The catch inspired my entry: Persistence will eventually lead to invincibility.

"Why...why is this happening?"

Looking at the cracked [Suppressing Water Stele] in front of him, Chen Shi couldn't help but frown.

When he reported to the Water Control Bureau, he was told that the [Water Suppression Stele] was an extremely important object. If it were damaged, it would affect the Fallen Dragon Swamp and be a harbinger of an impending crisis. The spirits suppressed at the bottom of the swamp would once again come ashore as the water level rose.

Realizing this, Chen Shi immediately set out to return as quickly as possible.

"I must report this to the Water Control Bureau immediately!" he thought to himself.

However, just as he was preparing to drive the sampan away...

Suddenly, several figures rapidly approached him from underwater.

Danger!

Almost instantly, this thought flashed through Chen Shi's mind.

He pushed off the boat with both feet and leaped into the air.

At the same time, several dark shadows broke out of the water and smashed the sampan.

At this moment, Chen Shi finally saw clearly what was in front of him.

Monster.

A three-headed, strangely shaped monster from the swamp.

Crab demon, crayfish demon, and black fish demon.

"Is it because the [Suppressing Water Stele] has cracked, causing the demons and monsters suppressed in the Fallen Dragon Swamp to become restless?" Chen Shi thought to himself, his eyes filled with killing intent.

He was unclear about the root cause of the current situation.

But he knew one thing clearly: he had to finish this quickly!

It's highly possible that Ludang Village was also attacked by a water spirit. If so, how terrified must tide Niang be, who is currently powerless, and what dangers might she face?

The thought of this filled Chen Shi with boundless rage.

"My rapid cultivation over the past period has not been in vain; I'll use you all as my 'sharpening stones'."

Before he finished speaking, Chen Shi drew a long steel sword from his waist.

He had already mastered the Canglang Blade Technique to the third level. Although he had learned from Shen Lang that this would slightly improve his combat strength, he still needed to test its effectiveness in actual combat.

"Go to hell!" Chen Shi roared.

He waded through the water, his movements shimmering with silver light, and blood splattering everywhere.

The black fish demon's head was cut off and sank into the water.

The absence of a sampan does not mean that Chen Shi could not fight on the water.

He can now control a flow of 500 jin of water, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to lift himself up for a period of time using this method.

"quack--"

Suddenly, the remaining two crab and crayfish demons charged over, brandishing their pincers.

Clang!

Their huge pincers clamped down on Chen Shi's arm.

However, this had no effect whatsoever, leaving only faint white marks.

"Master Shen is right. The 'copper skin' level after the skin has been polished to the extreme is indeed incredibly powerful. Even the attacks of demonic beasts cannot break through my defense."

While pondering, Chen Shi used his swordsmanship to defeat the two demonic beasts.

At the same time, he had a sudden thought and contacted the giant mouth underwater.

Through Big Mouth's perspective, he then discovered that there were many monsters underwater, numbering well over a hundred, and they were all heading towards the shore.

It took about fifteen minutes.

Chen Shi finally made it back to Ludang Village from near the Zhenshui Stele.

As soon as he got ashore, he was shocked by what he saw.

Where is there even a trace of vitality left?

The house collapsed, and the chickens and ducks died tragically.

There was even a faint, sweet, fishy smell in the air.

Oops!

Chen Shi hurried home, taking three steps at a time.

............

"Hehehe! This young lady is really pretty..."

At this moment, a fat, lewd man licked his lips and cast a lewd glance at Xi Niang, who was huddled in the corner.

"Hey, we need to hurry!" a skinny man with a pointed face urged. "If we're late for the assembly, Boss Lin won't let us off easy."

"Okay, okay, I'll get right on it."

As he spoke, the fat man began to unbutton his shirt.

"Don't, don't touch me!" tide Niang gripped the wood-chopping knife tightly with both hands, her hands trembling as she aimed it at the two thugs in front of her.

"Don't be in such a hurry, young lady. We'll take our time playing together."

tide Niang covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.

She was just a weak woman; how could she possibly face two strong men in front of her?

Just as she was preparing to commit suicide with a wood-chopping knife to preserve her innocence, tide Niang's pupils suddenly contracted, as if she had seen a savior. She cried out hoarsely, "Brother Shi'er!"

What?

Before the sleazy fat man could react, he felt a chill on his neck.

Immediately, he found that everything around him was spinning.

He saw a young man holding a long sword appear behind him.

"Who...who are you?!"

The skinny man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face suddenly came to his senses and quickly created distance. He took out the grappling hook tied to his waist and swung it at the young man.

Then he witnessed an astonishing scene.

Ding ding!

The young man caught the grappling hook with just one hand, without using any weapon, and the sharp hook did not cause him any harm.

"Copper...copper sheet!"

He then regretted coming to this place with the fat man.

Unfortunately, I ran into a bronze-skinned brute!

Among the sea thieves, this makes them one of the very few strong individuals.

Chen Shi remained silent. With a slight twist of his wrist, he pulled the sea thief towards him, causing him to collide with the longsword he had prepared. The result was predictable: the longsword pierced through the sea thief's chest, splattering blood everywhere.

thump--

"What bad luck," Chen Shi muttered to himself, and threw the two corpses to the side of the road.

Immediately, he turned his gaze to tide Niang.

"Shi...Shi'er brother!" tide Niang's voice trembled with tears, "I thought...I thought I would never see you again..."

Chen Shi didn't say anything, he just held the woman in his arms tightly.

Only after the other person regained their composure did they whisper and ask what exactly had happened in Ludang Village.

Upon hearing this, tide Niang immediately recounted what she had seen and heard.

A moment later, Chen Shi's brows furrowed even more.

Just as he guessed, everything he had seen before was the work of sea thieves.

While she was on her way to Sanli Town to grind the millstone, a large number of sea thieves suddenly appeared on the shore. After landing, they grabbed anyone they saw and killed anyone who dared to resist. Seeing this, Xi Niang carefully hid in the cupboard, even keeping her breathing very low, for fear of attracting attention.

They waited like this for an hour.

I thought the group of sea thieves had all left and gone to Whitewater Town.

Little did anyone know that tide Niang had just climbed out of the cupboard when she bumped into the two people who hadn't gone far.

"Brother Shi'er, what should we do next?" tide Niang asked worriedly.

Upon hearing this, Chen Shi could not provide an answer.

However, he knew one thing in his heart: the situation in Baishui Town wasn't much better right now. These water bandits dared to come because they had something to rely on; otherwise, they would only be wandering on the water. It was highly likely that a powerful figure among them was behind it. And the cracks that appeared on the surface of the [Water-Suppressing Stele] were most likely related to that nameless powerful figure among the water bandits.

"If that's really the case, then Master Shen, who is a mortal enemy of the Water Thieves..." Thinking of this, Chen Shi was filled with worry.

............

Meanwhile, in Sanli Town.

This place has been completely captured and is now under the control of the sea pirates. The former Canglang Hall has become the sea pirates' lair.

estuary.

The middle-aged man, who was respectfully called "Master Lin" by many sea thieves, has now given himself a more elegant name that exudes a stronger aura.

This Master Lin now calls himself—the True Lord of Intercepting the River!