"Fellow Daoist Wang is right; in the cultivation world of the East Sea, there is indeed this rule in the profession of beast hunting—strictly forbidding the snatching of demonic beasts that other beast hunters are in the process of killing. To do so would result in a mortal feud. If this were spread around, it would draw the hostility of all beast-hunting cultivators. Although this place is the chaotic and utterly lawless Sea of Blood, this rule must still be adhered to lest one ruin one's reputation."

Cultivator Pang glanced at Elder Wang, saying plainly, "However, while we cannot intervene midway to steal, it doesn't mean we don't have a chance to benefit. If that group of beast hunters cannot subdue those two high-tier demonic beasts and actively ask us for assistance, then there will be no issue." "Exactly!"

Elder Wang gave a wry smile. He had intended to secure some profit, but he had reservations. Seeing that what Cultivator Pang said was reasonable, he repeatedly nodded in agreement. Ye Qin listened to the conversation while focusing his gaze on the area where the battle raged. "Let's approach and assess the situation before making a decision."

"If they can't take down those two demonic beasts, and we step in, we’ll naturally secure a good share of the spoils," Cultivator Yang suggested.

The distance to the area where the beasts were cornered was still over ten li. While they could make out the massive forms of the demonic beasts, the group of Golden Core cultivators hunting them remained indistinct. "Good!" The cultivators promptly took to their artifacts and flew onward. This group of Golden Core cultivators soon neared the island where the beasts were being besieged, finally grasping the specifics of the scene.

A colossal turtle, nearly seventy or eighty zhang tall, resembling a small mountain, thrashed furiously in the shallows, emitting continuous roars and spewing massive columns of water toward the surrounding Golden Core cultivators—a truly terrifying sight.

This turtle had a short tail, black as scorched charcoal, and every twitch of it produced a dull thunderous sound, revealing the immensely powerful water-attribute Thunder of Gu.

However, the name "Scarlet Eye" did not come from the redness of its eyes, but from the vivid crimson markings around the edges and center of its black shell, resembling a gigantic, scarlet pupil.

The surrounding hunters exerted themselves, driving their magical artifacts to attack, but they only managed to leave shallow scratches on its incredibly hard shell.

The other, a Profound Gold Black Flood Dragon, was fifty or sixty zhang long. It weaved beside the Scarlet Eye Scorched-Tail Turtle, using the giant turtle’s body to evade the cultivators’ attacks, occasionally leaping from the sea to unleash spells upon any hunter who approached.

Its black, flood-dragon-like body shimmered under the sunlight, and the spiraled golden horn on its head glittered with dazzling golden light.

These two Ninth-Rank sea beasts were equivalent in strength to human cultivators at the late Golden Core stage, only lacking the final grand tribulation to fully transform into human form and become members of the Demon Race. Of course, the combat prowess of demonic beasts was often superior to that of cultivators of the same rank.

Their physical bodies were incredibly robust, capable of withstanding attacks that cultivators could not endure. They were naturally born with their species’ innate demon techniques, whose power surpassed the spells of cultivators. Furthermore, the demonic power within their demon cores was immense; when fully unleashed, they could sustain a battle for over ten days, making them extremely difficult to exhaust. Even though these were 'only' two Ninth-Rank demonic beasts, they were far from easy opponents.

That group of mid-to-late Golden Core beast hunters, numbering over a dozen, might not have been entirely confident in their ability to surround and kill two Ninth-Rank demonic beasts.

Moreover, in this Sea of Blood, sea beasts inherently possessed the advantage of terrain. If outmatched by cultivators, they could often flee into the deep ocean, escaping tens of thousands of miles away, making pursuit and encirclement extremely difficult. The current situation, however, startled Cultivator Pang, Ye Qin, and the others.

Before them, on a rocky island spanning nearly ten li in circumference, four massive, earthy-yellow formation flags were planted at the four corners. These four flags interlocked to form a grand array.

These two rare demonic beasts were trapped on the island, struggling desperately and charging wildly, yet unable to escape the perimeter established by the flags.

