The setting sun was as red as blood, dyeing the river crimson. The roaring waves sounded like the wrath of gods, piercing deep into one’s soul.
After observing for a while, Meng Qi flew upstream in search of a suitable crossing point. Similar to normal rivers that have sections of varying currents, Nujiang River also has dangerous and safer stretches. In the dangerous zones, powerful and bizarre creatures from the riverbed occasionally break free from their seals, rising to the upper waters to lie in wait for prey or cause havoc. It was extremely perilous.
Under normal circumstances, Meng Qi wouldn’t fear them too much. Unlike the Great Sage, besides transforming into a fish, he could also mimic the Blueblood, altering his form to control water and protect himself. Underwater, he could still exert seventy to eighty percent of his combat power, making him a genuine all-terrain and all-environment combat machine. Unless encountering top-tier monsters, there was little to worry about. However, his current mission required stealthy river crossing. If he fought fiercely with the river monsters and created noticeable disturbances, the enemy on the opposite bank would detect him, and all would be lost!
In front of the Righteous Army’s encampment lay a favorable stretch of water where monsters seldom surfaced. Such locations were exceedingly rare, with no more than three existing along the entire Nu River. These were strategic “checkpoints” that needed to be secured—a fact well understood by the enemy as well.
(Note: “Nujiang River” has been rendered as “Nu River” following standard geographical naming conventions, where “Nu” is the pinyin transliteration of 怒江, and “River” is added in English for clarity. The term “Righteous Army” is capitalized as it appears to be a proper noun referring to a specific military force.)
Therefore, Meng Qi abandoned crossing at this location and continued upstream in search of a calmer section.
Based on the information provided by Master Wan Shi and Hu Zhi Gao, Meng Qi quickly found a suitable crossing point not far upstream.
He transformed his body with a spin, becoming a silver-scaled fish, and with a splash, leapt into the river, swimming toward the opposite bank on the surface.
Nujiang River was extremely wide, and its residual divine and demonic energies disrupted perception. Even at the peak of the Outer Scenery realm, wielding divine weapons couldn’t allow attacks across the river. Meng Qi swam for a long time before faintly sensing the opposite shore, where lanterns illuminated the riverbank.
The riverbank was brightly lit! Meng Qi’s heart jolted, and he slowed his swimming speed, nearly getting swallowed by a carnivorous fish.
His fish eyes on both sides transformed, golden light flashing, as if countless rays condensed into Wisdom Eyes, clearly revealing the scene ahead.
The shallow waters near the embankment were pitch-black, with dark miasma swirling in the water. Numerous fish floated lifelessly, their white bellies exposed, quickly rotting into the water. Crabs, shellfish, and other aquatic life followed suit, with no normal living creatures able to pass through.
Above this stretch of river, several medium-sized patrol vessels were adorned with countless lanterns, illuminating the water’s surface as brightly as daylight. Each ship carried numerous formidable Open Passage (Awakened Passage) martial artists, led by a 7th or 8th-grade Earth-tier general who repeatedly scoured the shallow waters to ensure no “escaping fish” slipped through. At the helm of the central ship stood a general clad entirely in black armor, his sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings from the bow.
Only his eyes were visible beneath the iron-black faceplate, but even this glimpse revealed eyes that nearby lower-tier martial artists dared not meet directly. Cold and imposing, they seemed to contain countless hells within, and merely looking into them could pull one’s soul into abyssal torment.
“He will surely inherit the legacy of the ‘Martial Emperor’—none other than the ‘King of Hell’…” Every lower-tier martial artist and human-tier expert who glanced at the black-armored warrior couldn’t help but think this, shivering involuntarily.
The King of Hell possessed demon bloodline, and at merely twenty-eight years old, he had already reached the 6th grade of Earth-tier cultivation, surpassing even the Martial Emperor in his youth. He was nearly the strongest of this generation, often praised by the Martial Emperor, who predicted he might reach the Upper Three Tiers before the age of forty!
