Uninvited Guests

"Keep going, don't let it catch its breath!" The youth surnamed Fang roared while driving the blood sword to pierce deeper. The Kui Dragon still possessed the strength to resist; boundless lightning surged into its wound, preventing the blood sword from stabbing any further. The youth surnamed Fang therefore recalled the blood sword and, with the coordination of Qin Sang and the others, continued to attack. Hard-pressed to fend off the blows, the Kui Dragon accumulated more and more wounds. These were not mere superficial injuries like before; every single one was deep enough to expose bone, and lingering blood qi prevented them from healing, causing blood to flow without end. The battle continued, but the outcome was already decided. Qin Sang breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Throughout the fight, their true essence had been continuously devoured by the crystal steles. The corpse core had run dry, forcing Qin Sang to tap into his own golden core. The others had no external core to rely on, so their exhaustion was even greater. They had been worried the whole time, but now, seeing victory finally at hand and their treasures within reach, relaxed smiles could not help spreading across their faces. On the surface, the youth surnamed Fang seemed thrilled, his eyes gleaming with greed, yet inside he had grown tense, and even his body was taut. No one noticed that while attacking the Kui Dragon, he kept glancing out of the corner of his eye toward the waters beyond the island—in the direction where the Kui Dragon had first appeared—as if waiting for something. The others remained oblivious, continuing their relentless assault on the Kui Dragon. The cage shrank tighter and tighter. Ma Debao urged the youth surnamed Fang not to hold back, to drive the blood sword with all his might and slay the Kui Dragon as quickly as possible. The Kui Dragon's resistance began to weaken, and victory seemed right before their eyes. Just then, several points of light suddenly flickered amidst the distant dark clouds. Conspicuous in the night, they flew toward the battlefield at extreme speed. "Stop, all of you!" A loud shout boomed from afar, faintly audible through the thunderous, rainy night. Almost simultaneously, everyone noticed the points of light and recognized at a glance that they were the escape lights of cultivators. Furthermore, the newcomers were formidable, each at least in the Core Formation stage. Hearing the shout, the group subconsciously slowed their offensive and exchanged glances, their expressions showing surprise and tension. Out on the open sea, where no rules governed, snatching food from a tiger's jaws was common practice. Their hunt of the Kui Dragon, though fierce, had not wasted much time due to thorough preparations, and the engagement had proceeded briskly. Yet to think that even so, it had drawn other cultivators—and such powerful ones at that! Qin Sang and the others turned their eyes toward the youth surnamed Fang. The newcomers clearly came with hostile intent and considerable power. If they meant to contest the Kui Dragon, another fierce battle would be unavoidable. Having operated the Heavenly Cold Fierce Wind Array for so long, they had depleted a great deal of true essence. Once the Kui Dragon was dead, its entire carcass would belong to the youth surnamed Fang while they received no share of it. None of them wanted to risk their lives for a stranger while weakened. Besides, the beast was not dead yet; facing these newcomers at the same time would put them in a bind both within and without. The youth surnamed Fang gripped the blood sword tightly without a word, staring fixatedly at those streaks of escape light. *** In a stretch of sea far from the small island, several black-robed figures lurked beneath the water. These people blended into the seawater, bobbing with the surface, their auras extremely concealed. Looking through the water, they could faintly make out the battle on the island. Just then, they too noticed the uninvited guests. "They're here!" Second Senior Brother said in a low voice, sending a voice transmission to the others. "Quick! Raise the Beast King Banners!" Without a word, the group sat cross-legged under the surface, forming a circle. Around them, numerous banners materialized out of thin air. They had long been present, orbiting the cultivators. The banners were golden, each bearing the likeness of a demon beast, and no two were alike. A careful count revealed as many as eighty-one banners! Driven by their power, the demon beasts upon the banners seemed to come alive, unleashing silent roars as a strange force swiftly linked all the banners together. Among them, each controlled a portion of the banners, but Second Senior Brother controlled the most—fully twice as many as the others. It was an arduous task, and his breath grew heavy. "Second Senior Brother, there won't be any Nascent Soul old monsters among them, will there? What if... Eldest Senior Brother won't run into trouble, will he...?" Having laid the great formation, they remained still, waiting for the right moment. One junior brother asked timidly. Second Senior Brother glared fiercely at him. "Jinx! With Eldest Senior Brother's intellect, how could he not have taken precautions? If there really were a Nascent Soul old monster, Eldest Senior Brother would have made his escape long ago! From now on, everyone channel all their strength into the Beast King Banners. Remember, let no one escape!" "Understood!" *** On the small island. Everyone looked toward the youth surnamed Fang, waiting for his decision. The youth surnamed Fang's face shifted between green and pale. Glaring furiously at the incoming escape lights, he drove the blood sword to stab viciously at the Kui Dragon while barking sternly, "Kill it!" "The newcomers are moving fast and possess considerable strength. I'm afraid there won't be enough time to slay the Kui Dragon..." Qiu Ji spoke up to remind the youth surnamed Fang. The other four did not move either. The Heavenly Cold Fierce Wind Array revolved on its own, locking the Kui Dragon with frigid qi, but did not press down further. Without the coordination of the Heavenly Cold Fierce Wind Array, the blood sword could not display its full might. Under the Kui Dragon's desperate counterattacks, the sword was repeatedly repelled without success. As the formation core, Chu Heng sat cross-legged atop his crystal stele to maintain the spirit array, eyes shut tight and lips sealed. Ma Debao's eyes darted about; he shot a glance toward Qin Sang and the others, voicing his agreement with Qiu Ji's assessment. Luo Kun, who had remained taciturn all along, also spoke up. Qin Sang gave a light cough and chimed in. He was in good condition, and the unfamiliar cultivators were not so powerful as to send him fleeing at first sight, but he had no intention of fighting a senseless battle for a stranger. The reward promised by the youth surnamed Fang was only for hunting the Kui Dragon; it had never included clashing with other cultivators. Wearing a look of fury, the youth surnamed Fang had a dark expression. He stared at each of them in turn, fell silent for a moment, and said, "Kill this beast, and I will only take a single dragon sinew. The rewards I promised will not be diminished by a sliver, and the rest of its carcass will be split equally among the five of you. How about that?" Hearing this, the group exchanged glances, their hearts racing with temptation. The most precious treasures on the Kui Dragon's body were its demon core, followed by its sinew, bones, and hide. The youth surnamed Fang wanted only the sinew, even offering the demon core up for division; his sincerity could hardly be doubted. The Kui Dragon's demon core most likely contained abundant thunder power and was exceedingly rare. Whether used to craft magic treasures like thunder pearls or sold to thunder cultivators, its value far exceeded that of ordinary demon beasts. All seasoned veterans of countless battles and people of swift resolve, they agreed almost without hesitation, slamming their palms onto the crystal steles as vigorous true essence surged forth. Though furious on the surface, the youth surnamed Fang was actually very calm. Snorting coldly in his heart, he said no more, quietly driving the blood sword in a furious assault. The Kui Dragon instantly found itself in dire straits. Its wounds grew increasingly severe, its lightning dissipated, and lacerations covered its form. Its massive body was dyed red with fresh blood—a truly pitiful sight. As Qin Sang and the others intensified their offensive, the Kui Dragon was driven back step by step and even knocked down from the sky, letting out shrill, agonized cries. Spotting the Kui Dragon's condition, the cultivators speeding over from afar were gripped by shock and fury.