These four flags were placed at the island's corners, maintained by four hunting cultivators, each at the seventh stage of the Golden Core realm, continuously channeling their spiritual power. Every short interval, the four flags would flash brilliantly with yellow light simultaneously, followed by massive falling stones raining down, viciously smashing onto the back of the Scarlet Eye Scorched-Tail Turtle.

Each impact of a massive stone nearly drove the turtle halfway into the island. Despite its incredibly strong shell defense, resisting these giant falling rocks was no easy task.

But the most peculiar effect was that after striking, these stones would disperse and crumble, turning the area where the two beasts stood into a sluggish mire. This caused thick layers of yellow earth to coat the turtle’s shell, hindering its ability to turn agilely, making its movements increasingly sluggish.

The Profound Gold Black Flood Dragon, normally an exceedingly swift creature, now had its speed more than halved due to the thick layer of yellow soil covering its body.

Furthermore, within the earthy-yellow grand formation on the island, several cultivators at the eighth and ninth stages of the Golden Core realm were engaging in close-quarters, full-power assaults on the two sea beasts.

In addition, four or five mid-stage Golden Core cultivators hovered around the island perimeter, ready to substitute any cultivator whose spiritual power began to wane.

This group of beast hunters was fighting a grueling battle. Although they couldn't subdue the two demonic beasts immediately, they were certainly preventing their escape.

"Earth-Tether Grand Array!?" Upon seeing the four earthy-yellow flags, Cultivator Pang's expression immediately changed. "To be able to firmly pin down two Ninth-Rank demonic beasts—what kind of magical artifacts are these flags?!" Elder Wang exclaimed in awe.

Seemingly sensing the confusion of Ye Qin and his companions, Cultivator Pang stated solemnly, "This Earth-Tether Grand Array uses four formation flags, embodying the concept of 'The Four Directions of Earth.' The stronger the cultivators presiding over the array, the stronger the array's power. Moreover, this earth-attribute formation greatly restrains water-attribute demonic beasts. Each flag is a Yuanshen magical artifact!"

"Among this group of hunters, there must be at least one cultivator of extremely high strength to deploy this Earth-Tether Grand Array using four Yuanshen magical artifacts. No wonder they dared to target two peak Ninth-Rank demonic beasts without fear of them escaping midway." "Does that mean we have no opportunity?" Hearing Cultivator Pang's words, Elder Wang and his nephew visibly displayed expressions of disappointment.

Cultivators Zhu and Yang also felt it was a pity. If they could have joined in the hunt for these two Ninth-Rank beasts, the rewards would have been immense.

The group of hunters on the island had long since spotted Ye Qin's party, which immediately caused some confusion and alarm.

Soon, four or five Golden Core cultivators from their ranks soared into the air, flying toward Cultivator Pang and Ye Qin’s direction, guarding against the possibility that Ye Qin's group might suddenly attack to seize the beasts and spoil their efforts.

Although the beast hunters had their rules, one must remember that the Sea of Blood was chaotic, and many unscrupulous treasure-snatching rogue cultivators paid no heed to such customs, seizing anything valuable they saw. Thus, caution was necessary. "Huh? Brother Ye, why is it you!?"

Suddenly, an elderly cultivator with graying temples, piloting a cyan flying sword, sounded quite surprised and called out. He and another cultivator transformed into two streaks of light and flew directly toward Ye Qin.

Cultivator Pang was about to step forward to greet them when he realized their group knew Ye Qin, causing him to pause and look at Ye Qin with surprise. He was deeply puzzled—how could Ye Qin know cultivators from the Sea of Blood Tower?

"Jiang Ling, Zheng Chenghui!"

Ye Qin’s internal surprise was no less than that of the old cultivator opposite him.

He had already recognized who the two opposite parties were.

The old cultivator who spoke, dressed in a blue robe with a weathered face, was none other than Jiang Ling. The other was a stout, somewhat plump middle-aged man, piloting his sword with one hand while the sleeve of his other arm hung empty, fluttering in the strong wind—this was Zheng Chenghui.

He never expected to meet them again here, decades after their parting in the Langya Secret Realm.

When Jiang Ling left the Langya Secret Realm, he had invited Ye Qin to venture into the Sea of Blood. However, Ye Qin's cultivation was only at the first stage of the Golden Core realm then—too low—so he declined and returned to Fire Cloud Island for secluded cultivation.

