17: Chapter 18 The Flowing Sand River II

The three disciples sat on the giant rock, deep in thought for a long time.

Their gazes fell in unison upon the turbulent Liusha River below, their hearts heavy.

Just a moment ago, their Master, Tang Seng, had been snatched into the water by the monster in the river.

Now there was no sign of him, and if they delayed any longer, they feared for their Master's life.

Monkey King scratched his ears and cheeks, his Fiery Eyes fixed on the churning black water of the river surface.

He muttered incessantly, "This river monster is no weakling, and its aquatic skills are exceptionally refined. My underwater abilities are ultimately lacking; this is truly troublesome!"

Pigsy carried his Nine-toothed Rake, his fat face scrunched up as he sighed as well. "Monkey Brother, although I can Move in the water, the undercurrents of this Liusha River are rapid. The monster also holds the geographical advantage. If we rush down, I fear we won't fare well. We must think of a foolproof plan."

Only Ao Lie stood to the side, his expression calm, though a hint of deep thought was hidden in his eyes.

He wore a simple white robe and had long since transformed into a stable human form, his face handsome.

His Aura was restrained, making him look no different from an ordinary Mortal Cultivator.

No one could tell he was from the Dragon Clan, much less know that he possessed the Heaven-Defying power of the Shadow Monarch within him.

In this Journey to the West world, Ao Lie knew very well that his current cultivation was only at the Mystic Immortal Realm.

Yet the Sand Monk in this Liusha River was a genuine expert at the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm.

Relying solely on his own strength to go up against him would be suicide.

His enemies were never these monsters on the journey west, but the high and mighty Buddhas of the West and the gods of the Celestial Court.

Once his trump cards were exposed, it would surely invite a catastrophic disaster, so he had always remained patient and low-key.

He never easily displayed his edge, relying on his fellow disciples and the Shadow Servants under his command for everything.

Fortunately, Monkey King and Pigsy had long known of his special abilities, so there was no need for further explanation.

At this moment, Ao Lie raised his eyes to look at the two of them and spoke slowly, "Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, saving people is urgent. We have a way to handle things underwater."

Monkey King's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned to look at Ao Lie. "Brother White Dragon, you have an idea? Speak quickly!"

"I am of the true Dragon Clan form and am naturally adept at controlling water. No matter how fierce the water of the Liusha River is, it cannot harm me in the slightest."

Ao Lie's tone was indifferent. He flipped his hand, and a precious garment glowing with a soft, white light appeared in his palm.

"This is the Water-Avoiding Garment of my Dragon Clan. Once worn, you can walk freely in the water without fearing water pressure or undercurrents. Second Senior Brother, you should put it on."

Pigsy hurriedly took the Water-Avoiding Garment and deftly put it on.

Instantly, he felt the water vapor around him part automatically, and his whole body felt light. He was so delighted that he cheered repeatedly, "Thank you, Brother White Dragon! This treasure is truly useful!"

Following this, Monkey King patted his chest and said confidently, "Old Sun has his own Water-Avoiding Incantation. Reciting the incantation allows me to come and go freely underwater!"

The three immediately finalized the plan, with Ao Lie leading the way, using his familiarity with water to control the river's undercurrents.

Monkey King utilized the Water-Avoiding Incantation to unleash his full combat power, while Pigsy followed closely behind, wearing the Water-Avoiding Garment.

The three immediately descended into the river, heading straight for the bottom to rescue Tang Seng.

Having set their plan, the three no longer delayed and leaped into the turbulent Liusha River.

Sure enough, after entering the water, a faint Dragon Qi automatically emerged around Ao Lie, and the river water frantically gave way.

He moved in the water as if walking on flat ground, his eyes sharp, and he instantly locked onto the direction of the demon cave at the bottom of the river.

Pigsy, wearing the Water-Avoiding Garment, felt no trouble from the water pressure and followed closely, carrying his Nine-toothed Rake.

Monkey King recited the Water-Avoiding Incantation, gripped his Golden Cudgel, and scanned the surroundings with his Fiery Eyes, wary of a surprise attack from the monster.

As they approached the demon cave, a fierce black shadow rushed out, wielding a demon-subduing staff. It was none other than Sand Monk, who had abducted Tang Seng.

