The sea domain around Tianxuan Island.
Half a day after Luo Chen's departure, the previously calm and sunny weather gave way to surging, turbulent ocean waves.
Amidst the violent churning of the water, silhouette after silhouette surfaced from the deep.
Compound eyes bearing white patterns, crab pincers spitting spider silk.
As far as the eye could see, a dense swarm of Demon Spider Crabs emerged—over a thousand in number, and virtually none among them weak.
Most striking were the five colossal Demon Spider Crabs leading the vanguard.
Stepping out from the sea, thousands of Demon Spider Crabs fanned out, completely encircling the modest expanse of Tianxuan Island.
Exuding an aura verging on the peak of Tier 3, a massive Demon Spider Crab crawled forward with imperious swagger. Wherever he passed, the other crabs parted and submerged reefs shattered underfoot.
At last, his footsteps halted before an unremarkable patch of ground.
A raspy, aged voice rasped from his mouth.
"Is it here?"
A subordinate beside him said in a low voice, "It is here. Though expertly concealed, our scouts have probed beneath and confirmed it is indeed a cave dwelling built in the style of a human cultivator. Moreover, it appears to have been occupied for no less than five years."
"Five years?"
The patriarch of the Demon Spider Crab clan muttered the phrase, then nodded slowly.
"That matches the timeline of the recent shifts across the Xuanyan Sea Domain."
In the past, the overlords of this sea domain had been the Ring-Headed Turtle clan.
However, that dominion had rested upon the presence of a Form Transformation stage Demon Emperor among the Ring-Headed Turtles.
Back then, the so-called Seven Royal Clans of demon crabs were little more than prey for the Ring-Headed Turtles.
It was not until a millennium ago, when that Demon Emperor's lifespan neared its end and he went into reclusive seclusion, that the demon crabs began their gradual rise.
Even so, the demon crabs had paid a heavy price to seize hegemony over the Xuanyan Sea Domain.
The Seven Royal Clans were whittled down to five.
Ever since, the various demon crabs had reigned supreme here, rarely falling prey to others.
Even when human cultivators occasionally came to hunt demon beasts, they merely staged swift hit-and-run raids, grabbing whatever modest spoils they could before fleeing. A massacre of large-scale harvesting had virtually never occurred.
Yet five years ago, everything changed.
At first, no one paid it any mind; the disappearance of one or two demon crabs was an ordinary occurrence.
Gradually, however, the numbers grew, and the Demon Spider Crab clan in particular suffered catastrophic losses.
Only after laying repeated ambushes and setting baited traps did they finally uncover the truth: a flood dragon and a battle gull were working in tandem.
And now it seemed...
"So it was those despicable human cultivators once again!"
Thick, withered gray fuzz coated his shell, matching the weary, hoarse tone of his voice.
The Demon Spider Crab patriarch sighed. "If it was a cultivator, then the demise of Xiao Qi, Zhu Sha, and Zhu Mo was only to be expected."
Though he spoke those words, the sorrow in his eyes remained profound.
Zhu Qi was the junior he favored most.
Though his cultivation was not overwhelmingly powerful, his intellect rivaled the finest talents among humans.
Above all, he had been exceptionally skilled in the Dao of formations.
The patriarch had even prepared to pass the mantle of clan head to Zhu Qi in a few centuries, once the youth reached late Tier 3.
Who could have foreseen such an outcome?
Listening to the patriarch's sigh, a late Tier 3 Demon Spider Crab beside him said softly, "I have dispatched over a hundred of our young to track their scent. However, that person's concealment methods are superb. Even with our clan's extraordinary sensory talents, I fear tracking down any traces will require tremendous effort."
An escaping light streaked in from the distance, landing on the island with a booming crash.
It was yet another late Tier 3 Demon Spider Crab.
"Patriarch, I have settled terms with the Hidden Dust Sand clan of the Xuanyan Sea Domain. They have agreed to aid in the search for the enemies who slaughtered Xiao Qi and the others."
The Hidden Dust Sand was among the most common demon beasts in the boundless Northern Sea.
