Chapter 513: Fierce Strike

"Everyone, close your eyes!"

Seeing the strange phenomenon on the river surface, Li Yan quickly warned.

Upon hearing this, the Salt Gang members immediately bowed their heads and shut their eyes.

Though not sorcerers, they had spent years smuggling salt—either along remote waterways or through uninhabited mountain paths.

Strange and bizarre occurrences, they had heard of and seen before.

Evil spirits that harm people often first confuse the five senses.

So in such situations, lowering one's head and closing one's eyes was the best choice, to avoid being ensnared and interfering with Li Yan's ritual.

Just after Li Yan's warning, the disturbances on the river grew louder.

The mist thickened rapidly, soon rendering visibility zero, even obscuring the bright moon in the night sky.

"Hee-hee-ha-ha…"

Strange laughter emerged from the dense fog.

Faintly, red shadows flickered within it.

Li Yan's eyes flared with killing intent, yet he ignored it, continuing to tread the Nine Steps and weave the talismanic seals, performing the Northern Emperor's Exorcism of Misfortune.

"Eight Powers expel poison, mighty steeds spread wide, heavenly soldiers lead the way, great generals bear banners, hurling fire with ten thousand cavalry, eight-directional lightning strikes—dare any defy the Supreme Truth…"

This time, his incantation was spoken with extreme slowness.

With the brocade armguard "Thousand Thoughts" enhancing him and the ritual altar amplifying his power, each word demanded mobilizing immense torrents of gang-sha qi—impossible to hasten.

But the power was unmistakable.

As the incantation unfolded, the scales of the demon-sealing coins on Li Yan's raised left arm clattered loudly, spreading terrifying killing intent outward.

Hssss~

Instantly, fierce winds erupted across the river.

Centered on Li Yan's left arm, invisible hands seemed to materialize, frantically churning the air—the mist receded visibly before their eyes.

Before them, beneath the river's surface, corpses rose—each only half its head exposed, skin blue-purple, hair dripping wet, eyes blood-red, fixed unblinkingly upon them.

Li Yan sneered coldly.

He stomped the Nine Steps, formed a seal, and pointed forward.

Puff!

One corpse's head instantly exploded, black water spraying everywhere.

But this act was like poking a hornet's nest.

From every corpse, thick black smoke erupted—clear evidence of overwhelming yin-sha qi—and the river's temperature plummeted rapidly.

Every breath exhaled by all present became clearly visible.

Splash-splash!

The corpses darted through the water like fish, reappearing around the fleet, forming a circle.

Boy corpses turned left, girl corpses turned right, rotating in opposite directions.

"Hee-hee-ha-ha…"

Piercing, unnatural laughter echoed in everyone's ears.

Li Yan changed his hand seals and activated the Exorcism of Misfortune.

Puff! Puff!

Each time he pointed, a corpse's head shattered.

Yet his face showed no trace of satisfaction.

Upon casting the Northern Emperor's Exorcism of Misfortune, he should have directly confronted this deadly array, using primordial gang-sha qi to purge all yin-sha qi at once.

But this array was peculiar.

It resembled a substitution technique—each time, one corpse willingly absorbed the full force of his spells, preventing him from achieving a decisive strike.

As the fleet became encircled by the corpses, demonic sounds invaded their minds, spawning illusions—faces of the Salt Gang men began to twist unnaturally.

"Yin and yang both false—the true core lies below!"

Wang Daoxuan, an expert in such matters, saw the anomaly and said grimly: "There must be a talisman buried beneath—destroy it!"

This time, Li Yan had been careless.

He assumed his current cultivation, combined with his treasure and ritual altar, would make short work of this array.

He hadn't anticipated that breaking it required finesse.

One must distract the corpses while sending someone below to destroy the talisman.

Of course, for them, it was merely a matter of extra effort.

"San'er, it's your turn!"

Li Yan formed the seal to suppress the corpses, whispering low.

Lu San didn't waste words—he chanted softly, formed hand seals, and slapped his palm rhythmically on the water's surface.

Splash!

Two great waves surged upward; massive fish fins flickered faintly—then two dark shadows emerged from the waters behind.

They were two river monsters.

In rivers, lakes, and seas where no one dwells, giant fish sometimes awaken spiritual awareness—swallowing pearls to cultivate, or terrorizing the land.

These two giants had been captured along the way.

Though large in size, their intellect was low; easily subdued by Lu San, who cultivated the Scripture of Mountain and Sea's Spiritual Response.

The Scripture of Mountain and Sea's Spiritual Response was an ancient shamanic method to commune with spirits and gods—these minor creatures had no right to it, but temporary control was still useful.

The two giants churned beneath the water, stirring up muddy silt—then something surfaced.

It was a small boat, inverted and rising, its underside painted with red talismanic patterns and studded with rotting coffin nails.

