Chapter 396: The Dragon Girl's Commission

Li Yan was having a strange dream.

He looked around, still on the mountaintop, the bonfire flickering, but it didn't make a sound, as if he were between dreaming and waking.

Sha Lifei and Wu Ba were nowhere to be seen.

He wanted to get up but found he couldn't move at all.

The sound of water waves came from all around. Li Yan couldn't move, but he could see water flowers emerging on the ground in front of him, soon submerging his feet.

What happened?

Just when Li Yan was puzzled, his whole body suddenly stiffened.

He could feel something pressing against his back, fine hair tickling the back of his neck, and a pair of tender jade hands passing through from both sides, embracing him.

In an instant, illusions rose before Li Yan's eyes.

He saw rivers surging, washing away countless villages and towns along the way, the barrier lakes in the mountains collapsing, turning into mountain torrents rushing down, the tide mist surging, looking exactly like yellow flood dragons...

Countless mountain torrents rushed, converging into the Yangtze Jianghe, thunder clouds pressing on the border in the sky, electric light roaring, rain pouring down, a scene of the end of the world...

On the river surface with giant waves surging, alligators, turtles, fish, and shrimp were scurrying, each huge in size, devouring the livestock and people who fell, and below there was a huge black shadow, twisting like a snake...

On the surrounding high mountains, Dharma altars stood one after another.

Countless cultivators were performing rituals at the same time. They were dressed somewhat strangely, similar to Daoist robes, and similar to shamanic priests, sometimes performing rituals, sometimes driving huge copper nails into various places on the mountaintop...

The violent rivers calmed down, and black-robed officials with countless people appeared, cutting off the rivers and building dams.

Looking down from the sky, it looked like a huge tiger tally, suppressing the entire river...

Everyone's faces couldn't be seen clearly, but Li Yan vaguely understood that this was the scene of the construction of Dujiangyan back then.

That black robe was a Qin Dynasty straight-hem robe, with patterns embroidered on the collar, cuffs, and hem, and also wearing a crown and jade pendant. It should be Li Bing.

Once Dujiangyan was completed, the river calmed down, the sky turned clear, and the people along the river cheered and boiled, but Li Yan saw it more clearly from above.

The huge black shadow in the original Yangtze Jianghe constantly merged into the mountain range, turning into a dragon-shaped white energy, merging with a massive mountain range.

The area where its tail was located was very familiar to him. He had just met the mountain god "Zou Yu" a few days ago, and it was precisely Shennongjia!

The river calmed down, and the water monsters that were originally raging were also hunted down. Some were skinned and deboned, while others were bound with chains and placed at the entrances of the water channels of some tombs being built...

Li Yan immediately understood the identity of these people.

Fangxian Dao sorcerers!

And after the river calmed down, another dragon-shaped white energy rose, moving with the wind and thunder, and landed on Shennongjia...

………

Whoosh~

Li Yan took a deep breath and suddenly opened his eyes.

The bonfire crackled. Sha Lifei, who was keeping watch, was adding firewood. Seeing him wake up, he hurriedly said, "If Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan is tired, sleep a little longer. Wu Ba and I will keep watch tonight."

Originally, the three took turns keeping watch, but Li Yan's snoring was thunderous earlier. Sha Lifei thought he was too exhausted from the day's battle and didn't disturb him.

Li Yan was stunned, hurriedly took out the dragon-pattern jade pendant from his bosom, felt the residual heat on it, and suddenly said:

"I understand!"

Sha Lifei was dumbfounded, "Understand what?"

Li Yan rubbed the dragon-pattern jade pendant in his hand, his eyes somewhat complicated, looked toward the Northwest, and said in a deep voice: "The Dragon-Suppressing Stakes should have been pulled out over there. Just now, the Dragon Girl entrusted me with a dream."

"Dragon Girl?!"

Sha Lifei's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "Is she pretty? Could it be like Liu Yi, wanting to marry Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan as a wife?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

Li Yan shook his head, "Gods are different from what you think. They are the essence of the mountains and earth, don't measure them with human hearts. And I didn't see what she looked like."