As for Zheng Chenghui, he was struck by the light of Yan Hao’s minor divine artifact, the Ancient Mirror of the Rushing Thunder, which severed his arm, forcing him to return to the Qian Yuan Palace for secluded recovery and to lie low for a while.

"Brother Jiang, Brother Zheng, long time no see! Brother Zheng, weren't you recuperating in the Treasure Cloud Palace? How did you end up here?" Ye Qin was quite surprised. Meeting two old friends in the Sea of Blood brought him some joy.

These few cultivators all hailed from the Central Plains Continent; they had killed the direct lineage of a Grandmaster together, divided Yan Hao's 'booty,' and even obtained a supreme spirit item like the Purple Nether Lotus. They could be considered deeply bonded, trusted, immortal path comrades. "Haha, Brother Ye, I didn't expect you to be in the Sea of Blood either. Perfect timing, we haven't gathered in ages. Your..." "Already at the fifth stage of the Golden Core realm! How did you cultivate so fast?" Jiang Ling flew up to Ye Qin, noticing his cultivation was now very close to his own level, and couldn't help but be astonished. "Brother Jiang, Brother Zheng!"

Ye Qin cupped his hands and laughed heartily, "Hardly, hardly. Brother Jiang is already at the sixth stage of the Golden Core, and Brother Zheng has reached the fifth stage of the Golden Core. Both of your cultivation progress is remarkably swift!" Jiang Ling and Zheng Chenghui exchanged glances, both deeply shaken.

Back in the Nine Bends Cave in the Langya Secret Realm, Ye Qin was still at the first stage of the Golden Core. At that time, Ye Qin’s actions were decisive and ruthless; he dared to kill Yan Hao, the direct disciple of the Heavenly Demon Alliance's Grandmaster Yan, and seized the minor divine artifact, the 'Ancient Mirror of the Rushing Thunder.' Moreover, Ye Qin possessed a puppet refined from Mithril; they had personally witnessed it being able to withstand an attack from the Ancient Mirror of the Rushing Thunder, even against the Ninth-Stage Armored Guard. At that time, Ye Qin's cultivation was low, yet his strength far surpassed theirs, making them utterly hesitant to consider confrontation.

Thirty years had passed. Jiang Ling had fought and cultivated in the Sea of Blood, raising his cultivation from the fourth to the sixth stage of the Golden Core. Zheng Chenghui had advanced from the third to the fifth stage. This rate of cultivation wasn't considered slow.

But Ye Qin had jumped from the first stage of the Golden Core straight to the fifth, nearly catching up to both of them. Now that Ye Qin was at the fifth layer of the Golden Core, his strength was likely unfathomable, beyond what they could estimate. "Fortunately, we are all old friends; there's no need for us to draw blades against each other."

Both Jiang Ling and Zheng Chenghui felt a sense of relief in their hearts. They had absolutely no confidence in being able to contend against Ye Qin. "Speaking of which, I remember Brother Zheng returned to the Qian Yuan Palace. Why are you also in the Sea of Blood?" Ye Qin asked Zheng Chenghui.

"About a decade ago, I broke through to the mid-Golden Core stage. After some thought, the path of immortality is inseparable from experience and trial, so I came to the Sea of Blood, found Brother Jiang, and we've been training together. To meet Brother Ye again today is truly fate!"

After losing an arm, Zheng Chenghui hadn't become dejected; his temperament had grown more steady. Seeing Ye Qin now, he couldn't help but feel extremely happy. "Daoist Friend Ye! These few Daoists are..." "?"

Cultivator Pang waited on the sidelines for a while without getting a word in and finally couldn't help himself. As the leader of their contingent, being completely left out of the conversation made his expression somewhat strained. "This is Daoist Friend Jiang, an old friend from the past. This is Daoist Friend Pang, whom I got acquainted with at the Ancient Ship stronghold..."

Ye Qin smiled and introduced both parties.

After the introductions, Jiang Ling immediately understood.

Cultivator Pang’s small team of three high-stage Golden Core cultivators were heading to an ancient ruin for treasure hunting. Midway, they recruited Ye Qin and his group to join them. Coincidentally, they passed by this location, spotted a group of cultivators besieging high-tier demonic beasts, and came over to see if their assistance was needed, without harboring any ill intentions.

