Chapter 550: Chapter 548: Kelp (Please Subscribe)_1
In the Vast Sea Realm.
With numerous cultivators rushing in, conflicts and magical duels were intensifying.
On an island, countless snake-like monster beasts slithered forward.
At the very center of the island, beneath a giant waterfall, a horned serpent hissed, then finally, its corpse fell to the ground, lifeless.
"Haha... This ’Five-Dragon Tree’ is mine now."
A blue-clad cultivator looked at a fiery red sapling guarded by the giant python, a trace of joy appearing on his face.
But in the next moment, his expression changed dramatically as he looked toward the horizon.
A streak of light flew over swiftly, transforming into a gaunt daoist dressed in a white bone robe.
"Old White Bone Demon?"
The cultivator screamed, crushing a jade pendant.
A flash of radiance flickered, about to envelop him.
Thump!
But at that moment, several bone spurs had already pierced through his protective spirit shield, deeply embedding into his chest vitals!
The bones seemed to be still drawing the man’s heart blood, tinging the originally white bones with strands of crimson...
"Just a Core Formation cultivator..."
The Old White Bone Demon sneered, then with a face full of joy, he moved to transplant the Five-Dragon Tree.
"Fellow White Bone is truly fortunate, this Five-Dragon Tree’s sap has the power of inducing the Dragon species transformation. It seems there will be many more dragon beasts on Bone Island in the future," a robust voice boomed.
"Haha... as the saying goes, finders-keepers, my brother and I should have a share of this too," another, softer voice chuckled.
The Old White Bone Demon’s heart skipped a beat. He conjured a shield of bone in front of him before finally seeing the newcomers clearly.
He saw two cultivators, both in green robes, with strikingly similar faces, one tall and robust, the other thin as kindling.
"Liu Twin Demons!"
The Old White Bone Demon called out the name of these two Nascent Soul cultivators warily.
These brothers were infamous demons of the eastern Cultivation World, having received the inheritance of a primeval cultivator named ’Lord Yin and Yang.’ The methods of this Lord Yin and Yang were very peculiar, requiring a special physique to cultivate.
This pair of brothers took a different approach, each cultivating half of the methods, and stumbled upon success by accident.
But they altered an ultimate righteous path teaching to the point of being unrecognizable, ultimately taking the Demon Path.
Even so, when the brothers joined forces, they could almost match up to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, causing many cultivators to gnash their teeth with rage but helpless to do anything.
Despite his notorious reputation, the Old White Bone Demon was only at the early stage of Nascent Soul, cursing inwardly while keeping a smile on his face, he said with a cupped fist salute, "Not at all... Since the two of you have taken an interest, this Five-Dragon Tree is yours!"
Swoosh!
Before his words even settled, only a white skeleton remained.
On the other hand, a streak of white Escape Light shot away at a breakneck speed, as if fleeing for its life...
"Tsk tsk... that old fellow White Bone sure knows when to flee; otherwise, we really did want to capture him... That bone-changing escape technique of his is quite exquisite," the younger of the Liu Twin Demons said in a shrill voice.
"Enough... Let’s secure the Five-Dragon Tree first. I didn’t expect to encounter such a treasure as soon as we entered the Vast Sea Realm!"
The elder brother of the Liu family spoke in a rich, gentle voice, "Seems our luck as brothers is not shallow..."
"Yes, if our plan works out this time..."
"Speak with caution!"
The elder Liu brother stopped his outspoken younger sibling, instructing him to collect the Five-Dragon Tree first, but a hint of concern flashed across his face: ’Why hasn’t Lord Zi Xia contacted us yet... Could there have been a mishap?’
The two Nascent Soul cultivators quickly departed, leaving only the corpse of the initial cultivator in a pool of blood, growing cold.
Suddenly...
A crack opened in the ground, and countless pitch-black, mud-like substances surged out, rapidly devouring the corpse...
The earth closed up immediately, as if everything that had happened was merely an illusion.
...
In the unfathomably deep underground.
Countless spore-like light particles converged ceaselessly, forming a dark red stream that flowed towards a particular location.
Blue light almost covered the entire underground, and within the glow was a small black hill...
The numerous streams converged at the edge of the blue light curtain, with hints of Blood Qi surfacing within.
The black hill trembled, breathing as if it were alive.
Above the blue curtain of light, streaks of flame appeared in succession, thunder flashing, striking upon the hill.
The surrounding black-and-red streams were exhausted in an instant, and the underground returned to its peace...
...
Above the vast expanse of the Red Algae Sea.
A beast resembling a winged bull with a Flood Dragon’s head was howling at the sky.
Countless water bubbles flew out from the sea, each containing a peculiar flying fish monster beast.
With another roar from the Sea Split Beast, the monster beasts within the water bubbles burst one after another, a deluge of blood and corpses raining down, creating a crimson downpour.
On the back of the Sea Split Beast, Fang Xi stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance of the sea.
Shui Lingxin stood respectfully to one side, her heart filled with shock: ’This doesn’t seem to be a Spiritual Beast but a Puppet... Fourth-grade superior Puppets are already a rarity in the Mortal Realm, aren’t they?’
There aren’t any fifth-grade Puppets in the Mortal Realm, and even puppet masters capable of creating fourth-grade superior Puppets are extremely rare.
At least to her knowledge, ever since the fall of the Thousand Mechanism Palace’s master, the development of puppetry in the eastern Cultivation World took a significant hit. Nowadays, perhaps only one or two fourth-grade lower puppet masters remain.
