Chapter 72: Swamp Fury and the "Neighbor" Meeting Gift
Swamp Fury and the "Neighbor" Meet and Greet
After the soul-guiding lantern on the bow absorbed the "concentric energy," its light grew even brighter, radiating a strange, rainbow-colored stream, pushing the surrounding gray-purple miasma further away. The dim, iridescent light cast upon the thick, black waters created an eerie tranquility.
However, this silence did not last long.
As soon as the ferryman's hoarse laughter faded, Li Jiuyou and Jiang Xuelan, who were already filled with shame and anger because of the forced extraction of their Qi, had not yet had time to calm down the equally violent heartbeats and burning embarrassment transmitted through the Heart-Slaying Contract from each other, when something strange happened!
Gurgle——!!!
The black swamp water surrounding the boat violently churned and boiled! Countless giant bubbles frantically emerged and exploded, sending up foul-smelling mud into the air!
"Be careful!" Jiang Xuelan warned immediately, with the Frost Sword in his hand, and the ice-blue fairy power instantly condensed into a thin ice shield around the boat!
Li Jiuyou erupted with demonic fire almost at the same time. The red-gold flames surrounded the boat, evaporating the splashed sewage and mud into pungent white mist!
"Oh my~ It seems that the 'neighbors' are not very satisfied with the transaction just now~" Xingtong still smiled as if she was hoping for chaos in the world, but the tentacles under her skirt were quietly tightened, and it was obvious that she was ready to take action.
Man Gu roared angrily and protected A Che in front of him. He swept his bone stick across, smashing away several slimy black tentacles that shot out from the water!
Ache's face was pale as he held the Jianmu fragment tightly. The green light emitted by the fragment tried to dispel the foul evil spirit that was coming towards him.
"Hmph! You don't know what death is!" The ferryman snorted coldly, as if he was accustomed to this scene. He stopped rowing and stretched out his pale hand, which was completely bloodless, and gently grasped the pole of the soul-guiding lamp at the bow.
I saw him muttering something, an ancient and obscure spell.
As the spell sounded, the light of the soul-guiding lamp suddenly changed! The dim halo and colorful light suddenly shrank, and then burst out with fine, black lightning-like light threads!
These black threads of light lashed the boiling water with precision, and every time they struck, a sharp scream of pain came from under the water! It was as if they were lashing out at something invisible!
The boiling waters that were drawn by the black light threads subsided instantly, and the restless shadows retreated in fear.
"Guide the souls from the underworld and subdue the evil spirits!" The ferryman shouted softly, and the light of the soul-guiding lamp became brighter again. The black light threads were like a big net woven together, temporarily suppressing the commotion around the boat.
However, this seemed to anger the beings deeper in the swamp!
A dull roar echoed from underwater, and the entire swamp seemed to tremble! Then, a huge, hill-like black shadow slowly rose from the black water in front of the boat!
The shadow emanated a suffocating, terrifying pressure and overwhelming resentment, far more terrifying than any previous attack! Even the black light from the Soul Guiding Lamp, when it struck it, could only produce sporadic sparks, unable to force it back in the slightest!
"Trouble's here... One of the 'overlords' of this swamp has been disturbed." For the first time, the ferryman's voice took on a hint of seriousness. "It's targeting you... Especially that 'fresh' and 'contradictory' aura you carry; it's a great tonic!"
The enormous black shadow gradually became clearer. It seemed to be a giant putrid monster, composed of countless rotting aquatic plants, pale animal bones, and twisted vengeful spirits! It had no fixed shape, and at its center was a constantly rotating, whirlpool-like, pitch-black hole, emitting a powerful suction force, attempting to swallow up the boat and the people on board!
"Hold on!" The ferryman shouted, and used all his strength to drive the soul-guiding lamp. The dim halo of light resisted the suction force, but the boat still slid slowly towards the mud monster uncontrollably!
"Attack that vortex!" Jiang Xuelan instantly judged the key, and the Frost Sword burst out with a brilliant ice-blue sword light. An extremely cold sword force tore through the miasma and pierced directly into the black hole in the center of the rotten mud monster!
Li Jiuyou attacked almost at the same time, and the Jinsheng Sword slashed out a raging flame. The red-gold blade light came later but arrived first, and it and the ice-blue sword energy hit the target at the left and right at the same time!
The forces of ice and fire are forced to cooperate once again!
