Chapter 377: Flowing Sand River, Ferryman
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
This soul war lasted for three days.
When the dust settled, this mental space was already devastated.
The original Nine Nether Giant Wood had already become residue on the ground.
Only the heart of a tree was left, caught in a pitch-black dragon claw.
The black dragon that was flying in the air landed on the ground. Its slender body suddenly shrunk and returned to Jiang Li’s appearance.
He had just transformed back into a human when Jiang Li staggered and almost fell to the ground.
Although they had won the soul battle by luck, the other party had not only cultivated his Essence Soul, but he was also an expert in soul techniques, the Nine Nether Wood. The difficulty was not to be underestimated.
Jiang Li and his clones were already in a terrible state.
The palm-sized fifth clone darted in.
A moment later, the tree soul core slowly transformed into Jiang Li’s appearance.
The final source of the Nine Nether Wood in the graveyard was finally swallowed by Jiang Li’s fifth Parallel Mind.
Then, he circulated the Bodhisattva Heart Sutra and the soul fragments that fell to the ground floated up. They gathered towards the tree heart and were slowly absorbed by the fifth Parallel Mind that had already transformed into the core of the tree soul.
Feeling the soul energy that was replenished, Jiang Li’s mind recovered a little.
…
A few days later, Jiang Li bid farewell to everyone from the Great Mountain Alliance and left the range of the Great Mountain Region.
He rode the Wood Dragon Rayquaza and flew towards a region marked as red danger on the map.
In the Ten Directions Region, there was a huge area that covered an area of about ten times the size of the cultivation world of the Great Mountain Region.
Even on the map of the entire Eastern Region, this Ten Direction Region occupied a considerable area.
However, this area was marked with a striking red color, which meant that such a huge area was filled with fatal danger.
The forces of the Divine Judgment Hall did not envelop this area. They did not recommend ordinary cultivators to enter.
This was because this Ten Directions Region had another name, the Land of Infinite Demons.
It was a dangerous region that was not inferior to the Ghost King Desolate Ground, or even worse.
The ones ruling this place were not human cultivators, Ghost Kings or Ghost Generals, but countless mountain demons.
They occupied the mountains and ruled the land. Humans were only food in their eyes.
This was a paradise where demons danced, but it was a hell where humans were reduced to food.
After disguising himself and putting on the clothes of a rogue cultivator, Jiang Li stood on a large riverside. He looked at the area opposite him that was filled with demonic qi and could not help but sigh.
He had long known that the cultivation world of the Great Mountain Region was actually a very peaceful region.
However, compared to the vast area opposite the river with surging demonic qi, he realized how harmonious his beginner village was.
If that Earth Immortal-level Ghostwood Demon King had not been killed by the lightning back then, the current situation in the cultivation world would probably not be much better than the Ten Directions Region.
Jiang Li did not come here for anything else. His good friend, Yan Hong, had been brought here after he was captured by the Nine Nether Wood in the graveyard.
The fifth Parallel Mind had yet to completely devour the other party, but some information fragments obtained had already pointed out the location of Yan Hong and the others.
The Nine Nether Wood was originally a tree demon. After fleeing from the Mother River, it had somehow ended up here.
In half a year, relying on his extraordinary strength, the other party had established some foundation in the Ten Directions Region.
He had sent all the missing people of the Great Mountain Alliance here.
Firstly, Yan Hong was his good friend. Secondly, he was targeted by the Nine Nether Wood in the graveyard because of Jiang Li.
He could not ignore this.
Therefore, after knowing the location, he flew all the way here until he was stopped by this river.
When he flew in front of the river, he acutely sensed a trace of danger, so he stopped and landed on the river bank.
After some thought, he took out a black talisman from his bosom and quickly folded it in his hand. Soon, a black paper crane formed in his hand.
A breath of spiritual qi blew on it, and the paper crane seemed to have come alive. It flapped its wings and flew towards the river.
The paper crane sent a message through the ancient Maoshan technique originated from the Scripture Storage Valley’s Scripture Imparting Hall. The difficulty of learning it was not high, just like the Divine Technique Demon Awakening Technique. It was easy to learn and the upper limit was not low.
After reaching a high level of profundity, the paper crane could fly across the Three Realms and Six Paths. It was very powerful.
However, this paper crane had only flown for more than a hundred feet when it flapped its wings and began to fly unsteadily.
