Chapter 106: The Flood Dragon Emerges from the Sea!

When the enemy's elite Daoist cultivators were still charging through the forest, no one expected that the battle would unfold in their defeat. The strength that Mu Wanxuan displayed far exceeded the common understanding of the Seed Formation Realm cultivators.

Still, had Mu Wanxuan acted alone, she could have only restrained the corrupt cultivators for a few seconds. There were simply too many of them, and her cultivation level limited her abilities. She could not manipulate them at will.

Fortunately, in that brief moment of entrapment, Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi tore through their ranks as if slaughtering chickens and dogs. The four corrupt cultivators wreathed in murderous aura should have posed a significant threat to Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi. Nevertheless, they suffered pathetic deaths.

Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi did not dare pursue too far. After all, six powerful Illusory Core Realm cultivators could have already set out for them, and without the speedboat, they had no sense of security.

Among the last group of corrupt cultivators that they had fought, only five managed to escape. For the Five Gods Cult and Tianlin Sect, it was a painful loss.

At the island's center, the once tranquil village had now fallen into complete darkness. The corrupt cultivators' six hundred hostages had been gathered along the main street. Forced to sit on the ground, no one dared to move—especially not with dozens of armed cultivators patrolling the rooftops and several corpses hanging from the eaves.

The children did their best to avoid crying, while the elders wept silently. The members of the Special Investigation Unit had been tortured beyond recognition. Some were just blankly staring into space, their minds seemingly broken. Such were the aftereffects of having their souls searched using sinister techniques.

If not for the fact that most people were dressed in modern attire, the scene could almost be mistaken to be one of ruthless bandits raiding a village in ancient times.

Near the main street, inside a stone house, six people sat or stood in silence.

The Flowing Water God, whose figure resembled that of a young girl, stood by the window and gazed out at the beach. Anyone who could see past the mist shrouding her face would find that she truly looked youthful, though no one knew what kind of corrupt arts she practiced to maintain her appearance.

Her aura fluctuated violently, clearly enraged by the incompetence of her subordinates. "Useless trash! Must I personally step in just to deal with a few brats?"

Daoist Iron Eagle, the sect master of Tianlin Sect, stood behind her. Indifferently, he said, "Senior Flowing Water God, the ones I brought today are merely second-rate disciples of my sect. Their deaths are of little consequence. We should focus on the leader of the Special Investigation Unit, who's already right at our doorstep. What should we do?"

Seated by the door and holding a long-stemmed pipe, Duan Kongming of the Flying Flame Sect sneered. "This whole plan is useless. If you really want to make a statement, kill a few mayors or governors. That'll scare them."

"It's not that easy," a masked woman replied calmly from the corner. Seated cross-legged in midair, she added, "I once took a job to eliminate a high-ranking official. They had extremely tight security around them at all times, and their schedules were kept under strict confidentiality."

"The appointed time is approaching," said the gaunt elder sitting on the floor. "In twenty minutes, whether we succeed or not, we have to retreat. We have to stick to the plan, lest we risk letting those old relics of the righteous path surround us."

"Ah-Tie," the Flowing Water God called.

The meditating Sturdy Iron God immediately rose to his feet and silently gazed at her.

Instead of giving him an order, the Flowing Water God hesitated and reconsidered. She then pressed her lips together and transmitted, "We're doing this to send a warning to the authorities. Taking a thousand or even ten thousand ordinary people hostage won't have as much impact as capturing a high-ranking official. Why don't we work together to take Chi Ling and escape to the sea?"

Daoist Iron Eagle frowned. "What about our disciples?"

"There are so many people in the Hua Republic. With chaos on the horizon, as long as you're strong, won't you be able to recruit more followers?" the Flowing Water God answered indifferently. "Once we capture Chi Ling, we can instruct them to scatter and draw the authorities' attention."

Daoist Iron Eagle frowned. Only now did he realize that when it came to ruthlessness, he was not even a fraction as cold-blooded as the old witch.

After a brief silence, the six got up and left the house. The Flowing Water God then issued instructions to the nearby cultivators. "Those brats have been far too arrogant. I will deal with them myself. Everyone else, guard the hostages."

The corrupt cultivators patrolling on the rooftops all bowed in acknowledgment, secretly relieved that they would not have to face those two sword cultivators. Their grandmasters taking matters into their own hands was, in their eyes, the wisest decision they could have made.

"Let's end this quickly." Daoist Iron Eagle sighed. He secretly used spiritual consciousness to transmit a message to his disciples, ordering them to remain silent. The moment a battle broke out on the beach, they were to dive into the sea and escape.

"I'm slower than the rest of you, so I'll go ahead and set up an ambush," Earth Sand God said coolly.

He drew symbols in the air with his withered fingers, then slowly sank into the ground. He was using the Five-Element Escape Technique, though his movements seemed rather sluggish.

