Chapter 81 Tales of the Southern Frontier

Having said that, the black-scaled snake slapped the ground with its tail and shot out like an arrow.

Shen Lian was on edge, pushing his "Tiger-Taming Stance" footwork to its limit. He rolled to the side to avoid the Mo Lin's sharp claws, the ground being carved with three deep ravines by the claw wind.

"Wave-Cutting Style!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shen Lian pulled out the long sword stuck in the ground and slashed at Mo Lin with three consecutive strikes, the sword light as fast as a bolt of lightning.

clang!

Mo Lin's sharp right claws gripped Shen Lian's longsword.

"To possess such power at the fifth level of Heaven, you are indeed a promising talent. It's just a pity that your journey ends here," Mo Lin sneered.

Click!

He suddenly exerted force with his five fingers, breaking Shen Lian's longsword in two.

Shen Lian was shocked and quickly withdrew.

Mo Lin had no intention of letting Shen Lian go. Its snake tail swept across like a steel whip, fiercely attacking Shen Lian.

Shen Lian moved like a tiger leaping across a stream, dodging Mo Lin's fatal blow.

He didn't engage with Mo Lin, but instead used the "Tiger-Taming Stance" footwork to escape.

He was in extremely poor condition at the moment. He was seriously injured in the battle with Mo Lin, and the bandages were stained red with blood.

He endured the excruciating pain, his eyes rapidly scanning the cave environment.

This natural cave is gourd-shaped, with many stalactites hanging from the ceiling and pebbles smoothed by water flowing down the ground.

"Brother Lian, we're here!"

Just as Shen Lian was thinking about how to escape, Li Hu's voice came.

A moment later, several figures filed in from the entrance of the cave.

The one leading the group was none other than General Zhao Shan.

Following closely behind were two junior officers, Chen Biao and Sun Yan, as well as a group of demon-suppressing envoys including Chen Yun and Lin Feng, their long swords already drawn.

When they saw the half-human, half-snake Mo Lin, everyone's pupils shrank; Mo Lin in front of them was simply a monster.

"Shen Lian, step back!"

Zhao Shan shouted and stepped forward, shielding Shen Lian behind him.

Shen Lian covered the wound on his left arm and slowly retreated to the back.

Chen Yun quickly supported him, took out some wound medicine, and sprinkled it on his wound: "Senior Brother Shen, you are badly injured."

"I'm fine," Shen Lian said through gritted teeth, his eyes fixed on Mo Lin. "Be careful, Commander. This scoundrel is Mo Lin, the Holy Envoy of the 'Witchcraft Cult,' with a combat strength of at least the seventh level. He wants to seize the 'Yu King's Cauldron' that is suppressed in the Azure Dragon River."

Yuwang Ding!

Upon hearing these three words, Zhao Shan immediately frowned. He clearly knew something, but he didn't say anything. The most important thing right now was to deal with the enemy in front of him.

Mo Lin showed no panic at the sudden influx of more than ten Demon Suppression Envoys. Instead, he laughed smugly: "Another bunch of ants coming to their deaths."

"The 'Witchcraft Cult' has overreached itself; this is no place for your Third Master," Zhao Shan said coldly.

The black-scaled snake's tail swayed slowly as it raised its right claw: "You worthless scum dare to speak like that? It just so happens that my 'Water Demon Guard' is short of a few elites, so I'll use you to fill the gaps. You should feel honored."

The next moment, Mo Lin struck first, slamming his snake tail against the ground and charging towards Zhao Shan and the others.

"Don't be so arrogant!" Chen Biao roared, slashing out with his long sword. He was using the Demon Suppression Division's "Demon Subduing Sword Technique".

This strike was powerful and heavy, enough to split rock in two.

Mo Lin raised his hand to block Chen Biao's attack, and the sound of metal clashing echoed throughout.

A tremendous force emanated from the longsword, causing Chen Biao's tiger's mouth to split open, and he was forced to retreat backward.

"let me!"

Sun Yan lunged forward, his long sword sweeping across the ground. He had long since mastered the "Demon-Subduing Sword Technique."

This slash was extremely fast and at an exceptionally tricky angle.

The black-scaled snake's tail swept across, scattering pebbles like rain.

