22: Hunting Plan

The battle with the One-Horned Electric Eel gave Gao De a clear understanding of his own strength and also verified the effectiveness of his newly acquired secret technique.

But he knew well that in this crisis-ridden Dongting Lake, personal bravery was certainly important, but knowing how to leverage circumstances, being good at hiding, and maintaining patience were even more critical.

He would never become reckless just because of one victory.

“Carefulness makes for a long-lasting ship.” This saying from his past life had now become his best guiding principle for action.

He still chose those waters that were relatively chaotic and unlikely to attract the attention of major powers as his hunting grounds. His targets were mostly solitary or small-group Second Order Demon Beasts at the Early Stage with special Bloodlines, like the One-Horned Electric Eel.

And this time, he was no longer going alone.

In the deep pool, after more than half a year of nurturing with the Dragon Clan's basic Cultivation Techniques and the essence of Yao Beast flesh—which Gao De had specifically left behind after his hunts and preliminarily purified through the blood quenching Formation—what were mere leftovers to him were great tonics for the First Tier Demon Soldiers. The strength of the Demon Soldiers under his command ushered in a period of explosive growth.

The number of Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals at the First Tier Late Stage officially broke into the double digits!

Among them, besides the earliest batch of "elders," there were several wild, formidable individuals that Gao De had "recruited" from other waters during his recent explorations by relying on his superior strength and Dragon Fish pressure. He had also thrown them into the pool to train together.

More importantly, with the slight improvement of their intelligence and day-after-day practice, they were already able to preliminarily form the simplest Demon Soldier battle Formation taught by Gao De—the "Mystic Water Entrapment Formation."

This Formation did not have much offensive power; its core lay in using the Demon Soldiers' Demonic Qi to connect with each other, inducing the water flow to form a powerful binding and sluggish force field.

A Formation composed of a dozen First Tier Late Stage Demon Soldiers, when fully deployed, was enough to trap an ordinary Second Order Demon Beast at the Early Stage for a moment, greatly limiting its mobility!

For Gao De, this was of extraordinary significance! It meant that when he hunted, he was no longer simply fighting alone. He could completely utilize the Demon Soldier battle Formation to pin down the target while he waited for an Opportunity to launch a fatal blow or calmly set up a blood quenching Formation.

Both the efficiency and safety of hunting had received a qualitative leap!

On this day, Gao De gathered twelve of the strongest First Tier Late Stage Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals, like a general inspecting his soldiers.

Their carapaces were shiny, and their Demonic Qi was faintly connected. Though they remained silent, they exuded a well-trained, murderous aura.

“Set out!”

With a command from Gao De, he was the first to shoot out of the deep pool like a line of water.

The twelve Demon Soldiers maintained a simple Formation and followed closely behind. Their movements were quite organized, and the water they stirred carried a collaborative force.

Their target this time was an Armored Crocodile Turtle entrenched in an underwater marsh.

This turtle had extremely strong defense; the iron armor on its back was comparable to a defensive Magical Artifact, and its temperament was fierce. Its Bloodline contained a trace of "Mystic Turtle" characteristics, and its Essence Blood had miraculous effects on strengthening defense, which was exactly what Gao De needed for cultivating the Hundred Beasts Blood Quenching Secret Canon.

After reaching the target waters, Gao De hid his figure, taking charge of commanding and looking for opportunities.

The twelve Demon Soldiers spread out silently according to their daily drills, occupying specific positions. Their Demonic Qi slowly connected, and an invisible "Water Binding Net" began to quietly spread around the Armored Crocodile Turtle's lair.

The hunt began!

The Armored Crocodile Turtle was startled and rushed out of its lair irritably. What greeted it was not a single enemy, but powerful water pressure as thick as glue from all directions, along with harassing attacks from countless crab claws and shrimp spears!

Although the defense it took pride in could withstand these attacks, its movements were like being stuck in a quagmire. It had strength but found it difficult to use effectively.

Just as it was being tightly entangled by the Demon Soldier battle Formation and was becoming extremely frustrated, a dark-gold figure appeared like a ghost beneath its relatively weak neck!

Gao De's unicorn horn flickered with Law-Breaking dark light and stabbed down fiercely!

“Puchi!”

This time, the hunt was surprisingly smooth.

With the perfect assistance of the Demon Soldier battle Formation, Gao De killed this Armored Crocodile Turtle, known for its defense, without expending much effort.

Afterward, he set up the blood quenching Formation on the spot, extracted the Essence Blood, and refined and absorbed it. The entire process was smooth, efficient, and safe.

[Devour and Refine: Armored Crocodile Turtle (Second Order Early Stage)]

[Obtained Bloodline Energy: Trace Amount +]

[Physical Body defense slightly strengthened.]

[Hundred Beasts Blood Quenching Secret Canon proficiency increased.]

[Demon Soldier battle Formation coordination proficiency increased.]

Looking at the Demon Soldiers who were standing guard nearby—their Qi slightly depleted due to the coordinated combat but their morale high—Gao De was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

This was the correct way to do things! Combining individual strength with group power, and giving equal weight to cautious planning and decisive action.

He took his full harvest and his more synchronized subordinates and quietly withdrew, returning to the deep pool.

A successful team hunt greatly enhanced Gao De's confidence and Foundation. He felt as if he could already see a true aquatic Demon army gradually taking shape in his hands.