Yet calling them demon beasts was not entirely accurate.
Strictly speaking, the Hidden Dust Sand existed in a liminal state between demon beasts and stone spirits.
In ancient times, creatures such as giant mussels, giant clams, and oysters would take grains of sand into their flesh, which over time formed lustrous pearls.
Such pearls were treasures prized by mortals and cultivators alike.
Yet by heavenly design and the nourishment of spiritual energy, pearls could also attain sentience.
Certain unique grains of sand, while developing into pearls, would in turn devour the life force of host creatures like giant mussels and clams. Gradually gaining consciousness over the ages, they became an extraordinary existence situated between demon beast and stone spirit.
Some called them Pearl Demons, while others named them Sea Demon Seedlings.
Yet their most renowned title was the "Hidden Dust Sand."
Because such creatures could not reproduce through natural breeding, those among them who attained sentience and cultivated to high realms developed a collective racial consciousness.
They would sever parts of their own bodies, fuse them with special grains of sand, and parasitize giant mussels and clams, allowing them to absorb vitality and evolve naturally.
Carried out over generations, this instinctive practice gave rise to the Hidden Dust Sand race.
Spread across the Northern Sea, though hidden like motes of dust, they were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, earning them their name.
Due to their colossal numbers and secretive mode of survival and cultivation, they possessed the most formidable intelligence network in the ocean.
Anyone in dire need of information who was willing to pay the price would usually seek out the Hidden Dust Sand clan, and their efforts rarely went unrewarded.
Hearing that terms had been struck with them, the Demon Spider Crab patriarch looked surprised. "You met that old fellow Yuan Yin?"
The clan member replied in a muffled drone, "No. That fellow may lack raw combat strength, but his concealment arts are formidable; I could not glimpse his true form. I merely relayed the message through low-tier Hidden Dust Sand on Huagu Island, and he agreed to help track the enemy."
Huagu Island was the headquarters of the Hidden Dust Sand within the Xuanyan Sea Domain, home to vast beds of shellfish that served as their parasitic hosts.
Upon hearing that Yuan Yin had not been seen in person, the Demon Spider Crab patriarch shook his head in disappointment.
"Forget it. He is likely offering perfunctory lip service once again."
At the word perfunctory, the clan member grew anxious.
"Are we truly to let that murderer go? He did not just kill Xiao Qi and the elders—over the years, at least a hundred of our young have fallen to his hands! This is a feud carved in blood!"
The patriarch replied slowly, "Tracking down the killer is something we must do. Both the Hidden Dust Sand and our own scouts will maintain the hunt. However..."
At the word 'however,' his tone turned grave.
"The matter of utmost urgency right now is not this!"
He cast his gaze far into the distance, as though looking tens of thousands of li across the waves toward the most secluded corner of the Xuanyan Sea Domain.
"I received word that the Xuanyan Demon Emperor actually exhausted his lifespan three hundred years ago and departed for the Black Turtle ancestral grounds in the Sunken Sea to return to the void. The Demon Emperor aura emanating from Xuanyan Island is merely a molt he left behind."
The clan member blanched. "A molt?"
The Demon Spider Crab patriarch grunted in affirmation. "Indeed. This intelligence came from the Nine-Clawed clan. Although I do not know why he left his molt behind when heading to the void, the Xuanyan Demon Emperor's passing is an undeniable fact."
What the passing of a regional Demon Emperor meant went without saying!
It meant his cultivation sanctuary—a Tier 4 spirit vein—had been left vacant.
If one could claim that territory, the various late Tier 3 Great Demon Kings among the Five Royal Clans of demon crabs might finally hold hope of breaking through to Tier 4 and achieving the Form Transformation stage of a Demon Emperor!
Furthermore, if one obtained the molt left by the Xuanyan Demon Emperor, one might even inherit his legacy techniques.
After all, the cultivation paths of the Ring-Headed Turtles and the demon crabs shared profound similarities.
Strictly speaking, the original cultivation methods practiced by the Five Royal Clans of demon crabs in the Xuanyan Sea Domain had all been derived from Xuanyan Island!