He was shrouded in water vapor, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light. He stared at the three and shouted sternly, "What kind of minor deity has come to trespass on my Liusha River territory? Retreat immediately, or don't blame my staff for being heartless!"

At this time, Tang Seng had already been knocked unconscious by Sand Monk and tossed into the depths of the demon cave.

He was completely unconscious, which saved Ao Lie and the others the trouble of concealment; no matter how big a commotion they made next, Tang Seng would not notice.

Sand Monk swept his gaze over the three, sensing the Immortal Qi on Monkey King and Pigsy.

However, he did not take Ao Lie, who appeared to have low cultivation, seriously, merely regarding him as an ordinary follower Cultivator.

He immediately swung his staff, smashing toward the three with overwhelming Demonic Qi.

The pressure of the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm instantly permeated the entire river bottom.

Monkey King's eyes turned cold, and he immediately raised his Golden Cudgel to meet it, the Golden Cudgel growing larger in the wind.

It collided fiercely with the demon-subduing staff, producing a deafening roar, and the river water instantly churned ceaselessly.

But Sand Monk's cultivation was profound, and after only a few rounds, Monkey King gradually fell into a disadvantage.

Seeing this, Pigsy hurriedly swung his Nine-toothed Rake to assist.

Yet even with the two of them joining forces, they were still locked in an evenly matched battle with Sand Monk, and they could not capture him for the time being.

Ao Lie stood in the back, watching the battle coldly. Seeing his fellow disciples gradually struggling, he knew the time had come.

He remained calm, quietly condensing a wisp of Shadow Power at his fingertips.

Faint black shadow patterns instantly appeared on the ground around him, his Aura restrained to the extreme.

It did not attract any attention from the secret monitors of the Celestial Court and the West in the distance.

Following this, he moved his mind and whispered, "Little Black, Shadow Servant, Tiger Overlord, appear!"

As his voice fell, three pitch-black shadow rays instantly erupted from behind Ao Lie, and the black shadows dissipated.

Three burly Shadow Servants stood prominently at the bottom of the river, their bodies surrounded by chilling shadow effects, imposing and majestic, yet carrying an Aura of dead silence.

On the left, the Black Bear Spirit was covered in pitch-black fur and had a sturdy build; this was the Little Black Ao Lie spoke of, his body surrounded by black wind.

In the middle, the Yellow Wind Monster had sharp eyes, his chest slightly puffed out, and wind surged around him; this was Shadow Servant.

On the right, the Tiger Vanguard had a lithe build, his tiger roars echoing, his Aura fierce; his name was Tiger Overlord.

These three were all top-tier combatants among the two thousand two hundred Shadow Servants under Ao Lie's command.

Summoned at this moment, they all lunged toward Sand Monk!

Seeing this, Monkey King and Pigsy understood tacitly and immediately withdrew.

They handed the battlefield over to the Shadow Servants; they had long known of Ao Lie's Shadow Monarch power.

They knew these Shadow Servants were powerful, so there was no need to ask more; they just needed to cooperate.

As for the two of them, they headed into the cave to look for that bald donkey.

Sand Monk looked at the three shadow figures that appeared suddenly, his brows furrowed tightly.

A sense of crisis inexplicably rose in his heart. He swung his staff, striking first at the Black Bear Spirit closest to him.

"Little Black, manifest your true form and suppress him!" Ao Lie ordered in a deep voice.

The Black Bear Spirit roared to the sky, instantly transforming into a hundred-foot-tall black bear true form, his massive body blocking the entire river bottom.

Relying on his overwhelming size, he smashed directly into Sand Monk.

At the same time, he activated his Divine Ability to Move forward, his figure transforming into a gust of black wind.

He nimbly avoided Sand Monk's attack and instead launched a surprise attack from the side.

Sand Monk was forced to retreat repeatedly by the Black Bear Spirit's massive body; before he could steady himself...

Shadow Servant had already stepped forward, his chest suddenly puffing out. Gathering all his Demonic Qi, he blew out a mouthful of Samadhi Divine Wind!

This Samadhi Divine Wind had infinite power, the wind fierce, carrying an Aura of destroying heaven and extinguishing earth.

Even in the water, its power did not diminish in the slightest, blowing so hard that Sand Monk's blood and Qi churned throughout his body.

His protective Demonic Qi instantly collapsed; if he were a Mortal, he would have long since been blown away, his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

Sand Monk was hit by the Samadhi Divine Wind, his figure pausing as he fell into an instant state of paralysis. Tiger Overlord seized the opportunity.

