58: A water ghost is claiming a life; a deadly trap lies at the bottom of the river!

Jinling City, City Lord's Mansion, backyard.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it made it hard to breathe.

Lord Zhou and Lin Feng stood to the side.

In front of them, Old Man Qian was squatting on the ground, holding several scattered golden feathers, tears streaming down his aged face.

"Little Gold... My poor Little Gold..."

That Track-Seeking Sparrow was an exotic beast Old Man Qian had spent immense effort to nurture. It had accompanied him for many years, and their bond was deep.

Now, while tracking that mysterious water beast, it had been strangled and killed, leaving not even a corpse behind.

"That beast has definitely gained sentience!"

Old Man Qian stood up abruptly, his eyes bloodshot and his voice raspy, filled with venomous hatred.

"I will skin it alive and scatter its ashes to avenge my Little Gold!"

Lord Zhou stepped forward at the right moment and said in a heavy voice.

"Old Man Qian, please restrain your grief. I have already ordered the blockade of fifty miles of the Qiu River's upper and lower reaches."

"That vile creature won't escape even if it grows wings."

Old Man Qian took a deep breath, suppressing the sorrow in his heart.

He took out a palm-sized bronze compass from his robes.

The compass surface was covered in complex runes, and the needle in the center, neither metal nor iron, emitted a faint, eerie blood-red light.

"thousand-mile soul-chasing compass."

Old Man Qian bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the compass.

Buzz!

The runes on the compass instantly lit up, and the blood-colored needle began to spin frantically.

"Ordinary means can't find it, so I will use this Magical Artifact to lock onto its Soul!"

Using this Soul-Chasing Compass came at a great cost; every use would consume several years of the caster's Lifespan.

But for revenge, Old Man Qian no longer cared about that.

Lin Feng's heart also shuddered as he looked at the compass.

This was one of the City Lord's Mansion's trump cards; he hadn't expected Old Man Qian to actually bring it out.

"Lord Zhou, relying solely on this compass isn't enough."

Lord Zhou's voice was icy.

"I have already consulted the City Lord. That vile creature was able to kill Old Man Qian's Vicious Beast from a distance, so its strength is extraordinary. The City Lord has authorized us to use the Water Ghost Team."

Lin Feng paused slightly upon hearing this.

The Water Ghost Team was the most elite underwater force of the City Lord's Mansion. They were difficult to train and were specifically used to deal with powerful water beasts in rivers and lakes.

Beside him, Old Man Qian nodded.

He also knew the reputation of the Jinling City Water Ghost Team.

With the City Lord's full support, that Spirit Turtle would definitely not escape!

"Someone, pass the order to the Water Ghost Team! Bring the Spirit-Binding Nets and Armor-Piercing Crossbows, and set out immediately!"

...The bottom of the Qiu River was dark and cold.

Li Qing, the Earth Spirit Turtle Clone who was currently eating large fish fed by his subordinates, suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.

Unlike the vague lock-on from the Track-Seeking Sparrow before.

This time, it was as if a pair of eyes had pierced through layers of river water and were staring fixedly at its Soul.

No matter how deep it dove or how fast it swam, that sensation of being locked onto was like a maggot in the bone, impossible to shake off.

That was the feeling.

It grew even stronger.

Inside the Iron Bone Martial Arts School.

Li Qing's main body, who was currently practicing stance work in the courtyard, felt his heart stir.

The opponent was coming again.

He knew that the events of a few days ago wouldn't be so simple!

Li Qing immediately controlled the Clone to weave rapidly through the complex underwater channels of the riverbed.

He churned up the silt at the bottom and created chaotic currents, attempting to interfere with the opponent's tracking.

But that sense of being locked onto remained crystal clear.

On the surface of the Qiu River.

A large ship flying the flag of the City Lord's Mansion came breaking through the waves.

Old Man Qian stood at the bow, his hair and beard fluttering, holding the Soul-Chasing Compass in both hands.

The blood-colored needle on the compass pointed steadily toward a certain position at the bottom of the river.

"It's fleeing south! It wants to use the undercurrents to hide!"

Old Man Qian's voice carried excitement and cruelty.

"It's useless! Under the Soul-Chasing Compass, you have nowhere to hide!"

