Chapter 350 - 213: Ruo Water

Chapter 350: Chapter 213: Ruo Water

"I’ve never lost."

Su Mu said calmly.

"You talk a big game. I wonder if you have the skills to back it up."

Niu Zhong sneered, "Alright, old man, spit it out. What are your terms?"

"The Demon Court once captured some people from Da Xuan. The stakes for the third challenge will be those people."

Zhu Jiuyuan stated placidly, "If we win, we take those people with us."

"I don’t need the Saint Venerable or the National Preceptor’s approval for this. I can agree to that myself,"

Niu Zhong said.

"State your challenge."

Su Mu looked at it and said slowly.

All the Taiping Captains placed their hands on the hilts of their blades, their gazes fixed on Niu Zhong. A murderous aura filled the air.

Lv Lake shot Tushan Hanyu a meaningful glance. ’See? I told you how ruthless Su Mu is.’

’Over a single disagreement, he snapped the Eighteenth Crown Prince’s arm.’

’That was the Eighteenth Crown Prince we’re talking about!’

’If it had been one of us, our heads would probably be rolling on the ground by now.’

’I told you not to mess with him.’

"For the first challenge, all of you must reach the opposite bank. Every single one of you."

A savage grin spread across Niu Zhong’s face. "The Demon Court will not be providing any boats. If every last one of you can reach the opposite bank within half a day, the Da Xuan Envoy wins. If not, you lose."

"Agreed."

Su Mu wasted no words, walking directly to the edge of the Celestial River.

"Lord Su, be careful! It could be a trap!"

Lu Mingyang whispered, moving to Su Mu’s side.

"I’ve heard that in the untamed wilds, there exists a Ruo Water upon which not even a feather can float. I’m afraid this is that very river,"

Lu Mingyang said.

Su Mu nodded and kicked a dry branch from the bank into the river.

The branch swirled in the rapids for a moment before sinking to the riverbed.

The onlookers’ pupils shrank at the sight.

Niu Zhong roared with laughter at the sight.

"So it really is the Ruo Water."

Lu Mingyang murmured, "Legend says the Ruo Water can support almost nothing, save for one special type of wood.

Where are we supposed to find that wood now?

Even if we did, there’s no way we could build a boat in half a day."

His brow furrowed in frustration, unable to think of any way to cross the river safely.

Just then, a powerful gust of wind hit him, and he looked up to see a pair of wings unfurl from Su Mu’s back.

"Lord Su, don’t!"

Lu Mingyang shouted frantically as he saw Su Mu about to shoot into the sky.

Su Mu glanced back at him.

"The Ruo Water disrupts the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi! You can’t fly over it!"

Lu Mingyang explained hastily.

’If Su Mu fell into the Ruo Water, all hope would truly be lost.’

"HAHA—"

Niu Zhong’s laughter grew even more joyous. "Well, what do you know. Turns out there’s a smart one in the Da Xuan Envoy after all.

That’s right. What flows in this Celestial River is the Ruo Water.

You can’t swim it, you can’t fly over it. I’d love to see just how you plan on getting across."

The members of the Da Xuan Envoy looked at one another in dismay.

’They knew the Demon Court’s first challenge would be strange, but they never expected it to be this difficult.’

’How could a river that looked so ordinary be so impossible to cross?’

With a light tap of his foot and a single beat of his Wind and Thunder Wings, Su Mu shot into the air above the Celestial River.

In that moment, the sky itself seemed to twist.

Vortices formed in the murky yellow air, and Su Mu’s body began to plummet downwards.

Just then, his Wind and Thunder Wings beat furiously twice.

Su Mu wobbled, managing to struggle back to the riverbank.

Retracting his Wind and Thunder Wings, Su Mu stared at the Celestial River.

’It’s true. Above the Ruo Water, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi is chaotic and disorderly. Even my Wind and Thunder Wings lose control, making it impossible to fly straight across.’

’Why is a natural barrier like this located here, of all places? If only this could be a barrier for Da Xuan...’

Su Mu glanced back the way they came. ’It wouldn’t even be that hard,’ he mused. ’Da Xuan would just need to expand its Border Region a few hundred miles outward.’

"So? Ready to give up?"

Niu Zhong gloated from the sidelines. "Just admit defeat, and I’ll have a boat sent over for you right away. All it will cost you is ceding Liang Province to our Demon Court.

For Da Xuan, A State’s Land is nothing..."

"Niu Zhong, you fell into the water just now. Why didn’t you drown?"

Su Mu suddenly looked at Niu Zhong and asked.

"You think you can compare to me? I’m of the Aquatic Race!"

Niu Zhong scoffed. "The Ruo Water doesn’t sink the Aquatic Race. Don’t you even know that?"

"Lord Lu?"

Su Mu looked to Lu Mingyang for confirmation.

"I don’t know if a water buffalo counts as part of the Aquatic Race, but it’s true that the Ruo Water doesn’t sink them,"

Lu Mingyang said.

This was the peculiarity of the Ruo Water, one of the marvels of creation.

Any creature not of the Aquatic Race would be unable to float if they fell into the Ruo Water.

"Perfect."

With that, Su Mu started walking directly into the Celestial River.

"Lord Su!"

"Junior Brother Su!"

Cries of alarm rose from the crowd.

"HAHA, what, you couldn’t figure it out and decided to drown yourself instead? Even if you die, the Da Xuan Envoy still loses.

This challenge requires all of you to reach the other side, without losing a single person."

Niu Zhong roared with triumphant laughter.

Its laughter did not last long. Suddenly, its bovine eyes widened, filled with utter disbelief.

"Th-this... How is this possible?"

Niu Zhong stammered.

The members of the Da Xuan Envoy were also staring in astonishment.

Only Zhu Jiuyuan had started to doze off again, seemingly completely unconcerned with the so-called challenge.

For there, in the Tianhe River Water, Su Mu was swimming.

He hadn’t sunk!

’By all rights, this should be impossible.’

’This was the Ruo Water, not some ordinary river. Knowing how to swim didn’t mean you could stay afloat.’

’Other than the Aquatic Race, no living creature could possibly float in the Ruo Water!’

"Are you... one of the Aquatic Race?"

Niu Zhong couldn’t help but cry out, its eyes fixed on Su Mu as he swam forward in the Celestial River.