158: The hunt begins

Gao De's gaze swept over the four names on the list of Third Order prey presented by Turtle Three Thousand, his fingertip finally landing on “Ink-Armored Dragon Turtle.”

"This is it. Strongest defense, but slowest speed, and an isolated lair. Using it to hone our skills is the safest bet."

Three days later, the Southeast Undercurrent Belt.

The water here was dark and deep, with countless undercurrents tearing and intertwining like invisible giant hands beneath the surface, making it impossible for ordinary aquatic creatures to approach.

Deep within a relatively calm, black reef valley lay the newly occupied lair of the Ink-Armored Dragon Turtle.

At this moment, this colossal beast was coiled at the entrance of its lair, resembling a craggy mountain covered in dark green moss. Only the occasional slits of its opening and closing eyelids revealed two points of dim, vigilant light.

Natural runes flickered on its thick carapace, exuding a oppressive feeling as solid as a mountain, yet tinged with a hint of Dragon might.

It did not detect that, a few hundred zhang away, in a shadow heavily disturbed by undercurrents and difficult for Divine Sense to penetrate, a nearly transparent “Dark Water Serpent” was quietly coiled.

Gao De was positioned at the “serpent head,” with the Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery Divine Ability fully activated, perfectly integrating the entire team's aura, movements, and even Spiritual Qi fluctuations into the surrounding turbulent water and darkness.

Green Edge was the “venomous fangs,” Iron Pincer was the “jawbone,” and twenty elite Demon Soldiers took their respective positions, their Demonic Power subtly linked through the battle Formation, suppressing their surging Battle Intent.

"According to the plan, deploy the Dragon Locking Forbidden Domain," Gao De's Divine Thought silently spread throughout the battle Formation.

Several Demon Soldiers quietly detached from the Formation, using the undercurrents and the cover of Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery, and swam silently to several key water vein nodes around the Xuanzhong's lair, like the most experienced assassins.

They took out several black Formation Flags engraved with intricate patterns and carefully inserted them into the rock crevices.

These were the Dragon Locking Forbidden Domain Flags, an enlarged version of the 'Dragon Locking Blood Sealing Talisman' refined by Gao De, combining Bloodline knowledge with simple Formations.

Once activated, they could create a force field in a small area that interfered with and suppressed the activity of dragon blood. Although it wouldn't last long, it was enough to weaken the target at a critical moment.

The Dragon Turtle seemed to sense an extremely faint discord. Its dim yellow eyes shifted, and its neck slightly lifted as it vigilantly perceived its surroundings.

However, the turbulent Spiritual Qi and natural interference of the undercurrent belt perfectly concealed the almost negligible fluctuations when the Formation Flags were deployed.

"Prepare," Gao De's voice echoed in the hearts of every Demon Soldier.

The “Venomous Fang Dragon Slaying Formation” began to subtly adjust, all power converging towards the “serpent head” and “venomous fangs” positions.

The long halberd in Green Edge's hand, infused with the sharpness of the old fang, began to emit intensely condensed green wind energy.

Gao De himself slowly raised his purple-scaled claws, a deep purplish-black lightning condensed at the tips, a highly compressed Prison Suppressing Thunder Protective Aura containing the power of armor-piercing and annihilation.

"Attack!"

As the command was given, the battle Formation changed abruptly!

The “Dark Water Serpent” instantly transitioned from extreme stillness to extreme motion, as if it had vanished into thin air, or as if it had simultaneously appeared from all directions!

The effect of Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery was actively weakened on the offensive side's concealment, but the defense and flanks remained blurred.

The first to activate were the deployed Dragon Locking Forbidden Domain Flags!

Several invisible fluctuations suddenly erupted from the rock crevices around the Turtle Demon, interweaving into a pale gray force field that enveloped it.

The Dragon Turtle's massive body stiffened abruptly. The normally smooth and surging Dragon Turtle Blood Qi within it suddenly became sluggish and heavy, its Demonic Power circulation instantly slowed by half a beat, and the luster of its thick carapace seemed to dim slightly!

Before its roar of shock and anger could fully escape its throat, a fatal attack had already arrived!

"Venomous Fang Thrust!" Green Edge roared. His entire being and the long halberd in his hand seemed to become one. Thirty percent of the battle Formation's concentrated sharpness was added to it. A highly condensed, spiraling green drill-like Protective Aura tore through the water, ignored the turbulent undercurrents, and at an incredible speed, pierced directly towards Xuanzhong's relatively soft neck and the joint with its carapace—that was its relatively weak defensive point!

At the same time, Gao De's claw extended, and that point of purplish-black lightning arrived first, not as an attack, but precisely striking the front end of Green Edge's halberd tip Protective Aura!

"Break!"

The purplish-black lightning and the green drill-like Protective Aura fused, producing a strange resonance and amplification! The armor-piercing and annihilation properties of the lightning Protective Aura were pushed to their extreme by the rapid rotation and penetrating power of the wind Protective Aura!

"Puff—Chhh!"

A dull yet teeth-grinding tearing sound echoed!

The Turtle Demon's ink-armored shell and protective Demonic Protective Aura, which could withstand the full force of an ordinary Third Order Mid-Stage attack, were actually drilled open, creating a bowl-sized bloody hole under this combined strike that gathered the power of the battle Formation, Gao De's Origin lightning Protective Aura, and targeted the Dragon Clan's defensive weak point!

Dark golden Dragon Turtle blood mixed with shattered shell fragments gushed out!

"Roar—!!!"

The intense pain instantly allowed the Turtle Demon to break free from part of the Dragon Locking Forbidden Domain's influence, letting out an earth-shattering roar of agony. Its dim yellow eyes immediately became bloodshot, turning a violent crimson.

