Seated in the place of honor, Chu River was stroking his smooth, beardless chin when he heard the call from his subordinate. He paused for a brief moment before peering out through the specially designed observation port of the Flying Shuttle. Below was a tide-like black sandstorm, while higher up floated the Floating Cloud Boat. It was evident that those fools over there had yet to notice him concealed within the dark tempest.
"Ah, there seems to be a woman on board, with quite the figure!"
Chu River made no attempt to hide his predilections. Having squandered nearly forty years on the Golden Elixir path to no avail, he had given up hope of further cultivation progress. Apart from this particular interest, there wasn't much left for him. Wasn't it precisely because of the freedom to indulge in women without restraint that he had joined the Great Hammer Hall?
However...
"Where's the monster?"
His gaze swept around, somewhat dissatisfied. In the North Wilderness, there were indeed some exceptionally powerful beasts and demons that would leap out unexpectedly. But those creatures, driven by primitive savagery, never concealed their presence. Yet up until now, he had sensed nothing.
"Old Liang, what's the commotion... Damn it!"
His words trailed off into a curse as Chu River abruptly stood up, fixing his eyes on the relatively narrow field of view through the observation port.
In the clear air, unhindered by the Black Tide, hundreds of miles high, the night was clear, and the moonlight was favorable, allowing for a considerable visual range. As an Advanced Golden Elixir Cultivator, Chu River's eyesight, when fully applied, was capable of discerning details hundreds of miles away.
And so he saw it. Far off, nearly fifty miles away on the upper layer of the surging Black Tide, a long shadow was writhing. It must have been a dive just moments before, and now the creature was soaring up into the sky, brazenly displaying its elongated form under the bright moonlight.
To be so distinct at such a distance, the creature must be of no small size. Its color was pitch black, almost blending with the Black Tide, which was why Chu River had initially missed it:
"A snake? A flood dragon? Or... a dragon?"
The sheer size and the blurred silhouette left Chu River with only these possibilities. Regardless of its true nature, such a colossal being, especially one never before seen in the North Wilderness, was sure to be of immense value. If it were one of the latter two, it might even be possible to obtain something like the so-called "Essence Blood Pill Pearl," which could be used in alchemy, increasing its worth exponentially!
Of course, taking action against such a creature was not without its dangers.
Nevertheless, Chu River did not hesitate. He decisively declared, "Such a rarity must not be missed."
One of his subordinates expressed surprise, "Eh? What about Yin Cave City?"
"What Yin Cave City?"
Chu River cast a cold glance at the tactless fellow. With such a wonder in front of them, what did it matter about Lingxi Taoist or Underworld Secret Mansion? Let them all be damned. Why were they called Woodworm Cultivators? Why was this place known as the North Wilderness? It was because the people here never counted on long-term benefits; they were fixated solely on the gains before their eyes.
One must understand, this was the North Wilderness, a land filled with unpredictability and despair. Here, at any moment, anyone could meet their demise. In such a place, to expect to proceed methodically and according to plan—that was a joke.
He found the behavior of Hong Yuan rather odd this time. Too cautious. To summon him all the way from Qianzhang City, was it really for the sake of the great treasure of the Underworld Secret Mansion? Was he really that generous?
Take action! As Chu River eyed the dragon-serpent's long form within the Black Tide and then looked at the female cultivator aboard the Floating Cloud Boat, who seemed to possess exceptional beauty, a fierce flame ignited within him.
Ignoring the foolish remarks of his subordinate, Chu River began to issue orders. Of course, he was not foolish enough to let his five men charge directly into the fray. The situation was currently to his advantage; neither of the two targets had noticed his group's presence. Especially since the Hunting Group on the Floating Cloud Boat seemed to have set their sights on the indistinguishable dragon-serpent creature, he could very well sit back and watch the tigers fight, then reap the benefits as the victor.
Neither target disappointed him. From his vantage point, the elongated shadow continued to frolic amidst the Black Tide, treating the ferocious black sandstorm as if it were mere seawater, while the Floating Cloud Boat high above had already lit up with Talismanic Mystic Light. A group of at least twenty or thirty people were all poised for action.
He only needed to muster a bit more patience...
Huh?
His train of thought was abruptly interrupted. Just a moment ago, a peculiar vibration of Primordial Qi had cleaved through the chaotic maelstrom of darkness, standing out like an unaffected ripple amidst the turbulent waves, strikingly conspicuous and bizarre.
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At the center of the ripple was the elongated shadow of a dragon-serpent. It was unclear what Divine Power it had employed, but the Primordial Qi for tens of miles around was influenced. Following that, he saw the dragon-serpent raise its neck and open its mouth wide, from which a golden light shone through, solidifying high in the sky and spinning lazily.
Too far to see clearly, Chu River could only discern a pale golden orb of light. Yet, the answer was as obvious as if deduced by one's toes. In an instant, Chu River's eyes turned blood red:
Essence Blood Pill Pearl!
The high moon in the sky resonated with it, Moonlight Glow cascading like water, tangible as it poured into the suspended orb of light. It continued through the orb, seeping into the massive body of the dragon-serpent. Once it started, it was relentless. The serene Moonlight Glow even seemed to wash away a layer of the creature's pitch-black hue.
"Could this be the absorption of the Essence of Sun and Moon?"
Such a spectacle, not just to others but even to the self-proclaimed well-informed Chu River, was a first-time sight, leaving him momentarily spellbound.
