In the following days, the group traveled together, and as time passed, they became familiar with each other. Lu Yu found that the siblings indeed had courageous hearts; the sister was naive and adorable while the brother was calm and composed. Their company was very comfortable.
The siblings also learned about the practice of cultivation from Lu Yu, and felt as though a new and wondrous world had appeared before them, a world they had never seen before.
What surprised them was the peace and calm they encountered along the way; no one was pursuing them to kill them anymore. Instead, they enjoyed a leisurely journey filled with sightseeing and joyful moments.
Lu Yu took this opportunity to learn some swordsmanship from the siblings. Although he had the Flying Sword by his side and a Dharma Protector Spirit following him, he lacked experience in close combat. In short, Lu Yu was a qualified mage for long-range attack but had no ability in close-quarters battle.
Moreover, his Techniques were not sustainable, so learning some boxing and swordsmanship seemed extremely necessary.
Little did he know that his idea would catch He Yinglian's interest. Whenever they had time over the next few days, she eagerly taught Lu Yu martial arts, thoroughly enjoying her role as a teacher.
During this process, they discovered that Lu Yu seemed to have an outstanding talent for martial arts, primarily because his body appeared frail but was actually very well-founded. Plus, the insights gained from the fusion of his past and present lives enabled him to learn twice as much with half the effort, which amazed both siblings.
Lu Yu himself knew that his Flying Sword deserved the credit. The Wood Attribute of the Flying Sword had the effect of nourishing his physique, and considering the exceptional material of his sword, the effects were naturally even better.
Time passed slowly as they taught and learned from each other. One day, the weather turned gloomy, with dark clouds heavily blanketing the sky, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
The trio arrived at a village, which was a welcome sight after spending some time traveling through the wilderness. Seeing other people felt heartwarmingly familiar.
However, the village seemed to be preparing for some major event; people were gathering by a large river at the entrance of the village, where an altar had already been set up.
The altar was divided into three levels. On the first level, there was a large copper incense burner already filled with incense sticks. The second level displayed offerings of pork, mutton, and beef, while on the highest level, two children sat squarely.
A boy and a girl, both looking fair and tender, were quite adorable as they happily munched on fruit.
Seeing this, Lu Yu and his companions were full of doubts.
They had seen divine worship before but had never seen children placed on an altar; they had no idea what sort of custom this was.
Just as they were puzzled, an old hag with a weasel-like gaze appeared among the crowd, looking rather eccentric. Given the respect the surrounding people showed her, she was likely the village's Shaman Woman.
With thick makeup painted on her face, dressed in a bright red robe, and with rooster feathers stuck in her hair, she looked rather comical and ludicrous, similar to the clowns Lu Yu had seen in his previous life.
The Shaman Woman bowed and prostrated herself with incense first, and then began to dance in front of the altar. Of course, the dance was quite ugly, but she was deeply engrossed in it, making strange noises as she moved, similar to someone with a mental disorder. However, no one around her dared to laugh, and all watched the ritual with solemn expressions.
Soon, the Shaman Woman was drenched in sweat and ceased her unappealing dance. She then shouted in a shrill voice, "Begin the worship of the River God!"
Only then did Lu Yu understand that this village was worshiping the River God. However, he still didn't understand the role of the children and continued to watch patiently.
Several strong villagers lifted the animal offerings and threw them into the river. After a while, a whirlpool suddenly emerged on the previously calm surface of the water. A dark hole appeared and sucked in all of the sacrificial animals.
"There really is a River God!" exclaimed He Yinglian, looking at the whirlpool with a surprised expression.
Yet the villagers' faces showed no joy at the sight of their offerings being accepted by their divine spirit; instead, they were solemn, with some young people even displaying a fierce grimace.
"My poor child, he's only six years old!" a mournful voice cried out from the crowd. Lu Yu then noticed a woman, tears streaming down her face, looking at the children on the altar. The people around her supported her, biting their lips and looking angrily at the whirlpool on the river but not daring to speak out.
The Shaman Woman didn't change her expression even after hearing the woman's words; she kept urging the able-bodied men in front of her, "Hurry and sacrifice the offerings to the River God, or else if he gets angry, he will send a flood to drown your village!"
Lu Yu and his companions now understood that the two children were intended to serve the same purpose as the previously offered animals.
"Humph! In this vast world, there are still people who use children as sacrifices; that's not a River God, clearly that's a Demon!" He Yingchao could not stand by and watch this happen, and shouted loudly in disapproval.
