The River God Cave was a shrine built around a natural cavern.
A massive stone statue of the River God had been carved directly into the cave wall. Prayer banners of various sizes hung everywhere, several large incense burners burned continuously, and in front of a bronze sacrificial altar was a deep underground pit where offerings of livestock had been placed.
A young girl in blue robes with snow-white hair knelt bound at the edge of the cavern entrance.
She had already drunk the "Soul-Purifying Soup," leaving her consciousness hazy and unfocused.
Around twenty to thirty people were gathered there. Besides the elderly village chief, leaning on a long staff with his head full of white hair, and ten sturdy guards wearing red headbands, the rest were River God priests dressed in ceremonial robes.
The time had come.
The River God ritual began.
Twelve priests rang bells and blew horns.
An aged high priest raised his voice and recited the prayer:
> "On this auspicious day, we offer sacrifice to the River God.
The animals are prepared, the wine cups overflow.
The maiden is pure, her heart filled with reverence.
We offer her with utmost sincerity, praying for peace and prosperity."
> "We implore the great River God to witness our devotion, accept this humble offering, and grant blessings upon our village."
> "May the River God protect our crops, bless us with favorable weather, and ensure plentiful harvests year after year."
> "May the River God safeguard our people and grant everlasting fortune and peace."
...
> "Today's sacrifice proves our sincerity!"
> "We humbly beg the River God to accept it!"
The mournful chants echoed sharply through the cave.
All the villagers knelt devoutly.
A burly man stepped forward, preparing to push Sophie into the bottomless pit below.
"Let that girl go!"
A young man descended from above, interrupting the ceremony.
The old village chief and the others were first startled, then immediately enraged.
"What's going on?"
"Who is he? How did he get in here?"
"The River God ceremony is sacred! How dare an outsider trespass and defile it? Seize him immediately!"
The ten red-headed guards rushed forward with wooden staffs. Though merely villagers, they had practiced some martial arts and were each around Tier 1, Three-Star strength.
That level of power might intimidate ordinary people.
But it meant nothing to Bianca.
If she truly wanted to kill them, she could defeat them all within moments.
The old village chief spoke again in a cold, aged voice:
"The ritual cannot be interrupted. Throw the sacrifice down immediately!"
It was already too late.
Amid the shocked cries of the Adventurers, Sophie was pushed into the endless abyss.
"You idiots!"
Bianca no longer bothered with the villagers. She kicked off the cave wall and leapt over their heads like a soaring bird, diving straight into the underground pit after Sophie.
Soon afterward, Bianca landed steadily.
This was a massive underground limestone cavern.
The muffled roar of underground water echoed endlessly, accompanied by the constant sound of dripping water.
A dark subterranean river wound through the cave, while towering stone pillars stood everywhere like a forest of rock, creating a maze-like environment. Sharp stalactites and stalagmites covered both the pillars and the ceiling.
Though it was deep underground, sunlight filtered in through cracks in the rocks, preventing the cave from becoming completely dark.
"Wake up!"
Bianca helped Sophie up and shook her awake.
"Ah… young traveler… why are you here? Is this…"
"That's right. This is the River God's lair, and I came here to save you."
Sophie found it hard to believe.
Ever since childhood, she had been treated as a cursed omen. Whenever something bad happened in the village, people blamed her.
Growing up in such an environment had made her timid, insecure, and submissive.
She never expected anyone to risk their life for her.
For a moment, she felt both touched and guilty.
"I volunteered to become the sacrifice…"
Sophie quickly added,
"This place is very dangerous. Before the River God arrives, you should leave!"
Bianca sneered.
"What River God? It's just a demon. I've studied Arcane Mystic Arts for years, and I came here specifically to kill it."
What?
This young mage intended to challenge the mighty River God?
Sophie had lived in Moon River Village her entire life. Like the other villagers, she had always believed the River God's demands were unquestionable.
But before she could speak—
A gigantic sphere of water suddenly blasted toward Bianca.
Caught completely off guard, Bianca felt as if she had been struck by a cannonball and was hurled more than thirty feet away.
"Young traveler!"
Sophie cried out in alarm.
"I already said before… no boys, only girls. Yet those fools in the village acted on their own…"
An elderly man with a stout body, bulging eyes, and an ugly face slowly emerged from the shadows.
He wore luxurious robes and carried a long staff. Though an eerie aura surrounded him, his appearance was not too different from an ordinary human.
The Adventurers were stunned.
"What's going on?"
"That's the River God?"
"Wasn't the River God supposed to be a monster?"
"He can transform into a human?"
...
While everyone stared in shock, the elderly River God waved his staff gently.
Streams of water shot out behind him like tentacles, wrapping around Sophie and dragging her before him.
Without hesitation, he began draining her life essence.
Yet the moment he absorbed even a small amount, a horrifying burning sensation erupted throughout his body.
The River God screamed in agony.
"What is this?!"
His skin instantly blistered with severe burns.
The pain forced him to release Sophie as he rolled across the ground roaring furiously.
"What's happening?!"
"It burns!"
"These villagers tried to kill me!"
"This is a trap!"
...
The River God could no longer maintain his human disguise.
His body expanded dozens of times in size, transforming into a monstrous creature with the head of a fish and the body of a dragon. Its skin was dark green, scales covered its back, and long whiskers hung beside rows of razor-sharp teeth.
"What just happened?"
Bianca recovered from the sneak attack.
The watching Adventurers were equally shocked.
Time Traveler said,
"Sophie definitely isn't ordinary. She must possess some special power if even a Millennium River Drake can't absorb her energy."
