Chapter 2066: Unreliable Chicken

"Is it her?" The Dragon Shark paused. "Are you certain?" The three brothers had managed to break through to the False God realm precisely because a deity, summoned by Du Qingyuan, had shed a few drops of blood.

"I dispatched over a hundred thousand subordinates to scout the area; I am a hundred percent certain!" said the Great Catfish.

"What if she can summon a deity? I witnessed the situation then. That deity had only just entered the Firmament before tearing through space and going elsewhere, never to reappear! As long as the deity isn't present, and we are all False Gods, the outcome of a battle is far from certain!" The Dragon Shark snorted coldly.

"Big Brother is right!" said the Dragon Shark on the second throne. "This is the Forsaken Continent. Deities who come here become infected, and their power diminishes! That's why, aside from the Divine Temple, no deities will come. Even if the Star Seeker Palace can communicate with them, it's impossible for a deity to come and help them fight." He continued, "If that's the case, what is there to fear? No matter how strong the Star Seeker Palace Master is, she's still just one person. It would be easy for us three brothers to kill her!"

"Heaven allowed us three brothers to achieve this breakthrough, indicating that the tides of fortune have turned in favor of the ocean. We must not elevate others' spirits while diminishing our own! The era of the ocean is upon us. However many fish they hunt, we will hunt that many humans! Let them know that the ocean cannot be trifled with!" declared the Dragon Shark on the third throne.

"Cannot be trifled with!" In an instant, the atmosphere was ignited. Countless immortal and sacred beasts—shrimp, octopuses, crabs, razor clams, and more—thrashed wildly, overcome with excitement.

For thousands of years, humans had established six great sects, ruling the world, and marine creatures no longer dared to venture onto land, fearing slaughter or even annihilation. Now, however, they finally had False God realm experts among them, so they no longer needed to worry!

"The Star Seeker Palace Master?" Zhang Xuan, hidden behind them, frowned. The Star Seeker Palace was founded by the Otherworldly Demons, and since Luo Ruoxi was their Spirit God, it was perfectly normal for her to be summoned! If his previous conjectures were correct, this so-called Palace Master had summoned the Spirit God to descend, and Spirit God Luo Ruoxi, after arriving in the Firmament, had entered the Master Teacher Continent to seize the Spring and Autumn Great Codex...

"It seems... to understand everything, this place isn't the key. That Palace Master named Du Qingyuan is the crucial figure!" He had rushed here, suspecting the Divine Blood Stone might be related to Luo Ruoxi, only to realize now that he had taken the wrong path. As the summoner, how could Du Qingyuan not know Luo Ruoxi's identity or whereabouts? To get the most accurate information, finding her and asking directly would surely clear up any doubts!

"I should head back first..." Having confirmed this, Zhang Xuan didn't linger. Even setting aside the three False God realm immortal beasts inside, he couldn't contend with the hundreds of Immortal Monarch level ones alone! The purpose of searching for the divine blood had been to confirm whether Luo Ruoxi had come to the Firmament and where she had gone. Since he could obtain this information directly from the Palace Master, there was no longer any need to remain here. It was simply too dangerous; although he was skilled and courageous, he wasn't foolish enough to seek death.

He instinctively drew his body inward, just as he was about to swim out of the cave. Suddenly, he felt a surge of spiritual energy within, and a massive wave of energy rippled outwards. The pendant around his neck tightened abruptly, radiating a scorching heat.

He quickly turned his head and saw the Dragon Shark on the first throne gently flick its massive tail. A single drop of deep crimson blood appeared before all the immortal and sacred beasts.

The blood was only the size of a sesame seed, not even a full drop, yet it still emitted an astonishing power, as if containing an entire world. If unleashed, the entire ocean would be unable to withstand it, boiling completely.

"This is divine blood..." The Dragon Shark hovered, surveying the gathering. "We three brothers achieved the False God realm by consuming this! As long as you pledge your loyal service, we will not be stingy!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, we will be absolutely loyal and never betray you!" Upon seeing the divine blood, the eyes of many immortal beasts glazed over, and they roared endlessly with excitement. The blood of a true deity—consuming even a single drop could allow one to attempt a breakthrough to the False God realm... it held immense appeal for any life form.

Such overwhelming power, combined with the promise of advancement, would naturally ensure the unwavering loyalty of their subordinates, leaving them no room for rebellion.

"Indeed, those who achieve the False God realm are not to be underestimated..." The Dark-backed Turtle from before, as well as Sovereign Kui Xiao and Bai Xuansheng, had all fallen prey to deception. This Dragon Shark, too, skillfully commanded its subordinates. It seemed that reaching the False God realm not only endowed one with immense power but also required considerable wisdom that could not be overlooked.

"Let's go!" Although he wanted to investigate the specific properties of the divine blood, it was held by the Dragon Shark, and given his current strength, he certainly couldn't acquire it. There was no need to risk it. Zhang Xuan turned his body once more, just preparing to leave, when a furious roar suddenly erupted.

"Who's there!" Boom! The colossal sound, like thunder, shook the entire cave, making it tremble as if on the verge of collapse. Immediately afterward, three immensely powerful auras surged forth, seeming to tear through space and rip open the sky.

