86: Exterminate demons and uphold justice!
"A map to an ancient water Immortal Cave?"
"And a tiger tally that can command an army of sea beasts?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Chen Xu's eyes.
This was truly an unexpected joy.
He didn't stand on ceremony, reaching out to retrieve the Dragon Scale into his possession.
The gains from this trip to the East Sea were immense.
Far exceeding his expectations.
Not only did he obtain the vast sea dragon heart, but he also subdued a Late Nascent Soul Stage Divine Beast to guard his mountain.
He even acquired a Legacy map from an ancient Immortal.
Most importantly, he conveniently resolved a huge problem.
"Since matters here are concluded, we should take our leave."
Chen Xu put away his treasures and glanced at Lan Shuyao, who was still recuperating, and Chen Daoxuan, who lay unconscious on the ground.
He prepared to depart.
However!
Just as this thought arose in his mind!
Buzz—!
An extremely subtle Divine Sense fluctuation emanated from the depths of his heart!
It was a Divine Sense imprint he had left at the Chen family ancestral home, with his Dao Companion and children!
It would never be triggered unless there was a crisis!
Chen Xu's expression instantly darkened!
At the same time!
"Buzz buzz buzz ~!!"
Beside him, Lan Shuyao, who was meditating and recuperating, had a moon-white Jade Slip in her embrace, which suddenly began to flash with dazzling red light and emit a series of urgent buzzing sounds!
That was an emergency message from the East Sea Sword Sect!
Lan Shuyao's expression changed, and she abruptly opened her eyes, grabbing the Jade Slip and probing it with her Divine Sense.
The next second, her expression turned grim again!
"Not good!"
A moment later, she cried out in alarm, her voice filled with horror.
"Fellow Daoist Chen! The Azure Scale Sea Clan... they've gone mad!"
Lan Shuyao looked up at Chen Xu and spoke rapidly: "The Azure Scale Sea Clan has come out in full force, allied with the other main force of the seven kill demon star, the Blood Demon Guard, and set up an ancient vicious Formation—the Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation—at the only exit of the Dragon Fall Sea Trench!"
"Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation?!"
The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle beside him, hearing this name, trembled violently.
A look of solemnity appeared in its eyes.
"This Formation was the supreme Killing Formation used by the Sea Clan to resist the True Dragon Clan in ancient times! Once fully activated, it can draw upon the power of the Four Seas within a hundred thousand li radius, transforming it into a Domain of absolute death!"
"Within the Formation, space is completely sealed, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is entirely cut off, and Cultivators can only consume their own magical power without any replenishment!"
Lan Shuyao's voice grew more urgent: "What's even more terrifying is that the power of this Formation will increase infinitely with the strength of those who enter it! Legend has it that in ancient times, even true Purple Mansion Dao Lords were trapped and ground to death by this Formation!"
"They... they intend to keep all of us here, to catch us all in one fell swoop!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Daoxuan, who had just recovered, felt his heart sink to rock bottom.
Ancient vicious Formation!
Capable of trapping and killing a Purple Mansion Dao Lord?
A Formation of this caliber?
How could they resist?
However, Chen Xu did not show much panic about this.
He calmly reined in the Killing Intent that made even heaven and earth tremble.
He said calmly: "Go."
One word, concise and to the point.
The next moment, the black iron flying boat transformed into a black streak of light, carrying everyone, and sped towards the exit of the Dragon Fall Sea Trench.
Just half an hour later.
The scene in front of the flying boat caused their hearts to sink sharply.
The vast sea area that was once the exit was now completely enveloped by an immense, boundless light curtain.
Half of the light curtain displayed an eerie blood-red color.
The other half was a deep, abyssal blue.
Blood and blue, the two colors wildly intertwined and spun, forming an enormous vortex.
It emanated a terrifying aura that made one's heart palpitate.
It was as if it wasn't a Formation, but the mouth of a giant beast capable of devouring heaven and earth!