However, the black hole in the center of the rotten mud monster suddenly accelerated its rotation, and it was like a bottomless quagmire, swallowing up the ice and fire sword energy and blade light, causing only a circle of ripples before it died down!
"What?!" Li Jiuyou's pupils shrank.
Jiang Xuelan frowned.
This monster's defense and devouring abilities are beyond imagination!
"Normal attacks are useless! Its core is hidden deep within!" the ferryman said hurriedly. "We need more concentrated, explosive power! Or... something that can restrain its resentful essence!"
More concentrated? More explosive?
Through the Heart-Killing Contract, the two instantly understood each other's thoughts - although they were extremely reluctant, it seemed... it was time to "join forces" again!
But the shame of extracting Qi just now has not faded, and the warmth of the other person seems to still remain in my palm...
In that moment of hesitation, the ooze monster, seemingly enraged by their attack, let out a deafening roar. Several gigantic tentacles composed of rotten mud and bones suddenly burst out of the water, slamming into the boat from all directions! Each tentacle contained terrifying power and soul-corroding venom!
"King! Be careful on the left!" Man Gu roared and smashed a tentacle, but his own palm was cracked by the shock.
"Right! There are more on the right!" Ache screamed.
Xingtong's illusion seemed to have little effect on these mindless and evil creatures, and could only barely interfere with them.
The ferryman was concentrating on maintaining the soul-guiding lamp, resisting the suction and main pressure from the front, and had no time to take care of anything else.
The boat was about to be submerged by countless tentacles!
"Asshole!" Li Jiuyou's red-gold eyes flashed with determination as he glared at Jiang Xuelan. "Ice face! Stop standing there! If you die again, I won't have the energy to collect your body!"
Jiang Xuelan's icy blue eyes flashed with a cold light, and he no longer hesitated: "Shut up! Guide the energy!"
The two of them stretched out their hands at the same time again!
This time, it was no longer slow and hesitant, but it was filled with the ruthlessness and decisiveness of being forced into a desperate situation!
Palms touch again!
The ice-blue and scarlet-gold power rushed towards each other through the palms with unprecedented strength and speed. Under the connection of the Heart-Destroying Contract, they tried to merge with difficulty and roughly!
However, this time, perhaps because of the excitement or the excessive external pressure, the power of ice and fire did not find a balance as smoothly as in the previous times, but instead produced a violent conflict!
"Ah!" The two men groaned in pain at the same time, blood flowing from the corners of their mouths!
Through the Heart-Killing Contract, the pain of backlash comes double!
But in this fierce conflict, under the pressure of life and death crisis, something deeper seemed to be triggered -
The **God-killing Gu** sealed in Jiang Xuelan's dantian trembled violently!
The violent blood of the ancient ferocious beast deep in Li Jiuyou's origin was also boiling!
A wisp of dark, inky fire surged out from Li Jiuyou's palm, carrying with it an evil intent to devour everything!
A bone-chilling cold current rushed out from Jiang Xuelan's palm, containing the power to suppress all things!
These two forces, which originated from the same source (both related to the evil god) but were essentially opposite, were forcibly twisted into a gray-black, extremely unstable and terrifying energy torrent wrapped with ice chips and sparks under extreme conflict and external pressure!
"Now!" The two roared in unison, and sent this uncontrolled and powerful mixed energy through their still touching palms, fiercely slamming it towards the devouring black hole at the center of the putrid mud monster!
Boom——!!!
A deafening roar was heard!
The mixed energy seemed to have a natural restraining force on resentful things. It instantly tore through the black hole's defenses and poured directly into the core of the mud monster!
The rotten mud monster let out a shrill, extremely painful scream, and its huge body trembled violently and collapsed! Countless vengeful spirits fled wailing, but were purified by the light of the soul-guiding lamp and the green light of the Jianmu fragments.
With one blow, the swamp overlord was severely damaged and scattered!
The boat finally regained its balance.
Li Jiuyou and Jiang Xuelan simultaneously loosened their hands in exhaustion, staggered back a step, gasping for breath, their chests heaving, and looked at each other with eyes filled with shock, fear, and a hint of... indescribable complexity.
They were once again forced to join forces, using a more shameful method (palm-to-palm x2), and unleashed a more terrifying power.
Through the Heart-Killing Contract, the trembling brought about by the fusion of forces and a certain secret sense of fit will linger for a long time.
The ferryman gave them a meaningful look and said hoarsely, "...You two guests' fare is well worth it..."
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