Sha Lifei was full of interest, "What did she say?"

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "I know the reason why the Dragon Girl fell into this place, and I finally understand why she moved."

"Back then, the Jianghe God Great Lord was the Dragon God of the Yangtze Jianghe, raging and causing disaster. He was defeated by Li Bing and the Mystic Sect together, and Dujiangyan was built to suppress him. The dragon soul was suppressed under Dujiangyan, but the dragon shape merged with the dragon energy of the Daba Mountain vein..."

Speaking of this, his eyes were somewhat complicated, "Back then, the Jianghe God Great Lord demanded that all cities along the river offer two young girls for blood sacrifice every year. The Dragon Girl was formed by the essence of these young girls after they died, fused with a wisp of dragon energy."

"Precisely because of this, the Dragon Girl often protected the people around her. Shennongjia is also part of Daba Mountain. After the Jianghe God Great Lord was suppressed, the Dragon Girl instinctively fell into this place, gradually absorbing the dragon energy of the Jianghe God Great Lord and replacing him."

"Originally, this matter could proceed smoothly, but two years ago, the Dragon Girl suddenly sensed the movement of the Jianghe God Great Lord's aura and tried to leave..."

Sha Lifei was startled when he heard this, "Isn't the Jianghe God Great Lord suppressed under Dujiangyan, and watched by Erlang Shen? How could there be a problem?"

"This is unclear."

Li Yan looked at the dragon-pattern jade pendant in his hand and said with a headache, "This item is precisely the key to opening the Dragon Palace Water Mansion. The Dragon Girl gathered a wisp of gang energy on it, presumably wanting me to find the Water Mansion and figure out what happened?"

"So that's it..."

Sha Lifei rubbed his large bald head, "I understand, this is a commission given by the Dragon Girl, wanting us to find out what happened. The treasures inside the Dragon Palace Water Mansion are the reward!"

Li Yan was stunned, "Thinking this way is not wrong."

Sha Lifei muttered, "Sounds like a big trouble, but if we can really find it, we'll be completely rich in one go!"

Li Yan shook his head slightly, "Thinking about this now is still too early. Let's make plans after entering Shu. Instead, that trapped flood dragon, the Dragon Girl also informed me of its origin."

"Oh?"

Sha Lifei hurriedly asked, "What is the origin of that thing?"

Li Yan recalled what he saw in the illusion and said in a deep voice, "This matter is also related to the Great Song Dynasty and Erlang Shen."

"At that time, because of the matter of conferring Erlang Shen, quite a few troubles were made. Some people in the Bashu region even rebelled because of this, leading to the movement of the Bashan Mountains, and a wisp of dragon energy leaked, which was absorbed by a snake demon in Shennongjia and cultivated into a flood dragon."

"Unfortunately, the terrain in various places was abnormal, and some people meddled, forming a trapped flood dragon situation. Over time, such a disaster was left behind."

"So there was this layer of cause and effect..."

Sha Lifei was thoughtful, "Back then, Zhao Changsheng was the leader of the Great Song Ghost Sect, with immense power, and obtained the flood dragon gu from the trapped flood dragon to set up the East Lake Ancestor."

"Could these things be his handiwork?"

"Very likely!"

Li Yan's face was solemn, "Behind this matter, it is far from simple. I'm afraid the chaos in the Shu Mystic Sect in these two years is also related to this. After leaving the mountain, find a chance to report it to Zhenwu Palace."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

After setting the plan, Sha Lifei didn't ask any more questions, but said excitedly, "Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan, that Tiger-Crouching Cannon is a good thing. If it's modified, that kid Wu Ba can use it alone."

Li Yan laughed dumbly, "Are you kidding? That's a cannon. No matter how strong Wu Ba's body is, he can't carry it. And if we run around carrying a cannon, those city guards will be scared to death."

"I'll think about it again, there must be a way!"

