Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 354 The Su Family Patriarch Practices Along the Way
One day later.

Changfeng Ferry Crossing.

A figure in cyan robes arrived silently, landing on the roof of the Wangjiang Tower, quietly watching the surging river.

He was so thin that he looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

The jade crown pressed down on her long, withered hair, and her skin clung to her bones, almost transparent and bluish-white, devoid of any color or fullness, like a wax mask, freezing the deathly stillness of time.

Only in his cloudy eyes did a sharp edge, undiminished by time, remain hidden.

"Wherever she goes, she leaves a trace... But this Du family girl seems shrouded in mystery, and every divination yields a different result... Could it be that her destiny with the immortals is concealing her?"

He made calculations with his right hand, constantly changing hand seals, muttering to himself, and finally shook his head, glancing down at the Wangjiang Tower below, a cold glint in his eyes:
"waste!"

Before long, a group of noble ladies rushed over and knelt down, trembling with fear, calling her "Ancestor".

This patriarch of the Su family is said to have lived for six or seven hundred years. He had been feigning death using a secret method until now, when the world has undergone dramatic changes and the spiritual tide has revived, and he has only just awakened from his slumber.

He was an ancient person with amazing talent.

It is said that he once dominated Yanzhou for an entire era, causing countless geniuses and Daoist disciples to pale in comparison and fall on the road to becoming the most powerful.

The ancestors of many powerful figures in Yanzhou, both large and small, may have suffered setbacks at his hands, been banished to the mortal realm, or been killed on the spot.

Before they left to handle this matter, the clan repeatedly instructed them that they must comply with any outrageous requests from the Su family patriarch, so as not to implicate the family.

They hadn't believed it at first, but that low shout had made them come up in a daze, as if they had lost their souls. They were ready to obey his orders. If they had any evil intentions, they would be made to jump from here, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

Such unheard-of methods filled them with fear and apprehension, and they dared not disobey.

"Have you found anything?"

The Su family patriarch let out a cold snort, as sharp as a silver needle piercing the ear, causing pain and dizziness, cold and terrifying.

"Reporting to the Ancestor, we have been keeping a close watch on all parts of the ferry crossing every day, twelve hours a day, but we have not found the Du family woman..."

A wealthy and elegant woman in her forties reluctantly reported the situation.

Before he could finish speaking, a gust of wind blew him into the air, and he fell into the river with a "plop" and never resurfaced.

Only a few specks of crimson blood lingered, vanishing without a trace after being splashed by the waves.

The sight sent chills down the spines of the others, who fell silent, their expressions growing ever more humble.

"waste."

The Su family patriarch glanced at everyone with annoyance. If it were up to his temper back then, he would have killed them all with a single slap.

In just a few hundred years, they have fallen to such a state, which is only a waste of family resources. What use is it to keep them?
However, things are not the same as they were back then...

My destiny with immortals is paramount!

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said in a deep voice:

"That Du family girl has probably already slipped away right under your noses."

Seeing the bewildered expressions on the faces of the noble ladies, who seemed to want to speak but dared not, he didn't bother to explain.

He has no evidence.

It was purely an intuition.

At his level, intuition is often more useful than evidence.

He overcame numerous obstacles and dominated the scene, standing out from the crowd thanks to his intuition, which allowed him to carve out a bloody path.

If everything required evidence, the body would have been cold long ago.

"Forget it, why bother with these bastards? Just give the order."

He glanced at the group of elegantly dressed nobles, looked towards the bustling wharf, and gave the order:
"Arrange a fast boat for me. Also, send someone to inform Lianjiang Town... Proceed according to plan."

“Ancestor, if we really do that, it will mean a complete break with the Du family of Bohai, with no room for compromise…” The group of noble ladies looked at each other, and finally someone couldn’t help but speak up.

This person's family has a long-standing relationship with the Du family of Bohai, and their annual income from seafood business is substantial. They are unwilling to completely sever ties with the family.

Then, he followed in the footsteps of the previous man and became an aerial acrobat, descending from the top of the hundred-foot-high Wanghai Tower...

He fell down.

It crashed onto the plaza in front of the building and turned into a pile of minced meat.

After that, no one dared to say another word.
-
"Boom!"

The towering bow crashed through the turbid waves, spraying foam everywhere. The ship, like a moving fortress, sailed steadily on the Dalong River.

The sails billowed like clouds hanging from the sky, casting huge shadows on the deck; the hull sides churned, and dozens of heavy, dark oars slammed against the river surface with a muffled roar.

"Surfing across the mighty river, my gaze sweeps across the vast expanse of Chu sky..."

Liu Sheng stood on the deck, his hands behind his back, looking around. He felt that a poem by the great man was particularly fitting for the occasion, and he couldn't help but recite it aloud.

Ahead, amidst the surging waves, the water monster Jiang Yao appeared and disappeared, weaving through the waves and pulling the large boat beneath its feet at breakneck speed.

The Dalongjiang River is vast and expansive, with its water system stretching across several prefectures. Its deepest point is no less than ten thousand feet deep, and it is home to countless aquatic creatures. Surely, fish demons and turtle monsters have arisen here.

To ensure the smooth flow of waterways, various forces pulled out all the stops, offering countless benefits, and finally reached a pact with the aquatic creatures in the river to guarantee unimpeded navigation.

Although the cost was enormous, the profits were even more astonishing.

The river monster that pulls the boat is part of the contract.

Equivalent to...

Pass!
"I was even thinking that if all else failed, I could transform into a Yin Water Dragon, carry the Ice Goose across the Great Dragon River, and swim downstream straight into Bohai Prefecture..."

Liu Sheng looked away, feeling a chill run down his spine. It really was just a moment's lapse in judgment.
"Luckily that didn't happen, otherwise we would have been fish food long ago."

The Yin Water Dragon possesses the bloodline of a true dragon and can suppress countless aquatic creatures. However, it is also an excellent source of nourishment and a great tonic for aquatic monsters to advance.

Eating a bite of dragon meat and drinking a mouthful of dragon blood is equivalent to their decades, or even centuries, of cultivation.

Once the aquatic creatures in the river discover that the Yin Water Dragon does not have an overwhelming advantage, they will attack it en masse, seeking only to devour a piece of its flesh.

But, are there dragons in this great river?
"Maybe……"

Liu Sheng withdrew his gaze, paused for a moment, and returned to the cabin.

He and Du Bingyan are now a couple from Qinzhou who have suffered a family tragedy and want to seek refuge with relatives in Bohai County.

The travel permits and household registration certificates are genuine; he obtained them in Zhangjiaji last night.

As for the couple, they would have to sleep for at least three days and three nights, and the price was... a thousand taels of gold notes, enough for them to spend for a lifetime.

The premise is that they are smart enough not to make a fuss, otherwise the consequences are unpredictable.

"In the end, we were just not strong enough. Otherwise, we could have just charged through and killed anyone who stood in our way."

He took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming, closed the hatch, and began practicing his skills.

Since leaving the ruins, he has been busy and has not had time to practice his skills. He can take advantage of this journey to improve his main body's combat power.

The newly added Earth-Shattering Rat Transformation can be integrated into the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts.

In addition, we should practice the many genuine skills we've acquired along the way, using them as nourishment to become resources for the Eight-Nine Arcane Skill.

Soon, the cabin was filled with a brilliant light, and the atmosphere was ethereal and divine. The faint squeaking of mice could be heard, rising and falling gradually.

Just like the ebb and flow of the tide outside the window...

(End of this chapter)