Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 737: Lower Half

In the pavilion of the Ruins of Return Cult, the Sea Master sat with a grim expression, listening to the report from the sea demon before him.

After the deaths of his shrimp soldier and crab general in his own home, the Sea Master had clearly reinforced the defense of his pavilion. It was now surrounded by armored sea demon warriors. Of course, as long as he remained present, these guards were nothing more than mere decorations.

Standing before him was a hunched old sea demon, its back burdened by a heavy, spiked shell that shimmered with a dull, dark luster. This was an old sea turtle.

"The last battle only strengthened the ties between the sea clans and human cultivators..." The old turtle demon spoke slowly. "Now, the sea demons led by the merfolk frequently interact with the sects of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. Just yesterday, they even accepted a large shipment of human texts. It's as if they're preparing to open our sea territories to those humans."

The Sea Master's gaze remained inscrutable as he said "The merfolk queen… With Wuchao backing her, she has opposed me time and again. If they weren't needed as vessels to resurrect the Hallowed Mother, I would have slaughtered her entire clan."

"Now that the Azure Wave Lamp has been lost, reviving the Hallowed Mother is..." The old turtle paused to think, carefully selecting his words. "...as difficult as ascending to the heavens."

The Sea Master said sinisterly, "The resurrection of the Hallowed Mother was never easy. But she is not our only option. The reason we sought her resurrection is so she could lead us to conquer this world. If another Hallowed One among the demons can do the same for us, then why not consider resurrecting the other one..."

The old sea turtle’s eyes widened. "Are you thinking about… working with the demons from the Far West? Last time..."

"What happened last time may not have been their doing. They are much closer to resurrecting the Demon God than we are to resurrecting the Hallowed Mother. If aiding them means securing future protection for ourselves, then why not?" the Sea Master said in a deep voice. "But we are no fools. If they want the support of the Ruins of Return’s Sacred Cult this time, they must first offer us something in return."

The Sea Master interrupted, his tone decisive, "That is exactly what we wish to resolve. Wuchao is too old. He no longer has the nerve and vigor he once had when he dominated the South Sea. If the sea demons continue to follow his orders, we will cowardly remain here forever."

The demons of the South Sea might seem diverse and great in number, but their leaders shared the same view. Whether it was the merfolk queen trying to unite the sea clans or the radical Ruins of Return Cult, all had to obey the commands of the ancient sea demon, Wuchao.

Wuchao had been the most powerful demon king in the South Sea, ruling it thousands of years ago. Even now, at the peak of his own power, the Sea Master was merely an outstanding junior in comparison to Wuchao. Wuchao had defeated and subdued no fewer than eight or ten eighth-realm sea demons that were as powerful as the Sea Master.

No one knew exactly how strong that old monster was. All they knew was that as long as Wuchao remained, the South Sea could never be overturned.

Last time, when the Sea Master tried to bypass Wuchao and directly incite the sea clans into a great war, he was immediately summoned by Wuchao for punishment. If he had pressed on with it, he would likely have been suppressed and killed on the spot.

"Lord Wuchao..." the old sea turtle muttered, his face exposing his fear. He was clearly scared of the consequences of the Sea Master’s decision.

He dares challenge the most fearsome authority deep within the Ruins of Return? the old sea turtle thought, his mind racing.

"Don’t worry. The demons of the Far West will be helping us. Besides, I have no intention of acting myself. Even if it fails, the Ruins of Return Cult will not be implicated," the Sea Master said in a low voice, enunciating each word carefully. "I’ve already sent someone to seek out Wuchao’s greatest enemy."

"Ah? You mean..." The old sea turtle gasped in shock, quickly lowering his voice as if afraid of being overheard. "The Bloodmist Manor?"

…

Rumble! Crackle!

A series of dark golden lightning bolts descended from the sky, striking the dense mist in the distance. As the lightning shattered the fog, it illuminated half the mountainside, making it shimmer as though forged from divine light.

Chu Liang and his group watched from afar, marveling at the awe-inspiring power of heaven and earth.

This divine lightning struck at random and was essentially a divine punishment. If a seventh-realm cultivator were struck, their life would be at risk. Survival depended entirely on luck.