What Jiang Ling found slightly strange was that despite Ye Qin’s formidable strength, he was not the leader of this group; instead, the Golden Core Eighth-Stage cultivator named Pang was acting as the captain.

However, Jiang Ling had witnessed Ye Qin’s low profile and forbearance before; he rarely took the lead, so he didn't dwell on it. He merely felt slightly dismissive of Cultivator Pang. High cultivation didn't necessarily equate to high true combat strength. "Right, Brother Jiang, you are hunting these two rare Ninth-Rank demonic beasts here. Based on the situation, it seems difficult for you to subdue them. Do you require the assistance of our seven people?" Ye Qin glanced towards the battlefield and asked.

"Those two demonic beasts are quite troublesome. Our two teams of beast hunters have been besieging and killing these two Ninth-Rank demonic beasts for a full day, and we still haven't depleted their demonic energy. Our own spiritual power, conversely, has been heavily depleted, forcing us to take turns in the assault," Jiang Ling said with a wry smile when Ye Qin brought up the matter. He glanced back and saw the battle still deadlocked, which somewhat eased his tension. These two rare demonic beasts, the Scarlet Eye Scorched-Tail Turtle and the Profound Gold Black Flood Dragon, were famous for their sustained combat endurance!

Cultivator Pang immediately chimed in, "Moreover, these two types of demonic beasts complement each other perfectly, one offensive and one defensive, and their combined strength is Ninth-Rank! Although you have deployed the Earth-Tether Grand Array, which restrains their power and prevents their escape, taking down these two demonic beasts will certainly not be easy for you. Why don't our group of seven cultivators join in? It would certainly lend an aid to your efforts." "About that..." "!"

Jiang Ling hesitated. This involved the distribution of spoils after the battle, so he couldn't agree lightly. "I cannot make the final decision. Let me go ask the leader and see if he agrees to your involvement." "Very well, we shall wait here," Cultivator Pang nodded. Jiang Ling flew back to the island and conferred with a late-stage Golden Core cultivator who was managing the grand array on the island for a short while.

After some time, Jiang Ling flew back, smiling, "The leader has agreed. Daoist Friends, you may all join in the joint effort to slaughter these two demonic beasts. However, since we have labored in the siege for so long, the Profound Gold Black Flood Dragon will belong entirely to our side. After the battle, we will divide the treasures on the Scarlet Eye Scorched-Tail Turtle based on the contribution of each side. What do you think, Daoist Friend Pang?"

Cultivator Pang, Cultivator Zhu, and Cultivator Yang discussed amongst themselves and quickly agreed. The two Ninth-Rank demonic beasts had been besieged for a long time; their group joining now carried very little risk. To them, this was purely bonus wealth—money not taken would be a waste.

Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er discussed it, but they had no intention of entering the fray, choosing instead to observe from the sidelines. They watched how the other cultivators dealt with the two Ninth-Rank demonic beasts to gain experience in fighting such creatures.

They already possessed suitable Yuanshen magical artifacts, and although the treasures on these two rare demonic beasts were valuable, they contained nothing Ye Qin particularly desired. The only things they might covet were the two Ninth-Rank demon cores, which could refine pure essence. However, these two items would likely go to the Golden Core leaders of the other groups; they wouldn't fall to Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er. Since they didn't plan to fight, they naturally had no intention of joining in.

Elder Wang and his nephew, however, were pleasantly surprised and greatly energized. As long as they took part, they were guaranteed a share of the spoils—a far better deal.

Cultivators Pang, Zhu, and Yang, along with the Wang uncle and nephew, followed Jiang Ling and flew above the island, joining the battle. Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er remained hovering above the sea near the island, watching the proceedings.

On the island, the two teams of beast hunters were fully committed to maintaining the array and besieging the two beasts. Seeing Jiang Ling leading this new group of cultivators over, they knew they had agreed to assist, and they nodded in acknowledgement.

Although the treasures on the demonic beasts were precious, they had to be secured first. Cooperating with Cultivator Pang's group was a necessary compromise.

