The Island Lord Nulang had every reason to be cowardly. That existence, one that could be called the nightmare of countless childhoods, was indeed a symbol of invincibility overseas.
He’d been willing to lead the way, bringing the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox and the human expert to Gods and Demons island, only because he thought there was no harm in trying. It wasn’t that he absolutely had to explore it.
The silver-haired Yao beauty said with a smile:
“You can leave!”
In any case, the Guixu was right ahead. There was no longer any need for a guide.
Then I’ll leave? The Island Lord Nulang was tempted. But then he noticed that although the mermaid queen’s little face was pale, and she looked like a delicate creature startled out of her wits, she had no intention of retreating at all.
Seeing him look over, Zhenzhu said softly:
“There’s no harm in having a look. At worst, we just don’t go near it.”
The tall, powerfully built dragonman hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice:
“I, I’ll go and have a look too…”
He still hadn’t made his peace, and wanted to take another look at Gods and Demons island.
Island Lord Nulang believed that the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox and the human expert weren’t blindly arrogant fools. No beyond-mortal expert was a stupid fish. Since they refused to retreat, they were probably determined to see this so-called “Gods and Demons island” for themselves.
“We can’t let Desolation return to its peak. Otherwise, the situation the Great Feng faces in future will only become worse, so bad it’ll drive people to despair.”
The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox brushed aside the loose hair hanging over her brow. On her flawless, gorgeous face, that flirtatious charm was gone for once, leaving only gravity.
“Let’s go onto the island first.”
Xu Qi’an’s reply was simple and direct.
Of course he knew they couldn’t just let “Desolation” return to its peak. But the problem was that with his current combat strength, even adding the nine-tailed fox, they still couldn’t possibly be Desolation’s match.
The mermaid queen and the Island Lord Nulang could only be flowers on the embroidery, they were not combat strength capable of balancing Desolation.
The nine-tailed fox nodded, then transmitted her voice:
“Don’t forget, the Jianzheng’s here too.”
She could see Xu Qi’an’s solemnity, and a trace of pessimism.
I know the Jianzheng is here, but you can’t stake everything on him. You don’t even know what he’s planning… Xu Qi’an let out a breath and swallowed the words.
Because he also felt that perhaps he ought to trust the Jianzheng.
Of course, that didn’t mean he was putting all his chips on the Jianzheng. If the old fellow were truly omnipotent, he wouldn’t have been sealed inside Desolation’s long horn. Xu Qi’an simply felt that, with the Jianzheng here, it was worth risking a landing on the island.
There was no harm in trying.
I haven’t even advanced to half-step Martial God yet, and I’m already going up against Desolation first. Bloody rotten luck… Xu Qi’an thought. Aren’t I supposed to be the child of fortune? Must be fake!
“Black Horse is deceitful and despicable by nature, and best at trimming its sails to the wind. I’m not surprised it’d submit to that existence. Dragon Whale was born with monstrous strength, brave and aggressive by nature, and cruel in temperament. Although it’s in the same realm as me, it’s still a bit stronger than I am.
“As for the Flame Bird, it shouldn’t have submitted to that existence. The sky’s so vast, it could’ve flown far away. There was no need to submit to a stronger being, unless that one promised them corresponding benefits.”
The Island Lord Nulang did his utmost to analyse the situation, but found that whether it was the mermaid queen, the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox, or the human male, all three looked rather uninterested.
He said no more and fell silent too.
The ship continued southward, without speeding up because of this. After another half hour, a coastline appeared ahead, stretching all the way to the edge of sight.
Judging by the naked eye alone, this was undoubtedly a continent.
The Island Lord Nulang said in a deep voice:
“This is Gods and Demons island, which rose from the Guixu. It blocked the Guixu, so the seawater can no longer pour into it.”
This can’t really be called an island any more… Xu Qi’an muttered inwardly, and his gaze naturally turned to Gods and Demons island.