Its massive body suddenly rose up on its hind legs, its four limbs and head thrashing wildly, stirring up terrifying water vortices. Its heavy, mountain-like carapace fiercely slammed towards the direction of the attack, attempting to crush its enemies with absolute power!

"Jawbone, suppress!" Iron Pincer roared. Seated at the core of the battle Formation, he controlled the massive body of the “Dark Serpent” to suddenly sway. The front half of the “serpent body,” condensed by the power of the Formation, met the charge head-on without evasion!

"Boom!"

A dull, thunderous collision echoed underwater, stirring up violent undercurrents.

Iron Pincer and the nearby Demon Soldiers were violently shaken, their Qi and blood surging, but the battle Formation did not break!

The power of the Formation, combining over twenty elite Demon Soldiers and two Demon Kings, forcefully withstood the Turtle Demon's enraged charge, dispersing its immense power throughout the entire battle Formation and even the surrounding water.

"Venomous Fang Strike!" Green Edge, having succeeded in one strike, did not linger. His figure retreated like lightning with the swaying battle Formation. At the same time, his halberd swept horizontally, and several sharp wind blades slashed at the Dragon Turtle's injured neck wound, expanding the damage.

"Dragon Slaying Strangling!" Gao De coldly shouted. Purple Lightning flashed in his claws again, but it wasn't an attack. Instead, he drew several runes in the air.

The entire “Venomous Fang Dragon Slaying Formation” changed accordingly. The “Dark Water Serpent” seemed to come alive, wrapping around it with extreme flexibility, not through brute force, but by forming layers of restraints and cutting forces with the power of the Formation, constantly interfering with and weakening Xuanzhong's struggles, and pulling it towards a pre-set area, away from its lair and closer to several strong undercurrents.

The Turtle Demon struggled frantically, spitting out muddy black water arrows from its mouth, carrying corrosive and heavy force, but most were flexibly avoided or collectively dispersed by the battle Formation.

It wanted to retreat into its lair, but was firmly entangled by the battle Formation; it wanted to ram with brute force, but was cleverly deflected and guided.

The wound on its neck, under the residual effects of the “Dragon Locking Blood Sealing Talisman” and the lingering destructive lightning Protective Aura intentionally left by Gao De, not only failed to heal but continued to worsen, with dark golden blood gushing out, draining its vast life force.

From the very beginning, the battle fell into Gao De's meticulously designed rhythm—breaking its defense with targeted methods, and engaging in a protracted battle of attrition with the advantage of the battle Formation, avoiding a head-on clash with its strongest defense.

Seeing that the Turtle Demon's aura was becoming unstable and its struggles weakening, a cold light flashed in Gao De's eyes: "Now! Bone Piercing Nails!"

Several Demon Soldiers lurking on the outer perimeter of the battle Formation simultaneously launched an attack. A dozen or so “Dragon Slaying Bone Piercing Nails,” as fine as ox hair and almost silent, shot out, accurately striking the Dragon Turtle's limb joints, eye sockets, and deep into its neck wound!

"Puff puff puff..."

Subtle sounds of penetration were heard. The Bone Piercing Nails entered its body, and the contained lightning fiend energy and cold Qi suddenly erupted!

The Dragon Turtle let out an even more mournful wail, its limb movements clearly stiff and sluggish, the light in its eyes rapidly dimming, and the wound on its neck directly froze!

"Final strike!" Gao De's figure suddenly lunged from the “serpent head” position. The Ruyi Dharma Body was instantly activated, transforming him into his ten-zhang Purple Lightning Flood Dragon true form. Lightning converged on his claws into a materialized phantom of a lightning halberd, carrying a trace of the Suppressing Prison Thunder Domain's suppressive power, and with the force of a thunderclap, fiercely plunged into the enormous wound on the Turtle Demon's neck, piercing straight through to its brain!

"Roar..." The Turtle Demon's final roar abruptly ceased. Its massive body convulsed violently a few times, then finally lost all signs of life, slowly sinking towards the bottom of the water.

"Clear the battlefield, collect all essences, and peel off the carapace as completely as possible! Quick!" Gao De reverted to his Dragon form and immediately issued the order, simultaneously scanning the surroundings with his Divine Sense, wary of possible prying eyes.

The Demon Soldiers, well-trained, moved swiftly.

Peeling off the carapace, collecting flesh and blood, extracting the sinews imbued with the Dragon Turtle's aura... the entire process was efficient and quiet.

Gao De then approached the Dragon Turtle's corpse, opened his Dragon mouth, and a powerful suction emerged, devouring all of its not-yet-dissipated soul essence, as well as the purest part of its Origin Dragon Turtle Bloodline Power!

A scorching and profound power surged into his body, quickly refined by the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art.

Gao De clearly felt his Purple Lightning Flood Dragon Bloodline subtly strengthen, and the intensity of his Physical Body, especially the bones and tendons of his spine and limbs, transmitted waves of tingling reinforcement. The profound Concept of “carrying mountains and bearing peaks” within the Dragon Turtle's vital blood also gave him new insights into power control and defensive understanding.

The profound Concept of “carrying mountains and bearing peaks” within the Dragon Turtle's vital blood also gave him new insights into power control and defensive understanding.

"Not bad, the Bloodline concentration increased by about 1.5%. After it's completely consumed, it might increase even more," Gao De secretly evaluated. This efficiency far exceeded the gains from his usual arduous cultivation.

In less than a moment, the battlefield was cleared, and all valuable items were taken away.

"Retreat!" Gao De ordered. The “Dark Serpent” stealthily moved again, disappearing silently into the dark waters as if it had never appeared.

The first hunt was clean, decisive, and fruitful.

The venomous fangs of Qianjiao Cliff had tasted blood. And Gao De's gaze had already turned to the next name on the list.

The feast had just begun.