Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 34

Volume 7 Chapter 34: Building Up Power (Part 3)

Is Chou dead?

The one with almost invincible devouring powers, is Chou really dead?

The determined one, who vowed to take revenge on the Shura Clan, mysterious and growing stronger each year, is Chou really dead?

Unlike Shen Gang, Liu Ziqing could slightly guess Chou’s background. He had seen Xu Qingfan take a strong boy named Wang Li into the mysterious Yaoguang Island. Three days later, Wang Li was gone, and the one who came out with Xu Qingfan from Yaoguang Island was Chou, Xu Qingfan’s mysterious disciple.

Over the years, Liu Ziqing quietly observed Chou, witnessing how Chou’s strength grew step by step and how he matured, while that determination remained unchanged.

At first, Liu Ziqing watched Chou just to understand how to use him later, but slowly, he realized that Chou was very similar to him. They both had deep grudges and nearly unbeatable enemies. They both worked hard for seemingly impossible goals, giving up everything, including their futures and feelings, without regret.

Gradually, Liu Ziqing, who usually only saw others as tools, abandoned his plans to use Chou. This was not only because he realized Chou was not someone he could easily control, but also because Liu Ziqing wanted to witness how far Chou could go.

By now, Liu Ziqing had almost become the person who understood Chou the most in the world, besides Xu Qingfan.

To Liu Ziqing, Chou did not seem like someone who should be easily killed. He should have done more to be remembered by many people, or to create panic and chaos in the world. Or, one day in the future, during a great battle with the Shura Clan, he should have been killed while fighting bravely, taking down many opponents before he fell, instead of being easily killed by two demon beasts in a small conflict like now.

Just like Liu Ziqing, he would never die or accept death before causing some big trouble for Zhang Xusheng.

For a moment, Liu Ziqing, who never cared about outside matters, was completely stunned.

Shen Gang, too, stared blankly at the glowing aura that reacted to the changing situation of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, constantly replaying the memories of his interactions with Chou over the years. The mysterious care he received seemed to have become an everlasting puzzle.

As Shen Gang’s mind replayed the memories, all the moments he had shared with Chou quickly flashed before him. Strangely, he also remembered a boy named Wang Li from ten years ago, the one who was fervently focused on avenging.

There was no sadness or anger in his heart, just a vague feeling that he remembered something and also forgot something.

With the unusual reactions of Liu Ziqing and Shen Gang, more and more people turned to look at the scene inside the glowing aura.

…

Is Chou really dead?

The same question appeared in the minds of the Yaoguang Camp members.

Chou’s position among the Yaoguang Camp members is undeniable; he gave them the power they have now, he taught them how to use and increase that power over the past ten years, and he gave them hope for revenge. It wouldn’t be too much to say that Chou is the pillar in their hearts.

However, just earlier, they watched helplessly as Chou fell into an ambush by two Fish Dragon Beasts, watched as Chou was struck by the Fish Dragon Beast behind him, and watched as Chou’s body lost control from the heavy blow, falling helplessly into the mouth of the Fish Dragon Beast in front of him.

In the sea, there are Fish Dragons; on land, there are Taotie.

The strength of the Fish Dragon Beast and Taotie does not come from how powerful their bodies are, nor from their ability to cause great chaos, but from their appetites. Both of these demon beasts have large mouths that create a tremendous sucking force; any living thing pulled into their bellies is refined in a very short time and cannot survive at all.

Would Chou be an exception?

At that moment, all the Yaoguang Camp members experienced a brief moment of shock.

Meanwhile, the demon beasts attacking them wasted no time; they intensified their attacks, leading to heavy casualties among the remaining cultivators of Yaoguang Camp.

The army lost its leader, and their will was taken away; they could not fight.

A person with a strong will, once they break, gives up more completely than anyone else.

The members of Yaoguang Camp seemed fearless before because Chou was still alive. If they survived this battle, they would face Chou’s test, and in the future, Chou would lead them to seek revenge on the Shura Clan. If they died here, Chou would still avenge them.

However, Chou has died, hope has vanished, and the previous bravery is completely gone.

