Chapter 77: Entrance
The six needles entered the ripples, and their speed reduced
When he saw this, the Tang clan disciple frowned slightly
He felt like his needles were stuck in dense water.
Every inch of flight required a lot of effort, and the qi that coated the needles began to erode quickly.
Half a metre to Yu Nianzhen, the needles lost their power and fell to the ground.
"Your soft water sword art has improved." Jiang Yue commented.
Although he didn’t understand sword arts, he had seen Yu Nianzhen practice the sword arts.
Compared to when they fought the sea beasts, the soft water sword art had changed a lot.
"It’s not enough to stop my needles."
Soon after, three needles flew forward.
As before, Yu Nianzhen used the soft water sword art to repel the needles.
However, the Tang clan cultivator was prepared this time around.
Although he shot fewer needles, the qi around them was more than the previous six.
When the needles met the sword, their speed slowed, but not as much as before.
They still shuttled toward Yu Nianzhen and did not lose their power until they were fifteen centimetres from his face.
"What if I send out two or one?"
The Tang clan cultivator sneered and prepared to send out lesser needles.
However, Yu Nianzhen could not be bullied.
He was not the kind that could stand around and allow his opponent to control the battle.
Without hesitation, he swung his sword toward the Tang clan cultivator.
"Raindrop sword art, three drops."
As he spoke, three water drops flew out of Yu Nianzhen’s sword and shuttled horizontally toward the disciple.
"How can the raindrop sword art be used like this?"
The disciple was surprised, and so was Jiang Yue.
From what he knew, the raindrop sword art was one of the most malleable low-grade silver rank sword arts.
However, the raindrops usually travelled from top to bottom.
At best, a diagonal slash could be made, but Yu Nianzhen had used a horizontal attack!
This showed that his understanding of the raindrop sword art had broken away from the restrictions of its foundation.
Soon after, a plop sound was heard.
Two raindrops stopped two needles while the remaining raindrop penetrated the opponent’s wrist.
A hole appeared on the opponent’s wrist, and blood poured out.
When he saw this, the Tang clan cultivator did not linger.
Among the regions, the Tang clan was known for its stealth attacks.
Now that the cultivator’s attacks could be easily stopped by Yu Nianzhen, he didn’t insist on staying.
He looked at the dragon-scaled fruit, sighed, and then retreated resolutely.
’I am still using more qi than necessary in my sword arts. I need better qi control.’
Yu Nianzhen frowned and then looked around.
A few metres away, more than twenty people had divided into two groups.
"I admit you are powerful, but we can still beat you. This is your only chance; leave your storage ring and walk away."
Now that they had grouped up, the gathered cultivators had gained a little courage.
However, Yu Nianzhen was not afraid.
He didn’t claim to be the strongest cultivator in the secret realm, but his strength had greatly improved when his cultivation rose to the peak of the ninth level.
The subtle qi presence released by the mob told him that none of the gathered was a threat to him.
Even if they grouped up, he would be able to handle it.
Jiang Yue was also there. His illusion arts and whip art were especially suitable for crowd attacks.
"You are the ones who should leave your storage bags."
A pipa appeared in Jiang Yue’s arms as he spoke.
He had just struck the first note of lullaby when the ground began to shake.
He looked at Yu Nianzhen, but the other also looked surprised.
"What’s going on?" One of the crowd asked.
His voice betrayed a little fear, and everyone looked at Jiang Yue vigilantly.
At this time, they thought the ground shaking was an attack produced by Jiang Yue’s pipa.
"Don’t be absurd; he is also at the origin forging realm." Someone sneered.
"You are right."
"This attack can’t be done by an origin forging ream cultivator."
These words were supposed to reassure the gathered cultivators.
However, they did the exact opposite.
More than an attack from Jiang Yue, something unknown was infinitely more terrifying.
While the crowd was tense in alarm, the ground shaking became more pronounced.
"Look at the lake." Someone suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone was immediately attracted, and they turned their attention to the clear water lake.
Previously, the lake was calm and beautiful, which manifested a serene harmony with the world.
However, that had changed while everyone was not paying attention.
Now, the lake was experiencing a storm.
A dark hole had appeared in the middle of the lake, and the displaced water whirled around the hole.
"It is the entrance to the underwater garden." Someone shouted.
Excitement could be heard in their voice, and everyone else also got excited when they realised it.
"I will be going first."
A figure dashed forth, and the others immediately reacted.
"Stop for me."
Several dozen attacks rushed towards the figure that took the lead.
However, the figure was too fast, and it quickly arrived at the edge of the dark hole.
Without hesitation, the person jumped into the entrance.
"Let’s hurry before he takes everything."
A moment later, a few more jumped into the dark hole and entered the underwater garden.
However, fifteen or so cultivators remained at the shore.
"How can they be so reckless?" Someone asked and shook their head in disbelief.
"Did they lose their minds when they thought of the herbs under the lake?"
"What’s the use of herbs if they can’t keep their lives?"
Although the outer region of the thousand herbs garden wasn’t particularly dangerous, there were special areas that were quite dangerous.
Medicine fields were such areas.
The danger level was not high, but one was sure to die if they acted recklessly.
"Look."
"As expected."
Jiang Yue looked and saw that the lake had become slightly red.
The red wasn’t because of the colourful herbs at the bottom of the lake.
It was a distinctive red that was unique to blood.
"They probably fell into a formation."
Yu Nianzhen frowned as he looked at the bloody water.
He had encountered the four turns formation when he first entered the secret realm.
However, compared to the formations he had come across after that, the four-turn formation was easy to handle.
"I wonder what kind of formation it is."
Jiang Yue wondered, and a frown marred his face.
If the formation was on land, he was confident to break it or avoid it.
However, the formation was underwater.
He didn’t know if there was a way to break it without entering the water.
If they had to enter the passage before breaking the formation, Jiang Yue was a little reluctant.
Although he had not come across such a formation, Jiang Yue had read about formations that could only be broken from within.
This meant that one needed to be trapped before one could break the formation.
"What do you think?" He turned to Yu Nianzhen.
Yu Nianzhen frowned a little, but he wasn’t undecided about his next step.
It was dangerous to enter an unknown formation, but fortune always coexisted with danger.
Even if the formation under the lake was a trapping formation capable of killing, there would be a way out.
In the end, the thousand herbs garden wasn’t a dangerous secret realm.
Its purpose was to provide resources, not to kill the world’s cultivators.
"Let’s study it after we pick the dragon-scaled fruit."
The two turned to look at the dragon-scaled fruit.
At this time, the fruit was releasing a very strong fragrance and a red light radiated from it.
"Get ready."
Yu Nianzhen only had enough time to say that before a strong light shone from the fruit.
Soon after, a click was heard, and the red fruit fell from the branch.
Almost instantaneously, several figures rushed toward the falling fruit.
Yu Nianzhen was among these figures, but Jiang Yue wasn’t.
Instead, he released his whip and swung it toward the several people rushing to the fruit.
"Do you think you can defeat everyone?"
Another whip flew toward Jiang Yue as the angry shout reverberated in the surrounding.
Although he saw the whip, Jiang Yue did not stop his actions to defend himself.
"I don’t need to defeat them; I only need to delay them for a breath."
After that, everything happened very fast.
Jiang Yue’s whip hit five cultivators that were rushing to the fruit.
A quarter of a breath later, his opponent’s whip coiled around his right wrist causing his arm to swing unsteadily.
However, this worked to his advantage.
Although his whip didn’t have enough power, it still managed to hit a few more people.
While they reacted to the distraction, Yu Nianzhen had already stretched out his arm to catch the falling fruit.
