226: Chapter 226 A Golden Opportunity! An Eighth-Level Monster! Barbarian Beard!

Chapter 211: Gold Opportunity! Eighth-level Demonic Beast! Savage Beard!

Above the boundless sea, a green streak of light flew by rapidly, leaving a long white wake on the sea surface like a white ribbon, exceptionally eye-catching against the azure waters.

Lu Qiu stood with his hands behind his back atop the flying boat, his robes flapping loudly in the fierce wind like a banner.

His Divine Sense, like invisible tentacles, enveloped the sea area within a hundred-mile radius; not even the slightest rustle of grass could escape his perception.

The schools of fish beneath the surface, the birds in the sky, and the distant islands—everything was under his control.

From time to time, reckless Yao Beasts would leap from the sea to attack him.

Some were massive, like small mountains, kicking up waves dozens of Zhang high as they breached; some were fast as lightning, their forms nearly invisible, leaving only a blurry afterimage; some were covered in poisonous spines, emitting a nauseating stench, their venom causing the seawater to hiss with white smoke upon contact.

But before they could even get close, they were slain by the Sword Qi Lu Qiu casually slashed out.

That Sword Qi was peerlessly sharp; wherever it passed, blood splattered and severed limbs were tossed everywhere.

Blood dyed the sea red, attracting even more Yao Beasts to scramble for the feast, the surface churning like boiling water.

Lu Qiu remained expressionless, not even sparing them a glance.

To him, these low-level Yao Beasts were like ants.

With just a casual gesture, he brought an end to many lives.

His primary purpose in coming to the Outer Star Sea was to search for nascent soul formation spiritual items.

Those treasures, which could be sought but not easily found, had long been monopolized by the major powers in the Inner Star Sea, firmly controlled by those Nascent Soul old monsters and Pseudo-Nascent Soul Cultivators.

Only in a place like the Outer Star Sea, where human Cultivators rarely ventured, was it possible to find overlooked opportunities.

Therefore, having obtained the Legacy of Immortal Tianjing, Lu Qiu did not intend to return to the Chaotic Star Sea immediately.

While the eight-gate golden light mirror was good, it was ultimately an external object.

Cultivation was the foundation, and Nascent Soul Formation was the current priority.

Only by becoming a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator could he truly gain a firm foothold in the Chaotic Star Sea and be qualified to stand on equal footing with those old monsters.

Maneuvering the flying boat while consulting his map, he planned to explore the deserted islands in this area one by one, using the System to search for nascent soul formation spiritual items.

At each deserted island, he would stay for a day or two, waiting for the information to refresh to see if there were any opportunities worth acting upon.

If there were none, he would continue forward to the next island.

Time flew by, and three months passed.

In these three months, Lu Qiu had explored a total of three deserted islands.

These islands were located deep within the Outer Star Sea, far from the routes of human Cultivators, and were rarely trodden by anyone.

The islands were covered in lush vegetation and towering ancient trees, filled with a primitive aura everywhere.

Some islands were overgrown with strange flowers and exotic herbs, some were teeming with poisonous insects and Vicious Beasts, and some even held broken Formations left behind by ancient Cultivators.

Naturally, there were also many Yao Beasts entrenched on the islands.

Those Yao Beasts had lived there for generations and had never seen a human; they were full of hostility and hunger toward him, the intruder.

He had slain several Seventh-level Demonic Beasts, each requiring quite a bit of effort.

Those Seventh-level Demonic Beasts each had their own Divine Abilities: some could manipulate lightning, summoning heavenly bolts to strike; some could call the wind and summon rain, kicking up violent gales and massive waves; some could travel through the earth, coming and going without a trace.

But before his chixiao thunder fire pearls and his array of treasures, they eventually met their deaths.

He had also obtained several thousand-year spirit herbs, all rare varieties only found in the Outer Star Sea.

However, he still hadn't found any nascent soul formation spiritual items.

Lu Qiu was not discouraged.

How could nascent soul formation spiritual items be so easy to find?

If they were everywhere, Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators wouldn't be so scarce.

In the entire Chaotic Star Sea, there were only about a hundred Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators—which of them wasn't a peerless Genius?

Which of them hadn't reached that step after enduring countless hardships?

Those treasures that could assist in Nascent Soul Formation were all spiritual items of heaven and earth, things that could be sought but not easily found.

