Chapter 2376: Golden Toad

The River King seemed to be fleeing. Dissatisfied with his speed, he revealed his true form, transforming into a giant salamander, then flicked his tail and plunged into the water.

'Splash!'

The giant salamander moved at incredible speed across the water, creating a violent storm. Before it could escape the marsh, a golden light suddenly appeared on the marsh's edge, catching Qin Sang's eye.

Focusing his gaze, he saw a golden toad within the light. The toad was entirely golden, as if cast from pure gold. Through the inkstone, they could only see a distant silhouette of the golden toad. Their senses were blocked, so Qin Sang couldn't discern the toad's cultivation level, but his intuition told him it was extraordinary. The palm-sized golden toad, squatting there, exuded an imposing aura, like a crouching tiger or a coiled dragon.

As soon as the golden toad appeared, the three demons' gazes shifted from the giant salamander, drawn to the toad.

"Could this golden toad also be one of the Four Kings?" Qin Sang asked.

"Not one of the Four Kings..."

Mo Yan's expression froze, then shifted to one of shock.

The golden toad raised its head, glanced at the sky, then its belly swelled. It opened its mouth and let out a croak. Immediately, the marsh water was pulled by an incredibly powerful suction, forming a colossal waterspout on the surface, like a white ribbon connecting the marsh to the golden toad's mouth.

Like a long whale drinking water, the golden toad's mouth seemed like a bottomless pit, and its belly appeared capable of holding all the waters of the world. The marsh's water level dropped at an astonishing speed. The giant salamander, formed by the River King, was in the water. The storm it created paled in comparison to the golden toad's might. Realizing the danger, the River King thrashed its tail repeatedly, trying to leave the marsh. Then, Qin Sang and the others witnessed a shocking scene.

The River King was sucked into the waterspout, and like an ordinary fish, it couldn't break free no matter how much it struggled. The panic in its eyes turned to terror. It opened its flat mouth and spat out a jade pearl. White clouds were carved on the pearl's surface. As these clouds floated out, roars echoed, and countless transparent, spirit-like demonic beasts surged forth. An innumerable tide of demon spirits, overwhelming and covering the sky, formed.

Unexpectedly, the powerful beast tide, having just rushed into the waterspout, was assimilated by an unknown force, turning into water and merging into the waterspout. Finally, even the jade pearl transformed into water. Watching a top-tier treasure being swallowed by the waterspout without even a ripple, the River King's fear intensified. It employed various treasures and divine abilities, but all its efforts were futile as it drew closer and closer to the golden toad's mouth.

In a short time, the golden toad had absorbed an unknown quantity of marsh water. Its body also grew progressively larger during the absorption, now resembling a small mountain, dominating the landscape. Before the golden toad, the River King appeared insignificant.

"Senior, mercy! This junior was merely acting on..."

The River King frantically pleaded for mercy, but the golden toad ignored it, swallowing it whole without even a tremor of its belly. The River King, one of the Four Kings and a hegemon of the Lotus Crossing Marsh, was no different from any other fish in the golden toad's eyes.

After the River King, many other demon cultivators successively ventured into the marsh, following in its footsteps and becoming the golden toad's food. After devouring these demon cultivators, the golden toad's eyes subtly shifted. Previously like a statue, it now gained a touch of liveliness.

Silence enveloped the area around the inkstone! Qin Sang and the three demons involuntarily gasped, feeling a chill down their spines. Had they been there, they would have met the same fate as the River King. The River King, known for its reputation in Lotus Crossing Marsh, was undoubtedly a late-stage Void Refinement realm expert. For such a powerful being to be so easily defeated, the golden toad's true identity was almost revealed.

"What in the world happened?" Duan Qiao then realized how wise his elder brother's decision had been, saving their lives.

No one could answer him. Qin Sang and the others speculated on what the Four Kings had done to anger the golden toad. No, there might be more than one Demon Saint! The golden toad's suction didn't diminish; instead, it intensified. The vast marsh was on the verge of being completely drained, its outer edges already exposing the muddy bottom. The waterways within the Lotus Crossing Marsh were interconnected, so if one area lacked water, it would be continuously replenished from elsewhere. However, the water's movement speed was far inferior to the golden toad's absorption rate.

As the marsh bed was exposed, the amount of water absorbed by the golden toad was unimaginable. Its body continued to grow, now having transformed into a colossal toad that reached the heavens! The giant toad lifted its head, its eyes filled with rage.

Qin Sang and the three demons followed its gaze. At the very edge of the inkstone's view, there was a shadow on the horizon. The shadow hung in the air; what they saw was likely just the tip of the iceberg, sparking their imagination.

"This... could it be made of those mountains?" Chi Lian exclaimed in surprise.

The mountains that had previously floated up had all flown towards this location. After colliding, these mountains weren't destroyed but merged into even larger mountains.

