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

"This time I can enjoy delicious food again!"

The Silver-Winged Yaksha, on the other hand, fully utilizes its ghostly speed and its skill in using illusions to bewitch people.

With a flap of its silver wings, its figure appeared and disappeared on the battlefield as if it were teleporting, leaving behind afterimages that made it impossible to pinpoint its location.

It specifically targets level eight or nine demon cultivators. Often, before the opponent can even react or see its shadow clearly, its sharp claws pierce their heart or throat, or they are bewitched by its illusions and lose their lives without even realizing it.

Those level eight and nine demon cultivators could hardly last three rounds against it before becoming its victims, dying without knowing why.

Under such a fierce offensive, the demon race quickly suffered casualties!

Four or five more transformed demons were killed in the battle, their bodies falling from the sky and staining the sea below red with their blood.

This caused the remaining demon cultivators to panic, their morale plummeted, and they lost all their initial arrogance.

Meanwhile, the True Dragon Formation composed of nearly thirty demon cultivators on the Golden Flood Dragon King's side finally gave way.

The demon cultivators who were maintaining the great formation were all exhausted of their demonic power, their faces as pale as paper, and they were no longer able to maintain the operation of the great formation.

With a muffled boom, the enormous phantom of the true dragon trembled violently in the air a few times, let out a mournful cry of unwillingness, and finally turned into specks of spiritual light like bubbles, completely dissipating between heaven and earth.

With the threat of the dragon's phantom gone, Zhou Yuan immediately felt the pressure ease and let out a long sigh of relief.

The remaining seventy-odd transformed demons had lost their previous arrogance and confidence in victory. Each of them wore a look of fear, their eyes flickering uncertainly. They involuntarily shrank back and huddled together, as if only in this way could they find a sense of security.

They were locked in a stalemate with Zhou Yuan's seven powerful late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, but their momentum had been completely suppressed.

The Suanni King's face turned pale and then red, like a chameleon, looking extremely ugly.

He looked at the still-warm corpses of the transformed demons on the ground, then at the seven figures opposite him, their auras deep and imposing, as unshakeable as mountains, especially Zhou Yuan who seemed to have everything under control. For the first time, a deep sense of powerlessness and unprecedented fear welled up in his heart.

This human cultivator has endless tricks up his sleeve, revealing one trump card after another, as if he could never be fully fathomed, like a bottomless abyss.

If this fight continues, their demon race will likely lose even more transformed powerful beings!

This kind of loss is far more devastating than losing some territory!

If territory is lost, it can be taken back later by strength.

Once a powerful demon that can transform into human form dies, it is truly dead. To cultivate another one would require an unknown amount of time and resources, and it might even be impossible to make up for it forever!

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, may I have a word to say?"

King Suanni suddenly took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and shouted loudly.

His voice no longer carried the initial arrogance and kingly majesty, but instead contained a hint of pleading, a hint of submission, and even a barely perceptible tremor.

He was genuinely afraid, afraid that this unfathomable human cultivator might have some even more powerful trump cards up his sleeve.

"stop!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan slowly raised one hand and made a stop gesture.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire battlefield.

Upon receiving the order, Tianhen Old Monster, Mu Kui, Silver-Winged Yaksha, Xuanyan Turtle, Lion Beast, and the puppet god immediately ceased all their attack actions.

They withdrew their supernatural powers and magical treasures, and stood quietly behind Zhou Yuan.

"call!"

King Suanni took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if to expel all the pent-up emotions, resentment, anger, and even a faint sense of fear from his chest.

He closed his eyes, trying to calm his turbulent emotions and let his heart, which was pounding violently with anger and resentment, slowly settle down.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze still held a hint of complexity and bitterness, but he had regained the composure and rationality befitting a king of the Suanni tribe.

Having fought this far, he already knew very well that their demon race was the defeated party.

Although this fact made him feel extremely frustrated and ashamed, it was the undeniable reality before him.

More than sixty transformed demons came out in full force, and with the addition of twenty fellow cultivators who came from afar to provide support, a total of seventy or eighty powerful warriors at the transformed level were completely overwhelmed by a few human cultivators and a few spirit beasts, and even lost several of their fellow cultivators.

Especially that human cultivator named Zhou Yuan, who exuded an unfathomable sense of mystery from beginning to end, as if he always had a backup plan and a trump card.

Now that they have been defeated, the terms of the subsequent negotiations will naturally be set by the human race.

He understands this basic rule.

The law of the jungle applies to the cultivation world as well as to the demon race: the strong are respected, and the weak are preyed upon. Defeat comes with a price; this is an eternal truth.

"Can those beast tides recede now?"

