126 True Lord of Black Stone Spring
From above, the bone-chilling lake gleamed like turquoise crystal. Yet as one descended, it transformed into a pitch-black abyss.
The Toad Lord's massive body moved with surprising agility—with a kick of its legs, it plunged another hundred feet.
At last, it landed on a massive, smooth boulder and crouched there, its bulging eyes filled with annoyance.
It never should have coveted an easy life by sparing that Kourosh Zarrinkamar's miserable existence.
If it had known this would happen, it would have risked being hunted by a H.A.R.M. general just to eat the man and break through. After all, it would have only needed to hide in its cave—a few hundred years of waiting wouldn't have been much trouble.
As the figure in black materialized in its mind, murderous rage surged through the Toad Lord.
Protected by the glacial lake for countless years, it had never endured such a devastating loss.
If not for the nearby Crystal Realm martial artist providing support, it would have devoured that brat today and feasted on his physique-refined body.
Never mind. I've lived for so many years—why concern myself with a brief quarrel? I'll rest awhile, then head to Cascadia for a proper feast.
The Toad Lord possessed remarkable mental resilience—after all, one doesn't survive four thousand years without it.
It settled down completely, preparing to rest.
Suddenly, its massive eyes widened in shock, and that shock quickly transformed into boundless rage.
"Good! Good! Good! I've seen people rushing to deliver gifts, but never anyone so eager to deliver their own life!"
The Toad Lord's anger stemmed not just from its previous defeat, but from having its dignity as a Vampire Lord trampled upon.
It was the Vampire Lord of Black Stone Spring—in this frigid lake, its domain, even a H.A.R.M. general would have to kneel before it!
In an instant, its massive body shot upward, transforming into a dark shadow that silently enveloped the young man's slender frame from behind.
"You think having a physically refined body means you can wander wherever you wish?" It snarled.
The deep voice drilled directly into the invader's ears. The Toad Lord didn't even bother to sneak attack. As the master of Black Stone Spring, it knew how much of a threat the piercing cold could pose to martial artists.
"I will teach you the true meaning of humility." As it spoke, its thick, round toad leg crashed down with savage force, determined to reclaim what it had lost—with interest!
The dark water churned and swirled violently.
The massive foot, like a hand blotting out the sky, completely engulfed the young man's body.
In the next instant, a ceremonial blade struck precisely between its toes, its edge just as sharp as before, slicing deep into its foreleg.
Turquoise blood swirled into the water, spreading out in ghostly tendrils.
The Toad Lord released an even more agonized shriek, instantly recoiling dozens of yards. The same blade had cleaved both its forelegs into a forked shape.
It instinctively released countless poisonous barbs from the cavities on its body, shooting them forward like arrows!
Before it could react, a sharp gleam burst towards it, carrying demonic energy as powerful as its own, and slashed downward!
Its enormous eyes exploded like bursting bladders.
The long blade sliced off a massive chunk of flesh before plunging horizontally into its skull.
Within moments, the Toad Lord—unable to comprehend what was happening—lost all strength and plummeted downward.
Through its blurred vision, the young man in black uniform appeared perfectly composed. The highly toxic water seemed to recoil from his presence.
… …
I walked atop the undercurrents with unhurried steps, moving with the grace and elegance of a water deity.
I extended my hand, and the chilling undercurrents parted before me naturally, as though commanding water was second nature.
"I am the Lord of Black Stone Spring!" The Toad Lord unleashed a piercing, manic shriek as its scarlet tongue shot forth like a blade, stabbing viciously through the water.
I gazed calmly at the toad vampire as a reddish mist rose in my dark eyes, my hand tightening ever so slightly.
The surging undercurrents coiled around the Toad Lord—first its tongue, then its limbs, and finally enveloping its entire body.
An endless force seemed to want to crush it completely.
Black Stone Spring, which the Toad Lord had relied on for countless years, now turned its ferocious nature against its former master.
The vampire's enormous body thrashed in desperate resistance.
I walked atop the waves, my fingers clenching its tongue. As the Melting Sun Furnace opened and External Crystal activated, demonic power surged from my fingertips, instantly shredding the thick, crimson tongue into bloody fragments.
Battered by wave after wave of intense pain, the Toad Lord's mind grew numb. Now, only one thought remained.
Escape!
Escape from Black Stone Spring!
It wasn't facing a martial artist at all—but a fierce aquatic vampire!
With all its might, it broke free from the water's grip and frantically surged upward.
Seeing the massive black shadow fleeing, I glanced at the glacial lake with a hint of reluctance. I actually felt quite comfortable here—like I was home.
With a mere thought, a stream of icy current lifted me skyward as I pursued the creature.
… …
By the low slope of Black Stone Spring, Rose violently slammed Kourosh's head into the muddy ground.
The old lieutenant general, his white-streaked beard caked with black mud—some even filling his mouth—let out a hoarse laugh and slurred, "What are you waiting for? For him to crawl out of the lake? Or for the Toad Lord to digest him before coming up to devour us all?"
"Heh heh... you let Albany Laurent go in... I want to see if he can get out..." His hysteria continued.
Rose's expression turned cold as she listened to his grating voice. She extended her hand to the side. "Give me a short blade."
Several agents approached hesitantly and handed her a sharp dagger.
Rose seized the dagger, yanked Kourosh's head up, and plunged the blade into his mouth with a vicious twist of her wrist.
Black mud mixed with his tongue was instantly churned into pieces.
She cast aside the dagger, seized Kourosh's hair, clamped her hand over his mouth, and forced him to swallow the grisly mixture of tongue and mud.
"Whew." Rose exhaled deeply, gripped the old man, and found her gaze drawn once more to the frigid lake.
Countless questions swirled through her mind, but she had no one to confide in.
Why? She had clearly warned him that the vampires watched by personal attendant lieutenant generals were difficult even for H.A.R.M. general to handle.
She had even agreed to let him attempt an ambush of the Toad Lord outside Black Stone Spring with her help.
They had already accomplished quite a lot—the conditions just weren't in their favor. Yet he remained unsatisfied and casually walked into what was clearly a death trap.
Yet, a sliver of hope flashed in her heart as she remembered that day at the lake—the stream drawn from the water, the crashing waves that knocked a flying vampire from the sky, the Leviasaur Lord peering from beneath his skin. He clearly had an affinity for water...
"If you show that disgusting smile again, with the next blade, I guarantee you won't have a chance to see Albany Laurent." Collecting her thoughts, Rose glanced at Kourosh.
Despite having vampire-suppressing chains piercing his shoulder blades and sea of essence—and even with his tongue now cut off—the old man remained strangely content.
He was already a dead man. Having the brat who caused his downfall join him in death felt like divine justice. How could he not be pleased?
Over a hundred agents lowered their heads. Though Lieutenant General Zarrinkamar had lost his mind, his words held some truth. The combination of the freezing lake, the bone-eroding poison, and a wounded but still formidable vampire lord made for a lethal trap...
Fearing the same fate might befall their tongues, they maintained neutral expressions and quietly followed Rose to the opposite shore.
Suddenly, a massive wave surged dozens of feet high—a foul and fiendish aura swept across the area as an immense shadow descended upon them!
Everyone whirled around in horror.
Before their eyes loomed none other than the mountain-like Toad Lord.