Chapter 22: Countless Serpents Slain
“Yes! This sea cucumber was bathed in dragon blood, which gave it the chance to advance to the fourth tier.”
“About two thousand years ago, when the Qin Emperor unified the land, a sixth-tier demon beast, the Golden Flood Dragon King, stood in his way.”
“There was a fierce battle between them, stretching from the central plains to the deep sea.”
“While the Golden Flood Dragon King was fleeing into the depths, it happened to pass through this area.”
“The mutated Dragon Mulberry trees on Dragon Mulberry Island absorbed its spilled blood, eventually becoming spirit trees.”
“This sea cucumber, too, absorbed a trace of the Golden Flood Dragon King’s blood that fell upon the sea, and thus mutated!”
Staring at the pool, Lu Sheng explained to Wan Guxiao, Ma Buting, and Ma Buti the origins of the sea cucumber that was about to ascend to the fourth tier.
“So, this is a two-thousand-year-old Sea Dragon Cucumber?” Wan Guxiao’s gaze burned as he too stared at the pool. “No wonder it’s survived so long and advanced to the fourth tier in such a short time!”
Two thousand years is no small number. Even for demon beasts, whose lifespans are generally longer than humans of the same tier due to their advanced bloodlines, those who live this long are exceedingly rare.
For spirit herbs, reaching the fourth grade in two thousand years is remarkably fast.
Normally, a hundred-year-old spirit herb is first grade and benefits martial practitioners; three hundred years makes it second grade, aiding grandmasters; a thousand years makes it third grade, useful to martial sects.
To benefit grandmasters, a herb must be at least three thousand years old and reach fourth grade.
This Sea Dragon Cucumber, ascending to the fourth tier in less than two thousand years, is already a rare variant! Its medicinal potency must surpass that of ordinary fourth-tier sea cucumbers.
Wan Guxiao could see this, and so could Ma Buting and Ma Buti. For a moment, the three glanced alternately at the pool and at each other, each seeing the fervor in the others’ eyes.
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“You’ve said so much—what exactly is your goal here?”
“You’re not suggesting that those demon serpents advanced because they ate the descendants of this Sea Dragon Cucumber, are you?”
In this tense atmosphere, Wan Guxiao suddenly spoke.
Dragon and serpent are of one family; the Sea Dragon Cucumber, imbued with dragon blood, is a treasure that can help demon serpents advance. Even its offspring can assist their progression.
“Perhaps that’s precisely why the Sea Dragon Cucumber’s advancement attracted so many serpents.”
Watching the serpents continually leap into the pool, Wan Guxiao mused inwardly.
“Haha!”
Lu Sheng laughed aloud, pointing at the pool:
“If demon serpents eat the descendants of the Sea Dragon Cucumber, they ascend to higher tiers. But what happens if the Sea Dragon Cucumber eats the descendants of those serpents?”
“These strange serpents—it summoned them here for a reason!”
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“What?!”
“This is bad!”
“This Sea Dragon Cucumber intends to use this opportunity to transform into a dragon!”
The thought flashed through their minds, and Wan Guxiao, Ma Buting, and Ma Buti cried out in unison:
“Quick, activate the Spirit-Annihilating Array!”
Before the words had finished, a sudden splash sounded from the pool as a whirlpool appeared. The serpents leaping in were drawn downward with the vortex.
Below the whirlpool, an enormous maw became faintly visible—
Clearly, the Sea Dragon Cucumber was devouring the serpents!
“This creature is cultivating its bloodline through the demon serpents. In its ascension, it devours the offspring of demon serpents, refining their blood back into its own, to aid its transformation into a flood dragon!”
“If it succeeds, none of us will escape today!”
Wan Guxiao shouted, blocking the serpents from entering the pool while urging Lu Sheng to act.
Dragon blood is incomparably powerful; any creature possessing it holds the potential to become a true dragon.
This Sea Dragon Cucumber, mutated by absorbing flood dragon blood, naturally has the possibility of becoming a flood dragon.
Dragons are born with spirit, just like humans—
Even a newly ascended fourth-tier flood dragon is immune to the Spirit-Annihilating Array!
If the Sea Dragon Cucumber succeeds, none of the four by the pool will survive!
With this in mind, the three no longer cared about the Sea Dragon Cucumber’s advancement, desperately urging Lu Sheng to activate the Spirit-Annihilating Array!
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“You can understand my words—so you truly possess intelligence now.”
Lu Sheng confirmed his suspicion with a cold smile, addressing the pool.
To lay out such a millennia-old scheme based only on instinct, while possessing mere spiritual awareness, this Sea Dragon Cucumber was indeed extraordinary.
If Lu Sheng hadn’t sensed the dwindling life in the pool while manipulating the array earlier, he might have been deceived, allowing the Sea Dragon Cucumber to become a flood dragon.
“But now…”
“We’ll see whether you die on the path to becoming a dragon, or ascend as a fourth-tier Sea Dragon Cucumber!”
With this thought, Lu Sheng shouted:
“Spirit-Annihilating Array, activate!”
Mystic patterns flashed, and within moments, all serpents and insects within several miles fell silent.
In the passage, where serpents and insects had just been hissing and writhing, everything suddenly stilled, creating an unsettling sensation—
It was as if the entire world had become deathly silent!
Under Lu Sheng’s control, the Spirit-Annihilating Array had unleashed its power!
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“So this is the might of the Spirit-Annihilating Array?”
Wan Guxiao’s lips grew dry as he watched the serpents and pythons freeze in place.
Now, he finally understood why his sect, despite its conflict with the Lu clan of Yangzhou, never dared to truly provoke them—
Both branches belong to the Lu clan of Great Jing; if Yangzhou Lu sought aid from Central Plains Lu and brought forth their Spirit-Annihilating Array, no matter how many serpents and insects Yuan Gu Sect could command, they’d be annihilated!
“The Spirit-Annihilating Array truly lives up to its reputation as the creation of King Hun Tian, the formation that slew the fifth-tier Golden Wolf!”
Ma Buting and Ma Buti were equally awed.
When the Ma clan of Xiliang rose and marched east into Bingzhou, it happened to coincide with the rise of King Hun Tian, Lu Zhengyang. After a fierce battle, the Ma clan was driven back to Xiliang, losing their chance to rule the central plains.
Now, witnessing the array’s power, the two felt once more the fear of Lu Zhengyang that had haunted the Ma clan of Xiliang.
For a moment, they hesitated about whether to oppose Lu Sheng.
“And this is only wielded by a martial master—if a grandmaster used it, it could cover a hundred miles!”
Feeling the silence over several miles, the three shared this thought.
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“Haha!”
“I’ve struck it rich—truly struck it rich!”
Watching the merit points in his sea of consciousness surge, Lu Sheng’s joy was beyond words:
“The Spirit-Annihilating Array—I must reclaim and fully restore this formation—”
“With it, I’ll never need to worry about merit again!”
Though the array has many limitations, it suits Lu Sheng perfectly. Whenever he lacks merit, he can simply find a place like this serpent pit where demon beasts gather, and all his worries disappear!
Now, his merit points had soared from 162 to 186,135, an increase of over a thousandfold!
Without hesitation, Lu Sheng spent 12,500 points to repair the formation diagram, infused it with mystic energy, and prepared to activate it at any moment—
Now, it was time to see whether it could annihilate the demon beast in the pool!