Chapter 618
As long as he hasn't arrived at the Forbidden City
At this moment, although these cultivators who went into the water to search were all quite powerful, at least at the late stage of the Human Gang Realm, their movements were extremely sluggish and slow under the strong water pressure and resistance, as if they were stuck in a sticky swamp. Every movement took several times more effort and time than on land.
A cultivator wielding a water-splitting dagger cautiously approached the cave area where Jiang Xuan was hiding.
He stared wide-eyed, trying to see what was inside the dark cave entrance, but underwater visibility was already poor, and with the darkness deep within the cave, he couldn't see anything at all.
Just as he was about to get closer and investigate more thoroughly—
A cold, almost seamless blade of light, almost blending into the river, silently pierced out from the shadows of the cave like a venomous snake!
The blade flashed in a precise and deadly arc, without even stirring up much water!
The cultivator felt a chill in his throat, and his eyes were instantly filled with boundless shock and fear. He wanted to shout, but only large gushes of blood foam gushed from his ruptured throat, mixing with the river water and spreading rapidly.
The water-splitting spike in his hand fell limply from his grasp, and his body convulsed as he slowly sank to the bottom of the river.
The subtle movement and the pervasive smell of blood immediately alerted the other cultivators searching nearby!
"Over there!"
"Something's happening! Surround them!"
Dozens of cultivators immediately swarmed towards the cave like sharks smelling blood! Although their movements were slowed by the water, their sheer number still created a powerful sense of oppression.
Jiang Xuan's eyes were cold; he knew that hiding was no longer a solution.
His figure suddenly darted out of the cave, like a black lightning bolt that had been gathering power for a long time, and took the initiative to meet the charging enemy group!
Facing the first cultivator with a knife who rushed forward, Jiang Xuan's flowing light battle blade, imbued with a condensed killing intent, easily broke through the water's resistance and delivered a precise upward slash!
"Pfft!"
The cultivator didn't even see Jiang Xuan's movements clearly. He only felt a chill in his abdomen. Looking down, he saw that his abdomen had been cut open with a huge gash, and his internal organs mixed with blood gushed out instantly, staining the surrounding water red.
His eyes held an unbelievable despair as he slowly sank to the bottom.
At the same time, Jiang Xuan raised the crossbow in his left hand, aiming it at a cultivator more than ten feet away who was trying to form hand seals and unleash a spiritual technique.
"call out!"
The crossbow bolt traced a straight white line through the water. Although it was slightly slower than in the air, at such close range it was still too fast to react to!
The cultivator had only completed half of his hand seals when a bloody hole suddenly appeared on his forehead, his eyes dimmed instantly, and his body slumped backward.
"Kill him!"
"How can he be so fast in the water?!"
The cultivators were both shocked and enraged, and they all released their spiritual energy in an attempt to disrupt the surrounding waters and interfere with Jiang Xuan's actions. In an instant, the riverbed was turbulent with undercurrents, and the mud and sand were churning.
However, to their despair, the powerful water pressure and resistance seemed to have no effect on Jiang Xuan at all! His movements were as fluid as on land, his speed was as fast as lightning, and his figure appeared even more ghostly and unpredictable underwater! The short crossbows they fired lost much of their speed in the water, their trajectories became clear, and Jiang Xuan easily dodged them.
On the other hand, their movements were heavy and sluggish, as if they were carrying a heavy burden. Their usually skillful combat techniques were now much less effective and full of flaws.
With the balance of power shifting, this battle that took place at the bottom of the dark river almost turned into a one-sided massacre!
Jiang Xuan was like a silent grim reaper, wandering through the murky blood. With each flash of his blade, a cultivator was struck in a vital spot, blood gushing out; with each bolt of crossbow, a cultivator was pierced through the head or heart.
Dull!
bloody!
Unable to call for help!
Only the faint, muffled sounds of sharp weapons slicing through bodies and crossbow bolts piercing flesh and bone, and the ever-spreading blood mist that turned the river water even more crimson!
Most of these cultivators who went into the water were at the Human Gang Realm, and even the few at the Earth Gang Realm found it difficult to move. Their fear spread rapidly as their companions died one after another.
Some tried to escape upwards, hoping to break through the river and send a message, but Jiang Xuan was faster! Often, just as they leaped a few feet upwards, a ghostly figure would catch up, and blades or crossbow bolts would strike from behind or the side, ending their hopes.
