Chapter 1984 - 1984: The Powerful Fat Jiao
Chapter 1984 - 1984: The Powerful Fat Jiao
The Great Lord was the first to jump into the pit, followed immediately by a few of the stronger individuals without any hesitation. However, the last few who were slightly weaker hesitated at the edge, unsure if they dared to jump down.No one knew how deep this pit was, but judging by the commotion from the Fat Jiao climbing up earlier, the depth of the pit must not be shallow. Jumping directly down like this, even if there was no immediate danger, they would likely end up as a muddled mass of flesh.
An elderly man stood at the back and, upon seeing the others hesitate, angrily scolded, "What are you hesitating for? Jump quickly, do you want to die here?"
The few hesitated, looking at each other. Although they were scared, none dared to jump.
"Damn it, you bunch of cowards!" The old man cursed, pushing them aside. He ran to the edge of the pit and shouted angrily, "If you won't jump, I will. Take a look behind you!"
With that, the old man leapt into the pit. The others turned their heads in shock, only to see the two giant snakes that had come ashore charging towards them. These two giant snakes were quite cunning, noticing that most people had already jumped into the pit, they immediately rushed over, intending to eliminate the remaining people and take revenge. At this point, the two giant snakes were very close, about to catch up to them.
In such a situation, where did the people dare to hesitate any longer? Crying out in terror, they all scrambled to jump into the pit. Fortunately, they jumped quickly; as the last one jumped in, a giant snake rushed over, almost biting him, but it was ultimately a step too late.
Seeing everyone jump into the pit, the two giant snakes lingered at the entrance as if apprehensive about something, not daring to enter. The snake swarm also arrived but, like the two giant snakes, dared not enter the pit, as though there was something within deterring them. Thus, the swarm guarded the pit entrance, seemingly waiting for those who jumped in to re-emerge.
Meanwhile, after Ye Qing fell into the pit, he realized it wasn't a vertical drop downward. Approximately five to six meters in, it turned into a slope. The angle of the slope was steep, nearly indistinguishable from a vertical fall. Ye Qing slid uncontrollably down the slope, as though sitting on a slide. Although the slope somewhat slowed the descent, preventing an immediate fatal drop.
The length of this slope was uncertain, but the water running through it prevented injury. However, the hissing of the flowing water sent chills down Ye Qing's spine, knowing that at this speed, he would surely be thrust deep into the mountain's belly.
After about five minutes of sliding down the slope, Ye Qing heard a splashing sound, like water pouring into a pond. His heart raced, realizing he had reached the bottom. The slope was too smooth to grip, and Ye Qing could not control his speed, sliding right off and suddenly dropping from mid-air.
Falling roughly five to six meters, he splashed into a pond, cold water pressing from all sides. Despite preparing himself, he still swallowed a couple of mouthfuls of water before stabilizing and scrambling from the pond. Surveying his surroundings, he found himself in an underground river with a gentle flow. Above him was the pit he had fallen from, with water trickling down. Evidently, water from a mountain pond above flowed into this underground river.
Having previously experienced the chamber of Patriarch Bodhidharma and the Tomb of the Duwang Sect Master, Ye Qing scrambled to the riverbank. Past experiences with the monstrous dragon crocodile and massive alligator filled him with dread, especially after seeing the giant snakes. He shuddered, fearing what might lurk here. If a giant snake was in this river, he would be doomed!
Fortunately, this underground river was small, with no creatures emerging. Ye Qing clambered onto the riverbank, preparing to examine his surroundings when he heard sliding sounds echoing from the cave. Instinct told him danger was near, prompting Ye Qing to dash along the cave, not daring to linger.
Ye Qing knew well that above, whether the Fat Jiao and snake swarm or foreigners, whoever plummeted down could be a peril far beyond his handling. His best option was to escape first and evade any possible threats.
On both sides of the underground river, there was a stone path resembling a riverbank. Ye Qing had no time to observe the surroundings, and he sprinted along the stone path, diving into a nearby cave, cautiously looking back.
At that moment, a gigantic creature descended from the suspended cave—a creature Ye Qing had previously observed, the Fat Jiao. It appeared familiar with the underground setting; as it was about to fall from the cave entrance, it casually clawed at the edge, spun its body mid-air, and gracefully landed on the adjacent shore. Its agile movements starkly contrasted with its massive body, astonishingly deft!
Seeing the Fat Jiao descend, Ye Qing's heart skipped a beat. According to the Great Lord, this Fat Jiao had power surpassing the acme, making it particularly dangerous. Should it charge and attack him, Ye Qing would be in peril.
The Fat Jiao, after descending, promptly fixed its gaze on the cave where Ye Qing was hiding. Around the underground river were numerous caves, yet it decisively looked toward Ye Qing's location as if aware he was there, tensing Ye Qing's mind.
In actuality, it didn't instantly notice Ye Qing, its eyes showing tension—puzzling Ye Qing. Judging by its demeanor, there might be something in the cave it values heavily. But what could be hidden in this cave?
Without spotting Ye Qing, the Fat Jiao glanced around, seemingly searching for him. Just then, a rustling sound emanated from the cave entrance. Soon, the Great Lord fell from the entrance. Unlike the Fat Jiao, his descent was less graceful, plunging into the underground river like Ye Qing. However, his swift reaction allowed him to jump from the water, landing squarely beside the Fat Jiao.
The Fat Jiao, without a thought, swiped its claw at him, seemingly deeming the cave its territory, intolerant of any intruder.
The Great Lord was startled by the Fat Jiao. Upon seeing it strike, he dared not take it head-on, retreating swiftly to evade the attack. Yet, he underestimated the Fat Jiao's speed. He retreated two steps; the Fat Jiao advanced two steps concurrently, its claw still aiming at him.
The Great Lord was exceptionally fast, yet he hadn't anticipated the swift, seemingly lazy Fat Jiao could be so fast. Seeing no way to escape the impending strike, he prepared to muster all his strength to counter it. Suddenly, another sound of sliding from the cave distracted the Fat Jiao.
Seizing the chance, the Great Lord swiftly sidestepped, barely escaping the Fat Jiao's strike. At this point, another person fell from the cave, wearing a red robe, unmistakably the Church's red-robed Archbishop.
The speed of the red-robed Archbishop was inferior to the Great Lord's, yet his reaction upon hitting the water was rapid, springing forth. Just then, he heard the Great Lord's shout: "Watch out!"
The red-robed Archbishop sensed danger, feeling something descending towards him. Without delay, he raised his hands, shouting: "Holy Light Shield!"
A beam of white light emerged from his hands, forming a shield-like barrier enveloping him. Ye Qing, observing from afar, recognized the maneuver—the same used by the red-robed Archbishop to withstand the Bloody Monk's strike, testament to its formidable power. However, as the Holy Light Shield met the Fat Jiao's plump claw, it crumbled instantly like tofu. The claw faced no resistance, striking the red-robed Archbishop directly. He had no time to scream before being smashed into pieces, ending up in the underground river, slain by the Fat Jiao's single blow!
Witnessing this, both Ye Qing and the Great Lord gasped in shock. They knew the Fat Jiao's power was frightening but hadn't anticipated its overwhelming strength. A Peak Master, exerting full defense, was unable to withstand its single strike—how overpowering could it be?
HCB