any signs of wind are seen, disciples must immediately leave the Yellow Springs Marsh.

It is understandable that Nangong Mu was abandoned under such circumstances.

Thinking of this, the round-faced young man gradually resumed rowing.

If it weren't for waiting for Nangong Mu, he wouldn't have wanted to stay in the gloomy depths of the swamp.

"Wait a moment!"

Duanmu Lang suddenly shouted to stop, and lay down on the deck to listen intently.

After a moment, his expression changed slightly: "Hurry up and row, that kid is catching up."

The round-faced youth stiffened, then put all his effort into paddling, splashing water everywhere and making the already noisy chirping of insects around him even louder.

However, the small boat was too heavy, and there were too many weeds and rotten branches in the marsh, so it couldn't go fast at all.

A moment later, the whistling of the wind reached their ears. Accompanying it was an urgent cry: "Junior Brother Wolf, Junior Brother Fang, wait for me!"

The round-faced youth hurriedly looked behind him and saw a disheveled boy walking on the waves, creating ripples, and rushing over.

Seeing this, he had no choice but to put away the wooden paddle. Just as he was about to reply, Duanmu Lang on the other side had already stood up and said with a fawning expression, "Senior Brother, you've finally arrived! Junior Brother Taofang and I have been waiting for you for a long time!"

shameless!
The round-faced youth cursed under his breath and hurriedly stepped forward, picked up the sack in the boat, made room for him, and said solicitously, "Senior Brother, please sit down!"

Panting heavily, Nangong Mu sat on the boat, stretched out his arm and took off his wet shirt, revealing his muscular physique. Then he grabbed a gourd from his waist and gulped down the wine.

After a while, he wiped his mouth, patted the round-faced youth on the shoulder with a hint of happiness, and said, "Junior brothers, you're in luck this time!"

The round-faced youth thought he was about to be questioned, but Nangong Mu didn't mention the two of them leaving in a boat without permission at all. He couldn't help but steal a glance at Duanmu Lang.

Ignoring their reactions, Nangong Mu put the wine gourd back on his waist and tied it up. Then he pulled on a thin rope tied around his waist.

The water behind the small boat suddenly surged and churned.

Nangong Mu laughed heartily. He had pulled the thin rope in half, and the heavy object in the water finally surfaced. It turned out to be a golden net—with countless snake bodies tangled and rolling inside, like a black tangled mess.

"Big Brother, you..."

Duanmu Lang's expression changed drastically.

Before he could finish speaking, Nangong Mu exerted force again, and the gold-threaded net was lifted out of the water with a "whoosh" and smashed onto the cloth bag full of wet mud.

"Oh!"

The small boat rocked violently and nearly capsized.

Duanmu Lang and the round-faced youth had to use their magic to hold on tightly to the edge of the boat to avoid being thrown off.

However, looking at the constantly writhing black bones beneath his feet...

The two of them felt a chill run down their spines.

Wuyin Miangu is a very common snake demon in Jiming Mountain. When it grows up, it is as thick as a water bucket. Its cultivation level is generally at the early stage of the Spirit Awakening stage, and a few can break through to the middle stage of the Spirit Awakening stage.

However, the origin of Wuyin Miangu is not Jiming Mountain, but Huangquan Marsh.

When Nangong Mu first joined the Five Scattered Sect, he provoked Wu Yin Mian Gu and was nearly poisoned to death.

Since then, this kid has been obsessed with the Black Yin Mian Gu. In just over three years, the number of Black Yin Mian Gu on Jiming Mountain has decreased by 90%.

The rest, smelling the scent of Nangong wood, burrowed into the stone cave, living in constant fear.

Not satisfied, Nangong Mu began to set his sights on the Wuyin Miangu in the Yellow Springs Marsh. Almost every time he entered the marsh, he would bring back some "spoils of war".

As expected, relying on the Hundred Refined Golden Silk Cage bestowed by the sect, this kid showed no mercy whatsoever and directly grabbed a net full of Black Yin Soft Bones.

Although judging from their size, these captured Wuyin Miangu snakes should all be underage and possess weak demonic power, it's important to remember that these are dozens of snake demons!

The fact that Nangong Mu has made such a gain in such a short time suggests that he has very likely penetrated deep into Wuyin Miangu's lair.

Thinking of this, both of them swallowed hard.

Despite his young age, Nangong Mu is a fearless and headstrong young man who is incredibly brave when he fights.

Even if they had a few more lives, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble in the snake demon's lair.

Nangong Mu, oblivious to their expressions, continued gesturing excitedly: "The gallbladders of Little Wuyin are sweeter and more effective than those of Old Wuyin. Junior brothers, eat more of these, and you'll be on your way to breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining."

