Zhang Tao was sleeping and heard a banging sound on the door.

He got up and opened the door. The Taoist's pupils suddenly contracted when he saw a woman lying outside, covered in mud and bloodstains. She was in tears and said, "Please, save my daughter..."

He was startled and fully awake, quickly helping the woman inside.

Then he hurriedly went out.

He found that there were almost no people left in the entire village.

He felt that something was wrong and hurried towards the Huai River.

...............

The sacrifice had already begun, and it was grand and solemn.

People with their faces covered by cloth bags held torches on the riverbank, illuminating the night. Bamboo rafts carried offerings to the center of the Huai River. Wei Yuan sat calmly on a bamboo raft, following the surging water. The wine and sacrificial animals for the ceremony were all there, and there were loud chants in the local dialect.

The general meaning was to praise the mighty and surging water god of the Huai River, to accept the offerings of the believers, to calm their anger, and to protect the smooth weather. It praised the ancient gods and immortals of Shen Zhou. In the misty water vapor and incense, a certain presence slowly appeared during the living sacrifice.

The waves surged.

The believers by the water knelt down.

When Zhang Tao and the disciples from the Heavenly Master's Mansion hurriedly arrived, they felt that aura and their expressions changed instantly.

It was the divine presence...

The vast water parted, and the ordinary mortals could only vaguely see the surging water vapor. They sensed the powerful aura coming from the Huai River. The water god of the Huai River appeared arrogantly, always waiting for the enemy who had harmed his servants, but he did not show up.

So he needed to display his power with thunderous means to restore his dignity.

To avoid being looked down upon by other water creatures.

Even at this moment, there were many opponents lurking in the Huai River, many monsters coveting his territory. If he didn't show enough strength, he might face a joint attack from them.

Moreover, he needed to replenish his new servants.

But why was it a young man instead of a boy or girl?

He was dissatisfied and looked at the village with cold eyes, restraining his desire to devour all these people. He planned to swallow the offerings first, but suddenly felt that something was wrong. The surging current that should have engulfed the offerings suddenly calmed down.

He was astonished and looked down, meeting a pair of calm pupils.

For some reason, his heart suddenly chilled.

Wei Yuan sat cross-legged on the bamboo raft, his movements calm and peaceful. The surging waves subsided, as if they were the most obedient subjects, surrounding the young man. The people on the riverbank noticed something unusual and looked up to see the waves calm down.

The moon was above, reflecting in the water.

The intense oppressive aura from before suddenly decreased.

Zhang Tao looked at the person he had only briefly communicated with and felt the concentration of spiritual energy around him increasing.

The so-called water god hidden in the water suppressed his shock, because the other monsters around him were maintaining their composure. He spoke in a low voice, "Who are you, daring to come to my dojo..."

Wei Yuan said, "This is not your dojo."

The so-called water god's expression changed slightly, thinking of a possibility, and said, "Are you the monster who used to occupy the Huai River? Or the sealed mountain and water god of the past? But now it's different from before. This place is already mine. The Huai River is mine. I have the power of the Huai River. Are you my opponent?!"

Wei Yuan replied, "I am not a god."

He looked at the flowing water and said, "The Huai River used to belong to the Winged Dragon from Kun Lun. It was once occupied by various beliefs. For thousands of years, countless monsters relied on the power of this great river. But in fact, it should not have been the source of power. Instead, the Huai River was subservient to someone."

"So strictly speaking, he is not a god, but a ruler. He is not the water god of the Huai River, but the lord of the Huai Vortex. The Huai River is his subject."

The Huai River as a subject?!

The so-called water god hidden in the water suddenly thought of the oldest mythological legend.

His expression changed slightly, and he pretended to be shocked and angry. He raised his hand suddenly, causing the Huai River to surge violently, as if turning the entire river upside down. At the same time, Zhang Tao finally saw the true form of the water god hidden in the water.

He looked like a dragon king, with a dragon head and a human body, wearing luxurious imperial robes.

At this moment, he raised his head in anger, and the surrounding water surged and churned, displaying the characteristics of the river and water gods to the fullest extent, making people feel awe-inspiring. The mark left by Wu Zhiqi appeared on Wei Yuan's forehead, and he took a deep breath and pressed his hand on the bamboo raft.

Then the waves calmed down.

However,

He wanted to see the limit of the authority that Wu Zhiqi had temporarily given him.

He thought of Wu Zhiqi's laughter in his dream.

So the mark on his forehead became clearer, and his pupils turned into pure gold due to the activation of divine power.

The water vapor on his face dissipated, revealing an ancient mask.

