'Will we win?'
Night.
Heavy rain poured from the sky.
Inside the village,
Han Qinhu led his team on patrol, followed by his son, Han Dayong, who was clad in armor like a tin can and remained utterly silent.
He gazed at the wind and rain lashing down from the pitch-black sky.
His heart was filled with anxiety.
Han Qinhu couldn't help but worry.
According to the analysis by his grandson, Shen Changchuan, after the last attempt to lure it into a trap, the Crocodile Demon was at least at the Qi Introduction Fifth Layer.
Shen Changchuan, on the other hand, was only at the Qi Introduction Third Layer.
The last ambush had barely harmed it.
This time,
although the fight would be on land...
'is it possible to win?'
To that,
Han Qinhu didn't know.
All he could do was prepare as best he could.
After leading his team on a full patrol of Dawan Village and finding nothing out of the ordinary,
Han Qinhu began to relax. He let out a small sigh of relief, thinking tonight might pass peacefully after all.
However,
at that very moment,
a figure shot toward them through the rainy night like a bat, skimming low over the ground.
Han Qinhu's heart tightened.
Sure enough,
"Master Han, it's here! The monster is here!"
The newcomer gasped, his voice low and urgent.
It was the lookout Han Qinhu had posted on high ground to watch the riverbank.
Han Qinhu's expression darkened.
"Quick! Go notify Changchuan! Everyone else, get ready according to the plan!"
At Han Qinhu's command,
the men hidden in their positions began to move, following the pre-arranged plan.
Everyone moved quickly to their designated positions, just as they had rehearsed.
They prepared to spring the ambush.
However,
before they could even finish their preparations,
the Crocodile Demon arrived!
The beast was too fast. From the moment the lookout spotted it to the time it climbed up to the edge of Dawan Village, only a dozen or so breaths had passed!
BANG!!!
A Water Arrow as thick as a bucket suddenly materialized. Like a cannonball, it whistled through the air with terrifying force, striking a back wall where some of the village's Martial Artists were hiding!
The entire wall exploded. The powerful impact sent the two figures behind it flying several yards. They crashed hard to the ground, barely breathing.
A clap of thunder split the sky.
In the brilliant flash of light,
the massive, pitch-black behemoth was revealed in the darkness. Its eyes seemed to hold a flicker of human-like mockery.
"Damn it! It's here too fast! Watch out for its Demon Techniques!"
"All trap teams, activate!"
"Patrol team, with me! We have to hold it off until the Immortal Master arrives!"
Han Qinhu roared.
He then took the lead, raised his heavy Shield, and charged toward the Crocodile Demon.
At the same time,
following Han Qinhu's command, the men hidden all around, hands on the triggers, sprang their traps!
In an instant,
vast nets shot into the air, while giant rocks and logs rumbled down toward the Crocodile Demon.
However,
amidst this deluge of traps,
the Crocodile Demon paid them no mind. With a casual swipe of its claw, the nets—tough enough to ensnare a Martial Artist—were torn apart with ease.
Boulders weighing several tons crashed down. The Crocodile Demon didn't even try to dodge. They shattered against its head like tofu striking steel.
A casual flick of its tail smashed the rolling logs to splinters!
The meticulously prepared traps, each one capable of causing great trouble for any Martial Artist, were all annihilated before the Crocodile Demon as if they were nothing!
The impassable gulf between a Mortal Martial Artist and beings like the Immortal Masters was perfectly embodied by the Crocodile Demon at that moment!
ROAR!!!
The Crocodile Demon opened its ferocious maw and roared in fury.
A terrifying surge of Demon Qi swept out,
causing every mortal present to feel a suffocating pressure!
Many couldn't help but take a step back.
"Damn it! All together!"
Seeing this,
Han Qinhu's scalp tingled with dread.
He couldn't afford to hesitate.
He shouted to the patrolmen behind him and, raising a massive, heavy Iron Shield, steeled himself and charged.
However,
halfway there, before they had even engaged,
BOOM!!!
Another massive Water Arrow blasted through the air toward them. Its power was fierce and domineering, tearing through the air with the force of a tidal wave!
Facing the attack head-on, Han Qinhu felt as if the very air had been crushed from his lungs!
At the critical moment,
Han Dayong roared from behind him. His own thousand-jin Iron Shield stirred a gust of wind as he slammed it in front of his father's, layering the two for a combined defense!
BANG!
The Water Arrow smashed into the shields. With an unimaginable explosive force, the two heavy, thousand-jin Iron Shields were instantly blown to pieces!
The terrifying force even shattered the armor on their bodies,
sending them flying and coughing up mouthfuls of blood.
Seeing this, the other patrolmen were frozen in terror, their faces masks of horror. For a moment, none dared to advance.
Even though they had been prepared,
in the face of a true Demon Beast, the Mortal Martial Artists were almost completely useless!
The Crocodile Demon dominated the battlefield.
Almost no one was its match!
The onlookers stared at the massive, dark figure, their hearts filled with terror.
'This is a Demon!'
'A Demon that ordinary people cannot hope to defeat!'
"Fall back! Get the wounded to safety!"
