Chapter 372: Invoking the Gods

The Garrison warships had come at a truly bad time.

The East Lake Ancestor had already been alarmed; although it hadn't left the cave, it still had the ability to stir up undercurrents, and coupled with that terrifying Gu technique, it was the nemesis of the fleet.

"Retreat quickly!"

After just shouting once, Li Yan immediately gave up.

The distance was too far; even if he shouted until his throat broke, the other party couldn't possibly hear him, and furthermore, Lu San's hawk was injured, so there was no time to notify them.

Without any hesitation, Li Yan immediately pulled out the 'Armor Horse', tied it to his leg, and pinched a spell, "Nuogao! Six Jia Nine Chapters, Heaven is round and Earth is square. Four Seasons and Five Elements, the Sun and Moon are light, Yu steps open the way..."

As soon as the curse was cast, his whole body leaped into the air and jumped into the river.

With his current cultivation, aided by the Armor Horse and the 'Divine Movement Technique' borrowing-force method, he was already able to walk on water.

Every time he leaped more than ten meters, he would stomp fiercely toward the water surface, splashing a giant spray with a 'boom', and borrow that force to fly out again.

Viewed from afar, it was like skipping stones as he shuttled across the river.

The water army sent by the Garrison had three Jiujiang-style scout ships, with huge bodies, and more than a dozen Cangshan ships and small boats cruising outside.

Seeing Li Yan coming across the waves, the soldiers on the ship were startled.

"Someone, alert!"

With the order, people immediately bent their bows and raised their guns.

"Don't shoot!"

On the deck of the warship, Thousand-Man Commander Zhou picked up a long telescope and looked; seeing it was Li Yan, he hurriedly stopped them.

Before the words fell, a soldier on lookout ahead shouted: "Commander, there is something underwater ahead!"

Thousand-Man Commander Zhou stepped forward hurriedly, holding the ship's rail and looking down.

He saw a stream of white mist surging over, exceptionally obvious in the light cyan river water, and even turning a corner halfway.

It was a living thing!

Thousand-Man Commander Zhou immediately realized something was wrong and hurriedly ordered the ship to stop.

However, it was already too late.

They saw a leading small boat enter the range of the white mist, and the hull was quickly dyed white.

Now everyone could see it clearly.

It was no white mist at all, but clearly countless dense white thread worms, writhing as they climbed onto the deck, surrounding several crew members.

"Use fire! Use fire!"

The soldiers on the ship were so frightened their hair stood on end.

Fortunately, they had been traveling on the water for many years and had seen some strange and bizarre things, so they did not panic and immediately lit torches and waved them around.

This was also experience; most gloomy and evil things, and even wild beasts, had a natural fear of fire.

Sure enough, as the torches waved, the white worm swarm was forced back, but then it found an opening and surged up again like a tide.

These terrifying Gu worms of the East Lake Ancestor had a natural craving for flesh and blood, and couldn't wait to drill into their bodies to multiply.

Just at this moment, the sound of wind came from the air, accompanied by a low curse: "Nuogao, left belt three stars, right belt three prisons..."

It was Li Yan who had arrived. While leaping into the air, he performed the 'North Emperor Body-Protecting Curse'.

"Roar!"

The soldiers only felt a violent wind suddenly blow around them, and at the same time heard the roar of a fierce tiger.

In just an instant, the white worm swarm collapsed.

Although these things were terrifying, their divine souls were weak; facing the North Emperor Body-Protecting Curse, they were like candles in the wind, extinguishing instantly.

The worms on the ship immediately stopped moving, but there were more underwater, surging like smoke, continuing to climb onto the ship.

"Leave first!"

Without bothering with nonsense, Li Yan grabbed a soldier, his arm's hidden strength erupted, and he threw him far away.

The other soldiers were not fools either and did not resist.

And they didn't have a chance to struggle; Li Yan's body rotated, his hands like steel claws, borrowing the power of rotation and hidden strength, throwing people away one by one.

The small boat was fast and usually used for reconnaissance, with a full complement of five or six soldiers; in the blink of an eye, they were all thrown away by Li Yan.

