Chapter 2096: Blocking

Within the forbidden area of Qingyang Temple.

Qin Sang awoke from his meditation, and with a flick of his sleeve, conjured a yellow talisman. The talisman ignited spontaneously before him, and Si Lu's voice emerged from the flames, informing him of the events in the Demon Sea.

As the talisman's flame gradually dimmed, Qin Sang felt a mix of surprise and bewilderment.

Qin Sang had not expected the Changyou Clan leader to break through at this time. All signs indicated that the Changyou Clan leader was not exceptionally gifted and had only broken through to the late stage due to the benefit of the Azure Spirit Qi. With such talent, it would be extremely difficult to break through to the second stage of the Void Realm without extensive accumulation or extraordinary fortune. During the previous battle for the Azure Spirit Qi, the Changyou Clan leader's performance also didn't suggest an imminent breakthrough, yet he managed to overcome this hurdle in less than a century. However, events are unpredictable, and unforeseen occurrences happen. Perhaps the Changyou Clan leader truly stumbled upon some fortuitous opportunity or experienced a sudden enlightenment.

The Changyou Clan leader's unexpected breakthrough presented Qin Sang with a considerable challenge. Previously, Qin Sang hadn't given the Changyou Clan much thought. He had refrained from acting against them due to his apprehension of the Zhuyan Clan, and because he intended to use the Changyou Clan as a whetstone for refining the Storm Realm. In his original plan, he first needed to possess a power that would make the Zhuyan Clan wary—namely, the Thunder Altar—before addressing the Changyou Clan's issues. Therefore, after his return, he had remained patient, focusing entirely on constructing the altar.

With the Changyou Clan leader's breakthrough and his widespread slaughter of the demon race, Qin Sang could no longer tolerate the situation. Even if the deaths of the Flood Dragon King and other demons were insignificant, once the Changyou Clan had annihilated the demon race, they would surely launch a full-scale invasion of the Central Continent, which he absolutely could not allow. However, once he intervened, a battle between two Void Refinement experts would likely draw the attention of the Zhuyan Clan. And with the Thunder Altar still incomplete, the situation would spiral out of his control.

Qin Sang's expression was grim. Various potential scenarios flashed through his mind, considering what he should do if the worst-case scenario unfolded.

The good news was that Su Nü had returned and discovered a refuge. However, this refuge was not ideal, as it was a piece of land located within the mist tide. The Yi Ren tribe had dealt with mist year-round. Ji Hong, who hailed from the Jiaojiao tribe—one of the tribes most adept at handling mist—had planted various spiritual plants there. Utilizing the properties of these plants, he had created an area suitable for cultivators to reside. However, the space was limited and could only accommodate a small number of cultivators. At most, Qin Sang could take his most trusted confidants there, serving only as a last resort.

What if he simply went all out and directly eliminated the Changyou Clan leader? The Changyou Clan leader had just broken through, and his cultivation might not yet be stable; Qin Sang alone would be sufficient. The Changyou Clan leader, despite possessing Void Refinement stage power, was senselessly slaughtering juniors in the Storm Realm. If Qin Sang, in his anger, retaliated and even killed the opponent in battle, no one could fault him. Such an action might be acceptable within the Yi Ren tribe. However, when facing an outsider like him, the Zhuyan Clan might not be so reasonable.

Just then, Qin Sang's gaze caught the still-flickering talisman flame, and his expression subtly shifted. "Si Lu, Siyou Clan, Zhuyan Clan..." His eyes narrowed slightly as their interconnected relationships surfaced in his mind, and he conceived a plan. Then, with a gentle flick of his finger, he sent a thought towards the talisman flame.

Next, Qin Sang conjured another talisman to send a message to Su Nü, who was in the North Sea. Once they confronted the Changyou Clan leader, Su Nü could also make her move. Further contemplation was pointless. Having completed these tasks, Qin Sang immediately rose into the air, summoned his escape light, and sped away.

