I am evergreen in the world of cultivating immortals

Chapter 509 Slaying the Giant Shark, Invitation to Slay the Dragon

"If things succeed during this great tidal wave, I will bestow this Dragon Essence Pill upon you."

Lu Chang'an held out the Dragon Essence Pill of the Azure Flood Dragon in his hand and made a promise.

Looking at the perfectly round and crystal-clear Azure Dragon Pill, Flying Lord revealed his longing.

The Azure Dragon Pill is a better match for the Flying Rat's wind attribute. Compared to the previous Ink Dragon and Dragon Lizard Pills, it is more attractive.

"This little mouse will surely serve the true lord with utmost loyalty!"

Feitianjun spoke with great enthusiasm and bowed deeply.

He had long ago made up his mind to pledge allegiance to this great human figure.

Although Di Yanjun's bloodline aptitude is inferior to his, he enjoys immense fortune under Lu Chang'an's command, and in a few decades he will be able to cultivate to the peak of the mid-stage of the fourth rank.

To say that Feitianjun is not envious would be self-deception.

Besides, he's already on a pirate ship; there's no turning back.

Previously, when several dragonborn were killed, Flying Lord provided intelligence and guided the humans, making him one of the accomplices.

If those demon kings and dragon descendants knew about this, their hatred and killing intent towards him would probably be even greater than that towards Lu Chang'an, this human cultivator.

"You will stay on the island for now and keep an eye on the movements of the sea monster king in the nearby waters."

"The giant shark sea monster king that attacked Black Coral Island, if it is not found far from the surrounding waters, will remain a mystery."

Lu Chang'an assigned tasks to the two rats.

As a rare species of rat with a superior bloodline, the Flying Rat possesses exceptional speed and excels at treasure hunting and tracking.

Its tracking ability is at least equivalent to a fourth-order tracking skill.

In the following period of time.

The cultivators stationed on the island could never have imagined that two demon kings in human form had secretly settled on the island and were practically living and eating with them.

Lu Chang'an controls the branch's main formation, providing convenience, and the sensing array restrictions on the island will not trigger alarms.

Using Black Coral Island as their base, the two Rat Kings searched the surrounding sea area.

They ate at a buffet in the sea and gradually expanded their dining area.

In addition, there's the Xuan Shui Jun who patrols the sea.

Within a 2,000-mile radius of Black Coral Island, the tides of marine mammals have almost disappeared.

Aside from severe natural disasters and a slightly larger number of demonic sea beasts, the island is not much different from normal times.

……

Ten days later.

Flying Mouse has uncovered a crucial clue about the Giant Shark King.

“Lord Lu, that sea shark king is suspected to have a hidden nest on the seabed eight thousand miles away. However, this shark does not seem to dare to attack Black Coral Island, but instead has its eyes on other small and medium-sized forces in the vicinity.”

After saying that, the flying rat took out a small piece of black feces.

This is the excrement of the Great Shark King, which was eaten by the nearby rat tribe.

The Flying Rat is skilled in a bloodline secret technique that allows it to command low-level rats within a radius of hundreds of miles to carry out simple information.

The higher the rank of the rat bloodline, the better the effect of this "Rat Taming" secret technique.

"Very good! Confirm the location of this shark's nest further, but don't alert them."

Lu Chang'an clapped his hands and laughed, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Since this shark hasn't gone far from the surrounding waters, it's a good opportunity to make an example of it.

Anyone who dares to attack Black Coral Island will pay the price.

In the various seas of the human race, countless forces were impacted by the natural disaster of the ocean tides and could only passively defend themselves.

Even for powerful forces, protecting industries of all sizes across various regions requires a sufficient number of strong individuals to guard them.

The human race only needed to guard the defenses and survive the ocean tides; they rarely went out to hunt down the sea monster king.

Otherwise, it's easy to overlook one thing and neglect another, or even have your home raided.

Therefore, the giant shark did not stray far from the surrounding waters.

Once a fourth-tier early-stage sea beast king escapes into the deep sea, it will be hunted down by mid-stage Nascent Soul giants, making it quite difficult to kill.

If the pursuit fails, the sea monster king will hold a grudge, and they may face even greater retaliation from the sea monster tide in the future.

Unless a demon king poses a great threat or is profitable, it is unlikely to attract the combined forces of the human race to target it.

……

Five days later.

Above the sea thousands of miles away from Black Coral Island.

"Demon King, spare our lives! We are willing to offer up all the valuables on the ship!"

