Chapter 677

Chapter 677: The Five Great Demon Kings

At Qingyu Island, Mo Sect disciples manning the defenses watched as the Netherworld Ghost Fire gradually dimmed and the endless sea demons vanished. They cheered excitedly, believing the sea demon disaster had passed and rejoicing beyond measure.

Such large-scale battles offered exceptional benefits—the Mo Sect never sent disciples to fight without reward. Participants gained massive contribution points along with Fang Lie’s promise of free high-grade spirit pills afterward.

The disciples had prepared for grueling combat, expecting exhaustion even if they survived. Yet contrary to expectations, they’d essentially toured the battlefield while reaping enormous rewards. Their elation knew no bounds.

Only the Higher-ups understood the truth. The retreat of lesser sea demons didn’t signify surrender. The arrogant sea demon tribes never accepted defeat—Fang Lie’s Netherworld Ghost Fire ambush would only provoke fiercer retaliation.

Instead of lowering guard, Huo Wufang immediately tightened defenses and warned Fang Lie’s group to remain vigilant.

Meanwhile aboard the Netherworld Ghost Fire warship, Fang Lie and his companions wore disappointed expressions.

Over seven days, they’d cleared the core energy pool hourly as high-grade water element spirit stones overflowed it. Though tedious, they’d happily stuffed their storage artifacts until bursting.

A single high-grade spirit stone measured peanut-sized—a million could fill a small hut. The 300-zhang-wide, 70-zhang-deep pool held roughly 20 billion stones when full.

Each small spirit pearl equaled a million stones, making this haul worth 20 million pearls—nearly half the Mo Sect’s annual income. This calculation excluded physical assets, considering only liquid wealth.

By this math, each hour’s harvest matched half the Sect’s yearly earnings. Daily totals reached a decade’s income. Seven days yielded what normally took decades—enough stones to form a thousand-zhang mountain! Buried underground, they’d coalesce into Spirit Stone Mineral Veins lasting millennia if managed wisely.

The Mo Sect’s spirit stone shortage from Fang Lie’s prior actions had hampered business, but this windfall solved everything. It even ensured their Eighth-Rank warships’ sustained combat strength.

Mo Lanyun calculated these reserves could power all Eighth-Rank warships at full capacity for days. Such vessels devoured stones horrifically when active—Protective Arrays deflecting divine skills, Mechanical Cannons and Divine Lightning Towers unleashing mountain-shattering assaults drained reserves catastrophically. Without this limitation, the Sect would’ve long dominated seas with Eighth-Rank fleets.

Regardless, this bounty alleviated the Sect’s crisis and strengthened defenses. Few forces could endure days of bombardment from Mo Sect’s full warship complement.

As sea demons retreated, Fang Lie lamented, "We finally get this moneymaking chance, but the fools wise up! Couldn’t they attack a few more days?"

"You should be content!" Mo Lanyun chided. "You’ve slaughtered billions! Doesn’t such slaughter bring karmic consequences?"

Startled, Fang Lie checked his spiritual state—instead of corruption, he found intensified Golden Light of Merit.

Baffled, he muttered, "More merit from mass killing? How?"

"Ask Bird Bro," Mao Mao suggested.

Contacting Old Bird through his consciousness sea, Fang Lie inquired, "Why merit instead of karma?"

"What defines merit and karma?" Old Bird countered.

Fang Lie faltered. "I… can’t explain."

"Heavenly Dao judges by balance," Old Bird lectured. "Slaughtering innocents disrupts balance, incurring karma and thunder tribulations. But destroying forces that disrupt balance maintains Heaven’s order, earning merit."

"These sea demons leave only desolation. By stopping their disaster, you served Heavenly Dao’s will."

"But if it’s the other way around!" Old Bird continued. "If you slaughter recklessly on the sea demon tribes’ territory just to gather spirit stones and resources, that’s not merit. You’ll drown in karma and face the Heavenly Dao’s wrath!"

"Ah!" Fang Lie exclaimed in realization. "I understand. Don’t worry—I’m greedy, but I won’t kill innocents. But during treasure disputes in the Dragon Palace ruins, is killing them acceptable?"

"Dragon Palace relics belong to no one. Since none reside there permanently, whoever claims them owns them. As for killing, avoid mindless slaughter. Those tainted by karma can be slain freely, but killing those without karma—or worse, those shielded by merit—will curse you!" Old Bird warned.

"Understood!" Fang Lie nodded. "I’ll be careful."

Just as Fang Lie turned to explain this to Mo Lanyun and Mao Mao, a water screen materialized before them. A giant eye appeared nearby, its divine sense booming: "Enemies approach!"

This eye was the Eighth-rank Treasure Seven-Colored Treasure Mirror, sent to warn them after detecting threats.

The trio peered at the water screen. A terrifying sea demon army advanced across the ocean, utterly unlike the previous rabble—this was an elite force.

Dozens of distinct racial blocs formed the ranks. At the core stood five mighty sea demon tribes: Blood Sharks, Black Death Squids, Golden-Back Swordfish, Combat Lobsters, and Enchanting Rainbow Clams! Each tribe numbered in the millions, a seething mass storming toward Qingyu Island.

The army’s scale and aura stunned the trio.

"This must be led by Ninth-Rank Demon Kings!" Mo Lanyun breathed.

"I’ve heard lone Ninth-Rank Demon Kings rarely defeat Human Tribe Thunder Tribulation Immortals," Mao Mao said. "They rely only on personal divine skills and life-bound treasures refined from their own flesh. Without proper cultivation methods, they can’t match Human Tribe cultivators’ strange divine skills and Dao magic. But sea demons have their own tricks—leading blood descendants in Bloodline Formations to amplify their Bloodline Divine Skills. That way, they fight like tenfold their numbers. Same-rank Human Tribe cultivators can’t withstand them!"

"Five Great Demon Kings, plus lesser demon kings, all leading bloodline armies…" Fang Lie frowned. "Netherworld Ghost Fire alone won’t stop them."

Netherworld Ghost Fire reigned supreme against weak hordes, but experts could suppress it temporarily with magic. Though not extinguishing the flames, they’d buy enough time to unleash full destructive power.

"We can’t let them run wild!" Fang Lie declared. "Stay here. I’ll face them."

He flashed out of the Netherworld Ghost Fire warship, soaring toward the enemy.

The army halted as Fang Lie approached. Five figures emerged—the Demon Kings.

Fang Lie stopped hundreds of li away, roaring, "Fang Lie of Mo Sect stands here! Who challenges me?"

"Blood Shark King!" growled a crimson-skinned brute.

"Black Squid King!" intoned a pitch-skinned middle-aged man.

"Golden-Back King!" barked a wiry, short warrior.

"Combat Lobster King!" thundered an armored giant.

"Rainbow Clam Queen!" purred a dazzling woman.

"Fang Lie," Blood Shark King snarled, "by the Four Great Demon Kings’ decree, we take your head. Will you kneel or fight?"

"Hah! Come bleed yourselves trying!" Fang Lie jeered. "Well? All at once, or one by one?"