The Demon Slayer Martial Saint Begins with Insect Refining

Chapter 287 The Poisonous Toad Transforms into a Dragon
The figures of the Three Flame Divine Palace appeared, a total of three people. The leader looked to be no more than a middle-aged man, with a wolf-like gaze and an eagle-like eye. He was a man with a thin face.

Behind them were two people, one old and one young. The old man had gray hair and wrinkles on his face that looked like they could trap flies.

The youngest was no more than five feet tall, with a youthful face, but his eyes gleamed with a fierce and ruthless light.

"Nangong Yu"

Yu Lingbo of the Sword Sect stared intently at the newcomer with eyes as sharp as swords.

All the newcomers were demonic martial artists who had earned their reputations on the battlefield. Tongshan martial artist Nangong Yuheng was unparalleled in martial arts and was an anomaly even within the Three Flames Divine Palace.

On this battlefield, with his strength as a newcomer to the Celestial Realm, he killed countless righteous martial artists.

The warriors flanking him, Cang Xiao Zhou Hesheng and Chi Tong Zhang Acheng, were both experts at the Third Heaven level, especially skilled in refining the three beasts of greed, anger, and ignorance, which were highly effective at bewitching people.

The three appeared, along with Gu Yunshang, the Hundred Flower Granny of the Hundred Caves Witch Clan, and three Danqiao martial artists behind her.

Even if the Sword Sect members are sword cultivators, they probably wouldn't be up to the task.

"Find the culprit, hmph."

Gu Yunshang sneered, her eyes sweeping over the crowd: "If Fellow Daoist Nangong could find it, why would things have come to this?"

Everyone acts in groups. Although they may not be afraid of those hiding in the shadows in terms of strength, if they separate, they will inevitably be ambushed.

The tattoos on the bodies of Gu Yunshang's three subordinates seemed to move like living creatures, surrounding Yu Lingbo and his three companions.

"It would be better to kill the experts of the Sword Sect first, so as to prevent them from seizing the inheritance of Poison Dragon Valley."

As soon as the voice fell, Baihua Po Gu Yunshang made her move. Her phantom image, like a ghostly butterfly, directly attacked Yu Lingbo.

Yu Lingbo's long sword roared like a dragon, slashing out and knocking away the true meaning.

At this moment, Nangong Yu's body was a bronze-yellow color, with strange red patterns covering his entire body. He did not manifest his true intentions; instead, the three beasts of greed, anger, and ignorance roamed his body like ghostly tattoos.

He charged straight at Yu Lingbo and threw a punch.

The attack was fierce, and Yu Lingbo blocked it with his sword. The sword rang out, and he was forced to retreat.

"go!"

Yu Lingbo dared not linger here. Waves of pressure emanated from Poison Dragon Peak. If he could withstand the pressure and ascend layer by layer, he might be able to comprehend the true meaning of the Dharma Image and advance further.

But right now, survival is the most important thing!

Yu Lingbo's natal spiritual weapon, the Dividing Light Water Wave Sword, drew a long river, heading straight for Baihua Po Gu Yunshang and Tongshan martial artist Nangong Yu.

"Yu Lingbo, your swordsmanship is nothing special."

Bull-head arm armor appeared on Nangong Yu's arms, transforming into ferocious fists that slammed down.

The sword light shattered into pieces, the scattered sword light sharp as knives. When it struck Nangong Yu, it produced a series of clanging sounds, extremely jarring.

The fact that Nangong Yu was able to reach this point shows that his physical cultivation is truly not weak.

It was precisely because he started with external martial arts that he chose to enter the Poison Dragon Valley to seize the inheritance when his lifespan was still full, despite his initial cultivation level in the Celestial Realm.

The Poison Dragon Taoist of yesteryear, later known as the Poison Dragon Head Monk, was a renowned body-cultivating Dharma Master in Lingnan Prefecture.

Unlike Nangong Yu, Baihua Po Gu Yunshang was not domineering. Ghost-faced butterflies fluttered around her, like countless petals falling, with a constant, delicate colliding sound.

The Ghost-Faced Butterfly continuously devoured the sword light, completely annihilating the hundred-foot-long sword light.