"Do we really have to go to such lengths just to deal with three Seed Formation Realm cultivators?" Zixiaoyao sneered. He leaped into the treetops and flitted through the branches.

Meanwhile, the Flowing Water God jumped onto the Sturdy Iron God's shoulder, and the latter took off in great strides. Despite his massive build, he was surprisingly fast. He smashed through a low wall and charged down the mountain.

Daoist Iron Eagle and the grand elder of the Flying Flame Sect moved together, keeping a ten-meter distance between them. They quickly caught up to Zixiaoyao, who had deliberately slowed down.

Though they all had different plans in mind, they still advanced side by side.

***

The corrupt cultivators were unaware of it, but a temporary command post on the opposite shore had been monitoring them closely. The moment the corrupt cultivators made a move, those stationed at the command post immediately barked orders.

"Rescue team, move out! Five Illusory Core Realm cultivators have left the village and are about to reach the beach! Don't waste time, act now!"

"Notify Captain Chi Ling of the situation! They might not be able to hold off five Illusory Core Realm experts!"

"I want cultivators who can get across water ready to provide support! Lock down the beach with long-range fire, but be careful not to hit our own people!"

As instructions were issued, faint ripples spread across the waters surrounding the island, and over ten individuals burst out of the sea. Each flicked out a dagger and instantly slit the throats of the corrupt cultivators patrolling the shore, whom they had long since marked as targets.

Right after, five more silently rushed into the forest, making not even the slightest breeze or primal qi fluctuation. They were ruthless and decisive, and they employed the simplest and most direct killing techniques. Wherever they passed, they left a trail of corpses.

The crude guard posts that the corrupt cultivators had set up were cleared before they could even sound the alarm. Afterward, shadowy figures silently slipped into the island, swiftly advancing from the rear and flanks toward the village. Not one made a noise or leaked even the slightest trace of aura.

***

On the front side of the island, on a small stretch of the sandy beach.

Having received a message about the enemy's movements, Wang Sheng and his group exchanged smiles. With the Five Illusory Core Realm cultivators rushing over, the rescue mission was as good as accomplished.

Wang Sheng transmitted, "Daoist Master Fei Lianzi, when they arrive, my senior sister and I will try to restrain one of them. You should also find a way to trap one. We must make sure these people don't get the chance to escape."

Fei Lianzi nodded, his round face glowing with excitement. "Understood! If we manage to keep them here tonight, I'll have stories to brag about for years when I return to the mountain!"

Wang Sheng responded with a smile.

He was about to face Illusory Core Realm experts head-on. Although he was far weaker than them, he could at least assist his senior sister and use the Seven-Star Sword Formation to harass the enemy.

Meanwhile, seemingly hearing something, Chi Ling jumped from the speedboat into the water and took a few steps toward the shore. As she reached the beach, five figures emerged from the forest. Two stayed on the ground, while three perched on the treetops. They all locked onto the four.

No movement was reported elsewhere on the island. Moreover, while Illusory Core Realm cultivators could use their spiritual consciousness to probe a considerable distance, they couldn't cover more than a thousand meters or so. Hence, as long as the center of the island remained quiet, the five before Wang Sheng's group had temporarily lost information about what was happening there.

Nevertheless, the four waited for the best moment to strike. They had to eliminate all five corrupt cultivators at once.

Wang Sheng immediately understood what had to be done. Spinning his treasured sword, he mocked, "You sent five Illusory Core Realm cultivators just to deal with three Seed Formation Realm cultivators?"

Daoist Iron Eagle shouted, "Kill them all!"

On the treetops, three jade hairpins swirled around Zixiaoyao, a corrupt Daoist with no affiliation. When she pointed her longsword forward, the hairpins shot out like falling stars.

As Daoist Iron Eagle and the grand elder of the Flying Flame Sect lunged forward, the Sturdy Iron God roared furiously and violently hurled the Flowing Water God into the air. He then charged toward Wang Sheng and the others. The aura of the three Illusory Core Realm experts surged like an overwhelming tide.

In midair, the Flowing Water God traced talisman symbols in the air. From the sea's surface, towering water pillars erupted.

Wang Sheng pressed his lips together. As the pressure from their aura made his Dao body feel heavy, a sword hum resonated from within him. With his sword technique now ready to be unleashed, he was prepared to go on the offensive.

Meanwhile, Mu Wanxuan traced a circle with her hands again, and Fei Lianzi raised his left hand and summoned his flying sword.

However, before they could make a move, the speedboat behind them was suddenly flung into the air. Seawater and sand erupted more than ten meters high as four men leaped forth like tigers escaping their cage—like a flood dragon bursting from the sea. They soared over Wang Sheng and the others and charged straight at the five corrupt cultivators.