There were monkey shrieks from both sides of the river bank, as the boat sailed through the mountains.
It took only a day before the surroundings around the boat started to change drastically.
The mountainous ridge became shorter and shorter and finally, it became a flat ground.
Changliu River became wider and wider and could no longer be called a river, for it resembled something more like a channel.
"Where is this?"
Looking at the scenery on both sides, Fang Yuan enquired.
"This is Golden Sun City, and the river we are on is called the Golden Dragon River. We are not far from Golden Dragon Lake now..."
Yu Da chuckled.
"This area doesn't seem to be very peaceful..."
Fang Yuan pointed to the riverbank.
"That is..."
As Yu Da looked over, his expression changed.
There was a group of people crowding around the riverbank. They seemed to be praying and there were occasional crying sounds.
A young lady who was dressed up was being sent into the river on a wooden raft.
The raft was not sturdy. If it were to reach the centre of the river, under the pressure from the surging river, it would surely break apart. By then, the young girl on the raft would likely become a meal for the fishes.
Of course, if her soul was captured in the process, it would be worse.
"Praying to Uncle River?"
Yu Da was pale. "What a sin... If I knew that something like this would happen, I wouldn't have sailed on this boat. What if we anger the Dragon King?"
He whispered the words 'sin'. If not for Fang Yuan's strong hearing ability, he would have missed out as well.
"Praying to Uncle River?"
Fang Yuan made a shock expression. "Isn't Uncle River a god? Why do they need to offer him sacrifices? To make matters worse, the worst form of sacrifice, a human being?"
"This practice of Uncle River's Marriage dated back to a long time ago. However, this year's ceremony is already over. It seems like something bad had happened on the river, otherwise they wouldn't resort to this..."
Yu Da sighed.
Helplessly, their boat drifted close to the river bank, allowing them to witness everything clearly.
On the shore, incense were lighted and paper offerings were drifting about in the sky. A few sorceresses were performing a ritual.
As the moment arrived, the young lady was wailing as the raft she was on was being pushed out to the river.
"Let's wait it out. If we continue our journey now, it is disrespectful to Uncle River!"
Witnessing this scene, Yu Da refused to budge.
Not just that, he also started to kowtow on his boat. "Dragon King, we have no ill intentions, please forgive us! Please forgive us!"
"Really..."
Fang Yuan shook his head and was speechless. Looking at the river surface, he could clearly see the silhouette of the lady on the rafts.
She was around 18. Even with makeup on, she had a childish look on her face. Although she was not crying, her eyes were filled with tears as she looked over to a couple in despair.
"Kacha! Kacha!"
The raft was already built to break down under pressure. Now that it had arrived in the middle of the river, it started to break apart.
A dark shadow was formed directly under the river. It was mysterious-looking which made the young lady shudder in fear.
"Is this offering ceremony an annual thing?"
Witnessing this scene, Fang Yuan gave a look of displeasure.
"Once a year would be the minimum. If there were any natural disasters, they would perform it again... What are you doing?"
Yu Da was explaining casually about the ritual. However, as soon as he saw Fang Yuan leaping into the water, he was stunned.
"What am I doing?"
Fang Yuan smiled.
Fang Yuan's legs were firmly planted onto the water surface and remained unmoved as the waves swept across. "To save someone, naturally!"
Although he planned to find trouble for the Golden Dragon God, it was still a good thing to save someone.
"Save... save... someone!"
From the moment Yu Da saw Fang Yuan standing on the water surface, he knew that he was someone special. As he was holding in his shock, he stuttered.
He was filled with regret! Just because he wanted to earn some money, he infuriated the Water Gods! How could he ever think of working here next time?
If the heavens would give him another chance, he would surely not do business with Fang Yuan/
Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a second chance.
As Yu Da looked across the water, he could see Fang Yuan strutting towards the raft. "Young lady... what is your name?"
"I..."
The young lady was stunned. "I'm Ling'er!"
As a final wave crashed into the raft, it shattered into many pieces.
"Come! Grab hold of my hand!"
Fang Yuan stretched out his hand. "Do you want to be fed to the fishes?"
"Whoosh!"
At this moment, another wave struck.
Amidst the screaming of the young lady, Fang Yuan could feel an icy cold hand grabbing on to his own arm.
"Very well, it seems that you still want to live!"
Fang Yuan did not bring the girl back to the river bank.
After all, from their stupidity, even if the young lady were to return, she would surely be sent out as sacrifice again.
Furthermore, by saving the young lady, Fang Yuan angered the spirits in the water.
"Whoosh!"
Seeing that their offering was being snatched away in front of their eyes, the shadows under the water were enraged. They started to send tsunamis on the water surface. Suddenly, there was a whirlpool in the middle of the river which slowly grew in size, drawing Fang Yuan in.
