Chapter 22: The River God Temple and the Linked Demon Strongholds

"Brother Su, want to team up?"

Early the next morning, Su Yu received a message from He Shoucheng.

"Where to?"

"Sandsink Town."

"There is a River God Temple of the Sandsink River there. We can grind levels while picking up some quests at the temple."

"When are we going?"

"This afternoon?"

"Where should we meet?"

"Sandsink Town, I suppose."

"Just the two of us?"

"I'll bring one or two others; my girlfriend is coming too."

"???"

"You have a girlfriend and you’re still calling me?"

"The River God Temple has many challenging quest monsters; it's hard to handle with too few people."

"Fine then."

Closing the communication, Su Yu shook his head, speechless. He stepped out, summoned his Spirit Fish Flying Shuttle, and flew toward the east.

A few hours later, he arrived at the Poison Fog Swamp. At the mouth where the swamp met the Yuan River, a small town was under construction—a stronghold established by the guild to provide supplies for members and monitor the area.

The shuttle did not stop, diving straight into the swamp. Half an hour later, he spotted the island and the base upon it.

As the shuttle landed, Zhuang Zhuo greeted him with a grin and a cupped-hand salute. "I wondered who it was—the top ten contestant from the recent preliminary exam has arrived! Forgive my lack of a proper welcome!"

"Since you know you’re guilty, why haven't you knelt yet?"

"Damn!"

Both men burst into laughter and headed inside together.

"Brother Su, you're really about to take off, aren't you? Has any squadron recruited you yet?"

"Yes, the Second Squadron of the Main Force."

"Oh, the Main Force is quite good." Zhuang Zhuo asked with a gossipy look, "By the way, I heard the Deputy Commander of the Second Main Force is a great beauty. Did you see her?"

"Uh, I did."

"Is she really that pretty?"

"She is quite beautiful."

"Then you're in for a treat."

As they chatted, they arrived at the Gu-refining pits at the back of the base. They saw Shi Ning, Gu Zhiqiu, and others refining Gu. The two of them squatted by the main pit, while a few players Su Yu didn't recognize were at the smaller side pits.

He looked back, puzzled, and Zhuang Zhuo immediately explained, "We have enough ordinary Gu, and the cost of refining Golden-Winged Flying Centipedes is too high for mass production. Since the pits are just sitting empty, we might as well open them to others and collect a usage fee."

"That works."

They stood by for a while until Gu Zhiqiu and Shi Ning finished refining a Golden-Winged Flying Centipede. Su Yu asked, "I'm planning to go to the River God Temple near Sandsink Town to pick up some quests. Is anyone interested in coming along?"

The group looked at Gu Zhiqiu, who chuckled and said, "My money is all gone and I can't refine any more Golden-Winged Flying Centipedes, so I might as well go."

"Are you guys coming?" Su Yu asked.

Shi Ning and Meng Chen shook their heads. "We'll pass. We have to guard the home base."

"Alright then."

A few minutes later, a Spirit Fish Flying Shuttle shot into the sky and vanished into the horizon.

Instead of heading toward Thousand Feather City, the shuttle flew southwest, preparing to cross the mountain range to reach Sandsink Town directly.

Sitting in the shuttle and looking out from high altitude, one could see endless mountain ranges. Spirit energy and miasma blended into a fog that shrouded the peaks, while colorful demon energy rose in pillars from the deep ravines. From time to time, massive figures could be seen darting through the mountains.

Vast and wild.

However, the high altitude was not deserted. Flying boats belonging to other players occasionally streaked past, and higher up, one could sometimes see sword lights—hundred-zhang-long rainbows of energy piercing the sky, lingering for a long time. One could only guess which masters those belonged to.

Beyond the reach of civilization, the mountains were the realm of demons and spirits; the deeper one went into the Taihu Mountain Range, the more desolate it became.

But they were currently at the edge of the Taihu range, an area opened up by human civilization, so the traffic was still quite heavy.

Humanity's expansion into the Blue Mountain Islands began at the estuaries of the three major rivers, extending inland generation after generation. Newcomers followed the main trunk of the Yuan River toward the middle and upper reaches, branching off along tributaries like the veins of a leaf, gradually pushing deep into the islands.

The Thousand Feather Guild occupied a nodal point on one of the Yuan River’s tributaries, with their core influence radiating from the mouth of the Sandsink River.

To the east, because they occupied the Poison Fog Swamp, the area within seven thousand kilometers fell under the guild's control. To the south, the Yuan River served as the boundary; the other side belonged to another large guild. To the west, there were only four thousand kilometers. To the north, along the Sandsink River, the territory extended for over ten thousand kilometers.

Compared to the wide, deep Yuan River with its high-level monsters, the Sandsink River—narrower and home to lower-level monsters—was better suited for the guild's development.