Duanmu Lang's lips twitched involuntarily. Regardless of age, the gallbladders of Wuyin Miangu were extremely foul-smelling. He had eaten quite a bit of it and could not taste any "sweetness" at all.

Of course, the gallbladder of the Black Yin Mian Gu snake is indeed a good thing. Especially for cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining, it has the wonderful effect of clearing the meridians and increasing strength.

However, consuming too much of this will greatly reduce its effectiveness.

He didn't believe he could break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining with just some snake gallbladders.

Not only him, but everyone in the Five Scattered Sect disliked eating this stuff, including several of the scattered members.

Only Nangong Mu was obsessed with the gallbladder of the Black Yin Mian Gu snake.

This kid not only ate the snake gallbladders stockpiled by the sect, but also personally caught Wuyin Miangu. He ate at least a hundred snake gallbladders a month for more than three years, and even distinguished between the old and young Wuyin snake gallbladders.

He's really a weirdo.

Duanmu Lang was not interested in snake gallbladders, and he avoided the black yin bone that Nangong Mu brought on the boat like the plague.

However, Nangong Mu's cultivation level and status were what they were. He sighed helplessly and ordered the round-faced youth to continue rowing.

The small boat slowly sailed towards Jiming Mountain.

Nangong Mu was already exhausted and quickly closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, but sensing the speed of the small boat, he couldn't help but urge, "Junior brothers, you are moving too slowly. If this continues, it may be dangerous."

Duanmu Lang was stunned at first, then realized what was happening, his eyes widening in disbelief: "You...you attracted Wuyin Miangu?"

Nangong Mu grinned: "The scent of snake cubs is hard to hide, so some big guys will definitely come after us. I just don't know if any of them are old acquaintances."

As soon as he finished speaking, ripples appeared on the water behind him. A series of roars came from afar, and the thick fog suddenly accelerated its flow.

Duanmu Lang's face was ashen. The big guy Nangong Mu mentioned had at least the cultivation level of the late stage of the Spirit Summoning Realm, while the two of them were only at the third level of Qi Refining.

"Brother Wolf, we're finished now."

The round-faced young man slumped onto the boat in despair.

Duanmu Lang, exasperated, snatched the oar and slammed it down on the man, yelling, "You idiot, are you going to stay here and wait to die? Abandon ship and run away!"

Having said that, he abruptly threw down the wooden paddle, stood up, and flew away.

A glimmer of hope instantly appeared on the round-faced young man's face, followed by a flash of light.

In the blink of an eye, the two had disappeared into the mist.

"Master Jiu is also in the swamp, is there anything to be afraid of?"

Nangong Mu scratched his head, picked up the oar, and rowed hard in another direction.

He was incredibly strong; the bow of the boat suddenly jerked up, propelling the boat forward more than ten feet, leaving a clear ripple on the water's surface.

"Master Jiu!"

Following the direction indicated by the sound transmission talisman, Nangong Mu rowed the boat while shouting.

Suddenly, the boat crashed through a drooping vine, and the miasma before them thinned abruptly, revealing a deep pool. Thick layers of humus floated on the dark surface, gleaming eerily under the light.

There's sunshine here?
Nangong Mu was deeply shocked and looked up at the sky.

Everywhere you look, there are ancient banyan trees with intertwined roots and countless rotting branches.

But through the gaps in the branches and leaves, dappled sunlight shimmered.

"Ho ho ho"

Just then, a sharp, eerie laugh echoed through the air.

"Uncle-Master Jiu, you really are here."

Nangong Mu turned around in surprise.

However, there was nothing around.

"They're still avoiding me."

Nangong Mu pursed his lips and continued to steer the small boat forward.

The oars stirred the dark green water of the pool, creating a string of sulfurous bubbles and a sticky, bubbling sound that was somewhat eerie.

Nangong Mu seemed oblivious until an aged voice rang out: "Mu Mu, don't come any closer."

Nangong Mu was stunned: "Grandma, you're here too?"

"Ah."

Grandma Lai spoke briefly and meaningfully.

Nangong Mu stopped rowing, his expression slightly hesitant.

But as soon as he stopped, a roar followed.

The water surface began to ripple again, and the previously regular bubbles of marshland immediately became chaotic, constantly rising and breaking. The drooping branches around the area swayed violently, as if someone were pulling them.

"You've gotten yourself into trouble again."

Grandma Lai sighed and finally emerged from the foot of a giant banyan tree, leaning on her cane.

Beside him was a man carrying a wooden box, slightly hunched over, with white in his eyes, chuckling strangely with his hands in his sleeves, but saying nothing.

Upon seeing the two, Nangong Mu hurriedly flew over with a bag full of Wuyin Miangu, grinning shamelessly, "Look, my two senior uncles, what a bountiful harvest!"

