122: Difficulty of traveling

Leaving the plains shrouded by the Giant Demon Beehive, Gao De's group did not choose to traverse the peril-filled woods. Instead, they quietly slipped into a broad waterway leading southwest.

Slinking underwater allowed them to use the current to speed up while also better hiding their tracks.

[Writing up to here, I hope readers remember our domain name. For Taiwan novels, look for the super reliable one.]

The three figures leading the way were Gao De, Green Edge, and Iron Pincer. At this moment, the appearances of all three were vastly different from their usual selves, a result of the changes after learning the "Lesser Turtle Breath Form Mimicry Art."

However, with their third-rank cultivation, even with the aid of the Spell, the forms they transformed into were far from perfect, displaying distinct half-demon, half-human characteristics.

Gao De's stature had shrunk considerably. Due to his increased cultivation, he now had a roughly human silhouette and wore close-fitting armor.

As light flickered around him, his originally tall and powerful Half-Jiaoren form rapidly contracted and changed, finally transforming into a human youth Cultivator with an unremarkable face, dressed in plain grey martial attire and possessing a restrained aura.

Only in the depths of his eyes, which occasionally opened and closed, did a faint, hard-to-detect golden light of Purple Lightning hint at his extraordinary essence.

Yet the purple-black Law-Breaking unicorn horn atop his forehead remained striking. His hands were covered in fine scales, his fingernails sharp as claws, and his pupils were cold, vertical jiao pupils that occasionally flickered with thunderous light.

Though he tried his best to restrain his presence, an ethereal Dragon's might still radiated out, causing nearby aquatic life to instinctively steer clear.

Green Edge's transformation was even more eerie, his mimicry appearing somewhat awkward.

He worked hard to retract his snake body, turning into a tall, thin man with a slightly pale face and feminine eyes. He had the form of a human male, but his skin was an unnatural greenish-grey, with the faint outlines of scales visible beneath the surface.

His eyes were entirely vertical snake pupils, cold and devoid of emotion. A forked tongue would uncontrollably flick out of his lips from time to time, making a soft "hissing" sound that appeared quite strange.

He also seemed unaccustomed to walking on two legs; his swimming posture in the water still carried a bit of a snake-like wriggle, and a green snake tail trailed behind him.

The greatest change belonged to Iron Pincer. After huffing and puffing for a long time amidst surging Demonic Power, this giant crab demon general actually transformed into the figure of a massive man nearly ten feet tall. His muscles were knotted, and his skin was covered in a layer of dark brown carapace, as rough as rock.

He seemed quite satisfied with this "new image" and subconsciously wanted to wave his arms around.

However, his signature pair of massive crab claws remained, though reduced in proportion, replacing human arms and clacking as they opened and closed.

As a result, his movements appeared extremely clumsy and stiff, as if those arms were still incredibly heavy.

His head was also still that of a giant crab, with compound eyes rotating and mouthparts opening and closing. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, only produced a few muffled grunts, barely managing to utter booming, indistinct human speech.

This "strange" team of three moving quickly through the deep waterway appeared exceptionally bizarre.

Gao De took the lead, his body as flexible as a fish, avoiding underwater undercurrents and reefs. Green Edge followed closely behind, wriggling his "new body" and responsible for scouting the surroundings.

Iron Pincer took heavy steps, his pair of crab claws swinging unconsciously as he brought up the rear. His fierce half-crab-man appearance was enough to scare off many potential dangers.

A bit further behind them followed a squad of elite Demon Soldiers who had also cast simple concealment Spells. They maintained a fierce aura and a battle formation, keeping a vigilant posture.

The water flowed past their ears, creating subtle sounds. Aquatic plants swayed like a forest, and occasionally, schools of fish emitting a faint glow were startled and scattered.

As Gao De moved forward, he compared the water system patterns in his mind with an ancient map to ensure they were on the correct route.

"According to the map and Green Snake's previous scouting, if we follow this 'Sunken Shadow River' for another hundred miles and turn at the 'Twin-Forked Mouth' ahead, we should see that marshland," Gao De transmitted to the two demons behind him via Divine Thought.

"Yes, Master," Green Edge responded via Divine Thought, struggling to adapt to his new body, his voice still carrying a hissing trail.

Iron Pincer shook his crab claws, producing a muffled "clack" and stirring up a small string of bubbles as his answer.