Frayed iron chains hung from it.

Clearly, it had once been anchored below—but the giants had snapped the chains, dragging it to the surface.

"Ahhhh—!"

The moment this object appeared, all the corpses erupted in chaos.

They shrieked in agony, instantly ceasing their illusions, bodies spewing black smoke as they drifted toward the boat.

Clearly, this was their weak point.

The two giants, barely sentient, were terrified by the evil aura—immediately fleeing in panic.

Thus, they slipped from Lu San's control.

Temporarily commanded creatures were like this—easily startled into flight.

But Li Yan would not miss this opening.

He formed the seal, activated the Divine Step Technique, leapt into the air, landed on the water's surface, used three consecutive steps for momentum, and with explosive splashes, soared high above the boat.

Zzzt!

His left hand formed a seal; lightning crackled across his fist, sizzling and popping—and as he descended, he slammed down with all his might.

BOOM!

Water sprayed everywhere, wooden planks shattered.

The already rotten boat was obliterated.

What lay inside stunned Li Yan.

A humanoid monster, small as a two- or three-year-old child, covered in black scales, hands and feet tipped with webbed claws, tightly bound by leather straps, its seven orifices sewn shut with thread.

He had seen this before!

It was the "Water Tiger" that had plagued the Goddess Peak.

But upon closer inspection, it was different.

The "Water Tiger" suppressed near Goddess Peak was born of demonic qi, an immortal demon dating back to the era of Yu the Great.

This one, however, had a pointed snout and monkey-like face, radiating only yin and corpse qi, its back layered with carapace like a turtle's shell.

It was a Water Monkey…

This spirit was described in the Hunter's Manual, "The Dark and Mysterious Talks"—originating in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, later found in waterways across Shenzhou.

Known by many names: "Water Bug," "Bug Child," "Water Spirit," "Water Monkey"—in the East, called Kappa.

Regardless of name, they were the same spirit.

As the corpses surged toward him, Li Yan's palm glowed with lightning—he smashed the Water Monkey's head into pulp.

He didn't know what kind of dark art this was.

But the Water Monkey's corpse was clearly the array's core.

Hssss~

As the corpse was destroyed, violent winds erupted across the river, waves churned, and faint cries of the dead faded into the distance.

Soon, all was calm.

The corpses lost their unnatural state, drifting apart with the current, emitting a foul stench.

Li Yan returned to the boat and said grimly: "Work hard, everyone—drag these things ashore and burn them all. I'm going underwater."

Saying this, he activated the Mystic Water Escape Technique and plunged into the river.

Feng Laohai said nothing, immediately ordering his men into action.

Li Yan and his group would eventually leave—but this waterway was vital for their salt smuggling; they couldn't leave it unattended.

With no further obstruction, Li Yan arrived safely outside the Dragon Girl Temple. Unlike the vision he had seen, the temple before him was half-collapsed, its Dragon Girl statue buried under silt.

Li Yan churned the water, turning the riverbed into a muddy mess.

Had he not used Water Submersion, he would have drowned already.

Finally, he reached into the sludge again, groping—suddenly his hand closed on a handle, and he yanked upward with all his strength, hauling up the basket.

Instantly, he sensed the primordial gang qi.

The power contained within was stronger than the "Ruyi Treasure Pearl."

This thing was truly a divine artifact!

Li Yan shook off the mud and sand, broke the water's surface, and landed on the deck.

Upon closer inspection, the object lacked the dazzling radiance he'd seen in the illusion—it was covered in verdigris, barely distinguishable from a broken ruin.

"Handle it with care…"

Li Yan handed it to Wu Ba and gave him serious instructions.

The original text is being read!

Wu Ba was no fool; he sensed the object's importance, immediately wrapped it in a leather pouch, and carefully stowed it in his pack.

Meanwhile, on the banks around them, the Salt Gang hauled up the river corpses, piled them on dry wood, doused them in oil, and set them ablaze—thick black smoke rolled upward, reeking of decay.

"Li Shaoxia…"

Feng Laohai approached, frowning: "This cursed object is destroyed, but the Worship Dragon Cult hasn't shown itself—could they have fled?"

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard: "No need to rush."

"They hold regular human sacrifices here—this place must be vital. They wouldn't abandon it without a backup plan."

"If I'm not mistaken, they'll arrive soon. We can move ahead and set an ambush."

"Agreed! We'll follow the Daoist's advice!"

Li Yan nodded in agreement and immediately ordered everyone to find a gentle stretch of water, abandon the boat, and climb the mountain to lie in wait within the dense forest.

"They're coming!"

Sure enough, not long after, Lu San raised the alarm.

Everyone peered down through the forest and saw a line of fire snaking around a bend in the distant mountain path—swift and unmistakably a cavalry unit.

