noffsinger Chapter 106 Startles a Late-Stage Core Cultivator! 1. Two Years of Lifespan!
Chapter 106 Startles a Late-Stage Core Cultivator! 1. Two Years of Lifespan!
This transformation, which originated from the top-grade demon blood stone and a long period of accumulation, was violent and arduous, lasting for three days and three nights.
On the deserted island, dark clouds rolled and lightning snakes danced wildly. Under the dual impact of terrifying heavenly might and surging demonic power within, the light curtain of the Inverted Five Elements Array flickered like a lone lamp in a storm, stubbornly holding onto the last barrier and locking most of the strange phenomena and energy fluctuations within the island.
At the heart of the formation, Zhou Ding sat cross-legged, his expression solemn.
His forehead was already soaked with sweat, and the robe on his back clung tightly to his skin, revealing his strong physique.
His mind was constantly on edge, like a fully drawn bowstring.
Through their soul connection, he could clearly feel every bit of Xiao Jin's pain, every struggle, and every wisp of demonic energy going berserk.
The excruciating pain—the feeling of blood surging, bones being reshaped, and the soul being torn apart—caused Zhou Ding, who was in the shared state, to furrow his brow and clench his teeth.
He could "feel" that Xiao Jin's body was floating in a vortex of pain and sublimation, sometimes blurry, sometimes bursting out with an indomitable roar.
"Hang in there...we're almost there..." Zhou Ding silently encouraged himself, his eyes filled with determination.
He knew full well what this step meant for Xiao Jin, and he also understood the enormous boost this feedback would bring to him.
Risk and reward always go hand in hand.
At the core of the formation, Xiao Jin's enormous figure was undergoing a complete and transformative change under the alternating baptism of blood light, demonic energy, and lightning.
The most obvious difference is body shape!
Its body expanded wildly as if inflated, its bones cracking and its muscles bulging. From a dozen feet before its advancement, it broke through all the way and finally stabilized at an astonishing twenty feet!
Like a moving, dark gold mountain, it simply lay there quietly, occupying a large part of the core area of the deserted island, casting shadows that carried a suffocating sense of oppression.
The originally smooth lines became more rugged and powerful, the limbs were like pillars of heaven, and the claws and toes gripped the ground, easily sinking into the hard reef.
Its neck became even thicker, and when its head was raised, it possessed an air of majesty as if it were looking down upon all living beings.
The most significant change, and the one that most captivated Zhou Ding, was the crimson-gold scale armor.
The originally dazzling crimson gold color has settled down, becoming deep and restrained, faintly exuding a dark gold, ancient metallic texture as if it has been tempered by the earth's fire and settled by the years, its light dimmed but appearing more profound.
Each scale had grown several times larger, not only incredibly thick, but also with edges naturally forming sharp serrations and strange natural runes, fitting tightly and seamlessly onto the massive body, forming a set of perfectly formed, seemingly innate, killing armor.
Under the occasional pale lightning bolts that pierced through the blood-red light, countless scales simultaneously reflected a cold, hard, and chilling gleam, as if they were not the shells of living beings, but some kind of divine weapon born for war.
Especially on its back, the row of thick, sharp bone spurs that bulge out like inverted swords extends all the way to its tail, with a faint dark red glow flowing around the top, making it look even more ferocious, fierce, and inviolable.
Its head became even larger and more imposing, with a protruding snout like a battering ram, and its exposed fangs gleaming coldly, their length comparable to a magical flying sword.
In his scarlet eyes, the ferocity and pain of the advancement process were gradually replaced by a deep, dark red, as profound as a blood abyss. His eyes shone brightly with every blink, and when he looked around, he exuded the ferocity and majesty of the king of beasts.
With each breath, scorching air gushed out, subtly forming a small spiritual whirlwind that stirred up sand and gravel.
A powerful, fierce, ancient, and indescribably noble aura, unique to level five demonic beasts, slowly spread out like a prehistoric overlord awakening. Even through the still-operating Inverted Five Elements Array, it caused Zhou Ding, who was at the array's core, to tremble and his blood to surge slightly.
