58: Tier 3 Shield

The moment the Tortoise Shell Shield shattered, victory was decided!

Gao De's Dragon Claw, swift as lightning, precisely and ruthlessly pierced through the undefended head of the Baxia Bloodline Turtle Demon leader, crushing its Divine Soul along with it.

The despair and unwillingness in its eyes instantly solidified, and its massive body twitched violently a few times before completely losing all signs of life.

With their leader dead, the remaining two Second Tier Turtle Demons, already in precarious situations, immediately collapsed mentally. The Green Shell Shrimp Soldier led the Demon Soldiers in a swarm, quickly dispatching them.

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As for the five First Order Turtle Demons, they had long since perished under the battle Formation'sstrangulation. The entire battle, from start to finish, lasted only a dozen breaths, yet it was extremely perilous.

"Quickly clean up the battlefield and erase all traces!" Gao De calmly ordered, suppressing the slightly turbulent Qi and blood caused by using a Third Order Talisman.

At the same time, his vast Divine Sense spread out like mercury, vigilantly perceiving the surroundings, guarding against any uninvited guests who might have been attracted by the commotion of the battle.

The Demon Soldiers, well-trained, immediately sprang into action. They quickly collected all eight corpses, including that of the Turtle Demon leader, paying extra careful attention to the three Second Tier Turtle Demon bodies.

They then used water-elemental Spells to stir the water, washing away the blood and energy residue from the battle area, even retrieving the shattered shield fragments one by one.

Gao De's gaze immediately fell upon the main body of the dark green Tortoise Shell Shield, which had lost all Spiritual Qi and was covered in cracks. He extended a Dragon Claw and drew it before him.

It felt heavy and cold to the touch, far exceeding ordinary metals. Even though the destructive energy of the Talisman had dissipated, the shield itself still faintly emitted an ancient, profound aura that had endured countless tribulations.

Although the natural patterns on its surface were dim due to spiritual damage, upon careful perception, one could still catch a trace of the unique Daorhyme belonging to a Baxia Dragon Child.

"How can it be... the main body is completely unharmed?" Gao De felt a surge of ecstasy after a careful examination.

That [Earth Fire Lava Talisman] specialized in breaking defenses; ordinary Third Order Magical Artifacts, if they resisted it head-on, would either be completely scrapped or their material would be damaged.

However, this Tortoise Shell Shield, aside from its surface runes being destroyed and its internal Spiritual Veins shattered, its core material was surprisingly intact, without even a single deep crack.

This meant that the main material of the shield likely came from a Baxia descendant with pure Bloodline and profound cultivation, or perhaps even the natal tortoise shell shed by Demon King Fushui himself. Its essence was extremely high, so much so that even a Third Order Talisman could not damage its Foundation.

"Good! This is truly an unexpected surprise!" Gao De praised repeatedly in his heart. While losing a Third Order Talisman was regrettable, exchanging it for such a priceless treasure embryo material was definitely a huge profit.

This tortoise shell only needed to find a skilled Artifact Refiner, or wait for his cultivation to improve in the future, to be re-refined, restoring its power, or even surpassing its former glory.

By then, it would undoubtedly become a powerful defensive trump card in Gao De's hands, greatly aiding him in resisting the Dragon Transformation Heavenly Tribulation.

He carefully put away the invaluable, yet spiritually inert, main body of the tortoise shell, placing it separately from the other Turtle Demon corpses.

At this point, the battlefield had been cleaned up, and the Demon Soldiers reported that the traces were mostly cleared, with no unusual movements detected.

"Retreat!" Gao De no longer lingered. With a command, he led the Demon Soldiers, laden with rich spoils of war, and quietly merged into the dark waters using Breath Concealment and Water Escape, rushing towards the Water Mansion.

The journey was uneventful, and they successfully returned to the Water Mansion. Only after activating the Formation to seal the entrance did Gao De completely relax.

He first rewarded the Demon Soldiers who participated in the action, especially commending the outstanding Green Shell Shrimp Soldier, bestowing some Water Spirit Pearls as prizes, and ordering everyone to rest.

In the quiet room, Gao De began to inventory the gains from this battle.

The greatest gain was naturally the embryo material of the Baxia Bloodline Tortoise Shell Shield, a Third Order defensive Magic Treasure embryo with infinite potential, which could be re-refined and used in the future.

