The abandoned cannon fodder girl's path to immortality

Chapter 273 The Fall of the Demonic Octopus

"Pfft!"

The tentacle, pierced directly by the beam of moonlight, slammed heavily onto the deck, filling the air with a stench.

However, in the blink of an eye, even more tentacles emerged from the thick fog.

The second, the third... seven or eight equally thick, pale tentacles coiled around the hull like giant pythons.

The Demon Sea, a steel behemoth that could roam freely in the Sky Trap Sea, was now tilting like a child's toy.

The deck tilted more than thirty degrees. The low-level cultivator screamed as he slid toward the ship's side, only to be swept up by the tentacle suction cups and instantly dragged into the thick fog, leaving behind only a half-scream that abruptly stopped.

"save--!"

"Fire the arrow! Fire the arrow!"

The bow cannons roared, and poisoned armor-piercing bolts pierced the tentacles, only to cause a spray of dark green slime.

The viscous liquid was highly poisonous. When it splashed onto the deck, several Foundation Establishment cultivators who couldn't dodge in time collapsed to the ground, their flesh rotting and exposing the bone at a visible speed.

"Step back! Don't touch that poison!"

The old man guarding the Golden Core stage shouted sharply, and once again summoned a bone cone in his hand, which grew to about ten feet in size amidst the wind, the tip of the cone spinning as it pierced the root of a tentacle.

Ding!
The bone awl pierced three inches before being blocked by tough muscles, making it difficult to advance any further.

The tentacle, in pain, swung violently, sending the bone cone and the old man flying. They crashed heavily into the mast base, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Crack-!"

The two tentacles crashed down simultaneously, instantly turning the deck into a scene of flying blood and flesh.

More than ten monks were crushed into a pulp, mixed with broken bone armor and wood chips, which flowed into a viscous stream on the sloping deck.

"Where is the Nascent Soul senior? Why hasn't True Monarch Nutao made a move yet!" someone shouted in despair.

However, the upper quiet room area remained completely silent.

The gray-robed elder, Lord Fury Waves, who was in charge of the ship, seemed oblivious to the life-and-death battle outside. The cabin door was tightly closed, and not even a trace of his divine sense escaped.

"What is the True Lord waiting for..."

Zhao Minghe hid behind the winch, his face pale, clutching a life-saving jade talisman tightly in his hand.

Ding ding dong dong…

Chen Jinshu's piano music resumed, like a rapid melody like rain pattering on banana leaves.

Then a large number of white blades shot down from the void.

"Whoa!"

"laugh!!"

The tentacles were cut by the white blade, though not completely severed, they penetrated about ten inches into the flesh.

"Hooho-"

The Devouring Ship Demon Octopus let out a painful roar that shook the entire sea, causing many cultivators to bleed from their ears and noses.

"It works! That music can hurt it!"

"Now's the time! Attack its wounds!"

Dozens of magical artifacts lit up again, this time all of them aiming at the tentacle that had been cut by the white blade.

"It seems the True Lord has other plans!"

Chen Jinshu, with his keen senses, noticed the True Lord's spying intent behind him, as if he was waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Her fingertips plucked the strings rapidly.

She had not studied the war-themed melody in "Zhou Tian Xing Yue Yin".

The playing at this moment relied entirely on the rhythmic instinct imprinted in the soul during the star chart initiation.

With each note that pulsates, the star and moon patterns on the end of the zither flash once, drawing down either thick or thin moonlight and starlight, which descend as pillars of moonlight or white moon blades.

call out!
Suddenly, a tentacle crashed down from the sky, attempting to smash her and the corridor together.

Without lifting her eyelids, she pressed and rubbed the Shang and Jiao strings with the five fingers of her left hand.

Clang! Buzz!
Two intertwined silver sound waves spiraled upwards, and the moment the tentacles struck the sound waves, it was as if they had hit an invisible wall of sound.

Its forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, and it was instead bounced back by the recoil.

Another tentacle silently emerged from the bottom of the ship, its suckers wide open, spitting out venomous water jets.

Chen Jinshu gently hooked the string with his right little finger.

Ding!
A fist-sized, solid star, as cold as jade, leaped from the strings, growing larger in the wind to transform into a round shield shimmering with starlight, blocking the way.

The venom sizzled as it struck the Star Shield, but failed to penetrate it in the slightest. Instead, it was purified by the starlight into wisps of smoke.

"What...what kind of magic weapon is this? No, this isn't a magic weapon, it's a sonic attack technique!"

