I will be stronger after the remake

"What's the reason?"

"Xuzhou in Jiangsu is the ancient Pengcheng. The story of Qin Shi Huang salvaging the Zhou Ding from the Sishui River in Pengcheng has been passed down for more than two thousand years and has been written into ancient books. Although some people questioned the authenticity of this story as early as the Han Dynasty, the psychic community never talks about authenticity. As long as everyone believes it exists, then it really exists."

Out of caution, Gui Taxi searched for relevant information online.

Indeed, it is recorded in Sima Qian's "Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Qin Shi Huang": "When the First Emperor returned, he passed through Pengcheng, fasted and prayed, and wanted to retrieve the Zhou tripod from the Si River. He sent a thousand men to search for it in the water, but they could not find it."

Li Daoyuan also recorded in his Commentary on the Waterways Classic: "(Qin Shi Huang) sent several thousand people to search for it in the water, but they could not find it. This is what is called 'the tripod lying in the water.' It is also said that it was tied up and carried away, but before it could come out, a dragon gnawed off the tie."

“You’re right. Even if it didn’t happen in real history, it’s recorded in these classic works. What’s fake can become real. Moreover, according to the mythological setting, the Nine Cauldrons, as a magical treasure, must be related to the mysterious fate of the nation. We must take it seriously!” Gui Taxi said with a solemn expression.

Tang Ping advised instead, "These are all just my personal speculations at the moment. Moreover, since Zhou Canglan still has the time to gather members, it is clear that even if he has clues about the treasure, he is certain that the treasure will not appear in the near future. We don't need to alert him. We can wait until I obtain more accurate information before considering whether to take countermeasures."

Gui Taxi thought about it and felt that it made sense.

There are countless legends and stories related to Xuzhou, and it's not necessarily Pengcheng.

Even if the destination is indeed Pengcheng, it may not necessarily be the Nine Cauldrons.

It is known that the Yellow Emperor established Pengcheng as his capital. In addition, Emperor Yao enfeoffed Jian Keng in Pengcheng and established the Great Peng State. Therefore, Jian Keng is also known as Peng Zu.

Peng Zu is also a famous Taoist immortal, known for his longevity. There are many legends and stories about him, and he often makes cameo appearances in other people's stories.

The "In Search of the Supernatural" states: "Peng Zu was a high-ranking official during the Yin Dynasty. His given name was Keng. He was the grandson of Emperor Zhuanxu and the second son of Lu Zhong. He lived from the Xia Dynasty to the end of the Shang Dynasty, and was said to have lived for seven hundred years."

The "Heavenly Questions" section of the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu) says: "Peng Keng offered pheasants, why did the Emperor receive such a feast and enjoy such long life? How long is it?"

In addition, because Peng Zu was long-lived and skilled in sexual techniques, most later works on sexual techniques borrowed his name, such as the "Peng Zu Jing" mentioned in "Baopuzi·Xialan", the "Peng Zu Yangxing" mentioned in "Sui Shu·Jingji Zhi", and the "Peng Zu Yangxing Jing" mentioned in "Xin Tang Shu·Yiwen Zhi".

After careful consideration, Gui Taxi decided to play it safe for now: "I'll entrust the task of gathering intelligence to you. I'll have Duan Jie keep in touch with you. Remember to contact me promptly if you have any important intelligence."

Tang Ping asked, "Should we notify the local psychic energy management bureau about this?"

“No need,” Gui Taxi answered almost instantly, without the slightest hesitation. “First of all, your undercover identity needs to be kept secret. If we don’t tell them, they might treat you as a traitor. But if we do tell them, there’s a risk of our identity being exposed. The Guiling Sect can turn traitors, so who can guarantee that the New Territories Alliance can’t do the same? Besides, monitoring anomalies is the responsibility of the Armed Forces Section. If they don’t discover anything, it’s their own fault, and they can’t blame anyone else. We have no obligation to remind them.”

This decision was undoubtedly in Tang Ping's favor, so he naturally had no reason to object. He just thought for a moment and said, "The undercover identity is ultimately a hidden danger. Perhaps we can solve it by turning the illusion into reality."

"How to say?"

"It's very simple. First, let the New Territories Alliance cause some trouble in Jiangcheng. Then, Director, give me an undercover mission to verify their identity through official channels."