He clearly sensed that not only had Xiao Jin successfully advanced, but its bloodline potential, under the extreme stimulation of that top-grade demon blood stone, seemed to have undergone some kind of incredible leap. Its life level and foundation far exceeded that of ordinary level 5 demon beasts in his understanding, and even gave him the illusion of facing a primordial alien species.
……
Meanwhile, over the azure sea about forty or fifty miles away from the deserted island.
A streak of silvery-white light streaked slowly across the sky, leaving a striking trail between the azure sea and the white clouds.
Within the shimmering light was a middle-aged Taoist priest, dressed in a brocade blue robe with cloud patterns, with a lean yet vigorous face, three long black beards flowing down his chest, and an air of otherworldly elegance.
With his hands behind his back, he appeared relaxed, riding a gleaming silver shuttle as if treading on waves. His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept across the shimmering sea and scattered islands below. Though seemingly casual, his divine sense had already spread out like an invisible net, probing every movement within a hundred miles.
The immense spiritual pressure emanating from his body, undisguised and as deep and heavy as a towering mountain, clearly demonstrated his lofty status and powerful strength as a late-stage Core Formation cultivator!
This person is the owner of Xuanxing Island, a medium-sized island in the nearby sea that is richer in resources and slightly larger in scale. His surname is Nangong and his given name is Yu.
He is an island lord officially appointed and recorded by the Star Palace. He possesses profound cultivation and has been operating in this sea area for over two hundred years. He is a powerful and influential figure with deep roots.
Recently, he has been conducting routine patrols in the outer sea areas under his jurisdiction in accordance with the Star Palace Regulations and his own practices. This is partly to deter any potential villains and restless forces, and partly to search for rare and precious materials or to see if any new resource points have been discovered.
Just now, as he was finding the patrol rather uneventful and somewhat boring, he faintly detected an unusually strong and persistent fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from the northeast, mixed with a trace of…
The fierce and tyrannical aura, unique to high-level demonic beasts, was quite familiar to him. Although the aura was being concealed by some force, the fleeting "essence" could not completely escape the keen perception of this late-stage Core Formation cultivator.
"Oh? Such violent fluctuations in spiritual energy, mixed with a considerable amount of demonic energy... This fluctuation has been ongoing for several days, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, and the nature of the energy at its core is changing drastically..."
Nangong Yu slowed his flight slightly, a glint of shrewdness and inquiry flashing in his eyes, and a playful smile unconsciously curving his lips.
With his extensive experience and broad knowledge, he instantly discerned several possibilities, the one that most intrigued him being: "Could it be that a demonic beast is attempting to reach a higher rank in this remote sea area?"
He quickly recalled the relevant sea map, where there were only a few barren reefs and islands, lacking spiritual energy, not ideal for monsters to nest or cultivate in.
But precisely because it is remote, it is more likely to be the choice of powerful monsters that prefer solitude or need a secluded environment to advance.
"Judging from the scale of the gathering of spiritual energy and the extent of the leakage of demonic energy... it's probably at least a level 5 demonic beast attempting to break through to level 6! Or even... a level 6 demonic beast stabilizing its realm or undergoing some kind of transformation?" Nangong Yu's mind raced, and the more he speculated, the more excited he became.
Newly promoted demon beasts, regardless of their original level, will experience a period of relative weakness, whether long or short, after passing through the Heavenly Tribulation and completing their initial transformation. They will also be unfamiliar with controlling their newly acquired immense power. This is simply a perfect opportunity bestowed by heaven to hunt them down and seize their demon core and all their materials!
A level 5 demon beast is a treasure from head to toe. Its demon core, essence blood, bones, leather, claws, etc., can be broken down and are worth nearly 100,000 spirit stones, enough to make even a Core Formation cultivator envious.
If it's level six... then it's an extremely rare and precious treasure, its value immeasurable!
Thinking of this, even with his late-stage Core Formation stage and his composure accustomed to storms, he couldn't help but feel a surge of heat in his heart, and his Dao heart, which had been calm for many years, was stirred.
