At the same time, Bai Shen and Qing Wang at the bottom of the river also became alert upon hearing the Netherworld Python’s words.
Bai Shen slowly raised his head, looking toward the surface of the Jinlin River ten thousand meters above. His voice carried a hint of shock and suspicion: “What!”
“Someone’s up there?”
Beside him, the thousand-meter-long green serpent’s two vertical pupils suddenly widened, a flash of fear and anger passing through its cold eyes.
Then, its body churned violently at the bottom of the river, its scales slightly raising from tension, stirring up the mud and silt below, causing the water to surge wildly.
Terrifying whirlpools spread outward one after another, throwing the entire riverbed into chaos.
Amidst this chaos at the riverbed, an eerie green light flickered unpredictably.
In the blink of an eye, the thousand-meter serpent body rapidly shrank, transforming into a human form—none other than Qing Wang.
Qing Wang’s face was cold and pale, his small eyes filled with wariness.
He growled through clenched teeth: “It’s that damned human!”
His words carried barely concealed fear, and Qing Wang’s body could not help but tremble slightly.
Clearly, the human above the Jinlin River had left an indelible shadow on him.
Back at Bifeng Valley, he remembered it clearly.
If not for Lord Lion’s divine consciousness and primordial spirit helping him fend off that human above.
Then his thousand years of cultivation would have been ruined in an instant—his body dead, his path extinguished, mercilessly slain by the human above.
Qing Wang’s loss of composure made Bai Shen, standing nearby, unable to resist asking: “Qing Wang, who exactly is that person?”
Qing Wang’s gaze was fixed dead on the river surface, his voice low and hoarse: “Those damned humans of the Profound Bird Guard—the Deputy Director of the Profound Bird Guard, Lu Xuan!”
Hearing this, Bai Shen’s heart could not help but sink.
Although he had never personally seen Lu Xuan, he had long heard rumors about this Deputy Director of the Profound Bird Guard.
Even that old ghost Bai Gu had suffered a setback at the hands of this Lu Xuan.
“Lu Xuan… why would he appear here so quickly?”
Bai Shen murmured under his breath, a trace of unease in his tone.
Although this brat Lu Xuan was young, he was the Deputy Director of the Profound Bird Guard.
Since even Lu Xuan, the Deputy Director of the Profound Bird Guard, had discovered the anomaly at the Jinlin River.
That was enough proof!
The Great Xia court had already noticed that the Netherworld Python was about to break free.
Enough!
Bai Shen sighed inwardly, the killing intent in his eyes gradually receding.
He silently raised his head, looking toward the sky above the Jinlin River, his heart already resolved.
If the situation turned bad, he would immediately flee—absolutely no hesitation.
Just then, a majestic voice came from the bottom of the river, carrying an endless sense of oppression.
“This lord still has one day before I can break free.”
As the words fell, the Dragon Lord’s enormous eyes slowly closed, his massive body once again sinking into the riverbed, as if merging with the surrounding darkness.
Hearing this, Bai Shen’s heart trembled slightly.
The Dragon Lord would soon be free. If they could endure just one more day, perhaps the situation could still turn around.
But for now, with Lu Xuan, the Deputy Director of the Profound Bird Guard, personally arriving, it proved that the Profound Bird Guard was watching closely.
Bai Shen truly feared that the elusive Director of the Profound Bird Guard might also personally come to the Jinlin River.
As for Qing Wang, after receiving the news that the Dragon Lord still needed one day to break free, his face was grim, complex emotions flickering in his eyes.
He clearly also realized the crisis before them. He turned his head toward Bai Shen and hissed in a low voice: “One day… just hold on one more day.”
“Once Lord Dragon breaks free, it will be the end of these Profound Bird Guards!”
“Lord Bai Shen, everything depends on you!”
Having said this, Qing Wang, for the first time ever, bowed deeply to Bai Shen, signaling him to stop that Lu Xuan above.
Bai Shen did not respond, only silently watching the river surface, secretly calculating in his heart.
Relying on me?
If it were only Lu Xuan alone, then holding him off for a day would still be easy enough for me.
Above the Jinlin River, Lu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering gently in the wind, his expression calm as he overlooked the river surface.
The surging killing intent from the riverbed could not shake Lu Xuan’s mind in the slightest.
The reason Lu Xuan had come to the Jinlin River was entirely unexpected.
It was all because of a few words from Li Chengfeng that Lu Xuan had rushed over in a hurry.
The day before yesterday, the Jinlin River suddenly underwent a strange change—the river water surged backward, and monstrous waves swept across both banks.
Even more startling was that all living creatures near the Jinlin River, whether human or beast, instantly collapsed unconscious.
This extremely bizarre phenomenon caused the common people around the Jinlin River to flee madly from the area.
And when Li Chengfeng, far away in the prefectural city, received this news, he was deeply alarmed.
His first thought was that something had happened to the Netherworld Python at the bottom of the river, and he planned to report this anomaly to the Celestial Capital Profound Bird Guard.