The nearest ship was tens of meters away, and Li Yan threw them more than half the distance; after the soldiers fell into the water, they swam rapidly and were rescued by people on another ship.

And on the small boat, only Li Yan remained.

He was fearless, relying purely on the swaying of the Three Talents Suppressing Demon Money on the Dust-Severing Blade to make it difficult for the Gu worms to get close.

Ding, ding, ding!

The Three Talents Suppressing Demon Money shook, and the sound traveled into the water.

In the giant cave in the distance, the East Lake Ancestor seemed to have sensed something, the blood light in its eyes became even more intense, its thick legs exerted force, and it still rushed forward.

The giant iron pillars carved with talismans on its head were all connected to chains at the back, connected to the surrounding cave.

This is the reason it guards the cave entrance.

It is not being obedient, but rather, it cannot leave.

Splash!

Massive chains stirred up undercurrents in the water, and even with the Donghu Ancestor's enormous size, it was pulled into a stagger.

Immediately, the stone walls shook, and gravel tumbled down.

Even on the distant cliffs exposed above the water, rocks clattered and rolled, falling into the river.

The people from the garrison naturally saw this scene.

Commandant Zhou's eyelids twitched; sensing something was wrong, he immediately ordered his men to wave their signal flags, and the entire team slowly retreated.

Meanwhile, the Donghu Ancestor in the water seemed to have gone mad, struggling desperately, and blood gushed from the iron pillars embedded in its body.

Boom, boom, boom!

From deep within the cave, the faint sound of drums could be heard.

The frantically struggling Donghu Ancestor suddenly let out a shrill roar, retreated into the cave, and stopped moving.

It opened its massive mouth, and the swarm of white gu-insects that had been wreaking havoc in the water were swallowed back into its belly like smoke, after which it retreated into the cave with eyes full of venomous resentment.

This commotion was naturally noticed by many.

Commandant Zhou looked at the cliff, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Li Yan, meanwhile, looked at the tassel of the Demon-Suppressing Coin, lost in thought.

After using this treasure just now, the Donghu Ancestor seemed to have been stimulated; could it be that it is very interested in this thing?

However, there was no time to dwell on it. Seeing a boat coming to pick him up, Li Yan leaped onto it and then followed it onto the large ship in the middle.

"Greetings, Li Li Shaoxia."

Commandant Zhou was very courteous and hurried over to meet him.

In his view, Li Yan was simply his lucky star.

First, he found the Ghost Buddha Temple outside Xiangyang City, learned that some villages had been bewitched, and made a great contribution by quelling the incident early.

Subsequently, Li Yan and his group discovered Young Master Lu on Mount Lumei, implicating even the Regional Military Commissioner, who was thrown into prison.

He was already a Commandant, a Rank 5 military official, and having made another contribution this time, he might even be promoted to Assistant Regional Commander.

"Many thanks to you, Lord Zhou, for coming to support us."

Li Yan did not waste words and said in a deep voice, "A group of Ghost Sect demons is hiding in the mountains; the entrance is underwater, guarded by an old demon."

"That old demon is called the Donghu Ancestor, a mutated toad turned demon. Its size is extremely massive, and it is skilled in gu-arts..."

After hearing his account, Commandant Zhou was also startled and shook his head, saying, "With such a massive size, I fear it won't be easy to deal with. I have brought new-style cannons, but they can't hit anything hidden underwater."

"It is indeed a trouble."

Li Yan also had a headache. "This demon can stir up winds and waves; if it attacks from underwater, it could capsize the warships. The fleet had better not get close yet."

"To deal with this demon, I fear we cannot do without the help of the Five Long Gong to set up a demon-capturing altar. Commandant Zhou, please send a message immediately to ask them to come and assist."

"This... I fear that won't be possible."

Commandant Zhou said helplessly, "I had already received news when I left that Daoist Yulongzi of the Five Long Gong, after clearing those sources of the plague, immediately led his elite disciples to Nanzhang County to investigate."

As he spoke, he looked around and whispered, "The atmosphere in Xiangyang City is not right now. The Yunyang Prefecture has personally sent people to interrogate those corrupt officials. In my humble opinion, I fear they are going to dispatch troops from Xiangyang."

"Hmm."