Amidst the tsunami and torrential rain, a third-tier spirit ship was severely damaged, leaving it battered and bruised, with screams echoing throughout.

Bang! Click!

A giant shark king, over thirty feet long, opened its blood-red maw, and its two rows of sharp teeth bit into the middle of the spirit ship.

The entire spirit ship was almost broken in half, and the bodies of several Foundation Establishment cultivators were torn to pieces, their flesh mangled, and were chewed and swallowed by the giant shark king.

In the world of cultivation, the size of demonic beasts varies depending on the species.

For example, marine mammals such as giant sharks and whales are much larger than ordinary species.

Some species are naturally small in size, such as insects and rodents.

In the sea, there are many large marine mammals that are good at head-on combat and use their size to overwhelm their prey.

"I can't escape..."

The most powerful Core Formation cultivator on the third-tier spirit ship, a beautiful woman in a palace dress, had a deathly pale face, revealing deep despair and helplessness.

All she could do was send out a distress message.

call!
The giant shark king unleashed a storm of thunder and lightning, with hundreds of meters-tall water columns swirling around it like tornadoes, sealing off any escape routes.

"Hahaha! High-ranking female cultivators from the human race are still the most delicious."

The Giant Shark King deliberately left the Core Formation female cultivator for last, and devoured the heavily injured and imprisoned Palace Beauty alive, making the taste even more delicious.

The target's fear and struggle acted as a delicious condiment, greatly enhancing its palatability and appetite.

Besides being delicious, the true or golden cores of human cultivators, containing pure magical power, are also a nutritional supplement for the Giant Shark King.

In just a few dozen breaths.

All the cultivators on the spirit ship became food for the giant shark king.

The shark dared not linger and plunged into the unfathomable depths of the ocean.

The devastating tidal disaster will soon be cleaned up, leaving behind a bloody and chaotic scene.

……

After half a stick of incense.

A beam of light from a Nascent Soul cultivator streaked past at high speed.

The newcomer was a handsome, tall, and elegant young man with a snow-white robe and silver hair.

"That sea shark king! How dare it attack and kill my Cloud Sea Merchant Alliance's spirit ship."

The man in the snow-white robe surveyed the scene, looking down at the turbulent deep sea, a gloomy expression appearing on his face.

He sent out a third-tier water-type swordfish spirit pet to explore the sea for a while, but did not dare to go too deep.

It is speculated that the king shark, having had a hearty meal, has dived into the depths of the ocean.

Even though he was a veteran powerhouse in the early Nascent Soul stage, he dared not fight a fourth-tier giant shark in the ocean.

In the midst of the ocean tides, the giant shark king can also command a large number of sea monsters to attack.

The man in the snow-white robe sighed and prepared to leave.

"Ok?"

At this moment, the nascent soul sensed an unusual fluctuation coming from the deep sea in the distance.

"Such a powerful water elemental fluctuation, at least mid-stage fourth rank!"

"Could it be a battle between Nascent Soul level cultivators in the deep sea?"

The man in the snow-white robe, who was a Nascent Soul cultivator, suspected that he was connected to the giant shark king.

He was invigorated and flew two thousand miles southwest, following the fluctuations of the battle.

Whoosh! Boom!
The battle raged even more fiercely in this sea area, triggering a massive tsunami that seemed to overturn the sea surface.

"It should be Lu Zhenjun, who is stationed on Black Coral Island."

Several Core Formation cultivators who were exploring nearby guessed the identities of one of the combatants based on the signs of a battle in the sea.

From the depths of the sea, a powerful spiritual pressure emanated from a mid-Nascent Soul stage and a mid-fourth-tier water-type demon king.

"With Lord Lu Zhenjun taking action, the Giant Shark King will have no chance of escaping this calamity..."

The man in the snow-white robe and silver hair felt reassured.

"Greetings, True Lord Xuan Shuang."

Several Core Formation cultivators recognized the man in the snow-white robe and greeted him respectfully.

Half an hour later.

The fierce battle in the deep sea below is not over yet, and the giant waves on the surface continue.

"It seems that killing the giant shark king in the deep sea is not so easy. Moreover, this giant shark may have accomplices."

Xuan Shuang Zhenjun seemed to be deep in thought, speculating on the reason.

puff!
He rode a third-tier water-type spirit pet and dived hundreds of miles into the sea, where the pressure from the deep water grew stronger.

until a certain moment.

Amidst the turbulent whirlpools of the sea, a handsome man in white robes emerged, his black hair tied up with silver streaks, surrounded by eight Qingxuan wood swords.