The guild’s core strategy was to maintain its foothold on the Yuan River while prioritizing the development of the Sandsink River. However, many other guilds had the same idea. Along the seven-hundred-thousand-kilometer length of the Sandsink River’s middle and lower reaches, five or six various guilds had staked their claims. The one bordering the Thousand Feather Guild was a large guild called Frostfire.

They were slightly weaker than Thousand Feather, and friction frequently occurred at the border.

Sandsink Town was located about ten thousand kilometers upstream from the Yuan River mouth. It was named after the local Sandsink River God Temple and served as the base for the guild's Second Main Force. The First Main Force guarded the headquarters, while the Third was stationed in the Poison Fog Swamp.

Near Sandsink Town, a river ten kilometers wide called the Willow River flowed out of the Taihu Mountains and into the Sandsink River, forming a massive alluvial plain where a large number of mortals lived, creating a kingdom called the Great Willow State.

These mortals were indigenous to the "Other Shore" world, not humans from Earth. However, as humanity had been expanding here for over a thousand years, many retired for various reasons, and rather than making the long journey back to the Divine Province Islands—the birthplace of humanity—they settled here.

This mortal kingdom was under the dual protection of the Taihu Mountain God and the Sandsink River God. Monsters did not respawn here, and the demons in the mountains dared not approach, making it quite safe.

Five hours later, the shuttle crossed a high peak, and the view suddenly opened up. Beyond the peaks lay an endless plain, a crisscross of waterways and rice paddies stretching to the horizon.

The shuttle crossed the vast plain, seeing a white ribbon in the distance dividing the land. As they drew closer, the ribbon became clear—it was a surging, turbulent river.

Following the river upstream, a mountain suddenly appeared in the middle of the endless plain. The top had been shaved flat by great magic, forming a massive platform two kilometers north-to-south and one kilometer east-to-west. Thirty-six thick stone pillars stood around the perimeter, enclosing a town. From time to time, flying boats and sword lights arrived from afar to enter the town, and teams flew out just as often.

As the shuttle entered the town, Su Yu contacted He Shoucheng: "I've arrived at Sandsink Town. I'm at the South Gate plaza."

"Wait a moment."

"Alright."

Closing the communication, Su Yu looked up to examine the town. The thirty-six stone pillars surrounding it were inscribed with massive array patterns, with spirit light occasionally pulsing up to the tops of the pillars. This was clearly a town-protection array, though it was currently inactive.

The flow of people inside was intense; while not quite as busy as Thousand Feather City, it was extremely prosperous. Everyone coming and going was a cultivator, though not all were members of the Thousand Feather Guild. Like Thousand Feather City, it was a mix of Second Main Force members, affiliates, individuals affiliated with the guild, and many independent rogue cultivators.

The South Gate plaza was a massive flea market. Many people set up stalls to hawk their wares, while even more browsed and traded. The noise of shouting and bargaining made for a lively scene.

The two of them wanted to look around, but He Shoucheng arrived very quickly.

"Brother Su!"

Looking up, he saw He Shoucheng descending slowly, accompanied by a pretty woman who looked somewhat familiar and a man who resembled her. Recalling the preliminary exams, he quickly realized they were among the top 64.

They shook hands, and He Shoucheng pulled the woman over: "My girlfriend, Zhang Yunfei."

"Hello, I'm Su Yu!"

"I recognize you; your swordsmanship is very impressive."

"And this is Zhang Yunchen, heh, my brother-in-law."

"Hello."

"This is my friend, Gu Zhiqiu."

After everyone was introduced, they chatted while walking into the town.

"I arrived a few days earlier than you and checked out the River God Temple. There are two quests suitable for us at this stage."

"About a thousand kilometers upstream, the mountain range to the right of the river is a branch of the Taihu Mountains. There is a demon territory there belonging to the Taihu Mountain God, consisting of 36 linked demon strongholds. The River God Temple has quests for them. Every time you accumulate kills of demon soldiers or chieftains, you gain Sandsink River reputation. If you kill the master of a stronghold and completely destroy it so it stops respawning, you get a Sandsink River God Token, which can be exchanged for good items."

He Shoucheng said excitedly, "I took a look—it includes high-level artifacts of the seventh rank and above, spiritual pills that increase innate attributes, treasures to obtain bloodlines, and so on. You could say it has everything."

"Grinding levels while accumulating reputation—killing two birds with one stone."

"And the other one?"

"About twenty thousand kilometers upstream, there is a large lake that connects to the Sandsink River. A great demon has occupied it, refusing to acknowledge the River God. You can accept suppression quests to kill the demon army and gain reputation."

"I personally suggest we don't go to the lake. That’s the territory of the Star Casting Guild, and our guild doesn't get along with them. It’s easy to get the short end of the stick there."

"True."

