212: Sha Wujing appears

"What... what do you mean? What 'Second Journey to the West'?"

Pigsy couldn't help but ask, looking utterly bewildered.

"Nothing... well, let's go into the water and look for him. See if your Sha Shidi (Junior Brother Sha) is in the Liusha River!"

With that, Tang Ku was about to jump into the water.

"Wait, Master, wait..."

Pigsy grabbed him, and said in a deep voice, "It's better to be careful. You're not familiar with what goes on in the water. Let Old Pig go down and check it out, scout ahead... Just like Monkey Brother said before, wait until I lure him out, then you can find a way to pounce on him like a fierce eagle!"

Tang Ku pondered for a moment, then finally shook his head and said, "No, I want to go down with you!"

"But... no one knows what state he's in right now. What if he loses his mind like me? He's much harder to deal with than I am!"

Pigsy said, "At that time, Old Pig might not be able to protect you!"

"Haha, you still think this Poor Monk is that cowardly monk!" Tang Ku laughed. "Don't forget who saved you back in Gao Family Village."

Pigsy hurriedly said, "But... but this is different. In the water, it's hard to say if you can even exert your full strength!"

Tang Ku shook his head and said, "No matter what, this Poor Monk should go down with you. We used a trick to deal with him back then because he was an enemy, and all nine of my Incarnations died at his hands. To subdue him, we could use any means necessary. But today is different from the past; he is already this Poor Monk's disciple, one of our own. If I treat him as an enemy just because he lost his mind, then I am truly an unqualified Master!"

Although he knew this Master was different from the past, Pigsy still sighed and said, "Your stubbornness, which even nine oxen can't pull back, hasn't changed a bit... Alright, let's go into the water and see what that water monster is capable of... Hmm, but don't hold back, Master. If this guy tries to fight, you'll have to go all out to deal with him. Don't let your compassion get the better of you and cause us to suffer a huge loss..."

Tang Ku glared, kicked Pigsy's backside, and said, "When is it your turn to lecture this Poor Monk? Lead the way..."

Old Pig chuckled, then scurried into the Liusha River, turning back to laugh, "You better keep up, Master..."

Plop!

No sooner had he spoken than he plunged into the water, sending up a huge splash.

Tang Ku flicked his sleeves, dusting off the dirt. This monk's robe was custom-made by skilled artisans at Li Chengqian's request, based on the one the Queen of the Daughters Country had given him. He had to admit, he quite liked this moon-white monk's robe; it looked rather imposing.

He soared into the air and also plunged into the water, chasing after Pigsy.

Speaking of which, the Liusha River also had its peculiarities. From the outside, the water was turbulent, with surging waves and murky water, looking even more treacherous than the Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River.

But once inside the water, it was a completely different scene.

The water in the Liusha River was surprisingly clean, so clean that there wasn't a speck of sand. Any animals or water plants underwater could be seen clearly at a glance, and even the scales on the swimming fish were perfectly visible.

The art of avoiding water, in fact, was known to every immortal. Tang Ku had previously gone to the Four Dragon Palaces to search for the Saint's hidden preparations, so this spell was not a profound technique.

However, combat in water is completely different from on land. The flow and direction of the water can sometimes determine the outcome of a battle. Moreover, the pressure in the water is immense, and the resistance is strong. Generally speaking, except for those strong individuals skilled in water combat, even the strongest person will have their combat power weakened by a third when entering the water. This was also one of the reasons why Sun Wukong was unwilling to fight in the water. Of course, it wasn't that he was afraid of Sha Monk; it was mainly because fighting in the water was too restrictive, and being a free-spirited person, he didn't like fighting such constrained battles.

"Master, the water here seems to have no pressure, but once you make too large a movement, you will feel extremely strong resistance, as if someone is deliberately preventing you from exerting your maximum strength, so you must be careful!"

Pigsy, familiar with the route, led Tang Ku forward.

It must be said that no one knew the bottom of the Liusha River better than him, apart from Sha Monk. When he subdued Sha Monk, he had gone into the water to fight him more than once, so he was very familiar with the environment down there.

As the two slowly moved forward, Tang Ku had already noticed strangely shaped rocks standing in the distance, with traces of artificial construction. He was slightly taken aback, but then he heard Bajie say, "Master, ahead is Sha Shidi (Junior Brother Sha)'s former lair. It's set up like a makeshift shelter, without any roofs, palaces, or houses. So, as soon as he appears, you'll quickly spot him..."

Tang Ku was startled, then abruptly grabbed Pigsy's sleeve and said in a deep voice, "I've already spotted him..."

Pigsy followed Tang Ku's gaze and saw a huge figure standing amidst the strange rocks. Although his face was unclear, a familiar fierce Qi rushed towards them, and a strong scent of blood continuously surged outwards from all the pores on his body... No, to be precise, it was a unique Demonic Qi, somewhere between good and evil.

"It seems this Sha Monk is not as weak as the books described..."

This person before them... perhaps due to the backlighting, Tang Ku could only see the outline of a disheveled figure with a headband, but he could never see his face, and even his facial features were blurred.

This caused Tang Ku to feel a bit of doubt.

"The Void Eye can see through all illusions... why can't it even see his true face clearly? Could it be that this Sha Wujing is hiding such strength?"

Tang Ku paused slightly, then suddenly understood something. After observing the surrounding environment, Tang Ku instantly realized.

"So that's how it is... protecting himself with water currents, forming a protective shield around his body? This ability, released instinctively, is enough to show his extraordinary nature. Just this water manipulation technique is already beyond what an ordinary Golden Immortal can achieve!"

A faint current of water surrounded Sha Monk's body, protecting him within it. This water current was unlike ordinary water; it seemed alive, deliberately obscuring his face, so much so that even the Void Eye found it difficult to penetrate for a time.

Pigsy didn't care about anything. His rake suddenly appeared in his hand. He mustered his Divine Might and roared at the giant figure, "Sha Shidi (Junior Brother Sha), if you don't wake up now, when will you!"

Buzz! Boom!

With that rake strike, it was as if he had poked a hornet's nest. The water currents around Sha Monk's body exploded outwards like a bomb. Immediately after, a pair of blood-red eyes suddenly opened, and the anger mixed with violent Evil Qi rushed towards the two of them, as if protesting the injustices of the world, or perhaps complaining that someone had disturbed his good dream!