North Sea.

Su Nü was currently assisting Xuan Tian Palace in constructing an altar. Upon receiving the talisman message, a pensive expression appeared on her face. She then issued several commands through Xuan Tian Palace and flew alone towards the Beichen Realm. She knew that the main forces of the Changyou Clan were about to launch a surprise attack on the Beichen Realm. General Min Shan and several clan elders were there, and capturing them all would be akin to seizing the Changyou Clan's vital point.

Canglang Sea.

Si Lu perceived Qin Sang's thought, nodded slightly, and put away the talisman.

"Senior, what did the Grand Elder say?" Guihou asked.

"He told us to remain calm and act according to the circumstances."

Si Lu knew that Qin Sang certainly didn't want these demon soldiers to be utterly annihilated. After a moment's thought, a crimson light shot from his brow, transforming into a small, exquisite crimson-feathered demon bird, one of his four companion beasts. His lips moved slightly as he silently recited an incantation. The red glow on the crimson-feathered demon bird gradually receded until its entire body became transparent, merging with the void, indistinguishable to the naked eye, and its aura extremely subtle. "Go!" Si Lu opened a narrow gap in the circular mirror, and the crimson-feathered demon bird flapped its wings, flying out of the island towards the source of the disturbance. His main body remained on the island, eyes slightly closed, sensing the external situation through his companion beast.

The Changyou Clan leader was currently hunting demon cultivators from south to north, passing west of Spirit Island. The crimson-feathered demon bird maintained a moderate speed, not approaching the battlefield directly, but staying at a distance to sense the emanating disturbances.

Si Lu sensed that the auras of individual demon cultivators were rapidly dissipating. With their forces dispersed, the demon race was no match for the Changyou Clan leader in a direct confrontation. He could imagine the horrific scene unfolding, as if he could smell the stench of blood carried by the sea breeze.

Soon, this division of demon cultivators was completely wiped out, with no survivors. The Changyou Clan leader continued his advance. He seemed to be searching for demon cultivators everywhere, determined to slaughter them all, so his speed was not fast, allowing the crimson-feathered demon bird to easily keep pace.

As more and more demon cultivators fell to Min Zhuo, both the Flood Dragon King and the Phoenix King sensed that something was wrong. They had completely lost contact with the Golden Toad King. As time passed, an uneasy atmosphere enveloped the Canglang Sea. Both the Flood Dragon King and the Phoenix King grew cautious and began to consolidate their forces, moving closer to each other.

There was still no news from the Golden Toad King; even the most foolish could guess that something had definitely happened to him. They initially speculated that some Changyou Clan experts might be hiding in the Canglang Sea, waiting for an opportunity, and that their previous retreat might have been a tactic to lull them into complacency. If several Changyou Clan elders attacked together, or even if the Changyou Clan leader himself arrived, it wouldn't be impossible to trap and kill the Golden Toad King.

However, they gradually dismissed this theory. Because there was no trace of the Golden Toad King's remaining forces. Even if the Changyou Clan's forces from the North Sea had arrived as reinforcements, they couldn't have annihilated the entire Golden Toad King's division; there would surely have been survivors. Unless the enemy's strength was beyond imagination!

The unknown was the greatest fear, and the Flood Dragon King and the Phoenix King grew increasingly restless. They ordered their demon cultivators to conceal their auras. At night, the Canglang Sea became a perilous abyss, but they didn't know where the danger truly lay. Had a powerful fierce beast wandered out and the Golden Toad King unfortunately encountered it? Or had they stumbled upon a mist waterfall, and all the demon cultivators been swept away?

Just then, Min Zhuo had already discovered traces of the Phoenix King's division. He deliberately avoided provoking the Flood Dragon clan. After some effort, he had cleared out the remaining forces of the Golden Toad King and continued to search for the Phoenix King's division. As expected, Zai Zhen, following behind, had not discerned his intentions and had not demanded that he must target the Flood Dragon clan.