But as it happened, Lu Xuan had just returned to Baidao Prefecture at that time, so Li Chengfeng directly informed him of the matter.
“Old Lu, the Jinlin River has undergone a strange change. This is no small matter—it’s very likely that the Netherworld Python at the bottom of the river has had a mishap.”
Li Chengfeng’s expression was grave, a hint of urgency in his tone. “If that Netherworld Python breaks free, I’m afraid it will bring about a catastrophic disaster.”
As a member of the Eight Great Families, Li Chengfeng was very clear about the terror of that Netherworld Python.
Back then, the one who sealed this Netherworld Python at the bottom of the Jinlin River was none other than the late emperor, Xia Ritian!
When Lu Xuan heard Li Chengfeng mention the Netherworld Python at the Jinlin River, his heart trembled slightly, a flicker of deep meaning passing through his eyes.
His return to Baidao Prefecture this time, aside from visiting his father, actually had another important purpose.
That was for the Netherworld Python at the bottom of the Jinlin River, and the sacrificial artifact that sealed it.
Lu Xuan had long been eyeing this Netherworld Python.
It was not only a demon beast of immense power, but was also sealed by an extremely powerful sacrificial artifact.
That mysterious sacrificial artifact came from the hands of Emperor Tianqi, Xia Ritian!
Xia Ritian, as the sovereign of the Great Xia Dynasty—if he personally used a sacrificial artifact, how extraordinary would it be?
It might very well be a Nine-Vein Moon-level sacrificial artifact!
If he could simultaneously kill the Netherworld Python and obtain the sacrificial artifact left behind by Emperor Tianqi.
Then breaking through to the Cave Void True Lord realm would be just around the corner.
The Cave Void realm was the highest realm in the Great Xia Dynasty, bar none—at least, according to the information Lu Xuan had obtained, that was the case.
Countless cultivators across the billions of miles of the Great Xia Dynasty’s territory could spend their entire lives and still never touch the threshold of this realm.
And Lu Xuan had long stood at the peak of the Divine Mansion realm, just one step away from ascending to Cave Void and becoming a true peerless powerhouse.
“Netherworld Python… sacrificial artifact…” Lu Xuan murmured softly, a flicker of fervor passing through his eyes.
Lu Xuan stood above the Jinlin River, his gaze piercing through layer upon layer of water waves, reaching straight to the riverbed, as if he could take in the situations of both Bai Shen and Qing Wang at a single glance.
“Director, it’s up to you next.”
“This subordinate has a low cultivation level and is somewhat powerless against a great demon beast like the Netherworld Python.”
“Everything is in your hands!”
Although Lu Xuan’s words were soft, they seemed to carry an invisible pressure, causing even the water at the bottom of the river to stagnate.
Then, these words clearly traveled to the riverbed ten thousand meters below, dropping a stone into the silent waters and stirring up layer upon layer of ripples.
Hidden at the riverbed, Bai Shen and Qing Wang heard this and fixed their gazes dead on the surface above.
After a few breaths, Bai Shen’s breathing caught, and a flash of fear passed through his eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, his figure surged into motion, breaking through the water layers, rapidly fleeing toward the depths of the riverbed.
Of course, he was not going to find any Dragon Lord—he wanted to follow the current downstream and escape this den of trouble.
“That woman from the Profound Bird Guard actually came. This place is not fit to stay!” Bai Shen thought to himself, speeding up even more.
In Bai Shen’s understanding, that woman from the Profound Bird Guard had unfathomable strength—she was an out-and-out monster.
He feared that even if Great Elder Bai Yan came, he would likely meet his end on the spot.
This was the closest Bai Shen had ever come to death.
At this moment, Bai Shen wished he could grow two extra legs, using every ounce of strength to flee this dangerous place.
Qing Wang’s face was grim, his eyes full of shock.
He had clearly never expected that Bai Shen would actually run off without a word.
Hadn’t he promised to help my clan’s Dragon Lord resist these damned Profound Bird Guards?
Qing Wang hissed in a low voice: “Bai Shen, you damned human!”
“You dare desert in the face of battle!”
“Lord Dragon will never let you off!”
Sure enough, humans were things that could never be trusted!
All of them were treacherous villains!
To Qing Wang’s angry curses, Bai Shen did not even turn his head, his fleeing speed instead becoming even faster.
In the blink of an eye, Bai Shen had completely disappeared into the distance, whereabouts unknown.
Although Qing Wang had spoken harsh words, there was a barely concealed tremor in his voice.
Clearly, with Bai Shen no longer there to hold the fort.
Facing Lu Xuan, this great monster, all alone, he felt only deep helplessness.
On the river surface, Lu Xuan’s gaze remained calm, as if he had complete knowledge of everything at the bottom of the river.
Just then, beside Lu Xuan, another spatial rift appeared.
Immediately after, a woman in a purple dress, her robes fluttering elegantly, stepped out with graceful, light steps.
She was a woman of cold, peerless beauty, her skin surpassing snow, exuding a certain aloofness that kept others at a thousand miles’ distance.
