The terrain within Droplet Cave Heaven was roughly sixty percent water, thirty percent mountains, and ten percent plains. This vast expanse of water ford a pattern of one massive lake and nurous smaller ones. Among them, the largest was Beautiful Water Lake, situated right next to River Bend Fishing Village.
It was called a lake, but considering the thousand-kiloter radius of Droplet Cave Heaven, it was practically a sea.
Gently urging his mortal horse forward, Yulou led Qin Churan on patrol along the northern bank of Great Crimson Stream, bordering the lake.
As the dignified manager of Clear Stream Market's racetrack, it was practically unimaginable to outsiders that he did not possess even a single spirit horse in River Bend Fishing Village.
Back in Clear Stream Market, Yulou had handled and seen hundreds of spirit racehorses.
However, his mindset remained quite composed.
For many people, starting out too high was actually a drawback. Going from frugality to luxury was easy, but going from luxury to frugality was difficult.
Yet Yulou clearly understood the difference between the power of a platform and his own personal strength. Perhaps many things in River Bend Fishing Village looked a bit shabby, but they all obeyed him; they were completely under his authority and control.
For example, he was currently on his way to et a peak Post-Natal Realm martial artist. Such a minor character might seem insignificant to most, but he was the number one figure among the outsider martial artists in River Bend Fishing Village.
If he could take this person under his tutelage, then after defeating Cui Dingyi in the future, Yulou would be able to quickly assemble a core team of trusted subordinates ranging from post-natal martial artists to Qi Induction cultivators.
Throughout the entire process of contacting this individual, Qin Churan had handled everything exceptionally well—from finding and recomnding the person to providing Yulou with a plan for the eting and assessnt. Every step was perfectly managed, which was exactly why Yulou had been so guarded yesterday.
This girl possessed ambition, courage, and no shortage of wisdom!
However, Yulou could accommodate talent, and not just Qin Churan.
If Cui Dingyi knew what was good for him, Yulou could even accommodate him. Wiping soone out entirely sounded satisfying in theory, but it was incredibly troubleso to execute in practice.
The two rode their horses to a flat cliff on the shore of Beautiful Water Lake. Yulou raised his riding crop, pointing toward the winding shoreline that stretched to the horizon, and asked, "Beautiful Water Lake is so massive. The shoreline winds endlessly, full of treacherous and hidden spots. The spirit fish in the lake are also incredibly abundant. Churan, tell , do you think there are people secretly sailing out to catch fish, yet never handing them over to the sect's system?"
Not expecting Wang Yulou to ask such a question, Qin Churan was slightly startled. After a mont of thought, she replied, "Senior Wang, there likely are. They might have so harvests, but demon beasts can always find the villages along the lake; hiding well is useless. The demon beasts in Beautiful Water Lake are nurous, so such covert fishing operations could not possibly reach a large scale."
Yulou smiled and continued to urge his horse northward, saying, "You are right. It won't be on a very large scale."
Receiving Yulou's validation, Qin Churan was so overjoyed that she froze in place for a mont.
Seeing that Yulou had already ridden dozens of ters away, she hastily spurred her horse to catch up.
After observing the winding shores of Beautiful Water Lake, Yulou beca even more certain that an underground market operating independently of the sect's economic system existed within Droplet Cave Heaven.
The resources were right there. How could no one be tempted?
The demand was right there. However, the restrictions on entering and exiting the grotto-heaven, coupled with the three different tiers of rit points exchange limits, had shaped a unique economic model within Droplet Cave Heaven.
The internal distribution model of Droplet Cave Heaven functioned as a limited sect monopoly.
For example, Azurewater Palace did not collect low or mid-grade magical artifacts, nor did they accept ninth-grade spirit fish. This restricted the profits of the Town Guardian Cultivators.
Human nature was all the sa when it ca to profit. Under such a limited monopoly, an uncontrollable dual-track system would inevitably be born.
It was just that finding this covertly operating underground market and joining it was a task that required patience.
Yulou was very confident. As long as he found this underground market, with his accomplishnts in artifact refining, he could easily achieve freedom in spirit stones and spiritual pills for his cultivation.
The two rode for a few more kiloters until they finally caught up with the northern bank patrol team, which had set out before dawn.
However, the martial artists and the leading Qi Induction cultivator were all veteran patrol mbers. They marched in a loose, sloppy formation, causing Qin Churan to frown deeply.
"Senior Wang has co to see you all!" From a distance, the young woman channeled her magic power to remind the patrol mbers to look sharp.
At her reminder, the previously sluggish team mbers instantly perked up.
However, Yulou asked a rather strange question. "Churan, you aren't from a clan, are you?"
"No, my parents both died in the jaws of demon beasts. I grew up in the Hundred Aid Institute here in River Bend Fishing Village. It wasn't until I was later tested to have a spirit root that I stepped onto the path of cultivation," Qin Churan replied with a bitter smile.
Wang Yulou nodded in understanding, directly offering a piece of advice. "Next ti, do not act on your own initiative. This is already the second ti."
As soon as these words left his mouth, Qin Churan's face went completely pale.
Seeing her like this, Yulou chuckled, "Alright, it's just a minor matter. Call them over one by one to speak with . Old Cui, oh Old Cui. To deal with him, I've practically bled my heart dry, haha."
Starting an enterprise was fraught with hardships. Even though Wang Yulou already possessed so many advantages, he still had to handle certain troubleso matters personally.
Yet this hands-on approach wasn't a bad thing. The process of gradually confronting Cui Dingyi through various thods was also the process of Wang Yulou slowly and firmly centing his position as the leader of River Bend Fishing Village.
It seed exhausting and full of theatricality, but when building one's own career, where was there any room for slacking off?
By conversing with the patrol mbers one by one under the guise of observing public sentint and inspecting the grassroots upon taking office, Yulou could personally instruct his newly acquired subordinates without drawing anyone's attention.
However, the first to approach—the leading Qi Induction cultivator—gave Yulou a massive surprise.
