20: Demon Soldiers

At the entrance of the simple Immortal Cave carved out by Gao De using Demonic Power at the bottom of the deep pool, the water flowed gently, and Spiritual Qi was dense and misty.

Unlike their usual slackness, at this moment, four exceptionally large Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals, whose aura had reached the Late Stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage, stood guard on both sides like statues.

Their figures were nearly twice the size of their ordinary kin, their shells exhibiting a tempered, dull luster. The giant pincers of the Crab Generals clicked with a hint of wind, and the long whiskers of the Shrimp Soldiers swayed slightly like steel whips. Although their eyes still carried the dullness of aquatic creatures, they possessed a bit more vigilance and ferocity from having been trained.

Over the past six months, they were clearly the batch of 'veterans' who had benefited the most under Gao De's command.

Moreover, if one were to extend their Spiritual Sense outward, they would discover that centered around the deep pool, along the upper and lower reaches of the great river flowing into Dongting Lake, there were scattered Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals patrolling underwater.

Their movements now subtly carried a sense of method; they no longer relied entirely on instinct. They could transmit messages between each other through simple water wave vibrations, forming a rudimentary yet effective early warning network.

All these changes stemmed from the several secret techniques for raising vassal Demon Soldiers belonging to the Dragon Clan that Gao De had obtained from his Legacy memories after his Bloodline concentration significantly increased when he broke through to the Second Stage.

These secret techniques were not profound mysterious arts, but rather basic Cultivation Techniques and joint attack Formation tactics summarized by the Dragon Clan for managing aquatic races and conquering in all directions, which were most suitable for these low-level aquatic races to lay their Foundation and stimulate their potential.

While consolidating his cultivation, Gao De selected these simple methods and taught them to the few Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals who had submitted the earliest and possessed relatively better Aptitude.

Although the methods were simple, for these 'wild demons' who relied entirely on instinct to swallow the essence of the sun and moon and cultivated in ignorance, it was no less than pointing out a broad, smooth road!

Their strength, shell hardness, and the speed of Demonic Qi condensation had all been significantly improved, which was why they had all broken through to the Late Stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage within half a year, and their intelligence had also grown slightly.

What concerned Gao De even more was that the Legacy memories also contained the refining methods for standard Demon Soldier armor and weapons, as well as more complex and mysterious Demon Soldier Formations.

Whether it was the 'Black Scale Armor' and 'Mysterious Ice Pincers' that could enhance defense and add sharp effects, or the 'River-Overturning and Sea-Covering Formation' and 'Mysterious Water Strangling Formation' that could gather the power of dozens or hundreds of low-level Demon Soldiers into one place, all made his heart surge with excitement.

If they could be equipped and trained in an organized manner, the group of Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals under his command would no longer be a disorganized mob, but a truly usable aquatic Demon army!

However, reality was harsh. Refining those armors and weapons required specific Spirit materials and at least Demon Fire or Artifact Refining methods from the Foundation Establishment Stage and above; practicing those complex Formations required not only a large number of Demon Soldiers but also commanders holding the Formation eyes who possessed extremely high intelligence and leadership skills—all of which were far beyond his current reach.

"One must walk the path step by step." Gao De suppressed the urgency in his heart.

For now, being able to improve the strength of his subordinates and form initial vigilance and coordinated combat capabilities was already an excellent start.

This force, which had begun to take shape, would be an important asset for him to establish himself and fight for resources in this dangerous Dongting Lake in the future.

His gaze swept over the Demon Soldiers standing guard loyally outside the Immortal Cave, and then, through the pool water, he seemed to see the northern waters where wind and clouds were gathering due to the Zhu Family's mother crocodile about to lay eggs.

"Strength, it is still not enough strength..." he muttered to himself.

Whether it was to cope with potential crises or to realize the blueprint of refining Demon Soldiers and setting up Formations, he needed to become stronger himself.

He turned his attention back to the dark red Jade Slip that recorded the Hundred Beasts Blood Quenching Secret Canon.

Perhaps, this secret technique was the key for him to quickly improve his strength and break through his current Bottleneck.

Beneath the deep pool, a dragon lay hidden in the abyss, yet it had already begun to quietly accumulate the power to stir up the wind and clouds.

This nascent, insignificant aquatic force was waiting for its king to lead them to a broader battlefield.

...