Some people searched their whole lives and never found one, dying in regret; others found one by chance and soared to greatness.

The path of Cultivation was just like that.

The word 'Opportunity' was the most elusive.

He flew for another half month.

According to the map, he was a hundred miles away from the next deserted island.

The sea remained calm, with vast green waves stretching to the horizon. A few seabirds circled in the sky, letting out crisp cries and occasionally diving down to catch fish and shrimp.

Sunlight spilled onto the sea surface, the shimmering waves looking like a layer of crushed gold, breathtakingly beautiful.

On this day, he checked the refreshed information as usual.

The golden book pages slowly unfolded, and the text clearly emerged—

[white information]: Five miles away in the sea, there is a hidden Fifth-level Demonic Beast, an 'Iron-backed Whale.' This beast is massive, like a small mountain, with thick skin and tough flesh that is hard for ordinary Magical Artifacts to harm. However, it is slow-moving and has low intelligence, making it not difficult for a Core Formation Cultivator to handle.

[silver information]: On the deserted island twenty miles away, there grows a thousand-year spirit herb, a 'Wood Element Fruit.' This fruit is golden all over, round as a pearl, and contains extremely pure Heaven and Earth Origin Qi, which can be used to refine Medicinal Pills for advancing cultivation.

[gold intelligence]: On the deserted island twenty miles away, there is a hidden, heavily wounded Eighth-level Demonic Beast! This beast is seriously injured with a withered aura and is currently hiding on the island to heal.

Lu Qiu looked at the gold intelligence and was momentarily stunned.

A heavily wounded Eighth-level Demonic Beast?

An Eighth-level Demonic Beast—that was a Transformed Great Yao!

Yao Beasts at this level could already take human form, possessing intelligence no different from humans, or perhaps even more cunning and insidious.

Their Divine Abilities were vast and their combat power formidable, enough to fight a match against an Early Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Even in the depths of the Outer Star Sea, an Eighth-level Demonic Beast was a regional hegemon with its own territory, subordinates, and countless low-level Yao Beasts at its beck and call.

There was actually an Eighth-level Demonic Beast hiding on that deserted island?

Lu Qiu pondered, his eyes flashing with light.

With his current strength and array of trump cards, he would have some chance of success even in a head-on confrontation with an Early Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator.

This injured Eighth-level Demonic Beast might be worth a try.

If it were an Eighth-level Demonic Beast at its Peak, he would turn and leave without a second thought.

But an injured Eighth-level beast would have its strength greatly reduced, perhaps to the level of a Peak Seventh-level Demonic Beast.

Furthermore, when Yao Beasts are injured, they often become irritable and impulsive, making them more prone to mistakes.

Even if he couldn't defeat it, he could easily escape.

With the void escape boat, he could cover a hundred miles in an instant; with the Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman, he could block a Middle Stage Nascent Soul; with the life-substituting gu, he could cheat death once.

Killing him would not be that easy.

At worst, he would lose some treasures, which was better than losing his life.

Thinking of this, Lu Qiu flew directly toward the location of the deserted island.

He slowed down and restrained his aura, drifting toward the island silently like a fallen leaf.

He stowed away the flying boat and switched to using his own magical power to fly; it was slower, but more stealthy.

At the same time, his Divine Sense quietly emanated, like invisible threads, beginning to probe the situation on the deserted island.

His Divine Sense was so strong it was comparable to a Middle Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator; now fully exerted, it could cover almost the entire island.

A moment later, he sensed a dense Yao Beast aura entrenched on a high mountain in the center of the island.

The aura was deep and domineering, like a dormant volcano that could erupt at any moment.

Even from dozens of miles away, he could feel that heart-palpitating pressure, causing his mind to tremble slightly.

An Eighth-level Demonic Beast indeed lived up to its reputation!

But Lu Qiu did not probe too deeply.

Once a Yao Beast reached the eighth level, its Divine Sense was not at all weaker than a human's, and could even be stronger.

Those old monsters that had lived for thousands of years had Divine Senses far exceeding human Cultivators of the same stage.

Their Sea of Consciousness was like a vast ocean, unfathomable.

If he allowed the other party to sense his Divine Sense, he would likely alert the enemy and all his efforts would be in vain.

He performed the Myriad Transformations Hidden Origin Technique, restraining his aura to the extreme.

He had already practiced this technique to Major Achievement; when fully exerted, even a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator would find it difficult to detect him.