No one knew why this land of tribulation, relentlessly bombarded by divine lightning day and night, would exist in the sea. All that was known was that Misty Island was perpetually shrouded in dense fog and would only reveal its true form temporarily when the lightning struck.

On Misty Island, within the Ruins of Return, there stood an estate known as the Bloodmist Manor. Its master, Madam Hongyu, ruled the island. Without her permission, no one could set foot on the island to harvest Thundercloud Seeds.

Anyone who ventured to Misty Island not only had to withstand the wrath of the heavens but also risked being hunted down by Madam Hongyu herself. As an ancient and powerful sea demon, she was formidable, ruthless in battle, and not someone to be taken lightly.

Fortunately, this time, they had Princess Liange to lead the way.

Princess Liange called out sweetly, "Aunty Hongyu."

In the distance, the manor, shrouded in gray mist, was briefly illuminated by the divine lightning flashing across the sky, revealing its somber, ancient silhouette. The structure was enormous, seemingly carved from and hollowed out of an entire mountainside. Countless chains entwined around it, resembling some form of seal.

Two figures stood in front of the manor, one large and one small.

The larger figure was a towering sea demon, with the head of a fish and the body of a human. He had a shark head and sword-like fangs. Dressed in dull gray amor, the shark demon stood over thirty zhang tall, exuding a ferocious aura.

The smaller figure was a gracefully built woman. Her auburn hair curled slightly at the ends, her pale skin nearly translucent, and her gaze carried a cold, striking allure.

Standing before the massive shark demon, she glanced at Princess Liange and offered a faint smile. "I just received a message from your mother. You certainly arrived very quickly."

"Well, it’s an urgent matter," Princess Liange replied. She stepped closer affectionately, though it was clear she held some reverence for this woman.

In truth, Madam Hongyu’s name carried immense weight across the South Sea and the Ruins of Return. Any being—human or sea demon—who dared approach Misty Island was killed without exception.

Indeed, she had a fearsome reputation!

If not for the Merfolk Queen, they wouldn’t have been able to approach so smoothly.

Xu Ziyang, Chu Liang, and Lin Bei followed behind Princess Liange, bowing respectfully to Madam Hongyu.

Madam Hongyu sized them up briefly, her expression more indifferent than before.

She then spoke, "There are two ways to harvest the Thundercloud Seeds."

"Please enlighten us, Madam," Chu Liang said.

"The first option is to bring more people. You need more than three. At least a few dozen cultivators of your level would be required," Madam Hongyu said. "Then, all of you can rush to the island together, carve out a Thundercloud Seed from the mountain, and flee for your lives. If luck is on your side, perhaps one of you might make it back with a seed."

Chu Liang glanced toward the heart of the island, where the divine lightning rained down relentlessly, and grimaced, and thought, There’s no way we can survive by relying on the probability of success.

The sheer intensity of the divine lightning bolts was terrifying. With so many strikes hitting every part of the area, even a fly would struggle to pass through and come back unscathed.

Moreover, divine lightning nullified all techniques. Any divine abilities would likely fail within its range. It would be impossible to use any cloning techniques. Currently, as a clone created with External Manifestation, he would likely disintegrate if he got close to any of the lightning strikes.

It would be impossible to create a horde of clones and force their way up the mountain.

As Lin Bei stared at the lightning, he instinctively pulled his head back. He immediately asked, "What’s the second option?"

Madam Hongyu replied, "The second option is to wait until nightfall. Every night, for a brief quarter of an hour, the island’s mist turns blood-red. During that time, the divine lightning ceases, allowing safe passage."

"That sounds much better," Lin Bei said as he clapped his hands. "Fifteen minutes is more than enough for us."

"Indeed," Madam Hongyu agreed with a nod. Then she added casually, "However, a terrifying entity tends to emerge during that time. If my estimates are correct, at least two and a half of you will likely die before retrieving a Thundercloud Seed."

"Uh..." Lin Bei’s smile froze. Awkwardly, he said, "Madam, surely you’re joking. People don’t exactly come in halves."

Madam Hongyu responded indifferently, "Depends on whether you’d prefer to keep your upper half or your lower half."

Lin Bei’s eyes flickered rapidly, his mind racing through a brief but resolute moment of contemplation before he blurted out, "Lower half!"