This landmass was shrouded in a thin layer of mist. From deep within that haze, like a fog of time itself, emerged a six-armed giant a thousand feet tall.
Its blue-black skin was covered in strange patterns. Its muscles bulged, yet the lines of its body were incomparably smooth, giving a direct impression of peerless battle strength.
Its face was incomparably savage, two slightly curved fangs protruding from the corners of its mouth, and its scarlet eyes bulged outward.
After strolling by the shore for a while, it turned and returned to the depths of the continent, vanishing from Xu Qi’an’s view.
Throughout the whole process, it remained utterly silent, paying no attention to the situation outside the island, as if it had seen nothing.
So there really are god-demons, but something seems off about them… For now I can’t tell if the god-demons are illusion or reality. Only by landing on the island I can investigate properly… As Xu Qi’an marvelled inwardly, he drew back his gaze and instead examined the two opposing sides outside Gods and Demons island.
A horse-shaped monster nearly a hundred feet long and thirty feet tall stood quietly upon the water.
It was completely black, and although its shape was broadly similar to a horse’s, it had a single horn on its head, a long snake’s tail behind its rump, and no mane along its slender neck. In its place were fish-like gills.
Its eyes were golden vertical pupils, sharp and cold like a serpent’s, and they were fixed on the group of beyond-mortal experts opposite.
Black Horse!
To Black Horse’s left, Xu Qi’an could vaguely make out a gigantic back rising above the sea surface, like a bulging hill, but covered in black scales.
Dragon Whale!
The seawater around Black Horse and Dragon Whale was tinged a faint blood-red. No one knew what creatures’ blood had dyed it so.
Presumably these were the god-demon descendants of the beyond-mortal realm mentioned by the great elder of the divine turtle, those killed by Desolation, or slaughtered by the three lackeys joining forces.
Opposite the two beyond-mortal creatures were a little over a hundred god-demon descendants scattered here and there, their strengths varying widely. Xu Qi’an narrowed his eyes as he swept his gaze over them, and found that only six of them were in the beyond-mortal realm.
Of course, he had no way to sense how many lay beneath the water.
“Black Horse, you’ve actually pledged loyalty to that madman and are willing to become its claws and fangs! Have you forgotten how your ancestors died?”
One god-demon descendant of the beyond-mortal realm shouted a rebuke from a great distance away.
Any god-demon descendant able to reach the beyond-mortal realm usually had very pure bloodlines. Tracing them back another generation or two, they were basically all second rank, with a very few even first rank.
In other words, the current beyond-mortal god-demon descendants overseas basically all had a blood feud with Desolation for killing their fathers or grandfathers.
The pitch-black Black Horse snorted, raised its slender neck proudly, looked down upon the god-demon descendants, and said in an arrogant tone:
“Since heaven and earth were first parted, the strong being honoured above all has been an unchanging law. If you can defeat me, you too may make me acknowledge you as master. If you can’t, then hurry up and leave. My master doesn’t kill you only because you’re not worth notice.
“But if you continue to linger outside the Guixu, then once my master returns, I’ll ask my master to slaughter every last one of you, and the blood essence will be divided among the three of us.”
There wasn’t the slightest trace of shame in its words. On the contrary, it was full of swagger, looking down on the god-demon descendants as if the two sides were no longer on the same level.
As Black Horse spoke, it snorted and grinned savagely.
“Chenghuang tasted rather good.”
Chenghuang was a beyond-mortal god-demon descendant they had devoured not long ago.
At that, the god-demon descendants in the distance changed expression slightly and all retreated a bit farther.
Dragon Whale’s head rose out of the water. Its eyes were scarlet, and it rumbled in a muffled voice:
“A bunch of stinking trash fish, all of you piss off, or not one of you’ll leave alive.”
A god-demon descendant with a tiger’s body, a bird’s head, and wings on its back said in a deep voice:
“We only want to watch and see what happens next, to see what sort of place Gods and Demons island is. We’re not trying to land ashore. Dragon Whale, Black Horse, we’ve known each other for a while, so why be so absolute?”