He unleashed his innate Divine Ability, the Cicada Shedding its Shell, leaving a substitute in place while his true form transformed into intangible Qi.

He circled behind Sand Monk, raised his sharp claws, and slashed fiercely at Sand Monk's back!

Four figures besieged one person: the Black Bear Spirit's Physical Body suppression and black wind surprise attack, Shadow Servant's Samadhi Divine Wind control, and Tiger Overlord's precise sneak attack.

They cooperated seamlessly. Even though Sand Monk had the cultivation of the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm.

Facing such an airtight siege, he gradually ran out of stamina and was full of openings.

Ao Lie stood in the back, his eyes calm, continuing to control the Shadow Servants in the dark, not giving Sand Monk any chance to breathe.

His own cultivation was weak, so he never made a Move, only commanding from the shadows, pushing his patience and low-key nature to the extreme.

He let the Shadow Servants attack with all their might while he remained hidden in the back, not exposing even a trace of unnecessary Aura.

In less than half an incense stick of time, Sand Monk was covered in wounds, his Demonic Qi scattered, and he was no longer able to resist.

The Black Bear Spirit seized the opportunity to pin him down tightly, while Shadow Servant and Tiger Overlord attacked from front and back.

They completely locked down Sand Monk's figure, making him unable to Move.

"A mere river monster dares to abduct my Master; you are seeking death." Ao Lie walked up slowly, his tone indifferent, without a ripple of emotion.

He knew deeply that this Sand Monk was a pawn arranged by the West, and keeping him would ultimately be a disaster.

Furthermore, he and the West and the Celestial Court were already Mortal enemies; there was no need to hold back.

At that moment, he moved his mind and issued a kill order.

The three Shadow Servants received the order and instantly exerted force. The Black Bear Spirit's giant palm slammed down fiercely.

Shadow Servant channeled the Samadhi Divine Wind into Sand Monk's body.

Tiger Overlord's sharp claws pierced directly through his Dantian. The three unleashed their Moves simultaneously, completely crippling his cultivation.

Sand Monk could not even let out a scream; his Aura was instantly cut off, and he completely perished at the bottom of the Liusha River.

He turned into a stream of light and was quietly absorbed by Ao Lie's Shadow Power.

He became a new Shadow Servant under his command, perfectly retaining his Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm strength and his aquatic Divine Ability.

He felt the progress in his cultivation and was suddenly filled with infinite splendor; his cultivation was at the Peak of the Mystic Immortal Realm!

Having dealt with Sand Monk, Ao Lie waved his hand to disperse the Shadow Servants, and everything returned to calm, as if the fierce battle just now had never happened.

Monkey King and Pigsy walked up, and Monkey King scratched his head.

He smiled and said, "Brother White Dragon, these helpers of yours are truly amazing. We've finally dealt with this river monster!"

Pigsy also nodded repeatedly. "Indeed! With these helpers around, we can save quite a bit of effort on the journey west!"

Ao Lie nodded lightly, his tone remaining indifferent. "These are just minor tricks, not worth mentioning. Let's go rescue Master first."

The three entered the demon cave together and helped up the still-unconscious Tang Seng.

After the group returned to the shore, not long after, Tang Seng slowly opened his eyes.

He looked around with a blank expression and asked in confusion, "Disciples, where are we? I just felt a wave of dizziness; what happened?"

Ao Lie exchanged a glance with Monkey King and Pigsy, understanding each other without words.

Monkey King stepped forward and smiled, "Master, it was just windy by the river earlier. You accidentally fainted, but it's fine now. We've already driven that river monster away."

Upon hearing this, Tang Seng put his hands together, chanted "Amitabha," and had no suspicions whatsoever.

Ao Lie stood to the side, his hand hanging by his side clenching slightly, a flash of imperceptible edge flickering in the depths of his eyes.

He lowered his head to look at his palm, feeling the Aura of the more than two thousand two hundred Shadow Servants within him.

He knew clearly that this was only the beginning. The journey west was long, and the surveillance of the Buddhas of the West and the gods of the Celestial Court was everywhere.

He had to be more patient, relying on the Shadow Monarch power to continuously accumulate strength. One day, he would overthrow these high and mighty existences and control his own destiny.