59: Hunting Dragonblood Monsters

As the joy of his surging strength gradually settled, Gao De carefully sensed the power coursing through his body. At the same time, a long-suppressed thought, like a dormant undercurrent, suddenly broke through his mental defenses—

The obstacles had vanished.

Demon King Fushui, who once loomed like a sword over his head, along with his many Third Tier progeny, had now vanished like smoke.

The Demon King had fled with the flood dragon pearl, his fate unknown, and his direct Bloodline had been slaughtered to the last by the Fourth-Rank Flood Dragon.

What did this mean?

It meant that in this Eight Hundred Li Dongting Lake, and even in the bordering waters of the Yunmeng Great Marsh, all Yao Beasts who possessed dragon blood but lacked the power to threaten him had lost their strongest protector and could no longer organize any effective retaliation.

Once, even to hunt a Pig Dragon with only a meager trace of flood dragon blood, he had needed to plan meticulously and take advantage of the conflict between the Lin and Zhu families to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

As for provoking the direct descendants of Demon King Fushui?

That was an unthinkable taboo; the slightest mistake would have meant eternal damnation.

But now, everything was different.

He, Gao De, possessed a Dragon Fish Bloodline of ninety-five percent purity, carried a dragon pearl fossil, and mastered several Dragon Clan Divine Abilities. His true combat strength was already comparable to the Third Tier.

On the surface, Lake City only had the Golden Core Old Ancestor of the Green Wave Sect and a newly promoted Golden Core presiding over it, and their attention was currently drawn by the grand ceremony.

There might still be a few Third Tier Yao Beasts hidden in the lake, but they were few and far between, mostly keeping to themselves. It was unlikely they would fight to the death against an existence like him for some insignificant dragon-blooded descendants.

“Heaven is truly helping me!”

A brilliant light burst from Gao De's eyes, a heat born of breaking free from shackles and looking down upon a hunting ground.

His devouring evolution System could finally be unleashed to his heart's content in these vast waters without the constant worry of an impending disaster.

Those aquatic tribes hidden throughout Lake who possessed the thin Bloodlines of dragon sons like Chiwen, Yazi, and Mythical Dragon Son... those exotic species with a trace of True dragon blood flowing in their veins... they were no longer out of reach. They were the resources awaiting harvest on his path to dragon transformation.

“Now, I am finally qualified to openly... hunt dragonkin in this Eight Hundred Li Dongting Lake!”

Amidst his surging ambition, he quickly outlined a hunting map in his mind:

Around the former territory of Demon King Fushui, although it had been purged by the flood dragon, there were bound to be some who had slipped through the net, or some small dragon-blooded tribes that had originally been subordinates and survived.

In the peripheral waters of the Yunmeng Great Marsh, the environment was complex and the types of Dragon-Blooded Creatures were diverse. Although the risk was slightly higher, with his current strength, he could handle it as long as he didn't set foot in the core danger zones.

There were also several dangerous habitats of dragon-blooded Yao Beasts that he had previously avoided out of fear of the Demon King; they could now be added to his investigation list.

This would greatly accelerate the accumulation of his Bloodline concentration. He might even be able to push his Bloodline to a higher level before condensing a flood dragon pearl.

With every bit of improvement, the success rate and potential of his future Dragon Transformation would increase.

Despite his excitement, Gao De did not lose himself. He knew well that the stronger the power, the more restraint was needed.

“Hunting must be done in moderation. I cannot drain the pond to catch the fish, nor can I be too flashy and attract excessive attention from the Green Wave Sect and the Lin family,” he calmly warned himself.

Staying low-key was still necessary, only shifting from the “absolute concealment” of the past to “selective, high-efficiency hunting.”

He integrated this new strategy with his original plans.

The primary goal remained condensing a flood dragon pearl and Undergoing Tribulation for Dragon Transformation.

Hunting dragon-blooded Yao Beasts was to add chips and guarantees to this ultimate goal.

Secondly, investigating the clues of the Dragon Palace deep within Demon King Fushui's lair concerned his path after the Dragon Transformation.

And hunting dragonkin was precisely the best bridge to connect these two goals and rapidly increase his strength.

