Slaying the Azure Fish Demon, the Beast Compendium?

"Ssssh!!!"

The blade came down from above.

Like a butcher carving an ox.

It slipped into the weakest gap between the Azure Fish Demon's belly scales.

The fully mastered Wild Bull Force erupted at that instant.

The blade's edge met no resistance.

Like slicing through a block of tofu.

It tore downward along the lines of the fish scales.

Cutting through tough fish skin, cutting through fat.

The instant it reached the great stomach sac, his wrist flicked.

The force gathered at the tip of the blade.

With a ripping sound.

He sliced the Azure Fish Demon's belly open in one stroke.

Without harming Lu An inside the stomach sac in the slightest.

"Pfft!!"

Dark green, foul-smelling fluid sprayed from the opening.

Splattering all over the ground.

"Gurgle!!"

The Azure Fish Demon's massive body crashed heavily onto the bluestone slabs.

Within those bulging, dead fish eyes.

There was extreme unwillingness and terror.

It stared fixedly at the gaunt young man before it.

Its fish mouth opened and closed.

Yet no sound came out.

How was this possible??

There was not the slightest fluctuation of true qi coming from this young human.

Nor could it sense anything particularly formidable about his fleshly body.

Yet that slash made it feel as though it were back in its childhood.

Watching an expert from the Demon Suppression Office slaughter its kin.

Feeling that same terror.

"Ding! Detected that the host has slain the First-Order High-Grade demon, 'Azure-Scaled Fish Demon.'"

"Experience gained: 300 points."

"Current experience: 450 points."

Hearing the crisp mechanical voice in his mind, Lu Yuan let out a long breath of stale air. His taut nerves finally relaxed somewhat.

Yet the system notifications did not stop.

"Ding! Detected that the host has slain First-Order Low-Grade, Mid-Grade, and High-Grade demonic beasts."

"Hidden condition triggered: Complete the First Order Beast Compendium!"

"Hint: If the host can slay one more First-Order Perfected and one First-Order Peak demonic beast, completing the first kills of demonic beasts across all five First Order minor realms, the Grand Prize Wheel System may be activated."

Lu Yuan froze upon hearing this.

"Lottery system?"

His heart stirred, and he hurriedly asked in his mind, "System, what can this lottery system draw?"

[Hint: The lottery system may consume experience points for draws. Prizes include cultivation techniques from the myriad heavens and worlds, pills, divine weapons and sharp treasures, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, one-use consumables, and even... lifespan!]

"Lifespan?"

At those two words, Lu Yuan's breathing instantly quickened, and his heart began hammering uncontrollably.

His greatest crisis now was the mere thirty days of life he had left.

If he could not break through to Martial Dao Grade One within thirty days, he would die.

Breaking through in Martial Dao required resources and time.

He was confident he could break through.

But now that he had another avenue, he was naturally delighted.

"First-Order Perfected... First-Order Peak..."

"Looks like I'll need to find more demonic beasts to kill. The experience gained from killing these low-grade demonic beasts is far too slow."

The system prompt and Lu Yuan's thoughts had taken only an instant.

"Splash!!!"

Lu An rolled out along with the foul-smelling fluid.

His eyes were tightly shut at the moment.

He had already suffocated into unconsciousness.

"Xiao An!"

Lu Yuan swiftly turned Lu An over.

He gripped the knife hilt with his right hand and used its blunt, rounded end.

To strike precisely upon Lu An's Tanzhong acupoint.

With a bang.

The force traveled through his chest.

Shaking the mucus and pooled water from Lu An's windpipe.

"Cough, cough, cough!!!"

Lu An suddenly sprang up.

A bout of violent coughing erupted.

A huge mouthful of foul black water spewed from Lu An's mouth.

Lu An's eyes were wide, his chest heaving violently as he gulped down air.

When he saw Lu Yuan's face covered in blood.

Lu An could not help reddening his eyes. "Brother! I... am I dead?"

"If I'd come a stick of incense later, you would've been buried in a fish's belly."