Outside the enormous light curtain, two figures stood side by side.
They exuded the majestic pressure of the Middle Nascent Soul Stage.
One wore blue scale armor, wielded a trident, and had a ferocious countenance; it was none other than Cang Hai, the Clan Chief of the Azure Scale Sea Clan!
The other wore a blood-red long robe, with a delicate and handsome face, yet lips so red they seemed to drip blood, and his entire body exuded a nauseatingly cold and bloody aura.
This person was Xue Wuya, the Blood Demon Guard Commander, whose status in the seven kill demon star was second only to the Seven Great Demon Envoys!
Behind the two of them was a vast, densely packed army stretching as far as the eye could see!
Thousands of fierce Azure Scale Sea Clan elites, armed with sharp blades, exuded Killing Intent!
There were also thousands of black-robed Demonic Path fiends with eerie auras.
Dozens of war ships, entirely constructed from the skeletons of giant beasts, floated in the seawater, completely blockading the entire exit!
Such a display, let alone a mere few people, even if the East Sea Sword Sect came out in full force, they would probably have to reconsider!
"Hahahaha! They're out!"
The moment the Xuan-black flying boat appeared.
Cang Hai, the Azure Scale Clan Chief, let out a thunderous laugh.
He slammed his trident down and pointed it at the flying boat, his eyes filled with venom and glee.
"Chen Xu! Lan Shuyao! Didn't expect this, did you! I've been waiting here for a long time!"
His voice, like rolling thunder, boomed across the entire sea area.
"You had a path to Heaven but didn't take it, a door to Hell but you barged right in! Today, this Dragon Fall Sea Trench will be the burial ground for all of you!"
"Hand over the vast sea dragon heart, and then hand over your dog lives! I am merciful; I can leave you with an intact corpse!"
Cang Hai's voice was utterly arrogant, as if he had already guaranteed Chen Xu and the others' demise.
Beside him, Xue Wuya, the Blood Demon Envoy, extended his scarlet tongue and licked his lips.
His cold eyes, full of interest, fixed on Chen Xu.
"Clan Chief Cang Hai, this woman and that boy can be dealt with by you, but this man named Chen must be left to me."
His voice was sharp, filled with Killing Intent!
"Especially you, Chen Xu."
"That pure power on your body, for the Holy Fetus Lord who is about to descend, is the world's top 'great tonic'!"
"Hehehe... Offer your Golden Core, offer your Divine Soul, become the cornerstone for the Holy Fetus Lord's arrival!"
"This will be your supreme glory in this life!"
Inside the flying boat, Lan Shuyao listened to the arrogant and malicious words outside, her pretty face turning livid with anger.
Chen Daoxuan clenched his fists even tighter, his eyes cold, his chest churning with fury.
These scoundrels dared to insult his father so brazenly!
However, facing such a desperate situation.
Facing the enemies' unbearable taunts.
Chen Xu, as the person concerned, showed no anger whatsoever.
He turned his head with interest, and gently smiled at Chen Daoxuan, whose face was somewhat pale, and Lan Shuyao, who looked solemn:
"Don't be afraid."
"Just a bunch of insignificant nobodies, daring to bark so wildly in front of me?"
"It just so happens that today, I'll open your eyes."
"And let you witness what true power is."
As his voice fell, Cang Hai outside had clearly lost all patience.
The prey trapped in the Formation was still so calm.
This was contempt for him!
"You seek death!"
Cang Hai let out an angry roar, raising the trident in his hand high.
"Activate the grand Formation! Grind them, people and ship, into dust!"
"As you command!"
Thousands of Sea Clan members and Demonic Cultivators roared in unison, their voices shaking the surroundings!
Rumble—!!!
With Cang Hai's command, the "Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation" that covered the entire sea area was instantly fully activated!
In an instant, the sky darkened, and the sun and moon lost their light!