Zhou Yuan looked at the Suanni King with a smile, his tone relaxed and carefree, as if he were only asking about a trivial matter, rather than deciding the fate of thousands of lives, or leading an important negotiation concerning the future of the two races.

His calm and confident demeanor made the Suanni King feel frustrated and helpless, but he still had to nod.

The Suanni King turned around, facing the boundless beast tide that was still frantically attacking the protective array of Origin Island. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and emitted a low and strange sound wave.

This sound wave is not a sound in the ordinary sense, but a kind of infrasound wave containing a special frequency and bloodline pressure. Ordinary people cannot hear it at all, but it can be clearly transmitted to the depths of the minds of every monster within a radius of hundreds of miles, reaching their very soul.

This is the command of the demon king, an absolute pressure from the depths of his bloodline, an instinctive summons that no low-level demon beast can resist!

A miraculous scene unfolded.

Those low-level demonic beasts, who were originally fearless, relentless, seemingly tireless, and whose eyes were only on slaughter and bloodshed, stopped abruptly the moment they received this sonic command containing the will of a king, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

The madness and bloodlust in their eyes quickly faded, replaced by a sense of bewilderment and awe, as well as a feeling of relief.

Immediately afterwards, like the receding tide, the dense, overwhelming army of monsters that had almost obscured the sea and sky began to retreat rapidly and in an orderly manner.

The enormous shadow beneath the sea receded rapidly, stirring up the murky waters; the birds in the sky also turned away, disappearing like a dark cloud, leaving behind only a thick, shocking layer of monster corpses piled up like mountains on the sea surface, and the seawater stained a shocking dark red, the air thick with an overwhelming stench of blood.

"They retreated! The monsters retreated! We won!"

On Origin Island, the Tiannan cultivators, who had been on edge, gripping their magical artifacts and preparing for the next wave of even more intense attacks, were stunned for a moment when they saw the boundless beast tide truly receding like the tide. They seemed unable to believe their eyes, and then burst into a deafening cheer that echoed through the sky!

Many people's legs gave way and they collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Sweat had already soaked through their clothes and streamed down their faces.

Some people hugged each other excitedly, laughing and crying, overjoyed.

It was a kind of ecstatic joy after surviving a catastrophe, a feeling of relief and lingering fear after being pulled back from the edge of despair.

Because each of them knew in their hearts that if the beast tide continued to charge endlessly, they would eventually collapse from exhaustion due to the depletion of their magical power, and the island's protective formation would eventually be broken by the relentless impact.

At that time, what awaits them will be the tragic fate of being torn to pieces by countless demonic beasts and buried in their bellies, leaving not even a trace of their bones.

But now, they've won! They've survived! The island is saved!

The three—Hehuan Old Demon, Supreme Yang Master, and Wei Wuyai—exchanged glances, their faces showing a complex mix of surprise and relief. They quickly huddled together, exchanged a few words, and then understood—this outcome must have been due to a decisive victory by Fellow Daoist Zhou Yuan, forcing the demon race to bow their heads in defeat and order a retreat.

"Old Daoist Zhiyang, you, along with fellow Daoists Long Han and Feng Bing, will stay on the island to guard against any tricks or contingencies the demon race may have. Fellow Daoist Wei and I will go and check the situation!" The Old Demon Hehuan said with a smile, his tone filled with undisguised excitement and admiration for Zhou Yuan.

"Alright, you may go ahead. We will guard this place, so don't worry." Master Zhiyang nodded solemnly.

Immediately, the two old demons, Hehuan and Wei Wuyai, transformed into two streaks of light and left Origin Island, rushing towards Zhou Yuan's location.

For Nascent Soul cultivators of their level, a distance of several hundred miles is merely a matter of moments.

Soon, they traversed this long distance and arrived at the heart of the confrontation between Zhou Yuan and his group and the demons.

When they saw what was before them, they couldn't help but gasp, their faces showing undisguised shock.

"What?!"

On the other side, a large group of transformed demons stood in a dark mass. A quick glance revealed that their numbers were much greater than those seen before, totaling more than seventy!

The soaring demonic energy converged, forming an invisible pressure that almost solidified into a physical form, making the air thick and even distorting the light. Such a terrifying formation would normally be enough to terrify any Nascent Soul cultivator, even causing them to consider retreating.

How could Fellow Daoist Zhou win despite such an absolute disadvantage? How did he do it? It's simply unbelievable!

When their gaze swept over Zhou Yuan's back, they suddenly realized what was going on, and their doubts were resolved.

"It's Fellow Daoist Tianhen...and Silver-Winged Yaksha and Mu Kui...No wonder, no wonder!"

