"ROAR—!"

An inhuman roar shattered the silence, and the once-deathly quiet reed marsh instantly erupted into chaos.

"Bring it on!"

Zhao Tie bellowed, his muscles bulging like solid rock. He took the lead, swinging his pair of Gua Ling Bright Silver Hammers in a wide arc under the moonlight, generating a suffocating gale.

"Die, you bastards!"

"BANG!"

A dull explosion rang out.

The grotesque, water monkey-like creature at the very front didn’t even have time to scream before half of its head was smashed open like a rotten watermelon.

Black ichor and brain matter splattered everywhere. The creature’s body flew back like a kite with a cut string, traveling thirty feet before crashing heavily into the mire.

"Kill!"

Song Mirror followed close behind. His long saber left its sheath in a flash of cold light, bisecting a creature that was trying to ambush Zhao Tie.

Not to be outdone, the other four team members charged forward as well.

For a moment, the air was filled with a mix of battle cries and the sound of weapons tearing through flesh. The six of them worked in perfect concert, effortlessly holding back the seven or eight creatures.

But in the next instant, everything changed.

"GLUG... GLUG..."

The once-calm surface of the Black Water River began to churn violently, as if it were boiling.

"SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!"

The water erupted, and a foul stench washed over them.

More than a dozen twisted, dark figures burst from the water. They carried the nauseating stench of rot and surged toward the narrow chasm like a black tide.

"How... how are there so many?!"

Xu Hu, who was in the middle of swinging his saber, felt his pupils constrict. His voice trembled.

On their past missions in villages and towns, the black stone lure would attract three to five at most. But this dense swarm... it was like they had kicked a monster’s nest!

From his position behind a reef high above, Su Yu’s gaze was electric as he instantly scanned the horde of monsters crawling out of the water.

Even with his steady temperament, the sight caused his brow to furrow slightly.

These creatures looked like stitched-together monstrosities straight out of a nightmare.

There were Water Spiders covered in long, green hair, resembling sentient seaweed. There were several large, bloated, and pustulent rotten wolves—clearly the animated corpses of wild beasts that had decayed in the water.

The most spine-chilling of all was a bizarre fish the size of a millstone.

It had an enormous fish head with a mouth full of razor-sharp steel teeth, but bizarrely, it also had four pale human arms. It was currently using these four hands to grip the rocks, scrambling upward in a deeply contorted manner.

Su Yu wondered, ’It’s like these creatures are just random corpses from the water pieced together. How did they even come to life?’

"Su Yu, go help them, quickly!"

Cai Yun had lost all trace of her earlier flirtatious demeanor.

Her lovely face was now frosted with coldness, her beautiful eyes filled with killing intent. She gripped her two Water-Splitting Emei Needles in a reverse hold, her Qi and Blood drawn as taut as a bowstring, ready to charge.

"Wait."

A large, warm, and powerful hand suddenly reached out, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her back.

Cai Yun froze, meeting Su Yu’s calm, profound gaze.

"Captain Cai, let me handle this first."

Su Yu’s voice was steady and confident.

As he spoke, his right hand dipped into the deerskin pouch at his waist. In a blur of movement, his fingers had already gripped several sharp-edged Flying Locust Stones.

Su Yu took a deep breath. The Qi and Blood in his body surged like a torrential river, instantly flooding into his fingertips.

"Throwing Stones to Ask the Way!"

"SWOOSH—!"

A sharp whistle cut through the air, even drowning out the roars of the creatures.

In the darkness, a glint of cold light shot out like a meteor chasing the moon, tracing a strange arc through the air before precisely striking the human-armed fish monster.

"CRACK!"

A sickening thud echoed.

The grotesque fish monster, whose power was comparable to a First Acupoint Martial Artist, didn’t even have a chance to dodge. The Flying Locust Stone, carrying terrifying kinetic energy, pierced straight through its hard skull and blasted a bowl-sized hole out the back of its head.

Black blood sprayed!

The massive monster’s body was thrown backward as if struck by a battering ram, sending two Water Spiders behind it tumbling away.

"That..."

Cai Yun’s beautiful eyes went wide, and her mouth formed an ’O’ of utter disbelief.

’What an overbearing hidden weapon technique!’

From dozens of yards away, a single Flying Locust Stone had the impact of a heavy crossbow bolt!

However, Su Yu’s performance had only just begun.

"SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!"

His expression was stern, his hands moving like butterflies flitting through flowers.

One Flying Locust Stone after another shot out, weaving a web of death in the air.

"SQUELCH!"

A Water Spider that had leaped to ambush Zhao Tie had its black stone core shattered mid-air and fell screaming into the mud.

"CRACK!"