Several late-stage Golden Core cultivators responsible for the main offensive had already exhausted their spiritual power. Seeing the three late-stage Golden Core cultivators including Elder Shi arrive, they sighed in relief. They exchanged glances and promptly retreated outside the formation, each taking out high-grade spirit stones or drinking spirit wine to fully recover their spiritual power. "Seven Treasures Canopy Umbrella, descend!" "Black Fiend Staff, go!" "Crimson Spider Sword, swift!"

Cultivators Pang, Zhu, and Yang, the three late-stage Golden Core cultivators, unleashed their respective Yuanshen magical artifacts with full force.

The Seven Treasures Canopy Umbrella transformed into a giant treasure parasol, radiating dazzling light as it spun rapidly in the sky. A surge of immense spiritual power pressed down fiercely upon the Profound Gold Black Flood Dragon, pinning it within a radius of several hundred zhang beneath the umbrella, making escape impossible.

The Black Fiend Staff whistled through the sea wind, morphing into a black serpent-dragon over a hundred zhang long. It spewed clouds of black mist toward the Scarlet Eye Scorched-Tail Turtle, and wherever the black mist touched, the surface instantly blackened.

The Crimson Spider Sword, bright as blood, slashed fiercely toward the head of the Scarlet Eye Scorched-Tail Turtle. With every slash, it cleaved out a hundred zhang arc of red light. The impact struck the turtle's shell, and the residual energy slammed into the island's rock, carving extremely deep sword marks. "Roar!"

The two demonic beasts, sensing more cultivators joining the siege, seemed panicked and rammed harder, their roars deafening.

The Scarlet Eye Scorched-Tail Turtle appeared to be running low on demonic energy. It stopped spewing blue water columns entirely, instead retracting its head and limbs, thrashing back and forth within the island formation, attempting to smash a path open.

The Wang uncle and nephew also followed closely, manipulating seven or eight top-tier flying sword artifacts to surround the two demonic beasts. Although their impact was minor, it helped consume the beasts' demonic energy.

Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er did not intervene, each summoning their Golden Crow Brilliant Light Sword and Purple Jade Blazing Fire Sword, respectively, to observe the changes within the Earth-Tether Grand Array from the sidelines, guarding against any unforeseen accidents. After watching for a while, Ye Qin shook his head, not optimistic about the outcome.

Although the Yuanshen magical artifacts wielded by Cultivator Pang's trio possessed immense power, the two Ninth-Rank demonic beasts were too durable. Their thick hides, rough scales, and shells were incredibly tough. No matter how fiercely the Yuanshen artifacts bombarded them, they could not be subdued.

If not for the deployment of the Earth-Tether Grand Array trapping them on the island, they would have long since fled into the sea without a trace.

This battle likely wouldn't be resolved quickly. It might take a day or two to completely exhaust the demonic energy in their cores before they could be killed. "Brother Jiang, do you frequently encounter demonic beasts of this caliber in the Sea of Blood?" Ye Qin asked Jiang Ling, who was beside him, after observing for a long time, his shock growing.

If the demonic beasts of the Sea of Blood were all this ferocious, how could the cultivators of the East Sea possibly contend against them? Not to mention the even more powerful Demon Race cultivators. "How could that be! Sea beasts mostly lurk in the depths of the ocean and rarely appear on the surface. Usually, when we hunt beasts, we must search various islands at sea, and only occasionally do we encounter them. Moreover, most of those discovered are ordinary Golden Core sea beasts."

Jiang Ling immediately shook his head. "I've roamed the Sea of Blood for nearly fifty or sixty years; my experience is considerable. After a month of hard work, managing to capture one or two Golden Core-level sea beasts is considered good luck. But such rare Ninth-Rank demonic beasts, and two appearing together—this is the first time I've encountered something like this." "Oh? Then how did you find these two demonic beasts?"

"Initially, our team of six Golden Core cultivators planned to hunt sea beasts near a certain small island. Midway through our flight, we unexpectedly discovered these two beasts appearing on the sea surface. But we were too few; we didn't dare to attack. Fortunately, we soon encountered another team of beast hunters. With over ten Golden Core cultivators assembled, we finally dared to make a move. However, we didn't expect that even with this number, we were still too few; we could barely contain them, let alone kill them."

