“So this is a Ring-Headed Turtle?”
Inside an obscure underground cave dwelling, Luo Chen stared with wonder at the creature prostrated before him.
It possessed the body of a tortoise and the head of a serpent, joined by a slender, elongated neck.
When he prodded it with a surge of magic power, the beast was forced to stretch out its neck—so remarkably long that it could coil an entire loop around its own body.
“Is it a tortoise or a serpent after all?”
Luo Chen found it rather astonishing. In fact, to his senses, this Ring-Headed Turtle bore an uncanny resemblance to the mythical divine beast Xuanwu.
The difference was that in legend, Xuanwu was depicted as a dark serpent entwined with a tortoise, two distinct beings coexisting.
This Ring-Headed Turtle, however, bore a serpent's head upon a tortoise's shell, appearing rather mismatched.
Beside him, the shrunken Black King spoke up. “Master, low-tier Ring-Headed Turtles are all like this. Only upon reaching Tier 3 will noticeable differences emerge.”
“Oh? They change after Tier 3?” Luo Chen’s interest was piqued.
The Ring-Headed Turtle he held was merely a Tier 1 specimen he had secretly captured recently. Its tier was extremely low, and it possessed scarcely any spiritual intellect.
He had assumed that demon beast clans only differed by cultivation realm; he had not expected further transformations along their path.
Flicking his serpent tongue, Black King replied, “Unlike common demon beasts with impure lineages, the Ring-Headed Turtles are great demons with an ancestry that can truly be traced back. According to the elders of my Black-Scaled Giant Python clan, the Ring-Headed Turtles possess two great bloodlines: the Xuan Turtle and the Cliff Snake. Though diluted, their concentration far surpasses that of ordinary demons like us.
“As their realm increases and their demon power tempers their bloodline, they gradually refine one of the two to the absolute peak, thereby drawing progressively closer to their ancestral form.
“Tier 3 is a watershed. Only then does a Ring-Headed Turtle truly determine its path of cultivation to prepare for the shapeshifting stage.”
Having followed Luo Chen for several years, Black King had picked up human speech through daily immersion until he could converse quite fluently.
Speaking so steadily now, he sounded remarkably lucid and organized.
Luo Chen listened quietly, nodding from time to time.
Purifying one's bloodline and tracing back to ancestral might indeed conformed to the cultivation path of demon beasts.
The Xuan Turtle and the Cliff Snake were both legendary ancient demons renowned throughout the Mountain and Sea Realm.
With those two bloodlines setting their course, the cultivation of the Ring-Headed Turtles was certainly far clearer than that of beasts with impure bloodlines like the Black-Scaled Giant Pythons and demon crabs.
Stroking his chin, Luo Chen mused, “In that case, by the time the rumored Xuanyan Demon Emperor assumed human form, his true body must have refined its bloodline to the limit, achieving the form of a Xuan Turtle.”
Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen’s gaze settled upon the turtle's shell.
He wondered whether such a carapace could be used to brew Black Emperor Paste, and what the efficacy would be if brewed that way.
Yet Luo Chen soon dismissed the notion.
Brewing Black Emperor Paste with demon crab carapaces was something he had prepared for well in advance, testing numerous supplementary ingredients before barely bringing the formula to perfection.
If he swapped the primary material, he would inevitably have to adjust the supplementary ones as well.
That was far too much trouble.
His current focus did not lie on such trivialities.
“Black King, Tianxuan, what is the situation outside now?”
“Reporting to Master, the five royal crab clans have assembled around Xuanyan Island, deploying an army of ten million. They show every sign of completely exterminating the Ring-Headed Turtle clan,” Black King answered.
Hearing that number, Luo Chen’s cheek twitched involuntarily.
He knew the demon crab clans possessed staggering numbers!
After all, the creatures reproduced at an astonishing rate, far outstripping even the human race, which was famed for its fecundity.
That was also one of the main reasons he had come to the Xuanyan Sea Domain to hunt demon crabs in the first place.
*You breed so many crabs—if I snatch just a few to concoct medicine, just a few, it shouldn't draw any notice!*
Yet he had never imagined their numbers could reach such heights.
An army of ten million!
Even if ninety-nine percent of them were negligible Tier 1 demon crabs, when amassed in such quantities, even ants could bite an elephant to death.
With the five royal crab clans joining forces, the Ring-Headed Turtle clan was in grave peril!
“Master!”
A crisp voice sounded from Tianxuan, delivering news that left Luo Chen somewhat stunned.