Yu Lingbo had no intention of getting entangled in a verbal dispute with Nangong Yu. He retreated rapidly, covering his three junior brothers and sisters as they evacuated from this place of trouble.

Cang Xiao Zhou Hesheng released the true essence of the three beasts of greed, anger, and ignorance, which came over to block him like ghosts, and he was holding a pitch-black soul-beating stick.

"Friends of the Sword Sect, you are not getting away today."

Zhang Acheng, the Red Child, remained silent, but blood threads shot from his fingertips, forming a terrifying blood net that blocked the way for everyone.

Yu Lingbo's junior sister, Feng Yuxiao, had a frosty expression on her face and slashed directly with her long sword.

The sword pierced through the blood net barrier, but the blade was immediately covered with filthy red marks, and its hissing sound made it appear particularly dull.

The group quickly fled, pursued by several Danqiao martial artists from the Hundred Caves Witch Sect and the Three Flames Divine Palace.

Sword light, Gu techniques, beasts of greed, anger, and delusion... all sorts of methods clashed together, their true energy surging like a chaotic vortex.

The Sword Sect wanted to escape from Poison Dragon Peak and hide in the Five-Colored Poison Mist, but there were only four of them. Without paying a price, they had no way to make a breakthrough.

Yu Lingbo's sword light was dazzling. With the combat power of a Great Perfection Martial Artist of the Starry Sky Realm, he connected the spiritual power around his body, and every sword light was so dazzling that it made people wary.

While the two on the opposite side, Granny Baihua and Nangong Yu, were only at the Lesser Completion level of the Zhuxing Heaven realm, Nangong Yu possessed unparalleled physical strength and was the least suppressed existence in this secret realm.

When attacking, relying on his Bull Demon Arm Armor, he is truly domineering, often directly blocking the sword light and shattering it.

Baihua Po Gu Yunshang is not as domineering as Nangong Yu, but her Gu techniques are endless. Whether it is Gu worms or curses, they are all aimed at taking Yu Lingbo's life.

If Yu Lingbo hadn't been a swordsman with incredibly sharp senses, extremely fierce attacks, and clean and efficient methods, he probably wouldn't have been defeated by the two of them in just a few rounds.

The three groups fought fiercely for about thirty rounds. Then, Wei Mengbai of the Sword Sect was caught off guard and bitten on the arm by a five-colored centipede from Peng Xu of the Hundred Caves Witch Clan.

In an instant, his arm turned bluish-black. Even though he had swallowed the pill, half of his hand was completely numb.

"not good!"

Yu Lingbo's heart sank. Sure enough, he saw Cang Xiao Zhou Hesheng and Chi Tong Zhang Acheng attacking him, looking like they were taking advantage of his vulnerability.

'If this continues, we'll all die. Where are all the people from the Nine Peaks Sect and the Beast King Sect?'

Yu Lingbo felt a chill in his heart, knowing he couldn't delay any longer. He immediately took out three magical swords from his storage ring and suddenly shot them out.

One sword aimed straight at Nangong Yu, while the other launched a surprise attack on Baihua Po Gu Yunshang.

The sword light was sharp, but neither Nangong Yu nor Baihua Po Gu Yunshang showed any concern.

"burst!"

Just as Nangong Yu was about to destroy the magical sword, a dazzling light suddenly struck him as soon as he launched his attack.

A loud rumble resounded, and the entire mountain shook.

Not only him, but even Baihua Po Gu Yunshang was in a very bad state, narrowly avoiding the self-destruction of a third-tier spiritual weapon.

The two were powerful enough to evade the attack.

However, the third magical weapon was aimed directly at Cang Xiao Zhou Hesheng.

Although Zhou Hesheng dodged immediately, the attack was so swift that he was completely engulfed by it amidst a thunderous roar.

Yu Lingbo forcefully suppressed the backlash and dragged his junior brothers and sisters away quickly. This time, no one stopped them.

When the light disappeared, Cang Xiao had been pierced through by hundreds of fragments of spiritual artifacts and had already lost his breath.

Nangong Yu was furious, his voice cold and deep: "Chase!"