Soon, the paper crane’s flying height became lower and lower. Even if the spiritual qi on it was not exhausted, after flying for more than a hundred feet, it plunged into the water and was instantly soaked and shattered by the surging river water.
Jiang Li raised his hand again. Green spiritual light flickered, and a wooden stake appeared out of thin air in his hand.
After throwing the wooden stake into the river, the wood could not float in the water. As it churned, it entered the murky river and disappeared.
Then, wooden ships of all shapes and sizes were built and thrown into the water. However, no matter how well designed the ships were, they could not float in the river.
Jiang Li’s expression changed slightly. He approached the river bank and reached out to grab it.
The turbid river water flowed through his fingers, finally leaving a small amount of yellow sand in his hand.
“The Flowing Sand River is 800 li wide, and its water is swift and extremely dangerous. On the Flowing Sand River, the goose feathers will not float, and the reed flowers will sink to the bottom of the river.”
Jiang Li inexplicably recalled these two sentences1.
He wanted to reach the damned place opposite, but he, a dignified Golden Core cultivator, was blocked by the river in front of him.
On the map, this river was really called the Flowing Sand River.
At a glance, this river was only about 200 miles wide. Although the water in the river was a little strange, it was not filled with water.
It was unknown if it was the Flowing Sand River from ancient times, but this river was filled with a strange power.
Forget about floating on the water surface, even flying over the river was impossible.
A natural air restriction domain was really a huge world with all kinds of strange things.
While Jiang Li was scratching his head, a black shadow slowly flowed down from the upper reaches of the Flowing Sand River.
As the black shadow gradually enlarged, Jiang Li saw that it was a bamboo raft floating on the rapid and surging Flowing Sand River.
Jiang Li could not use all kinds of spiritual wood to build a ship just now, but in the end, such an ordinary-looking bamboo raft could easily float on the Flowing Sand River.
As expected, there were methods everywhere.
Cultivation and strength did not mean everything.
There was a sign on the bamboo raft. This should be the professional ferryman here.
“Fellow Daoist, I have 500 spirit stones here. Please give me a ride!” He shouted loudly at the river.
In order to show his sincerity, he even held a medium-grade spirit stone and threw it at the bamboo raft on the river.
How could an ordinary mortal swim on a bamboo raft on the Flowing Sand River?
The medium-grade spirit stone that Jiang Li threw over was not inferior to a cannonball, but it was still grabbed by the other party.
Then, the other party did not take the spirit stones and leave. He floated towards him with the bamboo raft.
“Fellow Daoist, are you crossing the river?” The person on the bamboo raft asked the obvious.
“That’s right. Please assist me.”
Jiang Li opened his palm and placed four medium-grade spirit stones on it.
Crossing the river for 500 spirit stones. Presumably, this price was already quite good.
“Of course I can. However, the river crossing fee is 2,000 spirit stones.”
As if seeing Jiang Li hesitate, the ship owner continued to persuade him, “Fellow Daoist, don’t worry. I, Third Brother He, have been on the raft for twenty years in the Flowing Sand River World. The price has never changed.”
Hearing his words, Jiang Li looked at the sign hanging at the front of the bamboo raft.
It clearly stated that each person would pay 200 spirit stones.
The other party noticed Jiang Li’s gaze and put away the signboard without changing his expression. Then, he continued aloofly, “My bamboo raft can ferry ten people at once. Today, there’s only one person, so the price is naturally 2,000.”
Jiang Li frowned, but he still leaped lightly and stepped onto the bamboo raft.
2,000 spirit stones and 500 spirit stones were actually not much different to him. However, this situation of clearly being cheated still made him a little unhappy.
“Hehe, it is the rule to pay half upfront and the remaining upon reaching.”
The other party still did not let up.
Jiang Li thought for a moment before tossing out nine medium-grade spirit stones.
“Fellow Daoist, stand properly. We’re moving.”
With the depth of the Flowing Sand river, this bamboo pole should not be able to reach the bottom of the river.
However, with just this push, the bamboo raft beneath his feet nimbly turned around and floated towards the opposite shore of the Flowing Sand River.
The river water surged violently, but the bamboo raft was surprisingly stable. Its speed in the torrent was not slow.
In less than fifteen minutes, they could cross the river.
“Fellow Daoist, how’s your business?” Jiang Li asked casually on the ship.
“Fellow Daoist, you must be joking. It’s not considered a business. Each trip I make earns enough for years of expenses.”