"This way, your identity threat with the authorities is eliminated, but it's now dangerous with the New Territories Alliance. What if they find out about this through spies..."

"Therefore, I will inform Zhou Canglan of the undercover mission, turning the hidden card into an open card, and the hidden danger will no longer exist."

Gui Taxi took a moment to understand Tang Ping's logic, then pointed a finger and laughed, "You always manage to come up with something new."

Chapter 202 Pan Chi

Tang Ping arrived in Xuzhou by high-speed train and met up with the New Territories Alliance group.

Once everyone had arrived, Zhou Canglan didn't keep them in suspense and explained the reason for the operation: "The Xuzhou Canal, which is the location of the ancient Si River, has a coiled dragon appearing in the corresponding river in the Illusionary Realm."

Lin Xi raised her hand and asked, "What kind of monster is Pan Chi? Why do we need to deal with it?"

After becoming a psionicist, Tang Ping has been reading various myths and legends to supplement his knowledge of mythical beasts and monsters, especially the "Classic of Mountains and Seas," which he can almost recite by heart. He explained, "Panchi is a monster belonging to the dragon family, with the shape of a tiger and the appearance of a dragon. It is said to be the offspring of a dragon and a tiger, and belongs to a type of hornless dragon. But that's not the point. The key is that the ancients usually carved Panchi patterns on bronzeware."

"Oh."

Lin Xi nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Seeing this, Zhou Canglan knew he had to be clear. Not everyone was as quick-witted and insightful as Tang Ping, so he said, "The most famous legend about the Sishui River in Pengcheng is that Qin Shi Huang tried to retrieve the Nine Tripods from the Sishui River. He even created the Qin Liang Hong because so many stones were retrieved that they formed a stone bridge on both banks. If it were just a monster appearing in the Sishui River, it wouldn't be worth making such a fuss. But this monster happens to be a Pan Chi, which is closely associated with bronzes. So I have reason to suspect that this is a sign that the Nine Tripods are about to be born. At least it is worth investigating and confirming."

While speaking, he carefully observed the reactions of the crowd.

Needless to say, Liu Lingling supports whatever he says. He Fengsheng, on the other hand, doesn't care what he says. Feng Xiu and Lin Xi have expressions of sudden realization, but that's all. They remain at the stage of passively receiving information, unable to think independently, let alone offer constructive opinions.

Only Tang Ping paused for a moment before asking, "What was the local psychic energy management bureau's reaction?"

Finally, there's a second brain in the team, so I don't have to awkwardly perform a solo act anymore.

While feeling gratified, Zhou Canglan replied, "Although the Panchi is not the kind of auspicious beast that brings good luck, it is definitely not the kind of cruel man-eating monster. It is similar to the Qiantang Dragon King. As long as you don't step into its territory, it will not attack people on its own initiative. Under normal circumstances, the local armed forces will choose to ignore it. After all, manpower is tight, and it is impossible to manage everything, unless eliminating monsters will help one's cultivation."

Tang Ping then asked, "This is assuming the local Psionic Administration hasn't reacted yet. Once they realize the connection between Pan Chi and the Nine Cauldrons, they can't just ignore it. We can't just pin our hopes on the fact that they're all incompetent, can we?"

Feng Xiu nodded in agreement, saying, "Although the world is just a huge makeshift operation, that's from a holistic perspective. If we break it down to the individual, there are still quite a few smart people."

Zhou Canglan said, "Next, I will create an anomaly to attract the attention of the Spirit Energy Administration. I don't expect it to drag on for ten days or half a month. I just need to keep them from paying attention to the Pan Chi for the time being. We are not the Guiling Cult. They are interested in all spiritual things, while we only want to confirm whether it is related to the Nine Provinces Cauldron. If it is related, we will seize the artifact at all costs. If it is not related, we can just leave directly. There is no need to conflict with the Armed Forces Department."

Tang Ping thought for a moment and pointed out the flaw in the plan: "If there is indeed a Nine Provinces Cauldron, but this Nine Provinces Cauldron is not a divine artifact that maintains the Illusionary Realm, but just a simple treasure, what should we do?"

Zhou Canglan was slightly taken aback. He really hadn't thought of that. As soon as he heard that Pan Chi had appeared in Sishui, he was so focused on confirming the truth that he was blinded by the hope of promotion and lost his usual composure.