Li Yan was not interested in these official matters. Thinking that the people from the Five Long Gong had already left, he felt a headache and hurriedly asked, "How is the situation at the Ghost Buddha Temple?"

Commandant Zhou replied, "I sent experts, along with a Daoist from the Chenghuangmiao, to keep watch in the shadows. No one has taken the bait in the last two days."

There was also a terrifying existence at the Ghost Buddha Temple.

The reason it was called an existence was because the other party was very special. It was originally a nanmu tree spirit that had stumbled upon and cultivated Pure Land Buddhist dharma, merging with the temple ruins and becoming a troublesome existence.

Fortunately, the other party had a clear head, knew what path it should take, and had already been turned.

Now the Ghost Buddha Temple had become a trap; if any more Ghost Sect demons came holding soul tablets, they would be captured on the spot.

As it stands, the Ghost Sect has suffered heavy losses and cannot spare the attention for that place for the time being.

Li Yan pondered for a moment and then said, "That old demon is not easy to deal with, and the Alligator Master has also been captured, unless we lure it out of the water."

"Commandant Zhou, lead your troops to retreat first. Once we think of a way, we will inform you how to deploy."

!.

Commandant Zhou nodded and said, "Very well. We are not skilled in dealing with demonic creatures. Li Li Shaoxia, please be careful."

After some instructions, Commandant Zhou sent a small boat to take Li Yan back to the shore near Xianshan.

…………

"What happened?"

Sha Lifei was waiting on the shore, and seeing Li Yan get off the boat, he hurriedly asked.

"Those demons are underwater..."

Li Yan spoke as he walked, recounted the situation, and then asked, "How is it on Lu San's side?"

Sha Lifei was somewhat helpless. "It's not a big problem, but the falcons need to rest for at least half a month. Sending messages and scouting will be a trouble from now on."

Li Yan shook his head. "Find the Commandant's Office and borrow two to make do for now."

While they were talking, they had already returned to the forest.

Hearing that the Donghu Ancestor was underwater, Wang Daoxuan also had a headache. "This kind of old demon is not easy to deal with, especially underwater; firearms are useless."

"Moreover, the Chenghuangmiao's spirit soldiers have been destroyed. Even if the Five Long Gong sets up a demon-subduing altar, they have to mobilize troops from other places. It will take at least three to five days, and I fear the Alligator Master won't be able to hold out at all."

Lu San's spirit pet was damaged, and he was still in a bad mood. He said coldly, "I have a method: control fish to swallow fire-caltrops and drill into the Donghu Ancestor's mouth to detonate them."

"But this method has a price. Tricking living creatures into death will damage one's own spirit, and it will take time to re-cultivate."

"That price is too high!"

Li Yan directly shook his head and rejected it, then pondered for a moment. "In a while, I will climb down from the cliff, and after getting close to the water surface, I will summon the False False Yin Si soldiers to see if we can finish off this old demon."

This was the only way he could think of.

The cave entrance below was no more than twenty meters from the water surface, which should not be a problem for the False False Yin Si soldiers.

Thinking it over, the group immediately arrived near the cliff.

Sha Lifei and Lu San provided support with guns on the other side, while Li Yan climbed up the hillside, stepping on the protruding rocks of the cliff, and moved rapidly toward the water surface near the cave entrance.

It would have been more convenient to approach by boat.

But that would definitely alert the Donghu Ancestor below, so he could only climb over and launch a surprise attack.

It was already mid-morning, and Li Yan moved quickly, like a nimble monkey on the cliff, and soon reached the nearby water surface.

Li Yan gripped a rock on the cliff with one hand, took out his summons with the other, immediately formed a seal, and chanted in a low voice, "Qingjia! Above is the black sky, below is the black earth, the black sky has no light..."

As the spell was chanted, a sinister wind suddenly roared, dust flew, and the light began to dim gradually.

Just at this moment, the water suddenly surged.

A strong sense of danger flared in Li Yan's heart; he immediately stopped the spell, exerted strength in both arms, and suddenly leaped upward.

Boom!

The water surface shattered, and a massive black shadow broke through the water.

The rock wall where Li Yan had been was struck by this shadow, and gravel instantly splattered everywhere; it was a pitch-black, enormous tongue.