This group of "people" moved silently underwater through the Yunmeng Marsh, constantly drawing closer to the ancient ruins marked as the "Broken Stone Tablet."

The shifting light and shadows underwater reflected their diverse forms, filled with the unknown and anticipation.

The waterway grew increasingly deep and mysterious. The river water was no longer just turbid as before, but gradually became stained with an ominous dark green layer.

Light was almost entirely swallowed, with only the faint light they carried and the cold glow of some pale moss on the riverbed barely illuminating a limited range ahead.

That decayed and cold aura grew heavier, like invisible shackles wrapping around the hearts of every living being.

"Be careful, we may have already entered the subterranean waters of that marsh."

Gao De's Divine Thought transmission rang in the minds of Green Edge and Iron Pincer, carrying a hint of gravity.

His jiao pupils shimmered in the gloom as he carefully analyzed the subtle changes in the current and hidden dangers.

Suddenly, a strange fluctuation came from the water ahead. It wasn't the aura of a living thing, but a more sinister, viscous malice.

Following that, everyone saw dozens of pale, bloated humanoid silhouettes emerging indistinctly behind the dark green curtain of water!

They floated silently in the water, their skin wrinkled from soaking, their long hair drifting like seaweed. Their empty eye sockets "looked" toward the newcomers in unison, and they slowly raised equally bloated arms with long, black-clawed nails.

The moment those pale, bloated figures silently emerged, Green Edge's cold vertical pupils suddenly contracted. He violently twisted his half-human, half-snake body and let out a sharp hiss, warning all his companions via Divine Thought:

"Water Drifting Corpses! These are all living beings who drowned in this marsh. Their resentment hasn't dissipated, and they've been nourished by Foul Yin Energy into these evil things!"

"Be careful! Whatever you do, don't let these things scratch you! Their nails and the black water dripping from them contain extremely strong foul Death Qi and resentment. Once it enters the body, the wounds are incredibly hard to heal and will continue to fester and worsen, eroding your Demonic Power!"

"What's even more terrifying is that if the intrusion is too deep, you might even be assimilated by this resentment, slowly losing yourself and becoming just like them!"

His warning sent a chill through the hearts of all the Demon Soldiers. Even the originally irritable Iron Pincer instantly reined in his contempt, his compound eyes staring solemnly at the slowly approaching pale figures.

These Water Drifting Corpses didn't seem to have much intelligence, but they were numerous, and the intense Death Qi and resentment they emitted formed a kind of mental pressure that made one feel uneasy.

"Hiss... they seem to be... crying?" Green Edge's vertical pupils contracted sharply. He keenly captured a silent sobbing and wailing that acted directly on the Divine Soul, making him feel a wave of irritation.

Iron Pincer was even more agitated, waving his crab claws and making loud clacks in an attempt to disperse that invisible mental interference.

"So noisy! Get lost!" he roared in a booming voice that sounded muffled and distorted underwater.

Gao De frowned slightly. He also felt that mental impact, but for him, who had experienced the tempering of the Flower Spirit miasma and possessed Divine Thought far more resilient than those of the same rank, the effect was limited. However, the Demon Soldiers under his command were greatly affected.

He noticed that these Water Drifting Corpses weren't particularly strong physically; rather, it was the field of resentment they created when gathered together that was causing trouble, capable of eroding the mind and weakening one's fighting spirit.

"Hold fast to your minds! Their power lies in confusion!" Gao De barked softly, his voice containing a hint of the Dragon's deterrent power, which revitalized the spirits of Green Edge and Iron Pincer beside him.

At the same time, the Water Drifting Corpses moved! Like a startled pack of corpses, they lunged forward stiffly yet swiftly, bringing with them waves of cold undercurrents and a pungent stench of decay!

The battle erupted instantly.

"Roar!" Iron Pincer was the first to charge. His massive crab claws swept out like battering rams, instantly smashing two or three Water Drifting Corpses into pieces, turning them into shattered pale chunks of meat and diffusing black mist.

But more Water Drifting Corpses ignored his attacks, passing directly through the water's resistance to reach out with ghost-claw-like hands, scratching at his carapace with a tooth-aching scraping sound and leaving trails of black corrosive marks.