After a moment's reflection, he had his answer and said, "Even if it's not a divine artifact, the Nine Provinces Cauldron is a renowned treasure in Chinese legends, and its power is definitely not weak. Whether used for trading or for personal use, it has extremely high value. We should act according to the situation. If there is an opportunity, we should try to seize it. If there is no opportunity, we should give up. Remember to prioritize your own safety. No matter how good a treasure is, it is ultimately just an external thing. There is no need to attach too much importance to it."

With the plan finalized and no one having any objections, and considering that it was getting late, they decided to rest at the hotel for the night and begin their operation the next day.

During this time, Tang Ping noticed that Zhou Canglan had left briefly for a period of time, but remembering that the other party had said he wanted to create an anomaly to attract the attention of the Psionic Administration Bureau, she did not ask.

The group first traveled by car to Qinlianghong, and then entered the Illusionary Realm.

What appeared before them was a river exuding a dark aura. It seemed calm on the surface, but in reality, the currents were turbulent. Weeds grew wildly on the riverbank, and vines entwined the jagged rocks on the shore, as if telling the story of the vicissitudes of time. Dead trees lay across the water, their twisted branches like outstretched ghostly hands, appearing and disappearing in the ripples, adding to the eeriness.

Lin Xi said nervously, "This river looks very strange. It wouldn't be surprising if a ghost appeared at any moment!"

Feng Xiu said, "According to the legend, when Qin Shi Huang was retrieving the Nine Tripods from the Si River, just as he was about to succeed, a dragon head suddenly emerged from the water, biting through the rope and causing the Nine Tripods to fall back into the river. So the possibility of a ghost emerging from the river is very small, but the possibility of a dragon emerging is very high."

Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this: "It's good that there are no ghosts."

Upon hearing this, Tang Ping asked in bewilderment, "Your spirit 'Singer' is designed to possess divine characteristics and can use holy light. You should be good at dealing with ghosts and spirits. What is there to be afraid of?"

Lin Xi argued, "Ling Ge is Ling Ge, and I am me. These are two different things."

Tang Ping couldn't help but glance at the other person again. Logically speaking, psychics should gradually be influenced by their spiritual personality. Even if their worldview doesn't change, their preferences will at least change to some extent. But Lin Xi seemed to be unaffected.

Does this mean that it varies from person to person?

"You've already seen dragons, so what's so scary about ghosts? Among monsters, ghosts are undoubtedly the lowest class. All fear stems from insufficient firepower. Ordinary people are afraid of ghosts because they have no way to deal with them, but you can easily send ghosts to heaven by using light-based spiritual magic."

"That's true, but even if you can stomp a cockroach to death, many people are still afraid of cockroaches."

Liu Lingling nodded repeatedly: "Yes, even though I've become a psionicist, I still get goosebumps when I see cockroaches. I hope someone can help me solve this problem."

With support from others, Lin Xi said smugly, "See? I told you this kind of thing is common."

While the group was talking, Zhou Canglan inserted a finger into the water and used his spiritual energy to investigate the underwater situation, extending his sense of touch along the river.

After a moment, he stood up and said, "We've found the target, but it's a bit far from here. Let's go there first."

After saying that, just like last time, he manipulated the water flow to form a vehicle, carrying everyone upstream.

After traveling nearly three kilometers, Zhou Canglan stopped, stood by the river, and stared at the surface of the river. His gaze seemed to penetrate the water and see the enormous creature hidden beneath.

The next moment, his robes billowed like sails by an invisible wave of air, and a blinding blue light burst forth from his palm. The water surface within a ten-mile radius suddenly solidified into an ice-blue mirror, then twisted and churned like boiling molten iron. Thousands of streams of water condensed into a giant chain in mid-air, with barbs at the ends gleaming with a chilling light.

"Come out!"

With a roar, Zhou Canglan pressed down with both palms, and the water chains pierced the water like crossbow bolts, shooting towards the yellow dragon's body lying at the bottom of the river.

In an instant, the Sishui River surged violently, with waves constantly rising and a huge whirlpool forming in the center of the river.

Soon, the angry roar of the Pan Chi dragon came from the center of the whirlpool, intertwining with the roar of the water, like an apocalyptic symphony.