“Once I have completely mastered the gains from this promotion, it will be time to go out and hunt.”

Suppressing the urge to act immediately, Gao De understood the principle that “to do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools.”

He once again settled his mind to Cultivate, focusing more on familiarizing himself with the various mysteries brought by his ninety-five percent Dragon Fish Bloodline, repeatedly tempering the condensation and release speed of the “Thunder Smite Spear,” striving to operate every bit of power at will.

Outside the Water Mansion, the misty waters of Dongting Lake stretched far and wide, appearing like a bountiful hunting ground completely open to him.

The disappearance of the top-tier predator meant that a new predator was about to take the stage.

Gao De could almost foresee that countless essences of pure dragon blood were waiting for him to absorb them, propelling him forward along the path to dragon transformation, straight into the clouds.

“The hunt is about to begin.”

Ambition surged in Gao De's chest as he quickly sketched out a hunting map in his Divine Sense:

Around the former territory of Demon King Fushui, although it had been purged by the flood dragon, it was hard to guarantee there weren't some lucky escapees, or some small dragon-blooded tribes that had originally been subordinates and had decent Bloodlines.

The edge of the Yunmeng Great Marsh was a perilous environment, but that also meant a richer variety of Dragon-Blooded Creatures. As long as he didn't go deep into the core area, his current strength was enough to roam freely.

There were also several dragon-blooded Yao Beast dens he had marked previously but hadn't dared to approach due to the Demon King's might; they could now be added to his list.

This would greatly accelerate his Bloodline accumulation. He might even be able to push his Bloodline purity to an unprecedented height before condensing a flood dragon pearl!

With every bit of improvement, his success rate for Dragon Transformation and future potential would grow stronger!

Excitement surged like a tide, but Gao De's will remained as steady as a reef. The stronger the power, the more one must know how to exercise restraint.

“Hunting must have a System. I cannot drain the pond to catch the fish, nor can I be too flashy and attract unnecessary attention,” he calmly warned himself.

Staying low-key was still his basic survival strategy, only shifting from the “absolute concealment” of the past to “efficient and precise hunting.”

He perfectly integrated this new strategy with his original plans. His primary goal was still to adjust his state, condense a flood dragon pearl, and Undergoing Tribulation for Dragon Transformation.

Hunting dragonkin was to add the most solid weight to this ultimate goal.

Secondly, investigating the clues of the Dragon Palace deep within Demon King Fushui's lair concerned his path after the Dragon Transformation.

And hunting dragonkin was the best way to connect these two goals, sustaining himself through battle and rapidly increasing his strength.

“Once my state is adjusted to perfection, it will be time for the blade to leave its sheath.”

He forced down the urge to immediately rush out of the Immortal Cave and go on a killing spree, knowing well that “sharpening the axe doesn't delay the woodcutting.”

Gao De once again settled his heart, focusing more intently on sensing the various subtle changes brought by his Bloodline Power, repeatedly tempering the condensation speed and power control of the “Thunder Smite Spear,” striving for a thunderous strike in an instant.

Meanwhile, through the tianji mirror and Turtle Three Thousand, he began to selectively gather habitat information on known Dragon-Blooded Creatures of the Second Tier and below that were confirmed to have no connection to Demon King Fushui's direct forces, and he planned the optimal hunting routes to ensure efficient and covert operations.

Outside the Water Mansion, the Eight Hundred Li Dongting Lake was misty and vast. Having lost its top-tier predators, it seemed to have transformed into a bountiful hunting ground completely open to him.

Gao De coiled within the dark Water Mansion, the ripples of the water reflected in his cold vertical pupils. It was as if he could already see countless essences of pure dragon blood, like stars in the dark night, waiting for his grasp.

The new predator was already in place, only waiting for that moment of thunderous strike to stir the waters of this lake and marsh even more violently!

A few days later, when the moon was hidden and the stars were sparse, it was the perfect time for hidden killing intent.

Gao De quietly left the Water Mansion without bringing any Demon Soldiers. This hunt valued precision, speed, and stealth; he alone was enough.