The two groups, one in front and one behind, truly swarmed around Yu Lingbo and his companions like hyenas attacking from behind.

Although Yu Lingbo and his group had spread out, they had not completely shaken off their opponents.

Yu Lingbo sped down the mountain, leaving strange trees and rocks behind him.

"Why aren't they here yet?!"

Yu Lingbo had already unleashed all her trump cards, though not her ultimate moves, but three spiritual weapons—the price was too high. A group of Danqiao Realm cultivators rushed over, drawn by the commotion.

As everyone discovered the problem with the five-colored poisonous fog, they eventually stepped out of it after much trial and error.

As soon as the Bitterwood Ancestor Bian Tai'an emerged, he discovered that martial artists from both the righteous and evil paths were hunting him down.

He was a group of six, and he claimed that he was the strongest among them, possessing the cultivation level of the Celestial Realm, while the rest of them were mostly at the initial stage of the Core Formation Realm.

"Old Master Kumu, aid my Sword Sect!"

Yu Lingbo recognized the person at a glance. A dark look flashed across Bian Tai'an's eyes, but he did not hesitate and directly swung his withered black knife, unleashing a terrifying blade light that stretched for hundreds of feet.

The blade flashed straight towards the middle of the two groups of people, without harming anyone, but it was exceptionally sharp.

The pursuing Nangong Yu and Gu Yunshang paused, and the distance between them had already been widened.

Bian Tai'an clasped his hands in a fist salute, with several rogue cultivators flanking him from the left and right.

"Fellow Daoists, please calm down. If Poison Dragon Valley is only interested in inheritance and rare treasures, fighting here would be a waste of opportunities."

Bian Tai'an didn't want to offend people too much, so he narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke up to persuade them.

At this moment, scattered cultivators arrived at the foot of Poison Dragon Peak. Even three members of the Nine Peaks Sect were present, led by Lou Baishan of Green Stone Peak.

Lou Baishan, carrying a long spear, sensed something was wrong as soon as he stepped onto the battlefield. The spear whistled and transformed into the shape of a dragon.

"What a grand display! Do they really think the righteous path is without anyone to rely on?"

The two groups faced off, and Yu Lingbo of the Sword Sect finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, Brother Lou."

Gu Yunshang secretly regretted that a fight was not possible at this moment.

There are many demonic cultivators, but there are also quite a few righteous cultivators, not to mention three or five rogue cultivators hiding in the shadows, such as Bian Tai'an, who formed his own independent group of rogue cultivators.

"Let you escape this predicament"

Nangong Yu showed a regretful expression, his eyes filled with threat.

"Rumble"

As everyone stood still, a dragon's might suddenly emanated from the peak, and a dark green phantom of a poisonous dragon rose up from the entire Poison Dragon Peak, its eyes golden, looking down upon the group.

A powerful pressure emanated from it, and even a martial artist at the Danqiao realm felt his body sink.

Dharma Image!
"Goo!"

A roar, as powerful as a bull or a dragon, sounded like a giant drum being struck.

A massive figure suddenly appeared on Poison Dragon Peak. It was enormous and usually pitch black, except for its eyes, which shimmered with golden, flame-like patterns. It was a hideous and grotesque poisonous toad.

As soon as the poisonous toad appeared, it leaped directly up the mountain under the immense pressure of Poison Dragon Peak. With this leap, its body sank into the ground, and a terrifying pressure emanated from it, causing the ground to crack.

"The pearl within the dragon is the legacy of the Poison Dragon Immortal!"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, suddenly noticing that the illusory image of the poisonous dragon was faintly visible, with a bead resembling jade at its heart.

"This wicked beast wants to comprehend the true meaning and transform into a dragon by swallowing the pearl."

Some people saw through the Poison Toad King's intentions and were greatly alarmed, but they also felt greed.

Rush!
At the edge of the five-colored poisonous mist, two or three figures of Dan Qi martial artists rushed out. They didn't care about the battle between good and evil; the safest thing was to get the treasure into their pockets.

They broke away from the crowd and each used their own methods to climb the mountain, all in order to seize the suddenly appearing Dragon Ball.

One after another, Bian Tai'an could no longer contain himself. His lifespan was nearing its end, and every additional opportunity now represented a potential breakthrough.