The ferryman who was supporting the bamboo raft smiled and did not mind discussing with Jiang Li about his actions of ripping off customers.
He was as thick-skinned as a taxi driver who was extorting customers at night.
“Since it’s so dangerous and business is not easy, why don’t you change your job?”
Jiang Li was not angry. He wanted to see what this person could do.
“Fellow Daoist, you might not know this, but a Nine-Headed Dragon Fish under this river is my old friend. He will harm others, but not me.”
“Other people’s bamboo raft will definitely sink here, but mine won’t.”
It turned out that this was a ferryman who relied on his connections to make a living.
In fact, most of the people on the Flowing Sand River knew great demons in the water. Otherwise, if you paddled above their heads, they would wave their tails and flip you down the river.
“I see. I apologize for my disrespect.”
“Then, Fellow Daoist, can you enlighten me? The ships of the Flowing Sand River sink, and birds fall. Why does your bamboo raft pass steadily on the river?”
This was indeed Jiang Li’s doubt. The effect of the Flowing Sand River was really domineering. In any case, he had yet to find a way to resolve it for the time being.
“Haha, Fellow Daoist, since you asked, I naturally have to answer.”
“8,000 miles north this time, there’s a bamboo forest on the ground. It’s called the Dragonfly Water Bamboo. With this bamboo as a raft, it can naturally travel above the rivers, lakes, and seas.”
So it was a raft made of special bamboo. Everything in the world complemented and countered each other. This had always been the case.
Thinking about the Nine Nether Wood and Ghost Lantern Fish, and thinking about the Armored Troll and Asura Blood, the world was just so magical.
“Fellow Daoist, aren’t you afraid that I’ll snatch your business if you tell me the secret?”
Jiang Li stood at the front of the bamboo raft and turned his head to look at the ferryman holding the pole behind him.
“Fellow Daoist, you might not know this, but only a small segment of the bamboo raft can float on this river. Look, isn’t it the area beneath my feet?”
“Hahaha! Fellow Daoist, we’re in the center of the river now. I won’t take the remaining 1,000 spirit stones.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the boatman used his bamboo pole to raise a rope by the side, and the entire bamboo raft immediately disintegrated.
As he had said, a small bamboo segment continued to float under his feet. The rest were ordinary bamboo. They were swept up by the river water and sank without even stopping for a moment.
It turned out that such a huge bamboo raft was supported by this small bamboo segment.
As soon as the bamboo raft dispersed, Jiang Li, who was standing at the front of the bamboo raft, lost his support and was unable to fly. He could only fall into the water together and sink into the water after a short moment.
No wonder this person would tell Jiang Li everything he knew and tell him all the secrets in their line of work.
It turned out that he had no intention of sending Jiang Li to the opposite shore at all.
This was the deal the ferryman had made with the river demons below.
Half the raft would float while half would sink. The one who sank into the water would become sacrifices for the greater demons in the water.
As for whether the customers stood on the floating half or the sinking half, it all depended on luck.
The 50% success rate was simply too sinister.
“Hehe, what a pity for this generous kid. If I can obtain his belongings, I can make a small profit.”
He shook the bag in his hand. The sound of ten medium-grade spirit stones colliding made him very satisfied.
“Another inexperienced fool. Regret it when you’re in the stomach of Lord Nine-Headed.”
Not only did he take the money and harm people, but he also spoke ill of them behind their backs. This kind of guy was going to swallow a thousand needles in hell.
At this moment, the water beneath the bamboo row began to flow strangely.
Although the Flowing Sand River was usually rapid, he had been on the water for twenty years. The current flow of the water was clearly not right.
Suddenly, his pupils constricted. It seemed that there was a shadow swimming quickly around him underwater.
The huge thing that stirred the water made him break out in a cold sweat.
“Lord Nine-Headed, Lord Nine-Headed! It’s me, I’m Third Brother He! Wait, please put away your divine power!”
Even the Dragonfly Water Bamboo could not withstand the attack of the underwater demons.
He begged for mercy, thinking that he had offended the demon below.
Boom!
In the next moment, a huge head burrowed out of the water and directly lifted up his small bamboo segment, sending him flying.
However, what emerged from the water was not a Nine-Headed Dragon Fish, but a huge black dragon head.
“I didn’t want to go into the water. Did you really think I can’t swim? Have you seen a dragon that can’t swim?”