Wayfarer

Chapter 191: Excavating Dragons, Killing Demons

A great slaughter had just taken place on Bloodkill Island as its bandits fell to the ground in pools of blood. Before the Taiqing disciples lay a group of weeping women.

"They were innocent women kidnapped from the mortal world at large to satiate the bandits' sexual urges."

"One bandit confessed that they torture countless women to death on an annual basis. This batch just got here."

"Their families were all killed by the bandits. If we hadn't arrived on time, they too might have suffered the same fate."

Ye Sanshui and the others were explaining these women's background to Xiao Nanfeng.

"All of you can get up. We've slaughtered the bandits to the last, and we'll bring you back to your homes. If you have nowhere to go, you can stay on my Isle of Xiao," Xiao Nanfeng consoled them.

"Thank you, benefactors!" The women kowtowed to the gathered disciples.

Ye Sanshui and the others helped tend to the unfortunate women

as Zhao Yuanjiao frowned and walked up to him. "Why did you suddenly decide to attack the Bloodkill bandits? Didn't you say you were planning to give everyone the wrong impression again? Weren't we headed for a spiritbeast lair?"

"Elder, are there many forces skulking around?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"I just had a look. There are at least three separate forces stationed on the islands nearby, likely all Spiritsong-realm or higher in strength." Zhao Yuanjiao glanced toward the islands in the distance.

"When you, Croak, and Warble struck the bandits simultaneously, the commotion shocked them and caused them to miss the best opportunity to strike. Fortunately, given what happened last time, no Wingform-realm cultivator is willing to risk getting killed, but some Spiritsong-realm ones refuse to give up." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

"Oh?"

"Now that our formation's all set up, however, there's no need to worry about them any longer."

"So you didn't have to attack Bloodkill Island at all, did you?" Zhao Yuanjiao frowned.

"I know. I wasn't planning on it, but I had no choice. Our route was exposed, so I had to stop here and prepare a defense. Of all the places around the Eastern Sea, Bloodkill Island has the most easily accessible draconic vein. The other draconic veins are all under guard by factions of immense strength," Xiao Nanfeng informed him.

"Our route was exposed? When?" Zhao Yuanjiao turned serious.

"This morning. I suddenly discovered that a group of sea spirits have been tailing us."

"Sea spirits?" Zhao Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes.

"No strong ones, but I can't imagine it'll take them long to communicate with those who put them up to this. We were tight on time, so I had Ye Dafu and the others quickly establish a formation while we were taking on the Bloodkill bandits. Let me handle the rest."

Zhao Yuanjiao nodded and waited alertly.

"Raise the formation!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

"Got it!" Ye Dafu called back from afar.

With a huge crash, fog gushed out of the surroundings of Bloodkill Island, reaching into the sky and completely surrounding it.

Three monks on a small island nearby, seeing the fog surround Bloodkill Island, frowned.

"Should we strike, Senior Brother?" one monk asked.

"We can't. They have three Spiritsong-realm cultivators. If we strike now, we might not be able to seize the Immortal's Destruction. Furthermore, if I'm not mistaken, that formation is the Ghosts' Parade that he just acquired. Heading into it would be no different from committing suicide."

"In that case, what should we do?"

"We won't be able to fight individually. Contact the other forces nearby and see if they're willing to cooperate."

"Yes!"

Just then, a dragon's shriek rang out from the island.

It was so loud as to be audible from where the monks stood. Bloodkill Island suddenly began to vibrate, and waves radiated out from it. The forces all around were shocked.

"They've begun excavating the draconic vein!"

"The next step is to absorb draconic aether from it... How are they always so lucky? Why can they find these draconic veins no matter where they go?"

"Wait for them to dispel the formation. We'll strike then."

While the forces waited, they communicated with each other and planned out the subsequent cooperation. After about six hours, Xiao Nanfeng commanded, "Dispel the formation!"

The formation of fog surrounding Bloodkill Island immediately dissipated, revealing the three thousand Taiqing disciples and three thousand fighters from the Isle of Xiao within, as well as Bloodkill Island, whose mountains had all collapsed.

"Juniors, clean up the island. Pack up whatever fits on the ships and bury the corpses that don't. We'll leave Bloodkill Island immediately!"

"Yes, Senior Brother Xiao!"

The cultivators that had been lying in wait stared at Xiao Nanfeng and glanced at each other, as though preparing to coordinate a strike.

Just then, a huge wave erupted from the sea around the island. A gargantuan lifeform appeared, startling everyone.