His aura grew fainter and weaker, as if merging with the surrounding world, indistinguishable from it.

He then took out the soul protecting jade talisman to protect his Divine Soul, preventing it from being discovered by the other party's Divine Sense scans.

The jade tablet was grayish-white all over, emitting a faint light like an invisible barrier, firmly guarding his Divine Soul.

Any probing Divine Sense would be shielded by this barrier.

Having done all this, he rapidly approached the island like a ghost, silent and noiseless.

At the same time, he released the Bloodline Flood Dragon, letting it swim through the sea toward the island.

The Bloodline Flood Dragon was now a Seventh-level Demonic Beast with significant intelligence; it knew what to do.

It lurked in the sea, revealing only a pair of crimson vertical pupils, coldly staring in the direction of the island.

Its body pressed close to the seabed, trying its best not to cause any ripples.

The task Lu Qiu gave it was to lure that Eighth-level Demonic Beast out.

...

Meanwhile, on the deserted island.

At the Peak of a mountain that towered into the clouds, there was a massive Immortal Cave.

The entrance to the cave was filled with jagged rocks and tangled vines; without a careful search, it was impossible to find.

Those vines were as thick as arms, densely covering the cave entrance and concealing everything inside.

Deep within the cave, firelight flickered faintly, emitting a scorching heat that even turned the surrounding rocks red.

Inside the Immortal Cave, a Yao Beast with a bird's head and a human's body sat cross-legged, enveloped in a layer of blood-colored Qi. It was about one Zhang tall, its bird head sharp with a hooked beak like a keen scimitar.

Its eyes were like burning fireballs, emitting a daunting light that was exceptionally striking even in this dim cave.

Its body was covered in dark red feathers, each like a steel needle, hard as iron, glinting with a faint luster under the firelight.

A pair of massive wings were folded on its back with a wingspan of several Zhang; even folded, they occupied most of the cave's space.

On its abdomen, there was a massive wound extending from its chest all the way down, the flesh turned inside out, faintly revealing its internal organs.

Some special spiritual power fluctuations remained on that wound, clearly inflicted by some powerful Magic Treasure.

The flesh around the wound was slowly writhing, attempting to heal, but that residual spiritual power was constantly disrupting the healing process, preventing the wound from closing.

Every writhe brought a surge of intense pain, making it unable to stop itself from frowning.

The blood-colored Qi on its body emitted a dense power of vitality; it had likely consumed some heavenly treasure and was currently healing.

The blood Qi contained an extremely pure life essence that was continuously repairing its wounds. However, the wound was too large, and the amount of life essence required was so vast that it could not be healed overnight.

Just then, a dragon's roar echoed from the distance!

"Roar—!!!"

That dragon's roar was earth-shattering, carrying an endless sense of overbearingness and majesty, causing even the seawater to churn!

The sound penetrated the mountain and the Immortal Cave, clearly reaching its ears!

This Eighth-level Demonic Beast abruptly opened its eyes!

In those eyes burning with flames, a flash of pleasant surprise appeared!

The surprise was so intense that its body trembled slightly!

Its Divine Sense reached out like invisible tentacles, instantly enveloping the entire deserted island and the surrounding dozens of miles of sea.

It searched meticulously, not missing a single corner.

A moment later, it withdrew its Divine Sense, its eyes filled with ecstasy. A sinister smile curled its mouth, revealing a mouth full of sharp fangs.

"A Seventh-level Flood Dragon!"

It murmured to itself in a raspy, harsh voice that sounded like metal grinding, filled with endless greed, "Heaven is truly helping me!"

If it swallowed this Flood Dragon, its injuries would recover rapidly.

A Flood Dragon's Bloodline contained extremely pure life essence, which was a great tonic for a Yao Beast of its level.

Not only could it heal its injuries, but it could also increase its cultivation, and perhaps even allow it to break through its Bottleneck and reach a higher level.

Although it was currently heavily injured, it was confident that dealing with a Seventh-level Flood Dragon would still be an easy task.

The difference between the seventh and eighth levels was a whole Great Realm, like a vast chasm.

Even a heavily injured Eighth-level Demonic Beast was not something a seventh-level could compare to.

No matter how strong that Flood Dragon was, it was only at the seventh level; before it, the dragon was nothing more than a meal on a plate.

The next moment, it charged directly out of the Immortal Cave!