The boundless seawater, under the activation of the Formation, transformed into massive, incredibly thick blood-red giant walls!
These blood-red giant walls, from all directions, above and below, every corner, simultaneously pressed in fiercely towards the black iron flying boat at the center!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The black iron flying boat's defensive shield, strong enough to withstand a full-force blow from a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, emitted soft cracking sounds under this terrifying pressure!
Tiny cracks began to appear!
The entire flying boat trembled violently.
The metal structure inside the hull emitteddistortion sounds!
Inside the flying boat, Lan Shuyao's face turned pale.
The next moment, she unhesitatingly injected her vast Middle Nascent Soul Stage Spiritual Power into the flying boat's defensive Formation, attempting to slow down the speed at which the shield was breaking.
Chen Daoxuan was even more shaken by this terrifying pressure, his Qi and blood churning, almost unable to stand steadily!
He looked at the sneering and ferocious faces outside.
A sense of powerlessness appeared in his eyes.
This was the disparity!
In the face of absolute power and numbers, individual bravery seemed so insignificant!
However, just as this black iron flying boat was about to be completely crushed into a metal pancake in this desperate moment.
Chen Xu moved!
He looked at the enemies outside, who were going mad with excitement at their impending success.
He gently shook his head.
He turned his head and looked at his son, whose face was pale but whose eyes were still resolute, and said in a calm tone:
"Dao Xuan, remember another thing your father is about to teach you."
"Never give your enemy a chance to speak a second sentence."
"Because that is not only irresponsible to yourself but also a waste of time."
As his voice fell, Cang Hai outside had clearly lost all patience.
The prey trapped in the Formation dared to remain so calm.
This was contempt for him!
"You seek death!"
Cang Hai let out an angry roar, raising the trident in his hand high.
"Activate the grand Formation! Grind them, people and ship, into dust!"
"As you command!"
Thousands of Sea Clan members and Demonic Cultivators roared in unison, their voices shaking the surroundings!
Rumble—!!!
With Cang Hai's command, the "Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation" that covered the entire sea area was instantly fully activated!
In an instant, the sky darkened, and the sun and moon lost their light!
The boundless seawater, under the activation of the Formation, transformed into massive, incredibly thick blood-red giant walls!
These blood-red giant walls, from all directions, above and below, every corner, simultaneously pressed in fiercely towards the black iron flying boat at the center!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The black iron flying boat's defensive shield, strong enough to withstand a full-force blow from a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, emitted soft cracking sounds under this terrifying pressure!
Tiny cracks began to appear!
The entire flying boat trembled violently.
The metal structure inside the hull emitted twisting sounds!
Inside the flying boat, Lan Shuyao's face turned pale.
The next moment, she unhesitatingly injected her vast Middle Nascent Soul Stage Spiritual Power into the flying boat's defensive Formation, attempting to slow down the speed at which the shield was breaking.
Chen Daoxuan was even more shaken by this terrifying pressure, his Qi and blood churning, almost unable to stand steadily!
He looked at the sneering and ferocious faces outside.
A sense of powerlessness appeared in his eyes.
This was the disparity!
In the face of absolute power and numbers, individual bravery seemed so insignificant!
However, just as this black iron flying boat was about to be completely crushed into a metal pancake in this desperate moment.
Chen Xu moved!
He looked at the enemies outside, who were going mad with excitement at their impending success.
He gently shook his head.
He turned his head and looked at his son, whose face was pale but whose eyes were still resolute, and said in a calm tone:
"Dao Xuan, remember another thing your father is about to teach you."
"Never, ever give your enemy a chance to speak a second word."
"Because that is not only irresponsible to yourself but also a waste of time."
As his voice fell, Chen Xu slowly raised his right hand.
This time, it was not the myriad ages azure cloud sword that appeared.
His gaze fell upon his palm.
There, an ancient Dragon Scale, shimmering with a faint blue watery light, covered in profound Dragon patterns, and only the size of a palm, floated quietly.