From the torches, at least a hundred men had arrived.

The Salt Gang's elite were numerous too, and with Li Yan and his companions aiding them, their confidence surged—they nocked arrows, drew bows, eyes brimming with murderous intent.

"Giddyap! Giddyap!"

These Worship Dragon Cult members wore plain peasant garb—bows on their backs, knives in hand, half of them carrying firearms.

Ahead rode several figures—monks and Daoists alike—oddly dressed, clearly hidden southwestern heretical sorcerers.

Perhaps they were used to arrogance, for as they neared, they still spurred their horses forward without slowing.

Lu San grinned, formed a hand seal, his chest swelled, he drew a deep breath, then opened his mouth and let out a tiger's roar.

"Roar—!"

The tiger's roar shook the mountains and rivers, radiating ferocious energy.

Neigh!

All the enemy horses panicked instantly.

Some reared up, halting abruptly.

Others stumbled, trampled by horses behind them, toppling over.

Some even rolled down the narrow mountain path.

The riders fared no better.

Some skilled ones leapt clear, mid-air drawing bows and firing arrows—or even shooting directly toward Lu San's position.

Others were less fortunate.

For instance, an old woman in black ahead.

Though an experienced sorceress, her legs were too weak—she was thrown from her horse and slammed into a boulder by the roadside.

Her brains splattered; she stopped breathing immediately.

"Over there! Watch my sorcery!"

One red-haired Daoist was furious.

He was reasonably skilled—he leapt clear, hid behind a boulder, shouted loudly, formed a hand seal, chanted incantations, and pulled two kites from his back.

The kites were shaped like birds, painted with crows, surrounded by flame patterns.

Each kite held a bamboo tube at its center.

"Ignite!"

After finishing the incantation, he hurled the kites upward.

A cold wind arose out of nowhere—the two kites soared into the air, swirling and darting toward the forest where Li Yan and the others hid.

But the kites had another trick.

Puff! Puff!

As they neared the forest, the kites burst into flame—now two fire-crows plummeting toward the trees.

The bright flames instantly revealed their target.

The enemy drew bows and fired guns.

Shhh! Shhh! Shhh! Boom!

The whistling of arrows and the crack of firearms never ceased.

Though the Salt Gang fought back fiercely and held the high ground, they had no firearms—and were soon pinned down.

"Damn it!"

Sha Lifei pulled out a flintlock pistol, ready to shoot down the fire-crows.

"Don't be reckless!"

Li Yan quickly stopped him: "Those are Spirit Fire Muskets!"

Their tactics had caught him off guard.

Using secret arts to control fire-crow kites, laced with vile Spirit Fire—shattering them would doom everyone below.

"It's Tang Dynasty arcane artillery sorcery!"

Sha Lifei instantly recognized its origin.

But Wang Daoxuan moved faster.

The Daoist drew his Coin Sword, unfurled a yellow talisman, stepped the Nine Steps, chanted a spell, and pointed sharply upward.

Whoosh~

Instantly, a gale tore through the air.

The fire-crows, nearly descending, were blown back.

"Hahahaha!"

Sha Lifei grinned and raised his pistol.

His marksmanship was unquestionable—since awakening his Body Spirit, his senses had all strengthened, and his accuracy improved accordingly.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion shattered the two fire-crow kites in midair.

Pale blue phosphorescent fire rained down like drops of rain.

"Ahh—!"

Several Worship Dragon Cult disciples were caught in the phosphorescence—burned alive, screaming as they rolled on the ground, unable to extinguish the flames.

"They have new-style firearms!"

The red-haired Daoist had been about to charge out—but seeing the power of Sha Lifei's weapon, he shrank back, afraid to show himself.

No matter how skilled, being hit by such a thing meant certain death.

But Sha Lifei wasn't idle.

The old fellow's eyes darted—he pulled a fire caltrop from his pack and grinned: "Wu Ba, your turn."

They all knew Wu Ba's mastery of flying pebble stones—combined with his strength, the fire caltrop was a devastating weapon.

This was the power of a team.

Each had unique skills, and together they could adapt endlessly.

Shhh!

As Sha Lifei ignited the fire caltrop, Wu Ba hurled it with all his might—like a cannonball straight into the crowd below.

Boom! Flames flared, rocks flew in all directions.

Half the enemy below were dead or wounded—no resistance remained.

Such overwhelming firepower shattered the remaining Worship Dragon Cult members—they abandoned their comrades and fled.

"Follow them!"

Li Yan's face was cold; Lu San raised his hand—the hawk in the night sky silently followed the fleeing men into the mountains.

The Salt Gang members couldn't help swallowing hard.

They suddenly felt the Wang Fu had stirred up a massive trouble…

(End of Chapter)