Sea Cultivation: Giant Ships and Heavy Artillery Knock on the Door to All Races

Chapter 305 Dividing the Clouds and Smoke? The Qi Family Makes a Move

"Oh no, there's also the Demon King!"

Caught off guard, Ma Jiaxin's heart pounded wildly. The intense threat of death unleashed unprecedented potential within him. He miraculously avoided the Twin Fangs attack, which was originally destined to strike a vital spot, but he was still pierced through the body by the Twin Fangs.

Although the venomous fangs did not pierce the heart, the terrifying multi-component toxins immediately took effect, continuously eroding his magical power, stiffening his body, and attempting to spread completely within him.

"Haha~ You've fallen for my trick, you brat! Purple Lightning Fury!"

Having been suppressed and nearing its limit, the Purple Lightning Serpent Eel finally found its chance for revenge. It exhausted its last ounce of demonic power to unleash a bolt of purple lightning, which successfully struck its target.
Then, without looking back, he plunged into the water and disappeared. His mission was complete; he was going to heal his wounds and consolidate his cultivation.

Zizzi~

The two were already close together, and the attack from the purple lightning was quite swift. Ma Jiaxin, affected by the poison, had no choice but to endure the attack rather than allow the poison to spread further.

"Pfft... You despicable beast!"

Ma Jiaxin, paralyzed by the purple lightning, coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Although he tried his best to suppress it, the two-headed lizard's venom was extremely potent, and the green blood vessels in its skin had already spread across most of its body. Although the purple lightning did not damage its core, it indirectly allowed the venom to occupy more of its body tissues.

"Despicable? When you indiscriminately hunt and kill the monsters of the Cloud and Mist Swamp, do you ever consider whether your actions are despicable?"

"You don't allow demon kings to emerge from the Cloud and Smoke Marsh, and you forcibly harvest them every time a peak second-tier demon beast appears. Isn't that despicable?"

Wasn't it despicable of you to relentlessly hunt me down and drive me out of the Cloud and Smoke Marsh?

Seeing that Ma Jiaxin was already seriously injured, the two-headed lizard finally appeared. While trying to distract Ma Jiaxin, it controlled the whirlpool water to envelop him, attempting to pull him into the water.

"Oh no, a message has arrived!"

In the blink of an eye, the situation reversed in an instant.
The Ma family patriarch, who was hiding in the distance to oversee the situation, never dreamed that a demon king was lurking in the Cloud and Mist Swamp, and not just any demon king, but a highly intelligent and venomous two-headed snake.
If I had known this would happen, I should have come to hunt the demon myself today. If I had made a move just now, the mere Purple Lightning Serpent Eel would have been captured easily, and the two-headed snake would never have had the chance to launch a sneak attack.

"You beast, stop! Blood Puppet, aid me!"

Because of the distance, and because Ma Jiaxin was unable to resist and buy time, the Ma family patriarch's reinforcements were not in time.

With a pained expression, he poured a drop of his life essence into a compass covered with sinister runes, instantly summoning a ferocious-looking third-tier blood puppet to aid him in battle.

Hehe~

With a strange laugh, the Blood Puppet flashed into the battlefield at an unusual speed, snatching Ma Jiaxin back from being engulfed by the water.

"Hiss? What is that? A third-tier flesh puppet? How did this thing get here?"

The two-headed lizard, who had thought victory was assured and could take this opportunity to swallow a Golden Core cultivator whole, was very surprised.

"Trying to leave? Stay here! Toxin Explosion!"

Since it couldn't get the prey whole, it decided to destroy it. The two-headed lizard detonated the toxin control within Ma Jiaxin's body, attempting to end him directly to avoid having another Golden Core enemy in the future.

puff~

Ma Jiaxin, who was saved by the Blood Puppet, vomited blood again. Even though he was concentrating on suppressing the toxins in his body, he still couldn't withstand the full-blown outbreak of this rare third-tier snake venom.

"Take him back to heal! Save his life at all costs!"

The Ma family patriarch intervened to protect Ma Jiaxin's mind, preventing the poison from further contaminating his golden core. He then fed him the most precious antidote before facing the two-headed lizard.

"Who are you? Why are you plotting against my Ma family? My Ma family has never offended you!"

