Chapter 812: Battle
Chapter 812: Battle
"Uncle Gu!"
Mo Hua's expression turned solemn as he glanced at Gu Changhuai, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. He lowered his voice and said, "It might be Shui Yamen. If we can't capture him, then kill him..."
Gu Changhuai's eyes flickered, and he nodded slightly.
Gu An and Gu Quan also placed their hands on their sword hilts, their spiritual energy swirling as they prepared to unleash their blade techniques.
The man outside the carriage fell silent, but the atmosphere grew even more stifling.
Just as they were about to make their move, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something. "Cover your faces."
Gu Changhuai was taken aback for a moment.
As the Master of the Dao Court, he always acted according to the Daoist laws. Whether capturing or killing, he did so openly and rarely had to conceal his identity.
"Just in case we can't capture him, we don't want to expose ourselves..." Mo Hua added softly.
As a junior disciple of Tai Xu Men, he had captured or slain many rogue cultivators, but he didn't want to attract the attention of someone as notorious as Shui Yamen.
Additionally, it was best to keep Uncle Gu's identity a secret for now.
Hua Ruyu seemed to be working with this Shui Yamen.
And Uncle Gu was her prospective marriage partner.
If Shui Yamen recognized Gu Changhuai's face and learned of his position in the Dao Court, he would definitely alert Hua Ruyu.
She would realize that her identity and whereabouts had been exposed, and that Uncle Gu's intention in courting her was not genuine.
However, there was currently no solid evidence of her crimes.
Once she became cautious and covered her tracks, it would be extremely difficult to investigate her in the future.
Of course, there was another important reason for keeping their identities hidden.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
Uncle Gu had helped him a lot, and it seemed that he had already been marked by the Evil God.
If they didn't maintain a low profile, who knew how many more people would want to kill him.
Gu Changhuai nodded, and everyone in the carriage covered their faces with black cloth.
As soon as Mo Hua covered his face, he heard Gu Changhuai's warning, and then a murderous intent approached.
A deep blue water whip, like a venomous snake, slashed through the roof of the carriage, aiming to strike him.
Mo Hua's heart chilled, and he immediately dodged to the side.
Gu Changhuai stood in front of Mo Hua, drew out a long sword, and condensed several sword auras to neutralize the remaining force of the water whip.
The intertwining wind and water spiritual energies clashed, causing the entire carriage to explode.
Mo Hua and the others had no choice but to abandon the carriage.
After the spiritual energy fluctuations dissipated, Mo Hua, who had been hiding behind Gu Changhuai, opened his eyes and looked around. They were in a desolate area with overgrown weeds. The ground beneath their feet was damp, and not far away, the river raged with rapid currents. There was a dilapidated ferry dock by the shore, and next to it was a small boat.
A man stood on the shore by the boat.
He appeared young, with fair skin and handsome features, but his eyes held a hint of obsession and a chilling malice.
The man's right hand was wrapped around a chain whip.
The whip had nine sections, connected by iron chains, resembling both a deadly weapon and a restraining device.
But to Mo Hua, it looked more like a torture device.
The memory of the fisherman cultivator, who had been bound by chains and knelt to his death in Yu Jia's water fortress, surfaced in Mo Hua's mind, leaving him feeling slightly depressed.
Most likely, this man before them was the "Shui Yamen," who had replaced Huo Fotuo as the leader of the Evil God's claws.
However, Mo Hua was still quite surprised.
The appearance of Shui Yamen was completely different from what he had imagined.
Judging solely by his looks, he resembled a "pretty boy" who lived by the water, fishing for a living, and spending all day soaking in the water, hence his skin was as white as a large white fish.
If not for the chilling aura emanating from him, like blood-soaked ice, Mo Hua would never have associated him with the infamous Shui Yamen.
Shui Yamen's gaze swept over Mo Hua and the others, lingering on Gu Changhuai with a hint of wariness in his eyes.
However, with their faces covered and dressed in plain clothes, Shui Yamen couldn't discern their identities.
After a moment, he slowly spoke, "Who are you? Why were you in that carriage?"
Gu Changhuai's eyes turned solemn, and he remained silent.
There was no point in exchanging words with these evil cultivators.
Seeing that Gu Changhuai didn't respond, Shui Yamen's expression turned impatient, and the killing intent in his eyes intensified.
Just as he was about to make a move, Mo Hua stepped out from behind Gu Changhuai and asked in a rough voice, "That's what we should be asking you..."
"Who are you, and why did you attack us and destroy our carriage without any reason?"