"Over at the Overlord clan, Jin Hun took Jin Jia to Xuanyan Island long ago, and four years ago, the moment Jin Ao exited seclusion, he headed straight for Xuanyan Island as well."
"The Qingdi clan sealed their estates and paid no heed to the killer on Tianxuan Island precisely because they, too, slipped away in secret to Xuanyan Island to vie for that molt."
"The Nine-Clawed gave me face by sharing the news, but their information was delayed; their Nine-Clawed Poison King Crab clan has ten to one made preparations ahead of time."
"I do not know whether Chi Yan will be tempted, but this old man fully intends to go to Xuanyan Island and fight for it!"
With that, the Demon Spider Crab patriarch moved his eight legs and strode slowly toward the sea.
"This affair concerns the rise of our Demon Spider Crab clan, an objective far more crucial than hunting down that culprit. I shall depart first. Return, make your preparations, and bring reinforcements after me!"
Among the ten elders of the Demon Spider Crab clan, three were Great Demon Kings.
The rest stood at the early and mid stages of Tier 3.
Even after leaving behind hands to guard their ancestral grounds and track the Tianxuan Island culprit, they could still dispatch eight Tier 3 demon kings.
Such a lineup might not rival the ferocious martial prowess of the Overlord Crab clan, but it could certainly contest the Qingdi Crabs on equal footing.
And when contending for great fortunes, raw strength was not the only factor—fortune and timing mattered just as much.
The other two Great Demon Kings exchanged glances before setting their resolve.
This time, they would assist the patriarch with everything they had!
***
Across the boundless sea.
A solitary demon-hunting ship drifted across the waters.
Streaks of escaping light flitted in and out from time to time, demonstrating the formidable foundation gathered aboard.
Inside a magnificent palace hall decorated with cloud and water patterns, seven Golden Core cultivators sat together, conversing.
"Strange. Didn't rumors always claim that vast numbers of Ring-Headed Turtles roamed the Xuanyan Sea Domain? Why have we harvested so few on this expedition?"
"Could it be that the demon crabs slaughtered all those Ring-Headed Turtles?"
"No, no. Master said that the Xuanyan Sea Domain was under the dominion of Ring-Headed Turtles with a Demon Emperor among them. Even if rumors claim someone saw the Xuanyan Demon Emperor plunge into the Sunken Sea, a dead tiger's residual majesty does not fade so easily. How could the clan he left behind be wiped out so effortlessly?"
"Regardless, Master requires a large quantity of Ring-Headed Turtle shells, and we must find a way to collect them. What should our next move be?"
Listening to her senior brothers' discussion, Gu Xiaolian hesitated before suggesting, "Why don't we simply buy them?"
Hearing her naive proposal, several of her senior brothers chuckled.
"Junior Sister, you're looking at this the wrong way. Materials from the various turtle clans bearing the Black Turtle bloodline have always been hot commodities for crafting defensive magic treasures. They are nearly impossible to find in ordinary markets, let alone in bulk."
"Indeed. In the past, no one dared venture into the Xuanyan Sea Domain. We only dared to come scavenge because Master received word that the Xuanyan Demon Emperor had submerged into the Sunken Sea. Otherwise, a modest sect like Feiyun Ravine wouldn't even qualify for the chance to hunt here."
Gu Xiaolian's face flushed slightly, realizing her lack of worldly experience had made her the butt of a joke.
Yet seeing that her senior brothers were merely teasing her in good humor, she took no offense.
As the group conferred, the young man in opulent robes sitting at the head of the hall let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
At the same moment, Gu Xiaolian's expression shifted drastically. She hurriedly retrieved a talisman from her storage bag.
The moment the talisman appeared, it ignited without wind, instantly burning to a pile of ash.
Seeing this, the others froze in astonishment.
"This is..."
Gu Shaoshang raised an eyebrow. "My Tier 3 Demon-Suppressing Talisman has been broken."
With the secondary talisman broken, the master talisman naturally lost its target of restraint, reducing it to ash.