"What a large octopus spirit!" one cultivator cried out.

A thirty-meter octopus spirit had appeared, emerging from the depths of the sea and floating above its surface with an aura suffused with killing intent.

"A Spiritsong-realm octopus spirit?" Zhao Yuanjiao raised an eyebrow.

More waves formed as octopus after octopus emerged from the sea, each thirty meters long. There were more than two dozen in all.

"More than two dozen Spiritsong-realm octopus spirits...?" One monk gulped.

The Taiqing disciples drew their blades in fear,

but the seawater was still raging. A sixty-meter long octopus emerged. Its killing intent surged like a violent gale, sending the Taiqing disciples stumbling back.

The forces all around the island likewise reared back in shock.

"A Wingform-realm octopus spirit king!" Zhao Yuanjiao cried out.

Croak and Warble let out warning croaks.

The spirit king's aura was so intense that even Croak and Warble were hesitant to step forward.

Atop the octopus spirit king's giant head was a sea turtle, one with a particularly large head and a particularly small body, which gave off a very lopsided feeling. The sea turtle was smiling in a conceited fashion as it looked down on Xiao Nanfeng from afar.

"Xiao Nanfeng? We meet again," the sea turtle called out.

"You? The old turtle? You can regrow your body starting with just a head?" Xiao Nanfeng gaped.

"It's all thanks to you! We'll settle our score today," the ancient turtle spat out.

"Prime Minister Turtle, aren't you being too cautious? I said that we could strike four hours ago, but you insisted on waiting all that time!" the octopus spirit king complained.

"This kid's even more cautious than I am. I didn't want to wait four hours either, but I had no choice. You might be able to ignore that formation of fog they put up, but your subordinates wouldn't be able to bear it. What's more, there was still a draconic vein on the island. Haven't you heard how the sea serpent king perished? I had to wait until they completely digested the draconic vein. Four hours is a worthwhile price to pay for your life."

"Prime Minister Turtle, you really have taken everything into account!" the octopus spirit king flattered.

"Naturally. If you help me with this task now, a few days later, when the prawn soldiers and crab generals meet up with me, I'll bring you all to the draconic palace. If you listen to me, I can guarantee you an Immortal weapon. You're aware of what treasures the draconic palace possesses, aren't you?" the turtle enticed.

"Thank you, Prime Minister Turtle!" The octopus spirit king's eyes flashed with greed.

"Now, seize Xiao Nanfeng for me!" the turtle cried out.

The octopus spirit king puffed up its body and replied proudly, "Don't worry, we'll slaughter everyone present. None of these cultivators will escape. It's been too long since my subordinates have had such high-quality flesh. Kill them!"

The twenty Spiritsong-realm octopus spirits howled and shot forward.

"The formation!" Xiao Nanfeng called out.

The formation that was just winding down started up again. Fog filled the air around Bloodkill Island.

"Head inside now! This is the Ghosts' Parade formation, and your subordinates won't be able to bear it," the turtle urged.

The octopus spirit king shot inside the fog.

The moment it did so, it sensed black fog heading its way, as though attempting to drag it and the ancient turtle into the illusory realm. The ancient turtle spat out a mouthful of red light, shielding itself.

It had suffered tremendously the last time it was dragged into an illusion against its will, and had specially learned a technique to prevent that situation from happening again.

Just then, four golden chains wrapped around the octopus spirit king.

"Why are there Immortal-binding chains here? Something's wrong!" the turtle cried out.

On the other end of the chains was the Immortal's Destruction, which had been covered up beneath earth and stone. Tremendous radiance shot into the air, exposed anew—a six-hundred-meter long golden dragon, bound with four Immortal-binding chains and buried underground. Its maw had been clamped tightly shut, preventing it from making any noise. Thus revealed, it began to struggle and growl, as if sensing that its end was near.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you haven't absorbed the draconic vein at all? You were just pretending to have done so in an attempt to trick me?!" the ancient turtle cried out.

Xiao Nanfeng sent a talisman for the Immortal's Destruction straight toward the octopus spirit king.

The octopus spirit king roared in outrage, summoning an incredible surge of strength, with which it broke the chains binding itself. However, it was all too late. The draconic vein glowed with radiant light, transforming into a sword slash of unparalleled size, as it shot toward the spirit.

"No!" the octopus spirit king howled.

The attack cleaved its head and bisected its body in a shower of blood, killing the octopus spirit king on the spot. The resulting shockwave even caused the ancient turtle's body to explode.

"No!" the ancient turtle shrieked.