Level 2 Demonic Beast

At a corner by the water pool not far away, another Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivator from the Liu Family skillfully controlled a massive flying sword, blocking two low-grade Demonic Crabs trying to escape into the water from that direction. In less than a quarter of an hour, he easily slew them all beneath his sword.

For a time, the area around the water pool shook with earthshaking noise as dozens of magic tools of every kind danced through the air.

Watching these cultivators wield their magic tools in such dazzling fashion to kill their enemies, Song Qingming could not help showing a trace of shame. Compared to these veteran Qi Refining Cultivators, his cultivation and combat abilities truly still fell far short. If he wanted to become like them, using all kinds of spells and magic tools so skillfully to slay enemies, he would need much more hard practice.

Very soon, the dozen or so low-grade Demonic Beasts by the water pool were all wiped out on the shore. Just as everyone prepared to seal off the entire pool, a tremendous bang suddenly erupted from its center, sending up an enormous burst of white spray.

A Silver Armored Crab Demon over a zhang in size suddenly appeared in the center of the pool. Its entire body was silver-white, and the pair of enormous white iron pincers before it swung constantly. It looked incomparably fierce and terrifying, while the dreadful Spiritual Energy pressure radiating from it made even Song Qingming, a hundred zhang away, feel uncomfortable.

Judging from the pressure of its spiritual power, everyone immediately realized that this was the Level 2 Demonic Beast.

The Silver Armored Crab Demon looked at the Human Race Cultivators who had barged into its territory and slaughtered recklessly. Furiously waving its pincers, it released wave after wave of piercing sound from its mouth. The cultivators closest to the shore instantly felt dizzy and their ears ring, clutching their heads with both hands as they nearly collapsed.

"Quick, use spiritual power barriers to block the sonic attack!"

Liu Tianlong roared, taking the lead in swiftly releasing spiritual power to form a semicircular barrier. It shielded him and several Mid Qi Refining Stage Cultivators beside him. This was also a powerful spell that only Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivators could perform.

Upon hearing Liu Tianlong's voice transmission, Song Changfeng hurriedly released the spiritual power within his body and transformed it into a shield, protecting the Song Family members behind him. Seeing this, the other Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivators also released their own spiritual power barriers, allowing those Mid Qi Refining Stage Cultivators who had nearly been injured to recover.

Seeing that its sonic waves could not deal with these detestable Human Race Cultivators, the Silver Armored Crab Demon stretched out its eight long iron legs and charged toward the dozen or so cultivators led by Liu Tianlong on the shore. A Level 2 Demonic Beast was astonishingly fast; in mere moments, it had reached the bank.

"Use talismans and long-range spells to hold it back."

Seeing the Silver Armored Crab Demon charging directly at him, Liu Tianlong retreated while directing the others to use spells and Spirit Talismans to delay the Silver Armored Crab's advance. Unfortunately, their barrage consisted only of Level 1 talismans and spells. The damage they inflicted on the Silver Armored Crab was extremely limited and did not slow its advance in the slightest.

Just as the Silver Armored Crab Demon closed in not far behind Liu Tianlong, Liu Tianlong, who had been retreating all along, suddenly turned and released a Level 2 Talisman he had long prepared in his hand.

It was a Grade 2 Low-grade Explosive Fire Talisman, capable of unleashing an explosive attack equivalent to the full-force strike of a Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivator. A single Grade 2 Low-grade Talisman cost at least two hundred Spirit Stones on the market. To ensure this operation was foolproof, Liu Tianlong had specifically brought along the Liu Family's last two Level 2 Talismans.

With a flash of firelight came several thunderous booms. Caught off guard, the Silver Armored Crab Demon was struck by Liu Tianlong's sneak attack. Several cracks appeared across its originally silver-white shell, red lines of blood flowed without end, and even one of its foremost long legs had been blasted completely away by the Level 2 Talisman.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, those who had nearly been caught quickly widened the distance between themselves and the Silver Armored Crab Demon, racing toward the great formation nearby.

Before long, everyone safely returned to the formation one after another. Only one unfortunate Liu Family cultivator, whose cultivation was merely at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining, fell behind through carelessness. Just a few steps from the formation's range, he was suddenly flung into the air by a massive iron pincer.

A scream rang out. After falling from the sky, he was cleaved in two by the enraged Silver Armored Crab Demon's other sharp pincer, and a rain of blood scattered through the air.

The people within the formation all changed expression at this sight. This was the might of a Foundation Establishment Demonic Beast. With the slightest carelessness, they might follow in that fellow cultivator's footsteps.

It was Song Qingming's first time witnessing such a bloody scene. His hand trembled, and the Array Flag he held nearly slipped to the ground. This Liu Family cultivator, who had been chatting and laughing with everyone only last night, had been brutally killed by the savage Demonic Beast in the blink of an eye.