"Gentlemen, I shall take my leave now."

The people behind him began to climb the mountain, but as soon as they stepped onto Poison Dragon Peak, their bodies suddenly felt heavy, their true essence was suppressed by most of it, and their physical bodies were subjected to the pressure of true intent, as if they were carrying a mountain on their backs.

The sudden turn of events disrupted everyone's plans for a fierce battle. Nangong Yu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he immediately turned and rushed towards Poison Dragon Peak.

He cultivated his physical body, and now the inheritance of the Poison Dragon True Man is right before his eyes; nothing is more important than this.

Baihua Po followed closely behind, and she was no better than Bian Tai'an.

That thing on Poison Dragon Peak isn't some 'Dragon Ball,' it's her future lifespan.

Everyone rushed to participate, including members of the Sword Sect and the Nine Peaks Sect.

"Junior sister, please take good care of Junior Brother Wei."

Yu Lingbo and Lou Baishan went up first, while the remaining junior brothers and sisters were a little slower.

Under immense pressure, even a martial artist at the Danqiao realm would find it difficult to relax.

“Something is not right”

Among the crowd, Su Yan and Long Qiushui concealed their figures, disguising themselves as members of the rogue cultivators. They also concealed their faces and suppressed their murderous aura.

Long Qiushui's expression was serious, her brows furrowed: "My master has left his true essence in three places: Poison Dragon Peak, Poison Dragon Lake, and Poison Dragon Pillar. However, for it to manifest, it would require resonance with the essence. But no one has reached the summit yet. Even if the Poison Toad King is naturally extraordinary, it shouldn't be like this. Unless something changes..."

Her eyes gleamed as she looked at Lou Baishan and the other members of the Nine Peaks Sect, already having an idea in mind.

"After the Dragon Transformation lineage entered, they disappeared without a trace. It is likely that they used a clever method to bypass the restrictions of Poison Dragon Peak and enter Poison Dragon Lake or even the location of Poison Dragon Pillar."

Long Qiushui hit the nail on the head: only if the true meaning changes later could such an event occur.

"Let's talk about it after we reach the top. That beast is about to transform into a dragon."

The transformation of a poisonous toad into a dragon is an extremely rare occurrence in the world, yet it has become a possibility in the Poison Dragon Valley.

The Poison Dragon Valley is perpetually filled with the true power of the Poison Dragon Immortal Tai Lingyue, and it also possesses a top-grade fourth-tier spiritual artifact like the Poison Dragon Pool.

Over the years, it's not surprising that the poisonous toad could have been tainted by the dragon's aura.

The Poison Toad King has been constantly transforming, and now it even has the opportunity to transform into a dragon, so it doesn't hesitate at all.

The two of them started climbing up the mountain separately. The pressure on the mountain was particularly terrifying. Although Long Qiushui's physical body was not too bad, he still showed some signs of strain.

She could only continuously circulate her cultivation technique to resist and absorb the power of the Poison Dragon's true intent, thus climbing ever higher.

At this moment, the Poison Toad King was the fastest. Its physical body was strong, and its strength had reached the third level of perfection. It had climbed all the way up and had already reached the halfway point of the mountain.

Lou Baishan, Nangong Yu, and Yu Lingbo were in the second group, lagging behind by several hundred meters. Baihua Po Gu Yunshang was slightly behind, but she was also close behind them.

The remaining Danqiao martial artists then displayed their unique abilities. While differences in cultivation level were one factor, the most significant difference lay in the solidity of their physical bodies and foundations.

They were more or less separated by distance.

"puff"

The sudden sound made some of the less advanced Danqiao Realm cultivators turn their heads to look, and they suddenly saw a black-robed man pierce through Wei Mengbai's body, pulling out his golden core.

The junior sister Feng Yuxiao, who was standing to the side, had been knocked to the ground, her golden core emptied, and she looked extremely miserable.

Su Yan turned around and his gaze met that of Qing Yunke and Qing Yunheng.

A fierce glint flashed in Qingyun Ke's eyes as he said to Qingyun Heng, "Kill them, and be quick about it."

(End of this chapter)