Chapter 678: Public Opinion Is Fearsome

"Insolent!"

"What manner of demon are you, daring to disrespect a True Dragon!"

The Bureau of Celestial Mandate official glared, drawing his Sword with a sharp shout.

The Monkey froze for a moment at those words.

Immediately after, a chorus of curses rose around him.

"Beat him to death!"

"Disrespecting the True Dragon! He disrespected the True Dragon!"

"Get out of here!"

The Monkey looked around. Without exception, all the commoners were glaring at him with hostile eyes.

The Monkey stared blankly for a second.

Gripping his staff, he demanded, "Are you all blind? How is this a True Dragon? It's clearly a snake demon in disguise! Open your eyes and look closely!"

"Monster, cease your nonsense! How can a True Dragon be slandered by the likes of you?"

"Men, loose the arrows!"

At the Bureau of Celestial Mandate official's command, bows were drawn and arrows took flight.

Thwip.

A volley of feathered arrows flew toward him.

The Monkey swung his staff, batting the arrows away one by one.

"Haa! Haa!"

Shouts tore from the Monkey's throat. Gripping his staff tightly, he roared, "You dog official! You loose arrows to kill me without even distinguishing right from wrong!"

"Eat your Grandpa Monkey's staff!"

The Monkey swung his staff, bringing it crashing down toward the Bureau of Celestial Mandate official.

Startled, the official hurriedly cried out, "True Dragon, save me!"

Seeing this, Long Rong rebuked him. "You wild monkey! Cease harming human lives!"

The waters of Lake Mountain Lake surged. Right before everyone's eyes, a water column transformed into mounted soldiers wielding Long Spears, thrusting toward the Monkey's head.

Faintly, the sound of galloping and neighing warhorses echoed in the air.

The Monkey spun around and swung his staff.

"Boom!"

The lake water kicked up violently, churning several zhang high into the air.

The official's hand trembled uncontrollably as he gripped his Sword. Seeing the monkey demon suppressed, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Guards, quickly, help me down!"

The Bureau of Celestial Mandate official was hastily escorted down.

The Monkey turned back and glared at the snake demon. "You shameless snake demon! Acting so high and mighty, you're utterly despicable!"

"Arghhh!"

The Monkey Demon let out a roar. "Grow!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the long staff in his hands suddenly expanded and lengthened.

The long staff crashed down, smashing toward the "dragon head."

Long Rong gave a soft snort.

Her figure shifted, and the lake water surged up. A curtain of water blocked the falling staff, completely dissolving the Demonic Power upon it.

Then, that "dragon tail" swept out.

Unable to dodge in time, the Monkey took the hit squarely.

A heavy boom rang out.

The Monkey was sent flying backward, coughing up blood.

"Good!"

"The True Dragon is mighty!"

Ignorant of the truth, the commoners cheered repeatedly.

"Cough, cough..."

The Monkey sat up. His staff had fallen beside him, and blood stained the corner of his mouth.

"Throw things at him!"

The surrounding commoners formed a circle and hurled whatever they had in their hands at the Monkey.

"You..."

"All of you..."

The Monkey stood up. With a raise of his hand, the staff flew back into his grasp.

"Haa!"

The Monkey let out a feral roar.

The commoners around him recoiled in fright, their movements freezing.

Looking at the expressions on the faces of this crowd, the Monkey suddenly felt that this world was incredibly filthy.

These ignorant mortals did not distinguish right from wrong. Completely blind to the truth, they allowed mere words to sway them, degrading him into an unforgivable demon.

A fearless mortal stepped forward, looking at the True Dragon. "We implore the Dragon Immortal to slay this beast!"

"Dragon Immortal!"

"True Dragon!"

The commoners were stirred into a frenzy, chanting to slay the demon.

Long Rong furrowed her brow in thought.

This wild monkey...

Should she spare his life?

"This infuriates me!"

The Monkey Demon glared with disdain at the surrounding commoners and the Dragon Immortal.