Although Sun Yan's swordsmanship was cunning, he was unable to break through the dark blue scales on Mo Lin's body. Instead, he was knocked back three steps by Mo Lin's claw.

"Pathetic, ants, ants after all," Mo Lin sneered.

Zhao Shan raised his hand to stop the rest of the people, his gaze calmly scrutinizing Mo Lin: "The Southern Frontier wasn't enough for you to cause trouble, yet you dare to covet the 'Yu Wang Ding'."

Mo Lin scoffed, "The 'Yu King's Cauldron' is an ancient treasure, meant for the virtuous. My sect has been planning this for ten years; how could you ants possibly stop us?"

Zhao Shan said, "As the chief commander of the Demon Suppression Division of Qinghe County, I will never let you succeed. Even if the 'Yu Wang Ding' really exists, I will never let your 'Witchcraft Cult' take it away."

"You overconfident fool, I'll show you what I'm capable of." Mo Lin looked coldly at Zhao Shan, his forked tongue flicking in and out.

Shen Lian looked ahead, his gaze landing on Zhao Shan.

[Combat Strength]: 110~140

Zhao Shan's combat strength is even stronger than that of Mo Lin.

Since Shen Lian entered the Demon Suppression Division of Qinghe County, Zhao Shan's cultivation has not lagged behind, and his combat strength has also improved significantly.

Zhao Shan slowly drew his long sword: "No matter what your 'Witchcraft Cult' wants to do, I, Zhao Shan, will never agree. Today, I will slay demons, eliminate evil, and uphold justice!"

"You've got quite the nerve. Let me, the Holy Envoy, see what you're really made of." Mo Lin didn't take Zhao Shan seriously at all.

Suddenly, Mo Lin's figure surged forward, rushing straight towards Zhao Shan.

The snake's tail slammed down towards Zhao Shan, releasing a powerful aura as it struck Zhao Shan's head.

Zhao Shan stood still, knife in hand, watching Mo Lin charge towards him, his eyes unmoved.

clang!

Just as the black-scaled snake's tail slammed down, Zhao Shan blocked it with his long sword, preventing it from advancing any further.

"What?"

Mo Lin couldn't help but exclaim in surprise upon seeing this scene.

His powerful attack on Zhao Shan was easily blocked by Zhao Shan, which was far beyond his expectations.

"You are from the Ninth Heaven?!" Mo Lin gritted his teeth and said.

The Demon Suppression Division of Qinghe County actually has a master like Zhao Shan.

He miscalculated!

Zhao Shan snorted, "You're not too stupid. If you dare to cause trouble in my Qinghe territory, you'll only have one way out: death."

"Mountain-splitting style!"

Zhao Shan stepped forward and slashed angrily at Mo Lin with his long sword.

Shen Lian watched as Zhao Shan unleashed the "Mountain Splitting Style," a sword technique at the pinnacle of its mastery. Although he had cultivated the "Demon Subduing Sword Technique" to perfection, there was still a significant gap between him and Zhao Shan in terms of power.

To unleash the true power of swordsmanship, one's own strength must also be sufficient.

boom!

Zhao Shan slashed down angrily with his longsword, which struck Mo Lin's body with tremendous force, splitting Mo Lin's scales open.

The shattered fragments flew everywhere, and Mo Lin was greatly impacted, being forced backward. Blood gushed out from the spot where Zhao Shan had cleaved him.

Zhao Shan's gaze was calm as still water: "Since you know that the Yuwang Cauldron suppresses the water eye of Qingzhou, you still dare to plot against it. Today, you will not be allowed to live."

Zhao Shan strode forward, the long sword in his hand gleaming with a chilling light.

Seeing this, Mo Lin lashed out with its tail, its scales glowing with an eerie light, and slammed down fiercely towards Zhao Shan.

clang!

Zhao Shan used the "Mountain-Splitting Strike" from the "Demon-Subduing Blade Technique" to block Mo Lin's snake tail. The blade energy on the longsword spread, forcefully forcing Mo Lin back.

The powerful energy emanated from the cave, causing the stalactites at the top of the cave to tremble precariously.