Green Edge's body twisted as he wove through the corpse crowd like a phantom. His snake tail was like a steel whip, capable of snapping a Water Drifting Corpse in half with a single strike, and his long, thin nails could easily tear open their bloated bodies.

However, he was also interfered with by the pervasive wails of resentment, his movements occasionally showing a hint of lag.

Iron Pincer swung his giant claws, focusing more on his own protection, not daring to easily let those ghost claws near the relatively weak spots like the joints of his carapace.

Green Edge's figure became even more elusive, using his speed advantage to harass them, never giving the Water Drifting Corpses a chance to touch him.

Gao De did not directly rush into the corpse crowd.

He floated in place, his hands quickly forming seals as a faint purple thunderous light rose around him.

This time, he did not cast a violent lightning spear, but rather an area-of-effect Mind-Clearing Evil-Warding Thunder Incantation!

Countless tiny purple electric snakes spread out from him as the center, like a massive electric net, blanketing the group of Water Drifting Corpses ahead.

"Zzzzt—!"

As the thunder snakes touched the Water Drifting Corpses, they didn't cause a violent explosion but instead made the sound of purification.

That dense black mist of resentment quickly dissipated as if meeting its nemesis. The pale bodies of the Water Drifting Corpses emitted green smoke in the thunderous light, their movements becoming stiff and sluggish, and the invisible wails they emitted also weakened by more than half!

However, the number of Water Drifting Corpses was simply too great, and their attacks were eerie and hard to defend against.

A snake soldier following on the flank failed to dodge in time and was slashed by the black nails of a Water Drifting Corpse, leaving a gash.

At first, it was just a shallow black mark, but that snake soldier suddenly let out a shrill scream of agony!

That black mark rapidly spread and corroded like a living thing. The surrounding scales and flesh turned grey and festered at a speed visible to the naked eye, and a surge of cold Death Qi drilled straight into its body through the wound!

"Save... save me!" The snake soldier struggled in pain, its Demonic Power surging wildly in an attempt to resist, but that Death Qi was exceptionally stubborn.

Gao De's gaze sharpened, and with a wave of his hand, a condensed bolt of purple electricity shot out, accurately striking the festering wound.

With a "hissing" sound, a puff of black smoke was forced out. The snake soldier's screams stopped abruptly as it slumped down; though its aura was withered, that erosion seemed to have been temporarily suppressed.

"Did you all see that?! If you don't want to turn into that ghostly state, then give me your full attention!" Gao De shouted sternly, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.

This scene terrified all the Demon Soldiers. Their offensive became more cautious, and they relied even more on Gao De's thunder techniques for purification and support.

"Zzzzt—!" Just after confirming the electricity was effective, the purple light flashed again. The pale bodies of the Water Drifting Corpses touched by the light became stiff and sluggish.

"Now, charge through!" Gao De shouted after controlling the field once more.

Seeing this, Green Edge and Iron Pincer's spirits were greatly lifted. They immediately erupted with their strongest power, one darting like lightning and the other charging like a bull. Taking advantage of the moment when the Water Drifting Corpses were weakened by the thunder incantation and fell into chaos, they forcibly broke through the encirclement.

The Demon Soldiers behind them followed closely, their battle formation linked and their Demonic Qi soaring, tearing apart the scattered Water Drifting Corpses that lunged at them.

The team didn't dare stop, sprinting forward with all their might until they had completely left that uncomfortable field of resentment and the pale corpse shadows behind in the darkness.

Finally, under the cover of the lightning, they narrowly escaped the encirclement of the Water Drifting Corpses.

When they stopped again, the surrounding waters seemed slightly clearer, and that decayed aura had faded quite a bit.

All the demons were somewhat shaken.

"We haven't even seen the stone tablet yet, and it's already this troublesome..." Green Edge panted, a hint of irritation remaining in his snake pupils.

Iron Pincer checked the shallow black marks scratched onto his carapace by the Water Drifting Corpses and said in a booming voice, "This ghostly place really isn't for demons!"

Gao De's gaze was solemn as he looked toward a faint glimmer of light appearing ahead in the waterway.

"Judging by the map and our position, we shouldn't be far from the ruins. Everyone stay alert. The true danger has likely only just begun."

He could feel that in the area ahead, the flow of water Spiritual Qi had become abnormal, as if some ancient and dormant power existed there.

The ruins of the Broken Stone Tablet would certainly not be a welcoming place.