Jiang Xuan was severely injured and his combat strength was less than 20% of what it used to be. However, thanks to the Heavenly Water Sacred Pearl's absolute adaptability to the water environment and his ruthless and decisive combat skills, he was still able to stage a desperate death harvest at the bottom of the river!
……
The atmosphere was somber on the banks of the great river.
Xiao Mu quickly walked to the man in the straw hat and whispered his report.
"Boss, the deployment is complete. A total of 1,922 people have been deployed along the ten miles upstream and downstream of the river, and personnel have been assigned to all river bends and branches."
Five Purple Ying warships formed a fan shape in the air to monitor the entire area, while Wind Shadow Harriers patrolled continuously, achieving full coverage.
Upon hearing this, the man in the straw hat nodded slightly, his gloomy expression softening somewhat. His gaze remained fixed on the gradually calming river surface, as if trying to pierce the murky water to see what was happening below. "Very well, now let's see what happens underwater. I refuse to believe that with such severe injuries, he can still cause trouble underwater!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a sudden change occurred!
"Splash!"
With a splash, a body dressed in black suddenly emerged from the center of the river, tumbled a few times in the swift current, and was then swept away downstream by a wave.
Although it was only for a moment, those with sharp eyes on the shore could clearly see the face of the corpse—it was Wu Lao Er, a minor leader of the Earthly Rank Realm who had been searching in the water earlier!
"It's Wu Lao Er!"
"He's dead?!"
An uproar erupted on the shore, and everyone's face instantly turned extremely ugly!
The man in the straw hat's pupils constricted sharply; the ominous premonition in his heart had become a reality! The target wasn't dead! Not only was he alive, but he was also hiding underwater and had already begun killing!
As if to confirm his idea, one, two, three… more and more corpses floated to the surface of that section of the river one after another, like dumplings being dropped into a pot. The originally murky river water was visibly stained with a shocking crimson color!
Xiao Mu's face was ashen as he quickly counted the items and reported back in a dry voice.
"Boss... so far, fifty bodies have surfaced... none of them survived."
"Fifty bodies?! Fifty skilled fighters! Died silently at the bottom of the water?!"
The man in the straw hat had veins bulging on his forehead. He slammed his fist hard against the tree trunk next to him, causing leaves to fall. He almost squeezed the sound out from between his teeth.
"This Jiang Xuan... is he unkillable?! Why is it that every time I think he's doomed, he always manages to turn the tide?!"
A bitter smile appeared on Xiao Mu's lips as he calmly analyzed the situation.
"Boss, it seems that our method of sending ordinary cultivators into the water to kill him has completely failed."
He possesses advantages underwater that we cannot comprehend. If he is determined to remain hidden at the bottom of the river, we… we will become extremely troublesome. With five Purple Elite warships hovering, thousands of personnel deployed, and Wind Shadow Hawks monitoring him, the daily consumption of resources and spirit crystals is astronomical. We cannot afford to continue this stalemate indefinitely.”
The man in the straw hat understood this principle perfectly well. He gazed at the river stained red with blood, his face filled with helplessness and frustration. Finally, he let out a long sigh, as if he had aged several years in an instant.
"Enough... This matter is beyond our control. Let's immediately report the situation in detail to Miss Cangmei and ask her for a decision."
His voice carried a hint of weariness and confusion.
"This time we used almost all the resources at our disposal, going all in, thinking we were invincible... But who knew... we still suffered repeated setbacks, and the situation is completely out of control. If this continues, none of us will be able to face the clan..."
Seeing the somewhat dejected look on the man in the straw hat, Xiao Mu gritted her teeth, a hint of resentment and ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.
"Boss, it's too early to say we've lost! As long as he hasn't reached the Forbidden City, we still have a chance! I will keep an eye on this river until I tear him to pieces!"
The man in the straw hat glanced at him, said nothing, but sighed softly to himself.
Sometimes, fighting spirit alone can't solve problems.
……
Inside that ancient mansion in the Forbidden City.
The atmosphere was completely different from the solemnity on the riverbank; it was even somewhat relaxed. A deputy was reporting to Chizangmei with a smile.
“Miss Cangmei, we just received news that Lu Shaoyun has been personally ordered by his father, Lu Tianzhao, to have his cultivation suppressed and be sent back to the clan to await further orders. It seems that the Lu family is quite pragmatic and knows that they cannot offend our Chi family for the sake of a useless son.”
A burst of laughter erupted in the hall, and everyone's faces were filled with mockery and disdain.
"Hmph, a clown, overestimating himself."
Chi Cangmei sat upright in the main seat, her beautiful face showing a hint of disdain, clearly not taking Lu Shaoyun seriously at all.
