This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 73 Little Black Fish, I’ve Got My Eyes on You

Li Yanming was not the only one who heard Yin Kuangzhi's words. Many people on the boat were also looking at the water.

"Why is the water so still?" "Yes, has the wind died down?"

"Then the water can't stop flowing, right?"

A maid sat sideways on the outer edge of the deck, looking at the water below, which reflected the clouds in the sky and the nearby mountains clearly, and even her own face.

“It’s just like a mirror.”

The people on the boat had never encountered such a situation before. This is the Man River, not a well. How could this be possible?
A boatman on the lower level used a pole to probe the water and found that the water seemed to be not flowing at all.

Of course, it was not only the Yin family's large ship that discovered this strange thing. There were also some small and medium-sized boats in the river near the formation area. There were also similar passengers, boatmen or fishermen who were astonished.
Perhaps the only ones who don’t know about the changes in the water surface are Lu Jing, Yang Tianlei and the other four.

After getting ashore, in order to catch up faster, the four people did not choose to chase along the river, but went directly over the mountain diagonally. This shortcut could save a lot of time.

The violent movement just now made the four of them walk a little faster, but at this moment it suddenly became quiet, and the four of them couldn't help but slow down their pace.

"Was that the senior fighting the monster just now?" "Why is there no sound?"

"Has the winner been decided?" "Quick!"

The four of them only slowed down for a moment, then sped up to the limit again, running madly in the mountains. What they had learned during this period was fully utilized, but as the saying goes, a horse will die if it tries to reach the top of a mountain. Zhuang Lin flew over the mountains with the wind, and ordinary people would have to run for a long time even if they had martial arts skills.
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For the people on the Yin family's ship, the changes around them may bring surprise and confusion.

For the Barbarian Water King Hei Ze, who was forced to stop halfway during his escape, the changes in his surroundings brought a sense of horror.

The demonic power had reached its maximum, but the body did not move much. Instead, it floated from underwater to the surface.

The aquatic spirits that had joined them also floated up, resembling more like wooden stakes than water creatures. Each one flapped its wings but only managed to create a few splashes, unable to swim effectively or sink again. However, the normal aquatic creatures seemed unaffected.
The only water that the Manshui King could control now seemed to be his sweat. No, he couldn't even control his sweat, it just seeped out of his body.

"Water escape technique, urgent——"

Zhuang Lin flew into the sky on the breeze, listening to the sound of the Barbarian Water King anxiously casting spells below. He felt a little amused and also had a clearer understanding of the effect of the River Blocking and Dragon Locking Formation.

"I think we should hold our breath for now!"

A calm voice came from the sky above, and the movements of King Manshui who was forming seals and casting spells froze. Then he slowly raised his head in a slightly mechanical manner and saw the immortal cultivator standing on the wind in the sky.

Streams of water suddenly rose from the surface of the water, like chains, instantly entangling the King of Barbarian Water and all the surrounding water monsters.

"No, Immortal, Immortal, please listen to my explanation. I am a good demon—"

The Manshui King struggled violently, and suddenly his demonic energy swelled up, revealing his true form in an instant, transforming into a giant black fish that was about two meters long.

"Plop. Plop."

The big black fish flapped its tail and twisted its body violently, but it did nothing except splash some water. Even the water wrapped around its body was not broken off because of his true form. Instead, it wrapped around it more and more, and became tighter and tighter.

These underwater chains were obviously not controlled by the water control method of the King of Barbarian Water, and no matter how much magic power he consumed, he could not use any of it.

Zhuang Lin just watched coldly, and then with just a thought, the surrounding waters underwent new changes.

"Clack! Clack! Clack!"

A sound that seemed to carry a sense of crushing was heard. As the big black fish struggled, it suddenly found that the surrounding waters had begun to freeze.
The ice spread at an abnormally fast speed, as if someone blew a breath of cold air from the sky. Then, the calm surface of the river was instantly covered with white mist, and everything was frozen wherever it passed.

In just a few breaths, the waters within Zhuang Lin's sight turned into a frozen land. Even the water columns and chains wrapped around the monster were frozen, emitting a bright white and dark blue color.
This is not ordinary freezing, but one of the changes in the formation.

