Chapter 2: The Attack
The monstrous beast that surged out of the water was just a head and part of a body, yet it was already a kilometer long, too immense for belief, like a primordial fierce creature.
Now, this terrifying entity opened its gaping maw, intending to swallow the small boat whole.
"The Black Water Xuan Snake, it's the lord of Mist Magnetic Lake, the Black Water Xuan Snake; damn it, how could we be so unlucky to encounter the Black Water Xuan Snake just as we entered Mist Magnetic Lake."
A group of cultivators howled in panic, some abandoning the boat to attempt flight to the shore, but Mist Magnetic Lake was a no-fly zone, and they fell into the sea.
They then swiftly swam towards the shore.
But it was no use, the Black Water Xuan Snake opened its gaping maw and in one gulp swallowed all the cultivators along with the small boat.
"They're dead, all dead," Fan Lingfeng cried out, his face ashen.
...
"It's the Black Water Xuan Snake, we must retreat quickly."
Daoist Xuan Cheng said in a deep voice, quickly retreating back into the woods, and the others didn't dare delay, swiftly following him into the forest.
This Black Water Xuan Snake was the absolute lord of Mist Magnetic Lake, even powerful cultivators of the Yin Yang Realm of the Human Clan were no match for it; upon seeing it, one could only run for their life.
Luckily, the Black Water Xuan Snake usually didn't leave Mist Magnetic Lake easily; after devouring more than a dozen cultivators, the Black Water Xuan Snake submerged back into the lake and disappeared without a trace.
It was only then that Lin Feng and the others let out a sigh of relief.
Daoist Xuan Cheng said, "This Black Water Xuan Snake is one of the several lords of Mist Magnetic Lake, it normally rarely appears in the periphery of the lake; what madness took it today to come to the outskirts, we don't know. However, do not worry, the Black Water Xuan Snake will soon leave because it also fears being hunted by the powerful cultivators of the Human Clan. It feels safe only in its own lair."
Everyone finally breathed easier.
"Wait here for me." As Daoist Xuan Cheng finished speaking, he entered the forest. Soon after, Daoist Xuan Cheng hunted down a fierce beast and dragged its carcass to the edge of Mist Magnetic Lake, tossing it into the water.
A spiny fish emerged and instantly devoured the beast's carcass.
That was a piranha living in Mist Magnetic Lake.
"The Black Water Xuan Snake has left." Daoist Xuan Cheng waved his right hand, a flash of light, and a small boat appeared in the lake, about five meters long, three meters wide, crafted from an unknown type of wood, its surface branded with a dense pattern of runes.
Daoist Xuan Cheng said, "This boat of mine is arranged with a Demon-Expelling Array. Most fierce beasts and demon beasts wouldn't dare to approach it. But once we enter Mist Magnetic Lake, everyone must not think of leaving the boat; since Mist Magnetic Lake is a no-fly space, even a cultivator of Great Ability cannot fly, and if you leave the boat, you'll fall into the lake, where countless fierce beasts dwell. Think if you truly have the lives to withstand their attacks."
Everyone's spirits were chilled, and some even harboured thoughts of retreat. At that moment, Sun Buping said with a smile, "Having traversed Mist Magnetic Lake seven or eight times without any danger, surely Daoist Xuan Cheng must have found a safe secret pathway, right?"
Daoist Xuan Cheng nodded and said, "You could say that..."
Everyone's eyes brightened, and Lei Ming spoke, "Then we are relying on Daoist Xuan Cheng."
"Taking people's money to protect their safety, since I've taken your money, I will naturally ensure your safety. Get on board."
Daoist Xuan Cheng said.
Everyone expressed their thanks and then boarded the boat one after another.
Meanwhile, the small boat was slowly swaying towards the heart of Mist Magnetic Lake.
"Cousin, look behind us..." Ziyuan pointed behind the boat with a somewhat pale face, only to see a dense swarm of piranhas following closely.
Those piranhas, which could be more than half a meter in length with sharp fangs, could puncture a person's skin in an instant. Even if a cultivator of the Yin Yang Realm fell into the lake and was surrounded by a school of piranhas, they would hardly escape death.
Daoist Xuan Cheng said, "These piranhas are very dangerous, but rest assured, they dare not come close to the boat."
The boat gradually ventured deeper into Mist Magnetic Lake.
And as they delved deeper, the mist around them grew thicker.
Five days later, the boat was attacked by more than a dozen fierce beasts: creatures with the bodies of fish and heads of tigers, known as Tiger Fish, with an extremely ferocious nature, they launched an immensely fierce attack on the boat.
Lin Feng and the others cooperated and finally slaughtered these Tiger Fish.
Daoist Xuan Cheng quickly accelerated the boat using the Array's enhancement, and its speed increased, swiftly leaving the area, while the bodies of a dozen or so Tiger Fish were soon devoured by others of their kind.
But what happened next made Lin Feng and the others' faces turn ugly, as they were subsequently attacked by more than a dozen different fierce beasts, and the frequency of these attacks was getting higher and higher.
Clearly, this was different from what Sun Buping had said; Daoist Xuan Cheng had not led them away from the fierce beasts in Mist Magnetic Lake but seemed to have drawn them into an even more dangerous place.
With a grave voice, Lin Feng said, "Taoist, why do I feel like we've come to the lair of fierce beasts?"
Hearing Lin Feng's words, Lei Ming and others' expressions changed.
Fan Lingfeng shouted even louder in questioning, "Daoist Xuan Cheng, what's going on? When we came here, you assured us that we could avoid the fierce beasts within Mist Magnetic Lake, but now, we're encountering more frequent attacks, and the beasts attacking us are becoming stronger. Shouldn't you give us an explanation?"
The faces of the others looked sour, everyone wearing a gloomy expression as they turned their gaze towards Daoist Xuan Cheng and Sun Buping, feeling as though the two had lured everyone into a trap, though their exact motives were unclear.
"Boom..."
Just then, Lin Feng and the others were attacked again. This time, it was not by fierce beasts, but by a boat over ten meters long with more than twenty cultivators on board.
The leading cultivator, clad in a cyan robe with the appearance of a middle-aged man exuding the aura of a scholar as if well-versed in poetry and literature, spoke with a sinister tone, "Isn't this Daoist Xuan Cheng? What's this? Coming to look for Golden Flame Fruit again? Unfortunately, you're out of luck this time, running into me. Kill all these people."
"You've gone too far, Life-stealing Scholar," Daoist Xuan Cheng replied with a cold shout.
"And where were these words thirty years ago when you, this snotty old Daoist, sneak-attacked me?" sneered the middle-aged cultivator known as the Life-stealing Scholar. With a wave of his hand, his accompanying cultivators all drew their bows and aimed toward Lin Feng and the others, releasing a barrage of arrows that pierced through the Void.
"Not good..."
The complexions of everyone changed drastically; these were not ordinary arrows, but "Magic Arrows" infused with Formations, much more powerful than many magical treasures.
If hit by these arrows, death was almost certain.