I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

Chapter 306 Four Great Demons Perish, Sea Clan Trembles! Azure Spirit Island in Danger!

"Prepare to break the ban!"

Above Biling Island, the old man in the hemp robe and the middle-aged swordsman exchanged a glance.

Seeing that the four great demons seemed to have been persuaded and no longer rejected their joining, they immediately took the lead without hesitation, intending to demonstrate their own value and also to break the restriction as soon as possible.

The old man gave a low shout and raised his hand to summon an ancient treasure banner, entirely golden in color, embroidered with patterns of the sun, moon, and stars, exuding astonishing spiritual pressure.

The middle-aged swordsman also patted his storage bag at his waist, and a large, ancient bell, entirely crimson and engraved with flame patterns, flew out.

The bell swells when the wind blows.

The two ancient treasures shone brightly, and it looked as if they were about to combine with the previous attacks of the four demons to jointly bombard the cloud-shrouded barrier below.

However, at this very moment—

"Disappear from this place within ten breaths. Otherwise, die."

A calm, indifferent voice, yet carrying an undeniable, chilling majesty, seemed to emanate from the deepest abyss, piercing through layers of restrictive mists without warning.

It resounded clearly in the ears of the six Nascent Soul level beings!

The voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap, startling them all.

The movement of activating the magic weapon in his hand involuntarily stopped.

That sound—it was incredibly powerful.

Its owner must be a powerful cultivator!

More importantly, this statement indicates that the mountain, which is protected by numerous restrictions, is not an unclaimed ancient site, but rather a place with an owner!

The master is inside!

The expressions of the two human cultivators changed several times in an instant.

They originally thought this place was a cave or secret realm left behind by ancient cultivators.

That's when he decided to steal the treasure.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be the cave dwelling and training ground of a contemporary cultivator!

Moreover, judging from his tone, he was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

To be able to set up such a large-scale restriction in the depths of the sea where demons reside, and to open up a cave for secluded cultivation, their strength is probably unfathomable.

For the sake of an unidentified "treasure," he forged a deadly feud with a fellow cultivator of unknown strength who might be extremely difficult to deal with.

This is by no means a wise move.

The old man in the hemp robe reacted the fastest, instantly putting away the golden banner. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the direction of the restriction, his tone polite and even tinged with apology: "So this is your place of quiet cultivation, fellow Daoist. We have been presumptuous. Since this is already taken, we should leave. We apologize for disturbing your cultivation. Farewell!"

After saying that, he gave the middle-aged swordsman a wink, and the two of them, without hesitation, transformed into two streaks of light and shot off towards the outer edge of Biling Island without looking back, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

They act decisively, knowing that when the situation is unclear, withdrawing in time is the best course of action.

However, the reaction of the four transformed demons was completely different from that of the two human cultivators.

"Hmph! What a joke!"

The eagle demon with wings on its back let out a sharp, cold laugh first, its scarlet eyes filled with disdain and violence. "This is my demon race's sea territory. When did it become your place, human cultivators, to claim this land as your own and act like tyrants? You think you're worthy to tell us to get lost?"

"That's right! Whether you're the owner of this place or not, now that we've discovered it, this land belongs to our demon race! If you know what's good for you, release the restrictions and come out yourself—"

The carapace-like demon cultivator with rock-like skin roared in a deep, muffled voice, like muffled thunder.

In their eyes, within the territory of the demon race, human cultivators are nothing more than rats crossing the street. Even if a few powerful individuals open up cave dwellings, they would never dare to be enemies with the entire demon race.

Those two humans who retreated just now were simply cowards.

The other two snake demons and the other sea lion-like demon cultivator were also brimming with demonic energy, their eyes flashing with ferocity, clearly agreeing with what Mo Ying and the shelled demon cultivator said.

In their minds, in the Chaotic Starry Sea, the demon race is the master, and human cultivators either have to rely on powerful forces such as the Star Palace and the Reverse Star Alliance, or they have to keep a low profile and keep their tails between their legs.

Those who occupy the Spirit Island, set up restrictions, and even dare to threaten them are simply courting death!

