Turtle Beast

The two Monster Hunting Squads joined forces, bringing their numbers to sixty-two cultivators. It was already an impressive lineup. Liu Ruoyun gave a naive smile, his gaze settling on Han Changming and the others. "Fairy Han, these juniors from your Han Clan are quite capable! This time, your lineup is much better than the last."

"Your words are too kind, Fellow Daoist Liu. Your Liu Clan's lineup is no less impressive. Changming, come over and pay your respects to Fellow Daoist Liu."

Han Changming acknowledged her and quickly stepped out of the crowd. He came before Liu Ruoyun and bowed. "Your grandson, Han Changming, pays his respects to Great-Granduncle."

When Han Changming's aunt had married into the Liu Clan, Liu Ruoyun had yet to establish his foundation. He had four sons and two daughters, and Han Changming's aunt had married his youngest son.

Liu Ruoyun studied Han Changming closely and said with a smile, "So you're the only grandson of my in-law with a spiritual root? Not bad. You've already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. Wenyue, come meet your cousin."

A young woman in her twenties, dressed in a green skirt, stepped out of the crowd and came before Han Changming.

The young woman had a delicate, oval face, tiny cherry lips, and snow-white skin. Her cultivation was at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

Liu Wenyue was Han Changming's cousin. He had seen her a few times when he was little, but after he grew up, he rarely saw her.

Liu Wenyue smiled sweetly. "Cousin, it's been a long time."

"Wenyue, you should learn from your cousin. You're older than him, yet you're only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. You're nowhere near his level," Liu Ruoyun said sternly.

"I understand, Grandfather. Your granddaughter will work hard at her cultivation," Liu Wenyue replied obediently.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Liu Ruoyun and Han Deling got down to business.

The island they had occupied was small and somewhat far from the areas where low-tier demonic beasts gathered. Still, it was safe. The more demonic beasts there were, the greater the chance of clashing with cultivators from the Green Carp Sea.

Every time Ten Thousand Monsters Pilgrimage came around, many low-tier demonic beasts passed through this area. How many they managed to hunt would depend on their own abilities.

As was customary, they would divide the sixty people into four Monster Hunting Squads and station them in the east, south, west, and north. The two Foundation Establishment cultivators would direct operations from the center. If they encountered several Second-Rank demonic beasts, they would focus their attacks on them first and help one another.

The Han Clan cultivators split into two squads of fifteen, stationed in the east and south. The Liu Clan's two squads took the west and north. They built a wooden tower more than ten zhang tall in the middle of the island. From the top, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators could clearly see how all four squads were faring. If the Qi Refining cultivators couldn't handle a situation, the Foundation Establishment cultivators would step in.

Every time Ten Thousand Monsters Pilgrimage came around, dozens of demonic beast species passed through the island. Each species had its own habits, so they could only cast a wide net.

The Monster Hunting Squad Han Changming was with set up two Second-Rank formations, operated by four cultivators at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

The bait team scattered some red algae, chopped-up demonic beast meat, and demonic beast urine into the sea. They also tossed the corpses of fish demons and the urine of female demonic beasts onto the beach.

Once everything was ready, they cast the Invisibility Technique over themselves and hid.

In less than half an hour, a group of Turtle Beasts with black shells on their backs surfaced and began crawling ashore.

They might have carried heavy turtle shells, but they moved incredibly fast. Their target was the corpses of the fish demons.

Turtle Beasts had strong defenses and were skilled in water- and fire-type spells. Some rare mutated Turtle Beasts could even use lightning-type spells. Mutated Turtle Beasts were seldom seen, and if one was spotted, they should try to capture and subdue it alive.

More than sixty Turtle Beasts crawled ashore and reached the fish demon corpses, then began tearing into them.

Among them were two Turtle Beasts measuring two zhang across. Their heads were red, and their skin was wrinkled. They were Second-Rank Low-Grade Turtle Beasts.

There were simply too many Turtle Beasts. They had nearly eaten all the bait, yet more were still surfacing and crawling ashore.

Han Changming was secretly astonished. As expected of Ten Thousand Monsters Pilgrimage—normally, it was hard to see so many low-tier demonic beasts at once.

If there were too many demonic beasts, even the formations couldn't hold them back. Countless wisps of red mist abruptly appeared, and a pale red barrier materialized, trapping more than forty Turtle Beasts inside.

More than twenty Turtle Beasts charged toward the sea, moving at incredible speed.

Rumble!

An earthen wall more than ten zhang long and one zhang thick burst from the ground, blocking their escape.

The Turtle Beasts let out strange cries. Some spat flames, while others shot water arrows, striking the earthen wall and leaving a swath of craters across it.

A scorching wave of heat rushed toward them. Dozens of Crimson Fireballs flew over and struck more than twenty Turtle Beasts.

A series of explosive booms rang out, and dozens of huge craters appeared in the sand. The Turtle Beasts were engulfed in crimson flames, letting out strange, pained howls. Some pulled their heads and limbs into their shells, while others, unafraid of fire-type spells, charged toward the earthen wall.

The Turtle Beasts that pulled their heads and limbs into their shells were water-type demonic beasts. They feared fire. The ones unafraid of fire-type spells were fire-type demonic beasts, and they had to be trapped with earth- or ice-type spells.

The ground suddenly caved in, revealing several enormous pits. A few Turtle Beasts fell into them. The sides of the pits were as hard as bronze or iron, and no matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't climb out.

The sudden attack frightened off the other Turtle Beasts preparing to come ashore. They hurriedly dove back beneath the sea.

Han Changying controlled two Spider Puppet Beasts, which spewed crimson flames and sent the blaze surging higher.

Han Debiao brought out a Red Gourd, which spewed a vast wave of crimson flames, making the blaze surge higher.

Han Changming didn't attack. He held a stack of talismans ready in his hand.

Turtle Beast shells were hard, and the beasts themselves were timid. At the slightest disturbance, they fled at once. If they encountered danger and couldn't escape, they would pull their heads and limbs into their shells.

Turtle Beast shells were quite valuable and were usually used to refine defensive artifacts.

Han Changying and the others used fire-type spells or brought out fire-type artifacts to attack the Turtle Beasts.

The more than forty Turtle Beasts trapped by the formation realized something was wrong. Led by the two Second-Rank Turtle Beasts, they attacked the formation frantically.

Water arrows and flames struck the red barrier, but it remained completely still.

Countless sparks appeared inside the red barrier, transforming into enormous fireballs the size of water vats that crashed down on the Turtle Beasts.

A series of explosive booms rang out. Flames blazed inside the red barrier, and a sea of crimson fire engulfed more than forty Turtle Beasts. Even from far away, Han Changming could feel the scorching heat.

The searing heat made the Turtle Beasts cry out in agony, their cries stirring pity in anyone who heard them.

The two Second-Rank Turtle Beasts led the others in a furious assault on the formation. There were too many of them. The Formation Disks in the hands of the four Qi Refining cultivators let out a sharp, clear shriek, and their red light flickered without end.