Chapter 0531: Four-Limbed Demon-Eye Serpent
"Heavenly Disaster-class?" Li Luo asked sharply. "Please, tell us more. What did it look like? What abilities did it have? Any defining traits?" This was very important information. A Heavenly Disaster-class Other was huge trouble for them.
"It's quite a coincidence... I was tasked to oversee Riverguard City's defense before our empire was lost," Huang Lou said with a bitter laugh.
"Ah, a commander of defense. Our respects," the First Princess said pleasantly and respectfully.
"Just a humble soldier," Huang Lou said, quickly shaking his head. This girl might have a warm demeanor, but he had his suspicions that she might come from royalty, just from her regal bearing.
"Riverguard City is considered a big city in these parts. Back when the Other Disaster first broke out, it was one of the central locations to which the Others swarmed. There was one Heavenly Disaster-class among their numbers, which we called the Four-limbed Demon-eye Serpent."
"That's four more limbs than snakes usually have," Li Luo quipped.
"Those four limbs have the power to move mountains, it felt like," Huang Lou said soberly. "Most terrifying of all was its single demon eye. All who looked at the eye would be left bereft of any intelligence, reduced to nothing more than a corpse.
"Back then, the Riverguard city lord was a Heavenly Pearl Stage cultivator with three pearls. That was enough to buy enough time for the citizens to escape, but he was eventually defeated as well. That vile beast ate the city lord before the rest of the city." Huang Lou shuddered to himself. He was clearly still badly traumatized by those memories.
Li Luo felt the hair on his arms stand. Eating a Heavenly Pearl Stage expert before the entire city... It must have been extremely demoralizing.
The First Princess and Jiang Qing'e looked unmoved. "Truly a savage monster," the First Princess sympathized calmly.
Her reaction alone was enough to tell Huang Lou that she was definitely stronger than the city lord. And to accomplish that at her age spoke of staggering talent.
"From your description, that seems to be a Lesser Heavenly Disaster-class; otherwise, a three-pearl Heavenly Pearl cultivator would not be able to hold it out for long. But after it ate the city lord, it should be stronger than a five-pearl Heavenly Pearl cultivator now. And in the last few years, it has probably gotten stronger still," Jiang Qing'e said neutrally.
"Still, as a Lesser Heavenly Disaster-class, it should not be beyond us."
Li Luo nodded. The First Princess herself was a seven-pearl Heavenly Pearl cultivator. She alone might well be a match for the Four-limbed Demon-eye Serpent. With Jiang Qing'e's help, the fight should be well in hand.
"Besides the Four-limbed Demon-eye Serpent, are there Others at a similar level?" the First Princess asked.
One Lesser Heavenly Disaster-class was manageable, but if another showed up, they would be in trouble.
Huang Lou hesitated. "I have not been back to Riverguard City since we fled," he admitted. "But I occasionally heard from refugees that the Four-limbed Demon-eye Serpent is ferociously protective of its territory. All threats within its domain were killed and eaten, both human and Others.
"That's why I think it is likely that the Four-limbed Demon-eye Serpent is alone. Of course, it might have other strong underlings with it as well. They will not be easy to deal with," he warned. "I really do not advise you to go there."
The First Princess and Jiang Qing'e did not reply. Riverguard City was their compulsory objective—it was only a matter of time before they would have to go, or they would face a point penalty that might well cost them the championship.
Li Luo smiled at him. "Many thanks for the warning, Commander Huang Lou. I wonder, do you have any other advice to share? Like about this region, and perhaps any notable Others?" Huang Lou considered it for a moment. "A little. We've been here for two or three years after all. The Other distribution is one topic that we track closely to avoid surprise attacks like what you just saved us from..."
He fished out a rough map from his pocket and wrote some information on it. It looked simple and sparse, but even Jiang Qing'e showed some life in her eyes when she saw it. It would save them a lot of precious time and energy.
Li Luo peered at the map. It corroborated the rough guide that their spirit mirror conveyed, so it was probably pretty accurate.
Huang Lou handed the map to the First Princess. "Thank you, Commander Huang Lou. This is very important information for us." With this, they could plan an efficient route to collect points.
Huang Lou waved it away. "You've saved our village, and this is a small repayment. And if you can really clear out those Others, we'll have many less threats to worry about in the future.
"Oh, yes... if you really can clear out Riverguard City, you could go to Thunderpeal Mountain for a look. It's about 150 kilometers southwest of Riverguard City."
"Why?" Li Luo asked.
"There are Thunderpeal Fruits there... one of the famous produce of the Blackwind Empire. Thunderpeal Mountain used to be owned by royalty only, and commoners were forbidden near it. Thunderpeal Fruits were royal treasures, and they bestow mystical properties when refined. It's said that the most talented of cultivators could even create Thunderpeal Avatars from it, which was the mark of royalty back in the day.
"The Thunderpeal Avatar strengthens one's body tremendously for a short period of time with the electric power that the Thunderpeal Fruit grants. Now that the Blackwind Empire is completely ruined and the royal family no longer exists, Thunderpeal Mountain is sure to be an owner-less land. You three have the strength to go there. You can definitely give it a crack. An opportunity, perhaps," Huang Lou said respectfully.
Li Luo made a silent note of this.
The three of them chatted a little more and then prepared to set the cleansing measures.
The three worked separately to lay down other safeguards and then used the special method to plant shining drops of cleansing dew at various points around the village.
The droplets formed a faint barrier of light around the village, and the green-gray mist within it started to dissipate.
With the last drop of dew in place, the entire village was now protected.
The relief was immediate, and the villagers cheered gustily. Some of the elders were so moved that they got down on their frail knees and kowtowed to the three. Only after the terrors they had experienced would they know how precious a free and clear environment was.
Li Luo and the others heaved sighs of relief when their work was done.
"Points are in," the First Princess said, checking the spirit mirror. "Let's go."
Their mission was long and difficult. There was no time to linger here.
Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e nodded, then they cupped fists in farewell to Huang Lou and took their leave.
Li Luo was too slow to keep up, and so the First Princess carried him.
The villagers waved furiously long after they were gone.
In a dim room inside the village, a person lit a joss stick.
The pleasant smell of incense filled the room, and the thin thread of smoke formed a screen.
Within it, figures seemed to be moving.
A whisper of a voice, conveying information.
A moment later, the smoke screen dissipated.
The person who had lit the joss stick folded their arms, and a low voice filled the room.
"The genesis of light and dark are one, good and evil cease as one."