Chapter 860: Kuí Dragon

Mortal Realm

Mortal Realm

“Fourth Junior Brother, is this the Junior Brother Xue you accepted as a disciple on behalf of our Master?”

Another black-robed man looked over, sizing up the shop owner.

His gaze under the black robe was exceptionally sharp.

The shop owner looked a bit uncomfortable. He quickly cupped his hands, bowed respectfully to everyone, and said deferentially, “Junior Brother Xue Ming greets Second Senior Brother and the other Senior Brothers.”

That Second Senior Brother hummed softly and nodded slightly, saying, “Presumably, Fourth Junior Brother’s judgment is sound. Junior Brother Xue, as long as you work diligently, Master will not mistreat you. Although we are not of the same race, our divine patterns are depleted, forcing us to cultivate your human race’s techniques. Even the art of insect-gu serves only as an auxiliary. Apart from our bloodlines, there are no other significant differences between us. A few casual pointers from Master could benefit you for a lifetime. Oh, by the way, this is the magic treasure Master asked me to bring you. Go back and refine it; you can use it for self-defense.”

As he spoke, the black-robed man took out a long blade and handed it to Xue Ming.

Xue Ming was overjoyed. He took the blade with both hands and knelt facing south, proclaiming, “Your disciple will never forget Master’s gracious gift!”

Second Senior Brother chuckled, waving his hand, “Master will bestow many more treasures in the future. You may go now, and do as your Fourth Junior Brother instructs…”

With the treasure in hand, the shop owner, Xue Ming, departed cheerfully.

At that moment, the Fourth Junior Brother asked, puzzled, “Second Senior Brother, was this blade truly a gift from Master?”

“I encountered a foolish human cultivator on the way; I simply killed him and took it.”

The Second Senior Brother said nonchalantly, “Fourth Junior Brother, the Xue Ming you recruited will be stationed in Tianxing City from now on; he’ll be quite useful. Furthermore, Master isn’t like others of our kind who harbor deep hatred for humans. It’s highly possible he might even be accepted as a personal disciple, so consider this treasure a gift for one of our own. Without further ado, let’s depart swiftly. We must deploy the Beast King Banner without delay to avoid disrupting critical plans.”

Everyone set off, pursuing the direction Qin Sang and his companions had taken. However, as this was human territory, they proceeded with extreme caution, avoiding any contact with human cultivators.

At that moment, another person spoke up, asking, “Second Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Brother, won’t First Senior Brother’s identity be revealed after traveling with those human cultivators for so long?”

“No!”

The Fourth Junior Brother stated with certainty, “The ancient treasure, the Crimson Essence Veil, bestowed by Master, can conceal our Witch Clan identity, allowing us to masquerade as human cultivators. Unless we encounter a Nascent Soul expert, there’s no possibility of exposure. I’ve used this artifact to interact with human cultivators in Tianxing City without ever being discovered. Unfortunately, this treasure is incomplete, and Master has no method to repair it; it will be rendered useless after only a few more uses.”

“That’s good, but First Senior Brother’s message suggests this matter is quite complicated. If it’s about seeking treasure for Master, why has it shifted to hunting demons? A great demon in the late Demon Core stage should be manageable if we, as brothers, combine our efforts to control the Beast King Banner. Why go to such trouble?”

The Fourth Junior Brother’s tone also held a hint of doubt. “First Senior Brother briefly mentioned that this demon beast appears to be a spirit beast raised by a cultivator. To acquire that treasure, we must approach it through these individuals, and they are not to be underestimated. This expedition is likely intended to gauge their capabilities. With Master absent, we must proceed with extreme caution. This must be why First Senior Brother made these arrangements. Once we arrive, we mustn’t act rashly; we must wait for First Senior Brother’s signal.”

Two months later.

Qin Sang and his companions arrived in an unfamiliar sea region, still speeding along on their magic treasures.

Over the past few days, they had continuously practiced the formation. Now, all five of them had fully mastered the Heaven Cold Wind Fury Array, and their coordination was exceptionally seamless, allowing them to unleash the spirit array’s true power.