Next was the complete corpse of the Baxia Bloodline Turtle Demon leader, a Second Tier Late-stage cultivation, with the richest Bloodline essence.

In addition, there were two ordinary Second Tier Turtle Demon corpses, one Middle Stage and one Early Stage. Although their Bloodline was not as good as the leader's, they were still great tonics, as well as five First Order Turtle Demon corpses, which could be kept as rewards for his subordinates.

Other miscellaneous gains included water-attribute spiritual materials and Spirit Stones carried by the Turtle Demons, as well as the shattered tortoise shell fragments from the battle. The latter's material was sturdy and might be used for other purposes.

"The harvest far exceeded expectations." Gao De nodded in satisfaction. These Turtle Demon Bloodlines were enough for him to push his cultivation to a new height, especially the Baxia Bloodline, which would greatly benefit the consolidation of his Dragon Clan Foundation and the strengthening of his defenses.

He suppressed the urge to immediately devour and refine them. Having just gone through an intense battle and used Talismans, he needed to adjust his state to the best possible first.

Thus, he properly sealed all the Turtle Demon corpses, especially the Tortoise Shell Shield, which he specifically placed next to the dragon pearl fossil, using its aura to nourish it and preserve its Origin spirituality from dissipating.

After everything was arranged, Gao De sat cross-legged, circulated his cultivation technique to regulate his breathing, restored his Demonic Power, and calmed his mind.

Once his state returned to its Peak, it would be time to enter secluded cultivation again, digest the spoils of war, and make the final sprint towards condensing the flood dragon pearl.

This time, his confidence was unprecedentedly high, and the path to Dragon Transformation seemed to be a smooth one... In the quiet room of the Water Mansion, Spiritual Qi permeated, and Dragon Might subtly resided.

Gao De first dealt with the corpses of the five First Order Turtle Demons.

Their Bloodline was thin, and for him now, the effect would be minimal; forcibly devouring them might even contaminate his own dragon blood.

He unhesitatingly stripped away their Essence Blood and bestowed it upon the Demon Soldiers who had participated in the operation and shown loyalty, with the Green Shell Shrimp Soldier receiving the largest share.

This move not only enhanced the strength of his subordinates but also further won over the hearts of the demons.

Subsequently, he focused his attention on the two ordinary Second Tier Turtle Demon corpses.

Operating the Dragon Transformation Merit and the power of the dragon pearl fossil, he carefully extracted and refined the relatively pure Turtle Clan Bloodline essence from them.

The process was smooth; the Water Elemental Power and a faint trace of Dragon Qi contained within the Bloodline were absorbed, making his Demonic Power more profound and slightly deepening his comprehension of the Law of Water. However, the Bloodline concentration increased only marginally, moving just a sliver from the stable 90% state, barely touching the 91% threshold.

"Indeed, non-Dragon Clan direct Bloodlines have greatly reduced effects." Gao De was not surprised; this was within his expectations.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the corpse of the Turtle Demon leader, which contained the Baxia Bloodline.

This was the real main event!

Baxia, one of the Dragon Children, its Bloodline, though not a True Dragon's, originated from a True Dragon, containing the purest Dragon Clan power and the true Concept of "heavy burden" and "stability"!

Gao De held his breath, concentrating, and adjusted himself to his optimal state.

He opened his Dragon mouth, and a powerful suction enveloped the Turtle Demon leader's corpse, while simultaneously fully activating the dragon pearl fossil!

Buzz—!

Unlike before, this time, a heavy, ancient, dark golden blood flow, carrying a mountain-like profound aura, was slowly extracted from the corpse. Within it, faint, tiny Dragon-shaped phantoms could even be seen struggling and roaring!

This was the Origin essence of the Baxia Bloodline!

As this essence entered his body, Gao De felt a shock throughout his being!

It was as if an invisible mountain pressed down upon his Bloodline, or as if thousands of jin of profound iron had melted into his blood!

A surging, irresistible, extremely pure Dragon Clan power, carrying the Concepts of "stability" and "bearing," began to frantically scour and integrate into his Dragon Fish Bloodline!

Pain and comfort intertwined!

His Meridians were expanding, his demonic bones were humming, and his scales were becoming thicker and harder!