Xuan Shuang Zhenjun sighed inwardly, "As expected of the legendary Lu Zhenjun, his demeanor is extraordinary and exceptional."

"Fellow Daoist Lu, would you like my assistance to join forces in slaying the monstrous Giant Shark King?"

Xuan Shuang Zhenjun bowed respectfully and announced his name and origin.

"So it's Fellow Daoist Xuan Shuang from the Cloud Sea Merchant Alliance."

Lu Chang'an smiled and returned the greeting, politely declining:
"The commotion in the deep sea below is caused by my spirit beast, the giant tortoise, fighting against that giant shark. To increase my spirit pet's combat experience, I am here to block it and give it a chance to practice."

"Practical training?"

Upon learning the truth, True Lord Xuan Shuang's old face flushed slightly, a kind of speechless embarrassment on his face.

He thought that although Lu Zhenjun had suppressed the Giant Shark King, he couldn't defeat him in a short time, so he wanted to come and help him and make a good relationship.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zhenjun did not actually make a move, allowing his spirit turtle to hone its skills in real combat.

Turtles are not known for their offensive capabilities, and this one is only at the mid-stage of the fourth tier. Even if they could defeat the Giant Shark King, it would likely take half a day of fierce fighting.

……

Deeper into the ocean, giant waves surge and the seabed ridges crack open.

A deep, dark water barrier covered an area of ​​several miles, within which the scene of giant sharks and turtles fighting was blurred and indistinct.

If you enter the water realm, you will find that this battle is a one-sided crushing defeat.

A 30-foot-long, fourth-order giant shark, covered in wounds and howling in pain, was being pressed down by a dark blue giant turtle in a makeshift sea basin.

Not far away, the hidden nests covered with seaweed had collapsed and been leveled during the previous fight.

"Lord Xuan Turtle! I was blind and dare not offend Black Coral Island again."

"If you spare my life, I will repay you handsomely. I promise to leave the Tianxing Sea and never eat human blood again."

The giant shark's head was stained with blood and blossomed, and several of its fierce, sharp teeth were broken.

Muffled groans and cries of pain, begging for mercy, could be heard continuously.

It did put up a fight, but even with several of its front teeth broken, it didn't manage to hurt Xuan Shui Jun.

After a long and fierce fight, he was covered in wounds, while the vicious turtle remained unharmed.

It did attempt to break through and escape.

This area of ​​the Sea Flag Water Realm contains a chilling, malevolent energy, and even heavy water pressure.

It was suffocated by the pressure, its body stiffened and cold, and its movements became slow.

The mutated giant tortoise emitted a chilling aura that continuously eroded the giant shark's body, causing its blood and internal organs to gradually feel a freezing, corrosive sensation, resulting in damage both internally and externally.

The Zhenhai Spirit Pearl floating above his head gathers the power of the surrounding deep sea, enhancing Xuan Shui Jun while constantly weakening him under its immense pressure.

With a difference of only one realm, facing the powerful and well-equipped Xuan Shui Jun, the Giant Shark King fell into despair and lost all power to resist.

If they meet head-on, it has a chance to escape quickly.

Unexpectedly, this tortoise was extremely cunning and managed to find its hidden nest and lie in ambush.

It had just returned to its underwater lair in search of prey.

The Sea Flag Magic Treasure, the Sea-Suppressing Spirit Pearl, and the Profound Nether Heavy Water were all unleashed simultaneously, directly suppressing and trapping him, leaving him no chance to escape.

"That's it? Keep resisting!"

"As the first fourth-tier creature I have killed independently, you are so utterly pathetic!"

Disappointment appeared in the eyes of the Xuan Shui Giant Turtle as it noticed the Giant Shark King beneath it struggling with increasing weakness.

As time went by, the Giant Shark King's magic power waned and its vitality was greatly depleted. Its severely injured body's blue-gray scales dimmed, and its surface was covered with a layer of frost.

His blood was frozen and stagnant, he couldn't move, and he gradually became critically ill.

Lu Chang'an saw this scene and nodded to himself.

The Xuan Shui Turtle possesses a mutated bloodline of the highest grade, and its Xuan Shui spiritual power contains extremely yin and cold energy.

This enhances its sustained lethality.

Their abilities are particularly outstanding in terms of control methods and trapping the enemy.

The latter is what Lu Chang'an values ​​most.

The ability to control and trap the enemy is extremely important.

Why are Nascent Soul cultivators and demon kings so difficult to kill each other?
Even a Nascent Soul cultivator in the mid-stage would find it difficult to kill a fourth-tier water-type demon king in the deep sea.