For a moment, the remaining cultivators of Yaoguang Camp, except for the six great masters like Shier Daluo and a few strong-willed individuals, either lost their fighting spirit due to their injuries, only knew to hide, or floated blankly in the air, waiting to be killed. In the brief instant after Chou’s death, the casualties in Yaoguang Camp actually exceeded the total from the previous three hours.

In the blink of an eye, nearly fifty members of Yaoguang Camp were left with only a few over ten.

The remaining people, though unwilling to be killed, could only rush left and right in the circle of demon beasts, wanting to escape, but they had lost the courage to fight to the death.

Just as Yaoguang Camp was about to be destroyed here, something strange happened again.

The Fish Dragon Beast that had swallowed Chou was ready to continue its attack on Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands when suddenly its body shook, and a strange look appeared on its face.

This state of daze lasted for a long time, when suddenly, the Fish Dragon Beast let out a deafening cry of pain and fear, beginning to thrash wildly in the East Sea, as if it was experiencing something extremely painful and terrifying.

The commotion from the Fish Dragon Beast was so loud that it drew the attention of all nearby demon beasts, giving the remaining Yaoguang Camp a moment to breathe.

However, when all the demon beasts looked at the Fish Dragon Beast, they were all taken aback by its current state.

They saw that as the Fish Dragon Beast writhed in pain, black mist was rising from the seven openings on its head and the gaps between its dragon scales. At the same time, as this black mist poured out, the Fish Dragon Beast’s body visibly withered, as if this black mist was its flesh and blood leaving it.

As the black mist grew thicker, it quickly wrapped around the Fish Dragon Beast, and the mixture of pain and fear in its cries became particularly terrifying at that moment.

At this moment, another Fish Dragon Beast, unable to escape in time, grew anxious upon seeing its companion’s suffering, circling around the black mist and issuing threatening roars. But besides roaring and spinning, it couldn’t think of any other way to help.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly in this strange situation, yet it also felt like a long time passed in the blink of an eye.

As the cries of the Fish Dragon Beast gradually weakened, the East Sea Demon Monsters began to stir restlessly. The heavenly level demon beast was an absolute powerful presence for them, able to easily determine their fate. What was happening to it now?

Finally, the cries of the Fish Dragon Beast completely stopped, while the thick black mist still floated above the East Sea. There was a silence between heaven and earth, with all cultivators and demon beasts focusing their gaze there, creating an atmosphere that was both heavy and eerie.

The other Fish Dragon Beast’s eyes gradually filled with fear. After hesitating for a moment, it could no longer hold back and let out a roar, charging towards the black fog.

However, just as this Fish Dragon Beast was about to reach the black fog, a powerful presence suddenly erupted from deep within it. This presence felt as ruthless as a God of Death and as terrifying as a demon from the abyss, yet it also carried a deep-rooted hatred that only a human could possess.

That was Chou’s breath, but compared to before, Chou’s breath was more than twice as strong.

The members of Yaoguang Camp did not cheer. They silently turned around to counterattack the East Sea Demon Monster that was chasing them. Earlier, the East Sea Demon Monster had taken advantage of their daze to kill half of their people. Now the situation was reversed; the East Sea Demon Monster was standing dazed, staring at the strange black fog, its eyes filled with natural fear and completely unguarded.

Affected by this powerful presence, the Fish Dragon Beast, which was charging into the black fog, also stopped, looking uncertain at the changing fog in front of it.

The Fish Dragon Beast didn’t have to wait long; the black fog began to gradually gather and close in towards the center.

Before long, the black fog completely disappeared, and Chou’s figure appeared once again before the Fish Dragon Beast.

At this moment, Chou, although his power was much greater than before, his body was severely damaged. Countless eyes all over his body had shattered, his wings were reduced to half, and his sword tail had only two or three remaining. Chou’s right arm and right leg were nothing but two dry bones…

Chou, despite being severely injured, forced his way into the Fish Dragon Beast’s body to avoid being killed by its front and back attacks. From the inside, he began to devour and refine the Fish Dragon Beast. However, the acid in the Fish Dragon Beast’s stomach was terrifyingly strong, able to corrode even Chou’s protective Spirit Qi. In the end, although Chou relied on his devouring ability to kill the Fish Dragon Beast and turn it into part of his own body, his own body was still seriously injured by that horrifying acid.