Yin Jiu forgot to wave the bone fan in his hand, staring intently at the zither in Chen Jinshu's arms, his eyes showing a hint of familiarity and even more greed.

"The power of stars and moon... she can actually influence celestial phenomena!" The old man guarding the Golden Core stage murmured, his face full of disbelief.

Zhao Minghe huddled in the corner, watching the blue figure standing in front of the corridor, fighting against several tentacles with the sound of his zither. His throat went dry and his back was covered in cold sweat.

He recalled his earlier ulterior motives and felt a wave of fear wash over him.

At this moment, fine beads of sweat had appeared on Chen Jinshu's forehead.

Although the Star and Moon Guqin is mysterious, each time it draws upon the starlight and moonlight, it consumes a massive amount of spiritual energy.

Her spiritual power at the seventh level of the Golden Core stage was rapidly depleted. If it weren't for the fact that the spiritual power of the Azure Wood Longevity Technique was far superior to that of others of the same level, and that the Mysterious Female Treasure Furnace was frantically absorbing and refining the surrounding mixed spiritual energy in her sea of ​​consciousness to replenish it, she would probably have been exhausted long ago.

"Hooho-"

From the depths of the thick fog came a roar even more violent than before.

All the tentacles suddenly retracted, and the dark green sea fog surged wildly, contracting towards the center.

In the fog, enormous, scarlet eyes slowly lit up, and a ferocious mouth opened, revealing layers upon layers of sharp teeth.

"It's about to show itself."

In an instant, this demonic creature drew all the attention of the cultivators on the ship away.

The next instant, a gray shadow appeared silently above the thick fog.

The Wrathful Waves True Lord, clad in a grey robe, exuded a terrifying aura that sent chills down one's spine. He raised his right hand and pressed it lightly against the two giant, scarlet eyes in the thick fog below.

"Certainly."

The churning sea fog, the roaring waves, the shouts of the cultivators on the ship, and even the terrifying demonic power of the Devouring Ship Demon Octopus, all froze at this moment.

Time seemed to have been paused.

Only the palm of the hand that True Lord Futao pressed down revealed a dark blue rune, no more than an inch in size.

The rune fell, lightly imprinting itself on the center of the demon octopus's head, which was exposed to the mist.

puff!
A soft sound, like a bubble bursting.

Rumble, rumble! !
Centered on the point where the deep blue rune landed, an indescribable, terrifying water pressure and tearing force erupted.

The octopus's head, which was as big as a small hill, exploded instantly, like a watermelon.

Dark green demon blood, pale brain matter, and shattered bones splattered like a torrential rain, turning a large area of ​​the sea into a murky color.

The enormous body, which had not yet fully appeared, convulsed violently, and all its tentacles drooped limply, slapping the sea surface and stirring up waves several meters high.

The Demon Sea was violently shaken by the aftershocks and took a long time to gradually stabilize.

Everyone on the deck stared in disbelief at the massive, slowly sinking carcass of the beast on the sea, then at the gray-robed figure in the air who was slowly withdrawing his hand.

With a swift movement, Lord Futao appeared at the front of the deck.

His gaze swept over the wrecked ship and the wounded and injured cultivators, finally settling on Chen Jinshu, his tone carrying a hint of approval:
"The timing of the music was excellent, as it served as a distraction."

"If you hadn't used the power of the stars and moon to injure its tentacles, provoking it to reveal its true form, my 'Sea-Stabilizing Seal' wouldn't have been able to strike its vitals so easily."

He paused, then turned to Sun Mao, the head steward who had rushed over beside him, and said:
"Take stock of casualties and repair the ship. As for the monster materials, according to the old rules, those who contributed the most will be given priority."

Sun Mao quickly bowed in agreement, then strode towards Chen Jinshu, his face beaming with a smile, showing even more respect than before.

"Senior Chen, the True Lord has ordered that you deserve the most credit for restraining the Devouring Boat Demon Octopus in this slaying. You may choose one piece of the demon beast material first."

Upon hearing this, a chorus of low gasps filled the deck, drawing a flood of envious glances.

"A third-tier peak sea beast is a treasure trove. Its tendons and bones can be used to forge weapons, its skin can be used to make armor, and its demon blood can be used to draw talismans. In particular, its demon core is priceless." The guardian of the Golden Core couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

Chen Jinshu nodded slightly, without refusing, and then, holding the Xingyue Qin (a type of zither), slowly walked towards the ship's side.

On the sea, the carcass of the demon octopus was still slowly sinking, but some parts had been secured by the monks on the ship using magical artifacts.

