Chapter 190: Chapter 189: The Ink Flood Dragon Goes Forth, Annihilating the County Town

"Ah, perfect!"

Back in Daluo Palace, Gu Zhao leisurely brewed a pot of tea and chatted with Taoist Yi Hong, who had returned to oversee communications between the Two Realms.

"Just over half a year ago, this Master of the Immeasurable Cave was a figure not much weaker than the Golden Wind Divine King. If we’d run into him on the road, he could have slapped us all to death with a single palm."

Gu Zhao poured Taoist Yi Hong a cup of tea. "And now, all it took was a simple trap to leave him stranded in Stone King Cave."

Taoist Yi Hong picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and chuckled. "Sect Leader, you mustn’t get complacent. After all, the White Bone God Monarch’s Dao Practice is profound, and the threat of the Ink Flood Dragon still hangs over our heads."

Gu Zhao nodded. "I know. That’s why I sent everyone to clear out the Infinite Cave now that Rong Xuan is dead. It’s just that everyone is still building their foundations, so we can’t openly occupy Guangwu County just yet."

Taoist Yi Hong smiled. "I’ve also been sweeping the area around Changping Prefecture recently and harvested a good amount of Evil Qi."

Gu Zhao pointed to himself. "I’m getting a share over here, too."

Just then, a flurry of chaotic messages, interspersed with cries of alarm, suddenly came through the Five Thunders Order. It was clear that Taoist Yan Song’s group had encountered some trouble.

"What’s wrong?" Gu Zhao asked urgently.

’The group sent to clear out the Infinite Cave represents the bulk of Daluo Palace’s strength. If something were to happen, the losses would be devastating.’

"It must be the Ink Flood Dragon from Pingjiang Prefecture! He’s come to Guangwu County!" Yunyang’s voice transmitted.

Gu Zhao was startled. "Did you run into him?"

"No," Taoist Yan Song replied. "We’re here at the Infinite Cave, dozens of miles from Guangwu County. The Ink Flood Dragon ignored us, but..."

"He’s just too strong!" Taoist Ming Yu exclaimed with emotion.

At that moment, atop a peak in the Wuliang Mountain Range, several old Taoists were watching from afar as black clouds spanning dozens of miles enveloped the sky above Guangwu County. The edge of the clouds was already getting very close, forcing them to retreat several more miles, conceal their auras, and not dare to approach.

They could feel an immensely powerful pressure emanating from the black clouds—a physical pressure, thick with the stench of blood and Evil Qi, and an aura of annihilation.

"There’s something inside," Taoist Jing Feng said in a grave voice.

Taoist Yan Song almost instantly thought of the Ink Flood Dragon from Pingjiang Prefecture. "That thing comes out to eat people every two or three years. And when it does, it devours almost an entire county."

Taoist Qingyuan gasped, "At that rate, won’t it eat all the people in just a few years?"

Taoist Yan Ling’s eyes were profound. "Humans reproduce very quickly."

Yunyang couldn’t help but grimace. "It only comes out for a meal every two or three years. Don’t tell me it’s worried about eating them all in one go."

The black clouds slowly pressed down, as if to swallow the county seat.

The next moment, countless commoners were sucked upwards as if by an invisible force, screaming in terror as they were pulled into the black clouds.

The old Taoists’ faces were grim. Though they were furious, they ultimately did not act rashly.

Taoist Ming Yu took a deep breath, looked at the vast, dense black clouds, and then slowly exhaled as he chanted the holy name, "Blessed Infinite Celestial Venerable!"

"Blessed Infinite Celestial Venerable!"

Everyone knew that the Demons and Ghosts here killed and ate people. Taoist Yan Song and Taoist Yi Hong, who had arrived earliest, had witnessed the carnage of Three Extremes Mountain. The others who came later had just seen the cruelty of the Infinite Cave.

But the sight of a thousand-year-old Great Demon directly slaughtering a county seat and devouring over ten thousand people still shook them to their core.

