Chapter 168: A Mermaid Appears in the Deep Pool
After leaving Xinyi and Liu Xia in the care of the mountain spirit, Long Qi and Zhao Wuyang went up the mountain together. A Jin wanted to follow, but the mountain spirit said he had something important to discuss and kept him.
Before leaving, Zhao Wuyang asked the mountain god about Pinellia ternata, but the mountain god said that they were the only cultivators who came up and he had never seen anyone else come.
This was a bit strange. Before they went up the mountain, the villagers had indeed said that the female fairy had come up from this path. But the mountain god said that he would know if anyone entered the mountain.
Could it be that Banxia didn't go deep into the mountain, but just wandered around the mountain pass?
With full of questions in their minds, Long Qi and Zhao Wuyang groped their way deeper into the forest.
When they came, the mountain god had warned them that the monsters that fell into the mountains were good at illusions. Now that Long Qi had cracked his illusion formation, the monster must have known about it and might be hiding somewhere to ambush them. Therefore, Long Qi had been silently reciting the Qingxin Jue along the way and never dared to let his guard down.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, they heard the sound of water not far away. They looked at each other and thought they must be approaching the monster's lair.
They carefully crawled into a nearby bush and looked in the direction of the sound. They saw that where the rocks should have been, there was now a deep pool. The deep pool was emitting fluorescent light in the dark night, and spiritual energy was lingering everywhere, which looked quite magnificent.
The two of them were concentrating on observing the area around the pool, but they didn't pay attention to anything else. At this moment, a figure was approaching silently from behind them.
Just as Long Qi was about to ask Zhao Wuyang what he had discovered, a hand suddenly rested on his shoulder. He was startled and quickly turned around to draw his sword, but stopped when he saw the person coming.
That person was none other than Banxia!
But now her whole body was covered with talismans, as if she was buried in a pile of talismans, which looked really weird.
Seeing her like this, Zhao Wuyang was very confused and asked her why she was like this, but Banxia's answer made him smile bitterly.
The reason was simple. Banxia's body was now covered with the Soul-Anonymous Talisman. However, she was not confident in her talisman skills, so she covered her body with them to ensure safety.
After hearing her say this, Long Qi finally understood. No wonder the mountain god couldn't notice her. It must be because of the soul-hiding talismans all over her body.
However, when Long Qi saw Banxia wearing a talisman robe, he found it extremely funny, but he was afraid of alerting the monster, so he could only hold back his anger and blush.
Even if she wasn't confident, she would never wrap herself in a talisman like this. Lingxiang once said that one must be firm in mind when reciting a talisman in order to make it more powerful. Since Banxia had practiced talisman techniques, she must have known this. Doing so was indeed a violation of the Way of the Talisman.
But I think the talisman on her body must be effective, otherwise she would not have been able to hide it from the mountain god.
Just when Long Qi was thinking of tearing two soul-hiding talismans from Banxia and sticking them on himself and Zhao Wuyang, he heard bursts of water sounds coming from the silent pool.
The three of them looked over quickly and saw that the water, which had been calm before, was now surging like boiling water. After a while, they saw an object breaking through the water and leaping out of the water with a somersault.
Looking closely, Long Qi couldn't help but gasp. The person emerging from the water was actually a shirtless man. However, this man had long flowing hair and a handsome face, looking even more beautiful than a woman. But his lower body was...
But it's a fish tail!
"It's Mr. Quan!" Zhao Wuyang exclaimed.
Long Qi and Ban Xia, however, were confused, their faces etched with bewilderment. Seeing them like this, Zhao Wuyang quickly explained, "According to the 'Records of Strange Stories from the Mountains and Seas, the Quanxian are beings with human bodies and fish tails. They were the ancestors of the human race. In ancient times, the earth was once a vast ocean, but it was only because of a leak in the sky that mountains and forests appeared. Some of the Quanxian, curious, ventured into the land to explore, but wandered so far that they forgot their way back. Over time, their tails transformed into legs."
"And they also have a familiar name, that is, mermaids..."
Banxia was very confused when she heard this. If mermaids were the ancestors of the human race, then how could the goddess Nuwa create humans from clay?
After hearing Banxia's question, Zhao Wuyang also felt that the conflict was difficult to resolve. After pondering for a while, he frowned and said, "I think it must be due to the different ethnic groups. I heard that in ancient times, each ethnic group had its own worshipped gods, which is why there are so many sources in different books."
Long Qi, however, didn't care about this at all. He just asked, "Shouldn't mermaids live in the sea? How could they appear in the mountains?"
Banxia thought about it, but had no clue. Frowning, she said, "The villagers said earlier that a bolt of lightning struck the mountain. Could it be that this mermaid came with the lightning?"