Instead of retreating, they were provoked by Zhou Yuan's words, their demonic aura intensified, and they held back their magical treasures and supernatural powers, locking onto the restrictions below, ready to deliver a thunderous blow when their "master" appeared.

"Since you yourselves want to die, then I will grant your wish."

The cold voice rang out again, the murderous intent in its tone now undisguised.

"Buzz—!"

The thick clouds that shrouded the mountain peaks suddenly surged violently, as if they had been parted by an invisible hand.

A young man dressed in black robes, with a calm face and eyes as cold as ancient ice, stepped out from the split cloud passage and hovered a hundred feet in front of the four great demons.

It was Zhou Yuan who had just returned from Dongyu Kingdom via the teleportation array!

As soon as he appeared, his gaze swept over the four powerful demons in front of him, their demonic auras soaring, without any emotional fluctuation in his eyes, as if he were looking at four ants.

"kill!"

Without any unnecessary words, Zhou Yuan raised his hand and pointed.

"Clang clang clang clang—!!!"

A series of crisp, resounding sword cries, seemingly capable of tearing the sky apart, echoed through the heavens!

Seventy-two dazzling flying swords, their bodies shimmering with golden light and imbued with terrifying sharpness and golden arcs of electricity, erupted suddenly from Zhou Yuan's body like seventy-two golden meteors, soaring into the sky!

In an instant, golden light flashed across the sky, sword energy crisscrossed, and a terrifying sword intent that stung the soul spread out as if it were a tangible thing, faintly locking down the space within a radius of several miles.

The complete Great Geng Sword Formation was deployed in an instant!

Seventy-two Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords, infused with Geng essence and crafted primarily from Golden Thunder Bamboo, formed a three-dimensional death sword domain covering a thousand feet, radiant with golden light and flickering with lightning.

It completely enveloped the four great demons!

"What?!"

"This sword formation—"

The four great demons felt the terrifying pressure emanating from the sword formation, far exceeding their expectations. In particular, the aura of the warding-off divine thunder leaping on the golden flying sword made their souls tremble, and their expressions changed drastically!

The level eight snake demon reacted a little slowly, perhaps because it was too confident in its own defense, or perhaps it wanted to test the waters, and instead of retreating, it advanced.

It let out a fierce screech, spewing out a foul-smelling, dark green poisonous mist. At the same time, it twisted its body, and a pitch-black demonic claw, as large as a house and completely formed from demonic power, covered with hard scales, tore through the poisonous mist and grabbed fiercely at a golden flying sword at the edge of the sword formation! It wanted to use brute force to break through skill and test the strength of the sword formation.

However, in Zhou Yuan's eyes, its actions were tantamount to courting death.

"laugh--!"

Just as the dark demon claw was about to touch the golden flying sword, the flying sword, along with several other flying swords around it, flashed with light. Several golden sword threads, condensed to the extreme, shot out from the sword formation as if they had a life of their own, at a speed that exceeded the limit of divine sense. They instantly crossed and slashed past the huge demon claw!

There was no earth-shattering noise, only an extremely faint sound, like a sharp blade cutting through thin paper.

The next moment, under the watchful eyes of the other three great demons and two human cultivators in the distance, the menacing, surging black demon claw, along with the thick demon arm that followed, was as if it had been sliced ​​by the sharpest cutting instrument. Instantly, it turned into countless uniformly sized, perfectly smooth pieces of flesh, mixed with dark green demon blood, which fell from the sky like rain!

"ah--!!"

Only when the demonic claws were shattered did the excruciating pain reach the snake demon's mind. It let out an extremely shrill scream, its massive snake body twisting wildly, its eyes filled with unbelievable fear.

Its defense was as flimsy as paper in the face of the opponent's golden sword threads!

But this is just the beginning.

The sword formation was already operating at full capacity.

Countless fine golden sword threads, like a net covering the sky and the earth, frantically shuttled, intertwined, and cut within the sword formation!

The severely wounded serpent demon was the first to be hit. Its massive body could only withstand the sword net for less than a breath before it was cut into countless pieces. Even its terrified demonic soul, which fled in panic, was completely purified and annihilated by the subsequent exorcising divine lightning! It was destroyed in both body and soul!