One Golden Core cultivator gasped. "Eldest Senior Brother is a great cultivator of the seventh level of Golden Core! For the Demon-Suppressing Talisman cast by your hand to be undone in a single day... It's hard to imagine how terrifying the breaker's strength must be!"
The others began speculating based on the clues.
"Could it be the master of that Tianxuan Battle Gull?"
"Having offended an expert like that, will they come seeking revenge?"
Listening to their chatter, Gu Shaoshang knitted his brows, lost in thought.
It seemed that Tianxuan Battle Gull truly was a tamed spirit beast!
Moreover, its master was clearly a late Golden Core expert no weaker than himself.
Judging by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner that cultivator had wielded, that much was self-evident.
"A Ten Thousand Soul Banner... Could it be a remnant of the Yuan Demon Sect?"
Gu Shaoshang muttered to himself, his initial trace of concern gradually dispersing with this conjecture.
Their Feiyun Ravine was a member of the Canghai Righteous Dao Alliance.
The Canghai Righteous Dao Alliance was now the paramount power in the Northern Sea, and stood in irreconcilable enmity with the remnants of the Yuan Demon Sect!
If the other party truly dared come knocking, he would not mind teaching them a harsh lesson. He might even claim their head and collect a handsome bounty from the Canghai Alliance!
Waving his hand, Gu Shaoshang said in a deep voice, "Set this matter aside for now. Let us return to hunting the Ring-Headed Turtles!"
The moment he spoke, everyone reined in their thoughts and listened intently.
"Father has a clear purpose in demanding so many Ring-Headed Turtle carapaces!"
"We must execute this task flawlessly!"
"Since we cannot find Ring-Headed Turtles across these ordinary waters, we shall head directly to... Xuanyan Island!"
At these words, everyone's expressions changed drastically.
The youngest, Gu Xiaolian, blurted out, "Eldest Brother, you mustn't!"
Gu Shaoshang turned his gaze toward her. Though his expression appeared gentle, his eyes carried a chill.
"Little Sister, I can indulge you in other matters, but when it comes to Father's grand designs, you must not act willfully."
Gu Xiaolian waved her hands hurriedly. "I'm not being willful! Xuanyan Island is the base of the Ring-Headed Turtles, bound to be filled with countless powerful experts. Our Feiyun Ravine expedition counts only seven Golden Core cultivators in total. If we storm their gates, our casualties will be catastrophic!"
The other Golden Core cultivators swallowed hard, looking tensely at the young man in fine robes.
Yet Gu Shaoshang shook his head with unyielding resolve. "This journey is non-negotiable!"
Seeing their pale faces, his tone softened slightly.
"Of course, I won't send you to your deaths. We will scout the perimeter first and act according to circumstance. If worst comes to worst, I can pay a price to invite several friends over so we can storm Xuanyan Island together."
*Phew...*
Audible sighs of relief echoed through the hall.
Indeed, Eldest Senior Brother remained Eldest Senior Brother—he never acted with blind recklessness.
Recalling their earlier display of cowardice, the Feiyun Ravine Golden Core cultivators spoke up one after another, swearing they would give their utmost in the upcoming mission.
Gu Shaoshang maintained an impassive expression, but sneered coldly within.
Aside from Second Junior Brother, Sixth Junior Brother, and his little sister, the remaining three had joined the sect with their own arts already cultivated. Normally courteous and kind, when critical moments arrived, they proved they were not of one heart with the Gu family.
Transforming from a cultivation clan into a true sect was indeed a long and arduous path.
Their Feiyun Ravine still lacked the deep heritage of a superior Nascent Soul sect!
With matters settled, the demon-hunting ship ceased its futile wandering across the ordinary waters. Raising high its sails, it veered around, cutting a direct course toward Xuanyan Island.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of li away across the sea.
A streak of escaping light breached the deep waters, sending boundless sprays of seafoam gleaming beneath the sunlight. From within, a magnificent silhouette revealed itself.
Its colossal form wheeled once in the sky, and having locked onto its target, spread its wings to soar in pursuit of the demon-hunting ship.
Chapter 548