"You are as insignificant as a grain of rice, and yet you dare to glitter like a pearl?"
Fang Yuan snickered and flicked his finger.
"Whoosh!"
A red-coloured sword essence appeared in struck the bottom of the river.
Although his fire-type sword essence was being restrained by the water, it was still nonetheless destructive.
"Bloop! Bloop!"
The shadow beneath them shook. Slowly, bubbles began to emerge from below, followed by a huge black fish that was 8 inches long. With its belly facing the sky, there was a huge hole in it where blood was flowing out from.
"Indeed a spirit... However, based on the perspective of the people in this realm, it should be a spiritual animal, right?!"
Fang Yuan took a quick glance at Yu Da.
If he did not lie, then his cultivation could begin from the moment he took in the scale from a black carp.
Indeed, after seeing this huge fish, Yu Da appeared uneasy.
By the looks of it, he would be considered mentally strong if he did not faint after seeing the dead fish.
"It... is dead? Is this... Uncle River?"
Ling'er was stuttering but could still be understood.
"Uncle River? Lady... you think too much! It is just an animal!"
Fang Yuan rolled his eyes and waved his hand.
"Chi!"
On the river surface, it was as though another sun appeared.
The continuously burning fire-type sword essence was like an arrow as it shot down into the water.
Blood spread everywhere on the surface of the river as many fishes and crustaceans alike floated about. All of them were dead.
"Oww..."
Seeing all the dead fishes, Ling'er turned pale and felt nauseous.
On the riverbank, the few people who were performing the ritual were dumbfounded. There could not believe what they had just seen.
Uncle River, who had pressured them for many years, making them sacrifice so many young ladies, just died like that?
"He is dead! Uncle River would not let him off!"
The sorceresses were spouting nonsense as they started to curse Fang Yuan.
"Whoosh!"
In the next moment, a huge spiritual aura appeared from the river.
"Who was it?"
"Who dares to undermine the power of Uncle River of the Golden Dragon River?"
"Who was it?"
"Who dares to kill my crustaceans army?"
As a strong energy surged through the surroundings, a whirlpool exploded, revealing a golden glow which slowly formed the shape of a human in golden armour.
"Human, are you going against the agreement between Lie Country and my people?"
This person's form was illusionary and it was wearing gold armour. There were golden scales on its face and two long beards. All of these gave it a vibe of royalty.
As it waved its hands, a strong pressure was felt.
The pressure exerted combined with a mysterious force which seemed to be coming from inside of it, striking fear in all lifeforms in the vicinity.
"You are Uncle River of this river? You are the Dragon King in the legends...?"
Fang Yuan looked at the person in front of him with curiosity.
"That's right!"
The golden-armoured Uncle River remarked in a proud voice. "You have disturbed my auspicious event and killed my crustacean army. I will skin you and use you as oil to be burnt for three years!"
"Keke..."
Fang Yuan laughed.
Looking at the golden-armoured Uncle River, he had coldness in his eyes. "It seems that the Golden Dragon Lake has given you too much protection. How dare you even appear before me?"
"What do you mean?"
Uncle River felt that something was not right. With the wave of his hands, the river surged and thousands of water arrows were flying towards Fang Yuan.
Not just that, there was a defensive wall in front of him made from water crystals.
This level of water-type spiritual spells was comparable to an elementary spiritual knight.
But to Fang Yuan, in response to the water arrows, he waved his right hand. An illusionary red sword appeared in his hands as it swayed in the air.
"Whoosh!"
The water arrows exploded in mid-air.
Under the illumination of a red glow, the water fell downwards like rain. It was as though all of what had happened was just hallucination.
A sword to counter everything!
Although Fang Yuan's swordsmanship was only elementary, he could strengthen it with dream elemental force. With divine troops, sword essence and his own martial arts, it was comparable to the highest level of swordsmanship in the legends.
"The previous Mountain God of Zhuobie Mountain was not as daring as you to reveal himself to me!"
After commenting, he struck his sword out.
"Whoosh!"
There was a red glow.
A red glow struck through the defensive wall of water crystals and into the chest of the golden-armoured man.
"How dare you..."
The golden-armoured man looked down in disbelief. "My father will take revenge for me..."
"Idi*t!"
Without reservation, Fang Yuan pulled his sword back out. Soon after, the image of the golden-armoured man vanished as it became a golden carp.
The carp was only three inches long but all of its scales were golden in colour. More significantly, there were two long whiskers on its mouth, making in extraordinary.
Fang Yuan did not care about all these. At Uncle River's moment of death, he released his spiritual will and covered the golden carp in dream elemental force.
"Where is the source of the realm energy?"