"Senior Wang, look. These are seven Cliffside Giant Yellow Fruits I picked from the rock crevices in the mountain stream while leading the patrol today. This type of spiritual fruit can only be used in alchemy. I don't know how to use them, so they would be wasted in my hands. I hope Senior will accept them without hesitation."
Cliffside Giant Yellow Fruits, true to their na, grew upon rocks. They had a yellow exterior and were relatively large.
These were naturally ford ninth-grade spiritual fruits. They looked sowhat like yellow bell peppers, but their skin was as rough as bitter lon. They played a useful role in the refinent of many types of pills.
He hadn't expected to encounter such an unexpected boon just by coming out for a trip. Yulou nodded in satisfaction and accepted them without any false modesty.
He then pulled out fourteen spirit stones and pressed them into the hands of the Qi Induction cultivator who had offered the fruits.
"You are very thoughtful. Take these spirit stones, and go call the next person over."
As the chief manager of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Yulou had navigated Clear Stream Market for many years, so he was naturally clear about the market price of Cliffside Giant Yellow Fruits.
Although he didn't need to use these things at the mont, keeping them for a rainy day or selling them wouldn't result in a loss. A price of two spirit stones per fruit was exceedingly fair.
After eting with a few more patrol mbers, it was finally Li Changming's turn.
Li Changming was Yulou's target for assessnt today. He was an outsider who had co to River Bend Fishing Village to make a living. Now in his thirties, with spirited eyes and tanned skin, he looked extrely capable.
"Did Churan explain everything to you?" Yulou's calm eyes seed to exert a kind of pressure, or perhaps it was simply Li Changming's fear of his formidable cultivation base.
"She did. Changming is willing to go through fire and water for Senior Wang." Li Changming offered his loyalty without a mont of hesitation. Loyalty was the only thing he possessed that might hold value in Yulou's eyes.
"Once the matter is resolved, if you handle it beautifully, I can bestow a low-grade magic artifact upon you. Did Churan ntion this to you as well?"
"Changming knows, but Changming..."
"Alright, save the lofty words. Let see the spear on your back." Yulou waved his hand, cutting off Li Changming's words.
Taking the post-natal martial artist's spear, Yulou examined the spearhead with so surprise.
The spearhead was made from the tooth of an unknown demon beast, fastened to a long shaft of ordinary mortal wood.
It seed this was what they called a dharma weapon.
It could indeed pierce a demon beast's defenses, but it was far too crude, looking practically like a joke.
"Go on, Changming. Do your job well."
Watching the departing patrol team, Yulou shook his head.
Droplet Cave Heaven was a good place, at least for him. His biggest opponent at the mont, Cui Dingyi, would even bow and scrape before him in public.
The spiritual items here were abundant. Mortals could catch spirit fish, and patrol teams could gather spiritual fruits just by stepping out the door.
As the Town Guardian Cultivator of River Bend Fishing Village, Wang Yulou naturally didn't dislike his work here.
But for the ordinary people within Droplet Cave Heaven, it was a completely different picture.
Under the gratitude education system involving demon beasts designed by Droplet Cave Heaven, they were all constantly grateful for the Immortal Venerable's benevolence. Qin Churan, an orphan raised in the Hundred Aid Institute, hadn't forgotten the Immortal Venerable's grace even after becoming a Qi Induction cultivator.
But that Immortal Venerable... Forget it. This grotto-heaven belonged to the Immortal Venerable, and since I, Wang Yulou, have received preferential treatnt under his tutelage, I have no right to bite the hand that feeds .
Those left without a choice were not just Cui Dingyi, but also Wang Yulou, and even many more Foundation Establishnt and Purple Palace cultivators.
Systemic problems could not be easily solved by a single individual. Until he truly grasped his own destiny, Wang Yulou could only endure.
Riding along the road back to River Bend Fishing Village, Yulou's gaze carried a hint of confusion.
The right ti, the right ti... will my right ti ever co?
Soon after, the confusion transford into determination.
It won't co from waiting. I have to walk there step by step and seize it myself!
Having cleared his thoughts, he cracked his whip and urged his horse into a full gallop. Qin Churan naturally scrambled to keep up.
——
Returning to his residence, Yulou sat in his quiet ditation room facing the portrait of the Immortal Venerable, and began cultivating once more.
He Laosan had still not returned, so tracing his ridians would have to wait for the ti being.
The construction of the water gates and high platforms wasn't a day's work, and they had to be handled one by one.
Finding Cui Dingyi's weak spots required patiently waiting for an opportunity. He couldn't expose his intentions too early.
When it ca to conflicts, one needed the patience for a war of attrition in order to accurately gather knowledge about the enemy and the battlefield environnt. Only then could the most perfect opportunity to strike be found.
After circulating his cultivation technique for most of the day, the Gui Water spiritual energy in his Sea of Qi had increased a bit more. Yulou stood up and summoned a servant to prepare today's spiritual food.
Currently, Yulou only ate one al a day, and it consisted entirely of spirit rice, spirit fish, and spiritual vegetables.
As a wealthy man clutching a massive fortune of over six thousand spirit stones, Yulou might not be able to afford the daily consumption of two spiritual pills just yet, but paying for a few spiritual als was well within his ans.
Spirit fish were rare items, and Yulou hadn't eaten them many tis himself.
Red Lantern Illumination Sect reigned supre with fire arts. Therefore, whether it was the wood-cultivating Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom or the water-cultivating Droplet Cave Heaven, both lived quite comfortably within its territory.
In contrast, families that primarily cultivated fire arts, like the Tie family backing Tie Qinhuo, had a much harder ti. It was only because they possessed a knack for rearing spiritual birds that they managed to beco an affiliated clan of the Wang Clan.
After finishing dinner, Yulou carefully collected the leftover spirit fish skin—this stuff was an excellent base material for crafting water-attribute talismans.
The Wang family's spiritual wood could serve as a dium for water talismans, but it was ultimately not as suitable as spirit fish skin.
However, Yulou still hadn't learned even a single Qi Refining stage spell.
Thinking of this, he once again picked up the jade slip containing the Source Vein Gui Water Qi. Within it, aside from the records of two ridian-repairing spiritual pills, were two spells that required Gui Water Qi to be activated.