Zhao Shan's sword strikes were continuous, unleashing the three techniques of "Mountain Splitting Style," "Wave Slicing Style," and "Mountain Breaking Style" in succession, with several strikes landing on Mo Lin's body.

The sword energy crisscrossed the space.

"The commander is so strong!"

Wang Lin, Li Hu, and the other demon-suppressing envoys stared wide-eyed at the battle ahead.

Zhao Shan forcefully suppressed Mo Lin.

Mo Lin had easily defeated the two junior officers, Chen Biao and Sun Yan, but he had little resistance against Zhao Shan.

Li Hu licked his lips and said, "The commander is really strong. Even Mo Lin is no match for him. Killing him will definitely not be a problem."

Wang Lin nodded and said, "Such demons should all be eliminated."

On the other side, Mo Lin gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

Although he possessed the strength of the seventh level of the Heavenly Realm and was blessed with the bloodline of the Water Demon, he was no match for Zhao Shan, who had the strength of the ninth level of the Heavenly Realm and mastered the Great Perfection of the Sword Technique.

Mo Lin roared, its scales standing on end, and it spewed out a dark green poisonous mist.

This is the innate supernatural power of the water demon bloodline, "Ink Poison".

It has a great influence on qi and blood.

"A mere trick!" Zhao Shan roared, his long sword swirling around him, the blade's energy whipping up a gust of wind that swept away the poisonous mist.

"How is that possible?"

Mo Lin's expression changed drastically. His greatest reliance was the supernatural power brought by the Water Demon bloodline, but these tricks were useless in the face of absolute power suppression.

Zhao Shan seized the opportunity and charged forward with his long sword like a dragon.

This strike was completely unpretentious.

There is only one word.

fast!

Mo Lin retreated frantically, using its tail to slap the ground for leverage.

"You can't escape." Zhao Shan's sword stance changed again, and he became one with the Dao, transforming into a streak of light to chase after it.

Mo Lin sensed the threat of death and roared as he poured all his power into his right claw to meet Zhao Shan's longsword head-on.

clang!

A deafening roar echoed throughout the cave, and powerful energy surged wildly outwards.

Mo Lin's right claw scales shattered, and he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the Yu King Stele. The inscription on the stele shimmered with a faint light, absorbing the entire impact.

Zhao Shan appeared before Mo Lin like a ghost, his long sword held against Mo Lin's neck. He coldly stared at Mo Lin and said, "Tell me, how many strongholds does the 'Witchcraft Cult' still have in Qinghe County? Where is your cult leader now?"

Mo Lin grinned maliciously: "You think it's over after you win against me? How could you ants possibly stop the leader's grand plan?"

He suddenly bit down on what was in his mouth.

Zhao Shan's expression changed, and he leaped forward to grab Mo Lin's chin, but it was too late; the light in Mo Lin's eyes quickly dimmed.

"He committed suicide by biting poison," Sun Yan said through gritted teeth.

In less than three breaths, Mo Lin turned into a dried-up corpse, its bluish-black scales falling to the ground.

Zhao Shan found a wooden plaque with a snake coiled around an ancient cauldron, several dark blue ape stones, and a sheepskin map on the corpse.

The map marks seven red dots along the Qinglong River, one of which is the island in the middle of the river, while the other six are distributed in different counties. Each red dot has a small annotation recording the number of Xiao Stones deployed and the progress of mutant cultivation.

"As expected, it's not just Qinghe County." Zhao Shan said with a solemn expression, "It seems the 'Witchcraft Cult' has much bigger ambitions."

Shen Lian, supported by Chen Yun, walked over and gasped upon seeing the map: "If we cultivate Water Demon Guards at all seven points and simultaneously activate the Tide Summoning Array..."

"The three prefectures of Qingzhou are all submerged." Zhao Shan put away the map and looked at Shen Lian. "How are your injuries?"

"He sustained some injuries, but his life is not in danger. Commander, what should we do next?" Shen Lian asked through gritted teeth.

Zhao Shan surveyed the crowd. Although the Demon Suppression Division had won the battle, it had paid a heavy price. Chen Biao and Sun Yan were both injured. The other Demon Suppression Envoys were also injured to varying degrees, which was not good news for the Qinghe County Demon Suppression Division.

The threat posed by the "Witchcraft Cult" has only just begun.