Looking at Lu An, who could still speak.

Lu Yuan let out a long sigh of relief.

Then he gave Lu An a vicious knock on the head.

A moment ago, he had prayed that Lu An would not die. Now, he wanted to strangle this little brother of his.

The brat had far too much nerve.

"What were you doing up Azure Cloud Mountain?"

Lu Yuan stared at Lu An.

"Brother, wasn't I worried something might happen to you? Didn't you say yourself that you were just taking a stroll around the outskirts of Azure Cloud Mountain?"

"Who knew you'd actually go up the mountain?"

Lu An gave a sheepish grin.

"You brat..."

Lu Yuan no longer had the strength to scold Lu An.

After killing two demonic beasts in succession, his body was extremely weak as well.

Still, once they got down the mountain, he had to make Mother keep a close eye on this brat.

"Brother, did you kill this monster?"

Lu An stared at the Azure Fish Demon's corpse and swallowed.

Then his gaze shifted to Lu Yuan.

"What do you think?"

Lu Yuan asked in return, offering no further explanation.

He turned and walked to the Azure Fish Demon's side.

With a rise and fall of his blade, he cut the Azure Fish Demon in half at the waist.

Then, with a light flick of the blade tip, a Demon Core the size of a pigeon egg.

Giving off the fresh scent of aquatic grass, fell into Lu Yuan's hand.

As for the Azure Fish Demon's lower half, it had no value.

Lu Yuan kicked it straight into the Cold Pool.

As for the Azure Fish Demon's upper half and its fish head.

It looked no different from an ordinary fish head.

Most people would never be able to tell that it was a demonic beast.

They would only think it was some enormous fish from Jadewater Lake.

After all, anglers often caught huge catches in Jadewater Lake.

Lu Yuan bent down and hoisted the fish head onto his shoulder.

"Splash!!!"

Just then.

The previously calm water surface rippled faintly.

Lu Yuan felt an icy chill that pierced to the bone.

An ordinary person might have thought only that a cold gust of wind had blown past.

But Lu Yuan sensed that something was wrong.

Every hair on his body stood on end.

"Something's wrong."

His strength was severely depleted, and he was wounded.

If another Azure Fish Demon emerged from the water at this moment.

He and Lu An would likely both be swallowed.

The Cold Pool was deep as an abyss. No one knew what indescribable monsters lurked at its bottom.

"Go! Down the mountain."

Lu Yuan moved swiftly.

With the fish head on one shoulder and Lu An's hand in the other, he sprinted toward the path down the mountain.

Their figures quickly vanished into the frost-covered thickets.

Not long after the two left.

Upon the surface of the dark Cold Pool.

The water began churning violently.

"Boom!!!!"

A black shadow flashed beneath the water, stirring up a string of roiling bubbles.

Then, a pair of scarlet eyes as large as melons.

Peered through the pool water in the direction Lu Yuan had left.

Afterward, the black shadow hidden at the bottom of the pool opened its mouth, producing a terrifying suction force.

The lower half of the Azure Fish Demon that Lu Yuan had discarded earlier.

Was swallowed in a single gulp.

After leaving Azure Cloud Mountain.

Lu Yuan tore off several broad banana leaves and used them to conceal the fish head a little.

Leaving only its fish mouth and fish eyes exposed.

He headed toward Green Mountain Village.

The moment he entered the village, he ran into a group of villagers.

"Well, Xiao Yuan, where've you been?"

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Is working at the yamen tiring?"

The villagers greeted him warmly.

Lu Yuan, however, straightened the fish head on his shoulder.

"Uncle Wang, Aunt Li, Granny Zhao, how did you know I went fishing at Jadewater Lake?"

"I caught a big one today—more than five hundred jin. The fish head alone weighs over a hundred jin."

"Let's talk another day. I'm heading home to eat first."

Lu Yuan carried the fish head away.

Jadewater Lake was vast and deep, and anglers often caught enormous fish there.

What he had was nothing remarkable.

"This brat..."

The villagers all laughed and scolded him jokingly.