Lock the dragon and block the river, turn water into steel!
At this moment, the big black fish below was completely unable to move, and even felt as if all the demonic power in its body was frozen.

A breeze blew, and Zhuang Lin had already landed on the ice. He walked step by step towards the head of the big black fish, but the latter had its eyes wide open, and its body couldn't even tremble.

"Are you in a hurry to leave?"

Zhuang Lin stood in front of the big black fish's head, a smile on his face and a double entendre in his voice.

"Master, if you won't let me go, just tell me straight away. Why make such a big fuss? If you want me to die, I can just run up the mountain myself. This is such a waste of your magical power, isn't it?"

Me, an old man? Ha!
Zhuang Lin was amused. This Manshui King really knew how to talk!
Seeing the immortal laugh, the big black fish also laughed, but now it was in its original form, and the smile looked a little scary, with all the fine and sharp teeth in its mouth exposed.

However, Zhuang Lin quickly faded his smile, his expression returning to calm. His eyes, tinged with a hint of indifference, caused the big black fish to cautiously close its mouth, as if it were just an ant in the eyes of an immortal.
"Stop talking? Stop making it up?"

King Manshui wanted to say something, but he shook his head vigorously and didn't dare to say anything more. Now he finally understood that the more he talked, the worse the situation would become.

"You answer whatever I ask, understand?"

The big black fish struggled and nodded.

Zhuang Lin smiled and asked directly.

"You are the demon cultivator who reigns supreme over this Savage River. Are you the greatest above the Savage River?"

Big Black Fish waited for a while, and when he saw that Zhuang Lin stopped talking, he spoke immediately.

"My Lord, I was just speaking up for my subordinates. I just wanted to show off my power. Of course, the most powerful person on the Man River is the Little River God."

"Little River God? A River God is a River God, why is there a word 'little'?"

Zhuang Lin didn't think much and just asked directly. The black fish demon didn't dare to be negligent in the slightest.

"My Lord, this area of water, along with the surrounding mountainous regions, is ruled by the Han River God and my King Ximiao. Others, like the Man River God, can only be called Little River Gods. Uh, I, Hei Ze, am also known as the Little King of the Man River."

As Zhuang Lin listened, he began to feel doubtful.

"The Han River God also controls the Man River? What's your King Ximiao's situation? Does he also control it?"

"My Lord, the God of the Han River not only controls the Man River, but also all nearby waters. However, my King Xi Miao also has the right to intervene. Otherwise, how could I call myself the Little King of the Man River? But please understand, I may have gone too far just now, but I can be considered to have behaved myself."

Zhuang Lin glanced at the big black fish lying there, which was still taller than him. Although the evil aura on its body was strong, it was not dirty. However, it was hard to say that it was completely clean.

"So what is your King Xi Miao's original form? Does he also have a divine position?"

The black fish demon was silent for a long time before speaking, but his answers were somewhat irrelevant to the question.

"I cannot tell you about my King Ximiao's affairs, but I do know that he has a past relationship with Erxiang Tianyin Bodhisattva and may also have some connection with Lingshu Bodhisattva."

Zhuang Lin was slightly surprised. A Bodhisattva? And one that even he was familiar with in later generations!
The big black fish noticed that the immortal cultivator in front of him had a slightly changed expression, and quickly continued speaking.

"Master, let me tell you in detail." Zhuang Lin did not interrupt. The black fish spirit spoke incessantly, mostly about how he was valued by his own king, and how his king had such and such a high status and background.

The black fish demon stopped talking only when his mouth became dry.

"Master, after all this, you should understand now. I am truly innocent. Just treat me as a fart and let me go. Gulu"

The black fish spirit felt that the mucus in his mouth was almost gone. Maybe he was too nervous and too scared.
However, this was not actually the black fish demon's illusion. In the River-blocking and Dragon-locking Formation, the water spirit energy in the black fish demon's body was constantly being lost and was being weakened every moment. He felt dry in the mouth because he was almost exhausted.

Even though it is a simplified and weakened version, it is not a copycat and is still the real River-Intercepting and Dragon-Locking Formation!