It was precisely the "token of goodwill" that the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle had given him before parting!
Looking at this Dragon Scale, Chen Xu smiled softly.
"Xuan Shui's gift is coming in handy."
"I just don't know, within this Dragon Fall Sea Trench, how many of the so-called seventy percent of sea beasts are there?"
The moment his voice fell, Chen Xu's purple-gold magical power at his fingertip injected into the ancient Dragon Scale.
However, as his spiritual power was injected, the Dragon Scale did not emit an earth-shattering anomaly.
Nor did it unleash dazzling brilliance.
There was only an invisible wave, undetectable by the naked eye, spreading out from the black iron flying boat as its center, towards the entire Dragon Fall Sea Trench!
...Meanwhile.
Beneath the Dragon Fall Sea Trench, in an endless abyss ten thousand zhang deep.
This was a desolate place where even sunlight could not reach.
It was a deadly realm where countless ancient Restrictions and spatial rifts intertwined.
A colossal octopus, over three thousand zhang long and shaped like a mountain range, was slumbering on the pitch-black seabed.
The aura emanating from its body had clearly reached the peak of the Middle Nascent Soul Stage.
It was just one step away from entering the Late Stage.
Suddenly!
Its gigantic single eye, which had been tightly shut for hundreds of years, abruptly opened!
In that eye, there was not the slightest trace of sleepiness.
Only absolute obedience stemming from its Bloodline!
As if a supreme decree was driving it, allowing no hint of defiance!
"Roar~"
A low roar echoed in the deep sea.
Its massive, mountain-like body slowly rose from the seabed, stirring up vast amounts of mud and sand.
It changed direction and charged madly towards the exit!
It wasn't just it!
In the core area of the lightning storm, a thousand-zhang electric eel, entirely composed of lightning, suddenly stopped exhaling lightning.
Deep within the Demonic Flood Dragon's lair, where Lan Shuyao and others had previously slain the Demonic Flood Dragon, a Demonic Flood Dragon King, even larger in size and more ferocious in aura, opened its blood-red eyes from the darkness!
One, ten, a hundred, a thousand... In every corner, everyJedi of the Dragon Fall Sea Trench.
Countless powerful sea beasts and ancient exotic species that had slept for hundreds, even thousands of years, were awakened by that invisible decree at the same time!
In their eyes, the usual cruelty and chaos were gone, replaced only by fanaticism and submission!
Rumble~!!!
The entire Dragon Fall Sea Trench began to tremble violently!
As if an unprecedented submarine earthquake was erupting!
Innumerable colossal black shadows, large enough to obscure the sky and sun, converged from all directions of the trench, forming a black torrent.
They surged towards the exit, which was enveloped by a bloody and blue light curtain!
This was the true terror of the Dragon Fall Sea Trench!
This was the true power represented by the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle's token!
..."Hahaha! What's wrong? Scared? Despairing?"
Outside the "Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation," Clan Chief Cang Hai of the Azure Scale Sea Clan looked at the black iron flying boat, which was violently trembling under immense pressure as if it would be crushed into a pancake the next second, and let out a wild laugh.
"Chen Xu! Aren't you very capable? Aren't you very arrogant?"
"Why aren't you speaking now?!"
Xue Wuya, the Blood Demon Emissary beside him, even stuck out his tongue, licking his lips, his eyes full of greed.
"Don't be in such a hurry to kill him, Clan Chief Cang Hai. This person's Divine Soul and Golden Core are supreme offerings to the Holy Fetus Lord! We must capture him alive!"
"Don't worry..."
Cang Hai sneered, "Under my Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation, he is a fish on a chopping board. If I want him to live, he lives; if I want him to die, he dies!"
The thousands of sea creatures and Demonic Cultivators behind them also burst into triumphant laughter.
In their opinion, there was no suspense left in this encirclement.
However, at this moment!
"Boom... Rumble..."