An eighth-level transformed demon, comparable to a human in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, was instantly killed before it could even withstand a single exchange under this terrifying sword formation!

"Damn it! Retreat!"

The strongest level nine eagle demon, "Ink Eagle," reacted the fastest. The moment the snake demon's claws were severed, it was terrified and lost all will to fight. Its wings flapped violently, creating two cyan hurricanes, and its figure, as if teleporting, transformed into a streak of cyan light, fleeing desperately in the opposite direction from Biling Island!

What is the dignity of the demon race, what are the treasures of their caves? In the face of absolute overwhelming power and the threat of death, they are all worthless!

The other two great demons were also terrified and dared not linger. They each used their life-saving escape techniques, transforming into two beams of demonic light and fleeing frantically in different directions.

"Want to leave now? Too late."

Zhou Yuan's icy voice was like the pronouncement of death.

With a thought, he opened the two spirit beast pouches at his waist at the same time.

"Roar!" "Awooo—!"

Two earth-shattering roars rang out, and two enormous figures instantly appeared in the air.

One is the "Gale Beast," with a dark blue-black body, two wings on its back, and a fierce and imposing presence; the other is the "Beast Demon," with a jet-black body and a murderous aura that fills the sky!

The Heavenly Demon Corpse was also summoned.

Three powerful auras, no weaker than those of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm, suddenly erupted.

"Gale, chase that sea lion. Beast Demon, chase that shelled demon. Take its demon core, dead or alive," Zhou Yuan commanded briefly.

"Yes, Master!"

The Gale Beast let out an excited roar, spread its wings, and transformed into a blue whirlwind, chasing after the sea lion demon that was fleeing to the southeast.

The Heavenly Demon Corpse and the Beast Demon let out a silent roar, their bodies surging with corpse energy. With a single step, they appeared hundreds of feet away, crashing into the shelled demon fleeing to the southwest like cannonballs.

As for Zhou Yuan himself, the Wind and Thunder Wings behind him flashed with azure light, and fine silver arcs of electricity crackled around him.

"Crackling sound—!"

A crisp clap of thunder resounded, and Zhou Yuan's figure vanished from his spot, leaving only a faint golden lightning trail in the air.

The next moment, he appeared a thousand feet away, blocking the path of the level nine eagle demon "Ink Eagle" that was fleeing for its life!

The Thunder Wings' lightning escape technique has a burst speed over short distances that far surpasses that of other beasts of the same level. Even wind-attribute level nine demonic birds, which are known for their speed, cannot escape its lock-on.

"Human! Do you truly intend to exterminate us all? I am the Black Eagle of the Feathered Clan. If you kill me, the Feathered Clan and the Sea Clan will never let you go!"

Seeing his path blocked, Mo Ying's eyes flashed with despair, and he screamed in a show of bravado but inwardly weak voice.

At the same time, his wings flapped wildly, and countless sharp and unparalleled cyan wind blades poured down on Zhou Yuan like a torrential rain, trying to force Zhou Yuan back and find another way to escape.

"Noisy."

Zhou Yuan remained expressionless as he faced the overwhelming wind blades and activated the Great Geng Sword Formation.

At the same time, he pointed his fingers like a sword and gently slashed at the void in front of him.

"break."

The golden sword light ignored the countless wind blades and struck directly at the cyan wind shield that Mo Ying had hastily conjured in front of him.

"Snap—!"

The wind shield shattered instantly.

The sword's momentum remained undiminished.

In the utterly terrified gaze of the black eagle, it instantly swept across its neck.

A huge eagle head, with an expression of disbelief and terror, soared into the sky.

Blood gushed out of the headless neck like a fountain.

Its demonic soul had just escaped when it was struck by a wisp of warding-off divine lightning casually flicked out by Zhou Yuan, turning into wisps of green smoke amidst a mournful scream.

The level nine demonic bird, the Ink Eagle, has fallen!

Zhou Yuan waved his hand to collect the demon core and remains of the Ink Eagle, then turned his gaze to the other two directions.