This formation is indeed cast by the person who sets up the formation at the beginning, but once the formation is completed it will also draw the target's vitality and replenish it into the formation, so sometimes the more intense the struggle, the faster the target will become weaker.

Zhuang Lin had also noticed this. Not much time had passed, and the black fish demon had already lost a lot of energy. Perhaps it was time to break the formation quickly, otherwise the Manshui King would die in the formation without him having to take any action.

After learning so much, Zhuang Lin weighed the pros and cons and decided not to have too much conflict with the local forces. Moreover, it was rare that this monster was self-aware and spoke clearly.

However, there are still questions that need to be clarified.

"You mentioned Bodhisattvas, but what about the Heavenly Court today? What's the situation like?"

At this time, King Manshui finally understood that the immortal in front of him was really an old antique who had been in seclusion for a very long time and really knew nothing.

Of course, no matter what he thought in his heart, the black fish demon did not dare to show any negligence. He did not think that he could really threaten the other party by mentioning his background. He spoke carefully before, trying not to offend the other party.

This is a real immortal, a master of the cultivation level. If the king knew about it, he would probably flatter him and treat him as a guest of honor. How could I, a mere leader, let the king go to trouble a real immortal for me?

The thought flashed through his mind, and the black fish demon spoke immediately as if he had thought for a moment.

"My Lord, the Heavenly Court is just like that. It moves according to the four seasons. They say they monitor the four directions, but it doesn't seem to be in charge of anything. However."

Seeing that Big Black Fish seemed to be hesitant and didn't finish his words immediately, Zhuang Lin immediately asked a follow-up question.

"But what?"

"Well, there is one iron rule of heaven: all beings cultivating in the lower realms are strictly forbidden from going to the celestial realms above without a decree. But it doesn't say where it is. Anyway, the little river god of the Man River has never been there. Even the water god of the Han River, according to the king, seems to have never been there. He doesn't even know where it is."

Zhuang Lin couldn't help but frown. This sounded a bit strange. It was normal that the heavenly rules stipulated that the beings in the lower world could not go to the heaven at will.

But the water god of Han River has never been there, and may not even know where it is, which is a bit strange. However, it can be barely explained as it may be unnecessary or the level is not high enough.

But the four words "Upper Realm" don't seem right.

Although the Dharma lineages Zhuang Lin had obtained so far were incomplete, most of what he had lost were details of cultivation, but it at least clarified the foundations of all beings in the three realms.

Unlike the legends of his hometown and various entertainment works, the Three Realms are confined to this world, and at least in Zhuang Lin's lineage of Dharma, the sentient beings in the Three Realms have their own entanglements and different understandings of the Tao, but the Three Realms themselves are not divided into high and low, and the differences between the Three Realms are nothing more than the influence of the living beings.

The word "upper realm" should not be used lightly.

The so-called upper realm, in the foundational system of the immortal path, is a coordinate existence towards the Tao, where the spiritual lineage of the Dharma points directly. It is the ultimate goal of the immortal path and can be understood as a pursuit, or the place where one achieves enlightenment and ascends to heaven.
And this "Ba Bo'er Ben" directly said "Heavenly rules forbid going to the upper realm", maybe it was just a slip of the tongue by a monster or he simply didn't understand?
In comparison, the fact that Heaven cannot be found is easy to explain. Maybe it is the same as Peach Blossom Spring, which is not about flying to a high place in the normal sense, that is, Heaven, but is similar to a cave?
Zhuang Lin pondered and subconsciously looked up at the sky.

"Immortal, Immortal Master, I feel increasingly powerless. Could you please forgive me? I will definitely, definitely be kind-hearted, practice diligently, never do evil, and never dare to show off my power again."

The weak voice of the Manshui King brought Zhuang Lin back to his senses. After a few more words, the black fish monster was in a very bad state. On the contrary, the monsters around him were dying but could still shake their tails.

Zhuang Lin shook his head, temporarily suppressed his thoughts, and raised his hand to move forward.

In a water area between a mountain gorge, the tip of the wooden sword Chixuan was hanging three feet above the water surface, and the sword body was already red.

