Sea-Sealing Bagua, The Might of a Cauldron

Crash! White waves surged as sand and silt churned together. From the shallow sea, three silhouettes slowly emerged. With their appearance, the auras they had previously concealed began to climb steadily, and their bodies swelled rapidly in size. Judging by this posture, they were prepared to unleash a slaughter at the slightest disagreement. Lying on the beach, the black-scaled flood dragon felt its heart sink uncontrollably at the sight. *Damn it, I didn't even notice anyone tailing me on the way back.* Submerged diving through the deep ocean was already exceptionally stealthy, so the black-scaled flood dragon could hardly be blamed. Moreover, the Demon Spider Crab clan possessed keen senses and was first-rate at concealing their presence. Looking weak and listless, the Tianxuan Battle Gull spoke in a crisp human voice: "Big Black, my magic power is suppressed. Go aid Master in battle." She saw the situation clearly. The newcomers were all Tier 3 demon kings, and the lean Demon Spider Crab at their head possessed an even more formidable aura, clearly at the mid stage of Tier 3. If the three joined forces, Master was bound to suffer a grievous setback. If the black-scaled flood dragon could pin down one or two enemies for him, they might be able to turn the tables. However, faced with her plea, the black-scaled flood dragon could not help but bitterly complain. "I want to!" "But to save you, I've barely got any demon power left. How am I supposed to fight?" It was speaking the truth. To break through the protective formation of a colossal monster-hunting ship right under the noses of seven Core Formation cultivators and forcibly rescue Tianxuan was no simple feat. The flood dragon had relied purely on the Devouring demonic art it had awakened not long ago. Yet it had only awakened that art a year or two ago and had barely mastered it, usually using it merely to show off against small fish and shrimp. Unleashing it on such a massive scale had drained its demon power to a near-ruinous degree. Simply managing to bring Tianxuan back had utterly exhausted the power stored within its demon core. Seeing the three Demon Spider Crabs poised to strike, the flood dragon gritted its teeth. "Fine! When the time comes, I'll charge in and brawl with my flesh, doing my best to tie down one enemy and create an opening for Master. In any case, I'm thick-skinned and tough. As long as I don't die, Master will surely nurse me back to health. Who knows, he might even reward me with another two bottles of Emperor Flowing Liquid." Having made up its mind, it snaked its massive body, slithering toward Luo Chen. Yet after moving only a few paces, it halted. "Go back. Leave this place to me." With his back turned to the flood dragon, Luo Chen gave a casual wave of his hand, completely calm and unhurried as his wide sleeves billowed gently. The flood dragon blinked in surprise and flicked its tongue, wanting to say something, but its mind instinctively recalled the battle in the Flying Swallow Archipelago years ago. That breathtaking palm strike! Why should it worry about a master capable of contending against Wu Qi at the sixth layer of Core Formation? Filled with faith and anticipation toward Luo Chen, it slowly retreated to the Tianxuan Battle Gull's side, attempting to break the seal of the Demon-Suppressing Talisman for her. *** By the shore. The Seventh Elder of the Demon Spider Crab clan stared at the man across from him in doubt and suspicion. "So this evil flood dragon and thieving gull are actually spirit beasts under your command?" Luo Chen said calmly, "And what if they are?" The Seventh Elder's two massive eyes swiveled. "That explains it. The Tianxuan Battle Gull and the black-scaled flood dragon are natural enemies, yet they managed to join forces. You were the mastermind behind them all along." At this point, his face twisted with resentment. "In other words, my clansmen truly perished by your hand?" *Demon Spider Crabs, is it?* The corners of Luo Chen's lips curled slightly as he lightly flicked his sleeve. "Truth be told, I have cultivated for over a century and tasted plenty of delicacies. Yet the crab roe inside the skulls of your Demon Spider Crabs can truly be called a rare delicacy of the mortal realm!" Upon hearing this, the Seventh Elder flew into a rage. "Fiend!" Luo Chen's expression turned cold. "Monsters! Having just broken through to a new realm, I was itching to sample the flavor of a Tier 3 Demon Spider Crab. Since you have come uninvited today, you can serve as my congratulatory banquet!" As he spoke, he stomped a single foot and charged thunderously toward the three demons. At some point, a large black-and-red sword had appeared in his hand. His speed was so terrifying that a sonic boom erupted, and the very next instant, he stood right before the Seventh Elder. The sword thrust forward abruptly. *Swoosh!* Confronted by this ferocious strike, the Seventh Elder reined in his rage and retreated swiftly. *Boom!