Mo Hua turned the tables on him.
Shui Yamen let out a cold laugh. "Your carriage? This carriage obviously belongs to Miao'er..."
Miao'er?
Mo Hua's expression shifted slightly.
He had heard a new name.
Shui Yamen also realized his slip of the tongue and immediately stopped, his eyes turning even colder, "This is my carriage. You stole my carriage and now you want to question me?"
"What makes you think this is your carriage? Did you carve your name on it? Call out to it, and let's see if it answers you," Mo Hua argued.
Shui Yamen couldn't find a rebuttal to Mo Hua's words, and his eyes flickered with even stronger killing intent. He coldly huffed, "You're quite glib, little brat. Be careful, or I'll flay your skin."
Mo Hua moved closer to Gu Changhuai and bluffed, "Come and try if you have the guts."
Shui Yamen's expression remained indifferent, unmoved by Mo Hua's provocation. Instead, he fell into deep thought.
With their faces covered and their auras concealed, Mo Hua and the others hadn't made a move yet, leaving him clueless about their origins.
The fact that they were riding in a carriage and appeared at this ferry dock was already suspicious.
Had their plan been exposed?
Or had something happened to Miao'er?
Moreover, the carriage was protected by intricate formations, and without the mechanism key, it couldn't be opened at all.
Ordinary cultivators wouldn't even know about the existence of this carriage or the ferry dock.
"Who exactly are these people, and what are they up to?"
Shui Yamen's eyes turned icy as he pondered, but just then, a premonition suddenly arose in his heart.
It was a sign from the Evil God.
He looked down at his feet and saw faint yellow formation patterns crawling like venomous snakes attached to the ground, constantly writhing.
But in that instant of distraction, Mo Hua knew that his secret attempt at setting up the formation had been discovered. He immediately shouted, "Seize him!"
At the same time, Mo Hua activated the Earth Prison Formation.
However, Shui Yanluo was too agile, and even while chatting with him, Mo Hua had failed to distract him completely. As a result, the formation was discovered before it could be completed.
Now that it was activated in a hurry, the effectiveness of the formation was not as expected.
A glow flashed on the ground, and earthen barriers rose up, transforming into a cage-like structure, intending to use earth to overcome water and trap Shui Yanluo.
But Shui Yanluo was quick, and in an instant, half of his body had already moved out of the formation's range.
The remaining earthen barriers trapped one of his legs, but he shook them off with his thick water-infused power.
As soon as Shui Yanluo broke free from the Earth Prison Formation, Gu An and Gu Quan joined forces to attack him.
Two blades of light, like crescent moons, encircled Shui Yanluo's neck.
Gu An and Gu Quan, both at the late Qi Refining stage, put forth all their strength without holding back.
"Linked Ring Blade Technique?"
Shui Yanluo's eyes darkened, but he did not panic.
His abundant water spiritual energy surged, and he pulled on the chain whip in his hand, transforming it into layers of whip shadows that neutralized the blade lights of Gu An and Gu Quan.
Gu An and Gu Quan's attacks were deflected.
Shui Yanluo then whipped backhand, the whip laced with sinister water spiritual energy, aiming at Gu An.
Gu An blocked with his horizontal blade, but the force of the whip sent him flying back several meters. Simultaneously, the tip of the whip grazed his shoulder.
A surge of icy cold spiritual energy instantly penetrated his shoulder, causing excruciating pain.
Gu An's face turned pale, and he exclaimed, "Water Punishment Whip!"
Shui Yanluo coldly smiled, "At least you have some discernment."
Then, he raised the whip high like a venomous snake, intending to finish off Gu An in one go.
Gu An, suffering from the water poison, endured unbearable pain and wanted to dodge, but he couldn't keep up with the speed.
Gu Quan tried to rescue him, but he was a step too slow.
Just at that moment, a wind-type sword light pierced through the air, aiming straight for Shui Yanluo's head.
The wind-type sword light was known for its speed.
And this sword light was not only fast but also exceptionally sharp, with a formidable edge.
Shui Yanluo clicked his tongue in annoyance, but seeing no other choice, he had to give up on Gu An and use all his strength to wield his whip, blocking the wind-type sword energy head-on.
The wind-type sword energy shredded his whip shadows, but it didn't inflict significant damage on Shui Yanluo.
However, Shui Yanluo dared not be careless.
Indeed, in the next moment, a figure flashed in front of him, and Gu Changhuai was already within striking distance, his longsword descending with force.
Shui Yanluo's expression turned solemn as he swung his chain whip, meeting Gu Changhuai's sword head-on.