On the other side of the Heavenly Demon Corpse, the battle was over.

Although the shelled demon cultivator had amazing defensive capabilities, it was quickly shattered by the Heavenly Demon Corpse's fearless, terrifying, and poisonous attacks. Its protective demonic light was torn in two, and its demonic core was extracted by the demon corpse.

Its demonic soul attempted to escape, but was incinerated by a burst of corpse-evil fire spewed from the demonic corpse's mouth.

The battle between the Gale Beast and the Sea Lion Demon continued.

The sea lion demon's cultivation was comparable to Gale's, and it was skilled in water escape and sonic attacks, making it difficult to defeat in the short term. Zhou Yuan frowned slightly, then moved again, his Wind and Thunder Wings flashing, and he had already appeared near Gale's battle group.

"die."

It was still a simple word. Zhou Yuan raised his hand, and several more condensed golden sword beams shot out, sealing off all of the sea lion demon's escape routes.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Gale Beast pounced and bit the sea lion demon's neck.

Zhou Yuan's sword energy arrived shortly after, completely piercing through his protective demonic light and tough flesh.

The fourth transformed demon has perished.

Four demon cores, each shimmering with different colors and brimming with immense demonic power, along with four valuable demonic beast body materials, all fell into Zhou Yuan's possession.

This is undoubtedly another huge fortune, and whether it is used for alchemy, weapon crafting, or bestowed upon disciples, it is a top-quality resource.

Zhou Yuan recalled the Gale Beast and the Heavenly Demon Corpse, his gaze sweeping coldly over the Biling Island sea area where no living being dared to approach. Then, his figure descended and disappeared back into the separated cloud passage, and the restriction closed again, enveloping the mountain peak once more.

Upon returning to the mountain peak, Zhou Yuan did not immediately go back to the main peak cave, but instead went to the second peak next to it.

The mountain's interior has been completely hollowed out and transformed into a massive underground mine and refining workshop.

This is the place where those cultivators he brought from Jiyin Island to work and live, and who were in charge of mining the high-grade spirit stone mines of Biling Island.

I wonder how efficient these people are at mining, and whether they behave themselves.

Zhou Yuan concealed his presence and quietly entered the mountain's interior. The scene before him made him nod slightly.

The vast underground space was meticulously planned, with the mining face extending deep into the spirit stone vein, where efficient and relatively safe mining was carried out using special arrays and tools.

In the refining area, piles of spirit stones, which had undergone preliminary sorting and refining, were stacked up like small mountains. Most of them were mid-grade spirit stones, shimmering with various colors of light; at a rough glance, there were probably tens of thousands of them!

In a specially protected area, thousands of high-grade spirit stones with purer and more abundant spiritual energy and more restrained and profound radiance were neatly stacked!

This is a fortune that would drive any major power in the Chaotic Star Sea mad! It is also a solid foundation for Zhou Yuan's future cultivation, crafting of magical treasures, control of puppets, and setting up of grand formations.

"Mining efficiency is acceptable, and management is relatively orderly."

Zhou Yuan scanned the area with his divine sense and found that although the cultivators from the original Yin Island all looked tired, they did not harbor much resentment.

On the contrary, they were quite satisfied with being able to cultivate peacefully and obtain resources here. They even spontaneously formed a simple management system, which was managed by a few Core Formation cultivators with the highest cultivation levels.

Zhou Yuan did not appear to disturb them, but secretly observed for a while. After confirming that there was no danger, he put all the tens of thousands of mid-grade spirit stones and thousands of high-grade spirit stones piled up like a mountain into his specially made super-large capacity storage magic treasure.

He needs to bring these spirit stones back to Tiannan, part of which will be used for the development of the Ascension Sect, and part of which he will keep for his own use.

"Tsk tsk, so many high-grade spirit stones, even in ancient times, would be considered a fortune." The divine thought of the Great Evolution Divine Lord resounded in Zhou Yuan's sea of ​​consciousness, filled with emotion.

"With these, if I can actually refine the late-stage Nascent Soul level puppet that I envisioned in the future, I won't have to worry about energy."

