The Scramble

Every eye instantly focused upon the two demon kings. All watched in rapt attention. The Flood Dragon King summoned his golden spear, its presence resonating with the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle's carapace. He felt confident that nothing could go wrong now. Flames blended into the crimson crystal barrier. The crimson crystal barrier seemed to be melting away, on the verge of being pierced through by the flames conjured from the Heavenly Phoenix Plume. It looked as though the two demons were about to breach the barrier and escape with the aid of the Heavenly Phoenix Plume. Right at that moment, the smile on the Flood Dragon King's face suddenly froze, replaced by shock and fury. "Who is it?!" the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle roared in fury. Before the words had completely left his mouth, darkness fell before their eyes. *Bang!* The turtle shell shuddered violently. The Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle turned deathly pale and spat a mouthful of blood. A slender, jade-like hand had somehow reached out from the void, pressing directly against the shell. The profound light on the turtle shell dimmed, and cracks even webbed across its surface. Only then did the silhouette of the ancient demon's split soul slowly materialize. Its gaze was cold and sinister, tainted with greed and madness that chilled the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle to the marrow. At the same time, an enraged roar from the Flood Dragon King echoed from behind him. Beside the Flood Dragon King, Demonic Qingzhu appeared without any warning. His expression was wooden as he stared blankly at the dragon king. Reaching out with a massive claw, true demonic qi surged forth in a torrent. Demonic Qingzhu and the ancient demon's split soul coordinated with seamless precision. While the ancient demon's split soul battered the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle, Demonic Qingzhu went straight for the Flood Dragon King. By some unknown secret technique, a rustling sound emanated from Demonic Qingzhu's true demonic qi. Innumerable black chains formed within the black mist, slithering nimbly like pythons and lunging at the Flood Dragon King in an overwhelming swarm. Only now did the afterimages of the ancient demon's avatar and Qingzhu in the distance begin to slowly fade away. The human experts had clashed with the ancient demon's split soul before and knew full well how formidable the ancient demon was. Remaining on guard in secret, they were prepared to rescue one another at a moment's notice. When the Grand Shaman and Old Devil Fang had held their quiet deliberation with the humans, they had been warned as well. Only the Flood Dragon King and the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle were blind to the true situation. No one had cautioned them about the ancient demon's prowess, and they had even expended part of their attention watching out for the cultivators. Little did they expect the ancient demon to be so blindingly fast and horrifyingly powerful. The Flood Dragon King was not completely unprepared. Communicating in secret with the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle, he had already unleashed his golden spear, donned his golden armor, and prepared the divine techniques of the Flood Dragon clan. Though there were many cultivators present, their cultivations were at most equal to his own. Joining forces with the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle in defense, they could hold out for at least a brief period even if besieged. The power of the Heavenly Phoenix Plume had already been ignited. In the next breath, they would tear through the crimson crystal barrier and escape. No one should have been able to stop them. Yet at the very last moment, disaster struck. Seeing Demonic Qingzhu practically within arm's reach and meeting his blood-red pupils, a deep chill welled up within the Flood Dragon King. As one of the top experts across both domains, an ominous premonition seized him. He could not remember how long it had been since he had felt such extreme danger. The true demonic qi converged to envelop him. *Rumble!* Golden brilliance erupted as ten thousand spear shadows burst forth in a glittering glare. The Flood Dragon King struck with all his might, blending the golden spear with the supreme divine techniques of the Flood Dragon clan. It blazed like a golden sun, terrifyingly potent. Yet the moment the spear shadows plunged into the true demonic qi, they instantly dimmed. *Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish...* Countless chains immediately flooded the Flood Dragon King's field of view. The spear shadows were torn apart one after another by the chains, scattered in tatters in the blink of an eye as his offensive was effortlessly dispelled. True demonic qi drowned out the golden spear and rolled onward. The Flood Dragon King's expression changed completely. If he stubbornly continued fueling the Heavenly Phoenix Plume, he would very likely perish at Demonic Qingzhu's hands. Meanwhile, the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle was also surrounded by grave peril, unable to offer him the slightest aid. The ancient demon's split soul had devoured three Nascent Souls and previously battled three late Nascent Soul experts atop Yitian Peak. Though driving the grand formation to shatter the altars had cost it dearly, dealing with the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle—merely at the peak of the mid Transformation stage—was more than within its power. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* A rapid succession of dull impacts rang out from the turtle shell, so fast that one might have mistaken them for a single strike. Though the jade-like hand appeared delicate, in the eyes of the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle, it was nothing less than a death warrant. *Crack!* The turtle shell shattered. This was a construct conjured from the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle's divine technique rather than his true shell, yet its defensive power had been immense—only to be blasted apart by the ancient demon's split soul. Shards flew outward, reverting to profound water essence and surging toward the ancient demon's split soul like a roaring river. *Rippp!* The river was torn wide open by the bare hand. *Thud!* In the nick of time, the turtle shell on the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle's back flashed before him, finally checking the palm of the ancient demon's split soul. The shell was the source of his vital essence and possessed astonishing defense, remaining unbroken by the strike. Yet the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle's predicament showed not the slightest improvement. Blood churned violently through his veins, his true essence stagnated, and he was thoroughly shaken by the ancient demon's dreadful power. When another shadow flickered before his eyes, his heart lurched, and he cried out inwardly in despair. Right then, a streak of azure light shot in from an angle. The shocking ripples it gave off made the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle's heart skip another beat. At the same time, Fairy Nangui's voice transmission sounded in his ears: "The Flood Dragon King has no chance of survival! Seize the phoenix plume, and all past grievances will be forgiven!" The moment the Flood Dragon King had summoned the Heavenly Phoenix Plume and the ancient demon's split soul launched its ambush, the Demon Lord and the others had moved as well, swooping toward the spot in unison. However, they had not necessarily come to save anyone. The split soul had already left a deep impression on them, and Demonic Qingzhu—personally controlled by the ancient demon's true body—was bound to be even stronger. The Flood Dragon King had served as the touchstone that proved this beyond doubt. The Heavenly Phoenix Plume was their sole hope of escaping this place. Everyone kept their eyes glued to this treasure; at the very least, it could not fall into the ancient demon's clutches. This was naturally true for the Grand Shaman and Old Devil Fang. Lingzhuzi and the Demon Lord had already formed an alliance. Fairy Nangui and the elderly man were just as quick to react, though they did not charge directly forward like the Demon Lord and the others. Paying no heed to his injuries, the old man forcefully invoked the Origin Sacrifice Technique. His cultivation surged instantly, matching that of Fairy Nangui. The price was steep, and he had to cough up a mouthful of blood just to steady himself. Together, the two activated the Demon-Suppressing Stele. Over this period, the Demon-Suppressing Stele had regained a fraction of its might. Driven now by the combined efforts of two great cultivators, its power was even greater than before! *Whoosh!* The Demon-Suppressing Stele crossed the void, launching a surprise attack against the ancient demon's split soul. Their choice differed from that of the Demon Lord and his companions. They chose to rescue the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle and coordinate with him to seize the Heavenly Phoenix Plume. Being closest to the Flood Dragon King, the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle had the best vantage point and the greatest chance of success. Four Sages Palace had retreated from the world, resting and recuperating in a secret realm within the storm belt on the edge of the North Sea's Rain Desert. The Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle's cave dwelling was also located in the Rain Desert. This demon shared deep ties with Four Sages Palace and had once received its shelter. It was only after Four Sages Palace declined that the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle slipped from their control, even going so far as to collude with the demon race of the Demon Sea to infiltrate the Hall of Seven Kills. With his life hanging in the balance, as long as he was not a fool, the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle would know what choice to make. *Bang!* The Demon-Suppressing Stele arrived in a flash. Caught off guard and sensing imminent danger, the ancient demon's split soul was forced to abandon its pursuit and dodge aside. Narrowly escaping disaster, the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle gained a momentary breathing space, and he clearly took in the Flood Dragon King's dire plight.