“I discovered something. Those human cultivators seem to have joined forces with the demon crabs.”
***
Across the boundless sea, the roar of slaughter shook the heavens and churned the waves.
Luo Chen had pushed the Yinwei Formation to its utmost, concealing every trace of his aura as he hid within the surging deep-sea currents.
A brilliant light radiated from his keen spirit eyes, gazing in all directions through seawater stained red with blood.
Countless crab soldiers and crab generals, led by Tier 3 demon crab kings, launched assaults against islands large and small.
Upon the islands, the powerhouses of the Ring-Headed Turtle clan held their ground, displaying a grim resolve to fight to the death without yielding.
Though drastically outnumbered, the islands had been integrated into a grand array over years of control. Thus, the powerhouses of the Ring-Headed Turtle clan could draw upon the array's power, siphoning its spiritual energy to alternate between offense and defense.
For the moment, a balance was maintained.
Yet in Luo Chen’s eyes, as their living forces dwindled, the scales of victory were tilting steadily against them.
After watching for a while, Luo Chen showed a look of pity.
“I fear these three islands will fall as well.”
He could see clearly that while the Ring-Headed Turtle clan possessed the grand array, few powerhouses among them seemed capable of commanding it like an extension of their own limbs.
Given the sheer disparity in numbers, their fall was inevitable.
Unless reinforcements were dispatched from their ancestral grounds on Xuanyan Island.
Reinforcements, though?
Luo Chen dared not release his divine sense, terrified of drawing the attention of beings whose souls were mightier than his.
Yet his exceptional vision allowed him to see great distances.
In his line of sight, several colossal demon clouds flew in from the direction of Xuanyan Island.
Those capable of riding demon clouds were at least Tier 2 demon beasts.
And to control such vast demon clouds, Tier 3 demon kings had to be presiding within.
The Ring-Headed Turtle clan had sent Tier 3 demon kings to provide relief.
However, before they could even approach the three beleaguered islands, more than a dozen escape lights suddenly darted out nearby, converging to surround and attack the colossal clouds.
The battle was triggered in an instant!
And after a mere half a cup of tea, the battle reached its outcome.
With the five royal crab clans united and waiting at leisure for an exhausted enemy, how could they allow the reinforcements an easy passage into the array?
Before long, the few surviving escape lights on the perimeter were forced to retreat toward Xuanyan Island.
Meanwhile, upon the battlefields of the three islands, the sounds of slaughter gradually died down.
A sudden thunderous roar rang out, and several escape lights flew out simultaneously from the three islands, attempting a breakout.
This time, however, the powerhouses of the Ring-Headed Turtle clan found retreat impossible.
Several nearby demon crab kings struck in unison, utterly suppressing them and driving them back down into the island battlegrounds.
*How many times has this happened now?*
Such a scene felt eerily familiar, as if it had only occurred yesterday.
Luo Chen watched in quiet astonishment.
He had not been surprised by the alliance of the five royal crab clans, assuming they would simply swarm forward en masse once the fighting started.
He had never expected their methods of breaching the array to be so methodical.
Dividing and conquering, besieging points to ambush relief forces, and steadily advancing from the exterior to the interior.
Under the relentless encroachment of the demon crabs, nearly thirty islands of the so-called Nine Palaces Bagua Array had already been lost—nearly half of the total!
Once half were taken, an all-out rout would surely follow.
At that point, the demon crabs would only need to drive straight in to storm the inner thirty-six islands and claim Xuanyan itself!
*This is definitely not how demon beasts wage war!*
Luo Chen took a deep breath as a name surfaced in his mind.
Gu Shaoshang!
Tianxuan's intelligence had been very clear: a demon king of the Demon Spider Crab clan had personally boarded Feiyun Ravine's beast-hunting vessel, and Gu Shaoshang had accompanied him upon departure.
When Gu Shaoshang returned, though alone, he was completely unharmed.
Not only that, but subsequent contact between the two parties had grown quite frequent.
What did that signify?
Feiyun Ravine and the demon crabs of the Xuanyan Sea Domain had joined forces!
Together, they were targeting the Ring-Headed Turtle clan of Xuanyan Island.
In his view, perhaps only Gu Shaoshang was capable of orchestrating such vast hordes of demon crabs with such cohesion, steadily breaching the formations without haste.
At the thought of this man, a trace of vexation surfaced on Luo Chen’s face.
