Chapter 685

Chapter 685: Fierce Battle

Hearing this, Dream Lure Demon King smiled and said, "I’d rejoice if Qingyu Island fell. But upon returning, I’ve urgent matters to attend and won’t join this endeavor. May you all return victorious!"

Her words darkened the faces of Instant Kill Demon King and the others. Though phrased as blessings, they carried biting sarcasm.

Semi-Immortals ganging up to crush a minor island was shameful enough. Adding betrayal to the mix would disgrace the entire demon race. Even Demon Kings valued their dignity, seldom breaking promises so blatantly.

Instant Kill Demon King’s expression soured. He now regretted prioritizing his feud with Mo Qianxun over this oversight. Quickly recovering, he coughed, "Black Shark Demon Emperor and Malice Demon King can handle this alone. My presence isn’t needed." His gaze pinned the other two.

Black Shark Demon Emperor and Malice Demon King inwardly cursed Instant Kill’s cunning—dumping disgraceful tasks on them while keeping clean hands. Yet with their generals slain by Qingyu Island’s forces, refusing would destroy their standing among sea demon tribes. Reluctantly, they agreed.

Thus, the demon army bypassed Qingyu Island, marching inland. For months, coastal islands suffered terribly.

Previously ignoring uninhabited isles, demons now razed every speck of land—structures, flora—with relentless mind-altering spells and divine skills. Surprisingly, this revealed hidden Human Tribe cultivators and treasures, fueling their destructive frenzy.

Three months later, the Sea Demon Tribes’ vanguard clashed with Human Tribe cultivators ashore.

To demons, cultivators were living Miraculous Spirit Pills—devouring them boosted cultivation. Conversely, high-tier humans prized demon flesh for enhancing their own power. Fang Lie, Mo Lanyun, and Mao Mao had grown stronger through feasting on demons.

Normally elusive in deep seas, demons held naval supremacy, fighting at 120% strength versus humans’ 70-80%. But during the Sea Demon Disaster, roles reversed.

Ashore, humans prepared Formations and Mechanical Traps while seawater-based divine skills weakened by half. Properly organized, they slaughtered sea demons for profit—edible meat, Inner Cores for refining techniques, medicinal bones.

Desperate scattered cultivators flocked from afar, viewing this calamity as a wealth-grabbing chance. Yet sea demons retaliated with endless numbers and hidden elites.

Along thousands of miles of coast, figures clashed endlessly. Thousands perished hourly, corpses instantly claimed as spoils or meals, leaving battlefields eerily barren.

As time passed, the demons’ overwhelming numbers pressed inland, forcing Human Tribe cultivators into steady retreat.

But the Human Tribe wasn’t too anxious. Losing some territory? The Sea Demon Tribes couldn’t hold it long-term anyway—they’d just reclaim it later.

The brutal battles raged nonstop for months before finally easing. During this time, casualties reached staggering numbers—the Human Tribe lost over half their combatants, casualties counted in hundreds of millions. The sea demons fared worse, with eighty to ninety percent perishing.

Surprisingly, both sides’ Higher-ups found this outcome acceptable, even satisfying. Most casualties were low-to-mid level fighters. True high-tier experts remained largely unscathed. Instead, the prolonged conflict became a breeding ground for emerging Talents whose strength skyrocketed through constant battle.

The demons particularly flourished. Countless powerful figures emerged through endless killing and devouring—consuming both Human Tribe cultivators and their own kin. In this meat-grinder battlefield, survival alone bred improvement. Even the weakest demon grew stronger through relentless consumption.

The Sea Demon Tribes’ true motives for launching the Sea Demon Disaster were twofold: divert human elites from exploring Dragon Palace ruins, and identify Talents through trial by fire. With the ocean’s vastness housing countless demons, finding worthy candidates normally overwhelmed Demon Kings. But survivors of this carnage proved themselves naturally—no selection needed.

The disaster also provided unparalleled cultivation opportunities. Normally, demons struggled to find high-tier prey across endless seas. Here, they gorged on spiritual items exceeding a Hundred Years’ worth of hunting. For Human Tribe Talents, slaughtering demons brought immense benefits for cultivation and acquiring treasures.

To motivate youths, human factions created bounty rankings. Kill counts determined rewards—with Eighth-rank Treasures making even major sects’ Core Inner Gate Disciples drool. Predictably, hordes of young experts emerged during each Sea Demon Disaster, many from inland sects. Some targeted Dragon Palace Deadly Area while hunting demons.

These outsiders often stole glory. The ultimate prize went to East Kunlun’s Ao Jianzi—news that made Fang Lie’s group curse. Coastal powers had intended their lavish rewards to showcase local Talents. The Overseas Three Immortal Mountains jointly sponsored this event, dispatching Core Inner Gate Disciples expecting easy victory through home advantage.

Others tactfully avoided competing for the top spot—except Ao Jianzi. His sword cultivator’s ferocity overshadowed all Overseas Three Immortal Mountains disciples. This was pure foolishness! Xuan Sect’s Qing Feng—superior in combat—took fourth place intentionally, content with Penglai Immortal Liquid. Yet Ao Jianzi seized the predetermined trophy, boasting arrogantly: "Winning effortlessly—true mastery is lonely!"

Nearly fifty yet still immature, Ao Jianzi had vanished for decades after Fang Lie crushed him in the Celestial Platform Competition. His sudden return as "Top Demon Slayer" made many wonder—had Fang Lie’s repeated defeats broken him, driving this desperate grab for glory?