However, before the faint smile on her lips could fully open, a guard rushed in with a flustered expression and hurried steps. He didn't even have time to bow before urgently reporting the news.
"Miss! Gentlemen! Urgent report from outside Huanglong City! Something terrible has happened!"
The guard's flustered intrusion and the urgent report instantly shattered the previously relaxed and playful atmosphere in the hall. Chi Cangmei's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing across her exquisite face, clearly indicating her extreme dissatisfaction with the guard's lapse in composure.
She glanced coldly at the kneeling guard whose body was trembling slightly, her voice carrying its usual coldness and authority.
"What's the panic? Is the sky falling down? Some setbacks in the frontline operations are to be expected."
The other deputies in the hall initially didn't pay much attention either; some even looked dismissive, thinking the guard was overreacting. Chi Cangmei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was just a minor setback.
However, when the guard suppressed his fear and recounted in a trembling voice the "twists and turns" that had occurred at the front line in detail—the target Jiang Xuan had disguised himself and left Huanglong City. Although Xiao Mu saw through his disguise, he single-handedly slaughtered his own cultivators in the encirclement, leaving corpses strewn all over the ground, and broke through the encirclement with unstoppable momentum.
Even with five Purple Elite warships deployed for aerial pursuit, he still managed to infiltrate the turbulent river. Furthermore, the fifty elite cultivators sent to investigate underwater were all annihilated within a short period, with none surviving…
As the guard recounted the story, the color drained from Chizang's face, and the slight relief he had just felt vanished.
When she heard "all fifty cultivators were killed," the exquisite jade teacup in her hand...
With a "crack," it was crushed to pieces by her slender fingers! Scalding tea mixed with porcelain shards splashed down, staining her elegant skirt, but she seemed oblivious.
Her cold eyes were now frozen like ancient ice, filled with murderous intent. Her once beautiful face was now ashen, and her chest heaved slightly, clearly indicating that she was furious to the extreme!
"Two thousand elite troops! Five Purple Elite warships! Layer upon layer of control, an inescapable net!"
Chi Cangmei's voice was as if it had been pulled out of an ice cellar, filled with unbelievable rage and a hint of fear that even she herself did not realize.
"They...they still couldn't kill him?! And instead, fifty more lives were lost?! Useless! A bunch of useless trash!!"
The final angry shout exploded like thunder in the silent hall! Everyone was so frightened by the sudden bad news and Chi Cangmei's raging anger that they fell silent, not daring to even breathe. The hall was deathly quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Chi Cangmei's chest heaved violently as she forcefully suppressed the anger that was about to erupt, knowing that venting at this moment would be useless.
She took a deep breath, her icy gaze fixed on the trembling guard, and asked in a suppressed voice.
"Besides these, is there any other information? Any specific details about the target?"
The guard trembled with fright, quickly lowered his body, and said in a trembling voice.
"Miss, the news from the front lines also mentioned... that Jiang Xuan seems... seems to have successfully advanced to the Earthly Fiend Realm! Because of this, his combat power has greatly increased, far exceeding expectations, which is why... why our actions... were..."
"boom!"
Before the guard could finish speaking, a hot-tempered young man from a wealthy family next to him, his face flushed with anger, slammed the teacup in his hand down hard!
"Useless! It's all just an excuse!"
The teacup grazed the guard's forehead, shattering against a pillar behind him. A shard of porcelain still managed to cut a gash on the guard's temple, drawing blood. The guard groaned in pain, but dared not flinch or show any sign of displeasure.
"enough!"
Chi Cangmei gave a cold rebuke, and a powerful pressure instantly enveloped the entire area. The disciple who threw the teacup turned pale and sat back down dejectedly, no longer daring to be presumptuous.
She looked at the guard, whose forehead was bleeding and who was trembling, and her voice was devoid of any emotion.
Are you sure the news is true?
"I...I swear on my life! The message was transmitted via encrypted transmission using the Wind Shadow Hawk, it's absolutely true!"
The guard immediately kowtowed and promised.
Chi Cangmei closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, only cold determination remained in his eyes.
"Pass on my order to Commander-in-Chief Du Xingchuan at the front: the operation continues! Keep a close watch on that river! Any unusual activity, kill them at all costs!"
She paused, then added.
"Also, tell him to send back the details of the video recordings made by Wind Shadow Hawk next time he delivers a message! I want to see for myself just how his 'combat power has greatly increased'!" (End of Chapter)