Her beautiful eyes were as clear as mirrors, purple light flowing within them as she glanced around, her cherry lips delicate and elegant.
Around the purple-dressed woman, there seemed to be a layer of faint purple mist lingering, blocking out the worldly air of the mortal realm.
And this woman was none other than the one Lu Xuan had mentioned—the Director of the Profound Bird Guard.
Zi Yao!
Except, this exceedingly cold and aloof beauty, in a place Lu Xuan could not see, rolled her eyes at him.
Regarding what Lu Xuan had just said, even she, a person whose state of mind was as calm as still water, felt deep exasperation.
This Lu Xuan—the aura emanating from his entire body was already in a state of being about to break through to the Cave Void realm.
Yet he still had the nerve to say his strength was low, dumping all the troublesome matters onto her to handle.
“Director, the Netherworld Python at the bottom of the river is yours to deal with.”
“This subordinate will now go chase that demon from the Pure World White Lotus Cult!”
Having said this, Lu Xuan’s figure suddenly vanished from the spot, not waiting for Zi Yao to speak at all.
Before coming to the Jinlin River, Lu Xuan had already planned everything out.
Facing that Netherworld Python of unknown depth, Lu Xuan had thought it over and decided!
For safety’s sake, Lu Xuan directly chose to call for backup!
After all, Lu Xuan did not come out to play the hero.
If someone could help, that was naturally the best thing possible.
So, without hesitation, Lu Xuan directly contacted this elusive Director of the Profound Bird Guard through his identity token.
In any case, when it came to the Netherworld Python, Lu Xuan did not believe this Director Zi Yao would refuse.
When the Netherworld Python was on its last breath, Lu Xuan would personally act, take its life, and harvest a massive amount of system points.
This fellow!
Zi Yao watched Lu Xuan leave deeply, then turned her gaze back to the bottom of the river.
“How strange!”
“A mere peak Demon King and a martial artist at the Great Accomplishment of the Divine Mansion realm—how could they possibly affect the power of the Profound Bird Heaven Lock?”
On the other side, Lu Xuan’s figure had already appeared fifty miles away, but his gaze was still fixed dead on the center of the Jinlin River’s surface.
The next second, Lu Xuan’s right hand gently pressed down, as if condensing the power of heaven and earth into his palm.
“Hmph!”
“Where do you think you’re running!”
Lu Xuan’s voice was extremely cold. His palm gently pressed down, and an invisible force instantly pierced through the river water, pressing straight toward the riverbed.
In an instant, the river surface whipped up a violent storm, and a massive palm print spanning the entire Jinlin River suddenly pressed down onto the calm, waveless water surface.
Lu Xuan’s palm print seemed to contain the power to destroy heaven and earth.
Under the oppression of this enormous palm print, the river water was instantly pushed aside, forming a huge vacuum zone.
Immediately after, the water at the riverbed suddenly churned, an invisible force stirring everything.
Hidden at the riverbed, Bai Shen suddenly looked up toward the surface, a flash of fear passing through his eyes.
“Oh no!”
As Bai Shen thought this to himself, a terrifying shockwave had already torn through all the water layers, surging toward his position.
That shockwave contained endless destructive power. Everywhere it passed, the river water retreated, forming a massive vacuum channel.
Bai Shen felt that terrifying force, and his heart could not help but sink.
“Damn it!”
“Who said this Lu Xuan only had strength comparable to a martial artist at the Great Accomplishment of the Divine Mansion realm?”
“Is this damn guy a Primordial Spirit True Man at the Great Accomplishment of the Divine Mansion realm?”
This terrifying power—Bai Shen had only ever witnessed it from Great Elder Bai Yan.
Just as that shockwave was about to hit Bai Shen.
His figure suddenly flashed, transforming into a white light, disappearing into the depths of the riverbed.
“Boom!”
The terrifying shockwave violently struck the riverbed, bringing up monstrous waves.
The entire Jinlin River trembled violently at this moment, the river water churning wildly, as if it wanted to devour everything around it.
On the river surface, Lu Xuan’s figure still stood motionless.
His palm slowly withdrew, as if that heaven-destroying strike just now had been nothing more than a casual gesture.
In the void a thousand meters away from Lu Xuan, two figures hovered in midair, facing Lu Xuan from afar.
One of them was none other than the bedraggled Bai Shen, his hair in disarray, his clothes messy and torn, his face still carrying the panic of having survived a close call.
And the other was someone Lu Xuan knew all too well—Bai Gu.
“Bai Gu!”
“This Lu Xuan’s strength is unfathomable—he is absolutely not someone the two of us can confront head-on!”
Bai Shen transmitted his voice while warily scanning toward Lu Xuan.
Earlier, on his escape route, he had used a special method of the Pure World White Lotus Cult to send a thousand-mile voice transmission to Bai Gu.
Fortunately, Bai Gu happened to be in the vicinity of Baidao Prefecture, which was why she could rush here so quickly.