However, after devouring this Fish Dragon Beast, the energy inside Chou was immense, and the wounds on his body were healing at a visible speed.

As for the remaining Fish Dragon Beast, although it could see the injuries on Chou’s body, it did not feel any desire to attack under Chou’s extremely cold gaze and terrifying aura.

"Since you’ve escaped with your life, why come here to die? If that is the case, then become a part of my body."

Chou stared at the last remaining Fish Dragon Beast and said coldly, word by word.

As he spoke, Chou, without caring that his severe injuries had not fully healed, lunged at the remaining Fish Dragon Beast.

Chou’s battered appearance was very tragic, and this made the Fish Dragon Beast feel even more fear.

The battle was still ongoing, but the outcome was already certain…

…

"It seems I don’t need to worry about the situation in the west."

In the distance, Xu Qingfan quietly left Yuheng Island without anyone knowing, drifting peacefully on the surface of the sea, and whispered to himself.

The "Qixia Sword" and the "World Defying Sword" were still casually held in his hands, as if he could strike at any moment. However, Xu Qingfan’s eyes were not focused on the East Sea Demon Monsters, but were fixed on every move of Chou, who was chasing the Fish Dragon Beast, with a complicated expression.

"After absorbing the Fish Dragon Beast just now, his strength is already comparable to a human Astral Projection Stage cultivator. If he absorbs this one too, he will be quite close to me. At that time, will I still be able to control him? It seems my actions must begin immediately, and Chou cannot be allowed to evolve endlessly. Otherwise, even if I do not kill him, his extraordinary powers will surely backfire on me from the Heavenly Way…"

With a sigh, Xu Qingfan’s figure suddenly blurred, and in the next moment, he vanished from the spot, leaving only a faint echo behind.

"Time waits for no one; I must hurry."

…

On the other side, Tianji Camp finally encountered trouble.

They were originally circling around the assassins near Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, targeting earth-level middle-class demon beasts.

After turning three times, they had already killed over two hundred earth-level middle-class demon beasts with their hands. Although these demon beasts were generally stronger than them, they were caught off guard. First, the Tianji Camp cultivators gathered together and turned into smoke around them, while the faint mist from the "White Cloud Clothes" caused the earth-level middle-class demon beasts to momentarily lose focus. Then, three Tianji Camp cultivators, who had reached the Real Golden Core Stage, suddenly appeared. Taking advantage of the moment before these demon beasts regained their senses, they struck together with three swords, achieving a deadly blow each time, unstoppable in their efforts.

At the same time, deep within thirty miles of Rainbow Spirit Island, the sky was full of "Disaster Clouds." After they transformed into smoke, it became easier to hide their presence, while these Earth-level demon beasts were still in a flurry trying to deal with the attacks that the "Disaster Clouds" occasionally unleashed from above, completely unaware of them.

However, when they previously assassinated Earth-level low-grade demon beasts and Human-level demon beasts, they often killed twenty or thirty all at once. Now, facing demon beasts stronger than them, they were being very careful, taking them out one by one. Although slow, it was a very safe and discreet approach.

As the leader of the Tianji Camp, Wang Bo sometimes wondered which battle strategy was more advantageous compared to the Yaoguang Camp. Yaoguang Camp seemed reckless and foolish, but after going through fierce battles, they gained much in terms of temperament, experience, and strength. While Tianji Camp appeared rational, calm, and steady with their invisible assassinations, not a single person had been hurt so far, nor had they been discovered by the demon beasts.

Yet, the Tianji Camp, which had not experienced any storms or challenges, would they have the guts and bravery to fight to the end like Yaoguang Camp once their powers were uncovered in the future? Or would they become lost and not know what to do?

Thinking of this, a smile crossed Wang Bo’s face as he felt he had found a way to deal with the Tianji Camp in the future.

"Wang Bo, my friend, something seems wrong. Look over there."

Just as Wang Bo was deep in thought, a member of the Tianji Camp spoke to him through their mental connection.

Wang Bo was slightly startled and looked toward the position the Tianji Camp cultivator pointed out, and for a moment he was taken aback again.

There, at that spot, was a huge demon beast that resembled a giant turtle, quietly floating without moving at all. It neither joined the other demon beasts in attacking Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands nor dove into the depths of the sea to avoid the "Disaster Clouds’ " attacks, appearing eerily quiet.