"But since these two sea beasts operate in the ocean, how did you lure them onto this island? Ordinary Golden Core demonic beasts already possess a considerable level of intelligence and wouldn't easily be fooled into entering an island array. Not to mention these two peak Ninth-Rank demonic beasts," Ye Qin questioned doubtfully. "Heh, that’s thanks to a magical artifact belonging to Brother Zheng."

Jiang Ling chuckled, "You know that Brother Zheng and I are only at the sixth and fifth stages of the Golden Core, our strength is quite low. The main reason those high-stage Golden Core cultivators were willing to let us join the siege against these two Ninth-Rank beasts was largely due to one of Brother Zheng's artifacts."

Zheng Chenghui now took out a drum made of brown hide from his storage bag; it was not large, and there were nine gray ox-skull decorations ringing its body. “The Minor Kui Ox Drum?!” Ye Qin was deeply familiar with this object and recognized it at a glance, his expression becoming strange.

So that was how it was.

The doubt in his heart immediately dissolved.

This rather rare auxiliary sonic artifact was crafted only from the hide of a Minor Kui Ox from the Thunder Mountain of the East Sea. Its power was equivalent only to a high-grade magical artifact, and its range was also quite small, but it was sufficient to enrage the highly intelligent Earth Clan strongmen, let alone the less intelligent demon beasts.

“After setting up the grand formation on this island, I used the Minor Kui Ox Drum to provoke these two demon beasts. Once they heard the sound of the drum, their spiritual intelligence would be lost, and they would attack madly. I lured them to this island and trapped them within the grand formation.”

Zheng Chenghui controlled the Minor Kui Ox Drum and explained with a smile, “We trapped and killed these two demon beasts here. We nearly lost them midway through, but I managed to provoke and lure them back with the drum. This drum is indeed quite good. Though its rank is not high, having it makes hunting demon beasts in the Sea of Blood much simpler and easier.” Ye Qin couldn't help but praise it.

While this Minor Kui Ox Drum high-grade magical artifact could not compare in might to the ancient grand divine ability artifact, the Kui Ox Drum—which could control a range of over a thousand li and even drive demon cultivators mad—this Minor Kui Ox Drum was enough to affect the spiritual intelligence of ninth-tier Golden Core level demon beasts. It was truly a sharp tool for beast-hunting cultivators.

“This Minor Kui Ox Drum artifact has both advantages and disadvantages. Although it can make demon beasts lose their spiritual intelligence, once they become berserk, their combat power increases sharply, making them even harder to deal with. I usually don't dare use it lightly.”

Zheng Chenghui sighed, then pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, “However, now that Brother Ye and the other Golden Core cultivators have joined us, our group of cultivators numbers nearly twenty. This strength is enough to overwhelm them. I might as well use the drum sound to make these two demon beasts lose their sanity, go berserk, and expose their weaknesses!” “Indeed, we can try it!” Jiang Ling quickly agreed.

Zheng Chenghui reminded the four late-stage Golden Core cultivators maintaining the formation, as well as the five people inside the formation, including Pang Xiu Shi, and then urged a bone hammer with his magic power, striking the Minor Kui Ox Drum heavily. “Dong!”

A muffled sound rang out. A red light flared brightly in the eyes of the ox-skull decorations, and a ring of yellow magic power ripples vibrated outward, surging toward the two demon beasts.

The Golden Core cultivators surrounding the island, upon hearing the drum sound, immediately felt a surge of qi and blood churning in their entire circulatory system, rushing straight to their minds. But as long as they recited the mental clarity technique, they could instantly regain their composure. Ye Qin also quickly performed the mental clarity spell to suppress the hot blood within him and calm down, inwardly remarking on its potency.

Inside the grand formation, the two ninth-tier demon beasts, who understood nothing of the mental clarity techniques understood only by immortal cultivators, could not suppress the boiling blood in their veins upon hearing the drum sound, leading to immense changes. “Aoo!”

The Scarlet-Eyed Tortoise heard the dull drumming. Its head, tail, and four limbs stretched out from its shell. Its eyes turned blood-red, its bones swelled, its blood vessels pulsed, and it let out a low roar with its head held high.

