CHAPTER 97: RIVERBORNE EVIL! NIGHTMARE! MOUNTAIN SPIRIT! PRAYER BEADS!

“What was that thing?”

Master Huizhen replied in a low, solemn voice, “All great rivers conceal unspeakable terrors. I do not know.”

Fortunately, it seemed that the source of that roar wasn’t targeting them.

After the low growls, the presence quickly vanished. The thunderous roar of rushing water surged back into their ears, like tens of thousands of soldiers charging into battle.

Without exchanging words, the two quickened their pace in unison. Luckily, this treacherous stretch of the trail wasn’t long, and they soon passed through it.

Roughly a li later, the path opened up, and they emerged from the Yixian Cliff onto a stretch of relatively flat mountain road.

Li Yanchu finally allowed himself a brief moment of relief, when suddenly, Master Huizhen let out a stern shout, “Be careful! Something’s coming out of the water!”

Li Yanchu spun around, only to see Master Huizhen with a grave expression. Then, he slammed his monk’s staff into the ground with a loud boom, burying it over a chi deep into the earth.

He then pressed his palms together and began to chant scriptures. As his chanting continued, golden talismanic symbols began to appear and glow across his body.

Seeing this, Li Yanchu’s heart sank. This was the first time he’d ever seen Master Huizhen take a situation this seriously.

Suddenly, a dripping, rhythmic sound echoed around him, accompanied by a piercing chill that crept through the air. It felt damp, sticky, cold, and oppressive.

Something had emerged from the river below, and whatever it was, it was not human.

Bang

!

Li Yanchu didn’t have time to think. He instantly released his qi shield, which surged outward and evaporated the surrounding damp mist in a flash. Something invisible was attacking him!

Fortunately, his qi shield had already reached the level of a first-rate martial artist, imbued with exorcising power and overwhelming force. Thus, he took the hit head-on without so much as flinching.

Clang!

A flash of saber light cut through the air like fire igniting in the dark, radiating searing heat.

Even though Li Yanchu couldn’t see the enemy, his martial instinct, honed to razor sharpness, guided him. With one slash, he cleaved into the air! He unleashed the full strength of Six Yang Force!

Flames burst forth with every strike, illuminating the night sky and vaporizing all the cold, oppressive moisture in the air. Li Yanchu moved like lightning, and he whipped his whipping through the air like a fire dragon.

Each strike came faster and harder than the last. He was vicious and unrelenting as he pounded the creature that had crawled up from the river. His strikes were fast, heavy, blazing-hot and razor-sharp.

For a brief moment, the silhouette of the malevolent creature flickered into view. Its body was covered in dark greenish-blue scales.

Back in Longmen Village, Li Yanchu wouldn’t have stood a chance. A surprise attack like this would’ve broken through his defenses without effort. But now, relying on the power of the Jiaoslayer, he was able to forcefully suppress this thing.

“Buddha’s Light Illuminates All!” Master Huizhen shouted coldly.

He extended both hands, and countless golden scriptures exploded outward like a massive net, enveloping the invisible void.

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

White smoke hissed up as if boiling oil had been poured over snow, and the sound echoed around them. The golden scriptures wrapped around the invisible entity and dragged it toward the cliff edge, then hurled it down into the roaring river below.

Li Yanchu’s eyes followed the creature’s fall, but the heavy fog soon blocked his view.

“It’s not dead yet,” Master Huizhen said gravely.

Li Yanchu gripped his Jiaoslayer tightly, his eyes sharp as sabers. Though the clash had lasted only a few breaths, it had been extremely perilous.

He had already burned through a third of his internal Six Yang Force in that brief encounter, and even then, he hadn’t managed to kill it?

“What the hell was that thing?” Li Yanchu couldn’t stop thinking about the dark green scales he’d caught a glimpse of in the chaos.

After the fight, the two men only paused for a brief rest, then resumed their pursuit of the beast that had murdered the pregnant women in the Martial Manor.

The roar of the river gradually faded from their ears, because the two of them had begun ascending deeper into the mountains. After passing through two patches of forest, the path suddenly opened up before them, and a dilapidated Mountain God temple appeared.

In this vast, desolate mountain wilderness, the sudden appearance of such a temple was truly unexpected. Seeing this, the monk and the Daoist exchanged a glance.

Li Yanchu stopped and said softly, “It’s inside the Mountain God temple.”

Master Huizhen gave a slight nod.

The two had been racing through the mountains half the night for the sole purpose of hunting down the malevolent creature that had been slaughtering pregnant women. Thus, they immediately prepared to investigate the mountain temple without hesitation. Under the veil of night, the temple loomed with a sinister stillness, like a giant beast opening its bloodstained maw.

Just then, the monk and the Daoist stepped into the temple. Though old and worn, the Mountain God temple was fairly large. With his Art of Pursuit, Li Yanchu continued moving deeper into the back of the structure.

But as he walked, he suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity with this temple.

This layout... feels a bit like the Lady Qingyi Temple? The thought flashed across his mind.

He wasn’t sure. After all, most temples had similar architectural layouts. It could easily be his imagination.

Suddenly...

Crack! Crack!

A bone-chilling sound echoed through the empty temple halls. It was the unmistakable crunch of bones being chewed.

“It’s in the back!”

As soon as the words left Li Yanchu’s mouth, he shot forward like an arrow. Meanwhile, Master Huizhen followed right behind him. Guided by the sound, the two quickly arrived at a room in the rear of the Mountain God temple.

Bang!

Sensing the evil presence inside, Li Yanchu struck without hesitation. With a single palm, he smashed the door open and charged into the room. All he saw in the darkness were a pair of glowing crimson eyes, and then, the world around him shifted.

In the blink of an eye, Li Yanchu realized he was no longer inside the Mountain God temple nestled deep in the wilderness, but lying on a bed in an ordinary bedroom, with a man sleeping beside him.

Li Yanchu froze for a moment, the scene strangely familiar. And then, it hit him!

This was one of the homes in the Martial Manor, belonging to one of the murdered pregnant women. The man next to him was the deceased woman’s husband.

Seeing this, he furrowed his brows and immediately tried to rise, but found that his body was completely unresponsive. He couldn’t move a single muscle.

It was as if he were merely a passenger, sealed within this body, watching through its eyes. Even his mouth couldn’t open.

The room was plainly furnished. A broad saber leaned against the wall, and a bow and arrows hung beside it. They were standard gear for someone from the Martial Manor.

He was in a nightmare! This damned thing had pulled him into a dream realm in an instant!?

Creeeak!

In the dead of night, a harsh, grating sound echoed through the silence. It sounded like it was coming from the window.

Though paralyzed, Li Yanchu managed to shift his gaze toward it. Standing there was a blurred figure, the most striking thing about it being a pair of glowing red eyes. With a silent leap, the figure landed on the bed.

And now, Li Yanchu finally saw its true form. It was a grotesque monster covered in fur, with the face of a human and the body of a monkey. Its eyes were crimson, and embedded in its brow was a Buddhist prayer bead.

“A mandrill!?” Li Yanchu’s brows knitted in alarm. Then his eyes locked onto the prayer bead in the creature’s brow.

It seemed to be in constant pain because of the bead, as it occasionally clawed at it yet never dared to touch it fully. Clearly, it was terrified of the bead.

The mandrill approached Li Yanchu and raised its razor-sharp claws, ready to gut him open. Those claws glinted coldly in the dark, still stained with dark red blood.