Chapter 56 Entering Southern Xinjiang (Part 2)

  Hai Long had never heard of the Gu insect before, and although Piaoyue's words were serious, he was somewhat skeptical. After all, these Gu insects wouldn't have any effect on him, a high-level cultivator. Huang Han's face turned pale, and he said, "Gu... I've heard of it before. It seems to be an ancient sorcery used by the people of Nanjiang, capable of withstanding thousands of troops and horses. However, Gu insects have some weaknesses - once they leave the humid environment of Nanjiang, they will struggle to survive. The appearance of the Qiang tribe within our Zhao Song borders is not a good omen! Luckily, Master arrived in time; otherwise, my sister and I would be finished." Piaoyue let out a light sigh and said, "Actually, Gu insects aren't completely unbeatable. When encountering their attack, one must use spiritual energy to fill the entire body's meridians. This way, even if the Gu insect enters the body, it can be forced out. After entering Nanjiang, you two must remain vigilant at all times, as we don't know when we'll encounter this crisis."

  "Shuisheng Leng said, 'Sister, I'll take care of Xiaoyu, and Huang Han will be handed over to Hailong and the others. As long as they're careful, nothing should happen. We'll set off for Nanjiang immediately. I want to see who's so bold as to dare send monsters to cause trouble in the Central Plains of Shenzhou. Nanjiang is mysterious, let's go and thoroughly sweep away those barbarians, and make them know our strength.'"

  In the midst of the raging True Flame, this once thriving village was transformed into a sea of fire, with over a thousand lives coming to an end, filling the hearts of many with anger. For any race, the invasion of another is absolutely unacceptable, and with their confidence in their own strength, Xiū Yī, Hǎi Lóng and others set foot on the road to Nán Jiāng once again. With the recovery of Xiū's powers, the group's speed increased significantly.

  …………

  BOOM! A large stone table suddenly turned into dust, Jin Thirteen's anger erupted, his breathing unstable. The four Great Demon Kings stood on either side of him, none of them dared to make a sound, they all knew that when Jin Thirteen was angry, he was capable of anything. "Bastards, Xie Zu and Jie Tian, those two bastards actually dare to look down on me. Fine, fine, I'll make you pay the price. Hei Feng, come here."

  Hei Feng, the Black Wind Eagle King, hastily stepped forward two steps and respectfully said: "Master, you instruct." Jin Shi San coldly said: "Among the high-ranking experts of our demon clan, your speed is the fastest. You must leave here immediately and head to Nanjiang. The four of you are all people who came with me from Nanjiang and are my most trusted subordinates. This matter must be done well. Hei Feng, after arriving in Nanjiang, go back to the Tan La tribe and find my younger brother. Have him bring the high-ranking experts of the tribe to come over and support me. With our combined strength, even if we're only at the 14th level, who would still fear the Magic and Evil Clans?"

  "Hei Feng's body shook and he said: 'Master, if we let the second master bring in a powerful expert, I'm afraid our side will lose ground in Nanjiang. That is our base after all!'"

  Jin thirteen snorted and said, "Don't I know these things better than you? When I led you out of the mountains and subdued the demon sect here, it was because I had my eye on this vast and fertile land in the central plains of Shen Zhou. The southern border is good, but after all, it's just a remote corner, and the central plains are where we can really show off our skills. Although the other ethnic groups in the southern border are fierce, they may not be able to do anything to us Tanla people. Don't forget that the Mahaha Great God of the Qiang tribe and the Soto Great God of the Miao tribe have always been sworn enemies. Without us Tanla people as a balance between them, I'm afraid they will immediately launch an internal war. Not long after, when we return, it's possible that we can easily occupy the entire southern border. Hmph, I've already calculated all this. Tell fourteen to bring out the seven great elders of our tribe. As long as we unify the evil path here, won't this vast land of Shen Zhou be mine alone?"

  "Hei Feng respectfully said: 'As expected of Master Zong, you have thought this through. I will head to Nanjiang immediately.' With that, he quickly retreated."