Dozens of cultivators skilled in swimming were organized and, braving the pungent stench and corrosive blood, began salvaging the massive remains of the demonic octopus and the scattered precious materials in small boats.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and demonic energy. Even in death, the oppressive aura emanating from the mangled body kept low-level cultivators at bay.

Her gaze quickly locked onto something emitting a faint blue light deep within the remains of the monster's head.

With a flick of his fingertip, a beam of green light shot out, precisely cleaving the wreckage and pulling it back.

The light faded, revealing a fist-sized, perfectly round bead with a deep blue halo flowing across its surface like water ripples.

Inside the bead, a miniature phantom of a demonic octopus could be faintly seen swirling, seemingly about to take shape, but it was still lacking the necessary conditions and remained in a state of near completion.

"She actually chose the demon core? That spine and tough skin are top-quality materials for refining magical artifacts!"

"A demon core that hasn't fully formed into an infant..." someone whispered.

"What a pity! If it were fully formed, its value would at least double!"

"Even so, it is still a peak third-tier demon core, containing pure and abundant water-type demon power. Whether for alchemy, weapon crafting, or direct refining and absorption, it is a rare item."

"Foolish! Didn't you hear the True Lord say that 'the merit of restraint should be the first consideration'?"
The music of that zither seemed to move the stars and moon; it was simply divine skill! This demon core, now in her hands, will surely have wondrous uses beyond our wildest imaginations!

"Hmph, playing tricks! I think it's just feigned superiority!"

Zhao Minghe's sarcastic voice was mixed in, but no one responded.

The guardian cultivator glared at him and said in a sarcastic tone:
"If you're so capable, why don't you go up there and play a tune, and see if you can beat the Demon Octopus half to death?"

Chen Jinshu listened to the surrounding conversations but didn't seem to care much; as long as she was satisfied, that was enough.

This time, not only did we test the power of the "Zhou Tian Xing Yue Yin" (a magical technique), but we also obtained this demon core, so it can be considered a small gain.

She then placed the still-warm demon core into a jade box and affixed a spirit-sealing talisman.

Seeing this, Sun Mao hurriedly asked:
"Senior Chen, would you like to choose something else? The spine and tendons of the main tentacle of this demonic octopus are all excellent materials for refining..."

"No need, this is enough."

Chen Jinshu shook his head and turned to walk back.

Qingheng's voice rang out joyfully in her mind:
"Jinshu! The water-based demonic energy in this demon core is so concentrated! Although it's not fully formed, if the Yinshan Sparrow swallows it, it will definitely replenish the source energy it lost when breaking the Brahma Sound Barrier, and it might even be able to advance its bloodline further!"

"Ah."

"After the Yinshan Sparrow broke the Brahma Sound Barrier of Zen Master Wunian, its tail feathers regenerated but never regained their full blue-red divine light. This demon core containing the immense water spirit demon power is the most suitable tonic."

As she walked back down the corridor, she passed by Zhao Minghe.

Zhao Minghe subconsciously shrank back, his head almost drooping to his chest, not daring to meet her gaze.

Chen Jinshu didn't stop walking and went straight back to the No. 3 quiet room.

The hatch closed, the barriers rose, and all outside observation and discussion were cut off.

Back in the quiet room, she carefully placed the Star Moon Harp on the table.

The star and moon patterns on the body of the zither have lost their luster, returning to a restrained dark black color. However, upon closer inspection, the seven star spots seem to be slightly brighter than before.

"This zither is excellent, but the consumption of its components is astonishing."

She gently stroked the zither, sensing that her spiritual energy was less than 50% of what it used to be.

If it weren't for the timely intervention of the Angry Wave True Lord, she would have been exhausted after only half an incense stick's time.

Qingheng materialized and lay down beside the table, her small hand supporting her chin, her bright green eyes gazing at the jade box:

"Jinshu, shall we feed it to Little Sparrow now?"

"No rush. The demon core's demonic power is violent and needs to be tempered with alchemical fire to remove its ferocity, and then supplemented with a few harmonizing spiritual herbs before it can be safely absorbed."

As Chen Jinshu spoke, her gaze fell once again on the Star Moon Qin:

"The most urgent task is to comprehend the 'Zhou Tian Xing Yue Yin' (a book on the stars and moon in the celestial map) that was just presented."

In this battle, the sheer power of the instinctive rhythm alone was astounding; if I were to truly master the killing melody within, my strength would undoubtedly increase even further!

(End of this chapter)