Outside Wanli Island, three Core Formation cultivators stood gravely wounded, facing countless demon beasts in the sea.
"Senior Brother Luo, Fellow Daoist Ke, it looks like the three of us are going to perish here."
Just a few days earlier, the woman among them had gone out to sea to investigate the unusual activity on the water.
Unexpectedly, she had discovered vast numbers of demon beasts gathering outside Wanli Island.
As soon as she realized what was happening, she had planned to return to the island.
But before she could make it back, demon beasts had attacked her.
At first, they had only been low-stage demon beasts. Even with their overwhelming numbers, she could still handle them.
Before long, however, more and more fifth-stage demon beasts had appeared.
That had completely disrupted her plans. By now, the island had probably noticed the trouble at sea, and large numbers of low-stage demon beasts might even have begun attacking it.
Had she not encountered Senior Brother Luo and Fellow Daoist Ke on her way back, she would probably have died long ago.
Even so, the three of them were hardly in good shape now.
The thousands upon thousands of low-stage demon beasts had drained tremendous amounts of their spiritual energy. Unless they found a chance to catch their breath, they could perish at any moment.
After all, at least several hundred Fifth-Stage Demon Beasts and sixth-stage demon beasts still lurked in the sea, watching the activity on the surface like tigers eyeing their prey.
"Fellow Daoist Bu, head back first. Fellow Daoist Luo and I will hold out for a little while."
"Fellow Daoist Ke, what are you saying? How could I run away at a moment like this? Besides, even if I got away from here, there would surely be other demon beasts. And even if I escaped, what would be the point of abandoning dear friends just to cling to life?" the female cultivator surnamed Bu said.
"Shut up, Junior Sister Bu! Fellow Daoist Luo is right. Only by surviving can you avenge the two of us. We don't want to die here for nothing! Besides, these demon beasts might not have reached Wanli Island yet. You need to go back and tell Master what's happening here!"
"No!"
Smack!
A crisp sound rang out as the Luo Cultivator slapped the Bu Female Cultivator across the face.
"Fellow Daoist Luo..." The Ke Cultivator stared in surprise.
"Go! Only by telling Master can Wanli Island have a chance to prepare!"
Their master was the ancestor of a sect on Wanli Island, possessing early Nascent Soul strength. He could also be considered the island's lord and was known as Revered Master Wanli.
He controlled the island's largest Island-Protection Grand Formation, which had consumed countless resources to build as a defense against demon beasts.
Now that demon beasts were gathering to form another beast tide, the cultivators stationed on Wanli Island might already have guessed what was happening.
After a brief argument, the Luo Cultivator and the Ke Cultivator finally persuaded the Bu Female Cultivator to leave.
Only when the Bu Female Cultivator had swiftly disappeared from their sight did the two men feel relieved.
They knew that, however stubbornly they held out, they would probably meet their end here within days.
Their only option was to let one of the three try to make it back to the island.
The two men stayed behind, clearing away some of the low-stage demon beasts for her.
Both let out long sighs, seemingly ready to make their final stand.
They were both early Core Formation cultivators, and facing thousands of low-stage demon beasts had already left them weary. If large numbers of fifth-stage or stronger demon beasts attacked, the two would very likely die in less than a quarter of an hour.
Suddenly, the seawater around them began churning violently.
After watching for a moment, however, they realized that the disturbance seemed to be caused by the demon beasts beneath the sea.
"Look down into the sea!" the Luo Cultivator shouted.
Hearing the Luo Cultivator's words, the Ke Cultivator immediately looked down.
As he did, he saw demon beasts darting wildly through the water.
They gradually formed a swirling, tornado-like vortex in the sea.
At the bottom of that underwater vortex, a hazy red light flickered into view, then vanished behind countless demon beasts.
Both men were startled by the sight.
"What is that?" the Ke Cultivator cried in surprise.
"If... if I'm seeing this right, could that be a cultivator?" The Luo Cultivator circulated his spiritual power and carefully examined the scene below.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!" the Ke Cultivator immediately retorted.