Zhou Canglan showed no mercy, manipulating the water chains to wrap around the Panchi like living creatures. Each chain carried the pressure of the ancient god Gonggong, suppressing the opponent's will to resist.

Everyone had witnessed Zhou Canglan easily defeat the Dragon King of Qiantang last time, and this battle was still on the water, and it was another dragon. Therefore, they had great confidence in him and had no intention of helping him. On the contrary, they felt that if they rashly intervened, they would only make things worse, so they would rather just watch from the sidelines.

Tang Ping thought so too, but he suddenly became alert and looked up to find that not only was there a mist rising on the river, but it was also rapidly spreading towards the shore.

"Everyone be careful, the fog is poisonous."

While giving the reminder, he activated his spiritual energy "Miraculous Dew" and combined it with the spiritual technique "Summer Relief Technique" to add a layer of water film to everyone except Zhou Canglan.

This water film originally served a simple moisturizing function, but under the influence of "Miraculous Dew," it gained a continuous detoxifying effect.

"You still dare to resist."

Zhou Canglan snorted coldly, unleashing his spiritual energy to amplify the power of the water chains. With a loud bang, a column of waves erupted from the vortex, and the Pan Chi was finally forcibly pulled out.

The ferocious beast, resembling a tiger and a dragon, was covered in dark purple scales, each one dripping with viscous venom. Its four claws were as if forged from steel, and its tail was covered in barbs.

Completely bound by chains, it was filled with hatred and rage. It let out a shriek to the sky, the sound waves of which snapped the trees on the shore and spewed out a large amount of venom, which instantly corroded the ground and created pits.

A lot of venom was sprayed onto Zhou Canglan's body, but he had already transformed into an elemental form, without flesh and blood, so no matter how strong the venom was, it could not affect him.

"Resist tenaciously!"

Zhou Canglan raised his palm, and a ten-zhang-long water blade condensed in his palm. It flashed with a dark blue light and cut through the sky, slashing towards Pan Chi with the force of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

Pan Chi sensed the danger and hurriedly swung its sharp claws to defend itself, but the moment it came into contact with the water blades, its scales shattered inch by inch, and blood gushed out like a spring.

The water blade, its momentum undiminished, left a deep, bone-revealing wound on the Pan Chi. Just as it let out a painful roar and had no time to retaliate, Zhou Canglan manipulated the water flow to form a giant fist, which slammed down on it.

With a deafening roar, the Pan Chi was slammed into the ground by the giant fist of flowing water, instantly creating a huge crater in the ground, and dragon blood spurted out.

After just two rounds of direct confrontation, the outcome is already decided!

Chapter 203 Moving Stones

It must be said that in a water-rich environment, Zhou Canglan, who possesses the "Gonggong" spirit, is practically a god descended to earth.

This coiled dragon, apart from lacking river patrol yakshas, ​​shrimp soldiers, crab generals, and other subordinates, was no less powerful than the Qiantang Dragon King in terms of individual strength. Yet, it was easily defeated by Zhou Canglan as if an adult were bullying a child.

It is evident that if Zhou Canglan had not been so determined to capture the Dragon King of Qiantang last time, the outcome could have been decided quickly, and even a life-or-death struggle could have been decided.

Of course, even today, Zhou Canglan did not intend to kill Pan Chi. Therefore, after severely injuring the opponent with one move, he did not press his advantage. Instead, he adopted a mocking posture, standing with his hands behind his back on the water curtain, surrounded by a bright blue aura of spiritual energy, with a playful smile on his lips.

He raised his hand and waved it lightly, and the Sishui River transformed into a crystal-clear giant cage, trapping the Panchi in the center. Then, ripples appeared on the surface of the water curtain beneath his feet, transforming into countless ferocious beasts and poisonous insects of various shapes.

A ferocious tiger, baring its fangs and claws, lunged at the dragon's throat, while an armored rhinoceros rammed its belly with its sharp horn. Dozens of venomous snakes flicked their tongues, slithering and biting around the dragon.

These transformed aquatic creatures are okay for dealing with first-tier demons, but they can't even break through the dragon scales of a third-tier Pan Chi.

Pan Chi realized it had been humiliated and roared angrily, its sharp claws lashing out wildly, tearing apart all the ferocious beasts and poisonous insects that were attacking it.

However, these creatures were originally formed from water, and once shattered, they immediately reformed and launched an even more ferocious attack, specifically targeting areas not covered by dragon scales.