Before this massive Level 2 Demonic Beast, cultivators like them, who normally stood lofty as immortals before mortals, were as vulnerable as ants.

Only when First Elder Song Gubo noticed something wrong and slapped a hand against his shoulder did he come back to his senses. He hurriedly tightened his grip on the Array Flag and resumed his position.

"Meng Lin. Don't panic, everyone! Fall back and activate the formation, quickly!" Seeing that the Silver Armored Crab Demon had entered the formation's designated area, Liu Tianlong, his eyes slightly red, had no time to grieve for the clansman he had just lost. He hurriedly commanded everyone to activate the formation and trap the Silver Armored Crab Demon.

Song Qingming and the others, who had long been waiting within the formation, swiftly tossed a golden disk half a chi wide into the air under the direction of four High-grade Array Masters. More than a dozen golden beams shot crisscross from the Array Flags in their hands and connected to the array disk, instantly forming a huge golden iron net that covered the Silver Armored Crab Demon within the formation.

The Golden Net caught the Silver Armored Crab Demon completely off guard. In its panic, it raised both iron pincers to support the net pressing down upon it. The dozen or so Formation Masters responsible for activating the formation rapidly formed hand seals, desperately pouring spiritual power into their Array Flags. The Golden Net blazed with brilliant light as it locked in a standoff with the Silver Armored Crab Demon.

This Golden Net Demon Binding Array was a formation designed to trap demons. Once the Golden Net completely covered the Silver Armored Crab Demon, it would essentially lose its ability to move, leaving it to be slowly strangled by these low-level cultivators.

Seeing the Silver Armored Crab Demon holding up the Golden Net with its pincers, preventing the great formation from fully covering it, Liu Tianlong, who was attacking from the side, dispatched another six cultivators to reinforce and activate the formation. With more cultivators joining in, the formation's golden light gradually pressed down past the iron pincers holding it up, leaving the demon crab unable to break free.

At this sight, everyone's spirits rose. Liu Tianlong, Song Changfeng, and the other Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivators began bringing out High-grade Magic Tools, besieging the weak points beneath the demon crab's shell.

Against a Level 2 Demonic Beast, only High-grade Magic Tools and Spirit Talismans could inflict any real damage. Apart from the nine Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivators holding High-grade Magic Tools, only four or five of the remaining Mid Qi Refining Stage Cultivators possessed them. The Mid-grade Magic Tools in everyone else's hands inflicted extremely limited damage upon the Silver Armored Crab Demon.

Under the formation's suppression, the Silver Armored Crab Demon gradually fell into a disadvantage. Besieged fiercely by everyone, it was already struggling to hold back the huge golden net above its head.

Just as everyone rejoiced, believing they could easily kill this Level 2 Demonic Beast, the Silver Armored Crab Demon suddenly let out a strange roar. Soon afterward, bubbles began rising from the distant water's surface. More than twenty Level 1 Demonic Beasts, answering the Silver Armored Crab Demon's summons, surfaced and charged toward the people besieging it.

"Fellow cultivators, deal with these Level 1 Demonic Beasts first. Don't let them interfere with the formation. This Silver Armored Crab is already a powerful crossbow at the end of its bolt. Stop holding back and end this quickly. The Level 2 Demonic Beast is already trapped by the formation; once we quickly deal with this wave of Demonic Beasts, this mission will be more than half successfully completed."

After speaking, Liu Tianlong summoned a High-grade Black Striped Leopard from his Spirit Beast Pouch and took the lead in meeting the two High-grade Demonic Beasts charging at the front. The rest also withdrew from their siege of the Silver Armored Crab Demon and turned to block the Level 1 Demonic Beasts rushing toward them. Only several Mid Qi Refining Stage Cultivators remained to continue attacking the Level 2 Silver Armored Crab Demon.

This wave of Demonic Beasts differed from the motley assortment of low-grade Demonic Beasts on the shore earlier. Most were direct descendants of the Silver Armored Crab Demon that lived in the depths of the pool: more than a dozen Mid-grade Silver Armored Crabs and five High-grade Silver Armored Crabs. At the Level 2 Silver Armored Crab Demon's summons, they desperately rushed over to rescue it.

Among Demonic Beasts, powerful bloodline hierarchies exerted overwhelming suppression. A powerful Level 2 Demonic Beast could freely command Level 1 Demonic Beasts of its own kind. However, the Silver Armored Crab Demon had only now remembered to summon Level 1 Demonic Beasts to assist it, and it was already somewhat too late.

Among the Human Race Cultivators here were six Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivators and more than a dozen Mid Qi Refining Stage Cultivators. They already outnumbered the Demonic Beasts, not to mention that they had a top combatant like Liu Tianlong, at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, who could hold off two High-grade Demonic Beasts by himself.

Yet the Level 1 Demonic Beasts summoned by the Level 2 Demonic Beast were incomparably frenzied. Although they fell into a disadvantage from the start, they still made everyone pay no small price.