The anomaly in Qingmeng Mountain was reported as it was. After thirty minutes of agonizing waiting, Yu Lan received her orders:
The trapping plan was to proceed as scheduled.
Evacuation of the surrounding populace had already begun. If necessary, they could request heavy firepower support to completely blockade Qingmeng Mountain.
The mist on Qingmeng Mountain had not dispersed.
However, around the shores of Mulian Lake, the soldiers were ready.
“Baa!”
“Baa, baa, baa, baa!”
“Baa, baa, baa!”
Over a dozen mountain goats were driven to the water's edge, bleating incessantly in their unease.
They seemed to sense that a terrifyingly large creature was lurking beneath the surface.
At the command, soldiers holding daggers moved in sequence. With swift strokes, crimson blood erupted, spraying directly onto the riverbank.
The screams of the livestock mixed with the roar of heavy machinery, creating a grotesque and surreal scene.
Freshly slaughtered cattle and sheep were tossed into the water, their blood staining Mulian Lake a deep red. Viewed from high above, the rippling blood slowly diffused into the jade-green water—a sight no paint could ever truly replicate.
“It’s coming.”
Yu Lan sat in the command room, her eyes fixed on the radar screen. A flicker of joy flashed through her gaze.
“It’s working. It’s attracted by the scent of blood. We might not even need the torpedoes to drive it toward the target location.”
On the screen, layers of sonar pulses echoed back. A massive blip rising from the lakebed was particularly striking.
Two hundred meters.
One hundred and fifty meters.
One hundred meters.
Fifty meters.
“The model is generated! The target's speed is around 17 to 19 knots. It’s so fast! That’s almost equivalent to a conventional submarine—”
Someone cried out in surprise. Zhang Jin refused to look away for even a second. Seeing the blip get closer and closer to the surface, she even forgot to breathe.
“Here it comes!”
Just as she spoke, the drone transmitted its footage. On the surface of the dark green lake water, a massive black object suddenly appeared, looking like a giant projection.
It lurked just beneath the surface, motionless, like a silent island, seemingly observing the situation above.
The innate human fear of giant creatures stems from a genetic dread of predators.
The moment the monster appeared, the operations room fell into a dead silence.
It was too big.
The data estimated by the researchers was merely a string of cold numbers on a computer screen.
But when actually facing such a colossal creature, even though they were prepared, everyone felt goosebumps crawling up their backs.
It was a giant catfish with a flat head and wide, whiskered mouth. Its body was spindle-shaped, its fins pressed tightly against the sides of its belly, and its tail swished slowly downward, creating whirlpools.
One could tell at a glance that this thing had lived for many years. Its skin was coated in a thick layer of river mud that looked like a carapace, covered in aquatic plants and moss. When it floated there motionlessly, it could easily be mistaken for a giant rock in the water.
“The measurements are in. It’s 9.6 meters long, with an estimated weight between 1,500 and 1,800 kilograms. Detailed data will have to wait for post-sampling analysis.
“Incredible. How did it grow this large? The maximum recorded length for this species of catfish is 3.7 meters, weighing 345 kilograms—the largest freshwater fish ever caught on Earth with a clear record. But this one’s size and length have clearly far exceeded that record.”
A researcher stared at the screen, unable to stop muttering to himself.
“Even considering supernatural factors, theoretically, a biological organism shouldn't be able to break its genetic limits. It’s amazing, truly amazing.”
A giant creature over nine meters long—cunning, cruel, having fed on humans and animals for years, capable of creating toxic miasma to actively capture prey.
To meet its higher energy requirements, it had even begun to feed on human souls.
Zhang Jin couldn't believe it. If more of these creatures appeared in the future, what would become of humanity, the self-proclaimed favorites of the Earth?
Catfish were scavengers, but this giant catfish clearly wasn't one of them.
As the blood spread, it seemed to grow impatient, spitting out a string of bubbles. A gurgling sound immediately echoed across the calm water.
Finally, it could no longer restrain itself.
“Splash!!!”
“Splash!!”
“Splash, splash, splash!”
A massive spray of water suddenly erupted from the depths. The dying goats struggled violently as the giant catfish opened its maw, revealing rows of jagged white teeth.
“Crunch!”
“Crunch!”
A hair-raising sound of chewing filled the air. Calm returned to the water, leaving only fragments of wool floating on the surface to tell the tale of what had just occurred.
“Group one, fall back. Group two, take over. Continue dropping bait.”
“Keep your movements as gentle as possible. Do not startle the underwater target. Remember, this thing may have developed intelligence. It is extremely dangerous.”
Yu Lan commanded with composure, even sparing a moment to monitor the surveillance footage of the Qingmeng Mountain blockade zone.
“We need to be fast. We must complete the live capture quickly without alerting Qingmeng Mountain Number One—continue dropping bait. Lure it toward Stone River according to plan.”
One live goat after another was tossed into the lake. As predicted, the giant catfish slowly moved toward Stone River. Everyone at their posts had their hearts in their throats.
It was going incredibly smoothly.
The moment the giant catfish entered the Stone River basin, the soldiers who had been prepared for a long time sprang into action. Drivers operated heavy machinery to block the connection between Stone River and Mulian Lake.
Upstream of Stone River, there was a simple dam built overnight. As Yu Lan’s order was given, the upstream flow gradually slowed until it was barely a trickle.
Meanwhile, in the middle reaches of Stone River, drainage channels had been dug long ago. Like a frog in warming water, the river level slowly dropped, and the giant catfish’s back gradually broke the surface.
Blocking a river and digging a new channel—this was a miracle unique to human creation.
The giant catfish, which had been focused on its feast, finally seemed to realize something was wrong, but it had no way to escape.
Before it knew it, only a shallow layer of river water remained around it, and the level was still dropping. Its massive form was exceptionally obvious in the exposed riverbed.
“Now! Fire the tranquilizers! Don't let it get away!”
Seeing the giant catfish try to flee, Yu Lan quickly gave the order. A giant net descended from the sky, firmly trapping it in the water and restricting its movements. Heavy harpoons trailing ropes shot down, but they did not pierce the giant catfish’s skin as expected!
“Splash!!”
The giant catfish suddenly raised its head, opening its sickly yellow eyes. The four long whiskers near its mouth lashed about, and its slightly parted mouth actually contorted into something resembling a “smile.”
In the next second, it performed a roll like a crocodile, thrashing about in the water with the giant net wrapped around it. Its heavy tail slammed into the riverbanks, sending chunks of earth flying.
“Pfft!”
A thick, foul yellow toxin erupted from its mouth. Like a massive dry powder fire extinguisher, it continuously sprayed toxins outward!
“Sizzle...”
“Sizzle...”
The toxin appeared to be corrosive. The specialized giant net was burned through instantly, and even half of the crane’s cockpit connected to the net began to dissolve from the liquid!
Molten iron mixed with melted glass hissed and sizzled like melting ice cream.
Fortunately, the driver was agile and escaped the cabin immediately; otherwise, he would have met the same fate.
The escaped giant catfish did not immediately return to the water. Instead, propping itself up on a pair of strange little feet beneath its belly, it began to crawl toward the riverbank with incredible speed!
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