  "In the midst of the cold, busy flow, a hint of evil charm flashed across his handsome face, and his eyes gleamed with sharp light. He said to the other three great demon kings: 'You all go down now. Before my brother arrives, restrain all your subordinates and don't have any conflicts with the Evil and Magic sects. Jitian, Xiezong, you wait! When my brother Jin Fourteen comes, it will be your doomsday. The old lord's record will eventually fall into our brothers' hands. In this vast land of God, only we, the Nanjiang people, are the strongest. Even if the Orthodox and Evil sects join forces, they may not be able to surpass us. Only we, the descendants of the beast kings, are the true strong ones.' The sharp, chilling laughter echoed in the air, adding a few more shades of darkness to this cave."

  …………

  Hailong stood on his Golden Cloud, looking at everything in front of him with a puzzled expression, and said, "Is this the so-called poor mountain and evil water of Nanzhong?" After more than a day of rapid flight, they finally left the territory of Zhao Song and arrived at the border of Nanzhong. Nanzhong covers an extremely vast area, not smaller than Xiyu at all. What is presented in front of Hailong's eyes are towering mountain peaks, although these mountains with altitudes of only about a thousand meters are nothing, but they are completely covered with vegetation and stretch continuously, full of vitality. Looking down from above, you can see waterfalls and springs flowing between the mountains, and the sounds of insects and birds calling out constantly come from afar. Wherever the clouds and mist pass, it looks like a fairyland. Except for Hailong and Zhi Shui, the other three had never been to Nanzhong before, and they couldn't help but be stunned by the beautiful scenery in front of them.

  "Sighing softly, he said: 'Yes! Such beautiful scenery is rare even in the Central Plains of China, but it's everywhere in the Southern Border. However, I still have to say that this place is a land of poor mountains and evil waters. Beneath its tranquil appearance, this mountain forest harbors countless dangers, and if one isn't careful, even a cultivator can fall into an irredeemable situation.'"

  The dragon looked at the floating figure with a glance, pointing to a mountain valley and saying: "No way. You see, there are more than ten aliens washing clothes on the other side, and I can clearly see their satisfied smiles through my heavenly vision technique. This is a completely peaceful scene! Wife, I know you won't lie to me, but can you explain it more clearly?" The floating figure said: "Those should be people from the Yi ethnic group in southern Xinjiang. They are also one of the few ethnic groups in southern Xinjiang that love peace. The Yi ethnic group is very weak and small, and they can only live on the edge of southern Xinjiang. Their population is less than one percent compared to large ethnic groups like the Qiang people. They have lived here since childhood, so they are naturally familiar with everything in the forest and have corresponding defense measures against all dangers. I haven't been to southern Xinjiang for many years, so I can't explain it clearly, but what I can tell you is that among the waterfalls and springs you see before your eyes, only one-tenth of them are drinkable, and the rest are highly toxic. If outsiders come here, even if they don't die from poisoning, they may not be able to cross two mountains. The dangers in these primitive forests are beyond what you can imagine. Since we have arrived here, we must be extra careful. Didn't you bring a lot of food? On this journey, let's not eat anything for now, and leave the food for Xiaojing and the others. Don't touch any food or water from southern Xinjiang."

  The serious tone of the words made Hailong nod subconsciously. The seven people passed through the mountain range in front of them and slowly descended to the ground. Zhi Shui pulled Huang Yu and said, "In the territory of Nanjiang, there are almost no plains, mostly hills, mountains, and forests, among which there are also dangerous swamps. Among the various ethnic groups in Nanjiang, there are also cultivators, but they are different from us who cultivate truth. Due to Nanjiang having a large number of exotic beasts, those cultivators not only cultivate themselves, but most will also tame monsters for their own use. We can't fly anymore, otherwise, once discovered, it will inevitably trigger an attack by the people of Nanjiang."

  Hailong stood still, furrowing his brow: "Can't fly? Our journey this time has no goal, if we can't fly, what's the point of continuing like this? Are we going to die in these mountains?"