The path to dragon transformation cannot be achieved by one person's strength alone. Having one's own power and using wisdom and strength to move forward side by side is the Righteous Path.

Gao De walked more and more steadily and further and further on this path.

He began to consciously draw his own "Yao Beast Hunting Map," marking the strength, characteristics, and value of potential targets in different areas.

This small team, which had just begun to show its brilliance, was about to become a new hunting force that would strike fear into others in the depths of Dongting Lake.

And their king's gaze had already turned toward the even deeper parts, the territories of those... Yao Beasts with even richer Dragon Clan Bloodlines... Winter went and spring came, summer left and autumn arrived!

The vegetation around the Water Mansion turned yellow then green; in the blink of an eye, ten cycles of winter and summer had passed!

Time flies. Ten years might just be a flash for cultivators, but for Gao De, who was devoted to developing and moving steadily, these were the golden ten years that laid a solid Foundation.

Over these ten years, he strictly followed the principles of "caution" and "efficiency."

Only about every half a year would he conduct a targeted hunt.

His targets were always locked onto those Second Order Yao Beasts with special Bloodlines that were far from his own Water Mansion's sphere of influence and lived solitarily without any factional affiliation.

He was like a top-tier hunter, meticulously selecting prey, patiently waiting for opportunities, and striving for a certain kill with a single strike, leaving no future troubles.

His footprints were no longer limited to the buffer zones of Dongting Lake; he even ventured multiple times into the mysterious and dangerous edges of the Yunmeng Great Marsh.

The environment there was more primitive and harsh, and the Yao Beasts were more fierce and bizarre, but there were also more opportunities. His most glorious achievement was in a poisonous swamp at the edge of the Great Marsh, where after a hard-fought battle, he successfully hunted a Green Water Python whose strength had reached the Second Tier Mid-stage and possessed a Poison Flood Dragon Bloodline!

That battle was extremely perilous. The Green Water Python's potent toxin and powerful Physical Body caused him no small amount of trouble, but in the end, by relying on his unicorn horn's Law-Breaking ability, the toxin resistance enhancement methods from the Hundred Beasts Blood Quenching Secret Canon, and the desperate pinning maneuvers of his Demon Soldier battle Formation, he had the last laugh.

Devouring and refining this Green Water Python brought him massive benefits.

Not only did he obtain a vast amount of Bloodline energy, but his resistance to toxins also greatly increased. His Summon Wind and Rain Divine Ability even carried a trace of corrosive poisonous miasma, increasing its power further.

Ten years of accumulation and countless hunts and refinements caused Gao De's strength to rise at a speed visible to the naked eye.

[Current Dragon Fish Bloodline: 79%!]

[Realm: Second Tier Early Stage Peak, only one step away from breaking through to Second Tier Mid-stage!]

[Demonic Power is becoming increasingly pure and majestic; mastery of various talents and Divine Abilities has reached the Transcendent level.]

[Hundred Beasts Blood Quenching Secret Canon cultivated to Minor Achievement, efficiency in extracting Essence Blood greatly increased.]

[Number of Demon Soldiers under command has exceeded fifty, with half being at First Tier Late Stage; battle Formation drills are proficient, capable of briefly trapping Second Tier Mid-stage Yao Beasts.]

His Water Mansion also underwent several trials during these ten years.

There were always some Yao Beasts who were blind to the danger or felt the rich Spiritual Qi here and developed greed, attempting to come and seize it.

Among them, there was no lack of powerful existences at the Second Order Early Stage.

However, they all ultimately underestimated the defensive power of this Water Mansion and Gao De's own strength.

Every invading enemy, without exception, became nutrients for Gao De's blood quenching Formation, strengthening himself and feeding the Demon Soldiers under his command.

The few Yao Beast remains scattered around the Water Mansion silently told of how this place was not to be trifled with.

Ten years of lying low; a hidden dragon does not act.

The current Gao De was no longer that weak Yao fish who needed to be cautious and hide everywhere.

He possessed a Demon Soldier force of a certain scale that followed orders strictly, and his own strength had reached the Peak of the Second Tier Early Stage. With a Bloodline concentration as high as 79%, he only lacked an Opportunity to break through to the Second Tier Mid-stage, which would make his strength leap once again.

However, Gao De did not become complacent because of this. He knew that the closer he got to the critical moment of Dragon Transformation, the more cautious he needed to be.

The Second Tier Mid-stage was a hurdle; the accumulation and Opportunity required for Breakthrough were far beyond what was needed for the Early Stage.

Moreover, as his power gradually formed and his range of activity expanded, it would inevitably attract the attention of more existences.

“Ten years of accumulation, the Foundation is already sufficient. It is time... to consider the next step.” Gao De sat perched atop the Spiritual Vein spring eye, the unicorn horn on his head swirling with faint light as he gazed deeply outside the Water Mansion.

“Should I continue to play it safe, hunting ordinary Second Order Yao Beasts for slow accumulation? Or... look for a larger Opportunity to break through to the Middle Stage in one go, or even push for a higher Bloodline?”

In his mind, the unknowns of the deeper parts of the Yunmeng Great Marsh surfaced, along with the figures of those powerful Demon Kings in the core areas of Dongting Lake, and the outlines of human forces like the Green Wave Sect and the Lin and Zhu families.

The peaceful ten years had passed; the road ahead might no longer be so smooth.

But Gao De was fearless. Ten years of tempering had already given him enough confidence and strength to face the storms in the wider world.