Wandering Swordsman |

He remained standing on the shore, not taking a single step. But just as everyone was launching a full-scale attack, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and a beastly gaze seemed to emerge deep within his pupils. His aura was as deep and unfathomable as a hell, and the beast king's aura that had been quietly gathering, like an ancient emperor awakening from a slumber, silently condensed in his palm.

He did not make a move.

He was simply releasing it.

An invisible yet powerful aura, like the whisper of a primordial beast, quietly pierced through the air and struck deep into the souls of the three giant crocodiles!

In an instant—

The giant crocodile, which was launching a frantic counterattack, suddenly froze!

Their beastly eyes, burning with eerie blue flames, suddenly contracted to pinpoints, the whites of their eyes instantly becoming bloodshot, as if they had seen some terrifying being beyond life and death. They ceased attacking, ceased roaring, and even seemed to forget their pain, leaving only the most primal instinct—to flee!

"Splash—!"

The three enormous shadows, like startled pythons, suddenly changed direction and rushed towards the river surface with all their might, their giant tails lashing wildly and stirring up towering waves.

They no longer guarded, no longer fought, but plunged headlong into the deep, bottomless river of fireflies with almost frenzied speed, disappearing into the darkness in an instant, leaving not even a ripple behind.

All attacks missed, and the swords and blades struck the empty water, only splashing up a few drops.

The water droplets, illuminated by the eerie green glow, resembled shattered jade splashing, or countless startled eyes that briefly flickered in the air before quietly falling back into silence.

Ding Chengfeng's eyes widened in astonishment, his voice hoarse and strained: "How...how could this be? They...escaped?"

He stared in disbelief at the now calm river surface—the three giant crocodiles that had just been raging and ferocious had vanished like smoke, leaving not even a trace.

Oda stood atop the broken stone beam, his figure frozen as if carved by a knife. His face was ashen, and a chilling aura, almost dripping with ink, settled between his brows.

"Impossible..." he roared inwardly. "Ancient texts clearly state: the Black-Scaled Crocodile will fight to the death, only ceasing when its blood is exhausted! Even if all six divine weapons were deployed, it would fight to the last scale and claw. When has there ever been a record of it escaping?!"

What infuriated him even more was that his plan had completely failed!

The crocodile's scales... were impervious to swords and spears, and unaffected by water and fire!

He had envisioned that after slaying the giant crocodile, he would take its scales and armor to create the "Amaterasu Armor" using a secret Japanese technique.

Once this armor is completed, the wearer will be able to roam the martial world unchallenged, impervious to countless weapons, and even escape unscathed from an attack by sects from the Central Plains! It is an indispensable material for his domination of the Central Plains!

But now—

The three giant crocodiles fled into the abyss in panic, leaving not even a single scale behind, let alone a single piece of armor. The coveted divine armor vanished into thin air!

"All our efforts have been in vain!" Oda's anger erupted like a volcano, almost burning away his reason. He clenched his teeth tightly, his jawline taut as if carved by a knife.

a long time--

On the deathly silent riverbank, someone finally came to their senses.

"The Xuanlin Crocodile... the crocodile is gone?" Xuanwu Saint Lord murmured, his voice trembling, as if he still couldn't believe it.

"The river... we can cross the river now!" The Vermilion Bird Saint King suddenly realized, his eyes flashing with wild joy.

There were no cheers, no applause, only a long-suppressed gasp and the restlessness of footsteps.

Oda took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the raging anger within him, and said in a cold voice, "Gentlemen, the Black Crocodile has retreated; this is a golden opportunity. The Confucian School is ahead, and the secret treasure awaits. What are we waiting for?"

As if waking from a dream, everyone jumped onto the opposite bank.

Seeing this, Shen Mo also helped the bookworm cross the river to the other side using his lightness skill.

Finally, everyone safely crossed the river and gathered in front of the "Confucian" gate.

The glowing river flowed silently behind them, reflecting the greedy, awe-inspiring, or gloomy faces of the crowd. The three giant crocodiles, however, had vanished completely into the abyss, as if they had never existed.

The air was still, and no one spoke.

In the midst of this deathly silence, a steady yet rapid sound of footsteps echoed from the depths of the passageway through the gunstone gate on the opposite bank. The footsteps grew closer, carrying with them the soft scraping of metal plates and a hint of suppressed killing intent.

All eyes instantly focused on the dark exit of the passage.

The next moment, three figures emerged from the darkness, bathed in the glow of fireflies.

The leader was none other than the Azure Dragon Saint Lord. He was clad in battle armor, with an azure dragon totem tattooed on his shoulder, and the ground seemed to tremble slightly with every step he took.

Following closely behind was the overseas heretical cultivator, the Red Lotus Demoness—Wei Honglian. Dressed in a plain white gown, she resembled a ghost under the moon. The corners of her lips still held that enigmatic, half-smiling curve, but her eyes, like those of a venomous snake, scanned the entire scene. When they finally landed on Shen Mo, her pupils contracted slightly, and her smile deepened.

The last one to appear was Situ Changkong.

At this moment, he was dressed in a black outfit, with a long sword at his waist, and his face was as cold as ice. He was completely different from the disheveled man he had been when he left the Martial Alliance.

When his gaze swept across the crowd and suddenly met Shen Mo's eyes, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and killing intent surged out like a tide!

"Shen—Mo!" He gritted his teeth, his voice deep and thunderous. His right hand was already on the hilt of his sword, and his internal energy surged. The scabbard hummed, filled with killing intent!

"Don't be impulsive!" The Azure Dragon Saint Lord suddenly took a step forward, blocking Situ Changkong's path. His iron palm was like a vise, grabbing Situ Changkong's wrist as he was about to draw his sword. The force was so great that he forcibly pressed him down!

The Azure Dragon Saint Lord coldly rebuked, "This is not the time for private duels! Inside the Tomb of the Martial God, if your personal grudge ruins everything, the gang leader will not forgive you!"

Situ Changkong's eyes widened in fury, veins bulging on his wrists as he tried to break free: "I've fallen to this state all because of him. If I don't kill him, I won't be able to quell the hatred in my heart!"

The Crimson Lotus Demon stepped forward lightly, her voice as soft as silk and mist, yet carrying an irresistible, feminine power: "Brother Changkong, have you forgotten why you came? Don't let a small matter cause you to lose the bigger picture."

Her tone was flippant, yet every word was like a needle, piercing Situ Changkong's heart.

"If you act now, it will only lead to Lord Oda excluding you. If you want to enter the Tomb of the God of War, you have to listen to me." The Crimson Lotus Demon whispered in his ear like a venomous snake, "After we leave the Tomb of the God of War, you can kill him however you want, I won't stop you... But for now, endure."

Situ Changkong shuddered, his eyes blazing with fury. Finally, under the pressure of their gazes, he slowly loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his chest heaving violently. He said, word by word, "Fine... I'll swallow this for now. But Shen Mo, you can't escape forever."

Shen Mo sneered without speaking, but he already understood: Situ Changkong's hatred had run deep and he would surely become a great threat in the future. There was no need to be sentimental anymore; he could be eliminated directly.

Just then, Oda stepped forward slowly, his face still bearing that gentle smile, as if the murderous intent from before had never existed.

He looked around at everyone, his gaze sweeping over the six divine weapons.

"Gentlemen," Oda's voice was deep and solemn, like a priest chanting scriptures, "'The Gate of Confucianism' is the final lock on the Tomb of the God of War. To enter this gate, one must use the combined power of the Six Divine Weapons to break it."