Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

He glanced at the four people bandaging each other and talking in hushed tones, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

After this bloody battle, this hastily assembled team finally seems to have taken on the appearance of a real team.

"Sect Leader, are you alright?" Su Xiao asked with concern when she saw Shen Mo wake up.

"It's alright, it just took a lot of energy." Shen Mo shook his head, his gaze falling on the water near the small reef where crocodiles still lingered.

"It looks like those crocodiles won't be coming anytime soon. Let's rest here for an hour."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "In today's battle, everyone's performance was commendable. Shi Tie was brave and made significant contributions in holding the enemy back. Su Xiao reacted quickly and used illusion magic skillfully."

"Da Niu is getting into his stride and is able to stabilize the situation in the later stages. Qing Yan... is particularly outstanding, remaining calm under pressure, and her use of talismans is a stroke of genius."

Receiving such direct praise from the sect leader, all four showed joy on their faces. Zhao Qingyan, in particular, was so excited that her eyes even reddened.

"However," Shen Mo changed the subject, his tone becoming serious, "this battle also exposed many problems."

"Shi Tie, you are brave, but sometimes you rely too much on brute force and your moves lack variety, making you easy to counter. In the future, you need to practice your power generation techniques more, combining strength and flexibility."

Shi Tie blushed and stammered, "Yes, Sect Leader, I've got it."

"Da Niu, you tend to panic when facing the enemy, which is a major mistake. You need to work on your mental fortitude. Remember, when facing the enemy, don't just focus on their weapons; pay attention to their footwork, center of gravity, and intentions."

Zhang Daniu nodded earnestly: "I understand, Sect Leader! I will definitely change!"

"Su Xiao, your use of divine sense is passable, but your attack methods are too limited. While the Bewitching Sound Technique is ingenious, it's difficult to sustain. In the future, you'll need to find a truly offensive method of using divine sense."

Su Xiao nodded solemnly: "Xiao'er understands."

"Qingyan," Shen Mo said, turning to his youngest disciple on the trip, his tone softening slightly.

"You performed exceptionally well today. But remember, formations and talismans are ultimately external things. Your own cultivation is the foundation. Do not let today's small achievement make you complacent in your cultivation."

Zhao Qingyan stood up and bowed respectfully, saying, "Qingyan will remember the teachings of Senior Brother Headmaster!"

"Hmm." Shen Mo nodded, then made a decision, "We shouldn't stay here any longer. We'll continue our journey in an hour."

"Those crocodiles are a treasure trove; their scales can be used to make armor, their sharp teeth can be used to forge weapons, and their demon cores are a valuable resource for cultivation. Unfortunately... we are powerless to collect them."

A hint of regret flashed in everyone's eyes as they looked at the several crocodile carcasses floating on the water not far away. Those were all spirit stones!

"We're lucky to be alive!" Shi Tie was quite philosophical about it. "We'll come back and deal with these beasts when our cultivation is higher!"

Upon hearing this, everyone laughed, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

During the rest period, while tending to their wounds and recovering their strength, everyone shared their experiences from the battle. Their conversations, exchanged after being baptized in blood and fire, seemed to have grown even closer and more harmonious.

An hour passed quickly.

After resting, the five-person team set off again. The deeper they went into the Yunmeng Marsh, the more treacherous the environment became.

The waters became wider and deeper, and huge shadows occasionally swam by beneath the murky surface, emanating an aura that sent chills down one's spine.

The air was thick with the scent of water and a faint smell of blood, a clear indication that what lay ahead was no place of peace.

Along the way, they encountered several sporadic attacks.

There were venomous water scorpions lurking in the mud, ready to strike suddenly; there were swarms of piranhas with sharp teeth; and once, they almost stumbled into the territory of a giant toad lurking in the deep water, its aura comparable to that of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Fortunately, Shen Mo's divine sense was sharp, and he gave an early warning, allowing everyone to narrowly avoid the danger.

After the initial bloody battles and a series of terrifying moments, this small team has become increasingly coordinated.

Shi Tie charged ahead, growing stronger with each battle; Su Xiao coordinated and directed the attack with meticulous planning; Zhang Daniu was no longer as flustered as he had been at the beginning, and his axe skills had become much more steady.

Zhao Qingyan made the most of her half-baked knowledge of formations, sometimes setting up simple warning barriers, and sometimes using the environment to create small obstacles, achieving remarkable feats time and again.

The short two or three-day trip transformed these five people as if they had been reborn. Each of them had lost some of their youthful naiveté and gained a touch of experience and perseverance.

That afternoon, after they had struggled through a forest of dead trees filled with corrosive miasma, the view suddenly opened up before them!

A vast, circular body of water appeared before them. In the center of the water, the outline of a colossal palace shrouded in a hazy blue light was faintly visible.

The palace appears to be mostly submerged in water, with only some upturned eaves and collapsed walls protruding above the surface, covered with dark green moss and eerie vines, exuding an ancient and weathered aura.

The blue light enveloping the palace flickered unpredictably, sometimes solid as a wall, sometimes undulating like ripples, clearly indicating an extremely powerful ancient restriction.

This is the entrance area of ​​Liuyun Water Mansion!

However, what is even more alarming is the scene surrounding the Water Palace.

At the edge of the circular waterway, on the larger reefs and broken stone platforms that protrude from the water, there were now hundreds of people densely packed together!

Banners fluttered, tents stood in rows, and voices clamored everywhere! Streaks of light of various colors shot in from afar, landing in the various camps.

"My God... so many people?!" Zhang Daniu stared wide-eyed at the scene before him, which resembled a massive army gathering in the mortal world.

"Goodness, this is even more lively than our market at Qingyun Mountain..." Shi Tie clicked his tongue, his dark face full of shock. Although he expected there would be a lot of people, he didn't expect it to be this crowded!

Su Xiao and Zhao Qingyan turned pale. They could clearly sense the powerful aura emanating from those camps!

There were many cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining, and some even possessed unfathomable power, like sleeping ferocious beasts, making people dare not look directly at them!

Compared to the elites of these major sects, these five Qi Refining stage cultivators were as insignificant as dust!

Shen Mo's pupils contracted slightly. The scene before him was even more massive and complex than he had anticipated. His gaze quickly swept over the flags of the various camps.

Due east, a massive silver sword banner fluttered in the wind, its sword energy soaring to the heavens! The cultivators beneath it, all clad in white and carrying swords, wore aloof expressions; they were none other than the overlord of the surrounding thousand miles—the Heavenly Sword Sect!

Its camp covers the largest area and has the most imposing presence.

To the left of the Heavenly Sword Sect, an ice-blue Xuan Bird Banner exudes a chilling aura; it is the Xuanbing Pavilion, which is equally renowned.

To the right, beneath a banner with a medicine cauldron pattern, a group of cultivators dressed in Daoist robes adorned with alchemy furnace designs gathered together, their expressions arrogant. They were none other than the people from the Alchemy Cauldron Pavilion, the old rival of the Azure Cloud Sect.

Besides these three major forces, there are also the banners of more than a dozen sects and families of varying sizes, as well as an even larger number of independent cultivators, who occupy some marginal places in groups of three or five.

The entire edge of the circular waterway resembled a miniature cultivation world, a melting pot of dragons and snakes, with turbulent undercurrents.