Just as everyone's spirit was sinking into despair,
a voice full of majesty echoed through the rainy night.
It was as if the voice possessed an invisible power, dispelling the fear in the air and calming the frayed nerves of the crowd.
'The Immortal Master is here!'
For the despairing Mortal Martial Artists, it was as if they had seen a ray of hope.
The oppressive fear and suffocating tension seemed to vanish in an instant.
"Stand back. Get further away so you don't get caught in the crossfire."
Shen Changchuan commanded.
At the same time, he glanced at his grandfather, Han Qinhu, and his uncle, Han Dayong.
'Good.'
'They're badly injured, but at least they're alive.'
"As the Immortal Master commands!"
The men cupped their fists in salute and retreated, carrying the wounded with them.
At this moment,
the wind and rain grew even more fierce.
The Crocodile Demon seemed to recognize the aura of Shen Changchuan, the one who had injured it not long ago. Its pupils turned scarlet, and a furious rage could be seen churning within its eyes.
'Enemy.'
'Revenge!'
It opened its massive maw. Demon Qi gathered, and a ball of water formed within.
The next moment,
BOOM!!!
A Water Arrow as thick as a bucket shot out, fast as the wind and swift as lightning. In the blink of an eye, it crossed dozens of yards, hurtling straight for Shen Changchuan!
The power it contained was so immense it could shatter solid steel!
However,
Shen Changchuan took a light step, his figure moving like a phantom as he shifted several yards to the side.
In that very instant,
the azure light of the water shattered the air where Shen Changchuan had been standing,
but Shen Changchuan's figure was already gone.
The attack missed.
The Water Arrow slammed into the houses behind.
RUMBLE!!!
The Water Arrow annihilated everything in its path. It tore a massive hole straight through a wooden house, sending splinters exploding in all directions like shrapnel!
The terrifying force within the Water Arrow allowed it to pierce through four or five houses in a row before finally dissipating!
This power,
was truly terrifying!
But unfortunately,
no matter how powerful a Talent Magic attack, it was meaningless if it couldn't hit its target.
"Your attack power is strong, but the wind-up for your Magic is too long, and it's too slow!"
Not far away,
Shen Changchuan said leisurely, not caring whether the Crocodile Demon could understand him.
Even before he broke through to the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer, he had told Han Qinhu that if the Crocodile Demon dared to come ashore, he was fully confident he could force it to retreat.
His confidence stemmed from his Light Body Technique, which had reached Level 100 Perfection.
This Magic,
had greatly enhanced Shen Changchuan's agility and speed.
It gave him the ability to dodge the demon's killing blows and kite it from a distance.
It put him in a position where he could not lose!
And now,
his advantage was even greater!
His Spiritual Eye Technique had also reached Level 100 Perfection. The Traits it granted vastly enhanced his vision, allowing him to easily predict the trajectory of the Crocodile Demon's Talent Magic by observing the convergence of its Demon Qi!
With the combination of the attack-predicting Spiritual Eye Technique and the agility-boosting Light Body Technique,
if the Crocodile Demon had no other tricks up its sleeve, the outcome was all but decided.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
Apparently oblivious to the shift in momentum,
the Crocodile Demon angrily unleashed three more Water Arrows, blasting them one after another toward Shen Changchuan.
Its immense power threatened to tear the two-legged beast before it to shreds!
But it was still useless!
Relying on his Perfection Level Spiritual Eye Technique and Light Body Technique, Shen Changchuan moved as if on a leisurely stroll, effortlessly dodging all three attacks.
At the same time,
Shen Changchuan seized the momentary opening when the demon's Demon Qi was depleted right after unleashing its Talent Magic.
He counterattacked!
Wind Blade Technique: Third Layer!
Shen Changchuan raised his hand and unleashed three Wind Blades.
Three successive cyan Wind Blades slashed out, cutting through the air with the faint sound of tearing silk as they flashed through the sky.
They crossed the dozen-odd yards in an instant. The sharp Magical Power attacks, like indestructible blades, struck the Crocodile Demon in a flash!
PSSHT!
Fresh blood splashed.
The sharp Wind Blades sliced through the Crocodile Demon's hide, which was harder than steel!
The Crocodile Demon let out a pained and furious roar.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
Several more Water Arrows swept toward him!
Shen Changchuan's figure flickered, becoming a series of afterimages as he dodged the demon's frantic counterattack.
Meanwhile,
the wounds on the Crocodile Demon's body split open from the strain of forcefully using its Talent Magic again, causing more blood to pour out.
It looked rather pathetic.
But Shen Changchuan's face showed no sign of excitement; instead, his brows furrowed slightly.
'Its defense is this strong?!'
Shen Changchuan was taken aback.
A normal Wind Blade Technique could already cut through steel with ease.
The power of a Perfection Level Wind Blade Technique was on a whole other level.
Even though casting it instantaneously reduced its power to only two-thirds of a fully charged blast,
that was three of those instantaneous Wind Blade Techniques stacked on top of each other!
And yet, the result was only a shallow wound on its body!
'This is troublesome!'
Shen Changchuan realized this was going to be tricky.
'My attack power isn't high enough.'
'It might just escape!'