The water in the stream was not poisoned but was cold and sweet like mountain springwater. The temperature was also suitable, so even if one walked in it, it was just slightly cool and not especially uncomfortable.

Ding Ning slowly stood up from beside the stream and wiped the water from his lips. He knew that this stream was very dangerous.

This stream was too quiet.

Even the cleanest mountain stream, if there were no problems with the water quality, would have some small fish, shrimp and insects, even if they did not have large fish.

But this stream had nothing.

Except for the ordinary aquatic grass at the bottom of the stream, this stream seemed to have no other creatures.

But after thinking for a long time, Ding Ning still stepped forward into the stream and started to wade through the water.

“I originally thought he was different from other people, and did not expect him to be so reckless.” Seeing Ding Ning make the same choice, Jing Liuli shook her head in disappointment and stated coldly.

Behind her, the man in green robes also shook his head and said, “I have a different opinion.”

Jing Liuli frowned slightly. “What kind of opinion?”

The man in green robes looked at her and said, “He wanted to be first in all the previous events, so he will want to be first in this one. Ye Haoran and the others will arrive soon. He is walking the water path not because of recklessness but to save time.”

Jing Liuli’s eyes flashed slightly and then she nodded. “I think you are correct, but he is too conceited.” After a pause she added. “Too much conceit is equal to being too stupid sometimes.”

Hearing her words, the man in green robes smiled slightly. Inwardly, he thought, there likely was not any genius in the world that was not extremely conceited. Are you not the same?

The sunlight was still bright. When one’s skin got used to the temperature of the streamwater, the gentle flow of water had a certain numbing effect.

Xie Changsheng’s attention had been focused on the deep red brambles on the two sides of the stream. The water was not deep. Near the brambles, the water was only knee deep. But when walking among streams, they would be shorter, and their view more obstructed, unable to see into the distance. This meant that one had to get close to see any changes.

“If you arranged something, could you not have them appear sooner? Is it interesting to just watch us?”

“If you feel that this is very interesting, then you are really a freak.”

Xie Changsheng still cursed every once in a while.

Compared to other cultivators, he had less patience. Even more importantly, he was extremely tired. Despite the numbing effect of the gentle water, the wounds created by the thorns still sent waves of pain into his mind with every step. This constant pain would cause people to use more energy and endurance.

In the past, he would have to walk constantly for about twelve hours before he felt unusually tired. But this feeling of exhaustion came six hours early.

When one was extremely tired, their attention would unconsciously decline. Especially when his attention was mostly on the brambles on both sides of the stream. So, when unusual ripples appeared in the calm stream ahead, he did not sense it.

There were many moving shadows under the ripples.

These shadows were very fast. Because they were fast, they were extremely packed. So the moment these shadows came close to Xie Changsheng, Xie Changsheng felt that the sky had darkened. Caught off guard, his first reaction was to look up towards the sky.

“An idiot!”

Jing Liuli’s gaze had remained on Xie Changsheng for a while. Seeing Xie Changsheng’s first response, she sneered. At the same time, her left hand moved slightly, and a dark red short flute appeared in her palm.

The difference of life and death in the cultivator world was just a moment. Xie Changsheng lifting his head, in her eyes, was that moment. So, Xie Changsheng’s reaction was enough to make him die several times.

The man in green robes next to her was frowning deeply with a serious expression. But when he saw the short flute that looked like it was made from ocean coral, he sighed in relief.

Xie Changsheng’s head had yet to look downwards when splashes exploded around him.

The calm stream seemed to instantly explode. Black shadows moved through the water and charged out of the surface to surge towards Xie Changsheng.

Even now, Xie Changsheng did not clearly see what these black shadows were. But he instinctively felt terror. He was so terrified and shocked that the pain of his body seemed to immediately disappear. Only his scalp continued to prickle.

A large flow of water, mixed with mud, sand, and aquatic grasses, exploded underneath him. This was the vital energy of his body unconsciously surging out of his feet. At the same time, his right hand moved towards the sword hilt in front of him at the fastest possible speed.

But at this time, the fastest shadows had landed on him and two of them fell onto his hand that was drawing the sword.

Xie Changsheng gave a tragic scream.

Blood erupted out of his body and his arm.

The front of the black shadows carried fresh blood and meat as they squealed with excitement.

Finally, Xie Changsheng was able to see that these black shadows were black rats!

These black rats were not ordinary rodents. They appeared to be active in the water as their fur was extremely oily and close to their body. Even their large tails were wrapped up in black fur. Ordinary mice could not be this savage and violent.

When the scent of fresh blood spread, the stream in front of Xie Changsheng exploded like countless arrows falling into the water. Countless black shadows moved upwards, and formed a delirious black tide.

Jing Liuli’s fingertip was flowing with vital energy that moved into the short red flute in her hand. However, at this moment, she frowned deeply and stopped moving.

Having screamed, Xie Changsheng finally swung the sword in his hand.

A lonely sword light cut towards the mad black tide ahead of him looking like a weak candle flame that could be extinguished at any moment facing the incoming wild wind.

Even Xie Changsheng himself felt the advent of death. He felt, in the next moment, these violent rats would overrun his body, turning him into white bone.

Woosh!

Yet, unexpectedly, an agitated sound suddenly rang in the air.

This sound made Xie Changsheng immediately think of the Zhao Sword Furnace swords. This sound was very similar to the sound of hot air surging out of the hearth.

In the next moment, his scream suddenly cut off and his eyes went wide.

With white misty sword energy, countless golden lines of fire appeared and ignited the white sword energy.

In front of him, a burning golden cloudy mist swept forward like the tail of the legendary phoenix.

Short screams erupted from the burning golden mist.

Xie Changsheng’s body was flying through the air already. He landed on the brambles on the side. The thin thorns once again stabbed into his legs and body, but he did not feel any pain at this moment.

He was in extreme shock and incredulity.

The burning golden clouds swept across the surface of the stream for dozens of feet. The black rats seemed to burn. He could clearly see the black fur instantly burn up, the rats turning golden yellow, and droplets of yellow fat dripping off.

Why was this happening?

How could this sword cause such golden mist, and make it move an astounding distance?

Xie Changsheng’s breathing ceased. He instinctively looked towards his sword-wielding hand.

He saw his sword give off a crystal light and many golden lines seemed to float out of the sword.

He finally realized that he was not using his usual sword but the sword Ding Ning had asked him to choose.

“The Horned Lion Sword and the White Cloud Monastery’s Cloud Winding sword essence can create such a change?”

Jing Liuli’s eyes reflected the golden light as she narrowed her eyes. She seemed to be speaking to the green-robed man but also to herself.

The man in green robes also showed shock in his gaze. He said in all seriousness, “I do not know.”

“You are the most widely-read person in Min Mountain Sword Sect. I do not think that even Forefather Zhou knows more than you. You do not know, but Ding Ning did. Is this a coincidence?” Jing Liuli turned towards the man in green robes.

“Perhaps, Forefather Zhou fortuitously knew, or he read books from other dynasties. Other than such a coincidence, I cannot think of other possibilities,” the green robed man said with a grimace.

Jing Liuli put away the short red flute in her hand as her gaze moved back to Xie Changsheng in the red plains. Some displeasure appeared in her eyes. She said coldly, “With this sword, he had dogshit luck.”

While she was saying such words, Xie Changsheng felt no sense of good luck. He sensed that the looming death threat had yet to disappear.

The deaths of those rats had not intimidated their fellows. The wild black tide still surged out of the stream towards him.

At the same time, he felt unusual vibrations from further away.