Chapter 861: Extra Chapter 4: 98

What on earth is this child thinking?

At this very moment, Xiao Jiu actually feels a bit regretful.

They simply treated him as a child, always thinking they needed to wait a few more years before this moment would arrive, so they only thought about how to cultivate him in this limited time, never having talked to him about it; when he meets this fated powerful opponent, what strategy does he intend to use to overcome the opponent?

They always felt the time had not yet come.

They felt that before Little Third's strength had fully reached an overwhelming level, there was no rush to discuss these matters with him.

But they never considered that time waits for no one, and that primeval great demon would not sit idly by to be slaughtered.

What the opponent wants is to strike when unprepared, to kill him before Little Third has fully grown.

Now the only thing worth celebrating is that this child is even more promising than they imagined.

Without a word, he has already cultivated the ninth-layer pagoda.

In one breath, he absorbed the vast, long-accumulated earthly evil qi.

Now it's just a matter of seeing what he does and to what extent he can achieve it.

Xiao Jiu soon came to terms with it; after all, parents are always more prone to gains and losses. Looking back at every external battle she and Liu Junyan fought, which one was made with full preparation?

Even if she felt prepared enough, unexpected situations always arise.

Back then, weren't they just gritting their teeth and improvising?

Especially Xiao Jiu herself—she was practically being forced to do something she wasn't suited for.

If it weren't for her good luck in clinging to a few thick thighs, she would have died countless times before recovering her true form.

In the blink of an eye, the waters of Suedi were already within reach.

The depth of Suedi's waters is far less than that of the Linghai Forbidden Ground, but it is still quite deep.

Xiao Jiu could no longer see the tip of the nine-layer pagoda on Little Third's back.

Not far away, Liu Junyan stood with hands behind his back on the small hill tower.

Xiao Jiu immediately descended, took human form, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Liu Junyan.

Liu Junyan said: 'My seal hasn't been triggered—in other words, that primeval great demon never intended to let the primordial spirit return to the true form; perhaps he thinks he can take down Little Third in the Linghai Forbidden Ground.'

'I've realized that as well while following him here.' Xiao Jiu said, 'But it's easy to understand: in the Linghai Forbidden Ground, or anywhere else, as long as we're not in Suedi, we can only watch him attack Little Third and cannot intervene; only in Suedi can you hold this seal, right?'

Liu Junyan nodded: 'This is the final stop of my duty as the Earth Vein Dragon God to straighten the earth veins of all China, and also a part I have yet to complete; this seal falls within my responsibility—I will uphold it, and no one dares to challenge my reasoning.'

Therefore, that primeval great demon would rather rush with his primordial spirit to the Linghai Forbidden Ground than stay and guard these waters of Suedi.

But Little Third forced him to come back here.

The depths underwater were trembling, the small hill tower kept swaying, but with Liu Junyan standing on it, it would not collapse.

Xiao Jiu couldn't help but ask: 'Āyàn, what do you think Little Third is planning? Is he trying to lure that primeval great demon into Suedi, to its lair to annihilate it completely? Or does he want to borrow your seal's power to give himself a hand?'

These two options seem similar, but they are essentially different.

Annihilation shows that Little Third has the strength.

Borrowing power indicates that Little Third lacks full confidence in himself.

Liu Junyan stared at the constantly churning water surface, shook his head, and said: 'Perhaps he has some other idea.'

Bang!

The ground suddenly jolted violently; Liu Junyan instinctively reached out and wrapped his arm around Xiao Jiu's waist to steady their figures.

Sheet after sheet of black mud mixed with sand was shaken up, as if they were about to dig a pit to the earth's core.

Xiao Jiu couldn't hold back: 'I'll go down and take a look.'

Liu Junyan grabbed her: 'Don't go, Xiao Jiu; stay with me.'

Xiao Jiu glanced at Liu Junyan and realized he had his eyes closed at this moment.

She immediately understood.

Liu Junyan wanted to go underwater even more than she did, and he wanted to see the underwater battle even more.

But if he truly went underwater and truly saw it, how could he bear not to act?

With Xiao Jiu accompanying him, he could still endure a bit longer.

If Xiao Jiu went down, Liu Junyan would surely not be able to hold back either.

Being parents is really hard.

Back when they themselves were fighting everywhere, they only felt the opponents were tough to deal with, rarely experiencing this sense of frustration and helplessness.

They clearly have the ability, yet they must restrain themselves, personally witnessing their children's success or failure—how is this not also a trial for them?

Bang!

Another jolt, even larger than before.

The water surged up, submerging the small hill tower; Xiao Jiu saw cracks appear on it.

Liu Junyan immediately formed seals and cast a spell to stabilize the small hill tower.

This is the only thing he can do.

Having just stabilized the small hill tower, Liu Junyan suddenly lifted his head and gazed toward the small shrine by the water's edge.

Xiao Jiu immediately followed his gaze in that direction and was instantly startled.

At some point, a large crowd of townspeople had gathered on the water's edge.

Some were carrying offerings, others holding incense towers or carrying incense candles, as they were worshiping that small shrine.

Xiao Jiu frowned.

Earlier, when she and Liu Junyan discovered a problem with the golden statue of the Earth Vein Dragon God in the shrine, they had already taken it out and destroyed it; what are they now worshiping?

'I'll go check.'

Xiao Jiu said and was about to go.

Liu Junyan grabbed her again.

"Don't go." Liu Junyan said, "Although we can't see the battle underwater with our own eyes, the fact that they've held out this long shows that our little third brother has a chance to win. The small shrine over there suddenly showed an omen at this moment, which can only mean one thing: the primordial spirit of the ancient great demon can barely hold on, and he has no choice but to pull out a last-ditch trick. He wants to borrow the faith power of the people and all living beings to make a desperate effort."

Therefore, the destruction of the Dìmài Lóngshén's golden body is not important.

Because this small shrine was established from the very beginning at the behest of that ancient great demon.

Even if this small shrine is destroyed, another small shrine will immediately come into being.

What is enshrined in the small shrine can ultimately only be the golden body of that ancient great demon.

Forcibly borrowing the faith power of the people and all living beings is to demand an explanation from the Heavenly Dao.

If the Heavenly Dao can accommodate him, he can borrow this faith power; if the Heavenly Dao cannot accommodate him, he is merely seeking his own death.

This... is the reason Liu Junyan does not let Xiao Jiu intervene.

Xiao Jiu lay face up, staring fixedly at the mysterious, ever-changing clouds above, but she could not see through them.

She has never been able to see through them!

After experiencing so much, Xiao Jiu sometimes cannot understand: does the Heavenly Dao have to be so cruel to temper a person?

Boom!

The third time the earth shook and mountains trembled.

But this time the tremor did not come from underwater; it came from the direction of the small shrine.

A burst of Golden Light exploded from within the small shrine; the shrine instantly collapsed into ruins, and the crowd that had just been worshiping there all fell to the ground, unconscious.

Within the small shrine, a stone tablet shot up from the ground, growing without cease, shooting toward the horizon...