While he was still stunned, an unexpected early reaction came from the Floating Cloud Boat. Someone had made a move, a streak of silver light cutting across the sky. Chu River's vision was sharp, and he immediately recognized it as a high-speed spinning silver disc. Observing its trajectory, it seemed not to aim for a direct "Slaying Dragon" but to intercept between the dragon-serpent shadow and the Essence Blood Pill Pearl, a classic "snatching the pearl from the dragon's mouth" maneuver.
Then, two figures chased after the silver disc's trail, shooting upward, barely slower than the flying disc, their speed astonishing.
Seeing their pace made Chu River frown: "Two Golden Elixirs... no, at least three. The one who threw the disc couldn't have recovered so swiftly. Hmph, daring to make a move from forty or fifty miles away, even with a formidable Magical Instrument, is quite presumptuous."
The strength of this Hunting Group seemed not as he had anticipated, yet Chu River was not worried. He simply adjusted his original plan:
"No need to think about slaughtering that group anymore. Dive through the Black Tide, seize the Essence Blood Pill Pearl first, then decide whether to stay or go depending on the situation. Stirring up such a scene, others will only think we came for this Dragon-Serpent Creature, diverting any suspicion from Yin Cave City's side. It's a solution that serves both ends well."
The subordinates responded in unison, their spirits high and mighty. Indeed, they were a band of proud and fierce warriors, almost the entirety of Great Hammer Hall's elite forces within Qianzhou City. Even the least skilled among the five was at the Initial Stage of the Golden Elixir; combined, they had enough strength to strut across a place like Yin Cave City.
The Flying Shuttle dove headfirst into the Black Tide, weaving through the sandstorm and swiftly closing the distance with the long shadow of the dragon and snake, its speed surpassing the two Golden Elixir cultivators ahead by a margin.
Seeing the morale was exploitable, Chu River felt more confident, chuckling to himself. However, in the next moment, his laughter was abruptly choked in his throat.
Fifty miles wasn't considered too far. The flying silver disc was a rather unique Magical Instrument, which, as it spun, continuously drew in the surrounding Primordial Qi from heaven and earth. It grew faster and deadlier, and eventually, it lost its physical form, transforming into a pure streak of light that was about to slice between the dragon-snake's head and the suspended Pill Bead.
At that moment, the long shadow of the dragon-snake seemed to sense something, but it appeared to be too late. Just then, the two sharp claws that had been tucked in front of the dragon-snake's belly suddenly shot forward.
Compared to the hundred-foot-long body, the length of the two claws seemed insignificant. Visually, it seemed impossible for them to reach the silver disc of light that had already passed overhead. But strangely enough, there was a resounding "clang" in the high sky as the sharply angled claws struck the side of the silver light. The force was applied with such finesse that the disc was knocked off its original trajectory, flying away from the direct line connecting the Pill Bead and the dragon-snake shadow in the Moonlight Glow.
The silver disc possessed the spirit to correct its course. Missing its target, it attempted another attack. But before it could complete the arc to adjust its path, those same claws struck with precision at the front end of the silver trajectory, emitting a sonorous "clang." Immediately after, the sound fell silent.
The two claws retracted, firmly gripping the silver disc, and then... forcefully snatched it away!
"What kind of joke is this!"
Chu River had also noticed the dragon-snake's shadow and the two claws tucked in front, but he had never imagined that those claws possessed such Divine Power. Had they just extended their reach? Or had they conjured some illusion?
Before he could fully understand the situation, the two Golden Elixir cultivators who had followed close behind had already reacted.
Neither of the two was a weak opponent. They had anticipated the various possibilities of their silver disc's attack missing its target and immediately adapted accordingly. They split apart, each tracing an arc, executing a feint from left and right to distract the beast, still intent on targeting the Essence Blood Pill Pearl.
At that moment, the dragon-serpent shadow flicked its head as if sneezing, releasing a ring of thin mist that enveloped the two Golden Elixir cultivators head-on.
The next instant, amidst the bright moonlight high above, two prolonged screams echoed as the cultivators, without any strength left to retaliate, plunged into the roiling, tumultuous darkness below.
Could they still be alive after such an ordeal?
At this moment, the two groups of reinforcements rapidly approaching came to a sudden halt, unsure of how to respond.
※※※
"Who dares to intrude? Shadow Ghost!"
While cultivating with the Taiyin Body Refining Technique, Yu Ci's spiritual sensitivity was diminished, and for various reasons, his perceptive range was limited. It was during such times that he relied on Shadow Ghost for vigilance. Unexpectedly, Shadow Ghost, engrossed in absorbing the essence of the moonlight, had neglected his duty, nearly causing Yu Ci's cultivation to be disrupted and sustaining an injury.
Aware of his fault, Shadow Ghost remained silent but secretly exerted the little strength he had regained over two years. With exquisite and intricate maneuvers, he transformed into a Responsive Great Net that spanned the heavens and the earth, swiftly scanning the surrounding environment.
"There are two groups of people. Their strength... is relatively decent compared to yours."
Shadow Ghost needed to investigate further for specifics, but that was the general situation. In the end, he couldn't help but ask, "Do we leave or fight?"
"It depends on the circumstances."
Yu Ci's response was casual, but the Fish-Dragon, conjured by his Mental Image, showed no intention of moving.
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