His originally surging Dragon Fish Bloodline, under the integration of this higher-level Dragon Child Bloodline, seemed to undergo a baptism and sublimation, becoming more condensed, purer, and closer to its Origin!

The Dragon Transformation Merit operated autonomously at an unprecedented speed, and the dragon pearl fossil shone brightly, fully assisting in the refinement.

Time flowed by in the midst of painful transformation.

After an unknown period, the heavy pressure gradually dissipated, replaced by an unprecedented sense of solidity and power!

Gao De looked inward and saw that the river of his Bloodline had turned into a deep dark gold, flowing endlessly, exuding a pressure as profound as the earth and as vast as the deep sea!

Bloodline concentration: 95%!

He had broken through five percentage points in one go! Directly crossing the Middle Stage and reaching a whole new height!

Not only that, he clearly felt that the strength of his Physical Body had received a terrifying boost, his scales' defense far surpassed before, and he even subtly gained the unique "heavy burden" characteristic of the Baxia Bloodline, greatly increasing his resistance to physical and energy attacks!

This was undoubtedly a huge benefit for resisting the Dragon Transformation Heavenly Tribulation!

However, the surprise was not over yet!

Just as his Bloodline stabilized at 95%, perhaps some ancient thunder factor contained within the Baxia Bloodline was activated, or perhaps a quantitative change led to a qualitative change; the Subtle Ripple Thunder Light, which was originally just a thin thread deep within his Bloodline, suddenly underwent a drastic change!

"Crackling—!"

An unprecedented explosion sounded within his body! The deep blue electric light was no longer docile, but became violent and condensed, like awakened thunder snakes darting through his Meridians, finally surging together towards his already bifurcated Dragon horns!

Boom!

Above the Dragon horns, dazzling thunder light gathered, no longer wandering sparks, but condensed into a deep purple thunderball about the size of a fist, constantly compressing and flashing with destructive aura! Electric arcs leaped on the surface of the thunderball, emitting a heart-palpitating hiss!

A realization surged into Gao De's mind—

Thunder Smite Spear!

This was another lightning talent awakened by his Bloodline! No longer area-of-effect paralysis or interference, but highly compressed Power of Thunder, forming an indestructible Thunder Smite Spear, possessing ultimate single-target penetration and destructive ability! Its power far surpassed Subtle Ripple Thunder Light!

With a thought from Gao De, the deep purple thunderball on his Dragon horns slowly receded, but the method of condensing thunder and transforming it into a spear was deeply imprinted in his Divine Soul.

This was one of his strongest offensive means currently, enough to pose a fatal threat to Third Order existences.

"The Baxia Bloodline is indeed extraordinary!" Gao De stood up, feeling the surging 95% dragon blood in his body and the Thunder Smite Spear containing terrifying power, his heart filled with heroic spirit.

This hunt yielded far more than expected! Not only did his Bloodline greatly increase and his Physical Body strengthen, but he also awakened a powerful offensive thunder Spell, achieving a qualitative leap in strength!

Now, although he was still Second Tier Late-stage, with 95% dragon blood concentration, the dragon pearl fossil, numerous Divine Abilities, and the newly acquired Thunder Smite Spear, his true combat power was already unafraid of ordinary Third Order Early Stage cultivators!

If he also factored in the Third Order Tortoise Shell Shield awaiting repair, he might even have a chance to escape even when facing a Third Order Mid-Stage opponent!

"The path to Dragon Transformation is no longer obstructed!" Gao De's eyes gleamed as he looked beyond the Water Mansion.

It was time to make the final sprint towards condensing the flood dragon pearl!

He needed to find an absolutely safe and extremely Spiritual Qi-rich place, adjust his body and mind to the most perfect state, and then... activate his Bloodline, condense the flood dragon pearl, and welcome the transformative Dragon Transformation Heavenly Tribulation!

And his target was already locked onto the depths of Demon King Fushui's old lair, a place rumored to be connected to the Dragon Palace entrance! Taking advantage of the Green Wave Sect's grand ceremony, when attention was dispersed, he might find an opportunity.

Gao De suppressed the urge to act immediately and sat down cross-legged again.

He needed to first completely master and integrate his 95% Bloodline and the Thunder Smite Spear, adjusting his state to its true Peak.

Within the Water Mansion, thunder light flickered, Dragon Might lay hidden, and a great storm concerning a leap of life was quietly brewing.