"You should know that, although the beast tide hasn't fully begun, there are at least a thousand low-stage demon beasts down there, along with dozens, if not a hundred, at the fifth stage or above. How could a Core Formation cultivator possibly do something like that?"
"Could it... could it be a Nascent Soul Stage senior?" the Luo Cultivator guessed.
"Impossible. Revered Master Wanli is the only Nascent Soul Stage cultivator near Wanli Island. Could it be one of the Star Palace's elders?" the Ke Cultivator countered.
"If so, that would be wonderful! It isn't often that you get to see a Nascent Soul Stage senior fight!"
"This is no time to watch a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator battle. While that senior is holding off the demon beasts, we should immediately recover some spiritual energy so we can help clear out the low-stage ones!"
Clearly, the Luo Cultivator's suggestion met with the Ke Cultivator's approval.
The Ke Cultivator nodded slightly in agreement. "You're right, Brother Luo. We can't let that senior face the beast tide alone! Even someone as powerful as that senior might not emerge unscathed from a beast tide."
With that, both immediately swallowed some medicinal pills and flew higher to begin restoring their spiritual power. Once they had recovered a little, they intended to go help the person below whom they had dubbed a Nascent Soul Stage elder of the Star Palace.
But perhaps only after descending would they discover that the person below was no Star Palace elder at all. He was a Core Formation cultivator, just like them.
That person was none other than Lu Shang.
Not long before, Lu Shang had noticed the unusual activity in this direction and realized that he had just happened to stumble upon a beast tide.
Spurred on by the system's mission, Lu Shang had swiftly flown over.
Along the way, Lu Shang had encountered hundreds of low-stage demon beasts trying to block him, but he had easily dealt with them all.
Seeing this, Lu Shang confirmed that, just as he had suspected, a beast tide was indeed forming here.
Lu Shang immediately circulated his spiritual power and unleashed the fourth level of the Wild Desolation True Demon Art, transforming into a Four-Armed Demon before diving into the sea to slaughter these unfortunate demon beasts.
In the mere instant it took him to dive toward the seabed, Lu Shang killed over a hundred low-stage demon beasts.
Some were torn to pieces by the four arms Lu Shang had manifested, as easily as squashing a caterpillar.
Others were rammed to death by Lu Shang's demonic form.
Lu Shang neither knew nor cared what was happening on the surface.
Right now, Lu Shang's eyes were fixed solely on the dozen or so sixth-stage demon beasts and three seventh-stage demon beasts before him.
Clearly, the beast tide had yet to take shape, or there would not have been so few of them.
Lu Shang had no patience to wait, and he also needed an outlet for the frustration of his aimless searching over the past few days.
Another reason was that, once the beast tide formed, Transformation Stage demon beasts would arrive to direct it. At that point, his safety would be difficult to guarantee no matter what he did.
In any case, at least the dozen or so demon beasts before him probably did not have long to live.
In his demonic form, Lu Shang's eyes blazed with golden light, and all four arms relentlessly hammered the surrounding demon beasts with furious punches.
Within moments, the sea had turned murky with the blood pouring from the demon beasts.
Even though Sixth- or Seventh-Stage Demon Beasts had tough hides and armor, they could not escape the fate of being slaughtered under Lu Shang's relentless attacks.
What a satisfying slaughter! Fighting mere Qi Refining Stage cultivators could never feel like this! Lu Shang inwardly lamented the boredom he had endured since coming here from the Heavenly South.
Since arriving here, Lu Shang had yet to encounter a worthy opponent. The strongest had merely been at middle Core Formation.
And even that one had been a dabbler. There was probably something seriously wrong with the cultivation art he practiced. Lu Shang had clearly sensed that the bald middle-aged man still had plenty of lifespan remaining, yet he had looked so decrepit.
A quarter of an hour later, Lu Shang had killed most of these Sixth- or Seventh-Stage Demon Beasts. Countless low-stage demon beasts had also been killed or wounded, and many had even lost limbs.
Quite a few first-stage demon beasts had also been burst into pulp by Lu Shang.
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