"Water Ghost Team, into the water!"

Lin Feng gave a grand wave of his hand.

Plop! Plop!

Over a dozen men wearing tight black diving suits and carrying specialized crossbows flipped and leaped into the river.

Their movements were agile; once in the water, they were as flexible as fish, quickly diving toward the direction indicated by the needle.

At the river bottom.

The Earth Spirit Turtle Clone's speed had been pushed to its limit.

But those pursuers were even faster, and they coordinated perfectly, forming a surrounding net.

Li Qing controlled the Clone to duck into a narrow underwater canyon.

The current here was rapid and the rocks were jagged, making it easy to defend but hard to attack.

However, just as he entered the canyon, a disturbance came from above.

"Release the nets!"

A muffled shout came from underwater.

Splash!

Several massive black fishing nets fell from above, instantly sealing off the canyon's exit and the waters above.

These were no ordinary fishing nets.

The net lines shimmered with a faint blue light and were woven with special runes.

Spirit-Binding Nets!

When the Earth Spirit Turtle Clone crashed into a Spirit-Binding Net, Li Qing clearly felt the circulation of spiritual energy within the Clone's body become sluggish.

These nets actually had the effect of suppressing spiritual energy!

"Fire!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the darkness, over a dozen crossbow bolts glinting with cold light shot toward the Earth Spirit Turtle, accompanied by sharp sounds of piercing water.

These Armor-Piercing Crossbows were specialized Sharp Weapons used to deal with high-defense water beasts.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The bolts struck the Earth Spirit Turtle's dorsal shell, producing the sound of metal clashing on iron.

The defensive power of the Mysterious Armor Talent was astonishing. Although these bolts were full of force, they still couldn't penetrate the turtle shell.

But the massive impact still hindered the Clone's movements.

Coupled with the restraint of the Spirit-Binding Nets, the Earth Spirit Turtle Clone's speed became slower and slower, and its space for movement grew smaller and smaller.

Iron Bone Martial Arts School.

Li Qing's body swayed slightly, his face turning somewhat pale.

The sense of pressure and restraint transmitted from the Clone left his main body feeling helpless.

If the Clone died, wouldn't his martial path be severed?

"Big Brother Li, what's wrong?"

Beside him, Xiao Chen had just finished a set of punches and keenly noticed Li Qing's abnormality.

"It's nothing."

Li Qing waved his hand and adjusted his breathing.

"I've been practicing stance work for too long, I'm just a bit short of breath."

He said this, but most of his mind was already submerged in the Clone at the bottom of the river.

The situation was very bad.

The opponent came prepared this time and had used Magical Artifacts specifically designed to counter water beasts.

In the underwater canyon.

The members of the Water Ghost Team had already closed in.

They tightened the ropes of the Spirit-Binding Nets in a well-trained manner.

The Earth Spirit Turtle Clone was entangled in layer upon layer of nets; no matter how it struggled, it couldn't break free.

Its spiritual energy was suppressed, and its strength couldn't be exerted.

"Haul in the nets! Drag it up!"

The leader of the Water Ghost Team made a gesture.

A massive pulling force came, and the Earth Spirit Turtle Clone uncontrollably began to float toward the surface.

Once it left the river bottom and reached the shore, out of the water...

Its talents would be greatly diminished.

Li Qing's heart sank.

Deep at the bottom of the river, the pressure increased manifold.

The Spirit-Binding Nets tightened further and further.

The blue runes on the net lines flickered, and the flow of spiritual energy within the Earth Spirit Turtle Clone's body became extremely slow.

This was a Magical Artifact specifically for dealing with aquatic Spirit Beasts.

The members of the Water Ghost Team moved swiftly in the water, pulling the ropes to forcibly drag the prey toward the river surface.

Leaving the river bottom would be a certain death.

Inside the Iron Bone Martial Arts School.

Li Qing's main body stood in place, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.

Xiao Chen saw his expression was wrong and was about to ask again.

Li Qing simply waved his hand, signaling him not to disturb him.

His mind was entirely immersed in the Clone at the bottom of the river.

He couldn't wait any longer.

If a tiger doesn't show its might, you'll take it for a sick cat!

Talents.

Great Strength!

Mystic Water Manipulation!