Gui Water Cold Arrow—average power, only good for extinguishing fires and bullying the weak.
Gui Water Hidden Edge Needle—inferior power, but by borrowing the nature of Gui Water, it possessed the ability to conceal its edge.
In simple terms, it was an invisible needle.
But this invisibility wasn't absolute. It just ant the spell's aura and characteristics were difficult to perceive, providing an elent of surprise during magical combat.
Yulou read through these two garbage spells twice, a profound sense of confusion welling up from the bottom of his heart.
'Patriarch Danri, when you said "top-tier for magical combat", were you referring to these two wretched spells?'
However, rembering that the Source Vein Gui Water Qi manual in his hands only covered the first four levels of Qi Refining, Yulou decided to trust it for now.
'Danri has no past grievances or recent feuds with the Wang Clan. In fact, their relationship is quite good. She scolded Wang Xianmao like he was her own child, so she probably wouldn't deceive .'
Yulou pondered for a mont and decided to learn the Gui Water Hidden Edge Needle first.
The reason wasn't complicated. The spells bundled with the Source Vein Gui Water Qi were just too weak. When picking a general among dwarfs, it was only natural to choose the one with the highest utility.
Yulou had plenty of talismans anyway. Even if this Gui Water Hidden Edge Needle was weak, he could compensate with his comprehensive arsenal of talismans.
Compared to the Gui Water Cold Arrow—whose only difference from the Torrent Technique was that it was powered by Gui Water—the Gui Water Hidden Edge Needle at least offered a little room for imagination in its magical combat effectiveness.
The training for the Gui Water Hidden Edge Needle wasn't very difficult. Its principles were incredibly simple: make it thinner, make it faster, and hide it better.
Yulou simply tried it a few tis and successfully cast the spell, feeling it wasn't much harder than the Torrent Technique.
Initially, the hidden edge needles he ford were very thick, but as he gradually reduced the amount of spiritual energy he mobilized, they beca normal.
He practiced like this deep into the night. Only after ditating to recover his depleted spiritual energy did Yulou fall into a deep sleep.
The residence given to him by Wang Xianmao ca equipped with its own formation array, so Yulou was able to sleep extrely soundly.
However, just because he slept soundly didn't an others did.
In White Reed Village, another fishing village twenty-five kiloters away from River Bend Fishing Village, three patrol squad mbers were slacking off in a guard post at the port. They played dominoes while reminiscing about the tenderness of the girls from the brothel.
Among the three, one possessed Qi Induction cultivation, and two were post-natal martial artists—a standard three-man squad setup.
If such a patrol squad encountered an ordinary Mixed Demon Realm beast, they could drag out the fight for quite a while, and might even have a chance to kill it.
Considering that most attacking demon beasts were Mixed Demon Realm creatures lacking intelligence, a three-man patrol was actually more than sufficient.
However, just as the three were happily playing cards, a massive maw erupted from the water beside the port cabin, swallowing the structure whole—along with the three n inside.
The owner of that giant maw chewed on its delicious al as it stepped onto the pier with thick, sturdy limbs.
Under the dim glow of the port's eternal lamps, three terrifyingly massive silhouettes gradually erged from the darkness.
"Demon beasts!" A mortal on night watch in the village finally spotted the demon beasts. He shouted as he sprinted toward the residence of the Town Guardian Cultivator, but it was already too late.
A simple, effortless Torrent Technique shot straight through his back, blasting out his internal organs.
Yet his value had already been realized. The people of the fishing village rapidly began to awaken.
"Crocodile dragons! They're iron crocodile dragons! Three iron crocodile dragons!" An unknown voice shrieked, laced with pure terror.
The iron crocodile dragon was the advanced form of the iron-armored crocodile. Once a Mixed Demon Realm iron-armored crocodile stepped into the Small Demon Realm, it would begin to awaken its inner dragon nature and beco an iron crocodile dragon.
The local Azurewater Palace disciple, Ji Yuan, flew into the air before he even finished dressing. Looking down at the three iron crocodile dragons in the village, he bellowed, "You three can understand what I'm saying! You've had your al, now leave. Don't seek your own doom!"
Surprisingly, Ji Yuan didn't take action to stop the three iron crocodile dragons from eating people, choosing instead to issue a threat.
In truth, he had no other choice. These three iron crocodile dragons were infamous entities among the villages bordering Beautiful Water Lake. Two were at the high stage of the Small Demon Realm, and one was at the mid stage, and they always moved together.
Moreover, they specialized in sneak attacks, grabbing a al and running. Not a single village they ambushed could fend them off.
If a real fight broke out, Ji Yuan likely wouldn't even be able to save his own life.
You ask why he didn't just run?
Not everyone could be like Wang Yulou and flee whenever they pleased!
The rules of Droplet Cave Heaven couldn't constrain Wang Yulou, but they bound the vast majority of people!
"Damn it!" Ji Yuan cursed.
Because the response to his words of persuasion was a Torrent Technique from the demon beasts.
The iron crocodile dragons had no intention of leaving, deciding instead to continue their all-you-can-eat buffet.
"Light the White Reed wolf smoke! Have the nearby Town Guardian Cultivators co provide support!"
Under Droplet Cave Heaven's gratitude education system, Foundation Establishnt cultivators would not directly intervene against demon beasts, as doing so would disrupt the developnt of the system.
Therefore, faced with three iron crocodile dragons possessing dragon nature, Ji Yuan's only option was to first foreign-call the nearby Town Guardian Cultivators.
The wolf smoke was swiftly lit. Ji Yuan stood silently at the highest point of the fishing village, glancing between the happily feasting iron crocodile dragons and the smoke signal, his heart burning with anxiety.
"Immortal Master! Immortal Master! Hurry and stop the demon beasts! Please, hurry!" A mortal, realizing that the Town Guardian Cultivators were slacking off, fell to his knees in front of Ji Yuan and wailed.
With things reaching this point, all three Town Guardian Cultivators wore ugly expressions.