This development made it harder for him to fish in troubled waters and secretly capture a few heavily wounded Tier 3 demon crab kings.
If things continued like this, he would likely end up watching the royal crab clans return laden with spoils while he was left empty-handed.
With this in mind, Luo Chen could not help but mutter the name again.
“Gu Shaoshang…”
What kind of terms could possibly induce immortal cultivators to join hands with demon beasts?
Besides, wasn't that fellow afraid the demon crabs would renege?
Faced with such an absolute disparity in strength, Feiyun Ravine's mere seven—no, six—Golden Core cultivators could never make a splash.
***
Upon an island.
Five demon crab kings exuding powerful auras were gathered together.
Suddenly, an escape light streaked through the air.
“It’s Jin Ao!”
*Thud!*
A corpse as massive as a hill was hurled onto the ground.
Jin Ao gave a savage grin. “Reporting to the Patriarch, the three Changshou Islands have been taken. The corpse of the array master, Huan Shou, is right here.”
Looking at the enormous turtle carcass, Jin Hun nodded in satisfaction.
“Well done. Go rest for now. When we breach the inner thirty-six islands later, we will still need your strength.”
“And the corpse?”
“You killed it, so naturally it belongs to you.”
Jin Ao chuckled, cast a provocative glance over the other four demons, and took his leave in triumph.
As that provocative gaze swept past, the expressions of the four crab clan patriarchs shifted slightly.
Once he had departed, Chi Yan sneered, “Jin Hun, that Jin Ao of your clan is growing more arrogant by the day!”
Jiu Zhao snorted coldly as well. “Ignorant whelp. Does he truly believe our advanced age and frail bodies make us no match for him?”
Zhu Xiang of the Demon Spider Crab clan said nothing, but as he watched Jin Ao’s departing figure, envy flickered in his eyes.
The Overlord Crab clan was brimming with formidable experts.
Jin Ao’s combat prowess was hardly inferior to that of the five patriarchs.
One could say he was already the designated next patriarch of the Overlord Crabs, whereas the Demon Spider Crab clan was suffering from a dearth of successors.
*Ah, Xiao Qi…*
Jin Hun did not reply to the two demons' provocation, speaking instead in a quiet tone. “The outer thirty-six islands are essentially in our hands. Next are the inner thirty-six islands, which will inevitably be a bitter struggle.”
Lü Xiu nodded. “The elite strength of the Xuanyan Ring-Headed Turtle clan is entrenched in the inner thirty-six islands, so a bitter fight cannot be avoided. But with the aid of that Fellow Daoist Gu, breaching the array and razing the islands is only a matter of time. Brother Jin, there is no need to worry so much.”
Jin Hun shook his head. “Naturally, I am not worried about that. I am pondering another matter entirely.”
As he spoke, his gaze met Zhu Xiang’s in unspoken understanding.
“Zhu Xiang, if word gets out that we demons joined forces with human cultivators against the Ring-Headed Turtles, I fear the reputation of the Xuanyan demon crabs will stink throughout the Northern Sea.”
Zhu Xiang remained silent.
The other three demons caught on immediately.
Borrowing Gu Shaoshang’s hand to breach the Nine Palaces Bagua Array and claim the Xuanyan heritage was for the future of their five royal clans.
Yet if their names became tarnished among the demon race, even if an emperor arose among them hereafter, their days would hardly be easy.
For a time, all eyes fell upon Zhu Xiang.
After a long pause, an aged voice issued from Zhu Xiang’s mouth.
“Cooperation was merely to take what each of us needed.
“The day we storm Xuanyan Island will be the day our cooperation ends.
“At that time, there will be no ally Gu Shaoshang, only the devil Gu Shaoshang who invaded the Xuanyan Sea Domain and ruthlessly slaughtered our demon brethren.
“Such scum must be eradicated by us all!”
Hearing these words, satisfied smiles appeared across their faces.
Right at that moment, a ray of sword light broke through the void.
A flying sword messenger?
Jin Hun reached out and caught the small sword, from which a message emerged.
Before he had even finished reading it, a look of mixed shock and fury swept over his face.
“Human cultivators are indeed deceitful and vile!”
***
A beast-hunting vessel, propelled by a strong gale, sped swiftly away from the Xuanyan Sea Domain.
Looking back at that sea domain, the young girl Gu Xiaolian turned to the young man beside her in confusion.
“Eldest Brother, isn't our cooperation still ongoing?”
