Chapter 388: Wild Man

"Dragon Palace water mansion?"

Li Yan felt a headache after hearing this and directly handed out the dragon jade gui. "Perfect, since your Daoist Qingyang Palace is supervising here, I won't interfere anymore. I'll leave it to you to handle."

This matter sounded like a big trouble.

Ancient Dragon God, Erlang Shen's suppression, Dragon Palace water mansion treasures... just hearing these words made Li Yan feel his head grow big.

He knew how fiercely they were fighting in Shu.

Near the Guan River mouth, righteous and evil paths were fighting.

Many people who had ascended to the Divine Realm had already appeared, and even the strongest demon hunter of Mount Wudang, Yulongzi, had to use the national treasure as a bargaining chip to invite experts to help.

He heard that those with four or five floors of cultivation had also fallen.

His small body was best kept at a distance.

"The fellow Daoist is joking..."

Yun Lingzi hurriedly waved his hand and didn't take the dragon-shaped jade gui at all, as if this thing were a hot coal.

He said solemnly, "The fellow Daoist doesn't know that the covenant of the gods cannot be trifled with. The Dragon Girl looking for you must have her reasons."

"I have guarded Longtan Lake for many years, but she has never been willing to appear, clearly dissatisfied with my Daoist Qingyang Palace. If I take this matter, it will become a dead knot."

"A dragon is the essence of heaven and earth and can only be suppressed. If the resentment explodes, it will sooner or later lead to a great disaster..."

This Daoist's righteous words made Li Yan feel even more that this matter was definitely a big trouble.

But since the other party wouldn't take it, he couldn't force it on him, so he had to put the dragon-shaped jade gui away again and frowned. "Then how should this matter be handled?"

"Simple."

Yun Lingzi said, "Since the Dragon Girl entrusted you in a dream, it shows there is room for maneuver. After I go back, I just need to perform a Dharma ritual to appease her, and the problem of Longtan Village will be solved."

Village Head Zhou and the hunters beside him heard this and breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good..."

The conversation between Li Yan and the others, what Dragon God, Erlang Shen, sounded like myths to them, making them tremble with fear.

But as long as the matter could be solved, everything was fine.

And Sha Lifei beside him tasted the flavor and looked suspicious. "Little Brother Yan, the Longtan Village matter is solved, but this trouble, is it being transferred to our heads?"

Yun Lingzi didn't hide it. "The fellow Daoist guessed correctly."

"But this isn't my shirking responsibility, but there is another mystery. Since ancient times, those favored by the earth deities often have their own opportunities. I don't dare to take it, and I can't carry it even if I do."

"Like Liu Yi of Dongting, if it were someone else, I'm afraid it would be a disaster of death. The fellow Daoist has this opportunity, so don't act recklessly..."

"Liu Yi?"

Li Yan was a bit surprised. "Isn't that a legendary story?"

When Yun Lingzi heard this, he shook his head. "Liu Yi's matter, although fabricated by later generations, also has its prototype. He was originally a scholar in the Tang Dynasty who became a great cultivator in a short time, which was when he got a great opportunity in Dongting and was related to the Dragon Girl."

"But this person was very mysterious. After becoming famous, he avoided the world to practice. Some people rumored that he had already ascended to immortality, but there was never any definite news..."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "The Dragon Girl just gave me this thing. I have no idea what she wants to do. What's the use?"

"Don't worry, fellow Daoist."

Yun Lingzi explained for a long time and was already a bit tired, his face pale. "After I go back, I will perform a Dharma ritual to pull out the Dragon-Suppressing Stake. I think I will know the reason by then."

"Forget it."

Seeing that he couldn't ask for any results, Li Yan also changed the subject. "To tell you the truth, we entered the Shennongjia this time to find a trapped flood dragon..."

He told the story and asked, "Daoist, you have been here for many years, do you know where there are traces of a flood dragon near Baokang County?"

Yun Lingzi pondered for a moment and shook his head slightly. "There are many secrets in the Shennongjia, and there are many dangerous areas. Although I have been here for many years, I have only walked a little further than the hunters in the village."

"However, this matter is not without a way."

"Oh, Daoist, please speak directly." Li Yan hurriedly asked.

Their mission this time was not to suppress the flood dragon, but to find its exact location, and then the True Martial Palace would send experts to hold a Dharma ritual to suppress it.

In the formation methods of the Mystic Sect, there were secret methods specifically for dealing with flood dragons.

He didn't want to stay in this Shennongjia for too long.

Yun Lingzi said in a deep voice, "In the land of Jingxiang and Bashu, there are many mountains, rivers, and lakes. Since ancient times, there have been flood dragons causing harm, so my Daoist Qingyang Palace has also studied this thing."

"The so-called accumulation of earth sinks into the abyss, and flood dragons are born there. As long as there is earth vein energy flowing in deep pools and ponds, and there are many fish and shrimp, they can breed."

"Similarly, there are many sources of flood dragons."