Su Yu went along with the suggestion and smiled. "Then the demon strongholds it is. Shall we go now?"

"Let's pick up the quests at the River God Temple first."

"Let's go."

The group walked along the main thoroughfare to the center of town. Near the river stood a temple covering several thousand square meters, housing a tall statue with a golden body. It had a human body, but the head was shrouded in a faint golden mist of incense, making it impossible to see the River God's true form.

Across from the temple was a complex of buildings covering tens of thousands of square meters—the base of the guild's Second Main Force. It was crowded, but Su Yu had no intention of interacting with them for now.

When they entered the temple, a special interface Su Yu had never seen before automatically popped up, containing three tabs: Quest, Reputation Exchange, and Ritual.

The Quest interface showed various tasks released by the River God Temple—collection quests, bounties, and exterminating those who opposed the River God. The Reputation Exchange was self-explanatory. The Ritual interface was special; one could offer rare treasures to the River God. If the offering was sufficient, it was possible to communicate with the River God to receive divine favor or extra benefits. Additionally, rituals were an important way for cultivators of the "God-Descending" system to improve their strength.

Cultivators of the God-Descending system fought by channeling the power of deities, which required frequent ritual offerings to maintain a good relationship.

Su Yu skimmed the interface to get a general understanding and then moved to the Quest tab to accept his tasks.

In the next second, he sensed something and looked up to find the River God statue looking down at him. A golden light shot out and landed on him, condensing into a unique mark on his chest. He understood immediately—this functioned like the guild task token, recording progress. As long as he killed demon soldiers or destroyed strongholds, it would be tracked. When he returned to report, the River God's will would know instantly.

Su Yu accepted a quest to suppress demon soldiers and another to collect demon weapons. The loot from killing soldiers often included their weapons, and the River God Temple bought them in bulk.

After picking up the quests, the five of them headed to the edge of town. He Shoucheng took out a palm-sized red boat and tossed it; it grew with the wind into a Fire Spirit Boat. They jumped on, and the boat quickly took to the sky, flying north.

Two hours later, they had left the Great Willow State and arrived before the chain of demon strongholds.

The 36 Linked Demon Strongholds centered around a single mountain, spanning hundreds of miles. Each stronghold was of similar size, and together they stretched for over ten thousand miles into the Taihu Mountain Range.

Each stronghold held a great demon above level 150 and numerous demon generals over level 100. Their combined strength was far greater than that of the Poison Fog Swamp.

Furthermore, since the strongholds were on land, they couldn't utilize various warship support. With the Thousand Feather Guild's strength, they could win, but it would certainly involve heavy losses. Although dying in "Other Shore" wasn't permanent, losing at least five years of lifespan was not something to be squandered lightly. Without absolute certainty, the guild wouldn't risk everyone's lives.

The Fire Spirit Boat flew to the edge of the strongholds. From high up, one could see teams of players guarding the entrances of the demon strongholds, intercepting the demon soldiers. They didn't storm the mountains; they just waited at the crossroads at the foot of the hills. Every twenty minutes or so, a large number of demon soldiers would respawn and pour down, splitting into groups of two or three hundred at the crossroads. The player teams simply sat there, waiting for the prey to come to them.

The flying boat circled once and found that the row of strongholds near the river was already fully occupied, so they had to fly deeper into the mountains.

However, just as they flew over one of the strongholds, the Fire Spirit Boat suddenly lurched and began to sink. He Shoucheng said in surprise, "Damn, this stronghold actually has an anti-air restriction?"

Su Yu was surprised. "There's such a thing?"

"No wonder everyone fights on the ground instead of hovering in the air."

The Fire Spirit Boat banked away from the stronghold and returned to normal. Turning around, they wove between two strongholds and ventured over six thousand kilometers deep into the chain before finally finding an unoccupied crossroads.

"Let's settle here."

"Alright."

As the boat lowered its altitude, Su Yu looked up. This stronghold had only two types of demon soldiers: wolf demons and rat spirits, with a few ox demons.

The wolf demons were level 45, about two meters tall, with wolf heads and human bodies, mostly carrying shields and blades, patrolling in groups.

The rat spirits were level 46, only about 1.5 meters tall, with hunched backs and rat heads, mostly holding crossbows and standing on watchtowers or rocks to fire flaming arrows.

The ox demons were level 50, three to four meters tall, with bulging muscles and immense strength, patrolling with giant battle-axes.

The group jumped off the boat and summoned their treasures. He Shoucheng took out a banana-leaf fan and said, "Su Yu and I will lead the attack. Yunfei, you intercept any that slip through and keep a lookout on the surroundings."

"Got it."

"No problem."

He nodded, puffed a breath of essence into the fan, which grew rapidly in his hand. He swung it once, and the air currents swirled, forming a series of three-foot wind blades that rushed toward a patrol of demon soldiers a hundred meters away.