* A massive cascade of waves erupted, and endless droplets of water rained down. Watching the longsword plunge into the ocean, the Seventh Elder felt the taut string in his heart loosen by a fraction. "No need to worry! This villain merely possesses the realm of the fourth layer of Core Formation, but he has only just broken through. His cultivation is unstable, and his control over magic power is clumsy." "As for his magic treasure flying sword, its quality is quite mediocre!" "Let us attack together and take him down at once!" As he spoke, the three demons lunged toward Luo Chen from three different directions. *Plop...* Luo Chen landed lightly upon the surface of the water and looked down at his wrist, his brow furrowing slightly. In the path of Qi refinement, breaking through in the midst of battle was troublesome in just this way. Techniques that were once second nature felt relatively unfamiliar due to the new realm, as well as the far more powerful magic power and divine sense. To exaggerate somewhat, it was like a young child suddenly trying to swing a massive broadsword to kill someone, unable to properly gauge their own true strength. Far from harming the enemy, it was easy to suffer a backlash instead. This was precisely why most cultivators would intentionally spend a period in secluded cultivation after a breakthrough to stabilize their newfound realm. The purpose was not just stabilization, but also familiarizing themselves with their combat methods under the new realm. Evidently, the enemies this time were not going to afford him that opportunity. His eyes flicked left and right as his divine sense spread outward. Looking at the enemies scuttling forward from three directions, the corners of Luo Chen's mouth curved up slightly, though to the enemy's eyes, it resembled the sinister grin of a devil. "Did you truly believe these were the only tricks I had?" As he murmured to himself, a pair of crimson wings suddenly unfurled behind his back. "It just so happens I can use you to test the true strength of my late-stage Desolate Ancient Tier 3 physique!" With a ferocious grin, his wings trembled. The next instant, Luo Chen soared into the sky. Seeing this, the enemies did not hesitate, each opening their mouths to spew silk. Thick bands of silk resembling white rainbows shot toward him in unison. Twisting and turning midair with the agility of a swimming dragon, Luo Chen dodged all three attacks by a hair's breadth. Then, transforming into a streak of startled brilliance, he pounced straight toward the weakest of the three demons. Seeing that Luo Chen was not keeping his distance to fight from afar, but instead closing in for hand-to-hand combat, that Demon Spider Crab could not help but laugh loudly. "Brawling with our demon race in close quarters—you are truly courting death!" Amidst his wild laughter, two massive pincers bristling with menacing hairs crashed toward Luo Chen. The spiritual light in Luo Chen's eyes flared to its limit, ensuring that his physical martial arts retained precise accuracy even under ultra-high-speed motion. Faced with the menacing pincers, he showed no fear, taking an Airburst Step as another explosion echoed between sea and sky. In an instant, his entire figure shot forward dozens of yards before he savagely struck out with a palm. As the palm thrust forth, the muscles of his arm surged, swelling several times over. His thick, sturdy fingers curved slightly, grasping downward like talons. This palm strike was not the Qingyang Great Handprint, but the Cloud-Seeking Divine Claw! Originally, when Luo Chen was in human form, the power of the Cloud-Seeking Divine Claw was only thirty to forty percent of what it was under the Heavenly Roc True Form. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never employ this move in his human form. However, upon bringing the *Convergence of Myriad Paths* to grand perfection and reaching the late stage of Desolate Ancient Tier 3, he had mastered the art of partial physical transformation. Now, as he swung this claw, it was virtually indistinguishable from his Heavenly Roc True Form. And how terrifying was the Cloud-Seeking Divine Claw at grand perfection? Very soon, everyone present witnessed it. *Crack! Snap!* The abrupt claw seized the two massive pincers by their heads, then wrenched savagely. Under the horrified gaze of the Demon Spider Crab's numerous compound eyes, its two strongest pincers were torn clean off, exposing exquisitely fresh and tender white meat. The largest crab pincers also yielded the most succulent meat! Only now did the afterimage left behind by his Airburst Step slowly dissipate. "Ahhh, the agony!" Amidst the creature's shrieks of sheer torment, the three demons refocused their gazes on the white-robed man, utterly unable to conceal their shock and fury. Luo Chen squeezed the two massive crab pincers, licking his lips. "This meat must be extraordinarily delicious!" "It's just that these shrieks aren't suited to accompany wine." "In that case, I'll slaughter you all first and make a delectable full crab banquet!" As he spoke, his speed exploded once more. This time, the Seventh Elder reacted quickly, shouting fiercely, "This fiend's physique surpasses even that of our demon race! Under no circumstances should you clash with him head-on! Use the Thousand Spiders Ten Thousand Demons Hand!" Having received this instruction, the other two demons immediately grasped his intent. In an instant, the fuzz upon each crab leg beneath their bodies began to grow rapidly, turning into wisps of white barbs, and they opened their mouths to spew copiously, spitting out vast clouds of spider silk. Flashing forward with an Airburst Step, Luo Chen appeared before the second demon beast and struck out with a claw. *Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* Masses of spider silk coiled around his arm. At the same time, two rock-hard pincers swept toward him with immense force. "Using silk to overcome hardness with softness first, then crushing me with your pincers?" Luo Chen sneered and opened his mouth, exhaling as well. *Hiss...