Taoist Jing Feng said faintly, "My Mingling Hell... I was too conservative."

Taoist Ming Yu patted the scissors inside his robes. "The scene from Shituo Ridge, made real."

Taoist Yan Song sensed the pressure within the black clouds and gave a cold, grim laugh. "Ink Flood Dragon... three thousand years..."

The group fell silent. Although the atmosphere was oppressive, a certain spirit began to rise in their chests.

A faint light glinted in Taoist Yan Ling’s eyes. "We can’t give him a chance to come out again."

Yunyang nodded. "Absolutely!"

Taoist Yan Song stroked his beard. "When he returns this time, he’ll go back into seclusion. He won’t emerge again unless it’s for something important. We should strive to take all the Prefecture Cities around him."

Taoist Qingyuan narrowed his eyes and said suddenly, "Someone’s coming out!"

Everyone looked over at once and saw several streaks of light shooting out from the county seat, fleeing in all directions.

"It’s the Demons and Ghosts from the city."

"The Ink Flood Dragon can’t be bothered with them and is just letting them go."

"A few are headed our way."

Taoist Yan Song waved his hand. "Intercept them. If they reek of Evil Qi, spare none."

They had just cleared out the Infinite Cave and were happily preparing to go loot Guangwu County, but they never expected to run into the Ink Flood Dragon emerging from its mountain to slaughter an entire county, leaving them breathless with oppression.

Now was the perfect time to vent their anger on this group of Demons and Ghosts!

Several of them flew off in the direction of the approaching figures, while Taoist Yan Song remained behind to oversee the situation from the center.

Taoist Ming Yu intercepted a man and a woman. The man was covered in blood, the woman had spider-like markings on her face, and both were wreathed in Evil Qi. Even as they fled Guangwu County in a hurry, they hadn’t forgotten to carry a human leg with them.

"Where did this old Mage come from? Out of my way!" the woman shouted. With a flick of her hand, a translucent spiderweb shot towards Taoist Ming Yu’s head. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Golden light flickered around Taoist Ming Yu’s body. The moment the spiderweb touched the light, it instantly softened, tore, and fell to pieces.

The pair was shocked, realizing they had run into a tough opponent. They tried to flee in another direction, but Taoist Ming Yu waved his hand and scattered a handful of paper figures, which transformed into four Celestial Warriors and surrounded the pair.

"Blessed Infinite Celestial Venerable. Your doom has arrived."

Meanwhile, Taoist Yan Ling, Taoist Jing Feng, and Taoist Qingyuan had also intercepted opponents reeking of Evil Qi. Only Yunyang, who had followed a streak of white light and flown to block its path, was taken aback after sensing the other party’s aura.

’A good one?’

Looking at the timid yet wary woman before him—dressed in white with black hair and exuding a pure Demon Power—Yunyang only felt a wave of frustration.

’What rotten luck. After all that searching, I picked a Spirit Monarch.’ Yunyang glanced around, saw an unintercepted streak of green light, and with a leap, he shot over towards it.

Sensing the faint Evil Qi on this new target, his expression finally brightened. His longsword left its sheath, Lü Zu’s Dharma Aspect flashed for an instant, and he shouted, "Die, you fiend!"

The woman in white watched as Yunyang, who had joyfully intercepted her, left with a look of disgust, only to then happily confront a glamorous ghoul who had also escaped from the city. She was completely baffled.

It wasn’t until she heard him shout, "Die, you fiend!" and saw the ten-foot-tall Lü Zu’s Dharma Aspect that she finally understood and breathed a sigh of relief.

However, this also piqued her curiosity.

Since he hadn’t attacked her just now, he wasn’t an enemy. So, instead of continuing to flee, she turned and followed behind Yunyang. When she saw him start fighting the glamorous ghoul—a creature she didn’t get along with either—her eyes lit up.

"Let me help you!"