Watching the fishing village march toward destruction, a flash of pity crossed Ji Yuan's eyes. He fueled his magic power and shouted a warning, "We have to wait for the other Immortal Masters to arrive. All of you, flee away from the lakeshore! Run quickly, and don't co back until the day after tomorrow!"
His response was yet another Torrent Technique, which blasted to pieces the house Ji Yuan had just been standing on.
The iron crocodile dragons were essentially saying: Shut up, and don't interrupt our al!
The iron crocodile dragons were acting with utter arrogance, yet Ji Yuan continued to hold himself back. He had to wait for backup!
Although he was a high-stage Qi Refining cultivator, the other two Town Guardian Cultivators were only at the early and mid stages.
If they charged forward recklessly, all three might perish at the claws of the iron crocodile dragons.
anwhile, the deeply slumbering Yulou was jolted awake by Cui Dingyi and Zhang Xuewu pounding on his door.
"Fellow Daoist Yulou, quickly use your spirit crane to take the three of us to White Reed Village! Wolf smoke has been lit over there; sothing has definitely happened!"
Awakened by Zhang Xuewu, Yulou stood atop his residence, staring silently at the white smoke rising into the northern night sky. Feeling a hint of unease, he replied, "I sent my spirit crane back to the clan grounds to deliver a letter. Co, board my flying boat!"
Zhang Xuewu and Cui Dingyi hadn't expected the spirit crane to be gone, but Wang Yulou being willing to fly them over on his flying boat was at least better than running there themselves, so they nimbly hopped aboard.
"What exactly is going on? Elder Zhuo Chi told that the Town Guardian Cultivator position at a fishing port was very safe," Yulou asked while steering the flying boat.
A village calling for help in the middle of the night—this was far too sudden.
"The wolf smoke from White Reed Village ans that demon beasts which Fellow Daoist Ji Yuan cannot handle have appeared. As for the Town Guardian Cultivator positions, Fellow Daoist Yulou, whether it's safe or not is never set in stone. The safest positions are undoubtedly sitting as deacons in the various halls of the Clear Spring Palace, Splendid Pool Palace, or Azurewater Palace. But to even have a chance at fighting for those roles, you first need to toil in other positions for many years."
Wang Yulou understood Zhang Xuewu's words and realized exactly where the problem lay.
Zhuo Chi was completely out of touch with reality on the ground. He saw a peaceful and tranquil fishing village, but that was through the perspective of a mighty Foundation Establishnt cultivator.
His advice to Yulou was simply to run if he had to. After all, even if Yulou abandoned his post, Droplet Cave Heaven wouldn't truly do anything to punish him.
But other people couldn't run. Others had to stand before the demon beasts and fulfill their duty as a Town Guardian Cultivator!
"Fellow Daoist Yulou, there's a battle ahead. Should we fly a bit slower?" Cui Dingyi, sitting to the side, suddenly chid in. Yulou raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding Old Cui's underlying intent.
Just how sly was this Old Cui?
Wang Yulou had asked about safety, and Zhang Xuewu answered that safety wasn't guaranteed. Then Cui Dingyi quietly added a suggestion to fly slower, making it seem as if he were just speaking in accordance with Wang Yulou's wishes.
"Yes, Fellow Daoist Yulou, fly slower! We must save our magic power!" But that idiot Zhang Xuewu completely failed to understand. He fell right into Old Cui's little trap, pushing Wang Yulou into the position of the scapegoat.
"No, we still need to get there as fast as possible. Hold on tight."
Old Cui furrowed his brow, choosing to remain silent.
Zhang Xuewu looked at Yulou in confusion, completely failing to grasp his train of thought.
Wang Yulou certainly wasn't doing this just to spite Cui Dingyi. He was betting that their group wouldn't be the first to arrive.
There were three villages in the vicinity of White Reed Village. Among them, River Bend Fishing Village was the furthest away, located twenty-five kiloters to its south.
To the west of White Reed Village lay Wood Gully, an area known for producing spiritual wood, separated by a re fifteen kiloters.
Over ten kiloters to the northwest of White Reed Village was Immortal Mushroom Cave, which produced eighth-grade spiritual mushrooms.
No matter how you looked at it, Wang Yulou's group wouldn't be the first to arrive, aning there was no fear of being sent up as cannon fodder.
Furthermore, just because Zhuo Chi gave him permission to run, and the Patriarch supported his running away, didn't an Wang Yulou actually wanted to run.
The Wang Clan's family teachings dictated that one should retreat behind the crowd in tis of trouble, but that was only advice ant for low-level cultivators. The issues Yulou faced were far more complex.
If he wanted to climb higher within Droplet Cave Heaven's hierarchy, he had to pay attention to his behavior and how his actions were perceived. Therefore, arriving a bit early wasn't a bad thing at all.
Moreover, if things truly reached a point of no return, Wang Yulou naturally had other counterasures prepared.
This was the essence of a gentleman adapting to the tis—charging in when necessary, and falling back when outmatched! ——
By the ti the three of them reached White Reed Village, Ji Yuan was already fighting the demons alongside Lin Ying, a disciple from Azurewater Palace who had rushed over as backup.
Dressed in plain white inner robes, Ji Yuan rode a low-grade magic artifact while controlling a flying sword, playing a completely one-sided ga of attacking from a safe height.
Lin Ying was a wood-attribute cultivator. She continuously cast Rapid Vine Techniques to restrict the crocodile dragons' range of movent.
"Xuewu? Dingyi? And this is? Where is Fellow Daoist Gu?" Seeing three Town Guardian Cultivators from River Bend Fishing Village rushing to help on a flying boat, Ji Yuan assud that Yulou's predecessor, the cultivator surnad Gu, had arrived.
But upon seeing an early-stage Qi Refining cultivator clad in Azurewater Palace disciple robes like Yulou, he instantly let out a quiet sigh in his heart.
Damn it, any random dog or cat can enter Azurewater Palace these days. Droplet Cave Heaven truly is getting worse with every passing year!
"You all just need to restrict them from the periphery! Do not get close to the crocodile dragons. These three possess dragon nature and are incredibly difficult to deal with!" As a disciple from one of Droplet Cave Heaven's prominent clans, Lin Ying knew of Wang Yulou's circumstances and quickly warned him.