Under the deep pool, Gao De learned from the news gathered by his Shrimp Soldiers in more distant waters that the conflict between the Lin and Zhu families had not erupted into a full-scale clash.

At first, he was indeed a little disappointed. The scenario of the snipe and the clam fighting, with the fisherman reaping the benefits, failed to materialize, causing him to lose an opportunity to seize greater benefits amidst the chaos.

But soon, this disappointment was replaced by rationality.

"Families that can stand in this Dongting Lake for hundreds of years are truly not simple." Gao De understood in his heart.

Whether it was the Lin Family Old Ancestor or the Zhu Family Old Ancestor, both were cunning and calculating individuals who knew deeply that if the two families fought to the death, even if one side won, it would inevitably be a pyrrhic victory, only allowing other covetous forces to pick up the bargain.

Under the implicit intervention of the Green Wave Sect, both sides chose restraint.

However, this 'stability' was not without a price.

To deter the other side and to invite weighty reinforcements, the Lin Family paid a significant amount of Spirit Stones and resources, while the Zhu Family deepened their attachment to the Demon King behind them. Both families could be said to have suffered heavy losses, damaging their Foundation.

Especially for the Zhu Family, after the mother crocodile successfully laid her eggs, both she and her Spirit Beast were in a relatively weak period, needing more time to recuperate, and the Family's power had declined for a time.

Therefore, although the tense atmosphere on the surface had eased and patrols and conflicts had decreased, the hatred and guard between the two families had deepened. It had simply shifted from open confrontation to a deeper stage of undercurrents and power accumulation.

On the surface of Dongting Lake, a fragile peace had temporarily been restored.

For Gao De, this was both a good thing and a challenge.

The good thing was that the relative stability of the external environment gave him more ample time to digest his previous gains and improve his own strength and that of his subordinates, without having to worry about being caught in the crossfire of large-scale warfare at any time.

The challenge was that after the two families consolidated their power, their control over their respective territories might become tighter, making it undoubtedly more difficult for him to sneak into the Lin Family's fishing grounds to steal Spirit Fish as easily as before.

Moreover, this peace was temporary. Once the two families recovered, the accumulated conflicts would likely erupt in a more violent manner.

"That is fine, taking this opportunity, it is just right to fully study this Hundred Beasts Blood Quenching Secret Canon." Gao De refocused his attention on himself.

He was temporarily powerless to intervene in the turmoil of the outside world; improving his own strength was the fundamental thing.

He coiled in the Immortal Cave, his mind sinking into that dark red Jade Slip.

The content of the Hundred Beasts Blood Quenching Secret Canon was profound and deep, far incomparable to the crude Yao Race Cultivation Techniques he had obtained before.

It recorded in detail how to distinguish the characteristics of different Bloodlines, how to set up Blood Quenching Formations to extract Essence Blood with maximum efficiency, how to resolve conflicts between different Bloodlines, and even how to melt the essence of multiple Bloodlines into one furnace to nourish oneself.

He was fascinated as he read; many of the Bottlenecks and waste problems he had encountered when using the System to devour instinctively before all found theoretical basis and solutions here.

"If I had this method earlier, when I devoured that giant python and the Golden Scale Carp, my gains would have been at least thirty percent more!" Gao De sighed with emotion.

At the same time, he also realized that cultivating this method required a large amount of Yao Beast Essence Blood containing special Bloodlines as nourishment.

His gaze could not help but turn to the outside of the Immortal Cave.

In this Eight Hundred Li Dongting Lake, the least lacking things were various powerful aquatic Yao Beasts.

"It seems that the road of cultivation in the future will not be without blood and carnage." Gao De was not afraid, but instead felt a surge of heroic spirit.

The path to dragon transformation was, in itself, a path of plunder and evolution!

He temporarily suppressed the urge to go out and hunt immediately, deciding to first master the basic parts of the secret canon and set about trying to arrange the simplest Blood Quenching Formation.

At the same time, he also urged the Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals under his command to intensify their cultivation of the Dragon Clan basic soldier and general Cultivation Techniques to improve their overall strength.

Beneath the calm waters of Dongting Lake, a unicorn horn Dragon Fish with a 70% concentration of dragon blood and carrying an ancient secret canon was quietly accumulating power, sharpening its claws and teeth, waiting for the next time when the wind and clouds would gather to soar into the sky and stir the universe.

This temporary peace, for him, was the most precious preparation period before the storm.