'Thump! Thump! Thump!'

The shadow was still constantly shaking, indicating that mountains were continuously merging into it beyond their view. It must have already formed a majestic divine mountain in the sky. If such a divine mountain were to fall, it could easily destroy any demon city! Despite their composure, they couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, as everything unfolding before their eyes surpassed their understanding.

Just moments ago, they finally recognized that the shadow facing them was a rock wall. The grayish-black rock wall had no seams, showed no signs of being pieced together, and appeared as a single, unified mass. The loose rock now shimmered with a metallic luster. Within its dark glow, some tormented figures continuously emerged.

"This is... could it be King Fu?"

Among them was a peacock, distinctly different from the other demon cultivators. Mo Yan recognized it as King Fu, one of the Four Kings. The River King and King Fu, two of the Four Kings, had appeared. One was swallowed by the golden toad, and the other was sealed into the mountain. The other two kings likely met equally grim fates. At this moment, the mountains in that area had been uprooted, and the water drained dry.

This was not the work of just one Demon Saint. The divine mountain in the sky and the golden toad on the ground were clearly in a standoff, meaning there were at least two Demon Saints!

"Croak!"

They clearly heard a toad's croak and immediately realized it wasn't coming from the inkstone. The colossal toad in the inkstone suddenly leaped up, slamming fiercely into the shadow. Invisible force rippled out, and the view within the inkstone suddenly blurred, completely losing visibility.

Qin Sang abruptly looked up, gazing in the direction of the croak. Ahead, the sky was overcast and gloomy, with continuous drizzle. In the distant sky, a golden light suddenly flashed, so bright that even the dark clouds couldn't obscure it. Along with the golden light, a faint black mist erupted simultaneously. At that moment, Qin Sang and the three demons all saw a gray-golden cloud of light blooming on the horizon. Due to the vast distance, they could only discern the edges of the light cloud. Suddenly, their minds felt a tremor, and then a distant roar echoed.

Demon Saints clashing, causing heaven and earth to crumble! This was true cataclysm: dark clouds dispersed, and the great marsh surged with furious waves. Even far from the battle, countless mountain peaks fractured, islands cracked, and the landscape was utterly transformed. The terrifying destructive power was only just beginning to manifest.

Just then, Mo Yan sensed something, conjured a wooden talisman, and swept his hand across it. Wu Xian's anxious voice emerged from within, "Big brother, something's happened!"

"I see it..." Mo Yan gazed at the horizon, muttering.

Qin Sang and the three demons' pupils involuntarily dilated as they vaguely saw a gray tide surging wildly from the horizon. On closer inspection, it was mud! The uprooted mountains and the water swallowed by the golden toad had been pulverized, transforming into an overwhelming tide of mud that covered everything. Wherever the mud tide passed, muddy water splattered and crackled, submerging everything on the ground.

"Let's go!" Qin Sang felt a desire to retreat, secretly transmitting his thoughts to Chi Lian. Even at such a distance, the aftermath of the golden toad's first collision with its opponent was able to reach them. This meant they were in the middle of a Demon Saint's battlefield. Qin Sang had no desire to merely observe, much less help Mo Yan retrieve any treasure.

Chi Lian was no desperado either. She retreated repeatedly, looking at the unmoving Mo Yan: "What are your plans, fellow Daoists?"

"Big brother..." Duan Qiao called out. He had just questioned Mo Yan's retreat, but now seeing Mo Yan remain still, he hesitated instead.

Mo Yan stood motionless, gazing at the mud tide, and softly said, "Look over there..."

Qin Sang and the others naturally saw it too. Golden light flickered deep within the mud tide, seemingly moving away from the battlefield.

"Are you still holding onto hope, fellow Daoist? The golden toad could return at any moment. We will not take such risks with you," Chi Lian shook her head repeatedly.

Qin Sang also said, "I urge fellow Daoist to reconsider."

Mo Yan withdrew his gaze and forced a smile, "I wouldn't dare ask you two to face such perils. Please return, fellow Daoists. I am grateful for your help this time. If my third brother and I don't return, my second brother will deliver the agreed-upon compensation to your residences in full."

The Four Kings and their subordinates had been dealt with by the golden toad and its opponent, so Qin Sang and the others were no longer needed. Hearing this, Qin Sang and Chi Lian's expressions relaxed slightly, and their impression of Mo Yan greatly improved. At the same time, Qin Sang was quite surprised. Despite knowing the life-threatening danger, Duan Qiao had no objections after Mo Yan made his decision. What allure did that clam pearl possess to make them willing to take such extreme risks? And could the clam pearl even survive a battle between Demon Saints?

Chi Lian nodded, solemnly saying, "Then we wish fellow Daoist success in your endeavors. Farewell!"

"Farewell!"