A flash of red light appeared, and its body expanded rapidly in the air!

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a giant Firebird!

The Firebird's wingspan was a full hundred zhang wide, and its entire body burned with raging flames, looking like a sun that had fallen to the human world!

Its feathers were crimson as fire, each one emitting a scorching heat that ignited the surrounding air and dyed the sky red!

It let out a sharp cry, its voice piercing and domineering, as it dived toward the direction from which the dragon's roar had come!

In just an instant, it found the Bloodline Flood Dragon that had intruded upon the deserted island.

The Bloodline Flood Dragon had already swum to the edge of the deserted island and was thrashing about in the shallow sea.

Its hundred-zhang-long body rose and fell on the sea surface, its dark red scales shimmering in the sunlight, and the golden Bloodline on its belly was particularly striking.

It seemed to sense danger and abruptly raised its head, a flash of fear and panic appearing in its crimson vertical pupils.

It let out a terrified hiss, turned around, and prepared to flee!

That sound was filled with terror, and even the seawater was churned up by the vibration!

"It's too late to run now!"

The Eighth-level Great Yao sneered, its massive claws reaching out toward the Bloodline Flood Dragon!

Those claws were as sharp as knives, their tips glinting with a cold light capable of tearing through steel!

The shadow of the claws blotted out the sun, pressing down like a small mountain!

The Bloodline Flood Dragon swam desperately, kicking up monstrous waves.

Its tail thrashed the sea surface wildly, stirring up sprays of water dozens of zhang high.

But its speed was like a turtle's crawl before the Eighth-level Great Yao.

The Great Yao's speed was too fast, so fast that even its afterimages could not be seen clearly!

Just as the claws were about to seize the Bloodline Flood Dragon—

At that very moment!

An invisible light shield suddenly rose from the seabed!

The light shield was deep purple, with dense water-attribute runes flowing across it, emitting heart-palpitating fluctuations!

It was like an overturned giant bowl, enveloping both the Eighth-level Great Yao and the Bloodline Flood Dragon within it!

As the runes flowed, Nine Nether Qi and Universe Power intertwined, forming an indestructible barrier!

The Nine Nether Universe Array!

Lu Qiu had long ago set up the Formation in secret, deliberately letting the Bloodline Flood Dragon lure this injured Great Yao into it.

He hid within the Void Realm, performing the Void Concealment Technique to merge with the surrounding minute spatial layers, like a ghost, silent and invisible.

His body seemed to have vanished, and even his aura no longer existed.

The Eighth-level Great Yao's expression changed drastically!

It abruptly retracted its claws, wanting to charge out of the light shield!

But as soon as its body touched the light shield, it was bounced back by a powerful force, as if it had crashed into a bronze wall!

"A Formation!"

It let out an angry roar, its voice filled with rage, "Despicable human!"

Lu Qiu stepped out of the Void Realm, standing with his hands behind his back, looking coldly at the Great Yao trapped in the Formation. His gaze was as calm as water, without the slightest ripple.

Upon seeing him, the Great Yao immediately began to curse, its voice full of anger and indignation: "Shameless coward! If you have the ability, fight me head-on! Using such underhanded methods, what kind of skill is that! You humans only know how to play these schemes and intrigues!"

Lu Qiu sneered and said indifferently, "Save the energy you're using for cursing to break the Formation instead. Save some strength, and perhaps you'll live a few days longer."

The Great Yao became even more enraged, letting out a sharp cry and beginning to attack the Formation fiercely!

It opened its massive mouth and spat out a blast of scorching fire! The flames were as hot as lava, igniting the air wherever they passed and turning the area into a sea of fire!

It tore with its claws, leaving trails of sparks on the light shield; it beat its wings, stirring up a gale, yet it could not shake the Formation in the slightest; it slammed its body against it, each impact shaking the earth and mountains, but it was all in vain.

However, it was heavily injured and its strength was greatly diminished.

Although the flames were scorching, they could not be sustained, and after spitting them out a few times, they dimmed; although its claws were sharp, they could not tear the Formation, leaving only a few shallow marks on the light shield.

Every attack consumed a large amount of its Yao Qi, making its aura even more withered.

Lu Qiu stood quietly outside the Formation, watching it struggle inside like a trapped beast.

...

Time passed day by day.

One month later.

The Eighth-level Great Yao was still unable to break the Formation.