With his Breath Concealment talent fully active, he was like a true shadow of the current, merging into the darkness.

Relying on his powerful Divine Sense and ultimate control over the water currents, he avoided all possible eyes and ears, following his preset route toward his first target—a Second Tier Early Stage “Chi-Patterned Water Python” coiled in an underwater grotto.

This water python possessed a meager trace of Ice Chi Bloodline and was skilled at manipulating water currents, having dominated this area for a long time.

Gao De approached the grotto soundlessly, and his Dragon Might Domain suddenly activated, instantly freezing the ten-zhang radius of water!

The Chi-Patterned Water Python had just been startled from its slumber and before it could react, it felt its entire body suppressed by an invisible mountain, its Demonic Power becoming sluggish!

It looked up in terror, only to see a dark shadow entwined with deep purple destructive lightning appearing before its eyes as if by teleportation!

Gao De didn't even use his dragon claws. With a thought, the Thunder Smite Spear instantly condensed on the dragon horns atop his head, turning into a streak of deep Purple Lightning that tore through the water curtain and pierced through the water python's hideous head at a speed faster than thought!

Puff!

There was no violent explosion, only a slight muffled sound.

Where the thunder spear passed, the interior of the water python's head had been completely annihilated by the terrifying Power of Thunder, and even its Divine Soul failed to escape!

Its massive body twitched violently once and then went limp and sank, the terror of disbelief still lingering in its eyes.

Instakill!

From activation to end, it was but a single breath.

Gao De skillfully collected its corpse, his Demonic Power swirling to erase the faint traces and bloodstains remaining here, his figure vanishing into the darkness once more as he headed toward his next target.

Efficient, precise, and cold-blooded.

Over the next few days, Gao De was like a silent god of death, roaming specific waters on the edges of Dongting Lake and Yunmeng Marsh.

A violent-tempered Golden-Scaled Alligator Demon with Yazi Bloodline was pinned into the mud by a thunder spear falling from the sky in its patrolled territory.

A pair of Dragon-Blooded Electric Rays living in an ancient shipwreck didn't even have time to release their electrical flashes together before being collectively suppressed by the expanded Dragon Might Domain and then precisely picked off by streaks of Subtle Ripple Thunder Light.

There was even an extremely alert Second Tier Middle Stage “Mirage-Whiskered Clam” that excelled at defense and concealment. It had used its talent to create an illusion to dodge the initial attack, but Gao De used a stronger Mirage Phantom to counter-interfere, forcing it to reveal its true form, and it finally perished under the Thunder Smite Spear.

Every hunt was carefully selected, the targets being solitary or in small groups, with strength not exceeding the Second Tier Mid-stage, and located in relatively remote areas.

Every strike was thunderous, striving for a one-hit kill without any entanglement.

After every success, he quickly cleaned up the traces and fled thousands of miles away.

The harvest was immense.

Several different types of dragon blood essences were continuously extracted and refined.

Although the strength of a single Bloodline was far inferior to that of the Baxia Turtle Demon, the variety was a strength. Quantitative change led to qualitative change, and Gao De could clearly feel his 95% Bloodline concentration steadily and firmly advancing toward a higher level, and his understanding of various Dragon Clan Divine Abilities grew deeper.

His hunting actions were like throwing pebbles into a calm lake; the ripples were small and did not cause much of a stir.

At least, not for the time being.

However, just as Gao De finished hunting a “Shockwave Toad” that possessed a meager Bloodline of the Mythical Dragon Son and excelled at sonic roars, and was preparing to leave a murky swamp, his powerful Divine Sense suddenly caught an extremely obscure but malicious sense of prying coming from the depths of the swamp!

That aura... was not any kind of Dragon-Blooded Creature he had expected, but instead carried a cold, deathly scent.

Gao De's figure suddenly froze, his cold vertical pupils instantly locking onto the direction that malice was coming from.

“It seems that in this hunting ground, there are some uninvited ‘guests’ hiding.” He sneered in his heart, the Thunder Smite Spear quietly condensing on his dragon horns once again, the deep Purple Lightning illuminating his grim eyes in the dark water.