The young man surnamed Fang was very pleased with their progress.

Just then, a small island appeared ahead. Their escape light shifted, flying straight towards it, then circling briefly before landing on the island.

Stepping onto solid ground, everyone moved to a higher vantage point and surveyed their surroundings. They found the island to be relatively small with extremely sparse spiritual energy, showing no signs of demon beast activity. It certainly didn’t resemble the lair of a great demon, leaving them greatly puzzled.

“Fellow Daoist Fang, what kind of demon do you intend to hunt by bringing us to this desolate place?”

The young man surnamed Fang, unhurried, found a clean spot and sat down cross-legged. “Fellow Daoists, there’s no need to rush,” he said. “The time isn’t right yet; all we need to do is wait.”

“Wait?”

The young man surnamed Fang nodded, pointing northeast. “The beast’s lair is over there, but it only emerges during overcast and rainy weather. The island’s terrain is unusual; whenever heavy rain falls, powerful thunder inevitably descends. It’s these very thunderbolts that draw the beast out. This location is on the edge of the North Sea, so we won’t have to wait long.”

“A stormy night…”

Qiu Ji asked with a hint of doubt, “Could it be a thunder beast?”

The young man surnamed Fang smiled without speaking.

Seeing this, everyone had no choice but to patiently clear spaces around them, quietly awaiting the arrival of the thunderstorm. To ensure complete preparedness, they continued to practice the spirit array, aiming for flawless execution.

They waited for five days.

Late on the sixth night, a fierce wind suddenly began to blow, and dark clouds rapidly converged across the sky, obscuring all the stars in the blink of an eye.

Towering waves crashed.

‘Rumble…’

The salty, moist sea wind carried abundant moisture. Distant, muffled thunder rumbled, and deep within the dark clouds, faint silver light flickered as streaks of lightning raced across the sky.

Everyone suddenly rose, exchanging glances filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation.

“Fellow Daoist Fang, can you tell us what kind of demon beast it is now?”

Ma Debao stroked his beard, pressing for an answer, his curiosity long since uncontainable.

The young man surnamed Fang stared intently in the direction of the demon’s lair, his eyes glinting with an unusual brilliance. He then turned, glancing at the dark storm behind them before subtly withdrawing his gaze. “Since matters have reached this point,” he stated calmly, “I will no longer conceal it. Our target is a Kui Dragon!”

“A Kui Dragon!”

“A Kui Dragon, indeed!”

The group exclaimed in surprise, utterly astonished that it was such a demon beast!

“No wonder it only appears during thunderstorms! No wonder Fellow Daoist kept it such a secret! It’s said that Kui Dragons are divine beasts capable of controlling thunder; lightning flickers into and out of existence with their every breath. Magic treasures refined from their skin and bones can easily imbue the power to command lightning, transforming them into supreme Yang and ultimate rigid artifacts with vastly enhanced power! If news of a Kui Dragon’s existence were to spread, even Nascent Soul Grandmasters likely wouldn’t be able to sit still, would they?”

Qin Sang, being proficient in the art of artifact refining, knew all kinds of rare spiritual materials like the back of his hand. Thunder-imbued treasures were exceedingly rare, yet artifacts crafted from Kui Dragon skin and bones could directly gain such power.

A Kui Dragon’s entire body was a treasure; no wonder the young man named Fang was so cautious.

The young man surnamed Fang chuckled. “If it were a true Kui Dragon, it would indeed be as Fellow Daoist says. But Kui Dragons are ancient divine beasts; how could they exist in this era? This creature merely possesses a partial Kui Dragon bloodline; it’s not that exaggerated. Nevertheless, its ability to control thunder should certainly not be underestimated. When the time comes, I will have to ask all of you Fellow Daoists to activate the spirit array to withstand the lightning and suppress the creature.”

Qin Sang nodded; that explanation made more sense. True descendants of ancient divine beasts were rarely seen, even in the Demon Sea.