Its aura grew increasingly withered, the flames on its body became dimmer, the beating of its wings grew weaker, and even its sharp cry had become raspy.

It no longer attacked frantically as before, but instead curled up in a corner of the Formation, panting heavily, its eyes filled with exhaustion and indignation.

During this period, it had tried to soften its stance, its voice raspy and tired, with a hint of pleading: "Human, let me out. I can give you treasures, Cultivation Techniques, everything you want. I have lived for thousands of years and collected countless treasures, all hidden in safe places. As long as you release me, they are all yours."

Lu Qiu remained unmoved, not even lifting an eyelid.

It pleaded again, its voice carrying a hint of desperation: "I can submit to you and become your Spirit Pet. An Eighth-level Demonic Beast as a Spirit Pet—where else could you find such a good deal? With me, you can walk tall in the Chaotic Star Sea; who would dare provoke you?"

Lu Qiu still remained unmoved.

An Eighth-level Demonic Beast was no different from a real human, and its intelligence even surpassed that of ordinary humans, making it impossible to completely subdue.

Those old monsters who had lived for thousands of years were deep-scheming and ruthless, even more cunning than humans.

Once they had the chance, they would turn back and devour their master.

Those solemn promises were worthless in the face of life and death.

Moreover, he was also afraid that if it left the Formation, it might have some trump cards to deal with him.

With this kind of old monster that had lived for thousands of years, no one knew what hidden hands it might have.

Perhaps it still had some life-saving Divine Ability or some means of mutual destruction.

One must not be careless, nor could one afford to be.

At this moment, seeing that the Great Yao's consumption was massive and its strength had declined once more, a sharp light flashed in Lu Qiu's eyes.

The next moment, he directly unleashed the Spirit Shocking Thorn!

Eight Spirit Shocking Thorns simultaneously pierced into the Great Yao's Sea of Consciousness!

The Great Yao's entire body shook violently!

It let out a blood-curdling scream that resounded through the heavens and earth, causing even the seawater to churn!

It clutched its head and rolled frantically, stirring up massive waves.

Blood surged wildly from its seven orifices!

The terrifying pain in its Primordial Spirit caused it to instantly lose all power to resist!

It was already heavily injured and its Yao Qi was exhausted; now, with its Primordial Spirit severely wounded, it had completely fallen into a desperate situation.

Lu Qiu gave it no breathing room.

He activated the Nine Nether Universe Array, and strands of Nine Nether Qi transformed into chains, firmly binding the Great Yao!

The power of Yin and Yang alternated in its operation, continuously wearing down its life force!

The chains tightened further, cutting into its flesh and causing blood to flow!

The Great Yao struggled, roared, and cursed. But its voice grew weaker and weaker, more and more powerless, like the buzzing of a mosquito.

Three days later, it finally stopped struggling.

The massive Firebird had turned into a charred corpse, lying quietly within the Formation.

The flames on its body were completely extinguished, and its feathers had lost their luster, looking like withered grass.

Those eyes that had burned with fire had also completely dimmed, without the slightest bit of brilliance left.

An Eighth-level Demonic Beast successfully trapped and killed!

Lu Qiu felt a surge of joy and was about to extract the Yao Core.

Just then—

"Hahaha, it seems this Man has arrived at just the right time!"

A loud laugh echoed from the distance, filled with smugness and greed, like a bandit who had discovered a Treasure Trove!

Lu Qiu's expression changed drastically!

He turned his head sharply, looking in the direction the voice had come from. He unleashed his Divine Sense to its full extent, yet he could not sense any aura!

The newcomer had actually evaded his Divine Sense detection!

One had to know that his Divine Sense was comparable to a Nascent Soul Stage Middle Stage Cultivator. To evade his detection, there were only two possibilities: either the opponent had a treasure that could shield against Divine Sense detection, or the opponent's cultivation was far above his own!

His thoughts raced as he scanned with his Divine Sense at full power, over and over, finally capturing an extremely obscure aura.

That aura was unfathomable, like an abyss, like the great ocean!

The strength of that aura far surpassed any Cultivator he had ever seen! Nangong Hai was like an ant before it; Wood Dragon did not even have the qualification to be compared!

The aura carried a sense of brutal overbearingness, like an ancient Vicious Beast, making one shudder!

Nascent Soul Stage Middle Stage!

Man?

Could it be...

Lu Qiu's pupils constricted sharply!

Savage Beard!