I'm Dreaming of a Journey to the West

"Oh my God! Oh my God! This road is just like a vast ocean!"

Li Chen swam vigorously, sighing inwardly. The mountain path that originally led from the foot of Putuo Mountain to the Nine Dragon Hall was now completely flooded. He had been floundering almost all the way there. You know, in real life, Li Chen is a complete landlubber!

According to the system, the Nine Dragon Hall, also known as the Yuantong Hall, is the main hall of Fayu Temple on Putuo Mountain. More than a dozen ancient trees stand in front of the hall, two of which are particularly eye-catching: a ginkgo tree on the west side, so thick it requires three people to embrace it and is said to be over 500 years old; and a dragon-shaped cypress on the east side, so vigorous and powerful, its winding form resembling a dragon, making them two of Putuo Mountain's most famous ancient cypresses.

However, the once solemn and majestic scene has been completely changed. The ancient trees that had stood there for centuries were destroyed by the floods, and the monks within the temple were not spared either, all perishing at the hands of the raging flood and the vicious demons.

The name of the Nine Dragons Hall comes from the fact that the most famous feature in the hall is the Nine Dragons Caisson, one of the three treasures of Putuo. The caisson is carved in the simple and elegant pattern of nine dragons playing with a pearl, with one dragon coiled on the top and eight dragons dancing around eight vertical pillars.

The bases of the eight golden pillars are made of exquisitely carved dragon bricks, and in their center hangs a glazed lamp resembling a bright pearl, forming a three-dimensional pattern of nine dragons playing with a pearl. The beautiful shape and bold carving techniques of the Nine Dragons Hall date back to the early Ming Dynasty, hence its Ming name.

Li Chen listened intently to the system's detailed explanation, swimming forward without hesitation. Halfway through, he was surprised to discover that the Nine Dragon Hall had completely lost its former appearance and had become dilapidated. Of the once magnificent hall, only the nine caissons carved with the image of nine dragons playing with a pearl remained intact. The rest had been mercilessly washed away by the surging flood, scattered across the watery world.

Just as Li Chen, curious and ready to swim closer to investigate, was met with two sudden roars, one from the front and one from the rear. His heart tightened, and he quickly turned to look behind him. The sight before him horrified him. A horde of ferocious, man-eating Yakshas, ​​wielding sharp steel pitchforks, swarmed towards him from behind. Furthermore, several graceful, white-haired banshees with clam-like legs followed closely behind. Their enchanting beauty contrasted sharply with their bizarre anatomy. Furthermore, numerous shell demons, still yet to fully transform into humanoid forms, also appeared.

These monsters bared their fangs and claws, their momentum fierce, as if they wanted to devour Li Chen alive. Faced with such a dangerous situation, Li Chen couldn't help but gasp, but he didn't panic. Instead, he clenched his fists tightly, secretly telling himself that he must respond calmly and find a way to resolve this crisis.

"A mortal as insignificant as an ant, dares to trespass into our Nine Dragons Forbidden Land!" Yaksha's eyes widened in anger, and he raised the lightning-flashing steel fork in his hand and roared at Li Chen. He exuded a chilling murderous aura, and the sharp tip of the lightning fork still had traces of fresh blood on it, clearly showing that this Yaksha had stained his hands with countless blood before.

Not only that, the bright red at the corner of Yasha's mouth was even more terrifying—this ferocious demon had actually devoured human flesh! Faced with such a terrifying scene, Li Chen showed no fear and calmly watched the surging group of demons before him.

Each of these demons carried a strong, pungent smell of blood, as if they had just emerged from a massacre. It was obvious that they were all ruthless killers. However, Li Chen did not take these demons seriously. He simply said, "A good dog doesn't block the road!"

These words were like a sharp sword, piercing the demons' hearts. The implication was, "You beasts, please don't seek this trouble. If you know what's best for you, just get out of here. I'll pretend nothing happened." This was undoubtedly Li Chen's final shred of mercy and warning. If they continued to pester him, they would surely face death.

"Boy, how dare you threaten us! You don't know who we are! We are subordinates of the Grand Ancestral Water Witch, Gonggong! The fact that you could be eaten by us is a blessing you've earned through countless lifetimes!" A clam demon roared at Li Chen with glaring eyes. Before she finished speaking, she mobilized her inner essence, quickly condensing a massive water bomb, which hurled itself at Li Chen like a cannonball.

However, what the clam demon never expected was that just as the water bullet was about to hit Li Chen, he flashed and disappeared instantly. The next moment, Li Chen appeared before the clam demon like a ghost, stretched out his right hand and suddenly grasped the water bullet. Then, with lightning speed, he came to the demon and, without a word, forced the water bullet into her open mouth!

Terrified, the clam demon desperately struggled to break free, but it was too late. The water bullet exploded in her mouth, the powerful shockwave instantly ripping her body into shreds. Flesh and blood flew everywhere, splattering Li Chen's entire body. But he remained like an emotionless killer, gently brushing the blood off his clothes with an expressionless face. Then, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the panicked demons before him!

"Listen up, all of you! Today I will tear this man into pieces to appease my hatred! Everyone, work together! Whoever can take his head will be rewarded handsomely!"

Following this furious roar, the Yaksha leader stared at the man before him—Li Chen—with eyes wide open and a face filled with anger. Following the Yaksha leader's command, numerous demons surged forward like a tide, and a thrilling battle began.

These Yakshas were incredibly ugly, with hideous faces that shuddered! Clutching sharp steel forks that flashed with lightning, they lunged at Li Chen with the ferocity and swiftness of a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey. Meanwhile, the clam demons standing behind the Yakshas were no less formidable. They swiftly waved their palms, continuously gathering enormous water balls brimming with terrifying energy fluctuations, and mercilessly hurled them at Li Chen. To make matters worse, the immature shell demons, still barely formed, were eager to join the fray. From time to time, they unleashed three incredibly powerful mines, attempting to kill Li Chen in one fell swoop...

In an instant, countless attacks came like a violent storm, so dense and overwhelming that it was impossible to keep up! These powerful waves of attack seemed to tear the entire space apart, and the scene was extremely chaotic and spectacular! Seeing these deadly attacks about to hit Li Chen, he did not choose to escape or dodge.

"Hmph, you actually want to withstand our attack head-on? You really underestimate the enemy!" Many demons thought to themselves, and then roared in unison, using all their strength to launch even more fierce and violent attacks at Li Chen!

"I have done my best and given you a chance to live, but you don't know the difference between life and death and insist on seeking your own destruction. Don't blame me for being ruthless!" Along with this angry shout, Li Chen's figure flashed like a ghost and appeared behind the group of demons in the blink of an eye.

As everyone was stunned, Li Chen wielded a spear that gleamed with cold light and thrust it out with lightning speed. The spear's tip pierced the hard shell of a clam demon with unerring precision, shattering it to the ground. The demon let out a shrill scream before dying, blood gushing out across the ground.

The other demons were horrified upon seeing this, and retreated in fear, their eyes filled with terror. They had never imagined that Li Chen would be so fast, or so ruthless and decisive. The demons, who had been so aggressive, were now terrified and no longer dared to provoke him.