Chapter 134: Chapter 134

"What did you eat today?"

Little Loach looked confused, "Nothing special. In total, there were five Fierce Fish. When they swam near me, I rushed out and swallowed them in one try. Two were first class, three second class, but none of them were enough to fill me up. They were digested not long after."

Owen Bertram couldn’t figure it out, so he could only warn Little Loach: "Be careful these few days, don’t touch the scale under your neck."

Little Loach tried hard to lower his head, wanting to see that single scale, but it was an impossible task.

Owen returned, but neither his elder or younger brothers knew that today in the Asa County’s Yukou Town downstream, next to the wharf, the River God Temple was completed.

William became the temple’s officer. He led almost all of the town’s people to the riverside with utmost devotion, performing the first sacrificial ceremony.

With a population of seven thousand in Yukou Town and it being an important wharf, it wouldn’t take long for the grand reputation of the River God’s Temple to spread throughout the entire lower reaches of the Hunshui River.

The Mechanical Dao Soldiers were hiding on the bank of the Iron Spear Underground Palace river section. They noticed that the Softshell Turtle was ready and might break into the Iron Spear Underground Palace at any time.

Owen called his younger brother back to keep watch at the Hunshui River. The speed of the Mechanical Dao Soldiers in the water was nowhere near his brother’s.

This made Little Loach feel conflicted: On one side was his snack warehouse, on the other, an unmatched delicacy. What if he gave up one for the other, wouldn’t it be a regret for life?

Owen came up with a solution: "I’ll help you set up a sensing array at the cave entrance. As soon as anything enters, I’ll notify you right away."

Little Loach was overjoyed and praised his elder brother.

He swam to the outside of the Iron Spear Underground Palace. Owen attached his soul and noticed that the thunderbolts nurtured by those water plants seemed to have no changes.

Owen felt distressed: Did I waste those seven Spirit Jades?

However, after careful observation, he found out that the stems of the plants had thickened somewhat. He had an idea, Little Loach went ashore by controlling it to wriggle out of the water.

Then, he climbed up a crooked tree. The branches stretched horizontally towards the river, and Little Loach shrank its body, hiding in the branches. After the thunderbolt erupted, it could immediately rush into the river.

The Softshell Turtle slowly swam back from the midstream of the Hunshui River. It wasn’t that it didn’t want to go faster, but its carapace had fully grown, greatly limiting its flexibility, and, of course, it couldn’t speed up.

Wrapped in a suit of heavy armor, the Softshell Turtle purposely ate more materials capable of isolating thunderbolts.

Halfway through, a group of Fierce Fish ignorantly launched an attack on the Softshell Turtle. The Softshell Turtle was too lazy to counter-attack, but it continued to slowly move along its route.

Those Fierce Fish appeared extremely ferocious, with triangle-shaped sharp teeth filling their mouths. When they bit onto the Softshell Turtle’s body, their teeth shattered. They bravely exerted themselves, then retreated with bleeding mouths and drooping heads.

The Softshell Turtle was very satisfied with its carapace and came to the outside of the Iron Spear Underground Palace with an unsteady gait. It knew that it was time to complete its mission for this trip.

With just a brief pause, the Softshell Turtle sank to the riverbed and moved its robust limbs, walking step by step toward the entrance.

On an official road outside Quinn Base, a merchant team passed by. The Military Officers on the base glanced at them from afar and didn’t pay attention. Other pedestrians, who passed by them on the road, felt something was not quite right. When they looked back, they could only see their retreating backs, unable to figure out the issue. They could only shake their heads and mumble to themselves.

The people of this merchant team were all wrapped in robes, their actions slightly stiff and their movements completely synchronized.

In fact, if anyone looked closely, they would discover that each of them had very shallow footsteps, which didn’t look like the weight of a normal person. It was because they were all paper people.

Inside the paper people’s bodies, there was a sword each.

Transparent sword auras extended from the swords to the limbs of the paper people, controlling their every move.

The paper people’s merchant team stopped to rest in a grove below Quinn Base, and they set up tents in a well-organized manner. A few of them went to fetch water, planning to set up camp for the night.

Outside Extinct Village, in the cave where the Horizon Bureau had once been stationed, the Mountain Master of Sword Mountain waved his hand over the surrounding void, and through countless minuscule sword auras, he pieced together everyone who had been in the Horizon Bureau, including Vanessa Thoughts of Shadow, Abigail Turner, Jeffery Cooper, and others.

Nine cultivators stood behind him, the backbone of Sword Mountain, whose abilities could rival most others within the Waves Prefecture.

Waves Prefecture was one of the seven provinces under Kai County. In the entire Kai County, Sword Mountain was also a top-ranked sect.

"Mountain Master," one of them approached with a bow and reported, "I have been monitoring the Quinn Base. As soon as all of Prescott Group’s members take action, we can immediately intercept and kill them!"

The others chimed in, "I have surrounded Extinct Village. With our lives on the line, we guarantee that no one will disturb the Mountain Master’s revenge plan!"

The Mountain Master nodded slowly. He had previously entered the Copper Gorge Extinction Domain alone but didn’t expect that upon his return, his only son would be dead in Extinct Village.

There was an eruption cycle for the Extinction Domain. Not only did the Horizon Bureau know about it, but most Grandmasters were also aware of it.

Various treasures would emerge during the eruption of the Extinction Domain, which would be regarded as great opportunities for cultivators. Of course, they were accompanied by danger – if the Copper Gorge were to erupt entirely, even the Mountain Master wouldn’t dare take the risk.

However, the early stages of eruption were perfect. Some powerful demon beings were in a semi-conscious state, with their strength not yet at their peak. However, some treasures were already eager to make their debut.

With a sorrowful expression, the Mountain Master looked in the direction of Copper Gorge and said to himself, "The death of this son has been quite valuable."

Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to find an excuse to bring all the forces of Sword Mountain to Extinct Village.

The treasures in the Underground Palace were no small matter, and the guarding forces were also quite terrifying.

Treasures are tempting, even for the nine cultivators who were loyal to him. If they knew about the treasures beforehand, they might betray him and snatch the treasures at a critical moment.

With this revenge as a pretext, they would have no suspicions, and they would follow his arrangement obediently, deal with the guarding forces in the Underground Palace for him, and clear the obstacles for him to seize the treasures.

As for his son, the sword cultivation technique that the Mountain Master of Sword Mountain practiced involved a method called "cutting off worldly ties." Naturally, all sentiments and love in the mortal world needed to be severed.

He didn’t gain any opportunities in the Copper Gorge Extinction Domain, but he discovered an ancient mural. It depicted a mysterious Underground Palace in the downstream of the Hunshui River.

Later, he saw the hanging coffins, one after another, falling into the Hunshui River and drifting downstream, possibly towards that Underground Palace.

He went downstream and passed through a valley, where he saw a horrifying Giant Dandelion.

After a bloody battle, the Giant Dandelion couldn’t move freely after all. Although its actual strength was far beyond his, it was unable to kill him.

He was thinking of retreating when the Giant Dandelion used its massive roots to stretch out from the ground and outline an ancient text. Fortunately, the Mountain Master was learned and recognized the text.

They communicated this way, understanding that they shared the same goal – that Underground Palace. Thus, they reached a cooperation agreement.