His powerful divine sense was no longer held back; like invisible tentacles, it recklessly extended and probed towards the source of the fluctuations.
Sure enough, dozens of miles away, his divine sense "saw" a desolate island shrouded in dense demonic energy, chaotic spiritual energy, and faint remnants of heavenly tribulation.
Although the aura of the demonic beasts on the island was being concealed and distorted by a sophisticated array, the chilling pressure of their life force, characteristic of high-level demonic beasts, and the unstable energy turbulence unique to their advancement, were like torches in the night, difficult to completely hide. In the perception of a cultivator of his caliber, they were even more prominent.
"Good! Just as expected! Moreover, this formation... seems to focus on concealment and protection, rather than killing or trapping formations. The person who set up the formation may just be the master of that demon beast, or... another cultivator who also wants a share of the spoils?" Nangong Yu felt certain, and a sense of ambition and a faint sense of superiority rose within him.
In either case, once he encountered a newly advanced, priceless high-level demonic beast, there was absolutely no reason for him to let it go.
As for potential "competitors" or "guardians," as a late-stage Core Formation cultivator and the master of Star Palace Island, what is there to fear in this sea area?
With a thought, the silver shuttle beneath his feet shone brightly, increasing its speed as it shot straight toward the deserted island.
However, his divine sense also clearly detected that there were three or four other streaks of light, much weaker than his, with only the fluctuations of the early to mid-stage Foundation Establishment stage. Like sharks that had smelled blood, they were also sneaking and dodging towards the sea area where the deserted island was located from different directions. They were obviously low-level rogue cultivators who had also been attracted by the strange phenomenon and were hoping for a lucky break.
"Hmph, you ignorant fools! How dare an ant covet food that's practically at the dragon's mouth?"
A hint of undisguised contempt and coldness flashed in Nangong Yu's eyes, as if he could see a few flies buzzing around the feast.
In his eyes, several Foundation Establishment stage cultivators were no different from roadside pebbles or sea creatures; he could annihilate them into ashes with a wave of his hand.
He didn't take these people seriously at all. He just planned to get rid of them when they arrived at their destination, treating it as cleaning up the battlefield and preventing them from making noise and leaking information.
As the distance rapidly closed, the deserted island gradually came into view, and the chaotic spiritual and demonic energy became increasingly palpable.
Nangong Yu assessed the possible state of the monsters on the island and the strength of the protective formation, considering whether to wait until the monsters were fully upgraded and at their weakest before making a move, or to strike swiftly at a critical moment.
Just as he approached within a dozen miles of the deserted island, he focused his divine sense, preparing to investigate the island's specific situation more thoroughly, especially to confirm the specific type of the formation, its nodes, and whether there were any other cultivators present.
A sudden change has occurred!
A vast, majestic, and icy aura, seemingly originating from the highest heavens or directly from the deepest part of his soul, emanated from a terrifying divine sense that carried an aura of absolute crushing power over life.
Without any warning, it crashed down like a towering iceberg from the heavens, ignoring the protective aura that automatically rose from his body, and slammed down firmly and solidly on his sea of consciousness!
"Buzz—!"
Nangong Yu felt an indescribable, violent roar in his mind, as if thousands of bronze bells were ringing in his skull at the same time!
In an instant, stars flashed before his eyes, his vision went black, and the powerful magic power that had been flowing smoothly within his body suddenly stopped, as if he had crashed into an invisible iron wall. His blood and qi surged backward, and he felt a sweet taste in his throat, almost spitting out blood!
The silver flying shuttle, his prized flying artifact that he had nurtured for many years, suddenly dimmed, let out a mournful cry, and shook violently a few times, almost causing him to fall from the sky!
The strength, refinement, and superiority of that divine sense far surpassed any Core Formation cultivator he knew, including several late-stage Core Formation cultivators or even Great Perfection cultivators he had met!
The cold will it contained, which disregarded all living beings and regarded lower life as worthless, made his soul tremble, giving rise to an instinctive sense of insignificance and fear, like an ant facing the heavens!
"roll!"
A simple, direct, domineering, and indifferent person who lacks any sense of humanity.