A rotten wolf had just opened its massive maw when a Flying Locust Stone shot precisely down its throat. The Power behind it erupted, directly snapping its spine.

Every one of Su Yu’s throws was accompanied by the fall of a creature. These monsters, with their astonishing defenses, were as fragile as paper before his Flying Locust Stones, which were infused with armor-piercing spiral Traits.

In just a dozen breaths, more than half of the dozen-plus creatures that had been charging so ferociously had fallen, either dead or crippled!

The pressure on the battlefield below eased dramatically.

The team members, who had been struggling to cope, were all a bit stunned as they watched their enemies suddenly drop dead before them.

"That’s just insane..."

Xu Hu cut down a heavily wounded rotten wolf in front of him, then couldn’t help but look up at the black-clad figure above. His eyes were filled with shock. "Captain Su’s hidden weapon skill is more effective than all six of us combined!"

"Of course it is!"

Xie Yun thrust her sword. "His reputation precedes him! Captain Su is famous throughout Black Stone City for a reason. He didn’t earn that fame for nothing! With him here, this mission is in the bag!"

Song Mirror was also shocked, his mind reeling. ’The captain’s Flying Locust Stone technique has gotten even stronger. This is terrifying.’

With Su Yu taking action, the two waves of creatures were quickly all but wiped out by the group.

The air was thick with the stench of rot and blood.

Before anyone could even catch their breath, the Black Water River below erupted once more.

"SPLASH—!!!"

With a tremendous noise, something enormous burst from the water.

A giant black shadow, throwing up a curtain of water, slammed heavily onto the riverbank.

It was a grotesque Spider Monster, more than two men tall!

Its body was pitch-black, and its eight bristly legs were like lances planted in the mire. On its abdomen, a pale, twisted human face writhed continuously, letting out an eerie laugh.

"It’s a grotesque Spider Monster!" Song Mirror recognized it at a glance. Su Yu had killed one on a previous mission, but this one seemed even stronger!

Zhao Tie was the closest. Before he could even raise his hammers, one of the Spider Monster’s forelegs swept toward him like a black bolt of lightning.

"BANG!"

Zhao Tie only had time to cross his Gua Hammers in front of his chest before he was sent flying as if hit by a galloping horse, slamming into a moss-covered boulder on the bank.

"Cough, cough!" Zhao Tie coughed up a mouthful of bloody spittle and shouted a warning, "Be careful! This beast’s strength is immense! It’s on par with a Second Acupoint!"

"Move aside, I’ll take it!"

A sharp cry came from above.

Cai Yun immediately made her move. Her figure was as nimble as a swallow as she leaped down from the tall reef, her pair of Water-Splitting Emei Needles tracing two piercing arcs of cold light in the moonlight.

"Creature, die!"

While still in mid-air, Cai Yun twisted her body unnaturally, dodging the spear-like foreleg swung by the grotesque Spider Monster. Her twin needles struck like a viper’s fangs, aiming straight for the monster’s abdomen.

"CLANG! CLANG!"

Sparks flew.

The Spider Monster reacted with incredible speed, crossing two of its forelegs to block the attack, producing the clang of metal on metal.

Cai Yun didn’t pause after landing. Using her Body Technique, she became a red afterimage, circling and engaging the massive Spider Monster. Her attacks were vicious and aimed from cunning angles, targeting its joints and weak spots. For a moment, she managed to keep the behemoth completely tied down.

However, the Spider Monster’s hide was thick and its eight legs served as both offense and defense. Though Cai Yun was agile, she couldn’t find a way to finish it off quickly. Instead, she was nearly hit by its spear-like legs several times.

"On its stomach! That human face is the weak point!"

From above, Su Yu’s calm voice called out the reminder. At the same time, a Flying Locust Stone shot from his hand, whistling through the air.

"THUD!"

The stone accurately struck the Spider Monster’s abdomen.

"SCREECH—!"

The Spider Monster let out a piercing shriek, its attack rhythm instantly falling into disarray.

"Good chance!"

Cai Yun’s eyes lit up. Seizing the fleeting opening, she closed the distance, her twin needles crisscrossing as she viciously stabbed at the twisted human face.

"SQUISH!"

The twin needles plunged in. The human face was wounded and let out a bloodcurdling scream as thick black smoke billowed from it.

Cai Yun let out a sharp, appreciative laugh and seized the opportunity, continuing her relentless assault on the grotesque Spider Monster.

With Su Yu’s precise long-range support, the two of them—one at a distance, one up close—coordinated seamlessly. It looked as if they were about to slay the powerful creature on the spot.

But just then—

"GLUG-GLUG-GLUG..."

The water’s surface by the riverbank exploded once again.

A terrifying aura surged forth!