Qin Sang and Chi Lian bid farewell to the two demons, not daring to linger for a moment longer. No sooner had they left than Mo Yan and Duan Qiao were swallowed by the mud tide.

The mud tide pursued Qin Sang and the others for a long distance before exhausting its power. Qin Sang and Chi Lian turned to look at the murky sky and desolate landscape, speechless.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly felt something, though his expression remained unchanged. Soon after, Chi Lian also sensed it and turned to look west. A purple rainbow light shot from the west. Judging by its speed, it was comparable to a Void Refinement stage demon cultivator's flight. The aura emanating from the rainbow light was very mixed, indicating more than one demon cultivator.

Qin Sang and Chi Lian watched the purple rainbow light approach, and then two demon cultivators flew out of it. Both of these demon cultivators were at the Soul Transformation stage and appeared quite formidable, each wielding a purple-gold spear. Both had tiger tails, indicating they were tiger demons. They arrived on a demonic wind, shouting, "You two over there, stop! Our Great King wants to see you!"

Qin Sang glanced at himself. Since he hadn't asked Mo Yan to dispel the divine ability, to outsiders, he and Chi Lian still appeared as two Soul Transformation stage crocodile demons. No wonder these two tiger demons were so disrespectful. Qin Sang and Chi Lian exchanged glances. They were still completely confused, unsure of the truth. These newcomers had appeared from nowhere, and it would be perfect to capture them and interrogate them. Only one aura within the rainbow light was relatively powerful—that of the "Great King" mentioned by the tiger demons. Together, they should be able to capture him without much difficulty.

They pretended to be stunned with fear and were pushed and escorted by the two tiger demons to a carriage. The owner of the carriage was an old monkey with a pointed mouth and sunken cheeks. He was half-reclining, with exquisite delicacies and fine wines laid out before him. Several beautiful female demons took turns serving him, looking utterly content.

"I ask you, what happened at the Four Kings' alliance meeting?" the old monkey asked lazily, his voice slightly high-pitched.

"To answer Great King, we were just dispatched to come here when we encountered the anomaly... However, our master is inside, and we can contact him through this treasure. Please take a look, Great King!" Chi Lian respectfully took out a bamboo whistle and held it in her palm.

The old monkey grunted softly through his nose. One of the tiger demons grabbed the bamboo whistle and presented it. Taking a casual glance at the bamboo whistle before him, the old monkey's expression immediately stiffened. At the same time, the whistle emitted a soft sound, and a black light shot straight towards the old monkey's face—it was an extremely slender black snake. Who would have thought that two demon kings would disguise themselves as crocodile demons and wander around? The old monkey, being negligent, fell right into the trap.

'Boom!'

The carriage shook violently, and lightning flashed brilliantly. The demon soldiers were all thrown back, wailing in agony. Immediately after, furious shrieks came from inside the carriage.

'Crack!'

The carriage, unable to withstand the force, shattered into pieces. Three figures were enveloped in the lightning: Qin Sang and Chi Lian surrounded the old monkey from left and right. Chi Lian's strength already far surpassed the old monkey's, and with her deliberate planning against his unawareness, she quickly forced the old monkey into a corner. With Qin Sang's help, the old monkey was soon forced to surrender.

"Which King do you follow?" Chi Lian lifted the old monkey to his face, interrogating him.

The old monkey, with a tear-streaked face, said, "Esteemed fellow Daoist, please understand, I hadn't had the chance to pledge allegiance to anyone yet. I originally had a comfortable cave dwelling elsewhere. But some damned fellow showed up, forcefully took over my dwelling. My strength is lacking, but I couldn't swallow that insult, so I decided to come and seek allegiance with the Four Kings. Along the way, chaos has been rampant elsewhere, with undercurrents stirring; I fear a great upheaval is truly coming. I never expected something to happen even here with the Four Kings..."

As he spoke, the old monkey repeatedly bowed his hands: "Please forgive my blindness, I failed to recognize true immortals! Please be merciful! Be merciful!"

After questioning the old monkey thoroughly, Chi Lian's tone became heavy: "It seems Lotus Crossing Marsh will know no peace. Today's events might well be a sign, and our Five Immortals Sect was completely unaware. I must take it back and report as soon as possible." The old monkey was captured by her and Qin Sang working together, so she needed to ask for Qin Sang's opinion.

"Please do as you wish, fellow Daoist! It seems I, too, need to find a safe haven nearby. We'll meet again."

Qin Sang nodded, sighing inwardly. He probably needed to stay here for a while. Before understanding the situation, he shouldn't even think about crossing Lotus Crossing Marsh for now. Fortunately, the Grand Zhou's mighty figures were like dragons, showing their heads but not their tails, and wouldn't act rashly. Otherwise, how would human cultivators dare to travel freely? Instead, they would be like him now, despite his strength, always feeling that the path ahead was uncertain and precarious.