The white-browed elder, along with several others, quietly ascended towards the blood river. Their plan was to cause a diversion within Abi City at the opportune moment, thereby facilitating Ning Beichen's rescue mission.
Regardless of the elder's personal character, his willingness to undertake such a perilous task for Ning Beichen was indeed commendable. After all, creating chaos in Abi City was a mission fraught with mortal danger. Naturally, they also sought rewards for their efforts, with Ning Beichen promising to help them escape the Abi Hell.
Ning Beichen followed the blood river upstream, and soon encountered the river monsters described by the white-browed elder. These creatures bore a striking resemblance to crocodiles and inhabited the blood river. They were exceptionally ferocious, and once one was ensnared, even a Heavenly Venerate would struggle to escape.
Having been forewarned by the white-browed elder, Ning Beichen was somewhat prepared for these river monsters. He understood that the most effective strategy for dealing with them was a swift, decisive blow. A clean cut was the safest approach. Any delay would lead to a swarm of river monsters emerging, overwhelming not only Heavenly Venerates but even Great Powers.
Silently, Ning Beichen observed a river monster blocking his path. With a surge of energy, he moved like lightning, appearing behind the monster. His bronze ancient sword, wielded from below, pierced through the creature's body, instantly killing it.
"Good, no distant river monsters were alerted."
Ning Beichen released the fallen river monster and glanced at those further away, a sigh of relief escaping him. A lone river monster was manageable, at least for him. The true challenge lay in facing them in a coordinated attack.
After letting go of the river monster, Ning Beichen transformed into an arrow in the blood river, swiftly reaching the confluence. He then spotted the entrance to the river channel not far away. However, the entrance was thronged with numerous river monsters. It was impossible to bypass them and enter the secret passage.
Ning Beichen observed for a while, noting that the river monsters showed no signs of dispersing, which caused him to frown. It seemed the only option was to lure them away. After a moment's hesitation, Ning Beichen commanded his bronze ancient sword to attack the river monsters while he himself retreated to the side.
The bronze ancient sword, living up to its reputation as a supreme weapon, slew several river monsters with a single strike. This, however, enraged the creatures, prompting them to launch an assault on the sword. As the number of attackers increased, Ning Beichen found himself unable to cope. The bronze ancient sword was controlled by his mental power, so he had to exert all his effort to make it retreat. He couldn't move too quickly, as his goal was to draw the river monsters away.
With a crack, several river monsters struck the bronze ancient sword. The sword let out a whine, and its trajectory became wobbly. Ning Beichen, controlling the sword from afar, let out a muffled groan, his head buzzing. Nevertheless, he endured the discomfort, steadied the bronze ancient sword, and continued to lure the river monsters.
The river monsters, however, were surprisingly intelligent. As soon as the bronze ancient sword moved away, they would stop. This forced Ning Beichen into a repetitive cycle of luring and occasional sneak attacks to maintain their aggression. Only when the river monsters had moved a considerable distance from the river channel did Ning Beichen leap into the watercourse.
Inside the river channel, Ning Beichen carefully retrieved his bronze ancient sword and continued his advance. He soon arrived at the entrance to the secret passage, as described by the white-browed elder. Removing the debris that concealed the entrance, he squeezed inside.
The very next moment, a massive maw lunged towards him. Startled, Ning Beichen immediately threw a punch. With a clang, his fist shattered the monster's teeth. He then grabbed both sides of the maw and tore it apart, revealing it to be the gaping mouth of a river monster. Fortunately, Ning Beichen's reaction was swift; otherwise, he would have been swallowed whole.
Ning Beichen bypassed the corpse of the river monster and continued deeper into the secret passage. Along the way, he dealt with a few more river monsters. Fortunately, they were mostly solitary, and even when gathered, their numbers were small, avoiding the emergence of large packs.
Not long after, Ning Beichen emerged from the secret passage into a foul-smelling pool. Holding his breath, and disregarding the stench, he quickly scrambled out of the pool. This was Abi City, where signs of Asuras were everywhere. Cautiously avoiding the Asuras, Ning Beichen followed the white-browed elder's description, stealthily making his way towards the area where humans were imprisoned.
However, before long, Ning Beichen detected a terrifying aura. He immediately concealed himself and soon witnessed a seven-armed Asura appear before him. The Asura seemed to have sensed Ning Beichen's human presence and was scanning its surroundings. Although not entirely certain, it searched for a while before leaving.
Only after the seven-armed Asura departed did Ning Beichen emerge from his hiding spot. It wasn't that he feared the seven-armed Asura, but engaging it would have alerted other Asuras and more powerful beings within Abi City, potentially triggering a large-scale conflict that would hinder his rescue efforts.
Yet, Ning Beichen likely never anticipated the seven-armed Asura to be so cautious and cunning. As he emerged from his hiding place, he immediately ran into the returning seven-armed Asura. Upon seeing Ning Beichen, the human, the Asura's expression turned to shock.
Ning Beichen, however, was one step ahead. He immediately unleashed a sword strike, determined to prevent the Asura from issuing a warning that could summon others. His sword was incredibly fast, too fast for the seven-armed Asura to dodge. With a crunch, the bronze ancient sword pierced the Asura's body. Before the Asura could utter a sound, Ning Beichen unleashed a miniature version of "A Sword to Bury Ten Thousand Ancient Eras," freezing it in place.
Despite his efforts, the sounds of combat had still carried. Ning Beichen quickly seized the seven-armed Asura's corpse and hid. As expected, soon afterward, several Asuras arrived to investigate. Finding nothing, they soon departed. Ning Beichen waited until no more Asuras appeared before emerging from his hiding spot. The seven-armed Asura had by then been reduced to fragments.
Following the white-browed elder's guidance, Ning Beichen reached an entrance heavily guarded by Asuras. This was presumably where human cultivators were held captive. The guards consisted of numerous Asuras, with the lowest being six-armed and seven-armed variants. Ning Beichen even spotted an eight-armed Asura. This eight-armed Asura was likely the leader, residing in a separate chamber. While it didn't patrol, it would undoubtedly be aware of any fighting in the area. Ning Beichen, sensing the formidable power of the eight-armed Asura, dared not act rashly.