For a moment, they were evenly matched, but soon after, their powers clashed, and they separated.
After Shui Yanluo stabilized himself, he looked at Gu Changhuai with a grave expression and asked in a cold tone, "Golden Core?"
Gu Changhuai remained silent.
Perhaps he didn't want to speak, fearing that it would expose his identity.
Or maybe he felt that there was no point in talking to such a heinous criminal.
Shui Yanluo frowned and then sneered, "A Golden Core cultivator, and yet you hide your face, only revealing your eyes. Are you afraid of embarrassment?"
This was a second-rate province.
And he had already reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.
Under the suppression of the Heavenly Dao, the cultivational level a Golden Core cultivator could exert was similar to his own.
He couldn't kill a Golden Core cultivator, but a Golden Core cultivator might not necessarily be able to defeat him either.
Therefore, Shui Yanluo was not afraid, but he remained silent as he pondered.
"A Golden Core cultivator, with a wind-type spirit root, a sword cultivator..."
Based on his knowledge, he couldn't recall anyone who fit this description.
Moreover, although this person had already reached the Golden Core stage, it was evident that his sword techniques were somewhat crude and not particularly remarkable.
Was this his true strength, or was he...
Using inferior sword techniques to conceal his actual cultivation method and prevent his identity from being exposed?
"I need to find a way to uncover the backgrounds of these people. Otherwise, the young master's actions might be exposed, ruining our grand plan..."
Shui Yanluo thought to himself.
Then, his eyes flashed with cold light, and he suddenly attacked, his chain whip lashing out like a snake, the tip of the whip aiming for Gu Quan.
Gu Quan was on guard, but the gap in their strengths was evident, and he reacted a beat too slow. By the time he saw Shui Yanluo's move, it was too late.
Caught off guard, he could only use his horizontal sword to block.
However, he didn't block it completely, and the tip of the whip grazed his arm, causing him to experience the effects of the water poison.
Shui Yanluo wanted to pursue his advantage.
But Gu Changhuai's longsword arrived once more, the tip of the sword aiming for his back.
Reluctantly, Shui Yanluo had to give up on Gu Quan and turn to face Gu Changhuai again, a hint of anger rising in his heart.
Gu Changhuai was even more furious.
If this place had been a third-rate province, he could have utilized his Golden Core cultivation. Then, capturing or killing Shui Yanluo would have been as easy as turning his hand.
But this was only a second-rate province, and he had to forcibly suppress his cultivation. As a result, he couldn't use his full strength.
Without the power of his Golden Core, he was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.
Perhaps he was slightly stronger than an ordinary cultivator at the same stage, but not by much.
Moreover, to conceal his identity, he hadn't used his signature spiritual treasures or the Gu family's unique techniques, making it difficult for him to deal with Shui Yanluo.
As a result, he could only passively rescue people under Shui Yanluo's attacks, which put him at a disadvantage.
Furthermore, from the previous exchanges, it was evident that Shui Yanluo had profound cultivation, insidious techniques, and was not to be underestimated.
Capturing him would undoubtedly require a lot of effort.
Gu Changhuai swung his longsword, his figure as swift as the wind, as he attacked Shui Yanluo.
Shui Yanluo's eyes flickered, and he channeled his water-type spiritual power, the chain whip dripping with water poison, as he clashed with Gu Changhuai.
Gu An and Gu Quan were momentarily caught off guard and affected by the water poison, so they could only support from the side for now, preventing Shui Yanluo from escaping.
As for Mo Hua, he remained a spectator.
It wasn't that he didn't want to help, but his minor tricks wouldn't be very useful in this situation and might even cause more trouble.
The current situation was unclear, and using his hidden cards might not be the best move. It was better to wait for the right moment to ensure a decisive outcome.
Gu An and Gu Quan, both at the late Qi Refining stage, were at a disadvantage against Shui Yanluo's Water Punishment Whip and almost met a grim fate.
When facing an opponent in battle, a cultivator fears not their strength but their insidiousness. One can guard against strength, but insidiousness is often unpredictable.
However, Mo Hua didn't believe that Shui Yanluo's insidiousness alone was what qualified him to replace the deceased Huo Fotuo as the leader of the Evil God's claws.
It was hard to judge whether this Shui Yanluo had any other hidden aces up his sleeve...
Mo Hua intently observed the battle between Shui Yanluo and Gu Changhuai, hoping to gain some combat experience and also to find any clues in Shui Yanluo's techniques that might reveal other formidable abilities.