* A wisp of azure flame drifted out. In just an instant, it wound around the endless white spider silk. Azure and white clashed, but without question, the Tier 4 Wither-Bloom True Fire claimed absolute victory. Vast sheets of spider silk turned to ash and fluttered to the ground. With his hands freed, Luo Chen's two massive claws grabbed both of the creature's pincers at the same time. Man and demon began a contest of raw strength. "Open up for me!" Luo Chen growled softly, boundless strength reinforcing his grip as he forcibly tore those two massive pincers apart. Having created an opening, he closed in, coming face-to-face with the Tier 3 demon crab. This was the end! Once he was right up in its face, it was no longer a simple matter of breaking legs or severing pincers. Luo Chen abruptly blasted out a palm, immense force capable of cleaving mountains and shattering stone bursting forth. *Boom!* A burst of crimson erupted as a Tier 3 Demon Spider Crab was blown apart on the spot. Even its protective light barrier failed to obstruct him in the slightest. Amidst the shower of blood and flesh, Luo Chen caught sight of the crab whose pincers he had severed earlier retreating in haste out of the corner of his eye. "Thinking of running?" With a cold snort, he flicked his fingers. Three streaks of black light shot forth abruptly. It was none other than the Three Soul Breaking Nails! The Demon Spider Crab's expression shifted drastically, and it plunged beneath the sea's surface. Yet the next moment, a wretched scream rang out. "Argh!" *Bang!* The surface of the water exploded as an enlarged sword light, piercing through the Demon Spider Crab's chest, leaped out of the water and shot into the sky. This was clearly the Profound Fire Sword that Luo Chen had driven into the seawater earlier. He had not recalled it before simply because he was keeping it poised to strike. Under his multitasking control, it had delivered a fatal blow. By this point... In a brief span of lightning-fast exchanges, one demon was dead and another grievously wounded. Luo Chen turned his head toward the lean Demon Spider Crab that had remained motionless the entire time. Mid stage of Tier 3. "Your turn." A humanlike sorrow appeared on the Demon Spider Crab's face, likely because it had never expected its two companions to suffer such devastating blows. In a raspy voice, it said, "Yes, it is my turn. Fighting three against one, you executed a strategy of defeating us one by one the moment the battle commenced. Your talent for combat is truly peerless." Luo Chen's brow furrowed slightly. This demon beast was somewhat extraordinary. The human words it spoke were well-reasoned and coherent, barely distinguishable from a cultivator's speech. "Yet you forgot to consider why I remained motionless." "It was not because I am cold-blooded, indifferent to the tragic deaths of my kin." "In truth, it was because I must ensure your demise!" By the end, its sorrowful tone had turned impassioned and furious. The next instant, it sprang into the air. White silk transformed into a cloud to support its body, while its hand clutched a brown compass. It was at this moment that Luo Chen noticed something amiss. "Where are his legs?" Crabs possessed eight legs, yet looking at this Demon Spider Crab now, it appeared completely legless. Right then, colossal water spouts blasted out from the surface of the sea. As the torrents descended, eight black crab legs covered in white markings were revealed. Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly. "A formation?" Using eight legs as the formation array, arrayed across the sea to seal and bind. The moment the formation took shape, endless strands of blood-red spider silk shot toward Luo Chen from all directions. In the sky, the Seventh Elder of the Demon Spider Crab clan dialed the compass, looking completely composed. "My name is Zhu Qi. In my youth, I encountered a fortuitous opportunity, obtaining the legacy of a human Core Formation cultivator on an immortal island beyond the seas. Ever since, despite possessing a congenitally deficient body, I cultivated all the way to the mid stage of Tier 3, ranking as the Seventh Elder of the Demon Spider Crab clan." "This array is called the Sea-Sealing Bagua Array, also derived from that legacy." "I merged it with my racial innate talent, making its might even more formidable. Its sealing power cannot be broken even by ordinary great demon kings." "Human, before you die, state your name! In the future, when I achieve Tier 4 transformation and ascend to the venerable status of a Demon Emperor, you may serve as a distinctive memory in my cultivation journey." *The Sea-Sealing Bagua Array?