But how could he withstand the power of thunder and lightning?
"Although the mermaid's scales are not as hard as those of the dragon's, they are also extremely strong. It is rumored that male mermaids can be covered with scales all over their bodies, like armor. I think he should be wearing scale armor..." Zhao Wuyang guessed.
"However, since this person can withstand the power of thunder and lightning, he must be extremely powerful. With just the three of us, we should not be his match..."
Hearing this, Long Qi frowned. If he couldn't beat him, Xinyi and Liu Xia would be in danger.
Just when the three of them were at a loss, suddenly a water blade wrapped in thick spiritual energy flew towards them. Long Qi instinctively held down Banxia and Zhao Wuyang, and only then did he manage to dodge it.
The water blade hit the tree behind the three people. The tree emitted heat and made a sizzling sound. When the heat dissipated, half of the tree was corroded.
"You've actually made it this far, you're quite capable." The merman said with a smile, his voice as sweet as a song. "It's a pity, but reaching this point is the end of you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and poured out the water in the pool. The water turned into blades through his hands and swirled towards Long Qi and the other two.
Seeing this, Long Qi quickly pushed Banxia away and rolled to the side, holding Zhao Wuyang. The water blade struck the bushes that had been hiding there, and they immediately began to sizzle and emit a foul smell.
Here, Long Qi and Zhao Wuyang were no longer protected, and their whereabouts were completely exposed. Seeing this, the mermaid immediately paddled the water again, and this time, several water blades flew towards the two people who were still lying on the ground.
Seeing that the water blade was about to hit the two men, and it was too late for them to get up, Zhao Wuyang quickly stretched out his legs and used the force to push the two men away.
The water blade hit the place where the two people were lying just now, but this time it did not emit water vapor like before, but directly made a hole in the ground.
The two men quickly stood up and prepared to fight. Seeing this, the mermaid sneered: "Two brats who are still wet behind the ears, actually dare to challenge me. They really don't know how to live or die."
As soon as he finished speaking, his whole body began to change, and in an instant, scales appeared on his body.
It seems that what was said in "Shan Hai Yi Wen Lu" is true. Mermaids will indeed use their scales as armor when they encounter battle.
After the mermaid transformed, he jumped into the water, but before the water fell, he jumped out again. This time, he had a trident in his hand, shining with silver light.
Seeing this, Long Qi quickly drew out the Seven Star Dragon Abyss, silently chanted the incantation, and suddenly flames burst out from the sword.
Seeing this, the mermaid pointed the trident into the sky. The sky was immediately covered with dark clouds, lightning and thunder, and then a bolt of lightning struck Long Qi.
Sparks flew and debris flew where the lightning struck, but Long Qi was not hurt.
When Long Qi saw the mermaid raising the trident, he became defensive. Before the lightning struck, he circulated his internal energy and concentrated all his spiritual power on his legs. He instantly used the Cloud Step to dodge.
Seeing this, the merman raised his halberd again. Zhao Wuyang then rushed forward with his sword, the blade gleaming silver, pointing directly at the merman's face. But the merman was not so easily defeated. He waved his hand, and countless water droplets flew out of the pool and shot towards Zhao Wuyang.
Zhao Wuyang was unable to dodge, so he quickly twisted his fingers and made hand gestures, raising the empty door shield.
Just when the water droplets were about to hit him, they seemed to hit a wall of air and stopped completely. However, these water droplets seemed to have no intention of stopping and continued to move slowly towards Zhao Wuyang.
Zhao Wuyang had no other moves, so he desperately maintained his shield, not daring to release his hand seals. At this moment, a flash of fire shot into the air. It was Long Qi, who had just dodged to the side using the Cloud Steps. He saw his giant sword pierce the mermaid.
The merman was unable to split himself in time and had to raise his trident to hold against the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss. However, the spiritual fire on the sword made him very uncomfortable, and he waved Long Qi away with a single effort.
Zhao Wuyang was still fending off the water droplets when he saw Long Qi being knocked aside. He suddenly remembered the mermaid oil mentioned in "Shan Hai Yi Wen Lu" (The Record of Strange Stories of Mountains and Seas). It would ignite instantly upon contact with fire and would be extremely difficult to extinguish. So he shouted at Long Qi, "Seventh Brother! That mermaid is afraid of fire. Any part of his body not covered by scales will easily catch fire!"
Hearing this, Long Qi immediately understood why the merman had attacked him right away. It turned out that they were afraid of the fire on his sword. He quickly rolled to his feet, half-knelt, and looked at the merman in the water.
Even though Wuyang pointed out his weaknesses, it was still not an easy task. The mermaid was now covered with scales all over her body except for her face, and he had quick reactions, so it was difficult to get close to him for a while.