He closed his eyes--

The lord of the Huai Vortex still existed in this world.

In an instant!

The vast Huai River system, spanning thousands of kilometers, with fifty-eight tributaries, four primary tributaries with a drainage area of over ten thousand square kilometers, and sixteen tributaries with a drainage area of over two thousand square kilometers, and twenty-one tributaries with a drainage area of over one thousand square kilometers.

The entire Huai River system stopped flowing in an instant.

This was not done with power, but with divine authority to forcibly stop it.Including the ships, the swimming fish, and the large hydroelectric facilities that modern humans rely on for power, everything stopped in that instant. All living creatures froze, and those massive structures ceased to operate. Wei Yuan could only hold on for a moment before feeling the urge to cough up blood. Or rather, beneath his mask, blood was already trickling from the corner of his mouth. But it was enough.

A moment later, the water system started flowing again.

However, the sudden halt in the entire water cycle system had already caused a huge impact. The Huai River, spanning thousands of kilometers, roared into action. The sound it made was like thunder, yet under the control of divine power, it did not cause a flood as it would have in ancient times. But because of this, it became even more magnificent.

In an instant, more than one hundred and eighty cities along the Huai River noticed the difference.

The Huai River roared like spring thunder.

Stretching for two thousand miles!

At the epicenter of this impact, Zhang Tao and the others watched in bewilderment as massive columns of water erupted from the river surface. They saw these water columns shooting up into the sky, the violently surging Huai River, and the bamboo raft that was calm to the extreme, creating a scene full of tension.

They saw the so-called young tourist, who had his back to them, look up.

The mighty water god staggered a few steps, his face seemed to freeze. Seeing that he had lost control of the Huai River, Ta opened his mouth, but could only kneel on the water surface, his body trembling, unable to speak.

The young man's voice was calm as he said lightly:

"Come out."

Then, the sound of water breaking was clearly heard.

One by one, the spirits that had been causing trouble in the nearby Huai River system emerged from the water, then knelt on the water surface. They were dressed like the water gods in ancient legends, their foreheads touching the water surface. They looked either majestic or charming, emitting an aura similar to that of river gods and earth deities.

The scene was grand and awe-inspiring, filling people with fear.

Zhang Tao was utterly horrified, unable to speak. Water gods and river gods could subdue the spirits in the water, wielding the power of a river, and proclaim themselves as gods. But now, all these so-called water gods had submitted. It seemed that with a slight nod, these powerful water gods with profound cultivation would instantly submit.

Was this not a divine court in the water?

Then he saw the young man lower his head.

To read the uncut version, go to [p𝘢wread.com].

Wei Yuan closed his eyes, quietly asking, "What should I do?"

He listened to the whisper in his ear, then nodded in understanding.

He raised his hand.

The Huai River surged, transforming into sharp blades that swept across the river. The spirits and water gods kneeling on the river surface froze, then were all cut down, returning to their original forms before sinking into the water, swept away by the current.

The smell of blood was intense, making one's scalp tingle.

But Wei Yuan could hear Wu Zhiqi laughing loudly.

Only now was the water truly clean!

The Huai River had been murky before.

Wei Yuan sighed, then noticed a touch of green undulating in the river. Surprised, he beckoned, and the water brought it up. It was a jade dragon in the style of the Warring States period, identical to the so-called River God Water Lord he had seen earlier. There was a faint trace of blood on it, but it no longer had any spirit.

He thought for a moment, then put away the jade dragon. Turning around, he stepped on the water waves and walked forward. Wearing an ancient mask, his golden eyes were indifferent. Water vapor swirled around him, making him look like an ancient water god in a wide robe.

The villagers were all terrified.

Wei Yuan didn't pay them any attention. Instead, he looked at Zhang Tao and the others, his voice becoming gentle, "This matter is a human affair. You should handle it yourselves."

Zhang Tao took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "Thank you, revered god."

He paused, then added, "I don't know the name of the revered god. We should offer sacrifices in return."

Wei Yuan said, "There's no need. I'm just cleaning up the mess for an old friend."

Seeing the villagers offering sacrifices to the previous evil god, there were many jars of strong liquor. A stream of water wrapped around the jars. He nodded slightly, and reappeared on the bamboo raft. The water surged, parting a path ahead. Since he had come to the Huai River, he naturally should go see Wu Zhiqi's true form.

Wei Yuan soon disappeared from sight.

It took Zhang Tao a long time to come back to his senses. He looked at the river surface, speechless.

On the river surface, the water god who was supposed to receive the sacrifices had become the sacrifice itself.

PS: Second update for today……