"Some are transformed from soft-shelled turtles, fish, and snakes, and some are natural strange species that have obtained a wisp of dragon energy from the earth's veins. Their cultivation also has high and low levels. The more difficult the practice, the more powerful the strength."

"Like that River God Great Lord, he turned into a flood dragon from a poisonous snake in five hundred years, turned into a dragon from a flood dragon in a thousand years in the sea, and didn't know how many hardships he experienced before he dominated one side."

"Some eggs can turn into flood dragons themselves, with low strength, and will even be preyed upon by wild beasts, plundering their luck."

"This kind of flood dragon, when encountering livestock by the river, will use the fishy saliva in its mouth to wrap around them, make them fall into the water, and suck blood under the armpit until the blood is exhausted..."

Yun Lingzi told some characteristics of flood dragons and said, "Those Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect demons want to use the power of the walking flood dragon to penetrate the Ju River. Ordinary trapped flood dragons won't work. They must have deep cultivation and be a deterrent in the Shennongjia."

"A dragon has been trapped for a long time, and resentment has grown; it will even alter the earth's veins. The surrounding flora and fauna will all change, and if they want to 'walk the dragon,' they must dig irrigation channels—the commotion will certainly be significant."

"You can use this to search."

"Thank you, Daoist, for your guidance."

When Li Yan heard this, he bowed slightly to thank him.

Knowing these characteristics, it was relatively easy to find. After all, with Lu San and Wu Ba, crossing the Shennongjia was not a problem...

…………

Early the next morning, the group climbed the cliff and parted ways.

Village Head Zhou and the hunters carried Yun Lingzi back to Longtan Village.

This place was not far from their hunting path, and the dangerous Donkey-Headed Wolves had been beheaded by Li Yan, so they could rush back before dark.

As for Li Yan and his group, they continued to go deep to search.

After sending Village Head Zhou and the others back to the hunting path and watching their figures gradually disappear into the thick fog, Sha Lifei said, "Little Brother Yan, this is a wilderness, which way should we go?"

Li Yan looked toward the south, lost in thought. "Commandant Gong, do you know where the source of the Ju River is?"

When Gong Jun heard this, he hurriedly took out the map and pointed to a place. "The source of the Ju River is here. The terrain is high, the forest is dense, and the wind blows and the forest moves all year round, and the sound is quite loud, so it is called Xianglin Ditch."

"Originally, I wanted to lead you all to search from there, but that area has been occupied by the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect's rebel army, so I had to take a detour."

"Also, we are in this place now."

Seeing the map, Li Yan nodded. "It's just as I guessed. The Donkey-Headed Wolves also migrated from this direction toward us. They must be afraid of the trapped flood dragon and left."

"Let's go from here!"

With a goal, the group immediately set off.

However, not long after walking, the problem appeared again.

All around were dense mountain forests, trees towering, vegetation dense, and coupled with clouds and mist, even the way back was not easy to find.

Taking out the Luo Pan, it was even more chaotic, sometimes rotating, sometimes still, unable to point at all.

"Brother Lu San, release the falcon!"

Li Yan was not panicked and immediately ordered.

When Lu San heard this, he immediately raised his hand and waved. The falcon standing on Wu Ba's luggage suddenly flapped its wings and soared into the sky, disappearing into the thick fog.

The falcon Lidon on his chest chirped loudly, and the little fox Chuyi beside him also chirped and circled around.

Lu San hurriedly comforted them, which made Li Yan and the others giggle. These little things liked to compete for favor on weekdays, but once there were outsiders, they immediately united against the outside, such as the falcon borrowed from the Commandant's Office, which was forced to follow Wu Ba.

By now, they could also see the emotions of animals.

The falcon Lidon was clearly dissatisfied that its job had been snatched, but its injuries hadn't healed properly, and it couldn't fly.

And the little fox Chuyi was laughing at it.

The emotions of animals were just that simple and straightforward.

Not long after, the falcon fell from the sky. Gong Jun took out the map, Lu San pointed here and there on it, and it wasn't until the falcon chirped that the direction was determined.

This method of determining direction according to the terrain was a bit troublesome, but at least it allowed them not to get lost.

Just like this, the group moved forward along the outskirts of the Shennongjia.

Not long after, they found some wild beast corpses, gnawed in a mess, covered with maggots.

Lu San measured the bite marks and nodded. "It was done by those Donkey-Headed Wolves. We're on the right track!"

Finding the right path, the group's speed was faster.

!.

This was the outskirts of the Shennongjia after all, relatively safe. Along the way, even if there were bears or wild boars, sensing that they were not to be trifled with, they would quickly leave.

Unknowingly, they walked for several hours.

The scenery in the Shennongjia was excellent, magnificent and quiet. Looking around, it was all kinds of plants, and the air was so fresh that it made people sweat on their backs.

However, after looking for a long time, it was just boring.

Sha Lifei couldn't help but take out the pocket watch from his bosom and look at it. "It's past noon, let's find a place to rest for a while."

"Fine."

Li Yan agreed.

The Shennongjia was dangerous in the first place, and there were demons lurking, so they had to maintain their combat power at all times and couldn't be too tired.