Upon seeing the familiar old face of Tianhen Old Monster, and the two powerful, suffocatingly strong refining corpses and spiritual objects beside him, Hehuan Old Demon and Wei Wuyai suddenly realized that all their questions had been answered.

It turns out that Fellow Daoist Zhou had long anticipated that this battle would not be easy, and made arrangements in advance by bringing in such powerful reinforcements from Tiannan. This allowed him to turn the tide and achieve final victory despite seemingly hopeless circumstances.

Thinking of this, the two felt an overwhelming sense of admiration for Zhou Yuan, like a surging river, endless and boundless, or like a towering mountain, an inexhaustible source of respect.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou has truly rendered invaluable service to the cultivators of Tiannan! We have no way to repay this kindness and virtue; please accept our bow!"

The Old Demon of Hehuan and Wei Wuyai walked to Zhou Yuan's side, solemnly straightened their clothes, and then clasped their hands in a deep bow, their voices filled with sincere gratitude and respect.

"We're all human, there's no need for this!"

Zhou Yuan wore a gentle smile, showing no arrogance or pride despite his extraordinary achievement.

Then, Zhou Yuan turned around and looked at the Suanni King opposite him again. The smile on his face faded a bit, and he became serious and solemn, and began to formally discuss the matter of ceding territory and paying reparations after the war.

"King Suanni, since the nobles have admitted defeat, let's discuss the specific conditions." Zhou Yuan cut to the chase, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. "My demands are simple and reasonable—from this day forward, the sea area centered on Origin Island, spanning sixty million li, will belong to my human cultivators, serving as our foothold and foundation for development in the starry sea. All demons under your command must evacuate this area within a specified time and are forbidden from crossing the boundary in the future."

Upon hearing this, not only the Suanni King, but also the transformed demons behind him, all changed their expressions drastically. They whispered among themselves, discussing the matter, and many of the demons even showed anger, feeling that the condition was too harsh.

Sixty million miles of sea!

This is no small amount; it's almost equivalent to half the area of ​​the entire Inner Star Sea!

How could they be willing to give away such a vast and rich sea area so easily?

Although this area is far smaller than the Inner Star Sea, which is rich in resources and full of rare and precious materials, Zhou Yuan knew the principle of not trying to do too much at once.

Given the current population size and overall strength of the cultivators in Tiannan, it is already a very difficult task for them to completely control such a large sea area and establish an effective system of rule and defense.

Even to completely digest this vast sea area and thoroughly sort out its resource points, spiritual veins, mineral deposits, and potential threats, it would probably take more than a few decades to accomplish.

He understands the principle that taking too big a step can lead to trouble.

A steady and methodical approach, taking one step at a time, is the only long-term solution.

"OK!"

King Suanni remained silent for a long time, his expression changing several times, sometimes ashen, sometimes gloomy. Finally, he gritted his teeth and squeezed out the word heavily.

He knew he was the defeated party, with no right to refuse the other side's demands, nor the confidence to bargain further. Being able to quell the war with a stretch of sea, preventing the deaths of more transformed demons and innocent kin, was already the best outcome they could achieve.

Although my heart was bleeding, I could only grit my teeth and accept it.

Upon hearing this result, the faces of the Hehuan Old Demon and Wei Wuyai instantly blazed with uncontrollable elation. They were so excited that their bodies trembled slightly, and they almost jumped up! Such a devastating disaster had been resolved so easily by Zhou Yuan, and he had even secured such a vast area for their development!

This is absolutely wonderful news, something they never dared to dream of!

With this vast sea as their foundation, the cultivators of Tiannan can finally recuperate and multiply, no longer having to live a precarious and dependent life!

"If your demon race launches another beast tide to attack this area within a thousand years, or tries to seize this sea, then I will not show the same mercy as I have today."

Zhou Yuan looked at the Suanni King and spoke in a calm tone, but his words carried an undeniable warning and a chilling killing intent, making every demon present feel a chill down their spine.

"Rest assured! I, King Suanni, keep my word. Since I promised you in front of so many fellow cultivators, I will never go back on my word!" King Suanni nodded solemnly, giving his promise.

He knew perfectly well that Zhou Yuan clearly had the ability to severely damage or even annihilate their demon army today, but at the crucial moment he chose to show mercy and not kill them all, which was already a huge favor to him.

Although this person's cultivation has not yet broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, his unfathomable methods and intellect, as well as his profound and unfathomable foundation, are probably not much weaker than those legendary Nascent Soul cultivators who are rarely seen.

Making an enemy of such a person is certainly not a wise thing to do.

Perhaps it's not too bad to exchange peace for the price of a piece of sea.