Zhao Shan made a decision: "Let's return to Qinghe County first. Although Mo Lin is dead, we cannot be careless. The leader he spoke of remains a mystery. We must report this matter to Qingzhou Prefecture as soon as possible and completely eradicate the 'Witchcraft Cult'."

"That Yuwang Ding..." Shen Lian looked into the depths of the cave and said with some worry.

Zhao Shan walked to the stele and reached out to touch the ancient characters: "With the Yu King Stele guarding it, we are safe for now. The inscription states that the 'Yu King's Cauldron' requires the 'Yu King's Decree' to approach. This decree has been lost for hundreds of years. If the Witchcraft Cult wants to seize the cauldron, they must first find the decree. This is our chance to buy time."

He turned to the crowd and said, "Today's events are classified as top secret by the Demon Suppression Division, and no one is allowed to divulge them."

"yes!"

The crowd responded in unison.

Zhao Shan looked at Sun Yan and ordered, "Take your men and search the cave thoroughly to see if there are any other clues. Chen Biao, lead a team to clear out the remaining mutants on the island in the middle of the river, and make sure the island is safe."

The group accepted the order and went their separate ways. Zhao Shan stood alone in front of the Yuwang Stele, gazing at the inscription for a long time. No one saw the deep worry that flashed in his eyes.

"The Yuwang Cauldron has been used to lock the water eye for three hundred years... If it is lost, it will be a great calamity for Qingzhou."

……

Two days later, at the Demon Suppression Division of Qinghe County.

Shen Lian's left arm and chest were wrapped in bandages, and his face was still a little pale, but his breathing had become much more stable.

The atmosphere inside the hall was very somber.

Zhao Shan sat in the main seat, flanked by two junior officers, Sun Yan and Chen Biao. Below them were Shen Lian, Chen Yun, Li Hu, Wang Lin, and other demon-suppressing envoys who participated in the battle of Jiangxin Island.

"Qingzhou Prefecture has replied." Zhao Shan placed a document stamped with the seal of the Demon Suppression Division on the table. "Lord Wei Tong, the prefect, attaches great importance to this matter and has secretly dispatched three Silver Seal Envoys to Qinghe County. At the same time, the Demon Suppression Divisions in the other six prefectures have also received secret orders and have begun to secretly investigate members of the 'Witchcraft Cult'."

"Silver Badge Envoy?" Li Hu exclaimed. "That's an expert above the eighth level of the Body Tempering Realm. I never expected Lord Wei Tong to send such a powerful person."

The Silver Badge Envoys are specially selected by the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture. There are no more than twenty Silver Badge Envoys in the entire Qingzhou Prefecture.

Zhao Shan nodded and said, "The three Silver Badge Envoys will arrive tomorrow. Before they arrive, we need to complete two things."

He held up three fingers: "First, thoroughly investigate everyone in Qinghe County who may have come into contact with the Xiaoshi, ensuring no one is missed. Old Xu is researching a way to break the Xiaoshi's mutation; if there is progress, it may be possible to save Li Wen and the others."

"Second, strengthen patrols along the Qinglong River, especially at night towards the island in the middle of the river. The Witchcraft Cult will not let the loss of a Holy Envoy go unpunished."

The meeting lasted for an hour.

After everyone was assigned tasks, they left one after another, except for Shen Lian, who was left alone by Zhao Shan.

"Does the commander have any further instructions?"

Zhao Shan took out a jade bottle from his bosom and pushed it in front of Shen Lian: "This is the 'Bone Forging and Muscle Regeneration Pill,' which has miraculous effects on bone injuries."

Shen Lian was taken aback and said, "Commander, this is far too valuable..."

"I accept it." Zhao Shan said without any room for doubt. "Your 'Demon Subduing Blade Technique' and 'Tiger Subduing Stance' have both been cultivated to perfection, and your own strength is not weaker than that of a sixth-level expert. But you must remember that a true strongman not only needs strength, but also the physical qualities to match it."

He paused, then continued, "Chu Chunqiu isn't the only genius in Qingzhou Prefecture. Winning the New Talent Competition is just the beginning. The competition within the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture is far more intense than in Qinghe County."

