Following the group of Fish Demons quietly, Lin Fang gradually approached the Cave Mansion of the Great Inspirational King. The front gate was firmly closed, and numerous Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals stood guard with solemn expressions. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Who goes there?"

As the Fish Demons drew near, a loud shout came from a Shrimp Soldier holding a steel spear, questioning them. Upon seeing they were Fish Demons, the Shrimp Soldier visibly relaxed.

"So it’s you bunch. Don’t you know the situation here? Yet you dare to enter and exit the palace so openly," the Shrimp Soldier chided them.

"Brother Shrimp, please don’t be angry. We had gone out earlier and didn’t know about the situation," the leading Fish Demon, seemingly familiar with this Shrimp Soldier, said with a smile. She then threw a coquettish glance at the ferocious Shrimp Soldier.

"Be careful. The King’s injuries are not light this time, and he’s in an irritable mood. Already two Fish Demons have died by his hand," the Shrimp Soldier whispered to the Fish Demon.

"Exactly who is so capable to injure the King to such a state?" The Fish Demon was intrigued, unaware of any high-level master appearing in the area.

"Who knows? Probably some passing powerful figure. The King is hiding at the bottom of the river waiting for him to leave. Speaking of which, the King was careless. If he had been in the river, he wouldn’t have gotten injured."

After their secret conversation ended, the Fish Demon then led her group of sisters, swaying into the Crystal Palace. Before departing, she gave the Shrimp Soldier another coquettish glance, leaving him utterly infatuated.

"Boss, impressive! That Fish Demon isn’t bad, and you even have something going on with her," another Shrimp Soldier said in a low voice, his tone filled with envy.

"Haha, it’s just a fortunate coincidence, a fortunate coincidence. Everyone, stay alert at your posts, and don’t forget the one who injured the King is still out there. He might come down at any moment."

Lin Fang, who was disguised as a crab, wandered around the Crystal Palace and found it heavily guarded, with traces of Arrays everywhere. It seemed the Great Inspirational King was genuinely scared this time.

"Think you can evade me by hiding inside?" Lin Fang muttered to himself, quietly leaving the Celestial River.

When he emerged from the water, revealing his true form, the first thing he saw was Chen Yi, anxiously waiting on the shore.

"Taoist priest!" Chen Yi called out excitedly.

"Why aren’t you going home? What are you doing here?"

Seeing Chen Yi’s embarrassed expression, Lin Fang couldn’t help but laugh, "You want to know how the Great Inspirational King is faring, don’t you?"

Chen Yi nodded awkwardly.

With a teasing heart, Lin Fang smiled and asked, "I have one piece of good news and one bad. Which would you like to hear first?"

Chen Yi replied without hesitation, "I want to hear the bad news."

Lin Fang was surprised by the man’s quick decision. He drily said, "The bad news is, I was unable to kill the Great Inspirational King. He’s now holed up in his Cave Mansion and won’t come out."

A tinge of disappointment flashed across Chen Yi’s face, indeed the worst bad news. But his curiosity quickly revived, "And what’s the good news?"

"The good news is, I won’t leave until I deal with the guy."

Chen Yi then realized that Lin Fang was teasing him. Although he didn’t show any displeasure, he was pleased as long as Lin Fang was willing to eliminate the demons.

It was now dawn, and the sun rose slowly from the east, casting a golden glow that bathed the entire Tongtian River in a glittering light.

The villagers of Chen Family Village had spent a long night trembling with fear. With heavy hearts, they prepared to retrieve the bodies of the two children, assuming that, as usual, the Great Inspirational King would leave their bones behind.

The villagers formed a long procession, winding and twisting, with a few withered-faced old men at the front, being helped and trembling as they walked towards their destination.

"Such a sin, when will these days ever come to an end!" an old man lamented.

"Keep it down, for all we know the Great Inspirational King might be eavesdropping in the river," someone hastily interjected. This had happened before, when the Great Inspirational King had conjured up huge waves that submerged that year’s crops.

By the time everyone had reached the front of the Inspiration King’s Temple, they were startled by the sight before them: ruins and rubble everywhere, the once-majestic temple roof had a huge hole broken through it, and the ground was covered with fresh blood, a rich stench of blood hitting their noses. However, the children’s bones had vanished.

"What in the world happened here?" murmured an old man, staring in disbelief at everything around him.

"Where are the children’s bones?" someone else asked, looking around but unable to find the remnants of the children’s bodies, prompting a question.

At that moment, Chen Yi suddenly appeared before them with two children.

"Ghosts!" someone shouted, scrambling backwards in a panic.

However, those with more courage took a closer look and then said, "It’s not a ghost, they have shadows!"

It was a common belief among the folk that ghosts did not have shadows, so seeing the shadows of the two children greatly reduced the fear in their hearts.

"What happened here? Chen Yi, what exactly took place?"

Chen Yi’s face bore a long-missed smile as he looked around at the villagers before solemnly saying, "Everyone, we have been saved!"

Afterwards, under the hopeful gaze of the crowd, Chen Yi slowly recounted everything that had happened last night.

The crowd immediately looked out and indeed saw a Taoist priest standing by the river, an extraordinary presence about him.

"We’ve been saved! My child has been saved!" someone couldn’t help but kneel on the ground, heedless of the blood, bowing repeatedly in the direction of Lin Fang.

"What is this blood?"

"It’s the Great Inspirational King’s; he’s been frightened into hiding at the bottom of the river, not daring to come out. The Taoist priest is trying to find a way to subdue him."

Upon hearing this, hope sprouted in everyone’s hearts as they intently watched Lin Fang not far away.

Lin Fang did not disappoint. Suddenly, he flew above the surface of the river, with a Glazed Pagoda appearing on his palm, and the Jade Pendant transformed into a large horn with a gust of wind.

This was no ordinary horn; modified by mana, it naturally could transmit sound into the deep sea.

"Great Inspirational King!" Lin Fang shouted with all his might.

The sound amplified rapidly under the horn’s effect, reaching into the depths of the river.

At this time, the Great Inspirational King was lying in his Crystal Palace bed nursing his injuries. The strike from the White Ape had been truly sharp, causing his skin to split and flesh to burst open, and blood still seeped out to this day because Sword Qi remnants in the wound were preventing his body from healing.

Thinking of the hateful Daoist still guarding the surface of the river and the terrifying Sword Immortal nowhere to be seen, the Great Inspirational King had long since lost the heart to battle again—heaven knows if that cursed Sword Immortal was hiding in the shadows, ready to strike him again with his blade.

"Remember this, no matter how they provoke us from outside, no one is to go out. Guard our gates closely."