Sha Lifei still didn't give up, took out the "Thunderbolt Fire Scripture," took a branch, and wrote and drew on the open ground beside the fire, soon becoming engrossed.

Li Yan smiled slightly and didn't disturb him.

After he stood up, he looked toward the Northwest, his face solemn.

That is Shennong Peak, the highest peak of the Daba Mountain range. In the illusion given by the Dragon Girl, the dragon energy leaked from there.

After finishing the business here, I'm afraid I have to go there and see if anyone has tampered with it...

Boom!

Suddenly, a roar came from afar.

Li Yan turned around suddenly and looked toward the Southeast.

That is precisely the boundary between the Shen Kui tribe and the Lord Tian Sheng Sect's sphere of influence. This sound is clearly the roar of a cannon. "It started again!"

Sha Lifei was also awakened, looked into the distance, and said with schadenfreude, "Tossing every night, the Lord Tian Sheng Sect is also unlucky, being entangled by this group of things."

Li Yan's face was solemn and he didn't speak.

That "White Lord" is indeed terrifying. He is the mountain god of Shennongjia himself, commanding a powerful tribe, and practicing evil arts, devouring other mountain gods around him.

But if the Lord Tian Sheng Sect were easy to deal with, how could they stir up the situation, and even force the monsters in the Jingshan forest to flee in embarrassment, even taking refuge in the Qin Ling Mountains.

Also, what is Huang Liushi doing...

…………

In the dense forest, firelight rose.

The ground was pitted, smoke filled the air, the trees in the distance swayed, and countless black shadows retreated rapidly.

"Damn it, giving face but not wanting it!"

A big man spat fiercely, picked up his machete, and directly cut off the head of a Shen Kui that was struggling on the ground.

!.

His appearance had changed. His eyes were blood-red, his face was full of sideburns, and his teeth had become sharp.

Around him, many people were like this.

Some had changed pupils, similar to cat eyes; some had hunched bodies, and their necks were covered with fine scales...

They were precisely the demon army of the Lord Tian Sheng Sect.

These people all practiced the "Demon Body Longevity Technique." The purpose was not longevity, but to borrow various evil arts to enhance combat power.

Among the seventy-two demon gods, the "Demon Body Longevity Technique" was somewhat special, relying on the bodies of various monsters and spirits to practice secret methods.

For example, the "Fox Heart Technique" Li Yan saw in Shangjin City was to take the heart of a fox demon to obtain powerful bewitching techniques.

This method had great power, but there were quite a few drawbacks.

First, relying on external forces, it was easy to be disturbed by Yin evil energy, making the temperament violent. After a long time, it was no different from a demon.

Second, this method required killing monsters and spirits, and would be rejected by these spirits between heaven and earth.

For example, the demon monk who practiced the "Fox Heart Technique" in Shangjin City would have been torn to pieces by many foxes at that time if there was no formation protection.

This was also the reason why the Lord Tian Sheng Sect was attacked by Shen Kui.

They themselves would be rejected by this mountain forest.

Even the imperial court army stayed far away from these demon armies, their eyes full of vigilance, as if they would raise their muskets to shoot at any time.

The current demon army was becoming increasingly uncontrollable.

For more than a month, people were often attacked after being left alone. When they were found, they were torn to pieces.

The Lord Tian Sheng Sect high-level said it was attacked by wild beasts, but everyone knew it was clearly the work of the mad demon army.

Seeing the defensive eyes in the distance, the demon army crowd didn't care at all, just sneered, their eyes full of bloodthirsty light.

Suddenly, a man with a sharp protruding nose raised his head, sniffed in the air, and sneered, "Hey, there's still someone hiding!"

As soon as the words fell, he leaped out, climbed into the nearby bushes in two or three steps, and dragged a person out of the soil.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

This was a man dressed in coarse cloth, smeared with corpse oil, his face pale, his whole body muddy, scared and incoherent.

His fear made the sharp-nosed man even more excited, his eyes manic, and he was about to open his mouth to bite someone.

Bang!

Someone made a move and kicked him away.

