Chapter 2357

Where green smoke rises marks the clash between black earth and yellow sand.

"Looks like the wasteland is being devoured." This phenomenon made He Lingchuan somewhat worried.

"How could that be?" Dong Rui was puzzled. "Isn't this wasteland the Great Square Gourd's territory? How can it just sit by and watch?"

"The Great Square Gourd's abnormality has persisted for a long time." Ever since He Lingchuan personally experienced the battle between the Dragon God and Lady Lady Lady Mitian in the Coiling Dragon World, the Great Square Gourd had shut him out — a closure lasting seven years.

Who knows what the gourd is up to; seven years and it still hasn't finished, and now it even lets the wasteland be invaded by the Earth Mother.

Is it too busy to care?

The three rode cranes circling a few times and discovered that the Coiling Dragon Wasteland had already been devoured by black earth over one-seventh of its area. This invasion spread from the northeast and northwest toward other directions.

Only three or four days have passed.

Dong Rui asked, "What is the Earth Mother doing?"

"Seizing the Coiling Dragon Ancient City's territory." He Lingchuan mused. "The Earth Mother has extensive experience devouring other ancient city ruins; it has its own methods. Perhaps in its understanding, the smaller the opponent's territory, the weaker their power should be."

This understanding is not wrong. Back when He Lingchuan launched the Dragon God War, he also first consolidated other parts of the Shimmering Gold Plain before finally dealing with the Yao Kingdom.

Weak before strong, easy before difficult — a conventional approach that works.

The question Zhu Xiuer raised was truly thought-provoking: "How did it know to come to the Coiling Dragon Wasteland, and how did it know the wasteland and the Great Square Gourd had become abnormal, making it convenient to take advantage of the opening?"

He Lingchuan exhaled: "It shouldn't have known. Someone — or some god — told it."

"Those two fully descended guys?" Zhu Xiuer was irritated. "Looks like they didn't fight the Earth Mother!"

"The ways to obtain the 'Yang Pass Path' aren't necessarily limited to forceful seizure, especially since the Earth Mother is a powerful primordial giant yaoguai and doesn't specialize in opposing Heavenly Demons." He Lingchuan's heart was heavy. "Dealing with a big shot like this, negotiation, cooperation, trade — all are better than fighting."

Dong Rui also felt things were bad: "Looks like the Heavenly Demons haven't given up monitoring and researching the Great Square Gourd these past years either."

He Lingchuan said nothing.

Historically, the destruction of Coiling Longcheng was because the Great Square Gourd's secret leaked. Lady Lady Lady Mitian almost proved the Great Square Gourd could be used for full god descent, so the Lingxu Saint Venerable must have always had designs on the Great Square Gourd.

His power is too strong; even a true immortal's body like Cang Xi Shenjun's cannot bear it. If He wants to descend, the optimal solution is to use the Great Square Gourd.

So how could He not pay attention, how could He not research?

Thinking of this, He Lingchuan felt some self-reproach.

The Great Square Gourd has been closed for seven years — why did he never personally make a trip to the Coiling Dragon Wasteland?

Although the possibility is small, if the Great Square Gourd is truly seized by the Earth Mother or Heavenly Demons taking advantage of the vacancy this time, what will he do in the future?

He Lingchuan let out a long breath.

The urgent priorities are two: one, ascertain the state of the Coiling Dragon Ruins and the Great Square Gourd; two, scout enemy intelligence.

Just then two crane yaoguai flew over to report: "Twenty li to the northwest there is a large city cutting off the Red Cliff Road."

"Go take a look."

The cranes turned and headed northwest.

The usually bustling Red Cliff Road was now anomalously empty; they flew twenty li without seeing a single troop. Instead, some yaoguai wandered the road — clearly not good sorts.

"Looks like the Earth Mother doesn't like restraining her subordinates, letting them run wild eating people." The Red Cliff Trade Road is a vital trade route for Shen Kingdom's northwest; now that it's cut off, He Chunhua should have received the news by now, right?

A few li further, a large city suddenly appeared!

Its area naturally cannot compare to super-large cities like Ju City or Wei'an, but it is even larger than the former Coiling Longcheng. Observing from afar, the walls are over ten zhang high and very thick — at least wide enough for three horse-drawn carriages to drive abreast.

Thick mist and vapor drift above the city, obscuring its full view. But from the buildings behind the walls that He Lingchuan could see, there are all styles and colors — a hip-roofed pavilion next to a ten-tier stupa, a grand hall facing a seashell house.

A mix of various styles, bizarre yet interesting.

If not for the heavy danger, going in for a stroll would really be eye-opening.

Zhu Xiuer suddenly said: "Look at the city gate! That blue-skinned thing should be a Jiao Ren!"

After shedding its new spider skin, it gained the divine ability of clairvoyance; the other two had to fly closer to see clearly that quite a few yaoguai soldiers stood on the ghost city's walls, among them indeed a humanoid blue-skinned figure.

He Lingchuan had seen them in Bei Jia, so he recognized them at a glance: "Indeed Jiao Ren! The Earth Mother and Heavenly Demons are in cahoots."

This is truly the worst news — two big troubles bundled together.

Dong Rui stroked his chin: "Didn't Shuang Ye say the Earth Mother is an extremely greedy yaoguai? What method did those two Heavenly Demons use to persuade it?"

"Perhaps not as much effort as we imagine." He Lingchuan analyzed. "The Earth Mother loves all kinds of ruins; the Coiling Dragon Ancient City should suit its appetite best."

Seeing they were getting closer to the ghost city, He Lingchuan patted the crane's back: "Be careful."

The warning was timely, because the mist ahead suddenly formed a face — like a human yet like a mountain demon, long nose short mouth, eyes glowing red.

It glanced at the crane flock and everyone felt their hair stand on end.

Dong Rui murmured: "This guy is strong."

He Lingchuan casually threw a flying dart at it, not using much force, but enough for it to fly over ten zhang and trace a beautiful arc.

The dart spun, just rushed into the clouds and mist then dropped vertically, as if it had hit an invisible wall of Qi.

"There's a barrier, can't go further." Looks like the Earth Mother also values privacy and doesn't like others peeping at her residence.

As his words fell, a large flock of dark red sparrows suddenly burst from the clouds and mist, whooshing toward the crane flock.

Each was larger than a magpie but resembled a hummingbird, with long sharp beaks; flying like giant hornets, they brought a deafening buzz.

Coming in such overwhelming numbers, the momentum was astonishing.

"They're Blood-Sucking Sparrows." Zhu Xiuer reported in time. "Judging by their size, they can drain a large living person dry in fifteen breaths."

"Fifteen breaths..." Dong Rui's face darkened. This flock has at least three thousand! At this rate, just a few dozen landing on him would suck him into a human jerky in one breath.

Zhu Xiuer added insult to injury: "These Blood-Sucking Sparrows are innately gifted — iron feathers, steel wings, able to pierce ordinary protective Qi and barriers."

How to defend against that?

"Where's your net?" Dong Rui was furious. "Throw it out quick! Net all these sparrows, tonight I'll roast them for drinking snacks."

Otherwise he'd have to summon Number Sixty-Six to protect him.

"No need." Zhu Xiuer's claws just hooked up when He Lingchuan said, "I have a better way."