  Zhi Shui shot him a stern glance, but didn't say a word. He floated away, saying: "Long, don't be impatient. The last time Zhi Shui and I came here was two thousand years ago. At that time, we helped the Yi people in this place. From here, it's not too far to walk to the Yi tribe's village. Perhaps there, we can ask some questions and then decide on our destination for this trip. There's something I want to remind you, as well as Hong Zhi and Xiao Jing Ling: be vigilant when it comes to Nan Jiang. Not only are the ferocious beasts of the wilderness difficult to deal with, but even truly powerful cultivators won't be fewer than in Zhong Yuan. If all the cultivators in Nan Jiang were to unite, they would absolutely not be something that our Lian Yun Sect could handle."

  Hailong's heart skipped a beat, and after being reminded by the ethereal several times, he knew that this southern border was indeed full of strangeness and wonder. Hailong had never known how to write the word "fear" since childhood, and these things not only didn't scare him but instead sparked his curiosity even more. He wrapped his arms around the slender waist of the ethereal being and said, "Don't worry, wife. We won't be careless. After all, I've been through so much, I'm no longer a child."

  He coldly snorted and said, "It doesn't matter whether you're being serious or not, as long as you don't drag us into this." After finishing speaking, he didn't wait for the Sea Dragon to erupt, but instead walked towards the dense forest in front of him.

  Although the road in the primeval forest was not easy to walk, it was nothing for people like Hailong. Even Huang Ou, who had the worst cultivation, could easily keep up with the crowd's pace. As they were walking, Hailong, who was at the front, suddenly heard a strange noise, which was a rustling sound that appeared very densely. Hailong quickly took out his own Thousand Jin Stick and prepared to respond at any time. At this moment, something strange happened - the surrounding trees with twisted branches actually moved, first swaying slightly, then countless vines instantly rushed out from all directions, wrapping around Hailong and the others. Just as Hailong was about to use his powers to get rid of these vines, he heard a faint anxious cry: "Everyone, don't resist." If there was one person Hailong trusted the most right now, it would be Piaoyue. Hearing her voice, Hailong subconsciously dispersed the powers he had just prepared to attack with. The vines wrapped around them quickly, and in an instant, everyone felt their bodies tighten, and they were lifted off the ground, suspended high in the air, swaying back and forth. Hailong turned his head to look at Piaoyue, who smiled slightly and said: "Everyone, don't move - these wrapping trees are very intelligent and united. If we harm one of them, all the wrapping trees within dozens of square kilometers will become our enemies, making it impossible for us to take a step." Hailong was taken aback and asked: "Not resisting is fine, but can we just hang here forever? How do we get out?"

  A mysterious smile floated across her face as she turned to look at Still Water, who was smiling back at her. "To think about it, these entwining trees that have grown for thousands of years are already old friends of ours," she said. "Everyone, please don't move. The truth is, the entwining tree is very kind-hearted, but its nature is extremely mischievous. It's just playing with us." A flash of light appeared, and a feather-like magical artifact flew out from her body. It floated gently in the air, dancing and flipping over several times before landing next to an entwining tree. It lightly tapped on the roots of the vines, and the trunk of the tree began to shake violently. In just a moment, the entire tree started twisting and turning, and under the astonished gaze of Hai Long and the others, the vines that had been wrapped around her suddenly loosened and politely placed her on the ground.

  Floating and smiling, she directed the feather-like magic treasure to flutter continuously. In a short while, all the entwining trees around began to tremble violently, and Hai Long and others naturally regained their freedom. Moreover, all the entwining trees in the distance withdrew their vines, as if they were making way for the crowd to advance.

  "Old lady, what's going on? What kind of treasure is that, it's so powerful?" Hai Long exclaimed in surprise. Piao Yu chuckled and said, "This isn't any treasure, just a very ordinary feather. This tree is actually easy to deal with, it's mischievous by nature but most afraid of being tickled. Just now I used the feather to scratch its itch, naturally it would let us go. Let's leave."