A single high-grade spirit stone is enough to sustain him in a full-force battle for two to three hours. If it's a top-grade spirit stone, the time will be even longer.

"What the Divine Lord says is absolutely true. However, it seems that this island is no longer completely safe."

Zhou Yuan responded telepathically, his brows furrowing slightly. Although the killing of four powerful demons had temporarily intimidated the surrounding area, it was hard to guarantee that it wouldn't attract even more powerful demons, or other predators like the two human cultivators from before.

Biling Island is located deep within the territory of the demon race, and the pressure of guarding this "treasure trove of spirit stones" for a long time is considerable.

He didn't immediately activate the teleportation array to return to Tiannan, but decided to stay on Biling Island for a few more days. He needed to re-examine...

Reinforce all the defensive barriers on the island, especially the large array on the two core mountain peaks.

This incident served as a wake-up call for him. Although the previous restrictions were powerful, they were ultimately at risk of being broken when faced with an organized and sustained attack from several Nascent Soul level beings.

He needs to combine the new materials and insights to upgrade his formation.

At the same time, he also needed to consider whether he needed to deploy more covert early warning and countermeasure measures on Biling Island, or even—

Consider the possibility of establishing a more robust defensive outpost here in the future and stationing reliable personnel for long-term garrisoning.

However, that's a matter for later; for now, let's get through this potential crisis first.

While Zhou Yuan was busy reinforcing the restrictions on Biling Island.

About 700 miles from Biling Island, on an inconspicuous seaside hillside.

The two Nascent Soul cultivators who had decisively retreated earlier—the old man in the hemp robe and the middle-aged swordsman—had not truly gone far. Instead, they concealed their auras and lingered here to observe.

"Senior brother, that sword formation just now—it was terrifying! Those four demon cultivators, especially the black eagle, were quite strong, yet they were killed so easily—that person was probably not an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."

The middle-aged swordsman recalled the terrifying scene he had just "seen" with his divine sense, and felt lingering fear.

The old man in the hemp robe nodded slowly, his expression grave: "This person's strength is unfathomable, and the power of his sword formation is something I have never heard of before."

"Senior brother, then we—" The middle-aged sword cultivator was somewhat unwilling, after all, a cultivator's cave that might contain great treasures was right in front of them.

"Take your time." The old man in the coarse robe had a flicker in his eyes. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he looked at a spot on the hillside below.

The soil there bulged slightly, and a strange little beast, no bigger than a palm, yellowish-brown in color, resembling a pangolin but with a pair of tiny green bead eyes, emerged from the ground.

The little beast didn't seem afraid when it saw the two people. Instead, it squeaked twice, opened its mouth, and spat out two spirit stones.

One was a common mid-grade wood-attribute spirit stone. The other—undoubtedly a high-grade wood-attribute spirit stone, its spiritual energy far more refined and concentrated, shimmering with a deep green light!

"This was found by the Spirit-Seeking Rat?" The middle-aged swordsman's eyes lit up.

"Not bad." The old man in the coarse robe picked up the high-grade spirit stone, sensing the pure spiritual energy within it. His eyes gleamed brightly. "This spirit-seeking rat is most adept at exploring the earth's spiritual energy and mineral deposits. It was only active in the shallow underground layers on the outer edge of that forbidden mountain, yet it managed to find a high-grade spirit stone! What does this mean?"

The middle-aged swordsman's breathing suddenly quickened: "This means—beneath those two mountain peaks, there might not be a simple spiritual vein, but rather—a high-grade spirit stone mine?! And the mine is of extremely high quality, with high-grade spirit stones scattered even in the shallow outer layers?!"

"Most likely!"

The old man in the hempen robe gripped the high-grade spirit stone in his hand, his face revealing barely suppressed greed and excitement. "An island that is suspected to be a large high-grade spirit stone mine! Its value is enough to drive even behemoths like the Star Palace and the Reverse Star Alliance mad, unleashing a bloodbath!"

"Then we—" A greedy flame ignited in the middle-aged swordsman's eyes, but then he remembered Zhou Yuan's terror and felt as if he had been doused with cold water.

