Chapter 2401: Kickoff! Let's Fight!

The first person or monster to see it all gasped in cold air, because its entire body was covered in armor-like plating, especially its astonishingly large head, whose circumference exceeded the city gate of Yujing. This huge head was rough and uneven, looking from afar like a massive granite boulder, but its protruding giant fish eyes were grayish-white, giving it a ferocious expression.

Its huge mouth remained tightly shut, but the upper jaw flipped outward a pair of front teeth, resembling cleavers over three zhang long. In fact, these were not teeth, but growths on the head armor.

Bai Yuan, standing beside the Immortal Mingke, instantly recognized its true nature: "Shieldskin Fish! No, it's the guardian spirit of the Shieldskin Fish!"

Through the withered leaf butterfly, he immediately saw that although this giant fish appeared mighty, it had no physical form.

This is a remarkably powerful guardian spirit; who knows what underwater relic the Earth Mother swallowed to obtain it.

The Shieldskin Fish clan is one of the sea's overlords, but they are generally small in size, growing only five chi every fifty years, and the older they get, the slower they grow. A Shieldskin Fish this large, even Immortal Mingke has never seen before.

This giant fish swam through the mist like a cruiser in the ocean, and all nearby monsters felt an intense pressure as it approached.

The Earth Mother pointed at the square pool and ordered: "The secret realm entrance is here—smash it open for me!"

Naturally, only the immaterial can open the secret realm.

Substance against substance, void against void. The best tool to pry open the secret realm gate is the guardian spirit.

The Shieldskin Fish turned in a circle to correct its bearing, then aimed at the square pool, flicked its tail, and surged forward with sudden speed!

Its swiftness bore no proportion to its size.

Other monsters didn't even have time to blink before the Shieldskin Fish crashed into the pool.

The fish's armored head, now encased in heavy plating, became a super-sized siege hammer.

Though clearly just an illusion, the pool water was shaken up half a zhang high, splashing with a loud 'hualala'.

After a few breaths, the Shieldskin Fish rose again from the pool bottom, shaking its head and swaying its tail.

Judging by its appearance, it seemed a bit dazed from the impact.

It swayed its tail and swam away, then charged once more.

Once more.

Still no success.

"Trash!" the Earth Mother cursed it, "Can't you even break open a weak secret realm?"

Others facing the secret realm entrance might be helpless, but based on years of experience, it knows each secret realm may have a unique opening method, yet the simplest, most direct, brutal way is to batter it open by force!

As long as the strength is sufficient, no door cannot be smashed open.

This saying applies equally to substance and void.

After scolding it, the little stone man seemed to toss something into the air, and the Shieldskin Fish immediately darted down, snatching it up in one bite.

The object was too small; even with immortal eyesight, one could only see a faint glow, like a few round, lustrous things.

Like a large night pearl.

After swallowing it, the Shieldskin Fish's scales became clearer, and the armor on its head turned a bluish-gray, making it look even more ferocious.

It then swam two more circles in the mist, gathering strength.

Afterwards, it once again aimed at the square pool and launched an attack.

The pool water no longer splashed half a zhang high, but instead rippled in waves.

The Shieldskin Fish soon reappeared above the pool, but this time it held its head high, proud and confident.

The mist above the pool suddenly turned red, rich and vivid like blood!

"Good, finally opened it!" "The secret realm entrance has been smashed open!" the little stone man happily waved his hand, "All of you, get in!"

We've already delayed too long; the attack on the Panlong Ruins now officially begins!

With a long howl from the three leaders, the vast monster horde leapt down from the medicinal fields and rushed toward the pool.

Plop, plop—one jumps in and vanishes, a group jumps in and the group vanishes.

This is indeed the secret realm entrance!

……

The group of immortals from Ling Mountain led by the Sihai True Person had already flown close to the Chipa Plateau, and the black-and-red ridge of the plateau grew clearer in their vision.

"It looks like the struggle between Yujing City and the Panlong Ruins is especially fierce."

From the ridge's position, one can tell the two great cities are fighting over territory, and the Chipa Plateau is the last pure land of the Panlong Ruins—it will surely yield not an inch.

As the Ling Mountain immortals were about to approach, the sky above Yujing City suddenly stirred with wind and clouds, thick fog drifting from nowhere to envelop the entire city.

Clearly, this mist is the Earth Mother's doing, unwilling to let the Ling Mountain immortals see through their illusions and tactics.

Within the mist, a giant face faintly emerged.

The Yinshan immortal following behind the Sihai True Person said: "Look at this Earth Mother's expression—it's not pleased."

Sihai True Person raised his hand, stopping the others from advancing.

Getting any closer might provoke the Earth Mother. For now, they must first negotiate with it, seeking an opportunity.

Whether the Earth Mother or the Panlong Ruins reveals weakness and fatigue, it will only benefit them.

But just then, hundreds of red birds suddenly flew out of the mist, all swooping toward a floating wooden boat.

The boat's prow and stern were three zhang long, carrying over twenty sect disciples. Seeing the red birds approach, they instinctively unleashed their divine abilities.

Unexpectedly, these red birds were extraordinarily tough—their feathers resisted blades and swords. Though over ten were struck down, the rest still reached the boat, seized people, and began pecking.

Their beaks bore built-in hooks; each peck tore out a chunk of flesh, and the lower jaw's frequency rivaled that of a woodpecker.

The most unfortunate disciple, standing at the front, was simultaneously besieged by ten blood-sucking birds, instantly gaining twenty-seven or twenty-eight bleeding wounds across his body, each gushing blood!

He lost his balance, toppled backward, and fell off the boat.

Still mid-air before hitting the ground, a flock of blood-sucking birds swarmed together and instantly enveloped him.

Not far away, the Yinshan immortal saw this and threw three flying needles.

These needles were about the size of ordinary embroidery needles, but in flight they turned with extraordinary agility—appearing and disappearing without trace, a soft 'xiu' as they pierced through four or five red birds.

The red bird flock sensed the danger and scattered with a 'hula'. Only then did people see the unfortunate disciple reduced to a bloody skeleton, all flesh and skin stripped away.

Another immortal also shouted "All bow your heads!" and then flung off his outer robe from behind.

The cloak suddenly expanded, and the crimson sparrows scattered to dodge. Thereupon the cloak covered the seven or eight disciples who had been pecked the worst, and in a blink it hardened like stone.

The man blew a breath at the diving crimson sparrows, and ice crystals instantly rode the wind. The sparrows' wings both sprouted icicles, and they plummeted with a zing-zing sound.

Before they hit the ground, they had been frozen into ice sculptures, then smashed quite a few pits into the earth.

These crimson sparrows came suddenly; fortunately everyone present was a master, and after some effort they exterminated them.

True Person Si Hai frowned: "Has the Earth Mother gone mad? Out of nowhere she sends them to provoke us?"

They all knew these blood-sucking sparrows were raised by the Ghost City; recently they had been flying everywhere indiscriminately, injuring many people.

They hadn't made a move, so what did the Earth Mother mean by releasing blood-sucking sparrows to kill them first? A warning or a provocation?

Although he had discussed the infiltration plan with Supreme Ming Yao, he did not want to engage the moment they arrived — too rushed.

The words had just fallen when Immortal Yin Shan suddenly pointed at the sky: "Look quick!"

(End of chapter)