After dodging the attack, Li Yan climbed rapidly upward for dozens of meters, and when he turned his head to look, his scalp went numb.

He saw that the Donghu Ancestor had emerged from the water at some point, its massive body like a cargo ship, with tentacles writhing on its head.

Standing on its head was a woman, wearing a blue embroidered robe, her neck covered in various ornaments, her whole body soaking wet, revealing enchanting curves.

She was beautiful, and looking at Li Yan, she covered her mouth and laughed, "Oh, is this Little Brother Li? This Princess has long admired your name. Those people from the Ghost Sect hate you to the bone."

On the distant shore, Lu San and Sha Lifei raised their firearms at the same time.

However, the woman did not care at all and sneered, "I advise you not to act rashly. That alligator demon is still in our hands. If you mess around, I will take its life immediately!"

Li Yan waved his hand to make Sha Lifei and the others stop, then said coldly, "Speak, what are your conditions?"

He had obtained some intelligence and knew that this woman was Princess Tan Yuner of the Tang Ya Tusi City, skilled in gu-arts, and also notoriously fierce in the Mystic world.

"Conditions? Hahaha..."

Tan Yuner covered her mouth and laughed enchantingly, but her eyes were filled with coldness. "With your lot, you are still worthy of negotiating conditions with this Princess?"

"I only came out to tell you not to look for trouble, otherwise I will slaughter that alligator demon immediately. Once we are done with our business, we will settle accounts with you!"

Having said that, she stomped her foot fiercely. "Idiots, go back!"

Blood light flared intensely in the Donghu Ancestor's eyes, but it dared not resist, and carrying the woman, it dived back into the water.

Thud!

Soon, the water surface churned with waves and mud.

A sense of unease rose in Li Yan's heart; he leaped into the water again to look below.

Sure enough, these demons had actually blown up the cave entrance, and it was now completely blocked by rubble and mud.

"Damn it, truly cunning!"

Li Yan couldn't help but curse under his breath.

On the distant river, seeing the Donghu Ancestor appear, the imperial warships had already sailed over; a single cannon shot would have blasted it to pieces, but it was a pity that this demoness had directly destroyed the cave entrance.

Returning to the shore, Sha Lifei and the others were also stunned when they learned the news.

Wang Daoxuan looked at the surrounding mountains and said thoughtfully, "These demons destroyed the entrance themselves; there must be other exits in the mountains. It's a pity that the animals in the mountains don't listen to summons, so I fear they are hard to find."

"Forget it."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "You few, help me guard. Things have come to this, we can only try once."

Having said that, he led the group to find a flat piece of land, set up a yellow cloth, incense burner, and precious candles, and arranged a simple altar.

Li Yan lit the candles, sprayed water from his mouth, opened the altar, then paced the ritual steps, formed the Jade Purity Seal with his left hand, and electric light crackled at his fingertips.

It was as if he were holding a thunder talisman, commanding ghosts and gods.

At the same time, he held a cinnabar brush in his right hand, rapidly writing a memorial on yellow paper, while chanting, "Qian Yu wards off poison, shaking the spirit of Luo. The Eight Immortals hold the battle-axe for the Supreme Emperor... I wear the thunder seal, commanding ten thousand spirits, act as fast as the law!"

This spell was the "Northern Emperor God-Controlling Method," a type of thunder magic that uses the power of thunder and the Northern Yin Fengdu to command ghosts and gods.

As the spell was finished, the memorial was also written.

"Decree!"

Li Yan pressed his left-hand thunder seal forward, and the yellow memorial instantly soared into the air, spinning and burning, turning into green smoke and ash that drifted in all directions.

And Li Yan closed his eyes as he sat cross-legged.

It felt like the sensation when using the God-Communication Technique; in the same place, Wang Daoxuan, Lu San, and the others had disappeared, and the surrounding mist was thick, like a dream.

Splash~

Suddenly, Li Yan heard the sound of water coming from the riverbank, and two graceful, dreamlike figures drifted slowly from the water.

When Li Yan saw them, his head immediately grew large.

Damn! He had run into a tough opponent.

It was the Goddess of the Han River!

(End of chapter)