The spiritual veins of the Cloud and Mist Great Swamp are mainly located in Cloud and Mist Immortal City. The outside does not have complete conditions for advancement. It is already very difficult for the Purple Lightning Serpent Eel to sneak into this place. The Two-Headed Serpent Lizard has obviously been successfully advanced for some time.

Then he wasn't promoted in the Yunyan Great Swamp, but rather an outsider. However, he seemed to be very familiar with both the Yunyan Great Swamp and the Yunyan Immortal City. The Purple Lightning Serpent Eel's tribulation was a scheme to plot against the Ma family.

This put the Ma family patriarch on high alert!

As an outsider Golden Core force that moved in from the outer sea, the Ma family's relationship with the surrounding forces is not good, and they also have some enemies.

"Not your Ma family?"

The person who once chased me all the way and forced me out of the Yunyan Great Swamp came from Yunyan Immortal City. Even if he is no longer here, this debt will still be settled with your Ma family!
I am who I am, and now I am the Demon King of this Cloud and Mist Marsh! I want this Cloud and Mist Marsh!
From now on, you manage your Cloud Mist Immortal City, and I'll manage my Cloud Mist Great Swamp. We'll keep to ourselves and not interfere with each other!

The python head guarded its surroundings, while the poisonous head conjured a map of the waters, dividing it into two parts, and engaged in a seemingly serious negotiation. The two-headed lizard displayed a higher level of intelligence than most newly promoted demon kings.

"Divide and conquer the clouds and smoke? Dream on! Cloud-Dispelling Hand!"

The Ma family patriarch, looking down from above, raised his hand and condensed the surrounding water vapor into a magical palm, which then descended from the sky to strike down.

He was on guard just now, making sure that the aura of the Purple Lightning Serpent Eel had gone far away, and that the Blood Puppet had also gone far away with Ma Jiaxin, before the Ma family patriarch made his move. He was not willing to negotiate with a beast.

"I also like this way of negotiating, Poisonous Flame Vortex!"

The two-headed lizard's lower body was submerged in the water, with only its two snake heads visible. The venomous head spewed billowing green venomous mist, while the python head surprisingly spewed out scorching flames.

The flames ignited the poisonous mist, and the two breaths merged into one, transforming into an even more violent vortex of poisonous flames that fought to a standstill against the giant hand.

The rules in the monster world are simpler and more straightforward, preferring to divide territory based on strength. The two-headed lizard was not surprised by the sudden move of the Ma family patriarch, after all, territory can only be won through fighting.

"You beast, see the treasure!"

The Ma family patriarch, concerned for Ma Jiaxin, did not wish to linger and directly unleashed his trump card, the Blood Puppet Compass. This compass consisted of three layers of rotating discs, covered with sinister runes. As the compass rotated, it continuously emitted suppressive power, gradually locking the two-headed lizard in place.

"Go to hell!"

After confirming that the two-headed serpent lizard was difficult to dodge, the Blood Puppet Compass unleashed a powerful suction force, beginning to absorb the two-headed serpent lizard's flesh and blood, attempting to strangle it directly.

"You mere newly enlightened beast dare to talk to me about jointly governing Yunyan Marshland? You're not worthy! Bah!"

Although the pressure of supplying power to the Blood Puppet Compass was immense, the scales of victory had already tipped. The Ma family patriarch began to feel smug. This was not the first time he had used such methods to kill an unsuspecting demon king, and it was also the biggest secret behind the Ma family's rise from the outer seas.

"Hiss~ You want to kill me? Wishful thinking!"

The two-headed lizard, which had been staying in the water, broke out of the water carrying the suppressive and absorbing power of the Blood Puppet Compass. It turned out that its body in the water was much larger, even exceeding the size of its two heads.

Moreover, a pair of gray-black fleshy wings covered with scales grew on his originally upright lizard demon body, and several pieces of what looked like dragon scales shook out when the wings flapped.

咻咻咻～
The dragon scales, deeply refined by the two-headed serpent lizard, barely broke through the stable control of the Blood Puppet Compass, allowing the two-headed serpent lizard to successfully take flight, turning him from being exploited into someone who had gained air superiority.

"Evil Gaze!"

Four beams of petrifying light simultaneously shot from the four eyes of the two-headed lizard toward the Ma family patriarch, who was hiding in the distance controlling the compass.