At the same time, by sensing its imposing aura, this demon beast’s strength was only at the low Human Level.

"What is that demon beast?"

Wang Bo asked the others in disbelief.

Since demon beasts did not have a group, when they attacked the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, they all rushed in together, so the strongest and fastest Earth Level middle and high-level demon beasts surrounded the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, while the weaker demon beasts could only stay behind on the outskirts.

The Tianji Camp and Yaoguang Camp stealthily attacked these East Sea Demon Monsters for this reason.

However, this turtle-like demon beast, which was clearly only at the low Human Level and the weakest of the demon beasts, why was it charging at the front alongside those Earth Level middle and high-level demon beasts? Just now, the "Disaster Cloud Formation" attack was so powerful that even some of the Earth Level middle and high-level demon beasts, which had weaker reactions and defenses, were killed or seriously injured. How did this turtle-like demon beast manage to survive?

This demon beast must have something unusual about it!

As Wang Bo’s doubts became deeper, his thoughts grew more resolute.

"Let’s go and sneak attack from another direction. This turtle is too strange; without knowing its true nature, it’s best for us not to provoke it lightly just in case."

In the end, Wang Bo gave the order.

The members of Tianji Camp were all steady and calm, which could be seen from their way of fighting. After hearing Wang Bo’s words, they all agreed and prepared to take a detour.

However, an unintentional comment from a Tianji Camp cultivator changed everyone’s decision.

"Do you think this turtle-like creature is a Spirit Luck Beast?"

Spirit Luck Beasts are not a specific name for a demon beast but a general term for certain qualified demon beasts. These demon beasts were originally just ordinary ones, but at birth, they followed the Heavenly Way, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. Through countless coincidences, they came into being, experiencing various mysterious changes in their bodies, making them a rare occurrence.

Although this kind of demon beast is not very strong, they often have unusual powers and are very difficult to deal with. Even someone much stronger than them may get hurt if they are not careful.

After hearing the cultivator’s words, all the members of Tianji Camp stopped moving and turned to closely examine the turtle. The more they thought about the cultivator’s words, the more reasonable they seemed. If it was not a Spirit Luck Beast, how could this demon beast, which was only at the Human Level beginner stage, gather with numerous mid to high-level Earth-level demon beasts? And how could it remain unharmed under the continuous attacks of the "Disaster Cloud Formation"?

Thinking of this, each Tianji Camp member showed excitement in their eyes.

Spirit Luck Beasts have parts of their bodies that are treasures, as valuable as any heavenly level demon beast.

"We will give it our all and aim for a single deadly strike. If we can’t succeed in one try, we must not linger and should retreat immediately."

After hesitating for a moment, Wang Bo gritted his teeth and made a decision.

Wang Bo’s decision was actually very wise. Not to mention the strength of Tianji Camp, a full-force strike in an ambush—even a high-level Earth demon beast might not be able to escape unscathed. Moreover, the Tianji Camp cultivators had the ability to turn to smoke, allowing them to easily escape, no matter how strong the enemy was.

However, what they did not know was that this turtle was not just a simple Spirit Luck Beast.

…

Thirty Tianji Camp cultivators transformed into smoke, lightly wrapping around the demon beast resembling a turtle, as if they were just a few strands of sea mist.

Meanwhile, the turtle remained quietly floating on the sea, its limbs and head tucked inside its shell, as if trying to endure the attacks of the "Disaster Cloud Formation" or finding the ongoing battle boring, hiding here to sleep, displaying the unique calmness of its kind, completely unaware of the danger around it.

The mist from the "White Cloud Clothes" gradually covered the area around the turtle, seeping through the cracks in the shell and invading its body.

Wang Bo was very careful. After a short while, he finally commanded, "Begin!"

In the mist of "White Cloud Clothes," during a cup of tea, even an Earth-level advanced demon beast fainted.

With a command from Wang Bo, the wisps of smoke around the turtle suddenly disappeared. Then, five of the strongest cultivators from Tianji Camp, including Wang Bo, appeared out of nowhere. Five "Qixia Swords" transformed into five streaks of colorful lightning, stabbing towards the five openings on the turtle shell where its limbs and head extended.