Meng Qi found himself in a predicament. This place was so heavily guarded, seemingly designed specifically to counter transformation techniques. If he turned back and chose another calmer section, according to what Master Wan Shi and others had told him, the nearest suitable crossing point was at least half a month away by full-speed flight. Time was not on his side!
And the river section where the two armies confronted each other would certainly be even more heavily fortified than this!
…
The camp stretched endlessly like a mighty dragon. Inside an elaborately decorated tent,
A middle-aged man in a bright yellow robe sat calmly, surrounded by a tangible aura of imperial majesty forming into a five-clawed golden dragon, exuding sacredness, majesty, and transcendence, compelling involuntary submission.
“So heavily fortified—could it be excessive, merely draining the soldiers’ energy?” His voice was low and magnetically charming.
Opposite him sat two individuals. One was a tall elderly man. While his first impression was of old age, a closer look revealed no wrinkles on his face, jet-black hair neatly combed and tied into a crown. His aura was deeply restrained, making it impossible to gauge his depth. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, revealing no sharpness. His hands rested calmly on his knees, exuding the aura of a true Grandmaster. Even without speaking, his presence was mighty and captivating, vastly different from the usual divine and demonic characteristics of Upper Three Tier cultivators.
The other was clad in black robes, his hair streaked with silver threads. Rather than appearing aged, the silver strands added a touch of weathered sophistication. His features were unremarkable, but his brows were relaxed, and his eyes carried a lazy charm that irresistibly drew attention.
Hearing the question from the man in the bright yellow robe, the lazy man with silver hair smiled slightly and said, “One must first ensure invulnerability before waiting for the chance to win. I once encountered an enemy known as the ‘True Lord of Qingyuan Dao,’ and suffered a severe defeat due to his transformation techniques, nearly losing my life. Since then, I’ve vowed never to be careless in this aspect again.”
“Given the unique bloodlines, Master Wen Jing’s concerns are justified,” the tall elder said steadily.
At these words, the heavy atmosphere inside the tent strangely dissipated, even the five-clawed golden dragon formed from the imperial aura nearly dispersing.
“If even the Master agrees, I naturally have no objections,” the man in the bright yellow robe remained expressionless, as steady as a mountain.
He then turned to the silver-haired, relaxed-looking man, “Master Wen Jing, have we received any news from the spy infiltrating the rebel camp? How is the progress? Should we launch an attack to create chaos?”
The Righteous Army had not yet descended into internal strife. Their camp was strategically positioned with natural advantages, and many Upper Three Tier martial artists still remained among their ranks. A full-scale frontal assault would be difficult to achieve immediate success, hence necessitating a dual-pronged approach.
Master Wen Jing smiled slightly and said, “Attack once in the next two days, and within five days, Your Highness will surely witness the rebels’ disintegration.”
…
Once a major disturbance was triggered, attracting Grandmaster-level experts, all subsequent plans would be rendered futile. If he retreated without locating the master of the parasitic insects, Du Huaishang would only survive for a few more days. Once he died, the Righteous Army would descend into chaos, and the mission would undoubtedly fail.
Floating in the water, Meng Qi used his Wisdom Eyes to observe the frontline blockade, his mind rapidly analyzing all the pros and cons.
If he were to act, he would have only one chance, and the enemy must not detect his move!
Attacking others carried a high risk of being noticed by the black-armored general!
In other words, he must strike the strongest point. Once successful, he wouldn’t need to worry about lower-tier martial artists detecting anomalies anymore!
Taking a deep breath, Meng Qi suppressed all distractions, his mind becoming crystal clear, forgetting victory and defeat, life and death, reflecting the image of the Immortal Primordial Unity, flawless and perfect!
He transformed again, shifting from a silver-scaled fish into a human form, his skin translucent, flowing with blue blood.
After ascending the first Celestial Ladder and increasing his transformation count to eighteen, Meng Qi’s mimicry of the Blueblood had improved significantly. Although not yet fully merging with water and becoming nearly undetectable, he could now partially transform into water!