Wang Yulou was actually quite famous. After all, going three hundred rit points into debt the mont he joined and making Droplet Cave Heaven owe him favors in reverse ant that the audacity of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom was known to every scion of Droplet Cave Heaven's major clans.
Yulou and the other two landed on top of the buildings and imdiately began casting spells to stop the crocodile dragons from eating more people.
A cultivator deployed a lantern-shaped magic artifact above White Reed Village. Bathed in the light of the dharma lantern, the entire village was well-illuminated. It wasn't as bright as daylight, but more akin to the glow of a sunset.
Under the light, the three crocodile dragons gathered together. The two high-stage Small Demon Realm beasts constantly disrupted the cultivators' attacks, using their iron backs and massive tails to shield the mid-stage crocodile dragon, giving it the space to keep eating people.
It seed their entire purpose in coming here tonight was to help the weakest crocodile dragon secure an extra al.
"Fellow Daoist Yulou, these three crocodile dragons have been wreaking havoc for years. They are extrely cunning. You must be careful and absolutely do not let them sneak-attack you with their spells," Zhang Xuewu warned him while continuously casting Fire Shot Spells.
Cui Dingyi, on the other hand, maneuvered his peculiar crescent moon spade, lurking around the edges of the three crocodile dragons in search of an opening.
"They look like they're only using Torrent Techniques, but the truth is they haven't even entered a combat state. If a real fight breaks out, watch out for their two signature spells. One is the Crocodile Dragon Water Whip. With a single flick of their tails, they can unleash a water whip that will instantly cripple an ordinary middle Qi Refining cultivator upon contact. The other is the Crocodile Dragon Water Escape. They'll open their mouths and release the Mist Wave Art, then flood the mist with massive currents of water. Using the water, they can move rapidly within the fog. We call this combination the Crocodile Dragon Water Escape. In short, you absolutely must be careful!"
Old Cui was genuinely afraid that the young man's overconfidence would get them killed, so he also offered a warning to Yulou.
Facing three crocodile dragons possessing dragon nature, Wang Yulou naturally did not dare to act arrogant. He nodded solemnly and carefully controlled his Redwood Seal to smash downward.
He didn't aim for the one with the lowest cultivation, only targeting the one furthest away from him.
Whenever he saw that crocodile dragon dodging other spells or launching an attack, he would bring his flaming dharma seal crashing down on it.
Whether it hit or missed, he would imdiately pull it back into the air.
With nine Qi Refining cultivators throwing everything they had at them, even with the three crocodile dragons' extraordinary innate talents and formidable defenses, they couldn't hold out forever.
"Roar!" The fattest crocodile dragon let out a bellow, and a Mist Wave Art instantly erupted.
Many of the cultivators' spells had been learned from these demon beasts. The innate techniques of demon beasts were honed and refined through natural selection, and were often incredibly effective.
The Mist Wave Art was a common spell among water-attribute demon beasts, but when cast by an iron crocodile dragon possessing dragon nature, it looked entirely different from when a human-faced snake used it.
A wave-like tide of white water vapor spread throughout White Reed Village, instantly blanketing a space of over a hundred ters. It continued to expand rapidly, looking as though it would reach Yulou's feet in seconds.
Without hesitation, he brought out his Wind Swallowing Gourd. This was a utility-type magic artifact specifically designed to counter poison fogs, spiritual winds, and mist.
Under the astonished gazes of Ji Yuan, Lin Ying, Zhang, Cui, and the others, the Wind Swallowing Gourd quickly cleared away the iron crocodile dragon's fog.
However, the fattest crocodile dragon possessed imnse demonic power. Seeing its Mist Wave Art dispelled, it imdiately fired off two more in quick succession.
Wang Yulou opted not to use the Wind Swallowing Gourd this ti. He realized that as long as these demon beasts had demonic power remaining, they could endlessly replenish their innate spells. The Wind Swallowing Gourd was ant for dealing with cultivators; against a water-attribute iron crocodile dragon, its effectiveness was lacking.
"The three of you, get far away!" Standing in the air, Lin Ying sternly warned Yulou, while simultaneously reminding Zhang and Cui.
Then, with an expression of profound pain, she scattered a handful of mushroom spores onto the ground. The spiritual mushrooms sprouted rapidly, and the Mist Wave Art released by the crocodile dragons actually began to slowly vanish.
Yet, the most terrifying scene unfolded.
Hidden within the mist they had just unleashed, the three crocodile dragons had already coated the ground in streams of water. As the fog dispersed, the three beasts were fully utilizing the Crocodile Dragon Water Escape, sprinting in three different directions.
The two high-stage Small Demon Realm beasts were aiming for the Town Guardian Cultivators under Ji Yuan and Lin Ying's command, while the target of the mid-stage one was actually the spot where Yulou's trio stood!
It turned out they weren't trying to flee; they were setting up to feast on an even bigger al!
"Die, you vile beasts!" Ji Yuan roared as he pushed his flying sword to its limits. However, the fattest iron crocodile dragon stubbornly took the hit head-on with its iron-plated back.
On its back, the crocodile dragon's flesh and blood were laid bare from the strike, yet it continued its charge. What did an injury matter? Trading a wound to claim a life and devour a cultivator—wasn't that a beautiful deal?
Yulou had absolutely no ti to worry about the battles in other directions. His heart hamred in his chest, but he still steadily controlled his mid-grade magic artifact, the Cold Steel Flying Sword, slashing it toward the mid-stage crocodile dragon charging right at them.
However, no matter how weak a crocodile dragon might seem, it was still a demon beast harboring dragon nature. The Cold Steel Flying Sword could slice through a human-faced snake like mud, but against the crocodile dragon's iron armor, it could only leave behind a series of white scratch marks.
It was actually Zhang Xuewu's fully powered Three-Pronged Fork that made an impact. Whether by luck or skill, one of the three prongs struck the exact wound Ji Yuan had torn open on the crocodile dragon's back and embedded itself deeply.