Shen Lian nodded slightly and accepted the jade bottle: "Thank you, Commander."

"Go and take good care of your injury."

Zhao Shan waved to Shen Lian.

After leaving the council hall, Shen Lian did not go directly back to his residence, but instead went to the Forensic Center.

Wearing glasses, Old Xu was observing a patch of bluish-black scales, which was a fragment of the demon stone he had brought back from the island in the middle of the river.

"Elder Xu." Shen Lian clasped his hands in greeting to Elder Xu.

Old Xu looked up at Shen Lian and frowned, saying, "He's badly injured."

Shen Lian said, "I would like to ask about the Xiao Stone. Mo Lin said that ninety-nine Water Xiao Guards need to be sacrificed to activate the Tide-Summoning Array. I wonder if Elder Xu knows about that array?"

Old Xu nodded slightly and pulled out a yellowed ancient book from deep within the bookshelf. The cover read "Tales of the Southern Frontier," the characters of which were somewhat blurred.

"On page 372."

Shen Lian turned the pages of the book, and the records inside shocked him.

"Water demons are an ancient alien race that live in the deep waters of great swamps. They have human bodies and snake tails, and their scales are bluish-black. Adult water demons can summon tides for hundreds of miles. If a hundred water demons summon tides at the same time, they can form a great formation called 'Ten Thousand Acres of Swamps,' which is difficult for mortals to withstand."

"Three hundred years ago, King Yu led his people to suppress the Water Demon tribe at the bottom of the Qinglong River, using the 'Yu King's Cauldron' to lock the water's source, thus ensuring the peace of Qingzhou. However, the Water Demon bloodline was not extinguished, and an evil cultivator obtained it, refining 'Demonic Stones' to bewitch mortals, seeking to restore their tribe..."

Shen Lian became increasingly alarmed as he read on. It turned out that the "Witchcraft Cult's" plan was not just to create chaos, but to truly resurrect the ancient alien race and recreate the "vast marshland"!

"Do you understand now?" Old Xu said in a deep voice, "What the Witchcraft Cult wants is not the gain or loss of a single city or region. What they want is for the entire three prefectures of Qingzhou to be turned into a swamp, becoming the lair for the resurgence of the Water Demon Clan. At that time, hundreds of millions of people will become the blood and flesh of the Water Demons, or turn into monsters like Li Wen."

Shen Lian closed the book and took a deep breath: "In that case, we must not let their plan succeed."

"Of course." Old Xu smiled on his aged face. "I studied it for three days and three nights and finally found the flaw in Xiaoshi."

He took out a complete dark blue-green aurora stone, and then picked up a small bottle of crimson powder: "This is 'Blazing Sun Sand,' produced deep within the volcanoes of southern Xinjiang, containing pure yang energy. Look..."

He sprinkled powder on the surface of the xiao stone.

The next moment, dark green smoke rose from the surface of the ape, and the color of the stone also faded a bit.

"It works!" Shen Lian exclaimed in delight.

Old Xu cautiously said, "The Blazing Sun Sand can neutralize the evil energy of the Demon Stone, but a huge quantity is needed for complete purification. Moreover, this is only a temporary solution; to truly save those mutants, we need to find a way to reverse their bloodline."

He looked at Shen Lian, his tone complex, and said, "The information you brought back from the Yuwang Stele is very important. Since the inscription records the method of suppressing the water demon, perhaps there is also a way to save it. Unfortunately... I can't understand those ancient characters."

Shen Lian reminded him, "Qingzhou Prefecture has already sent a scholar who is proficient in ancient writing."

"Hopefully we can make it in time." Old Xu looked out the window. "We don't know how many more we are to reach the 'ninety-nine water demon guards' that Mo Lin mentioned. We also don't know what the Witchcraft Cult will do next. We are racing against time now."

It was dusk when Shen Lian left the forensic workshop.

Shen Lian walked along the streets of Qinghe County. People were either carrying loads home or buying food from roadside stalls. Children were chasing and playing, creating a peaceful scene.

Unbeknownst to them, a battle that determined the fate of Qinghe County had taken place on an island in the middle of the river, just a hundred miles away.

Unbeknownst to them, a crisis that would engulf Qingzhou was brewing in the shadows.