A low rumbling sound faintly came from the entrance of the Dragon Fall Sea Trench behind them.
The seawater beneath their feet also began to tremble violently and uncontrollably!
"Hmm? What's going on?"
Cang Hai's laughter stopped, and he frowned in confusion.
"Perhaps the power of the Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation is too strong, triggering the spatial turbulence here," Xue Wuya said indifferently.
However, the vibration grew more and more intense, and the rumbling sound became clearer and clearer!
Finally, a Demonic Cultivator responsible for guarding the rear seemed to sense something.
He turned his head in horror and looked towards the dark abyss behind him.
The next moment, the color drained from his face instantly.
His pupils instantly dilated!
"What... what the Hell is that—!!!"
A scream pierced the sky!
"What is it, making such a fuss!"
Cang Hai impatiently turned his head to look.
Then, the expression on his face instantly froze.
He saw that from the dark, abyssal mouth-like entrance of the Dragon Fall Sea Trench...
A black tide.
Was spewing out from that abyss with a destructive force!
No!
That wasn't a tide!
That was a beast tide, composed of countless terrifying sea beasts of unimaginably massive size!
One after another, hideous ancient exotic species slammed into the direction they were in!
"No! Impossible!!"
Cang Hai's eyes were practically popping out!
Why would these sea beasts suddenly riot?!
Why would they attack them with such perfect coordination?!
However, there was no time left for him to think.
Boom~!!!
The vanguard of the beast tide brutally collided with the massive rear fleet of the Azure Scale Sea Clan and the seven kill demon star!
"Crack! Crack!"
Those war galleons built from giant beast skeletons were as fragile as toys in front of those terrifying sea beasts, whose bodies were thousands of zhang long!
With just one impact, dozens of galleons were instantly smashed into countless fragments!
The sea creatures and Demonic Cultivators on board didn't even have time to let out a scream before they were directly crushed into meat paste by the massive bodies!
"Ah—! Help!"
"It's the Ancient Demonic Octopus! Its tentacles! My body... Ah!"
"Don't come closer! Don't come closer!"
The Formation in the rear instantly collapsed!
Their encirclement, at this moment, became a death trap, attacked from two sides!
Screams, wails, the sound of bones breaking, the sound of flesh being torn, rose and fell in succession!
The previously arrogant Demonic Path fiends and elite sea creatures were now like sardines thrown into a shark tank, being frantically slaughtered, bitten, and devoured!
Blood instantly dyed this sea area red!
"Hold steady! All of you, hold your ground for me!" Cang Hai roared, his eyes splitting with rage.
However, no one listened to him!
In the face of the instinct for survival, all orders were ignored!
And with the collapse of the rear Formation, the Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation, which required thousands of people to maintain, saw its circulating bloody and blue light begin to flicker wildly, its power sharply decreasing!
On the black iron flying boat, Lan Shuyao and Chen Daoxuan stared blankly at the hellish scene outside, their minds a blank.
One second ago, they were in a life-or-death situation.
The next second, those arrogant enemies were scattered and suffered heavy casualties by a beast tide that seemed to descend from the sky!
This... this shocking reversal came too fast, too unreal!
They subconsciously turned their gaze to Chen Xu!
Only to see Chen Xu move.
The moment the power of the "Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation" sharply decreased, he took a step, his figure like a phantom, passing through the layers of defensive light shields, appearing outside the flying boat, standing above the ten-thousand-zhang Void Realm.
He ignored the small fry overwhelmed by the beast tide.
He only fixed his gaze on the furious and exasperated Cang Hai and Xue Wuya.
Then, he slowly raised the myriad ages azure cloud sword in his hand.
"Today, I shall purge the Demonic Path from the East Sea!"
His voice instantly entered the ears of every living being present.
Whether it was the Demonic Cultivators being slaughtered, or the sea beasts frantically killing, at the moment they heard this voice, their movements involuntarily paused!