"It's mutated to this extent? You can't be allowed to live!"

The Ma family patriarch had initially mistook it for a mutated two-headed snake, but now he finally saw the true form the two-headed lizard had deliberately concealed. This was the first time he had ever seen such a mutant.
The characteristics of multiple species are seen in the same individual. These characteristics are not conflicting, but rather harmonious and intelligent. If he continues to grow, he will surely become a great disaster in the future!

"Purple Cloud Shield, defend! Flowing Cloud Sword, slash!"

The rising water vapor over the Yunyan Marsh was an aid to the Ma family patriarch's battle; even without the difficult-to-activate Blood Puppet Compass, he was confident he could defeat this early-stage third-tier demon king.

Moreover, the more aggressive the two-headed lizard appeared, the more intense the killing intent in the heart of the Ma family patriarch became, to the point that he was no longer in a hurry to go home.

...

Cloud and Mist Immortal City

The huge commotion deep in the swamp had already reached this place, and almost all the cultivators in the city were paying attention to the situation inside.

"Judging by this commotion, why hasn't the Ma family elder arrived yet..." "Shut up! You jinx!"

Previously, thunderclouds gathered and thunder roared. Residents of big cities knew what that noise meant and that a demon beast was secretly undergoing its tribulation deep in the swamp. But now that the Ma family's Golden Core cultivator had made his move, they were confident that the enemy was caught off guard.

But for some reason, the fighting inside has not stopped, and now it's even escalating, which makes everyone feel uneasy.

It's important to understand that Yunyan Immortal City is not what it was decades ago. The city's defenses are quite weak now. If it were to encounter a formidable enemy, the people below would not be willing to fight alongside outsiders like the Ma family to defend the city.

Boom~
A streak of crimson light, cutting through the wind, rapidly flew into the immortal city's formation. The malevolent aura emanating from the crimson light made the lower-level cultivators feel deeply uncomfortable.

"What...what is this...what is this thing?"

"It looks like it's hugging someone, but who is it?"

"We'll just enter the Immortal City's formation directly, there won't be any..."

The Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't see it very clearly, since the difference in rank was real, but this thing with blood-red light shooting into the sky was definitely very dangerous.

"My daughter-in-law is about to give birth, so I'm going back now."

"My grandma is about to give birth, so I'm going back home too."

"Me too!"

"... "

Those who had initially shown some interest returned to their homes, their hearts filled with unease, and some even activated their respective protective formations.

Meanwhile, informants from other forces were constantly gathering information about what they saw and heard that day and spreading it through various means.

The battle deep within the Yunyan Marsh lasted for over an hour. In the end, no one knew who won. Only the Ma family's higher-ups knew that the Ma family patriarch, upon returning, looked very unwell, clearly indicating that he hadn't gained much advantage.

"Xin'er, how are you? Are you feeling better?"

The Ma family patriarch was very concerned about Ma Jiaxin, as this descendant was the key to the Ma family's continuation and could not be allowed to die easily.

"Cough cough... The remaining poison is hard to clear, especially the poison attached to the golden core, which is very difficult to remove completely. This snake venom is too insidious."

Ma Jiaxin was brought back by the Blood Puppet and immediately entered the Cloud Dew Pool, a unique feature of Cloud Smoke Immortal City, to detoxify. Although his life was saved, the residual poison was difficult to eliminate, making it difficult for him to exert his strength in the short term, and it was even unclear when he would be cured.

"Then take good care of yourself and learn from your mistakes. You've suffered such a big loss this time, so you must always be aware of your surroundings during battles, even when fighting on your own doorstep, be wary of sneak attacks!"

"Ahem... Thank you for your teachings, Grandfather Xie. That purple lightning eel...?"

"They've escaped. Both of those beasts have run away. This is no simple matter. I suspect there are other forces involved. Sigh..."

The dragon scales used by the two-headed lizard were clearly not ordinary dragon scales; they must have come from a very powerful being, something that a mere newly promoted demon king could not possibly possess.

"What should we do then? If we really allow the two demon kings to occupy the depths of the Great Swamp, wouldn't my Cloud Mist Immortal City be nothing more than a name without substance?"