“We’ve known each other? You’re worthy of that?”
Black Horse sneered.
“Not only did I look down on you lot before, now that I’ve followed my master, are a bunch of stinking trash fish like you fit to try to claim friendship with me? You simply have no idea what sort of background my master has.
“Forget overseas, even on the mainland of Jiuzhou, there aren’t many who are its match.”
That tiger-bodied, bird-headed god-demon muttered:
“Wasn’t it still driven out of Jiuzhou by the Daoist Venerable? If it’s so capable, let it go back to Jiuzhou.”
All the god-demon descendants who could come here had “deep family learning”. They’d all heard from their elders why god-demon descendants had migrated overseas on a massive scale.
“Impudent!”
Black Horse roared in anger. Two blasts of astral wind shot from its nostrils, sweeping over a distance of more than a thousand feet in an instant, blowing that tiger-bodied, bird-headed god-demon descendant to pieces. Blood stained the sea, and chunks of corpse bobbed upon it.
Black Horse stood proudly upon the sea and slowly swished its snake tail.
“All you want is to get close to Gods and Demons island and try your luck at finding spiritual essence matching the power of your bloodlines. But I advise you not to indulge in wishful thinking. Before my master says you may approach, none of you can even think of getting near Gods and Demons island.”
Apart from the few beyond-mortal god-demon descendants, the others all retreated in unison, shocked and furious that Black Horse would show so little mercy.
“That vile, shameless rotten prawn, so arrogant just because it’s got that one’s backing.”
“Damn it, why aren’t those sirs making a move?”
“How would they dare? Never mind whether they can beat Dragon Whale, Black Horse, and Flame Bird. If they make a move, and that existence comes out from the island afterwards, it’ll directly carry out a bloody massacre overseas. We will all suffer.”
“These few aren’t leaving, but they don’t dare approach either. They’re probably waiting for that existence to come out so they can swear loyalty.”
“That’s the only way.”
Black Horse stepped elegantly with its four hooves, very satisfied with the attitude of the god-demon descendants.
Its master had ordered them to guard Gods and Demons island. This was both a task and a test. If they handled the job well, their master would naturally reward them.
These stinking trash fish had no idea what sort of status their master possessed. The aura of god-demons recoiled from it as from a viper. That alone couldn’t prove much, but their master had clearly told the three of them:
Serve under my command, and when I return to my peak, I can help you absorb spiritual essence and strengthen the power of your bloodlines.
At the mere thought of it, Black Horse trembled from the bottom of its heart.
At that moment, a sharp cry came from the sky. A giant fiery-red bird, its wings burning with flames, swooped down from the clouds and signalled a warning to Dragon Whale and Black Horse below.
The god-demon descendants upon the sea all looked up into the sky, then, following Flame Bird’s warning, turned their gazes to the diagonal rear.
There, a not particularly large ship was cleaving through the waves towards Gods and Demons island.
“Hmph! Another batch come to die.”
Black Horse snorted, and two ripples immediately spread across the sea.
As the two sides drew closer, Black Horse’s eyesight, exceedingly keen, swept over the people on the deck and was the first to recognise the mermaid queen and the Island Lord Nulang.
“It’s the Island Lord Nulang from the Arsu Archipelago.”
“That’s a big figure…”
The god-demon descendants whispered among themselves.
A big figure… Black Horse sneered inwardly. If it had been before, then yes, on seeing Nulang of the Arsu Archipelago, it would’ve shown some courtesy. But now…
Black Horse first looked up at Flame Bird, which understood at once and kept circling at a great height, demonstrating force but not attacking.
“Nulang, you’re too late.”
Its voice rang out across the sea.
“Gods and Demons island has already been occupied by my master. Anyone who comes within a thousand feet of this island will be killed without mercy!”
Black Horse’s bearing was as arrogant as ever.
The ship continued sailing. It did not stop because of Black Horse’s warning.