"The two of us alone certainly can't handle this," the old man in the coarse robe said calmly, a calculating glint in his eyes. "But we can sell this information. Sell it to those who need it. For example—the Star Palace, or the Reverse Star Alliance. Whichever side gets this information, they will certainly not be stingy with a generous reward. Moreover, through them, we might be able to find out the true background of the cave's owner, and even—in the midst of their conflict, we might be able to gain some additional benefits."

"Senior brother's insight is brilliant!" The middle-aged sword cultivator suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly.

Having made their decision, the two did not linger. They glanced one last time at the direction shrouded in mist at the center of Biling Island, then transformed into two inconspicuous streaks of light and quietly left the area of ​​Biling Island, speeding towards "Silver Shark Island," where human cultivators gathered in the outer sea.

They needed to spread this earth-shattering news, which was enough to shake the chaotic star sea, as soon as possible.

.....

Three days later.

About 300,000 miles away from Biling Island lies a dangerous sea area teeming with turbulent currents and monstrous beasts. There stands an island, entirely black, with jagged rocks and a faint fishy smell, called "Black Rock Island".

This island is the territory of an eighth-level demonic beast called the "Black Rock Python". This Black Rock Python can transform into human form and usually takes the form of a middle-aged man in black robes.

On this day, several powerful yet subtle demonic auras descended upon Blackrock Island like dark clouds pressing down from above.

There were five people who came, all of them were powerful demons in human form, but they were all different in appearance.

Some have a single horn on their head, some have scales covering their cheeks, and some have claws shaped like beasts.

Their auras merged into one, their demonic energy soaring to the sky, causing the low-level demonic beasts on the island to tremble and prostrate themselves on the ground.

The leader was a handsome young man with a slightly sinister look, dressed in a light blue robe.

He looked no different from a human, except for a few fine blue scales on his neck and wrists, and his pale blue eyes with occasional flashes of vertical pupils, which revealed his non-human identity.

Its aura had reached the peak of the ninth level, equivalent to the mid-stage of the human Nascent Soul realm. Moreover, because its true form was a variant of the dragon, the "Blue Dragon," its actual combat power far surpassed that of human cultivators of the same level.

Sensing these powerful auras, the middle-aged man in black robes quickly flew out of his cave to greet them respectfully: "Fellow Daoist Blue Flood Dragon King, what has happened that you've come to see me?"

The blue-robed youth, known as the "Blue Flood Dragon King," nodded slightly and cut to the chase with an icy voice: "Ink Eagle has disappeared, and the Soul Lamp has been extinguished."

"Someone from the Feathered Clan has asked me to investigate their whereabouts. Three other fellow Daoists from my Sea Clan have also disappeared. According to the last few pieces of information sent back, they seem to have gone in the same direction. Black Rock, you've been active in this sea area for many years; do you know which direction Ink Eagle and the others last went? Did you notice anything unusual?"

Is Mo Ying dead?

Three more cultivators in human form perished together? The Black Rock Python was shocked.

He quickly replied, "Fellow Daoist Blue Flood Dragon, a few days ago, I did indeed sense an aura—it seemed somewhat similar to Fellow Daoist Ink Eagle."

"They ended up going southeast!"

Southeast direction—

A cold glint flashed in the Blue Dragon King's eyes. Combining the scattered clues provided by the Feather Clan, he already had a general idea of ​​the situation.

The other four transformed demons behind him also had unfriendly expressions and a hint of murderous intent.

The simultaneous loss of four Transformation Realm cultivators, including a level nine demonic bird like the Ink Eagle, is no small matter.

Whether it's to give the Feathered Clan an explanation or to uphold the Demon Clan's authority in this sea area, the truth must be thoroughly investigated.

"lead the way."

The Blue Dragon King commanded without room for argument.

"yes!"

The Black Rock Python dared not delay and immediately revealed part of its true form, transforming into a giant black python tens of feet long. It took the lead and swam towards the southeast. The five demons, including the Blue Flood Dragon King, followed closely behind, some riding the demonic wind and others controlling the water waves.