Ultimately, the problem lies in the inadequacy of our methods to trap the enemy.

After all, the water-type demon king's supernatural abilities and escape techniques in the sea have greatly increased, and coupled with his powerful physique, he is indeed not easy to capture.

Xuan Shui Jun's methods of trapping the enemy were beyond the norm.

The combination of Xuan Shui Han Sha and externally refined heavy water, along with the Sea Flag magic weapon and the Sea Suppressing Spirit Pearl given by Lu Chang'an, makes the suppression and trapping of enemies particularly powerful.

Even in the deep sea, Xuan Shui Jun has a chance to trap a mid-stage fourth-tier water-type demon king.

……

"We've had enough fun."

Lu Chang'an snorted lightly, and a thunderous sound, like a thunderclap from the heavens, shook the soul and landed on the seabed below.

In the waters swept by giant waves.

The dying giant shark king, with a final ferocity flashing in its eyes, was preparing to self-destruct its demon king core, perishing in the process.

Suddenly, its essence seemed to be struck by lightning, its consciousness briefly dizzy, and it was in excruciating pain.

Loss of control over the Great Elixir and the physical body's magical power.

*Pfft! Whoosh—*

Xuan Shui Jun opened his mouth and spat out a thin, translucent needle-like beam that pierced through the head of the giant shark king from its eye.

The silver needle entered the giant shark's body and quickly passed over the Demon King's elixir.

The Xuan Shui Han Sha scroll froze the already severely injured essence and soul along with the elixir.

"At the end of its strength, it dares to act recklessly—"

Lu Chang'an activated "Avici Thunder Sound" again, surrounded by eight Azure Profound Swords, and charged into the chaotic seabed where giant waves roared.

"Is Lord Lu getting serious?"

Xuan Shuang Zhenjun felt slightly dizzy and the thunder was deafening, so he didn't dare to go down to investigate.

The position where Lu Chang'an intercepted them earlier was precisely where his divine sense couldn't detect the battle below.

Before long, the waves roared.

A bottomless whirlpool appeared in the seawater.

A giant, dark blue tortoise, as large as a mountain, emerged from the water, carrying a white-clad man with flowing sleeves and hands clasped behind his back.

"Has Lu Zhenjun already killed this fiend?"

Xuan Shuang Zhenjun looked closely and saw a huge, bloody shark head appear on the turtle's back.

Judging from the situation, the giant shark was making a desperate last-ditch effort to break through. Lu Zhenjun used swift and decisive methods to attack and ultimately kill the shark.

The Core Formation cultivators watching from a distance shared the same opinion.

Actually.

Throughout the entire battle, Lu Chang'an only activated "Avici Thunder Sound" at the very end, in order to protect his spoils. "The Giant Shark King has been eliminated!"

"Those who reside on Black Coral Island, no matter how far away, will be punished!"

Lu Chang'an put away the giant shark's head, and his majestic voice echoed across the vast sea and sky, shaking people's souls.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with True Lord Xuanshuang, he took his leave.

The cultivators from all sides who arrived one after another gazed up at the lofty and handsome figure riding the tortoise and breaking through the waves.

"This Lord Lu is incredibly powerful and has rid the human race of evil in the Star Sea. He is truly a model of righteousness."

"I've heard that True Lord Lu hates evil as if it were his enemy, and specializes in killing evil Nascent Soul cultivators and monstrous creatures. What I've seen today truly lives up to his reputation."

……

On the way back to Black Coral Island, Lu Chang'an used the [Nine Seal Tablet] to devour the essence of the Giant Shark King.

The sixth incarnation of the Nine Seals Stele has gained another trace of reincarnation power.

Since discovering the Nine Seal Stele's ability to eliminate the source of evil energy and its causal effects, Lu Chang'an would not complain about even the smallest amount of benefit.

As for the remaining Great Elixir of the Great Shark King, its value is far less than that of the Dragon Essence Great Elixir.

Perhaps it's because they've become picky eaters.

Xuan Shui Jun didn't even show any obvious desire.

A hundred years ago, he would probably have had to beg Lu Chang'an to bestow upon the Demon King a great pill.

Of course, now that Xuan Shuijun's cultivation has reached the mid-stage of the fourth rank, the initial Demon King Pill is not as beneficial to him as it used to be.

The bloodline of the Giant Shark King is also slightly inferior, being a low-grade bloodline.

That night, in the main hall of the Coral Island branch.