Suddenly, he swung his staff.

The long staff swept outward.

"Thud, thud..."

Wails erupted from the commoners as the long staff knocked them to the ground.

"Ah!"

The Monkey shouted, "Good, good, good! Today, your Grandpa Monkey will slaughter you blind fools!"

"Wild monkey, stop!"

Seeing this, Long Rong made her move. A breath from her transformed into a water column that hurtled toward the Monkey Demon.

The Monkey Demon raised his staff and swept it out, dispersing the water column with a single strike.

"Get lost!"

The Monkey Demon's eyes were filled entirely with rage.

He leaped into the air, charging at Long Rong once more.

At that moment, his aura spiked. Monkey fur sprouted on his face, revealing a portion of his true form.

The staff descended, smashing toward the Dragon Immortal.

The long staff drove Demonic Power forward, causing the lake water to tremble as several water columns shot into the sky.

"Boom!"

The impact triggered a heavy tremor. Water rippled outward and crashed against the shore.

Long Rong said coldly, "It seems I cannot let you live."

A heavy pressure emanated. The lake water materialized into mounted soldiers, and a chilling killing intent surged forth as they charged straight for the Monkey's head.

The momentum of thousands of troops and tens of thousands of horses bore down on him.

With a sharp gaze, the Monkey swept his long staff out.

Watching this scene from the shore, Mo Yuan felt somewhat indignant as well.

He gave his finger a slight twitch, subtly altering the momentum of the lake water.

Long Rong's heart skipped a beat; she suddenly felt that she had lost control of the water's momentum.

Right before her eyes, the grand army manifested from the lake water shattered upon contact with the sweeping staff, as fragile as crisp paper.

"Bang!"

This strike smashed the watery warhorses and soldiers, then lashed straight at the Dragon Immortal's body.

"Demon! Take my staff!"

By the time Long Rong reacted, she was slightly too late. The force of the staff pierced through the water and landed on her body.

Wincing in pain, Long Rong was forced several zhang back.

The Monkey was already lost to his fury, completely oblivious as to how he had actually repelled the water's momentum.

However, Long Rong was in a bit of a panic.

'Who intervened just now?'

How could someone hijack the water's momentum right out of her hands?

On the shore, Chen Changsheng glanced at Mo Yuan.

Mo Yuan broke into a wide grin and said, "Just a coincidence."

"Good hit," Ruyi commented indignantly. "He should just beat that snake demon to death! These people are incredibly stupid, too!"

Ping'an shook his head and sighed, not knowing what to say.

The commoners...

In truth, it was more about public opinion.

Long Rong couldn't be sure, but her vigilance was certainly raised.

Since the other party could silently steal control of the water from her hands, it meant she was definitely no match for them. That strike just now was perhaps only a warning.

Long Rong had already made her calculations.

It seemed she would not be able to make trouble for this monkey today.

What a pity.

This monkey had ruined her affairs. Under normal circumstances, she definitely would have killed him to vent her anger.

Relying on his single long staff, the Monkey engaged in a fierce brawl with Long Rong.

The two seemed evenly matched.

In reality, Long Rong was holding back. Otherwise, this monkey might not have been able to withstand even one of her moves.

Waves of fluctuations spread out from The Lake.

Just as the two were locked in combat...

The incense candles in the Ritual Cauldron had already burned down more than halfway.

In the crowd, several pairs of eyes fell upon the incense candles in the Ritual Cauldron.

They were hesitating over whether to make a move.

Yet someone had already gone up.

A figure skimmed across the surface of the lake, reaching the pavilion in a mere flash.

"Someone went up the pavilion."

The figure was seen heading straight for the top floor.

Incense candles sat on the altar table.

"Heh, this perfectly lets the fisherman profit from the quarrel."

As he spoke, he picked up the incense candles, intending to light them and insert them into the Ritual Cauldron.

Right at that moment.

A voice rang out.

"The incense candle hasn't finished burning yet. I ask that you put down the incense in your hand."

"Hm?"