95: Sword Pointing at the Azure Waves

Gao De did not immediately and recklessly charge towards the Green Wave Sect despite his massive increase in strength.

A caution etched into his very bones told him that even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit, let alone a Sect with a long-standing Legacy and unknown Foundations, even if it was currently swaying in the wind and rain.

He first summoned Turtle Three Thousand.

Inside the secret chamber, Turtle Three Thousand felt the increasingly profound and majestic aura emanating from Gao De. His heart filled with even greater awe as he bowed respectfully, "Congratulations to my Lord on ending your seclusion; your Divine Ability has reached Major Achievement!"

Gao De nodded slightly and asked directly, "How has the situation at the Green Wave Sect been lately? Tell me in detail."

Turtle Three Thousand was clearly well-prepared and reported in an organized manner, "In response to my Lord, since the news of Immortal Master Qing Bo's fall was confirmed, the Green Wave Sect has completely sealed its mountains and activated its guardian Thousand Layered Waves Array. According to Shrimp No Shadow, who risked death to infiltrate the outskirts for reconnaissance, the Sect is currently managed by Qing Quan.

The people within the Sect are restless, and rumors are everywhere. There are claims that the heavily injured True Person Lan Tao is in extremely poor condition and may have already passed away, only for the Sect to keep it a secret.

Furthermore, several surrounding cultivation Families, under the arrangement of the nearby Golden Core Sect 'Red Cloud Sect', have begun to secretly encroach upon some of the Green Wave Sect's peripheral industries to test their reaction."

A flash of understanding crossed Gao De's jiao pupils.

When a wall is about to fall, everyone gives it a push; this is an eternal truth. The Green Wave Sect was now a piece of fat meat that everyone wanted to take a bite out of.

"Do we know the true strength of that 'Thousand Layered Waves Array'?"

"This array is the very Foundation of the Green Wave Sect's establishment. Its grade is as high as Tier 3 High Grade. When operating at full capacity, it is said to be able to draw upon the water vapor of Lake to form a continuous water curtain barrier. Its defensive power is extremely strong, making it difficult for even an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator to break through in a short time. However..." Turtle Three Thousand paused, "According to this old turtle's analysis, given the Green Wave Sect's current Spiritual Vein supply and the cultivation of the remaining Disciples, if this array is at full power, it will be difficult to sustain."

Gao De pondered for a moment, a plan already formed in his heart.

He looked at Turtle Three Thousand: "Pass down these orders: First, command Shrimp No Shadow to increase manpower and strictly monitor the Green Wave Sect's mountain gate and the movements of surrounding powers. Report any anomalies immediately.

Second, order Crab Eighteen to prepare the Demon Soldiers, select the elites, and stand by at all times.

Third, you personally take charge of taking inventory of the storehouse, especially those Magical Artifacts and talismans previously prepared by the Water Mansion that can be used for breaking Formations and sieges."

"Your subordinate obeys the command!" Turtle Three Thousand's spirits rose, knowing his Lord was about to make a big move, and he immediately bowed and withdrew to make arrangements.

Gao De coiled alone in the secret chamber, his consciousness sinking into his Dantian. That dragon pearl fossil was still slowly rotating, emitting strands of pure Dragon Qi that merged into the flood dragon pearl he had condensed.

He then swept his Divine Thought over the purple scale earth-shaking armor and thunder fang formation-breaking halberd floating beside him. The two natal demon artifacts were in sync with his mind, emitting bursts of humming that craved battle.

"It's still not enough," Gao De thought to himself.

What he wanted was not just to break through the mountain gate, but to take over the Green Wave Sect's inheritance as completely as possible, especially any existing ancient texts regarding the Dragon Clan or the Yunmeng Great Marsh, as well as that Tier 3 Spiritual Vein!

A frontal assault would certainly be satisfying, but if the opponent were driven to desperation and destroyed the core items, or if the possibly still-living True Person Lan Tao found an opportunity to perish together with him, the losses would outweigh the gains.

He needed a precise, efficient battle of annihilation that could maximize the deterrence against any small-time troublemakers.

A few days later, Shrimp No Shadow sent back a key piece of intelligence: Intense friction had arisen within the Green Wave Sect over resource distribution and power issues. That Sect Head, Daoist Qing Quan, was originally a Disciple of Immortal Master Qing Bo, but after the Immortal Master's fall, he seemed unable to control the situation.

"The opportunity has come." A sharp light flashed in Gao De's eyes. Internal instability was the best point of Breakthrough.

He once again summoned his core subordinates.