"The fourth-grade high-quality puppet skill is truly astonishing... And this Sea Split Beast, I wonder where it was found from... Such puppetry seems different from the Thousand Mechanism Palace’s mechanical puppet technique, leaning more towards the flesh puppet aspect..."
Fairy Shui, with her innate kindness and pure heart, now reached out to stroke the wings of the Sea Split Beast, and suddenly tears started streaming down her face.
Her "Spirit Communication Physique" felt the terrifying horror of death, and the awful pain...
She even vaguely saw the shadow of a horrifyingly huge tree, which made her Divine Soul tremble!
"Is Fairy Shui feeling unwell?"
Fang Xi turned around, looked at Shui Lingxin with a somewhat strange expression, and asked.
’Is she afraid that I’ll kill her, or that I’ll search her soul?’
He did have the thought of searching her soul again in his mind, but after all, he had previously promised to ensure her safety, and since Lord Zi Xia knew the information about the Vast Sea Realm as well, he hadn’t made a move.
’No... It was just a sudden sensation in my Spirit Body...’
Fairy Shui wiped away her tears.
Even though she was wearing a veil, her willow-shaped eyebrows and apricot eyes were very bright, with a unique charm.
"So, it’s the Spirit Communication Physique..."
Fang Xi stood with his hands behind his back, commanding the Sea Split Beast to kill Monster Beasts one after another, and suddenly said, "I heard that the Spirit Communication Physique can communicate with the Heavenly Secret. I wonder if the fairy has cultivated any divination techniques?"
"Divination is profound and vast... Lingxin has only dabbled slightly in it and doesn’t dare to delve too deeply."
Shui Lingxin shook her head.
"Is that so?"
Fang Xi wasn’t very convinced.
This woman gave him a somewhat mysterious feeling, but no matter what, she was just at the Core Formation stage.
Such a huge gap meant that even if she had a fifth-grade Spirit Communicating Treasure, she probably wouldn’t have the magic power to activate it.
A child wielding a sledgehammer is apt to get injured by it in the end.
"Roar!"
At this moment, accompanied by a roar from the Sea Split Beast, the sea was instantly parted down the middle, exposing the dried-up seabed.
Rows of fish desperately flopped on the rocks... Countless seaweeds could no longer sway and were spread thickly across the ground.
Crash!
A huge vine ball emerged!
This vine ball seemed to be woven from countless seaweeds and water plants, its surface glaring a blood-red color as if many serpentine water plants had gathered together.
’Is this what Taisui sensed?’
’No... There’s Demon Qi on it; it’s a Monster Beast!’
Fang Xi’s Divine Consciousness swept over it, revealing some details of the Monster Beast. It turned out to be like the Millennium Wood Charm, a Spirit Plant that had turned into a demon!
"Sea Split!"
He stamped his foot, and the Sea Split Beast immediately opened its Flood Dragon mouth, and a thick blue beam appeared, sweeping towards the blood-red algae ball!
Swoosh!
On the blood-red algae ball, countless strands of seaweed and vines extended outwards, like giant pythons.
The dark green Demon Qi overflowed, forming a massive wall of fog.
Boom!
The blue beam swept across the fog wall, hitting the main body of the blood-red algae ball!
The Sea Split Beast was after all a fourth-grade high-quality creature, and while the blood-red algae ball was also of the fourth grade but low-quality, it simply couldn’t withstand the attack, and its body was burned open by the blue beam.
But the next instant, the algae ball flashed with light, and countless water plants squirmed, rapidly regenerating!
"A self-healing body?"
Shui Lingxin blurted out.
"Indeed, when Spirit Plants turn into demons, most have some special and extraordinary characteristics!"
Fang Xi’s Green Barley Sword appeared in his hand, and with a casual slash!
Clang!
The Sword Qi roared like Dragon Chanting, transforming into a sword light hundreds of meters long, and in just a breath, it enveloped the blood-red algae ball.
When the Sword Light dissipated, the enormous blood-red algae ball was immediately shattered.
Plenty of crimson seaweeds and water plants broke apart in midair, turning into countless pieces that fell into the sea.
’This Green Barley Sword really lives up to its reputation as a demon-slaying sword... With a single slash, it seems to have suppressed the self-healing body.’
Fang Xi’s Divine Consciousness swept over it, and he suddenly let out a light exclamation, then raised his hand.
A beam of Taiyi Green Wood Divine Light shot out, drilling straight into the bottom of the seabed.
Splat!
The earth cracked, and a thick and crimson seaweed emerged, resembling a writhing blood-red python, which was cut in half by the Taiyi Green Wood Divine Light.
Fang Xi motioned with his hand and a pale-red Demon Pill flew out from the ’python’s’ severed end, landing in his palm.
"Congratulations to the senior for obtaining a Demon Pill."
Shui Lingxin immediately complimented him.
"This seaweed Monster Beast is indeed peculiar; even though it had reached the fourth grade, it seems not to know how to transform..."
Fang Xi murmured to himself, seeming somewhat puzzled.
Because Taisui was somewhat interested in the Demon Pill in his hand, but not very much.
"I once read an ancient book which recorded that in ancient times, some Ancient Beasts, even if they reached the Nascent Soul or Transcendent God stage, did not transform but kept their original form. Cultivators called them ’Ancient Beasts’!"
Shui Lingxin said.
"Indeed, it seems that this Secret Realm is quite ancient, and the creatures within still possess ’Ancient Beast’ bloodlines..." Fang Xi also remarked with a sense of wonder.