Roaring in pain, the crocodile dragon jerked to a halt. The montum of its high-speed charge transferred into its massive tail as it ca to a stop, unleashing a devastating swipe.
Yulou could even hear the shrill shriek of the massive tail ripping through the air.
Following that piercing sound, a thick, long water whip materialized out of thin air, lashing straight toward Yulou.
Cui Dingyi was the most devious of all. He instantly cast an earth escape art and burrowed into the ground. The single advantage a five-elent spirit root cultivator possessed during the Qi Refining stage was the freedom to cast spells of all different attributes.
Zhang Xuewu tried to yank out his Three-Pronged Fork, but it was clamped tight by the crocodile dragon's flesh. By the ti he realized it was stuck and let go, the Crocodile Dragon Water Whip had already arrived right in front of his face.
"Sigh!" Wang Yulou, who had long since taken to the skies on his flying boat to evade, let out a soft sigh. He first slapped a Spirit Crane Weightlessness Talisman onto himself, then abandoned control of the flying boat and swung his Purple Copper Dharma Sword directly into the Crocodile Dragon Water Whip.
Under his full power, the thirteen restrictions on the Purple Copper Dharma Sword unleashed their complete might.
Yulou's nominal master, Hongi, truly possessed a high level of skill on the artificing path. He had imbued this Purple Copper Dharma Sword with a full five layers of spell-breaking restrictions.
When the five-layer spell-breaking Purple Copper Dharma Sword clashed head-on against the Crocodile Dragon Water Whip unleashed at full strength by a crocodile dragon with dragon nature, the spell-breaking dharma sword forged upon a proper artifact foundation ultimately erged victorious.
After it cleaved through the water whip spell, the technique lost more than half its power. Against Zhang Xuewu, who had cast a Stone Armor Talisman on himself, it naturally failed to inflict any real damage.
Yet the injured crocodile dragon still refused to leave. Its two elder brothers had already gorged on cultivators, and it was the only one left hungry. It was completely unwilling to accept this.
Staring down the mid-stage Small Demon Realm iron crocodile dragon still relentlessly charging with a Three-Pronged Fork sticking out of its back, Yulou's eyes flickered, and he ground his teeth.
An iron crocodile dragon possessing dragon nature was sothing you could encounter but never seek out!
When it was ti to act, he had to strike. Since it had thrown itself right at him, there was absolutely no reason to let it go!
With a plan set in his heart, Yulou stopped hiding his strength. Gathering his magic power, he roared, "Old Cui! Get out here!"
At the sa ti, Yulou transmitted a ssage via divine sense, "Fellow Daoists Ji Yuan and Lin Ying, since things have reached this point, we must take our revenge! Let's sever one of its fingers and slay the weakest one. Otherwise, if we wait for it to break through to the high stage of the Small Demon Realm, it will beco an even greater disaster in the future!"
Faced with Yulou's proposal, both Ji Yuan and Lin Ying were sowhat surprised, even finding it hard to believe.
Hold on, Wang Yulou, you're just a greenhorn who only recently entered Qi Refining, and you're talking about severing its fingers?
We aren't looking down on you, nor do we lack the desire for revenge, but you...
However, despite lacking faith in Yulou's strength, the two of them truly had no other options left.
The iron crocodile dragons possessed dragon nature. The scales and armor of the two high-stage beasts were incredibly thick, making it nearly impossible to break their defenses. Even Ji Yuan could only pierce their armor with a perfectly aid strike; any miscalculation, and his attacks amounted to nothing more than persistent scratching.
Lin Ying was even less effective. She was a wood-attribute cultivator, and although her family was one of the clans within Droplet Cave Heaven, their mastery over wood arts couldn't even compare to the Wang Clan's.
The title 'Donkey King' of Anbei Kingdom might not sound dignified, but the Wang Clan had been rearing donkeys for a thousand and two hundred years. Naturally, the Lin family couldn't compare.
Against the crocodile dragons, Lin Ying was pulling off flashy maneuvers left and right, yet she was only playing a support role!
The three of them quickly finalized the plan. With the support of the others, Ji Yuan would take charge of stalling the two large crocodile dragons.
Lin Ying, anwhile, would assist Yulou in swaying the smallest crocodile dragon.
"But Fellow Daoist Yulou, how exactly do we slay it?" Lin Ying had had enough of the weakness of wood-attribute cultivators. Her strongest magic artifact was a spiritual wood dharma sword. When she slashed with it, it amplified the power of her spells. It looked incredibly domineering, but its lethality was far inferior to Yulou's Cold Steel Flying Sword...
Crocodile dragons carried dragon nature, rendering fire arts completely ineffective for suppression. This beast was essentially a walking at shield with imnse magical defense.
"Go all out to restrict it! Make it feel threatened by you. I'll use my Cold Steel Flying Sword first to lull it into lowering its guard against !" Wang Yulou issued his warning strictly, even taking on a slightly commanding tone.
Zhang Xuewu and Cui Dingyi provided support from the side. Although their contributions were better than nothing, their Fire Shot Spells and Rapid Vine Techniques could cover a few gaps, making them marginally useful.
And so, Ji Yuan entangled the two large crocodile dragons.
On the other side, clad in her Azurewater Palace robes, Lin Ying hovered in the air. Gripping her high-grade spiritual wood dharma sword radiating with spiritual light, she unleashed a barrage of erald energy blades at the smallest crocodile dragon. This was the Lin family's secret Wood Blade Technique.
From her attire and posture to the design of her magic artifact and the visual effects of her spell, Senior Martial Sister Lin looked as elegant and carefree as a true immortal casting magic from the heavens.
But the results... didn't even look half as effective as a basic Golden Fire Art.
Sensing that Yulou's Cold Steel Flying Sword was just as much of a flashy dud as Lin Ying's wood blades, the small crocodile dragon lost all its fear.
However, it had no intention of taking any more risks and prepared to withdraw.
If it couldn't devour a Qi Refining cultivator, then so be it. A Qi Induction realm cultivator was still a cultivator, after all.
"Senior Martial Sister Lin, quickly keep it here!" Yulou shouted. Lin Ying instantly ramped up her intensity.