Nulang glanced at the nine-tailed fox and Xu Qi’an. Seeing no reaction from either of them, he too remained silent.
The ship kept moving at a constant speed, passed by the surrounding god-demon descendants, and continued on towards Gods and Demons island.
Hm? Has Nulang gone mad…? This thought flashed through the minds of the god-demon descendants.
“Nulang, its master is that invincible one from back then, the one who devoured powerful descendants and stirred up bloody slaughter. The very same one your six great tribes of the Arsu Archipelago once encountered.”
Not far away, a god-demon descendant of the beyond-mortal realm called out a reminder.
Its true form was a gigantic silver clam. Its shell was open, and the clam flesh had transformed into a humanoid shape of indeterminate sex.
I know, but this isn’t for me to decide… Nulang nodded expressionlessly.
“I know!”
You know and you still won’t stop the ship, and still dare cause trouble? Looking to die, are you?
Now even those few beyond-mortal god-demon descendants couldn’t make sense of it.
In the brief time it took for this exchange, the ship had already smoothly “passed” the god-demon descendants and entered the forbidden zone “within a thousand feet”.
Black Horse was so angry it laughed.
“You’re used to lording it over others in the Arsu Archipelago, and haven’t properly understood your place. If I kill you today, then the Arsu Archipelago ought to change masters.”
As the words fell, Black Horse turned into a streak of black lightning and shot towards the ship. Only after it had left did the waves where it had been standing belatedly rear up.
“Roar!”
A deafening bellow burst from Black Horse’s mouth. Black light surged around the horn on its forehead as it rammed towards the four beyond-mortal figures on the deck.
At the same time, a clear and piercing cry rang out in the sky. Flame Bird, which had been circling on guard, dived down like a crimson meteor.
Savage excitement shone in its fierce eyes, the excitement of craving beyond-mortal blood essence.
Dragon Whale wasn’t as fast as the first two, but the waves thrown up by its huge body as it attacked caused a far more terrifying commotion than Black Horse and Flame Bird.
The surging burst of beyond-mortal qi and blood made every god-demon descendant present feel their hearts lurch, and this was without even facing Dragon Whale directly.
Not good, retreat quickly, don’t get caught in the aftermath… The god-demon descendants each reacted in their own way.
It was right then that the silver-haired Yao beauty on deck, dressed in a beast-skin chest wrap and a fur cloak as a skirt, lifted her snowy bare foot and stepped out beyond the edge of the deck.
“Whoosh…”
Behind her, nine fox tails spread like the fanned plumage of an enraged peacock. In the next moment, each fox tail shot forth like a dancing tentacle, sweeping towards the front, the sky, and the sea.
The streak of black lightning abruptly halted. Black Horse stopped thirty feet from the ship, not of its own will, but because three fox tails had hoisted it up.
The meteor in the sky slammed into a white blur. Tentacle-like fox tails wrapped it tightly, and no matter how it struggled or beat its wings, it couldn’t break free, like a kite hanging in the sky.
The final three tails plunged into the seabed. The layered, surging waves crashing in were instantly crushed into collapse.
The sea immediately began to boil. Massive amounts of seawater roiled, and Dragon Whale’s furious roar sounded out.
The two sides seemed to be locked in a struggle of strength.
“Three stinking trash fish, and you dare swagger before this queen.”
The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox gave a cold laugh. Twisting her slender waist, she gave her fox tails a shake. Rip, rip, rip… Black Horse was the first to be torn into pieces. Then came Flame Bird in the sky, its wings ripped off first, then the fox tails tightened, and its body was brutally twisted into two.
And that wasn’t the end of it. Dragon Whale’s shrill howl sounded once more from beneath the sea, and the endlessly churning surface abruptly went still.
Streams of scarlet blood bubbled up in gulps, and the seabed fell completely silent.
Only then had the god-demon descendants just been preparing to withdraw, so as not to be caught up in the aftermath.
But now there was no need.
There was wind upon the sea, and clouds in the sky, but not a single sound.
Dead silence.
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