It had gone mad.

“Boom!”

It charged toward the surrounding grand formation. Its berserk demonic power had increased by a full twenty to thirty percent, slamming against the light curtain of the earth-element formation, causing the four late-stage Golden Core cultivators guarding the formation flags to nearly spew a mouthful of essence blood on the spot.

The Dark Gold Black Jiao let out a low roar. Its scales stood on end, and a bloody light surged in its eyes. With a powerful whip of its ten-plus zhang long tail, it violently broke free from the restraint of the Seven Treasures Canopy Umbrella and furiously attacked Pang Xiu Shi and the other two. Pang Xiu Shi was fully engaged in besieging this Dark Gold Black Jiao.

“Sever!”

A delicate shout came from mid-air from Yang Xiu Shi. Immediately, a dazzling crimson beam streaked across the hundred zhang of sky, like swift lightning, piercing through the seam of the Jiao’s armor, sinking in more than half a chi. “Pfft!” A mouthful of incomparably precious crimson Jiao blood sprayed toward the sky, covering several zhang. This was the first time the Dark Gold Black Jiao had suffered such direct damage.

However, this injury would be severe for a cultivator. But for a giant Jiao fifty or sixty zhang long, it seemed small. It became even more enraged, letting out a furious roar and madly attacking the surrounding cultivators.

In just a moment, the two ninth-tier demon beasts, having lost their spiritual intelligence, accumulated various wounds, and blood spurted from the wounds, splashing onto the island.

Although they were making a desperate struggle, they were completely unable to break out of the grand formation. The advantage clearly began to tilt toward the group of cultivators. While the cultivators were exerting themselves even more strenuously, joy began to bloom in their hearts. It seemed that with just a few more hours of persistence, they would be able to capture these two ninth-tier demon beasts. These beast-hunting cultivators, one by one, had eyes almost turning red. Jiao blood—that was an incomparably precious primary material for refining pills, usable for concocting eighth or ninth-tier Blood Pills, which were highly beneficial for strengthening a cultivator's physique,” Ye Qin’s eyes brightened. Although he had initially intended not to intervene, seeing the Jiao blood and turtle blood splashing now, he, as a seasoned alchemist, could not suppress an instinctual urge to try his hand. The refining materials on such demon beasts were not spirit herbs that could be cultivated in one’s Purple Mansion. They had to either be purchased from the market or obtained by hunting the beasts directly, like this.

“Ninth-tier Jiao blood and turtle blood are not things that can be easily purchased in the market.”

Just as Ye Qin was about to step in and join the battle to collect some Jiao blood and turtle blood for alchemy—

“Eh, Husband, more people are coming!”

Huangfu Bing’er, who had been assessing the surroundings, suddenly tugged Ye Qin’s arm and pointed toward the distant sky behind them. She had been guarding against retaliation from Cao Shi’s faction, so she observed the surrounding conditions with extreme care. Ye Qin immediately looked back, and his expression changed instantly. More cultivators were coming. More than a dozen streaks of colorful magical artifacts tore through the sky, flying rapidly from a distance.

The dozen or so black dots grew rapidly larger, and human figures could be discerned. Their flying speed was absolutely at full capacity, heading directly toward their location. “Be careful, someone might be trying to snatch the demon beasts! Prepare to resist!”

The small island instantly stirred up angry shouts from many cultivators. The Golden Core cultivators on the island had also discovered the anomaly, and their first reaction was that the approaching group intended to steal the demon beasts. “Swish!” “Swish!” “Swish!” As they got a bit closer, it could be recognized that they were a group of Golden Core cultivators, with various cultivation levels present. However, what puzzled Ye Qin's group was that every single one of these charging cultivators had a panicked expression, looking as if disaster was imminent.

While Ye Qin's group was surrounding and killing two rare and precious ninth-tier demon beasts on the island, these people didn't even spare them a glance, flying forward at full speed on their own, let alone attempting to seize anything.

The two rampaging demon beasts also seemed to sense something; their furious roars suddenly changed, emitting sounds of terrified wails as they made their final struggle. “What is happening?” “They aren’t here to steal the demon beasts?” The cultivators on the island were all bewildered, but an ominous premonition rose in everyone's hearts.