It was the leader of the demon army, the man with thick hair.

"If you go mad again, I'll slaughter you!"

The demon army leader's pupils were like a tiger, his eyes cold, scaring the sharp-nosed man into lowering his head and not daring to speak.

"Hmph!"

The demon army leader snorted coldly, looked at the man covered in mud, and sneered, "Isn't this Brother Yu of the Longxiang Army? Why did you become like this?"

The Longxiang Army had long been scattered, and not everyone would listen to Guo Xiu's orders, and some even sensed something was wrong early and began to retreat.

This person's name was Yu Heizi, who had learned the means of stealing treasures and grave robbing. After being attacked by the ground fire-thunder, he faked death and hid in the forest.

Later, the Longxiang Army was defeated and retreated, so he followed closely behind. After all, it was too dangerous to walk alone in this Shennongjia.

This person also had quite a few means. Seeing the Shen Kui tribe attacking, he smeared corpse oil on his body and used the breath-holding method to hide in the soil.

This was a method to avoid zombies in tombs, which also allowed him to avoid the attack of the Shen Kui tribe.

Seeing the firelight around, this Yu Heizi finally came to his senses and hurriedly shouted, "Don't kill me, don't kill me, I have important intelligence!"

…………

Inside the Lord Tian Sheng Sect camp tent, the candlelight was dim.

"Li Yan!"

A Confucian-robed old man stood up suddenly.

Yu Heizi kowtowed like garlic, "Reporting to the Right Prime Minister, it is indeed Li Yan. They used firearms, the Longxiang Army was completely wiped out, and My Lord... Guo Xiu was also killed by the Shen Kui old demon."

A white-bearded old man beside him frowned, "This kid is also strange. How did he pass through our defense line and enter the mountain?"

The speaker was precisely Protector Wang who had caused trouble in Wuchang.

The Lord Tian Sheng Sect worshiped "Lord Tian Sheng Gong" as a god. To show their determination to resurrect the Holy Gong, they never established a sect leader, but were led by the Right Prime Minister and Left Prime Minister, assisted by many protectors.

"Never mind how he got in!"

A man in a blue robe stood up suddenly, gritting his teeth, "This kid has ruined things repeatedly and even harmed our Tusi City princess. He must not be let go."

The speaker was precisely Tan Zhihai sent by the Tusi City, proficient in beast-taming techniques, coming to connect with the Lord Tian Sheng Sect.

He was an admirer of Tusi City princess Tan Yuner and even wanted to marry into the family to become a high-level official in the future. Now everything had become a bubble, naturally harboring resentment.

"Fellow Daoist Tan, don't be anxious!"

The Right Prime Minister hurriedly comforted, "We are also full of hatred for that kid, but now we must prioritize the overall situation."

Tan Zhihai glanced coldly, clearly not intending to listen.

"Stop arguing, it's decided!"

Suddenly, an old voice sounded.

The person speaking was dressed in a Confucian robe, white-haired, eyes full of bloodshot, and his expression was cold.

Speaking of which, Li Yan had also seen this person.

Before in Xiangyang City, because of the plague, the city was sealed, and the people gathered to make trouble. They were blocked by Master Lu of the Longzhong Academy, and only later did they know that this person was a dark agent planted by Zhao Changsheng in Xiangyang.

The Nanmu King, who was once famous in Xiangyang, was beheaded by this person, and the remains of the demon king were turned into a source of plague.

He was precisely the leader of the Ghost Sect in Xiangyang City.

Hearing his decision, Tan Zhihai of Tusi City, although unwilling, had to lower his head and didn't dare to say more.

The Ghost Sect and the Lord Tian Sheng Sect were two different things.

The name of the Great Song Ghost Sect naturally didn't need to be said; it was a demon sect that truly caused chaos in the Divine Land. Even the Maitreya Sect had to stand aside.

Now, the sect leader Zhao Changsheng was elusive, placing pieces everywhere. The chaos in the Southwest was guided by him, and no one dared to offend him.