The glowing erald flying blades viciously tore into the small crocodile dragon's front leg, causing it to wail in agony.
It turned out she had been holding back the full power of her Wood Blade Technique.
Seeing their little brother injured, the two massive crocodile dragons stopped tangling with Ji Yuan—who refused to land—and unleashed another Mist Wave Art to cover the small beast's escape.
But it was already too late. Trailing right behind another of Lin Ying's wood blades was the Jade Blade, a high-grade magic artifact made of corundum that Yulou had deployed.
The small crocodile dragon dodged Lin Ying's wood blade, but the brief mont of stiffness from its evasion gave Yulou the perfect opening.
When Wang Xianmao gifted this Jade Blade to Yulou, he ntioned that it could slice through most high-grade magic artifacts.
In truth, the Patriarch was a conservative man. When he said 'most', he ant practically all of them.
Before the Jade Blade, the small crocodile dragon's iron armor was effortlessly sliced open as if it were tofu.
First strike, the back split wide open!
"Roar!"
Their younger brother's wails threw the two large crocodile dragons into a frenzy. But right now, their Mist Wave Art was being countered by Lin Ying's spiritual mushrooms. Attempting to force a Crocodile Dragon Water Escape would just result in slamming into the cultivators' magic artifacts, leaving them no choice but to sprint over to assist.
Yulou, however, was exceptionally calm. Seeing the small crocodile dragon attempt to whip him with water, he commanded the Jade Blade to swiftly spin around and slash viciously at its tail.
Second strike, the tail was shattered!
"No!" With their youngest brother's tail cleanly sheared in half, exposing the bone within, the strongest crocodile dragon was driven so mad with shock and fury that it actually spoke human language!
In a flash, Lin Ying, Ji Yuan, and Yulou were all horrified!
All three of them either ca from major clans or had powerful masters. They completely understood what it ant for a beast in the Small Demon Realm to be capable of speaking human words!
These three vile beasts were being raised by soone!
With a grave expression, Yulou continued to maneuver the Jade Blade to slay the demon.
The small crocodile dragon tried to run, but the injury to its front leg heavily restricted its speed, and its half-severed tail severely ruined its balance.
The Jade Blade struck again!
Third strike, the tail was completely severed.
"Roar!" It was the eldest crocodile dragon going completely berserk, forcefully clamping its jaws down onto Ji Yuan's flying sword, refusing to let go even as the blade shredded its mouth and drew torrents of blood.
"My sword!" Ji Yuan shrieked in distress.
Yulou continue swinging his Jade Blade at the small crocodile dragon, but it was deflected by the second eldest, which had finally arrived.
The Jade Blade buried itself into the second eldest's back, only for the beast to flex its muscles, violently wedging the blade in place.
He tried to wrest the Jade Blade free, but only then did he realize that powering a high-grade magic artifact at full strength drained magic power at several tis the rate it did during normal practice.
His spiritual energy was already running dangerously low.
He hurriedly popped a Spirit Opening Pill into his mouth. Gritting his teeth, Yulou rapidly activated talismans to buy himself enough ti to recover his spiritual energy and retrieve his trapped high-grade Jade Blade.
In the blink of an eye, Ji Yuan's flying sword was trapped between jaws, and Yulou's Jade Blade was wedged inside muscle.
Lin Ying paced anxiously, rapidly channeling spells through her wooden sword, but her efforts were in vain.
The two elder crocodile dragons shielded their mutilated youngest brother and, defying all odds, successfully escaped through the cultivators' blockade!
Ultimately, however, Ji Yuan managed to recover his flying sword, and Yulou was able to retrieve his Jade Blade when the second eldest crocodile dragon twisted away to dodge a barrage of spells.
The crocodile dragons were gone, but the once prosperous White Reed Fishing Port had been utterly reduced to ruins.
Lin Ying collapsed listlessly onto a pile of rubble. It was right here that her fellow disciple had been devoured by the second eldest crocodile dragon.
The female cultivator stood completely still for a long ti before she suddenly shouted an accusation, "You two did that on purpose! Ji Yuan, your master is an elder of the Yuan Clan! What do you have to be afraid of? Wang Yulou, you hail from the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom! What are you so afraid of?"
Ji Yuan silently shook his head without offering an answer.
Wang Yulou, on the other hand, offered a bitter smile. "Senior Martial Sister Lin, the spiritual energy consumption of a high-grade magic artifact is simply too massive. My spiritual energy was already drained. I was relying on Spirit Opening Pills to recover just now, and it was only with the help of the other Fellow Daoists that I even managed to retrieve my Jade Blade."
The other cultivators nearby heard the conversation between the three Azurewater Palace disciples and were all frightened into absolute silence.
That small crocodile dragon was actually let go on purpose by Ji Yuan and Wang Yulou?
Is this really sothing we should be hearing?
In truth, Yulou felt the most helpless of them all. He genuinely wasn't afraid of whichever big shot or high-level cultivator was secretly raising the crocodile dragons, considering he was a monk from an outside temple.
But he had only received the Jade Blade a few days ago and had barely practiced with it once. He completely underestimated just how rapidly it would drain his spiritual energy when pushed to the limit.
Additionally, Ji Yuan was very clearly holding back. Even if Yulou and Lin Ying wanted to force the issue, given the strength of those two massive crocodile dragons, it would be extrely difficult to trap the smallest one.
Now, faced with Lin Ying's furious interrogation, Yulou couldn't exactly point fingers and bla Ji Yuan for throwing the fight first—that would just be asking to make enemies.
Troubleso! Disgusting! Frustrating! Absolutely infuriating!
This rotten world was exactly the sa, whether outside or inside Droplet Cave Heaven.
What else could Yulou possibly do?
These past few days, all he wanted was to properly cultivate his Source Vein Gui Water Qi and raise his cultivation base.
Tonight, having flown his flying boat at full speed in the middle of the night to provide backup, and having even deployed the high-grade magic artifact at the bottom of his trunk, he had already done his absolute best. He couldn't do any more.
Just as Lin Ying opened her mouth to argue further, the voice of the Immortal Venerable suddenly rang out from the void.