His body faded into the current as Meng Qi carefully controlled his aura, avoiding detection by the black-armored general, slowly drifting closer to the ships.
The river water gradually changed, dark and eerie miasma entwining around him. Meng Qi remained calm, his mind clear, observing the rising and falling emotions of fear and terror through the image of the Immortal Primordial Unity, not allowing them to overwhelm him.
As the darkness invaded, Meng Qi’s spirit suddenly felt dizzy. The Immortal Primordial Unity stabilized him, and he visualized a golden Buddha, which helped slightly restore his clarity.
What terrifying toxic energy! Meng Qi felt his water-like body beginning to decay, his spirit “melting.”
Only ten breaths… Meng Qi set a limit for himself. Beyond this, the influence of the eerie black miasma would intensify, making it difficult for him to maintain control. It wouldn’t just require the East Extreme Longevity Pill to recover, but his fluctuating aura would also be easily detected!
A single drop of water merged into the great river, slowly approaching the ship. The King of Hell stood at the bow, pacing back and forth, inspecting every direction with cold, emotionless eyes, making his subordinates tremble in fear.
Waiting for the opportunity… Meng Qi remained calm and composed, neither anxious nor impatient, just like the time he waited for the Wolf King.
Three breaths passed… The King of Hell hadn’t approached the shadowed side of the ship.
Five breaths passed… A flying insect hadn’t even landed on the King of Hell before being shredded by invisible energy.
Seven breaths, eight breaths… The King of Hell was still inspecting the other side, but Meng Qi remained unmoved, as cold and indifferent as if failure meant nothing to him.
Nine breaths… The King of Hell turned and walked toward this side.
Ten breaths… A sudden premonition from the King of Hell’s demon bloodline caused him to instinctively glance at the water’s surface. There, a blue hand suddenly emerged, reaching for his ankle. It moved like an illusion, exuding a mysterious Chan meaning, seemingly present yet elusive, neither here nor there, not in this place, not in that.
The King of Hell’s eyes remained cold. He stepped back, leaving multiple illusory footprints on the deck, as if any of them could become real. It was an exquisite evasion technique.
Yet, that hand was already waiting, like a flaw in one’s mind—avoidance could never solve the problem!
Silently, the King of Hell saw his ankle grabbed. As he was about to unleash his aura to forcibly break free and draw attention, the five fingers suddenly glowed with faint Xuan Huang light points, black and white glows, and purple fortune, clenching tightly.
With a splash and a crack, the sound of water and breaking merged into one. Meng Qi’s five fingers pierced the black leg armor, directly gripping the King of Hell’s ankle. A silent current of energy surged forth, his spirit piercing like a needle, sealing techniques spreading like a net!
The King of Hell’s eyes widened, never imagining he would be subdued so silently by an enemy!
What a terrifying gap in power!
Meng Qi transformed again, becoming a flea, landing on the King of Hell’s eye. He then stepped forward, entering the cabin, as if needing a brief rest.
The surrounding subordinates felt slight surprise; this was unlike the King of Hell’s usual behavior.
Just as these thoughts arose, they saw the King of Hell emerge again, still cold-eyed and clad in black armor, except now wearing boots that concealed his aura—crafted from Kunlun Daoist robe!
Meng Qi exhaled in relief. He had barely one breath left before needing the East Extreme Longevity Pill to purge the poison. Fortunately, after regaining his human form, his robust physique quickly neutralized the river toxins, preventing them from invading his spirit.
Standing at the bow, Meng Qi surveyed the surroundings, waiting for dawn and the shift change.
…
Within the camp of the Righteous Army,
Xu Wei entered, nodding respectfully to Meng Qi’s clone and Jiang Zhiwei: “Prince Haiwang has requested that you esteemed experts move to the Zhenhai Army’s camp.”
“Alright.” This time, Qi Zhengyan responded.
Stepping out of the empty tent, the outside was already deep in night, with lanterns hanging high, illuminating key areas. Yet many dark corners remained, with cold wind howling, sending chills down one’s spine.
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