When Granny Lai saw his grinning face, she was furious and immediately raised her cane to hit him: "You never learn! You never learn! I'm going to teach you a lesson on behalf of Zhang Can!"

"My senior master is right."

Even as he was being beaten, Nangong Mu's smile never faded, as if the cane striking him had no power at all.

Grandma Lai looked helplessly at the strange man beside her: "Doctor Jiu, please stop Wu Yin Mian Gu. I'll take Mu Mu back first."

"I'm afraid it's too late."

The physician licked his dry lips: "If other demonic beasts came, they could still deceive the creatures sleeping in the pool, but this snake demon has invaded its territory, hehehe."

Upon hearing this, Grandma Lai's expression changed slightly.

Just as he was about to speak, the water surface suddenly churned, and a colossal creature burst forth from the pool!

In an instant, putrid liquid splashed everywhere, and a foul stench assaulted our senses.

Grandma Lai suddenly spun her cane, and the green, fishy wind was shattered by the airflow and dissipated halfway.

But then, a thick snake tail came crashing down with the force of "sweeping across a thousand armies," and the giant banyan tree collapsed instantly, sending countless broken branches and debris flying and raising thick clouds of dust.

Granny Lai emerged from the dust, her face grim as she looked down at the giant python.

The giant python raised its head high, ignoring Granny Lai. Its amber vertical pupils were fixed on Nangong Mu, and its forked tongue hissed and spewed out poisonous mist once again.

"Eat this."

Dr. Jiu grabbed Nangong Mu by the back of his collar and slapped him on the back.

Nangong Mu subconsciously made a vomiting motion, only realizing what was happening when a pill was shoved into his mouth. Without hesitation, he swallowed quickly and exclaimed with a hint of excitement, "Uncle-Master Jiu, it's the King Serpent of the Black Yin Mian Gu!"

Knowing what Nangong Mu wanted to say, Dr. Jiu chuckled and said, "This time, I'm afraid it won't be your turn to extract its bile."

Before he finished speaking, the entire pool began to shake violently.

Almost all the swamp bubbles that were on the edge moved to the center of the pool. The bubbles that rose were getting bigger and bigger, some of them had expanded to the size of an infant's head. After they burst, they emitted a strong sulfurous odor that was nauseating.

The Black Yin Bone King Serpent trembled all over, as if it was extremely uncomfortable with the smell. Its eyes warily scanned its surroundings, and its body twisted uneasily.

"coming!"

The doctor suddenly took to the air.

Granny Lai quickly followed behind. The Black Yin Bone King Serpent naturally sensed the danger, and a hint of hesitation flashed in its pupils. In the end, it plunged into the deep pool with a "whoosh," attempting to escape by using water escape techniques.

It was extremely fast; amidst the surging waves, it had already passed the small boat that Nangong Mu was approaching.

However, the water level in the center of the pool had silently sunk at some point.

In the blink of an eye, the depression transformed into a rapidly spinning, pitch-black vortex, and the dark, sinister king serpent, along with the small boat, was swept back like withered leaves.

"boom!"

A muffled thunderclap boomed, and towering, turbid waves suddenly surged from the edge of the vortex.

The surface of the pool twisted and deformed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and a giant waterspout about thirty feet high rose from the ground, piercing the sky. The Black Yin Bone King Serpent twisted its body frantically, but still could not stop its decline, and was forcibly torn out of the water and swept into the air.

The waterspout collapsed with a deafening roar in the next instant.

The turbid waves crashed onto the surface of the pool like falling meteors, causing tremors throughout the surrounding hundred miles. The Black-Yellow Bone King Serpent plummeted from the sky, about to plunge into the water.

"Wow!"

A ferocious triangular snake head suddenly emerged from the depths of the vortex, its blood-red maw wide open. The Black Yin Bone King Serpent had no time to dodge; its head instantly slid into the giant jaws, leaving only half of its tail writhing and struggling outside.

The triangular snake's head continued to rise, revealing its massive body covered in dark blue scales. Most horrifying of all were the irregular black spots covering its back, many of which protruded with sharp bony spurs, a truly gruesome sight.

"Black Swamp Dragon's Fury!!"

Grandma Lai looked at him with apprehension, and her withered fingers unconsciously clenched her cane tightly.

The Black Swamp Dragon ignored her, its massive jaws continuing to swallow forcefully. The Black Yin Bone King Serpent's struggles were ultimately futile, and the exposed half of its tail disappeared in an instant.

The water in the pool gradually returned to calm.

The Black Swamp Dragon sank its swollen belly, and its pair of jet-black vertical pupils slowly moved toward Granny Lai and the other two who were suspended high in the sky.

(End of this chapter)