Wandering Swordsman |

At first, he moved steadily, each step precise, secretly pleased: "As expected, nothing's wrong! Oda was just bluffing!"

Just as he leaped into the middle of the river, less than ten feet from the opposite bank, his vigilance relaxed slightly, and he even turned back to give the crowd on the bank a smug smile. However, in that instant—

"Splash—!!!"

The tranquil surface of the firefly-lit river suddenly exploded! Three enormous black shadows burst forth as if from the depths of hell, accompanied by towering waves and bone-chilling cold, hurtling straight at the White Tiger Saint Lord! They were three colossal crocodiles, each the size of a small boat! Their bodies were covered in jet-black scales, each scale as large as a coin, with sharp, knife-like edges that gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen. Their massive jaws opened, revealing gleaming white teeth that clashed like swords, and a foul stench assaulted the senses. A ghostly blue flame flickered faintly at the base of their tongues!

"Blackscale Crocodile!" Oda exclaimed from the shore, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction.

The White Tiger Saint Lord was utterly annihilated! He had no time to react; he only felt a foul stench assault his senses, and the aura of death enveloped his entire body!

He instinctively gathered his inner energy and forcefully twisted his body in the air, tumbling and rolling in a disheveled manner like a leaf falling in the wind!

A giant crocodile's sharp teeth grazed his back, tearing off a large piece of the leather armor on his back with a "ripping" sound, leaving his flesh burning with pain!

"Ah—!" The White Tiger Saint Lord let out a terrified scream, no longer caring about saving face.

He exerted all his strength and stomped his feet hard on the head of another giant crocodile! The scales were as hard as iron, and the impact nearly cracked his foot bones, but he used the force of the impact to shoot back like a cannonball!

Three giant crocodiles thrashed about in the water, their massive tails slamming against the surface of the river like collapsing mountains, creating a deafening roar!

In an instant, the entire river of fireflies seemed to be suddenly stirred up by an invisible giant hand. The emerald green light churned like boiling water, and the waves surged into the sky, turning into hundreds of crystal rain arrows that splashed down on both banks.

Water droplets splashed everywhere, drawing countless firefly-like trails in the dim underground space, like a sudden shower of stars, yet carrying the scent of blood and death.

The White Tiger Saint Lord scrambled back to the shore, his clothes torn to shreds, his shoulders mangled and flesh exposed, revealing stark white bones, his hair disheveled like withered grass, his face splattered with mud and blood. He collapsed onto the cold, wet beach, his chest heaving violently, each breath hoarse like a broken bellows.

His eyes were wide open, reflecting the shimmering river in his pupils, filled with the terror of surviving a near-death experience, as if he had just crawled back from the depths of hell. His fingers were clenched tightly, his knuckles white, and his body trembled slightly uncontrollably—not from the cold, but from the lingering fear of having brushed past death deep within his soul.

However, the three giant crocodiles did not give chase. Their massive bodies slowly sank into the water, their jet-black scales gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen under the fluorescent light, like three moving mountains silently disappearing into the abyss.

The giant mouth closed, and the eerie blue flames extinguished at the base of its tongue, leaving only ripples spreading across the river's surface, flowing silently like an ancient incantation.

They dive to the bottom of the river, their figures gradually blurring, eventually merging into the deep darkness as if they had never existed.

But everyone knew that they had not left.

They are like the guardians of this body of water, the imperial guards who have been sleeping for thousands of years, lying dormant beneath the Yingyuan Abyss, just to protect the majestic stone gate with the character "儒" (Confucianism) on the opposite bank.

The gate, like a monument, stands on the other side. Made of green jade, its strokes seem to exude a righteous and awe-inspiring energy, which is incongruous with this gloomy and eerie underground space, yet strangely blends into it, as if it had existed since the beginning of time.

And lying between them is this seemingly calm, but actually treacherous, firefly river.

Perhaps, as Oda said, without the Six Divine Weapons, no one can cross; without the sharpness to cleave the Xuanlin, anyone who dares to approach will become food for the giant crocodile.

As the giant crocodile dived back to the riverbed, the riverbank fell into a deathly silence, as if even the wind had frozen.

The other two Holy Lords of the Black Wind Gang—Xuanwu and Zhuque—exchanged bewildered glances, their faces ashen, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock. They had traveled the martial world, slaying countless enemies, but they had never seen such a ferocious creature, much less imagined that a river could become a chasm between life and death.

Ding Chengfeng stood on the riverbank, his face ashen, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. He stared intently at the shimmering surface of the river, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to tear open the layer of emerald water and see through the lurking danger beneath.

His anger surged: Was Oda's words true? Were there truly invulnerable Xuanlin Crocodiles beneath this Yingyuan Abyss? If so, how would they cross the river? How would they compete for the treasures within the Tomb of the God of War? Was their journey to the Tomb of the God of War destined to end here?

But the bookworm was stunned at that moment.

His once cold and aloof eyes trembled slightly, his gaze fixed intently on the last ripple on the river's surface, as if he were seeing something beyond the comprehension through the luminous blue water. He murmured softly, almost inaudibly, "The Black-Scaled Crocodile... it really exists..."

A complex emotion, difficult to describe, flashed in his eyes—shock and awe. It was as if he recognized not just a ferocious beast, but an ancient totem long since lost to the dust of history, a guardianship forgotten by the world.

Shen Mo quietly approached, noticing the bookworm's unusual behavior, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Shu, have you seen that giant beast?"

The bookworm didn't answer immediately, but slowly shook his head, his voice low as if he were talking to himself: "I once read about the Xuanlin Crocodile in the books of Guiguzi. I never thought that a creature that had long been extinct in ancient times would still exist today..."

Oda stood on the edge of the riverbank, his clothes fluttering slightly in the cold river wind. The "kind" smile on his face had not yet faded, but his eyes had already subtly shifted. When the bookworm whispered the words "Black Scale Crocodile," his previously lowered eyelids suddenly lifted, and his gaze, like that of a hawk, shot over, carrying a hint of deliberate surprise and inquiry.

"Oh?" He parted his lips slightly, his voice still gentle and warm, like a spring breeze. "Young Master Shu has also heard of the name 'Mysterious Scale Crocodile'? I am truly impressed." He stepped forward slowly, his hands folded in his sleeves, his posture humble.

Seeing that the bookworm didn't respond, he turned to face the crowd, his voice suddenly rising with an air of leadership: "Now that the Xuanlin Crocodile has appeared, we can begin our attack." He raised his hand and pointed to the shimmering river surface, his fingertip tracing the air as if parting a veil of destiny. "According to our ancient overseas scrolls, although this beast is impervious to swords and spears, and immune to fire and water, its six divine weapons can still harm it. As long as we cooperate, we can surely slay it!"

His tone was confident, as if he had already made up his mind, or as if he were declaring to everyone that his intelligence was the key to breaking the deadlock.