But at this moment the sword trembled slightly, and in an instant it rose into the air, turning into a red light and flying into the distance.

Just a few moments after Zhuang Lin waved his hand, a red light flew into his hand. It was a red mahogany sword, and the red color of the sword gradually dimmed after he held it in his hand.

The black fish demon felt a sudden sense of relief, and the ice ridges shattered with a series of "crackling" sounds. Before the shattered ice could fall, the frozen river surface below it, along with it, turned back into a torrent of water in an instant.
Once the River-Intercepting and Dragon-Locking Formation was released, everything that had just happened seemed like an illusion. The inscriptions on the seven nodes were also affected by the chain reaction pulled by the formation. They shook slightly in an instant and then blurred into dust.

The black fish demon was almost out of strength at this moment. Feeling the relaxation in his body, he had a strong feeling of surviving a disaster in his heart. He floated on the water and kept using his fish head to kowtow to Zhuang Lin, who seemed to be floating on the river.

The huge black fish's head hit the water surface and splashed water.

"Thank you for your life, Immortal, thank you for your life, Immortal, thank you for your life."

There was no chance of luck at this time. The black fish demon knew that he had really walked through the gates of hell. The ancient immortals were indeed terrifying!
"Go ahead and remember what you said!"

"Yes, then, Immortal, I am leaving. I am really leaving."

"Go!"

"Ugh"

The black fish responded, patted the nearby aquatic creatures with its fin, and then carefully dived into the water. After realizing that everything was alright, it immediately swam forward quickly.
Zhuang Lin's feet lightly stepped on the surface of the river, as if gently rising and falling with the waves. He felt the evil aura of the black fish spirit disappear, but his face was still thoughtful.

I have already memorized the breath of this black fish demon. After I finish dealing with the things at hand, I can come back to talk to him. Even if I escape from Manshui, I may be able to find him by following his aura.

Although there are still doubts, it is enough for now to understand that the cultivation world is generally not in chaos.

Given the black fish spirit's cleverness and vision, Zhuang Lin believed that the other party could weigh the consequences and would not make false accusations to stir up trouble.

Moreover, King Xi Miao should be considered within the orthodox system. It is impossible for him to offend a real person for the black fish spirit. If the black fish spirit goes to complain, he may be punished. Even if he is an evil demon, it seems even less likely that he will take the initiative to cause trouble for the immortal for the black fish spirit. He would not have time to hide.

As for the river god and water god, it is even more impossible.

If some small river gods really anger the true cultivators, the immortal masters can theoretically communicate directly with heaven and earth with an imperial decree, and the impact can be good or bad!

Of course, Zhuang Lin doesn’t know this theory yet, but if I don’t tell you, who will know?
To sum it up in one sentence, Little Black Fish, Zhuang has his eyes on you!
At this moment, in the distant Manshui River Basin, the Manshui King, who had already swam a long way out, suddenly shuddered and immediately swam even faster, even leaving behind the aquatic creatures around him.
As for Zhuang Lin, after thinking it over, he felt that he was fine, but he seemed to have noticed something. With a wave of his left hand, several streams of air gathered from the surrounding water surface and condensed into a drop of black, transparent water in his palm, about the size of the nail of his little finger.

The water droplets are dark in color but crystal clear, without a trace of impurities!

Was this the water spirit essence that the Black Fish Demon lost in the River Blocking and Dragon Locking Formation? Did it transform into Guishui True Essence?
It turns out that the River-Intercepting and Dragon-Locking Formation can not only replenish the formation with the target's vitality, but also gather the excess energy over?
Uh, I didn't mean to do that!
Zhuang Lin thought about this and looked at the direction the black fish demon left. Maybe next time he talks to him, he can return it to him. That way it won't be considered pure threat or oppression, right?

Maybe I can even meet King Xi Miao?
By the way, what is the name of "Ba Bo'er Ben"?

While thinking, Zhuang Lin looked towards a hill again. He heard hurried footsteps from there. Four sweaty men climbed up the hill almost at the same time and saw a figure on the river from afar.

“Master is over there—” “Master, are you okay?”

(End of this chapter)