The waves rippled gently, and the distance appeared calm. The Phoenix King and the other demons had used their old trick, hiding themselves very well. Even if there were lingering auras, they would quickly be dispersed by the sea breeze. However, to Min Zhuo, these auras were as conspicuous as stars in the sky, impossible to conceal.

His gaze swept across the sea surface and immediately locked onto a direction, approaching rapidly. Before long, the demon army came into view.

Sensing danger, all demon cultivators had been recalled by the Phoenix King and were silently marching across the sea surface. Unaware of the enemy's approach, their formations were orderly. In the sky, colorful-feathered spirit birds resembling phoenixes soared; these were all Phoenix clan experts, maintaining vigilance from above. In critical moments, the Phoenix King trusted her kin more.

At the vanguard of the army was a cyan treasure ship, adorned with light gauze curtains, exquisitely crafted, its hull light as a feather. The Phoenix King stood at the bow, her dark brows tightly furrowed, her expression extremely solemn.

Just then, a streak of light landed on the ship. A beautiful woman in palace attire hurried to the bow and bowed, asking, "Aunt, there's still no news of the Golden Toad King's remaining forces. What should we do now?" Her tone was urgent, and she too sensed the danger.

The Phoenix King remained silent. The longer this dragged on, the less optimistic the situation became; the Golden Toad King was likely in grave peril. The only good news was that they and the Flood Dragon King's division had not yet been attacked. If they could safely rendezvous, they would retain at least seventy percent of their strength.

But what should they do next? The situation had initially been favorable; they had reclaimed the entire Demon Sea and most of the Canglang Sea. Without any warning, the tide had suddenly turned. They hadn't even seen the enemy's face, yet they were already like startled birds. They would certainly have to abandon the Canglang Sea, but if they defended the Demon Sea with their remaining strength, could they withstand the unknown enemy? Should they flee back to the Central Continent?

The Phoenix King had even prepared for the worst. As she pondered, she suddenly felt something amiss beneath the ship. In the middle of the demon army, some demon cultivators suddenly noticed that the sea surface beneath them was rising. Looking left and right, they saw themselves indeed being lifted by the water, rising several feet above the surrounding surface in the blink of an eye. "What's happening?" someone shrieked.

At the same time, the Phoenix King's treasure ship was also pushed upward by the rising water. Her expression instantly changed, her lips slightly parted, and her voice thundered, spreading throughout the entire army. "Form ranks!" Along with the Phoenix King's decree, a thunderous roar also erupted. The sound came from the seabed, exploding suddenly in the ears of all the demons, shaking heaven and earth!

All the demon cultivators looked in terror towards the center, where the sea water rose high, creating a colossal wave. The terrifying force directly flung the demon cultivators on the surface into the air, and even the Phoenix King's treasure ship was violently shaken upwards. The Phoenix clan experts in the sky were thrown into disarray. Endless amounts of seawater were carried high into the sky, only to crash down again, the colossal wave practically bisecting the demon army, splitting it in two.

"A dragon! A dragon!" A demon cultivator tremblingly pointed at the giant wave, his face filled with terror. Amidst the splashing water, they saw a terrifying silhouette. It had shining scales, sharp foreclaws, and a majestic dragon head with horns. It was clearly a giant dragon! Not a pseudo-dragon like those of the Flood Dragon clan, but identical to the true dragons of legend!

The giant wave was merely the dragon's back. The latter half of its body was hidden underwater, its length unknown. They had happened to pass over the dragon, and when it emerged from the water, it overturned the entire army!

"Roar!" The giant dragon let out a furious roar. The water surface behind the army suddenly split open, and a translucent silhouette burst out of the water—it was the dragon's tail. Splash! Seawater was swept skyward, turning into a torrential downpour. The dragon's tail lashed in mid-air, powerfully striking down towards the demons. Each demon cultivator could only see a portion of the tail; even the most massive demon cultivators felt incredibly tiny at that moment.