"Turtle Three Thousand, assemble two hundred powerful Demon Soldiers to be led by Crab Eighteen and set out with this King. Crab Iron Wall will stay to guard the Water Mansion and activate the array to prevent anyone from taking advantage of our absence. Turtle Chengye and Clam Hanzhu, maintain the daily operations of the Water Mansion and guard the Spiritual Vein."

"By your command!" The demons responded in a thunderous roar.

Gao De looked at Turtle Three Thousand, "Three Thousand, you come with me. Also, bring that 'Abyssal Shield' we obtained from the Dragon Palace armory."

Although this shield was only Tier 3 Low Grade and he had no use for it himself, it was perfect for his Tier 2 Demon Generals to defend against possible Formation backlash or sneak attacks.

"This old servant understands."

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

At the entrance of the Deep Pool Water Mansion, the water silently parted to both sides.

Gao De did not manifest his massive flood dragon true form. Instead, he operated the Lesser Turtle Breath Form Mimicry Art to transform into his Half-Jiaoren form—a human body with a flood dragon head, covered in fine, tough purple-black scales, wearing the simple purple scale earth-shaking armor and holding the thunder fang formation-breaking halberd. Standing three meters tall, his Dragon Might was restrained, yet it felt even more oppressive.

This form was better suited for fighting in small spaces and entering human buildings.

Behind him were two hundred elite Demon Soldiers led by Crab Eighteen, each overflowing with Evil Qi, silent as killing machines within the dark currents.

Turtle Three Thousand followed at his side, the shield emitting a faint blue light resting on his turtle back.

"Set out." With Gao De's command, his figure turned into a faint purple thunder shadow that almost blended into the night, silently galloping toward the Green Wave Sect's mountain gate.

The Demon Soldiers under the leadership of the demon general also formed a battle array, hiding their tracks as they followed closely behind.

The blade of revenge had already been unsheathed, pointed directly at that immortal Sect that had lost its pillar and was swaying in the storm.

In less than half an hour, Gao De and his group arrived outside the Green Wave Sect's mountain gate.

Looking from afar, a mountain peak shrouded in a hazy water-blue light shield stood by the lakeside. Water waves flowed over the shield, appearing soft yet emitting spiritual power fluctuations that could not be underestimated; it was precisely the Green Wave Sect's guardian Thousand Layered Waves Array.

The Formation's light curtain was only maintaining a basic defensive state, indeed much dimmer and thinner than in its prime, but the consumption of the Spiritual Vein was also much lower.

Inside the mountain gate, the lights were sparse, and there was an oppressive dead silence. Only the sound of patrolling Disciples flying on their artifacts broke the air, carrying an undisguisable panic.

Gao De hovered in mid-air, his thunder fang formation-breaking halberd pointing diagonally at the ground. His cold jiao pupils swept over the Thousand Layered Waves Array that was maintaining basic operations; he did not attack immediately.

His powerful Divine Thought was like mercury spilling on the ground, carefully sensing the energy flow nodes of the great array.

The two hundred Demon Soldiers he brought had now, at his signal and under Crab Eighteen's command, silently dispersed and lay in ambush in the darkness around the mountain gate in a semi-encirclement posture.

Their main task was not a frontal assault—that would be Gao De's solo stage—but to blockade all directions after the Formation was broken, clear out remaining enemies, and most importantly: clean up the battlefield and transport the spoils of war.

Such trivial but necessary work naturally did not require the Demon King to do it personally.

Gao De hovered in mid-air. His powerful Divine Thought sensed that although this array's light was not as bright as in its prime, its Foundation remained. The energy flow formed a relatively stable whole, with no obvious or fixed weak points.

Forcibly attacking one point would cause the water elemental power of the entire array to disperse and neutralize the strike.

"It seems I need to wear down its Spiritual Qi first." Gao De understood that a Tier 3 array was not so easy to break even for a Cultivator of the same rank.

He no longer hesitated and raised the thunder fang formation-breaking halberd, pouring his boundless Demonic Power into it.

"Thunder Smite Spear!"

The first deep purple lightning spear shot out violently. It did not seek to break the Formation in one hit but instead acted like a heavy hammer strike, smashing fiercely against the most condensed central region of the array's light curtain!

"Boom!"

The light curtain vibrated violently as water waves flowed crazily, weakening and directing the lightning spear's destructive power in layers to all directions. It barely managed to withstand the blow, but its light clearly dimmed a fraction.

At the array core, the Green Wave Sect Disciples responsible for maintaining the Formation were shaken to their cores, their faces turning pale as they felt the magic power in their bodies being drained by the array like an opening floodgate.