He Yingchao's words instantly drew the attention of the Shaman Woman, who, in a fit of anger, said, "Are you not afraid that the River God will be enraged? Drive these ignorant outsiders away at once." Her emotions so intense, the feathers on her head shook at an alarmingly fast rate, resembling a combative rooster.
"I want to see what kind of monster dares to consume young boys and girls under the broad daylight," retorted He Yingchao, unfazed by the Shaman Woman with Lu Yu, whom he regarded as an expert, supporting him from behind. He picked up a large bluestone and hurled it forcefully towards the whirlpool.
A roar burst forth from the vortex, and soon after, a massive snakehead emerged, its eyes like lanterns scanning around, its fierce gaze passing over everyone before settling on Lu Yu and his companions, for by this time, all others were stricken with panic.
The giant python, opening its massive maw, charged towards Lu Yu and his friends, leaving deep marks on the riverbank, its body covered in green scales that gleamed with a metallic luster.
He Yingchao's martial arts were not considered lowly in the Jianghu, and ordinary attacks were easy for someone like him, who practiced martial arts, to dodge. Moreover, he discovered that although the python was formidable, it was not impossible to deal with and was much easier than those unpredictable and strange techniques.
He moved deftly, not only easily dodging the python's attack but also managing to counterattack now and then. Sadly, the creature's body seemed as if it were cast from steel, and striking it only resulted in a clang of metal, without inflicting any damage.
He Yinglian, seeing this, drew her treasured sword to assist, sparks flying as it struck the python.
The python, enraged, whipped up huge waves with its vast body, blowing sand and stones into the air. The tiny grains of sand had now become the most terrifying hidden weapons in the world, forcing the siblings to dodge in disarray.
A golden light descended from the sky, instantly shielding the swirling sand and stones from the area, allowing the exhausted siblings a chance to catch their breath.
As the golden light faded, what came into view was a majestic Divine General clad in Golden Armor with a determined face, surrounded by green ribbons, extremely handsome in appearance. The villagers around dropped to their knees, proclaiming the descent of an immortal.
The Divine General offered Lu Yu a slight bow, saying, "Your Excellency," his voice booming like a great bell, immediately resounding throughout the entire village.
Lu Yu looked in surprise at the Dharma Protector Spirit who had bowed to him. He hadn't expected that his own protector had gained a slight consciousness, and he speculated it likely had to do with the quality of the Demon Soul.
"Capture this monster!" commanded Lu Yu.
With an affirmative sound, the Dharma Protector Spirit reached out a hand towards the giant python.
The giant python, however, was not about to be captured without a fight, and opened its immense jaws, ready to swallow the Dharma Protector Spirit.
One was a demon beast with a hardened demon body; the other, a Dharma Protector Spirit with boundless strength. Thus began a battle like sparks meeting a planet.
An enormous shockwave swept the surroundings, terrifying the people into scattering in all directions; none had the mind to watch the spectacle any longer.
Even He Yingchao and his sister dared not get too close to the battlefield, only managing to hurriedly protect the two children and retreat to a distance.
After a while, the dust settled, revealing the situation inside. The python wrapped its body tightly around the Dharma Protector Spirit, but its head was gripped firmly in the spirit's hand, roaring helplessly with its sizable mouth agape.
Then, the ribbons around the Dharma Protector Spirit suddenly lit up with green light, and all the flowers, plants, and trees emitted a verdant glow, flying towards the spirit.
As those lights entered the body of the Dharma Protector Spirit, the evenly matched conflict shifted dramatically.
The protector, clasping the snake head, suddenly exerted a great force and hurled it to the ground with a thunderous impact.
The python, dazed by the throw, had barely recovered before the Dharma Protector Spirit mounted it, pummeling its head with fist blows like a torrential downpour, dazing the creature with stars in its eyes.
The shocked onlookers witnessed a scene they would never forget: the seemingly invincible River God of their imaginations was pinned to the ground and brutally beaten by a Heavenly General descended from the heavens.
At first, the python struggled, but the intensity of its resistance soon diminished, signaling its impending demise.
As expected, the python gradually fell silent, lying motionless on the ground, lifeless.
At this moment, the cloudy skies suddenly parted, and brilliant sunlight beamed down on the Dharma Protector Spirit, bestowing upon it an air of solemn majesty.