"It's me, don't be afraid." Just then, a gentle voice sounded in Little Carp's ear.
Little Carp, who was trembling with fear and stiffening, felt a warm current spread through her limbs the moment she heard the voice, and a great sense of relief surged within her. She then burst into tears.
"Mother, the big bad guy." She turned and threw herself into Zhu Yin'e's arms.
Zhu Yin'e gently patted her daughter, then looked seriously at the water surface ahead.
In this great river, she truly feared no one.
The main issue was the monster before her, one she had never seen before.
It looked somewhat like a ribbonfish, but wider and larger. Its pointed mouth was filled with sharp teeth, and its eyes were like beans, full of ferocity.
Most importantly, its body flickered in and out of existence. This wasn't a merging with the water, but a true disappearance.
It gave the impression of a TV screen with a very unstable signal, and it was unclear if this ability was innate or due to instability.
This creature was bizarre and unpredictable, so Zhu Yin'e was naturally very cautious. Before it could approach, she waved her hand, and a giant hand made of river water grasped towards it.
Although this hand was composed of water, it was as hard as iron. Once caught, it was difficult to break free.
However, it didn't have much effect on the monster. With a gentle flick of its tail, it slipped right through the hand.
Zhu Yin'e's expression sharpened. The most feared ability in a magical duel was immunity to physical damage. With such an ability, many attack methods became useless.
But Zhu Yin'e's cultivation was profound, having experienced millennia of existence. What situations had she not encountered?
Although the creature's ability was strange, it couldn't shake her.
She opened her mouth and let out a dragon's roar.
The rolling river water suddenly churned with countless tiny bubbles, like sparkling water that had just had its lid opened.
These tiny bubbles were actually formed by the vibration of the sound.
Despite its ability to phase through reality, the creature was still harmed by this wide-ranging attack.
Its body's skin rippled like waves, and streaks of blue liquid oozed from its body.
Following this dragon's roar, the Su sisters, who were walking with Liu Nanfeng, both looked towards the river.
Worried about Liu Nanfeng's safety, they had accompanied him when he sent Little Carp home.
After Little Carp entered the river, they started to head back. But halfway there, they heard a dragon's roar.
"Take care of Nanfeng."
Su Jinxiu hurriedly instructed Su Huamei, then transformed into a beam of white light and plunged into the river.
At this moment, the monster in the river, wounded, was also provoked into a frenzy. It opened its mouth and let out a strange cry, and a massive electric net spread through the water, expanding in all directions.
As it moved, accompanied by crackling sounds, various fish turned charred and floated to the surface.
The thick bolts of lightning looked terrifying and intimidating. Little Carp, hiding behind Zhu Yin'e, shrunk her head in fear, tightly clutching her Gguagua hammer. The Gguagua hammer also emitted a warm glow, gently soothing her panic.
"How bold."
Zhu Yin'e reached out and drew from the river, and a long sword made of water appeared in her hand.
Then she swung the sword directly at the opponent.
This sword strike was majestic and imposing, like a king's blade. In that moment, the rolling river water seemed to come to a halt.
The river water appeared to freeze, and all living beings within it were like insects trapped in amber. Their will was unaffected, but their bodies simply couldn't move.
The monster was also in the same predicament. Its ferocious eyes showed a look of terror.
It struggled desperately, trying to phase into the void, but only half of its body disappeared. The other half simply couldn't move.
Just then, the sword descended from above, splitting the monster directly in two. The half that had phased into the void also fell down.
Several miles of river water were cleaved in two. Fortunately, there were no fishing boats on the river at that moment, otherwise, they would have been in danger.
Su Jinxiu, who had just phased into the river, happened to catch the residual sword energy. Holding her twin bone swords, she blocked the strike.
Although she blocked it, she was greatly surprised. Was Zhu Yin'e's swordsmanship truly this formidable? Even the residual energy made her feel a sense of threat.
Then, thinking of the reasons behind it, her heart couldn't help but feel a pang of sourness.
However, this was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. She looked at the monster's corpse, four to five meters long, floating in the river, her eyes filled with surprise. She had never seen such a monster.
"Sorry to trouble you, sister, for having to make this trip."
Upon seeing Su Jinxiu, Zhu Yin'e dispersed the sword in her hand and, pulling Little Carp along, went to meet her.
The river water then rejoined, flowing on as if nothing had happened.
"What kind of monster is this?"
Su Jinxiu waved her hand, and a brocade flew out, dragging the monster's corpse, which was floating on the water, to the riverbed.
"I haven't seen this creature before, nor do I know its origin. But it is definitely not an indigenous species of the river," Zhu Yin'e said with certainty.
Little Carp was no longer afraid and curiously eyed the monster before her.
Seeing her curious little appearance, Su Jinxiu's heart stirred, and she asked, "Was it chasing Hong Jin?"
Zhu Yin'e nodded.
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu's expression turned serious. "Nanfeng was also attacked at noon today."
"Oh? When? Was he seriously injured?" Zhu Yin'e asked somewhat nervously.
After speaking, she realized her mistake and quickly composed herself, saying, "Was the enemy very strong? Did the Dragon Robe not work?"
Su Jinxiu, however, didn't pay attention to her tone. Instead, she was momentarily stunned by her last question.
Not only had she forgotten, but Liu Nanfeng had likely forgotten about the Dragon Robe too.
If Liu Nanfeng had been able to activate the Dragon Robe immediately today, with its protection, he likely wouldn't have been so seriously injured. But it could also be considered a blessing in disguise.
So, she shook her head with a wry smile. "My husband was just an ordinary person before. How much combat awareness could he have? He forgot to activate the Dragon Robe."
Su Jinxiu said this, but in reality, she was no different. She had lived in peace for too long and had almost forgotten those days of contending with heaven and man, of living with nerves on edge. She couldn't help but silently warn herself never to let her guard down. This world was far less harmonious and safe than it appeared on the surface.
"But he is fine now. He even came with us to send off Hong Jin just now. I didn't expect him to be attacked in the water," Su Jinxiu said, looking at Little Carp, who was squatting in front of the monster's corpse.
Then she suddenly remembered something and looked up at Zhu Yin'e. Zhu Yin'e was also looking at her, and as their eyes met, they both knew what the other was thinking.
Zhu Yin'e's expression became serious. "Sister, would you like to come to my residence for a while?"
Su Jinxiu nodded directly.
So, the two of them, with Little Carp, and dragging the monster's corpse, returned directly to Zhu Mansion.
After entering the water mansion and having Zhu Yuchan take Little Carp away, she immediately said with a solemn expression, "Was it targeting Hong Jin?"
Su Jinxiu nodded, and she too had just realized this.
She had initially thought it was targeting Liu Nanfeng, but unexpectedly, the other party's objective was Little Carp.