"You will all die!"
The drake, heavily injured and enraged, condensed another massive water cannon and fired it toward Sophie.
"Leaf Dance Technique!"
Bianca immediately cast a spell, summoning countless emerald leaves from thin air. They spiraled around Sophie like a whirlwind and instantly carried her several yards away.
Boom!
The water cannon missed, smashing through a stalactite pillar nearly seven feet thick.
Bianca formed hand seals.
"Ancient Wood, heed my call! Thousand Leaves, become blades!"
The emerald leaves transformed into razor-sharp projectiles, slashing toward the River Drake from every direction.
"This is Arcane Mystic magic?!"
The drake became even more furious.
First came the strange girl whose body had burned him.
Now a young Arcane Mystic mage had appeared as well.
These villagers clearly intended to destroy him!
"You insolent brat dares challenge me? Die!"
The Millennium River Drake roared thunderously.
A surge of freezing energy burst from its body, instantly freezing the leaves before shattering them into dust.
The next moment—
Dozens, even hundreds, of water bullets fired like machine-gun rounds.
Bianca immediately used the stone pillars as cover.
The drake opened its jaws and unleashed another massive water cannon, obliterating the pillar.
Bianca reacted quickly, darting behind another pillar while dodging the relentless barrage.
"Let's see how long you can keep hiding!"
The drake roared again.
It summoned a gigantic wave from the underground river, shaping it into a massive hand that slammed down toward Bianca.
Several stone pillars shattered instantly.
The torrent swept Bianca into the cave wall and pinned her there.
The Adventurers outside were stunned.
Combat in the Sui and Tang chapter relied heavily on magic, making the battles visually spectacular.
"What terrifying power!"
"This drake's magic is stronger than Ethan's!"
"A monster hiding in a small village is already this powerful… I can't imagine how dangerous the Central Plains really are!"
...
Bianca had already been injured by the crushing wave.
This is bad.
If I can't turn this around, I'll definitely lose!
What should I do?
Ethan possessed countless spells in his memories.
But while Ethan had learned many forms of Arcane Mystic magic, he was still young and inexperienced. Bianca's synchronization with him wasn't high enough to use everything perfectly in combat.
At that moment—
The drake prepared another water cannon to finish her off.
Suddenly, an ancient bronze pot flew out from Bianca's side.
"What is that?"
The drake fired a water cannon at it, but the bronze pot remained undamaged.
Then the lid opened.
A horrifying green-faced creature with fangs and a single horn emerged.
"It's a Flying Fiend!"
"That's the monster Bianca captured earlier with the Demon Refining Pot!"
At the critical moment, Bianca had used the Demon Refining Pot to summon a monster she had captured earlier inside Moon River Cave.
The Flying Fiend looked grotesque and terrifying. Its horn could pierce armor, its jaws could bite through steel, and it could spray poisonous miasma.
When Bianca first encountered it, she had suffered badly.
Of course, the creature itself wasn't especially powerful.
It was only around Tier 1, Four- or Five-Star strength.
It couldn't truly threaten the River Drake.
But right now, even a brief distraction was enough.
The River Drake manipulated streams of water into razor-sharp blades.
With a single strike, it sliced the Flying Fiend cleanly in half.
At that same moment, Bianca unleashed another spell.
Several silver needles shot past the drake and struck its shadow.
"Shadow-Sealing Needles!"
An invisible restraint immediately locked down the drake's entire body.
The Millennium River Drake was both shocked and enraged.
Its nearly thousand years of cultivation had actually been restrained by a spell cast by a mere young mage!
This brat was definitely no ordinary Arcane Mystic disciple!
Bianca knew the restraint would only last a few seconds.
She rapidly formed another set of hand seals.
"Wildwood Tempest!"
The ground and walls around the drake cracked apart as enormous trees erupted outward in a frenzy.
The massive roots and trunks wrapped around the drake's body, damaging it while forming a gigantic wooden cage that further suppressed its movements.
After casting the spell, Bianca felt intense exhaustion spread through her body.
My mana is already more than half depleted.
I need to finish this now!
Bianca drew the treasured sword from her back.
Gathering all her strength into one strike, she unleashed the Arcane Mystic Sword Art:
"Crossing Blade!"
A massive arc of sword energy slashed across the drake's body.
The blade scraped against its nearly indestructible scales, producing deafening cracking sounds.
A huge wound tore open across the drake's body as blood gushed everywhere.
The attack severely wounded it—
But still failed to kill it.
At that moment, the drake regained its mobility.
"You filthy mage… damned Arcane Mystic disciple… how dare you wound me so badly…"
"This will not end here!"
As it roared, the drake activated an escape technique.
Its enormous body transformed into flowing water, slipping free from the wooden cage before merging into the underground river.
"Damn it!"
Bianca tried to stop it, but she was too late.
The underground river exploded with violent waves once more, collapsing over a dozen stone pillars at once.
The cave began rapidly collapsing.
Once the drake escaped into the river, catching it would become nearly impossible.
The cavern shook violently.
This place won't hold much longer!
Bianca had no choice.
She grabbed the unconscious Sophie and fled the collapsing cave.
The battle ended without a decisive victor.
But the surrounding Adventurers were completely amazed.
White Crane Scholar commented,
"That drake definitely has Tier 3 strength!"
San Zhu nodded.
"If Bianca hadn't possessed one of the Ten Divine Artifacts, the Demon Refining Pot, this battle would've ended in disaster."
"So close!"
"She almost killed it!"
"That monster's scales are absurdly tough. Against a normal creature, that sword strike would've been fatal!"
...
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