As the foremost of the five immortal cities on Yunshang Secret Island, Yunyan Immortal City, by controlling the aquatic ecosystem of the entire Yunyan Great Swamp and the waterway operations along the Yunshang River, is able to secure a 30% share of the island's profits.

Moreover, Yunyan Immortal City doesn't have the same pressure of defending the coastline as the other four families. This is the most important foundation for the Ma family's millennium rise plan. If the two-headed lizard were to take root, the residents of Yunyan Immortal City would probably all flee, since the local area would no longer be safe.

"Hmph! It's not that easy to bring down the Ma family! You should rest and not get involved in anything else. I'll figure out the rest."

There are indeed some demon kings living in the four regions of the inner sea, but they are either powerful and live in seclusion, where no one dares to beg for food, or they hide in no-man's-land and dare not show themselves to the public.

There are practically no fools like the two-headed lizard that openly try to take over human territory; even if there were, they'd be dead.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Ma family patriarch, both the purple electric snake eel and the two-headed snake lizard were already on their death countdown. The question was how the Ma family could accomplish the task with the least amount of cost.

If Ma Jiaxin hadn't been injured, he would have been confident that with the help of two Golden Core cultivators and the Blood Puppet, he could succeed. But now that Ma Jiaxin couldn't help, he didn't dare leave Yunyan Immortal City for too long.

"The compass's backlash is getting worse and worse; it can't be used lightly..."

……

On the other side, in Guanlan Immortal City,
Guanlan Immortal City, which has gradually recovered in recent years, is showing signs of prosperity again. It is very envious of the Lin family's successful intervention in Jin Yang Immortal City and the sharing of some of the benefits of Yunshang Secret Island.

"Fellow Daoist Bibo, would you be willing to settle in Cloud Mist Immortal City?"

The head of the Qi family secretly summoned Master Bibo and made some startling remarks.

"Lord of the City, what is the meaning of this?"

Master Bibo knows his own limitations.

"Literally, it's not that I've intentionally suppressed you all these years, but Guanlan Immortal City is too small and can't support so many Golden Core cultivators. Now I intend to follow the example of the Lin family and send you to Yunyan to play the role of True Person Wuxia. What do you think?"

The head of the Qi family spoke sincerely and directly stated his true intentions.

"This... I'm afraid I don't have that ability. The Ma family comes from overseas, their hands are stained with blood, and they've defeated many sides. If I go, I'll just be delivering food to them."

Although the Ma family patriarch was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, his battle record was excellent, with records of killing demon kings and cultivators of the same level.

"It's not about bringing down the Ma family, but about co-governing Yunyan Immortal City and sharing its benefits."

"It's not that I lack ambition, it's just that I'm not good at this art of balancing."

There aren't many people in Bibo Water Mansion. Although they are currently being hampered by the Qi family at Guanlan, they are willing to remain in a secluded corner.

"The Ma family is nothing to fear. With the Qi family supporting you, you can rest assured and do your job steadily."

"Do the other four immortal cities have a chance? My Azure Wave Water Palace is too weak."

"There is no chance. The other four immortal cities have either been developed into fertile ground or have found powerful backers. They are not to be touched."

"Well... let me go back and think about it."

When Master Bibo saw that the head of the Qi family had spoken to this extent, he knew that he had no choice. The gap between him and the Qi family was too great. He had to come when they asked him to come, and he had to leave when they asked him to leave. He had no choice but to go back and think about the benefits he should fight for.

"Alright, if the Azure Wave Water Mansion is willing to settle in Cloud Mist Immortal City, we can help you find the Golden Core you inquired about earlier."

"Thank you for your concern, City Lord! I will give you an answer as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing about the Golden Core formation, Master Bibo's expression improved somewhat.

After Master Bibo left, another member of the Qi family, a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, stepped out from behind the reception room.

"If everything goes smoothly this time, we will be able to completely control Guanlan Immortal City and successfully intervene in the interests of Yunshang Secret Island, which can be considered as taking two big steps at once."

"Too slow! We're still a step behind the Lin family."

"Who knew they would be so bold, unafraid of the lingering power of the Cloud Garment Alliance?"

How confident are you of reaching the late stage of the Golden Core realm?

"I'm not confident yet, but if I could obtain a Breakthrough Pill..."

"Let's talk about it later, the premium is too high."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)