Knowing oneself and one's enemy, one will emerge victorious in a hundred battles—this was the tenet of beast tamers.
When beast tamers hunted beasts, the first thing they did was to understand the beasts they faced.
And when facing a formidable foe, the first thing they did was to ascertain their opponent's strength and techniques, knowing themselves and their enemy, rather than rushing in blindly.
This was the mark of a qualified beast tamer.
Otherwise, no matter how many lives they had, it wouldn't be enough.
So, Mo Hua stood by and observed, trying to see through Shui Yanluo.
On the other hand, Gu Changhuai continued his fierce battle with Shui Yanluo, maintaining a slight advantage, but it wasn't a significant one.
Shui Yanluo was at a disadvantage but showed no signs of imminent defeat.
The battle reached a stalemate, but a sense of unease began to grow in Shui Yanluo's heart. He felt as if a pair of profound eyes were watching him, seeing through all his actions.
His gaze swept over Mo Hua and the others, but he couldn't pinpoint the source of that feeling.
A Golden Core cultivator, two Qi Refining cultivators whom he had defeated, and a shorty at the mid-Qi Refining stage.
None of these four seemed to be the owner of those profound eyes.
Adding to his suspicions was the mysterious carriage that had suddenly turned on its owner and brought this group of unknown cultivators to this rarely visited ferry dock.
And then there was the formation that had been secretly laid on the ground...
Shui Yanluo felt a sense of unease. "Something's not right..."
"I can't hold back anymore. I need to find a way to break this stalemate. If this drags on, something might happen..."
Shui Yanluo's heart tightened.
He increased the intensity of his attacks, infusing more spiritual power into his whip, causing the water poison to turn a deep blue as if he intended to end the battle swiftly.
Gu Changhuai's eyes remained cold and calm, his sword techniques steady and without flaw.
His sword techniques might not be considered exquisite, but they were sufficient to hold back Shui Yanluo.
Thus, the battle continued for several dozen exchanges.
Suddenly, Shui Yanluo abandoned his attacks on Gu Changhuai and turned towards the river, attempting to escape.
"He's trying to flee!"
Gu Changhuai and the others' hearts tightened.
Gu An, who had been on guard, immediately rushed forward, gritting his teeth and standing resolutely in front of Shui Yanluo.
But the next moment, something strange happened. Gu An's eyes suddenly lost focus, and his entire body seemed to be paralyzed, unable to move.
What was going on?
Mo Hua was taken aback but quickly reacted, shouting in alarm, "Be careful!"
However, before he could finish, Gu Quan, who had rushed to support Gu An, also lost focus in his eyes, as if something had eroded his consciousness, causing him to lose his sense of self.
Gu Changhuai's expression turned solemn as he realized something was amiss.
He focused all his attention, his eyes sharp and alert, on guard against Shui Yanluo.
But what left Mo Hua incredulous was that, in the next moment, even the Golden Core cultivator, Gu Changhuai, lost his focus.
His eyes glazed over, and he stood frozen in place.
A chill ran down Mo Hua's spine.
"What is this Shui Yanluo up to..."
One after another, these strange occurrences happened in the blink of an eye.
Just as Mo Hua was about to see Gu Changhuai and the others lose their consciousness, with Shui Yanluo about to strike, Mo Hua quickly formed a fireball with his fingers, intending to buy some time.
But by the time he finished, Shui Yanluo had already vanished from his original spot.
At the same time, a chill ran up Mo Hua's spine from behind.
Without hesitation, Mo Hua used the Flowing Water Step, his body moving like flowing water, and he sidestepped a few times.
And where he had just been standing, a venomous whip struck the empty ground.
Shui Yanluo appeared, his expression strange as he looked at Mo Hua.
"A water-type movement technique?" Shui Yanluo asked in a low voice.
Moreover, it wasn't an ordinary water-type movement technique...
This technique was highly skilled.
And this little guy had obviously spent a lot of effort practicing it, which was why he was so adept at using it.
Even a regular cultivator at the Qi Refining stage, let alone the late stage, wouldn't have been able to dodge his whip.
What kind of movement technique was this? Shui Yanluo's eyes narrowed, and his figure flashed like a lurking water demon, unpredictable and dangerous. He approached Mo Hua again with a few quick movements.
His whip lashed out once more.
But at the last moment, Mo Hua dodged yet again.
At the same time, Mo Hua was astonished.
What kind of movement technique was this Shui Yanluo using? It was like the shadow of a water demon, elusive and impenetrable...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
