Chapter 709: Heaven-Suspended Sea

The Demon Cultivators were either dead or had fled.

Soon, only three remained.

Just then, Golden Meng Water Monarch’s eyes flickered, and his voice softened as he suddenly spoke:

“The others have done their best, but alas, they only made it halfway down. I hope you two will persevere. Once this is done, I will reward you handsomely!”

As Jin Meng spoke, he subtly shifted his position.

It was no coincidence that he was now blocking their path of retreat.

“I trust you two won’t disappoint me, will you?”

“No problem! As long as the Water Monarch keeps his promise,” Lü Zhong said, pretending not to notice.

With that, he plunged headfirst into the Jade Water Abyss.

Meanwhile, Jin Yuan hesitated for a moment before summoning a layer of golden light. After revealing his true form, he too followed them into the Jade Water Abyss.

But to his surprise, a Flood Dragon Tail came sweeping toward him the moment he entered.

Lü Zhong whipped his tail, viciously lashing Jin Yuan. Before the latter could react, Lü Zhong charged forward, his Flood Dragon Claw shooting out to grab the Golden Water Ape’s heart.

‘The reason I’m doing this is because this whole act is just a front.’

‘Rather than have my cover blown later, I might as well muddy the waters now.’

‘This will also drag the Golden Meng Water Monarch down here. It’ll stop him from conserving his strength on the shore, waiting to swoop in and take everything after I finish off this Water Monkey.’

Sure enough, Lü Zhong’s tactic worked.

His fierce assault didn’t injure Jin Yuan, but it did successfully provoke the Golden Meng Water Monarch.

Amidst the churning water, a giant golden beast came into view. It strongly resembled a mammoth, except its four limbs were fins, its skin was smooth and unwrinkled, and it lacked a long trunk.

“Shui Lan, what are you doing!” the Golden Meng Water Monarch roared furiously.

Though he didn’t know why Lü Zhong had suddenly attacked, he had to get the treasure in the Jade Water Abyss. He had no choice but to change his plan, intervening to stop the crazed Water Flood Dragon from actually killing Jin Yuan.

Golden light immediately shot from his eyes as a sheet of golden haze swept forth, aiming to eliminate Lü Zhong.

Seeing his goal was achieved, Lü Zhong dropped his disguise. He donned the Giant Spirit Mask, and his body abruptly swelled to several times its size, transforming into a massive, three-hundred-zhang-long flood dragon.

With a swipe of his Flood Dragon Claw, the golden haze instantly shattered.

He then formed a hand seal and pointed at the fleeing Jin Yuan.

Lightning flared as countless bolts materialized from the Void. The churning water was instantly dyed a deep azure, and the bolts began to strike indiscriminately.

“A Thunder Skill! You’re an Immortal Cultivator,” the Golden Meng Water Monarch cried in alarm.

Lü Zhong ignored him completely and unleashed the Green Cauldron Sword.

The Flying Sword forced its way through the water, quickly caught up with Jin Yuan, and began to harry him. A Flying Sword’s power was significantly reduced underwater, but the strength of a Great Cultivator was more than enough to compensate.

After just a few passes, the Water Monkey was covered in wounds.

Lü Zhong then made a single-handed gesture, summoning the Six-sided Flood Dragon Spirit Banner. It circled around him, blocking and shredding the golden beams shot from the Light-Splitting Water Eye.

‘My intuition is telling me this golden light is extremely dangerous. I’d better not let it hit me.’

In an instant, the two exchanged dozens of blows.

Discovering Lü Zhong’s true strength, the Golden Meng Water Monarch’s heart sank to the abyss. The Immortal Cultivator before him was also a Great Cultivator. Even though his power was greatly diminished underwater, he was still fighting on even terms.

“AHH!” A pained scream rang out.

It was Jin Yuan. Unable to hold on any longer, he had been beheaded by a streak of green light.

“Damn it!” Seeing this, the Golden Meng Water Monarch was overcome with regret.

‘All that scheming, and it was for nothing.’

‘I should have just taken the risk myself. I’d probably have the treasure by now.’

Yes, the Golden Meng Water Monarch had the strength to dive into the Jade Water Abyss and retrieve the treasure himself. But his innate caution made him prefer scheming to lower the risks involved.

He never expected to attract such a wild card.

With Jin Yuan dead and his plan a total failure, the Golden Meng Water Monarch was naturally enraged. He flung out a hand, and a ball of emerald-green light shot forth, knocking the Green Cauldron Sword aside.

Then, his lips moved, and a BUZZING noise emanated from the ball of light.

Ripples of sound waves followed, appearing harmless but containing immense power.

Lü Zhong dared not face it head-on. But here in the Sea Abyss, not only was the Thunder Escape Technique unusable, but even the Shooting Star Escape was impossible to cast.

With the power of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, it was impossible to repel the water. Forcibly casting the technique wouldn’t necessarily kill him, but parts of his body would certainly merge with the surrounding water.

Fortunately, he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. He raised his hand and once again unleashed “Thunder Swamp.”

The sound waves naturally dissipated amidst the spreading lightning.

Before the Golden Meng Water Monarch could react, the giant flood dragon burst from the roiling bubbles and grappled with the Golden Mongolia Green-eyed Beast. Relying on his Magical Body Transformation, Lü Zhong began trading injuries with the Water Monarch. But his opponent was the Golden Meng Water Monarch, after all, one of the foremost Great Demons under the Great Saint, and he didn’t suffer any significant losses.

“Stop! If you leave now, I swear on my honor that I will not pursue this matter!” the Golden Meng Water Monarch yelled.

“Heh, and let Great Saint Jin Guang deal with me later, right?” Lü Zhong retorted sarcastically. He said no more, his attacks growing fiercer, each strike aimed at a vital point.

‘I’ve already made up my mind. The Golden Meng Water Monarch must die here.’

“You’re courting death!”

Seeing Lü Zhong refuse to stop, the Golden Meng Water Monarch flew into a rage. A series of CRACKS erupted from his body as he abandoned all thought of conserving his strength to retrieve the treasure later. Instead, he began channeling all his power into the ball of light.

A cyan light flashed, and the orb reappeared before Lü Zhong.

With a dull THUD, it collided head-on with the Black Flood Dragon Banner.

In an instant, a vacuum bubble formed in the water.