Om~!!!!
A brilliant purple-gold divine light illuminated the blade of the myriad ages azure cloud sword!
That light seemed not to come from the human world, but from the Nine Heavens above, carrying the Grandmist Qi of creation.
Supreme and majestic, with the might of Heaven!
"No~!!!"
Cang Hai and Xue Wuya were terrified the moment they saw the purple-gold sword light!
From that sword light, they felt a death aura strong enough to completely crush their Divine Souls, condemning them to eternal perdition!
Escape!
They must escape!
This thought simultaneously arose in both their minds!
However, Chen Xu had already swung the sword in his hand.
Chii~!!!
A hundred-li long purple-gold sword light, as if capable of splitting the sky and the ocean in two, streaked across the sky!
Wherever the sword light passed, space shattered inch by inch.
Time itself seemed to be completely frozen at this moment!
The ancient fierce Formation, "Overturning Sea God-Slaying Formation," which was said to be able to trap and kill Purple Mansion Dao Lords, was like fragile white paper in front of that purple-gold sword light.
It couldn't even offer the slightest resistance and was instantly... wiped away.
The sword light, its momentum undiminished, swept across the chaotic battlefield.
It swept across the dense Formations of galleons.
Whether it was Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cang Hai and Xue Wuya, or those ordinary Cultivators of the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment Stage, there was no difference in front of this sword.
The look of horror on their faces was forever frozen.
The next second, their bodies were instantly vaporized, dissipating between Heaven and Earth!
After one sword strike, the wind was calm and the waves were still.
The bustling battlefield instantly fell silent.
On the sea surface, only some scattered wreckage and un-dissipated blood remained, proving the real existence of the encirclement just now.
That massive army composed of thousands of sea creatures and Demonic Cultivators... was gone.
Cleared with one sword.
"Roar!~"
The raging beast tide also stopped all its movements at this moment.
Tens of thousands of terrifying sea beasts all turned their heads in unison.
They looked at that tiny figure suspended above the Void Realm.
Then, under the utterly shocked gazes of Lan Shuyao and Chen Daoxuan, all beasts submitted!
Lan Shuyao was completely petrified.
Her red lips parted, her beautiful eyes filled with bewilderment.
She looked at that figure standing before the myriad beasts, his expression indifferent, feeling how insignificant she was.
"Father..."
Chen Daoxuan clenched his fists, his chest heaving violently, his heart filled with soaring ambition!
This was his father!
With a flick of his finger, he commanded myriad beasts!
With one sword, he slayed gods and annihilated demons!
Chen Xu slowly sheathed his sword.
He turned around and calmly said to the completely stunned Lan Shuyao, "The East Sea matter is concluded, I bid you farewell. The Demonic Lord Holy Embryo has been destroyed, and the Azure Scale Sea Clan has suffered heavy losses. The remaining cleanup work is entrusted to you!"
After speaking, he calmly returned to the black iron flying boat with Chen Daoxuan.
Having completed all this, he prepared to pilot the flying boat and leave this part of the East Sea.
However!
Just as the black iron flying boat was about to break through the Void Realm and depart, Om~!
That Divine Thought fluctuation once again came from the depths of his heart!
At the same time!
Buzz buzz buzz—!
In his embrace, a moon-white Jade Slip lit up again!
Chen Xu raised an eyebrow, picked up the Jade Slip, and his Divine Sense probed into it.
The next second, its contents appeared in Chen Xu's mind!
"Husband, urgent report from the capital! The Heaven Worshiping Ceremony has been moved up, and the Seventh Prince, in league with the Demonic Path, has already... already made his move!"
Boom!!!
Chen Xu's gaze sharply turned westward!
"Perfect timing!"
"My grand gift should also be delivered!"
As his voice fell, the black iron flying boat let out a roar, instantly changed direction, and sped towards the Great Feng Dynasty Imperial City, where the winds and clouds gathered!