Amidst the chaos, the Phoenix King's urgent, stern cry rang out once more. "Form ranks!"

In the distance, Min Zhuo sneered. This water dragon was a manifestation of his divine ability. With the demon army being overwhelmed by the water dragon, unable to maintain their formations, how could they possibly be his match? With a subtle shift of his thought, the giant dragon's eyes glowed fiercely, and it raised its dragon claw to strike the Phoenix King's treasure ship. At this moment, experts from various clans were still gathered around the treasure ship. If Min Zhuo succeeded, the demon army would be left without a leader.

This scene was observed by Si Lu through his companion beast. Witnessing this, Si Lu could no longer stand idly by. The Flood Dragon King had brought out almost thirty percent of the demon race's experts from the Demon Sea. Thirty percent, including all the Golden Toad clan experts, had already been slaughtered by the Changyou Clan leader. Among all the clans, the Golden Toad, Phoenix, and Flood Dragon clans were undoubtedly the most talented and the ones Qin Sang valued most. If the Phoenix King's division were also annihilated, Qin Sang would have very few demon soldiers left.

Just as the giant dragon surfaced, the crimson-feathered demon bird had already flown to the vicinity of the battlefield. A crimson light appeared in the void, transforming into the small bird. The bird raised a wing, pointing its tip at the giant dragon's brow, and a crimson feather shot forth like an arrow released from a bowstring. Whoosh!

In the chaotic battlefield, almost no one noticed this seemingly insignificant feather. But Min Zhuo immediately sensed it. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he thought to himself, "It's finally here."

The giant dragon raised its head, facing the crimson feather that was almost upon it. Its maw opened wide, expelling a "dragon's breath"—which was actually a colossal torrent of water. Boom! The crimson feather and the dragon's breath erupted with astonishing force. Water and fire clashed, spreading out to dominate half the sky each. The giant dragon's body shuddered, sending it flying back tens of thousands of feet. Its offensive was naturally disrupted, and the demon cultivators narrowly escaped disaster.

"Who dares to stop me!" Min Zhuo feigned surprise and uncertainty. He took a step, appearing high in the sky. His gaze burned as he stared at the crimson-feathered demon bird, asking in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist, why do you obstruct me?"

The crimson-feathered demon bird turned its gaze towards him. Its eyes were deep, and it spoke in a calm voice, "Fellow Daoist, with your esteemed status in the second stage of the Void Realm, slaughtering juniors on such a scale is unbecoming of an eminent cultivator."

Min Zhuo snorted coldly. "They are my clan's sworn enemies, and we share a blood feud with them. For this old man to kill them is only natural and righteous!"

"You can kill others, and others can kill you too." The crimson-feathered demon bird's tone remained completely even. "However, whether you kill them or not is irrelevant to me. I stumbled upon this by chance and only appeared to obstruct you because I was entrusted to do so. Whatever grievances you have, you might as well wait for the true master to arrive and settle it face-to-face."

Min Zhuo sneered repeatedly. Secretly, however, he was activating a secret technique to contact Zai Zhen. "Brother Zai, what do we do now?"

Zai Zhen's voice transmitted from afar: "That demon bird is a companion beast. This person should be that Siyou Clan expert. I didn't expect him to be drawn out so quickly. Brother Min, you might as well go along with his suggestion and stall him. Wait for that demon expert."

"Brother Zai, aren't you going to show yourself yet? Why don't we work together to take down this person before the demon expert arrives?" Min Zhuo was puzzled.

"Haha, a single Siyou Clan member possesses four companion beasts. Killing this demon bird would only eliminate one of his companion beasts. His main body is hidden somewhere unknown," Zai Zhen explained. "Brother Min, don't be impatient. When the true master arrives, I will tell you what to do."