[Azurewater Palace disciple Wang Yulou, rewarded with seventy-eight rit points. Splendid Pool Palace disciple Zhang...]
[Azurewater Palace disciple Ji Yuan, rewarded with fifty-four rit points...]
[Azurewater Palace disciple Lin Ying, rewarded with forty-one rit points...]
Silence. For a brief mont, a profound, inexplicable sense of bewildernt washed over everyone present.
The fires were still raging. The torrents of water released by the iron crocodile dragons had devastated the village's architecture.
Over a hundred people in White Reed Fishing Village had been swallowed into the bellies of demon beasts, among them nearly ten cultivators and two Qi Refining cultivators.
All three demon beasts had successfully fled, leaving nothing behind but a severed tail.
In the end, none of the dead would ever return. Yet in the eyes of the Immortal Venerable, this was considered a victory.
He didn't even need to hold an Immortal Venerable Ceremony; he just directly distributed the rit points.
Yulou suddenly realized that if a Foundation Establishnt cultivator had been dispatched as backup, a tragedy of this scale would never have unfolded tonight.
So, the Immortal Venerable truly didn't care about victory or defeat at all, did he?
All he cared about was whether the seeds of his benevolence were successfully sown.
Demon beasts ran rampant, but the cultivators of Droplet Cave Heaven stepped up to fend them off, demonstrating the essential nature and sheer importance of Droplet Cave Heaven. That was enough.
As for the demon beasts escaping and continuing to feast on people next ti, the Immortal Venerable simply did not care!
Suddenly, Lin Ying burst into loud, mocking laughter, "Hahaha, how aningless. Absolutely aningless! Yuan Laosi still hasn't shown up. Ji Yuan, you act like a dog for the Yuan Clan, so naturally, the Yuan Clan will only ever treat you like a dog!"
After dropping this sneer, the female cultivator turned around and left without another word.
Yulou walked over to Ji Yuan and offered words of comfort, "Senior Martial Brother Yuan might have encountered so trouble that delayed him from arriving right away. Senior Martial Brother Ji, don't take Senior Martial Sister's angry words to heart."
He wasn't actually trying to console Ji Yuan; he mainly just wanted to discuss how to split the iron crocodile dragon's severed tail.
That severed tail could unleash the devastatingly powerful Crocodile Dragon Water Whip and boasted exceptional defensive capabilities. Furthermore, the at attached to it was iron crocodile dragon at containing dragon nature.
Why had Yulou exposed his high-grade magic artifact, the Jade Blade, at all?
There were two reasons. On one hand, both Ji Yuan and Lin Ying wielded high-grade magic artifact flying swords and dharma swords, possessing a significant number of restriction layers. As a fellow Azurewater Palace disciple, Yulou revealing his own wouldn't make him stand out too much.
On the other hand, the body of a crocodile dragon was entirely composed of treasures, and a mid-stage Small Demon Realm beast wasn't insurmountably strong, so it genuinely looked like there was a chance to take it down.
"Angry words? You think she was just speaking out of anger? Fellow Daoist Yulou, this is our first ti eting, but let offer you so sincere advice—don't let Lin Ying deceive you! Why didn't she ask who was raising those crocodile dragons, or who was turning a blind eye to them? Why didn't she question the sect master about why we Town Guardian Cultivators are not permitted to request Foundation Establishnt backup from the sect when faced with such peril? Is it because she didn't want to? No! It's because she's far too smart! Why didn't she pester you? Why didn't she make things difficult for you? I clearly put in the most effort just now, yet in her mouth, I'm sohow the villain! It's utterly absurd!"
Senior Martial Brother Ji Yuan was surging with emotion. Yulou nodded slowly, expressing profound understanding.
In truth, these matters were entirely murky, and Lin Ying was indeed highly suspected of trying to bully the weak.
But if Ji Yuan hadn't held back, that small crocodile dragon never would have escaped!
Wang Yulou was just out of spiritual energy, but he still had talismans. If absolutely necessary, he even had so Foundation Establishnt stage offensive talismans he could have used.
"Senior Martial Brother, how should we handle that tail?"
Ji Yuan hesitated for a mont before speaking, "Junior Martial Brother Yulou, you've only joined the sect for a few days, and we've never even t, yet you went all out to assist . Your foolish elder brother is naturally overwheld with gratitude. Take the entire crocodile dragon tail for yourself. As for Lin Ying's share, I suggest you don't give it to her. That venomous woman has the face of a Bodhisattva but the heart of a scorpion!"
Yulou smiled but didn't address the latter half of his sentence. Instead, he said, "Senior Martial Brother, if you give it all to , wouldn't you have toiled away all night for nothing?"
Was Ji Yuan giving the iron crocodile dragon tail to Wang Yulou out of the goodness of his heart?
Hard to say.
Yulou was testing him.
Ji Yuan naturally understood the subtext. Waving his hand weakly, he replied, "Don't worry. Even if it truly has a master backing it, they wouldn't look for trouble with you over a single severed tail, sigh, Yulou."
So that was it. Wang Yulou understood.
"Senior Martial Brother, you don't have it easy either. Since you are yielding this iron crocodile dragon tail to , I will definitely compensate you with a sum of spirit stones in the future."
As he spoke, Wang Yulou bowed and cupped his hands in a formal salute to Senior Martial Brother Ji Yuan.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan was slightly moved and silently returned the salute.
"Yulou, cultivate diligently. Your cultivation base is still too low; running out of spiritual energy during magical combat is a massive liability. As Town Guardian Cultivators, in addition to guarding against demons, we must also guard against our own people. Cui Dingyi in River Bend Fishing Village is a veteran cultivator. Keep your wits about you, and don't let him pull the wool over your eyes."
Before seeing Yulou off, Ji Yuan pulled him aside and offered these hushed words of advice.
"Yulou understands!" Wang Yulou replied with a smile.
As expected, Zhang Xuewu really was an idiot, completely played for a fool by Cui Dingyi.
Old Cui was the true hidden boss of this patch; his infamous reputation had even reached Ji Yuan's ears!
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