After hearing Zhao Wuyang's shout, the mermaid seemed extremely angry and turned the trident towards him. Suddenly, a water dragon flew towards him with a roar.
This water dragon looked very powerful. With Zhao Wuyang's cultivation level, he would definitely not be able to withstand it. Seeing this, Long Qi quickly used the Cloud Steps, flashed and moved towards Zhao Wuyang, hugged him, and then jumped to avoid the attack of the water dragon.
Seeing this, the mermaid's ear and dorsal fins trembled with rage. She raised her trident and swept it into the water, then unexpectedly raised a water ball. The ball, as large as a drum, churned constantly within, and soon began to shoot water blades in all directions. Wherever the water blades struck, steam rose and sizzled, and any flowers, plants, and trees they touched quickly withered.
Long Qi and Zhao Wuyang kept dodging, but the water blades were too dense. Although they were not hit, their clothes were more or less scratched by the water blades.
The clothes that were scratched by the water blade began to emit water vapor like trees that were hit, and corrosion continued to spread. Seeing this, Long Qi hurriedly took off his coat, dodged while waving his robe to help Zhao Wuyang block the water blade that he could not dodge.
The mermaid's magic lasted for a while before it stopped. Zhao Wuyang was safe and sound, but Long Qi was hit by the water blade. He was now steaming and his blood was oozing out like boiling water.
Zhao Wuyang's eyes immediately turned red when he saw this. Long Qi tried to comfort him despite the pain, but he was in so much pain, and the wound seemed to be spreading, constantly eroding the surrounding area.
It would be dangerous to continue like this, and the mermaid didn't seem to intend to let them go. She raised her halberd again, and then a water blade flew towards the two of them.
Long Qi's hands were on the ground, and he couldn't dodge in time. He quickly pushed Zhao Wuyang to get him out of the way, but Zhao Wuyang was not willing to do so. He just stood in front of Long Qi with a determined look on his face, and he had only one thought in his mind: he must take the blow for his seventh brother.
Now it is no longer possible to resist with the Nianyun Jue technique, and the only option now is to block it with the body!
Seeing Zhao Wuyang like this, Long Qi was extremely anxious, but he was seriously injured and couldn't get up. He twisted and screamed, asking him to go away quickly.
Zhao Wuyang just frowned and raised his sword without any fear. Seeing that the water blade was already in front of him, at the critical moment, two figures suddenly fell from the sky and dispersed the water blade.
And these two people were none other than Xinyi and Liu Xia, the two who were previously haunted by the illusion!
Long Qi was overjoyed. He had thought that Zhao Wuyang would be hurt by the mermaid, but he didn't expect that Xinyi and Liu Xia could actually get rid of the illusion and arrive in time. He immediately felt relieved and fainted due to relaxation.
Zhao Wuyang closed his eyes tightly, awaiting the water blade's arrival, but after a long wait, he felt no pain at all. Seeing him like this, Xinyi and Liu Xia exchanged a smile, then both leaped towards the mermaid. Puzzled, Zhao Wuyang opened one eye and peered into the pool, only to see Xinyi and Liu Xia's backs. Overwhelmed, he collapsed to the ground.
Xinyi chanted a spell, and amidst the flying sand and rocks, her figure was so fast that the merman could hardly see clearly, leaving only a series of dark shadows. Then, she wielded the double-edged blades of deer antlers and slashed at him dozens of times. Liu Xia also pinched a spell and twisted his fingers, then used the move of weeping willow pointing to the moon, and the long sword in his hand hit the merman like a willow branch.
However, the mermaid was covered with scales and was unharmed by the two men's heavy attacks.
After the two finished their moves, they stood on either side of the merman, their brows furrowed, constantly thinking of countermeasures. The merman, however, smiled contemptuously despite the attacks from the two.
"You dare to show off your abilities? You're really courting death!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the scales under his cheeks opened wide, and then he took a deep breath. However, he took too much air, and his chest and abdomen swelled up like a ball.
But after he took a breath, he suddenly closed the scales under his cheeks, then opened his mouth and roared.
The roar wasn't loud, but it was sharp. Everyone felt pain in their ears and had to cover their ears. But even covering their ears was futile, as they could still clearly hear the mermaid's cry.
This roar lasted for a long time, and Liu Xia's ears began to bleed. Just when everyone began to be unable to bear it, a fire talisman suddenly flew over and hit the mermaid on the back. It suddenly exploded and knocked him back into his stomach with one breath.
After a violent cough, he looked back and saw Banxia wrapped in a talisman robe. He was holding two talismans in his hands and said to the mermaid:
"If you don't stop, I'll put this black mud talisman into the water. I just don't know if the woman at the bottom of the lake can withstand the filth of the water!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