"What's going on?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had been suppressing his aura; under normal circumstances, even a False God realm expert shouldn't have detected him. If they had, they would have noticed much earlier. Why now, just as he was about to leave? Puzzled, he quickly turned his head. With just one glance, Zhang Xuan's scalp nearly burst.

He saw that the drop of divine blood, which had been suspended before the beasts moments ago, had vanished. Panic spread throughout the entire cave among all the immortal and sacred beasts. The three False God realm Dragon Sharks were even more enraged, their immense power surging in all directions, as if ready to tear the thief into a thousand pieces.

"There!" Suddenly, an immortal beast cried out. Immediately, a stream of water shot directly upwards towards the cave ceiling, hitting the rock wall and scattering debris.

Following the stream of water, Zhang Xuan looked up, his body swaying, nearly causing him to fall from the rock wall. In a nearby corner, he saw a small yellow chick clumsily paddling in the water, burping as it moved. The power of the divine blood surged within its body; clearly, that drop had just been secretly swallowed by this little fellow...

"You're seeking death, but I'm not joining you!" Exasperated, Zhang Xuan didn't dare to hesitate, turning to flee immediately. This little rascal was far too unreliable! Hundreds of Immortal Monarch level beasts and three False Gods... to openly run over and swallow their divine blood, wasn't that just asking for death?

"Master, wait for me..." Before he had gone far, the little yellow chick's voice rang out. The next moment, it was already right beside him.

"The divine blood is too powerful; I can't quite handle it. I can't run anymore; I need to rest a bit..." Before it could finish speaking, it arched its body and burrowed directly into the beast pet bag.

Gazing at the many bewildered immortal beasts and his now-exposed presence, Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. How had he ended up with such an unreliable companion? You just went to sleep; what am I supposed to do?!

"Escape!" He was furious to the point of exploding, wishing he could pull out that idiot and roast it on the spot. However, he also knew it wasn't the time for anger. Without hesitation, he unleashed the Heaven's Path Movement Art and fled. If he didn't escape now, his life would be forfeit...

"Catch him!" "A human dares to come here and steal divine blood? He's seeking death!" "Chop him into mincemeat and feed him to the dogs!" "No, don't waste him on dogs; feed him to me..."

With roars echoing, all the immortal beasts went wild. They had just sworn to slaughter humans and expel them from the ocean, and then... one appeared, not only infiltrating their lair but also stealing their divine blood. They were on the verge of exploding with rage.

Boom, boom, boom! Countless powerful attacks exploded around him, making Zhang Xuan's scalp prickle. He wanted to cry out, dodging frantically as he dashed outwards.

He had only come to observe, merely a bystander... The divine blood, he truly hadn't taken it...

"Come as you please, leave as you please? If it were truly that simple, what would become of our prestige?!" The Dragon Sharks were utterly enraged. The greenish-gray shark on the third throne roared, its massive tail sweeping violently. It then instantly teleported, appearing directly before Zhang Xuan and blocking his escape.

Although Zhang Xuan's Heaven's Path Movement Art was formidable, in water, it was hindered and thus unable to reach its maximum speed. Moreover, his opponent was a False God realm immortal beast that had always lived in the water! It was safe to say that his speed advantage vanished completely before this adversary.

"Die!" Appearing before him, the Dragon Shark powerfully lashed its thick tail. An immense force surged downwards, causing space itself to collapse. It seemed that if he were struck, even though his cultivation had advanced to the early Immortal Monarch realm, he certainly wouldn't be able to withstand it! An attack-oriented False God realm expert was indeed more than twice as powerful as the Dark-backed Turtle!

Zhang Xuan was filled with anxiety. He had previously thought the Dark-backed Turtle's speed was quite fast, only now realizing that in front of this opponent, he was as slow as a snail. No wonder Elder Feng Qian had mentioned that "this big fellow wasn't fast in the ocean"... it was clearly in comparison to other marine life!

He glanced down. Below, countless Immortal Monarch realm immortal beasts were densely packed, their numbers unknown. Behind him, two more False God realm Dragon Sharks also rose up, radiating murderous intent.

His reaction was swift, and his speed was considerable, but this was, after all, his opponents' lair. In less than a breath, he found himself utterly surrounded, making escape nearly impossible.

"Out!" The situation was critical, leaving him no time for thought. He flicked his finger. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Five long swords, all at the peak Immortal Monarch level, appeared before him. With an upward gesture, the five long swords, imbued with Sword Intent of the Gods, immediately stabbed into the rock ceiling above.

The Dragon Shark's attack was too powerful; he definitely couldn't take it head-on. If he failed to block it, the attack would surely drive him deeper into the cave, costing him the optimal escape opportunity, and then leaving would become impossible! Therefore... at this critical moment, his only option for escape was to find another way!

With False God realm Dragon Sharks both in front and behind him, and Immortal Monarch realm immortal beasts below and to his sides, the only viable escape route was through the ceiling! If he could just carve an opening, he could enter the canyon above and use the abundant vegetation to make his escape! After all, his body was minuscule compared to these colossal marine creatures. As long as he could break free, he had a chance of hiding himself using concealment techniques and avoiding detection.