One strike to kill!

Successfully, the five "Qixia Swords" pierced into the five openings.

"Clang…," "Clang…," "Clang…," "Clang…," "Clang…"

…

However, after a moment, Wang Bo and the others changed their expressions dramatically.

They discovered that the incredibly sharp "Qixia Sword," after piercing into the turtle shell, created continuous clanging sounds. The Qixia Sword only went two or three feet deep, as if it had hit the strongest metal in the world, and could go no further.

"Retreat."

Sensing the hardness of the sea turtle’s body, Wang Bo’s expression changed greatly, and he spoke quickly.

Such a strong body, capable of directly resisting the "Qixia Sword," could never be achieved by a Spirit Luck Beast.

The other cultivators of Tianji Camp also did not hesitate, instantly turning into wisps of smoke and quickly drifting away to the distant.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

A dull dragon’s roar came from within the turtle shell. Although blocked by the shell, the powerful sound still changed the color of the wind and clouds. Then, the demon beast, which seemed only of Human Level at first, began to rapidly increase its aura. Wherever its pressure reached, the waves surged, and the space twisted.

Wang Bo and the others looked increasingly worried, not only because this demon beast had hidden its strength before, but now its aura had erupted, far surpassing that of an advanced Earth level beast. More importantly, a faint sea mist suddenly enveloped them. Although the mist was thin, to Zhang Bo and the others, it felt like the strongest, thickest wall in the world that they could not break through.

They never imagined that one day, they, who had turned into smoke, would be blocked by sea mist.

At this moment, the sea turtle gradually turned around, and two golden lights shone from the opening in its shell, used for stretching its neck. Under the pressure, all the members of Tianji Camp felt alarmed.

Then, for some unknown reason, the space suddenly shook, and the members of Tianji Camp involuntarily returned to their true forms, hovering a hundred feet in front of the terrifying demon beast.

At some point, the originally ordinary turtle shell had golden lines appearing on it, connecting together to form a mysterious pattern that looked both luxurious and majestic.

Then, a dragon’s head emerged from the opening, and the two points of golden light were the brightness coming from the eyes of this dragon’s head.

At that moment, seeing this scene, all the Tianji Camp cultivators turned pale.

Zhang Bo instinctively murmured, "Azure Dragon… it is actually the Azure Dragon…"

Without him saying it, everyone could see from this appearance that this demon beast, resembling a sea turtle, was indeed the legendary Azure Dragon.

However, no one expected that among the six heavenly-level demon beasts attacking, the Azure Dragon had not truly participated in the battle, instead disguising itself as an ordinary sea turtle.

In ancient times, the Azure Dragon was an incredibly noble being, second only to the Xuanwu. It was said that the holy beast Qinglong were all its branches, but after a great war, its bloodline became thin and its strength greatly diminished, becoming one of the four guardians of the Qinglong instead.

However, even though it has fallen, the Azure Dragon is still far from something that the Tianji Camp members can challenge.

The Azure Dragon’s eyes seemed like two burning golden flames, quietly staring at the thirty-five people in front of it, as if lost in thought.

Suddenly, the Azure Dragon roared, and countless columns of water rose up from the East Sea, turning into sharp water spears that shot towards the Tianji Camp cultivators.

"Let’s do this, ‘Cloud Transformation Dragon Technique’!"

As Wang Bo spoke, all the members of Tianji Camp hesitated not for a moment; their bodies transformed into mist once more and gathered together, forming a white dragon similar to the one created by the "Disaster Cloud Formation," but even more ethereal.

After the cloud dragon took shape, its size was enormous, but its speed increased instead of decreased. It quickly dodged the Azure Dragon’s water spear attack and, without any hesitation, charged toward the surrounding sea fog in an attempt to break free.

Even when joining forces, they were no match for the Azure Dragon, and they all understood this very well.

However, the sea fog seemed as solid as a giant mountain; no matter how hard they tried, they could not break through.

The Azure Dragon remained calm, quietly preparing for its next wave of attack while the Tianji Camp cultivators struggled in vain.

Suddenly, the Azure Dragon paused slightly, as if it had noticed something, and turned to look behind.

Behind it, Xu Qingfan had appeared there without anyone noticing.