Jiao Wuyan gathered his thoughts and glanced toward the battlefield from the corner of his eye.
The three Innate Realm Elders of the Chen family were still locked in battle with the woman in black. True energy surged between them, erupting in a series of thunderous booms.
Yet even fighting together, the three of them had never managed to suppress the bizarre, unpredictable Wuchang Ghost Lock. As time passed, they gradually fell into a disadvantage. Hoping they would come to the rescue was wishful thinking.
Jiao Wuyan's expression grew darker by the moment. He cursed inwardly at how outrageous their enemy was.
If the Spirit Sea Fox Demon's formation hadn't sealed off the area, he might well have thrown in the towel and run for it.
But at this point, he had no choice. He could only steel himself and face the predicament before him.
After a moment's thought, Jiao Wuyan turned to Gu Cheng again, putting on a show of strength that barely concealed his fear.
"Kid, you've got some skill. How about this? Out of respect for Ji Zhaoli, the guardian of your Tianshui Prefecture, I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself today."
"Just hand over my father's demon core, and the grudge between you and the Flood Dragon Palace will be wiped clean. What do you say?"
"..."
Gu Cheng's mouth twitched. He nearly laughed at Jiao Wuyan's utterly baffling logic.
Those long bugs from the Flood Dragon Palace really were arrogant to the bone. They were the ones who'd backed down first, yet they still had the nerve to tell their opponent to surrender.
"Heh. Are you really that eager to get your old man's demon core?"
Gu Cheng formed a hand seal and silently stirred his divine sense. He looked at the red-haired man with a faint, knowing smile.
"Actually, compared to your old man's flood dragon demon core, I've got an even more interesting little trinket here."
"I'm sure you'll be absolutely delighted to see it..."
Humm—
As soon as the words left his mouth, the air shuddered.
Black mist seeped out of thin air like churning ink, shrouding everything around them.
Along with a razor-sharp sword intent, a terrifying pressure steeped in dense demonic baleful energy spread in an instant.
It was as if something unimaginably terrifying was about to tear through the void and descend upon them!
"This is..."
Jiao Wuyan stared at the demonic black mist billowing before Gu Cheng.
His pupils contracted sharply. Alarm bells rang in his heart, and a fear rising from the depths of his soul made his whole body tremble.
"Hmph! Enough with your tricks!"
Jiao Tielin snorted coldly, forcing down his unease. His enormous, ink-black body swam through the air as he prepared to strike first.
But then a massive flood dragon's horn suddenly emerged from the black mist.
A razor-sharp sword intent coiled around its pointed tip. Just one glance was enough to make a person's breath catch.
As the horn emerged fully, a hazy flood dragon's head appeared behind it, flickering in and out of view within the mist. Though its form had yet to solidify, it still radiated boundless demonic baleful energy.
A long neck, more than thirty zhang in length, emerged completely. Just this glimpse of the creature was already comparable in size to most of Jiao Tielin. It was clear how massive the monster's true form must be.
"Roar—"
The Spirit Sea Ink Flood Dragon opened its cavernous maw and roared at the sky.
Its resounding dragon cry shook heaven and earth, making the entire space tremble violently.
The razor-sharp sword horn on its forehead radiated a fierce, peerless sword intent, as if it could pierce the sky itself.
The sheer force of its aura set the fox demon's formation runes surging. They forcibly contained the terrifying pressure within the formation.
Not only the Flood Dragon brothers, who were bearing the brunt of it, but even the three Famous Sword Villa elders battling Su Jiuer in the distance felt their minds quake. They nearly lost their combined formation.
"What happened?"
The three silver-haired elders hastily gathered their thoughts and used their swords to fend off the incoming ghost locks. Then they glanced toward the source of the demonic baleful energy.
But the moment they saw the fearsome sword horn and dragon's head, even their composure failed them. Their expressions changed drastically!
"Third Brother! Wh-what is that?!"
The Seventh Elder parted her lips, staring blankly at Jiao Potian's head emerging from the black mist. Her beauty drained of color, and her mind went completely blank.
"A Spirit Sea Flood Dragon?! Did the Flood Dragon Palace send reinforcements?"
The Sixth Elder was delighted at first, but the moment he noticed that Jiao Potian's head seemed to be both real and illusory, the smile froze on his face.
"What reinforcements? That's clearly a Spirit Sea Realm demon servant!"
Chen Youdao gritted his teeth and couldn't help cursing aloud.
"Damn it! What kind of monster did our Famous Sword Villa provoke this time?!"
"A Spirit Sea demon servant?"
The Sixth and Seventh Elders turned ashen at his words, despair filling their hearts.
Seriously, wasn't this kid's cheat ability a little too ridiculous?
They'd only ambushed a Mortal Breaking Realm kid from the Demon Suppression Bureau on the road. Fine, so he had the strength of the Innate Realm—but what was this Spirit Sea demon servant supposed to be?
Before the three of them could think further, countless black chains wreathed in blazing, blood-red Ghost Fire swept toward them once more.
The three Chen family elders instinctively raised their swords to meet the attack. But knowing that they were doomed this time, they had already lost all will to fight. Their defeat and death were only a matter of time.
The three elders were still reeling from the emergence of the Spirit Sea demon servant.
But the Flood Dragon brothers, Jiao Wuyan and Jiao Tielin, had plunged into an abyss of near-total collapse.
Staring at Jiao Potian's enormous, fearsome head and the unmistakable sword horn atop it, seemingly capable of piercing the firmament,
the two brothers recognized the Spirit Sea demon servant almost at first glance.
"Fa... Father?!"
Standing on his younger brother's head, Jiao Wuyan stared at the familiar face before him, his eyes wide.
He had never imagined that he and his brother would reunite with their own father under such circumstances.
Shock, bewilderment, then fury and terror, and finally despair!
"Unforgivable! Unforgivable!"
Jiao Wuyan flew into a rage. He glared at the young man in dark robes in the distance, his golden demonic eyes turning blood-red as he screamed hysterically.
"How dare you refine a member of the Flood Dragon clan into a demon servant?! You're asking for death! Even if you kill us brothers, Grandpa Jiao won't let you get away with this!"
"Enough noise..."
Gu Cheng remained unmoved and silently stirred his divine sense.
-Divine Ability: Sky Breaker!
Roar—
The Spirit Sea Ink Flood Dragon let out a low growl. A layer of black energy, as deep and boundless as the abyss and the sea, covered the sword horn on its forehead. Its aura climbed higher and higher.
Its vast aura rolled outward. The waters of the cold pool trembled, and even the sky seemed to grow dim.
The aura from the sword horn grew more and more terrifying. Just looking at it from afar sent a chill through the heart, as if one were about to be obliterated by a single sword strike!
"Tielin! Run!"
Jiao Wuyan sensed death approaching and could no longer think of anything else. He immediately took off.
Jiao Tielin, who had always prided himself on his defense, didn't dare hesitate either. His massive body writhed wildly as he tried to flee the land of death.
But before they'd taken two steps, a dual pressure from bloodline and cultivation crashed down like Mount Tai. In an instant, it pinned the Flood Dragon brothers in place.
Their bodies stiffened in midair, as if bound by invisible chains. All they could do was stretch out their necks in despair and await their deaths.
"Looks like Daddy's really going to have to beat his sons."
Gu Cheng sneered and gently raised a hand, making a chopping motion.
The Spirit Sea Ink Flood Dragon swung its illusory head in sync. The Sky-Breaking Sword Horn atop it slashed through the air, carrying boundless force as it struck toward the Flood Dragon brothers!
-Ghost Slaying!
Before you continue