But just at this moment, Wu Ba looked around, suddenly became excited, and pointed to the west, shouting: "Home! Home!"

"Don't be excited, speak slowly."

Lu San hurriedly comforted him. Wu Ba then stabilized his mind and pointed to the north. "Home, that way, here... hunting!"

Although he stuttered, everyone understood the meaning.

Li Yan looked toward the west, lost in thought, and said in a deep voice, "Wu Ba's tribe has been destroyed by the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect. Everyone be careful, maybe the demons are lurking in that area."

"Brother Lu San, let the falcon check it out."

At the order, the falcon flapped its wings and flew into the high sky again.

In the Shennongjia, clouds and mist were swirling. Although it was past noon, the light in the dense forest where they were only brightened slightly, and they couldn't see the sky at all.

Chirp—!

Suddenly, a shrill eagle cry came from afar.

It only cried once, and then there was no movement at all.

When Lu San heard this, his face changed drastically. "Not good! There's something in the sky, it attacked the falcon."

"Quick, hide!"

Li Yan's brow furrowed, and he hurriedly ordered.

There was no doubt that the other party also had aerial raptors.

At this time, he couldn't care about being sad. Maybe they had already entered the territory of the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect, and once discovered, they would be surrounded.

The group moved fast and immediately hid in the bushes.

Swish!

Not long after, a whistling sound of flapping wings came from above the thick fog. The movement was very large, even causing the leaves to sway and rustle.

"Good fellow, what is it?"

Sha Lifei was suspicious and looked at the sky.

"I don't know, but it must be big!"

Li Yan also hid in the grass, watching intently, and slowly took out the flintlock pistol from his right hand.

For long-distance attacks, this thing was better to use.

The other party's movement was not small, but it flew very high, far beyond the range of his supernatural exploration, so he didn't know what it was.

Wang Daoxuan and Lu San also pinched the incantation, one looking up and the other listening sideways.

Unfortunately, after the whistling sound of flapping wings, it didn't appear again.

Li Yan frowned, just about to stand up, but Wu Ba beside him pulled him hard, looked at the sky, and said with full vigilance: "Man, bird, back, three times..."

This time, the words were a bit confused.

Lu San hurriedly inquired in the upper language, then said in a deep voice: "Wu Ba said, this is a kind of demon bird in the Shennongjia, with a human face and an owl body, very cunning. Every time it appears, it will patrol back and forth three times."

"That thing is a scout for the wild men!"

"Wild men?"

Li Yan was about to ask, but his heart tightened, and he signaled everyone to hide.

Sure enough, the flapping sound in the sky appeared again, and after coming three times in a row, it disappeared completely, not knowing where it flew.

Li Yan looked at the sky and asked in a deep voice, "What's going on? Isn't Wu Ba a wild man?"

Lu San was also a bit strange and hurriedly asked Wu Ba.

He saw Wu Ba gritting his teeth and muttering a lot of words.

Lu San suddenly realized and explained: "In the Shennongjia, there are many wild men, and the species are different, and the tribes are also different."

"Wu Ba and the others belong to the human-ape, descendants of the victims of the mountain-ape's chaos back then, while the wild men who control the human-owl are another branch, with a larger body, one arm and one leg, often harassing them..."

"One arm and one leg?"

Li Yan was lost in thought and hurriedly looked at Wang Daoxuan. "Daoist, is the 'Records of Strange Things' sent by Chan Master Chengjue still there?"

"Yes."

Wang Daoxuan walked toward Wu Ba, took out an ancient book from the book box behind him, and handed it to Li Yan.

This "Records of Strange Things" was a secret code for demon hunters. When Wu Ba was interrogated, Baotong Zen Temple gave this book to them.

Turning to one of the pages, Li Yan pointed to the pattern and said, "Wu Ba, look, is it this one?"

When Wu Ba saw it, he hurriedly nodded.

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "This is a 'Divine Kui,' active in the mountains around the Wei River, with a human face and beast body, one arm and one leg. It is not a wild man, but a strange monster in the mountains, good at controlling demons and monsters..."

Sha Lifei said strangely, "How could a monster from the Wei River run to this Shennongjia?"

Li Yan was lost in thought. "Maybe it's like Wu Ba and the others, specially put into the mountains by someone..."

"You all wait here, I'll go scout!"

After saying that, he pinched the incantation, and his whole body was wrapped in water mist.

Although the Shennongjia was dangerous, it also had its benefits, which was that the power of the Northern Emperor Mysterious Water Escape was also enhanced at the same time.

Shuttling through the thick fog, Li Yan was almost invisible, and his speed was fast, silently moving toward the west.

Soon, he arrived seven or eight miles away, squatting on the trunk of a giant tree, looking into the distance.

He saw that in front was a mountain cliff, the cliff wall was densely packed with ancient ancestor caves, and there were even ruins of earth fortresses.

On the open space below, piles of messy wild beast skeletons were piled into a mountain, among which there were quite a few human skulls, specially piled into a Jingguan shape...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 389 =====