Translator: CinderTL
Song Wen's face flushed with excitement, his expression one of flattered surprise. "Thank you, Demon Sovereign."
Just then, Cui Xuanjing's voice cut through the air. "Our recent battle, where we all expended Spiritual Power, will undoubtedly attract the attention of other Demon Corpses in the valley. This place is no longer safe; we should leave immediately."
Cui Xuanjing ceased concealing his aura, activated his Spiritual Power, and sped away across the water.
Meng Lengyu, who stood nearby, cast an envious glance at Song Wen before hastily activating her escape technique and hurrying after Cui Xuanjing.
"Gou Jun, let's go. We need to leave this place as quickly as possible," Ye Hua said to Song Wen, his tone slightly less icy and more composed than usual.
"Yes!" Song Wen replied, following closely behind Ye Hua as they swiftly retreated.
After Ye Hua strategically placed the final Formation Flag, the four of them left the valley and returned to the mountain peak above.
Standing atop the peak, Cui Xuanjing waved his hand, sending a mass of bloodied flesh flying into the formation's perimeter. The blood from the flesh dissolved into the seawater, rapidly filling the air with a thick, metallic stench.
All the flesh was scattered within a one-mile radius.
"The Demon Corpses will be drawn here soon. Fellow Daoist Ye Hua, make sure to confirm the Octopus Demon's true form before activating the Formation," Cui Xuanjing warned.
No sooner had he spoken than the Ghost Mist below began to churn violently.
Several grotesque fish corpses, drawn by the Blood Qi, lunged at the scattered flesh, tearing into it with savage hunger.
Cui Xuanjing swung his Ghost Head Blade, easily decapitating the fish-like Demon Corpses, which were no match for its power.
Suddenly, a monstrous creature emerged from the depths of the Corpse Qi. It had a dog-like head, a toad-like body, four limbs, and a body covered in thick, bony scales.
The creature opened its maw, revealing not canine fangs but a long, putrid tongue dripping with the stench of decay.
The tongue lashed out, coiled around a massive chunk of flesh, and swiftly dragged it back into the monster's maw.
The pitch-black Ghost Head Blade sliced through the water, aiming for the tongue as it darted out again.
Clang!
A clear, metallic clang reverberated through the mist.
Sensing the blade's approach, the monster abruptly manipulated the surrounding Corpse Qi, condensing it into a thick shield around its tongue.
The Ghost Head Blade shattered the shield but failed to harm the tongue itself.
Though merely a Fourth-Tier Early Stage Demon Corpse, the creature had leveraged its environmental advantage to withstand an attack from Cui Xuanjing, a Late Nascent Soul cultivator.
Eighteen iron spikes materialized before Ye Hua, each about five inches long and as thick as a finger. Their pitch-black surfaces radiated an intense aura of Corpse Qi.
Just as he was about to unleash the spikes on the monster, Cui Xuanjing spoke, "Fellow Daoist Ye Hua, hold your fire. Within this valley, the Demon Corpse's strength is amplified by the terrain. Forcing a direct confrontation would only squander your Spiritual Power. Lure it out of the valley—without the assistance of the valley's Corpse Qi, it will be far easier to deal with."
Hearing this, Ye Hua restrained himself.
Cui Xuanjing continued to wield his Ghost Head Blade, slashing relentlessly at the monster and preventing it from feeding undisturbed. Enraged, the creature suddenly surged upward with explosive force, leaping high above the valley to escape the oppressive influence of the Corpse Qi.
Anticipating this, Cui Xuanjing unleashed a torrent of Ghost Qi, which coalesced into a chain that instantly coiled around one of the monster's hind legs. With a sharp tug, he dragged the creature beyond the valley's boundary.
Ye Hua seized this perfect opportunity. The eighteen iron spikes shot forth like arrows.
Thud, thud, thud...
The sickening sound of blades piercing flesh echoed through the air.
The monster's body was repeatedly impaled before abruptly exploding into fragments.
Suddenly, another transformation occurred within the valley.
A pitch-black tentacle emerged from the depths, coiling towards the scattered flesh and blood along the valley's edge.
The tattered tentacle resembled a decaying log, oozing black liquid that dissolved into the Corpse Qi-laden seawater.
Cui Xuanjing's eyes sharpened. "Fellow Daoist Ye Hua, this is the Octopus Demon I warned you about. It has eight tentacles in total; this is just one of them. Attack it to provoke it. Once all eight tentacles emerge, you can activate the Formation."
The Ghost Head Blade and eighteen iron spikes simultaneously hurtled towards the tentacle.
Despite its rotten appearance, the tentacle proved remarkably resilient. Under the combined assault of two Nascent Soul cultivators, it sustained only minor damage, losing a few chunks of decaying flesh.
Then, without warning:
The Corpse Qi within the valley surged violently, as if the seawater itself were boiling.
Two more tentacles erupted from the depths, tearing through the Corpse Qi and extending beyond the valley's rim. Like massive spears, they lunged directly at Cui Xuanjing and Ye Hua.
The two cultivators retreated swiftly, activating their respective Mystic Treasures and slashing at the attacking tentacles.
In that instant, the disparity in their cultivation levels became glaringly apparent.
Cui Xuanjing, a Late Nascent Soul cultivator, unleashed a full-powered strike that cleaved one of the Octopus Demon's tentacles in two, severing a section over thirty meters long.
Ye Hua, a Mid Nascent Soul cultivator, fired eighteen iron cones that pierced the tentacle repeatedly. Though they riddled it with over a dozen holes, they failed to sever it.
Sensing its injured tentacle, the somewhat intelligent Octopus Demon hastily retracted both tentacles into the valley.
The eighteen iron cones and the Ghost Head Blade relentlessly pursued, plunging into the valley.
However, the ubiquitous Corpse Qi within the valley vastly amplified the Octopus Demon's strength, significantly diminishing the potency of the iron cones and the Ghost Head Blade.
Rather than directly engaging the two cultivators, the Octopus Demon used two tentacles to parry their attacks while deploying two more to swiftly gather the scattered flesh and blood.
In moments, the flesh and blood were swept clean. The five tentacles that had appeared sequentially rapidly retracted, preparing to flee.
Seeing this, Cui Xuanjing hastily waved his hand, sending another deluge of flesh and blood flying outward.
This time, most of the flesh and blood landed outside the valley, with only a small portion falling within.
The Octopus Demon couldn't resist the lure of the flesh and blood. Its five tentacles surged back, stretching towards the scattered bounty.
Cui Xuanjing and Ye Hua renewed their ferocious assault on the demon.
Ten miles behind them, ten Golden Core cultivators from the Cui Clan, along with Song Wen and Meng Lengyu, stood submerged in the dark seawater, their gazes fixed on the distant battle.
"Senior Cui and Demon Sovereign Ye Hua are truly terrifying," Song Wen murmured to Meng Lengyu beside him. "The might of a Nascent Soul cultivator is beyond the comprehension of us Golden Core cultivators. But that Demon Corpse is no ordinary foe either, and it has the advantage of terrain. I wonder if our seniors can subdue it?"
Before Meng Lengyu could reply, Cui Kun spoke up from nearby. "A mere corpse demon is no match for our Ancestor and Senior Ye Hua."
Song Wen turned, his face wreathed in a sycophantic smile. "Fellow Daoist Cui Kun speaks truly!"
(End of the Chapter)
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