Gu Shaoshang smiled faintly. “I have already handed them the method to break the array. As for how they execute it thereafter, that depends on them. After all, it is impossible for me, a human cultivator, to direct them forever.”
That was indeed true; without a legitimate standing, it was inappropriate.
Gu Xiaolian realized the truth.
Yet when her eyes fell upon the corpses of the Ring-Headed Turtles piled like mountains on the vessel, she remained somewhat perplexed.
“Over these few months, we have harvested over a hundred Tier 2 turtle corpses and five Tier 3 turtle corpses. Though the quantity is large, it is still short of the nine turtles Father demanded. How can we answer to him?”
At this, the smile on Gu Shaoshang’s face slowly faded.
“Do not worry. I will see to the loose ends myself.”
Gu Xiaolian froze.
“Eldest Brother, could it be that you…”
Gu Shaoshang nodded. “That battlefield is far too perilous, and we are isolated without aid; there is no guarantee they will not break faith. You depart first. I will return once to collect the goods agreed upon in our cooperation.”
“But with you alone, Eldest Brother?” Gu Xiaolian showed concern.
Gu Shaoshang sneered. “No matter. They are merely furred and armored beasts. Even if I am no match for them, with the means Father bestowed upon me, they cannot hope to keep me if I choose to leave.”
The master of Feiyun Ravine, Gu Feiyun, was a genuine Nascent Soul Perfected Person!
With the means he had bestowed, ordinary Tier 3 demon kings could do nothing to him.
This was the bedrock of Gu Shaoshang’s confidence.
After instructing several junior brothers to look after Gu Xiaolian and transport the cargo back to Feiyun Ravine, Gu Shaoshang leaped into the air, transformed into an escape light, and slipped back into the Xuanyan Sea Domain.
***
Half a month later.
Upon a colossal island, slaughter and combat formed the sole melody of the moment.
Swaths of low-tier demon crabs crawled ashore from the sea, encircling the island on all sides.
Seven Red Rock Crab kings took the lead, striking in unison against the Ring-Headed Turtle powerhouses garrisoning the isle.
The battle reached a fever pitch.
Perhaps knowing they had arrived at the brink of life and death, the Ring-Headed Turtles fought back with mounting desperation, recklessly drawing upon the spiritual energy of the earth veins.
Even though heavily outnumbered, bolstered by the grand array, they fought the powerhouses of the Red Rock Crab clan to a standstill.
A standstill?
Yes—from their initial utter rout to an even standoff.
Such a bizarre shift was due not only to the desperate struggle of the turtles, but also to the chaotic command among the demon crabs.
Where they had previously fought in coordination, the five royal crab clans had now reverted to fighting independently as separate armies.
To prevent being struck from behind, they had no choice but to field their clans alone.
Yet without the complementary abilities of the five distinct crab clans, the fighting grew markedly more grueling.
The scope of the battle began to expand continuously.
From island to sea, vast demonic qi surged and spilled outward.
Such a scene was not limited to this single large island; the same unfolded in several other directions.
Upon a patch of open sea!
*Boom!*
Accompanied by an earth-shattering roar, a colossal Red Rock Crab crashed heavily into the sea.
It had perished.
Slain by a Tier 3 Ring-Headed Turtle.
The moment the corpse hit the water, clusters of flames burst forth.
Seeing this, the Tier 3 demon king of the Ring-Headed Turtle clan could not help but catch its breath.
“It actually tried to self-detonate. Fortunately…”
Beneath the surface of the sea, Luo Chen stirred the Blazing Fire Miasma to mask outside perception, his hands reaching out to touch the corpse of this Tier 3 Red Rock Crab.
*Good fortune!*
*The previous two times, I had to launch ambushes. This time, I picked one up directly. Though dead, the carapace of a Tier 3 demon king can still be used for medicine.*
Delighted, he swept the corpse into his storage ring.
Looking up through the layers of Blazing Fire Miasma, he spotted the Ring-Headed Turtle with its heavy shell.
A Ring-Headed Turtle demon king walking the path of the Xuan Turtle!
Moreover, it was heavily wounded. Should he…
While he hesitated, his pupils shrank abruptly.
In midair, a figure suddenly materialized. With a clench of a single hand, threads converged from all directions in a brutal web of slaughter.
In a single breath, the caught-off-guard turtle demon king was obliterated.
As that figure gathered the shattered remains, his gaze dropped beneath the sea surface.
In that instant, his brows knitted slightly.
Chapter 551