As dragon blood continued to seep out, the coiled dragon's movements gradually slowed down, and the intense pain from its wounds almost overwhelmed its consciousness.

Suddenly, the Pan Chi let out a deafening dragon roar, and its body burst forth with dazzling golden light. It was as if a bronze bell was being struck in the void, and the sound spread out. Zhou Canglan, who was closest to it, was momentarily stunned and forced to withdraw from his elemental form.

Seizing the opportunity, the coiled dragon gathered all its strength and crashed into the water curtain, its roaring motion resembling a golden train.

With a deafening roar, the water curtain shattered, and the Pan Chi seized the opportunity to rush towards the Si River like an arrow, bringing with it a stench, before plunging into the river and stirring up huge waves. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared without a trace.

Zhou Canglan shook off the influence of the bell and looked in the direction the other party had fled. With mixed feelings, he sighed, "Psionic battles are something you can't be careless about. Someone who could be easily manipulated actually managed to create an opportunity for me to be caught off guard and lose my life."

This was the first time he had been forced out of his elemental state. He had always believed that as long as he entered his elemental form, he would be immortal and invincible.

If Pan Chi hadn't been thinking of escaping, but instead was determined to fight to the death... he naturally wouldn't have been able to kill Zhou Canglan. After all, Tang Ping and the others wouldn't just stand by and watch, but he would have inevitably become very disheveled and wouldn't have been able to maintain his superior demeanor.

Fortunately, it was just a minor accident, and everything proceeded according to plan. Zhou Canglan used his power as the Water God, using water as his eyes, to firmly lock onto the Pan Chi.

At the same time, Tang Ping stepped forward and took out a ladle of dragon blood from the pit, carefully putting it into a glass bottle that had been prepared beforehand.

Seeing this, Zhou Canglan waved his sleeve, summoning water to envelop everyone, and quickly chased after them along the Si River.

Under the watchful eye of the Water God's power, Pan Chi's every move was under Zhou Canglan's control. He even had the energy to maintain a proper distance, so that he wouldn't be suddenly overtaken by the other party's acceleration, nor would he be alerted by getting too close.

After chasing for nearly ten miles by water, the dragon suddenly vanished from the surveillance footage, as if it had disappeared into thin air.

There was no spiritual energy fluctuation, no spiritual pressure, and not even a trace of dragon aura. Zhou Canglan rushed to the place where the other party disappeared. Looking around, he saw jagged rocks on the shore and rapid currents, but he could not find any trace of the Pan Chi.

But instead of being angry, he was delighted, because this meant that the other party had hidden in some blessed land, and with a blessed land, the probability of the Nine Cauldrons appearing would increase significantly.

He turned to Tang Ping and said, "The rest is up to you."

Tang Ping nodded. This was a possible scenario in the plan. He immediately took out the glass bottle containing the dragon's blood and activated his spiritual energy to "see karma" in order to locate the Pan Chi at this moment.

However, when using it, he couldn't help but complain in his heart that this psionic power had many uses, but in his hands, it was used to do nothing but tracking and positioning.

The freshly spilled dragon blood could provide enough information, no different from divination targeting the Pan Chi. Tang Ping soon got the answer he wanted and immediately pointed to the water: "Right here!"

Zhou Canglan looked in the direction of the finger and immediately manipulated the water flow to separate, revealing the damp riverbed. There, a huge boulder lay horizontally, its surface covered with moss and water stains, with faint spiritual energy fluctuations seeping out from the cracks at the bottom.

Now, even Lin Xi, whose cultivation was the weakest, realized that there was a hidden world beneath the rock.

Without hesitation, Zhou Canglan manipulated the water flow to form a giant hand, which swept up mud and sand and slammed it against the rock, trying to move it away.

However, the moment it was touched, the seemingly ordinary bluestone at the bottom of the river suddenly cracked, and the large hand of water disintegrated into a pool of water droplets as if ice and snow were melting.

Zhou Canglan was stunned for a moment, and tried several times in disbelief, but the result was the same.

He Fengsheng landed at the bottom of the river, reached out and touched the blue stone. He found that the stone was wriggling as if it were alive. He turned his head and said, "This stone is not simple. Or to be more precise, the formation set up in this stone is not simple. It can absorb the spiritual energy from the outside world."