* Inside the grand array, Luo Chen's expression fluctuated with uncertainty. Faced with the terrifying spider silk shooting toward him, boundless azure flames surged outward from his entire body. Yet the silk that had previously crumbled upon contact managed to hold its ground this time. Although it still could not advance an inch, it had clearly undergone a distinct transformation. *** By the shore. Seeing this, the black-scaled flood dragon could sit still no longer. "Tianxuan, retreat to the back of the island. I'm going to lend Master a hand." Without waiting for Tianxuan's reply, it snaked its massive body and charged toward the white cloud in the sky. Confronting this scene, Zhu Qi remained unfazed, merely turning the compass. Immediately, a colossal pillar of water surged skyward from the sea, transforming into a water giant in the shape of a Demon Spider Crab. Striking out with eight legs simultaneously, it firmly entangled the flood dragon. "This array was originally prepared for that thieving gull." "Who knew she had a master?" "This works out just as well. Wiping you all out in one fell swoop will restore peace to countless demon crab kin across my Xuanyan Sea Domain." As he spoke, his movements manipulating the compass grew increasingly rapid, pouring copious amounts of demon power into it. Meanwhile, the water vapor over the ocean surged with mounting ferocity. *** Inside the array. Luo Chen's spiritual eyes darted rapidly, finally piercing through to the truth. No wonder this white spider silk could withstand his Tier 4 Wither-Bloom True Fire. It was drawing upon the power of the ocean, merging with boundless Water-phase energy. At the thought, Luo Chen could not help but sigh inwardly. Casting aside Metal, Wood, Water, and Earth to focus primarily on Fire had granted him explosive combat power. Yet as fate would have it, he had ended up in this Northern Sea cultivation world known as the Demon Sea. The mainstream practitioners here relied on water methods. Water and fire were incompatible, countering each other severely. Of course, counteraction merely depended on who was stronger. Yet the cultivators of this realm possessed the geographic advantage of the boundless ocean, which allowed them to vastly augment their strength. Yan Nantian was like this, and Wu Qi was like this. He had not expected a mere demon beast to exploit this geographical advantage to the absolute limit as well. One could well imagine that as the grand array ran its course, its power would only grow increasingly formidable. Furthermore, the energy source of this array originated from the boundless sea, which could be considered virtually inexhaustible. If this dragged on, his Wither-Bloom True Fire would eventually falter, inevitably forcing him into a disadvantage until he met his end. Imagining that picture, Luo Chen could not help but chuckle. Presiding over the grand array, Zhu Qi was stunned by the sight. *Why can he still laugh?* The next instant, Zhu Qi saw Luo Chen retrieve an object. It was a cauldron! Upon entering the grand array, the cauldron expanded against the wind. Measuring thirty feet across, it resembled a miniature mountain. The white-robed Daoist supported the cauldron with a single hand as azure flames swirled around it, turning into a massive ball of fire. From a distance, it seemed as if the Daoist held an azure sun aloft in his palm. He lifted his head, looked toward Zhu Qi, and spoke softly. "My name is Qingyang. Have a safe journey to the Yellow Springs, fellow Daoist!" With those words, he turned sideways and bent his arm, his partially enlarged arm curving into the shape of a crescent moon. Then, he hurled it with all his might! In an instant, the giant cauldron flew forth like a meteor soaring in reverse toward the heavens, rumbling thunderously as it carved a majestic arc through the air. Zhu Qi mobilized the power of the array, gathering a blinding expanse of white spider silk in an attempt to drag this azure sun down into the sea. Yet that terrifying, monstrous force proved entirely unstoppable. Not only that, but as the colossal cauldron spewed azure flames, it was completely unaffected by the ocean's water vapor—as if it were part of the sea itself, like a fish returning to water or a dragon swimming in the abyss. *Could it be that this Core Formation cultivator who excels in fire arts is actually using a water-attribute magic treasure?!* Amidst his bewilderment, the massive cauldron loomed ever closer. Finally—*boom!* The array barrier was smashed directly with a gaping hole, and the giant cauldron erupted through. Watching the colossal cauldron hurtling toward him, Zhu Qi, devoid of his eight legs, had no speed to evade its tracking trajectory. His face turned pale as a single thought surfaced in his mind: *I am finished!* *Bang!* A shower of blood rained down as scalding steam permeated the void. Luo Chen drifted forward lightly. With one hand, he recalled the spinning, shrinking Hunyuan Cauldron, and with the other, he caught the brown compass. "What a waste of this mid-stage Tier 3 Demon Spider Crab." It was hard to say whether he pitied the loss of its flesh and materials, or the untimely demise of its dream of becoming a Demon Emperor. Amidst his sigh, his gaze fell upon the other Demon Spider Crab that had been gravely wounded by the Profound Fire Sword and suppressed by the Three Soul Breaking Nails. At least his efforts had not ended in drawing water with a bamboo basket.