As the Golden Core cultivators driving their magical artifacts sped past, a hazy red line simultaneously appeared on the horizon.

That red line rose higher and higher, and within a few breaths, it was approaching from the horizon. Red waves rolled, buzzing, making all the cultivators feel as if a weight of ten thousand jun had been pressed upon them. “Not good, it’s the Blood Tide! Flee, quickly!”

Pang Xiu Shi flew high into the air and, upon seeing the blood-colored tide on the horizon, his face instantly filled with extreme terror, as if he had witnessed the most horrifying sight imaginable.

He roared loudly, completely disregarding the others, and directly urged his flying sword, turning into a streak of light, fleeing in the opposite direction. Except for the Wang uncle and nephew who hadn't grasped the situation, everyone else’s faces changed drastically. Without a second thought, they cast out their flying swords and accelerated wildly to escape. With the two demon beasts desperately resisting, the already precarious Wutu Grand Formation instantly collapsed. “Blood Tide—!” “Quick, don't worry about anything else, run for your lives!”

The four late-stage Golden Core cultivators guarding the flags disregarded everything, quickly retracting the flags. Under the backlash of magic power, they simultaneously spat out a mouthful of blood. Before they could even wipe it away, they urged their respective artifacts and fled desperately forward. The other hunting cultivators who were recovering their magic power also followed suit! The two demon beasts, freed from the restraint of the grand formation, suddenly turned and plunged toward the sea. The Wang uncle and nephew, greedy for treasure, saw the prize they were about to obtain flying away and were instantly distraught. “Blood Tide!?”

The moment Ye Qin heard the words, he was first stunned, then instantly realized the situation. He didn't bother with anything else and hurriedly summoned his flying artifact, the Dark Cloud Barrier, clutching Huangfu Bing’er to it. Seeing the Wang uncle and nephew still intending to chase after the two demon beasts, Ye Qin frowned, swept them up with his magic power, and said sternly, “Are you two tired of living? Hurry up and go!” The Wang uncle and nephew winced in pain. When they looked back, they were struck with absolute horror!

The "red line" that had only been a few dozen zhang high moments before now connected the sea and the sky, surging toward them overwhelmingly. From a distance, it looked like rolling, surging red clouds, or perhaps a world-swallowing crimson tide sweeping across the sky. “Buzzing!” With continuous, immense noise that was non-stop, it seemed as if only this one sound remained between heaven and earth. Seeing this terrifying scene, the Wang uncle and nephew abandoned all thoughts of treasure and urged their flying swords to chase after Ye Qin and the others. Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er controlled their magical artifact, closely following Pang Xiu Shi and the other two.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ling, Zheng Chenghui, and the others gathered together and flew forward rapidly, their faces showing unprecedented solemnity. Everyone urged their magic power to its fullest to fly, yet the Blood Tide was still gradually approaching. Although Ye Qin’s Dark Cloud Barrier flew extremely fast, carrying Huangfu Bing’er, it was no faster than the others.

“Those are first-tier Blood Mist Demon Insects, countless in number—at least hundreds of millions. Fifth-tier Blood Mist Demon Insects can match late or mid-stage Golden Core cultivators. What we’ve encountered is probably the vanguard of the Blood Mist Demon Insects, mostly fifth-tier demon insects. This time, it’s likely extremely perilous!” Pang Xiu Shi, who had the highest cultivation and broadest knowledge among the group, said bitterly.

The Blood Tide behind them was already a thousand zhang high, obscuring the sky and the sun, and the immense shadow it cast made everyone feel almost suffocated.

By now, everyone could clearly see the appearance of these Blood Mist Demon Insects. They saw fist-sized beetles, entirely blood-red, constantly beating their wings as they flew. Their blood-red eyes glowed with a fierce light, and a pair of mandibles disproportionately large compared to their bodies continuously snapped open and shut, spitting out blood-colored mist. Given such a massive number, the sight was horrifying to the extreme.

The few hunting cultivators who were severely injured and running low on magic power flew a bit slower and were on the verge of being overtaken by the sea of blood. In despair, they gave up on escaping, flew together, and prepared to fight to the death.