Lu Chang'an met with the two rats, Feitianjun and Diyanjun, again.

Flying Lord played a crucial role in finding the King Shark's hidden lair.

For a human cultivator, finding a hidden spot on the seabed in the vast and deep ocean would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

"Take good care of your health before you go search for the whereabouts of that golden dragon."

Lu Chang'an waved his hand generously, and a heavy storage bag fell to the ground.

It contained the most nourishing organs and flesh of the Giant Shark King, including some of the Demon King's essence blood.

The Giant Shark King has a low-grade bloodline, and Lu Chang'an didn't even want to use it for body tempering.

Furthermore, his body refinement cultivation was at the bottleneck of the early stage of the fourth rank, and ordinary demon king blood essence could not provide any assistance.

"Thank you for the reward, True Lord Lu."

Feitianjun's eyes were puffy, and he thanked him respectfully.

Di Yanjun deftly grabbed the storage bag, took out the giant shark king's eyeball, and swallowed it with relish after a few bites of grinding.

Lu Chang'an glared fiercely at Di Yanjun and immediately relayed the message:

Before finding the whereabouts of the golden dragon, Earth Rock Lord is not allowed to "favor" Flying Sky Lord.

Diyan-jun looked sullen, suddenly finding the food in his mouth tasteless, and returned the storage bag to Feitian-jun.

……

After resting for a period of time, Feitianjun and the two rats left the waters near Black Coral Island.

The two rats went to the world of monsters to find the whereabouts of the Golden Dragon King, "Jin Chang".

During this period, Black Coral Island became famous in the surrounding waters.

Lu Zhenjun's reputation for slaying the giant shark, and his determination to punish even the most distant creatures, deterred the sea monster kings in the vast ocean from approaching within a radius of ten thousand miles.

There was originally a king eel nearby, skilled in water-based lightning techniques. On the day the giant shark king was trapped and killed, it fled in panic to the open sea.

The stable environment attracted many independent cultivators and merchants seeking refuge.

The massive tidal surge swept away and destroyed some small and medium-sized islands in Tianxinghai.

The exiled and scattered cultivators now face the threat of sea monster tides and severe natural disasters.

For the renowned cultivators seeking refuge, Lu Chang'an charged each person a relatively high entry fee based on their cultivation level.

No spirit stones or valuables? No problem.

The marine mines beneath the island have fully resumed production. The number of miners joining the effort is even greater than usual.

Mining was supposed to stop during the special period of high tide.

If production can be resumed, Lu Chang'an can personally receive 50% of the mining profits, which is several times that of an ordinary town elder.

Mining, monster hunting, fish farming...

Black Coral Island, which was originally deserted, showed a thriving prosperity during the chaotic and dangerous era of the Great Sea Tide.

……

Lu Zhenjun and Black Coral Island became famous as a result.

The Nascent Soul cultivators from various forces scattered across hundreds of thousands of miles of sea around it have taken notice of it.

Fellow Nascent Soul cultivators, we are pleased to see this happen.

With a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator in charge, the threat of the surrounding ocean tides can be reduced to some extent.

This day.

A distinguished guest at the Nascent Soul stage arrived at Black Coral Island; it was none other than True Monarch Xuan Shuang, whom they had encountered the day they slew the giant shark.

The Yunhai and Bihai business alliances have a good relationship.

Lu Chang'an treated the Xuan Shuang True Lord with courtesy, and learned of his purpose during their conversation.

"Are you fellow Daoists planning to join forces to kill that mid-stage fourth-tier black dragon? This matter is not simple."

Lu Chang'an looked surprised.

The Flying Rat had previously mentioned information about that fourth-tier black dragon.

This dragon's bloodline is inferior and does not meet Lu Chang'an's requirements.

Even so, the difficulty of killing a mid-stage fourth-tier black dragon in the ocean tide far exceeds that of the black dragon of yesteryear.

Even two ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators working together would likely find it difficult to defeat a mid-stage fourth-tier black dragon.

In the world of cultivation, cultivation level is the most fundamental.

Unless one is a descendant of a true spirit, that is, a quasi-true spirit, the influence of bloodline on strength is not as great as cultivation level.

"That black dragon is wreaking havoc within a radius of hundreds of thousands of miles, running rampant without restraint. Three Nascent Soul cultivators have now decided to secretly join forces to slay this dragon."

"If Lu Zhenjun leads the team, then there will be four Nascent Soul cultivators, including two mid-Nascent Soul cultivators. After the dragon is successfully slain, Lu Zhenjun will receive the highest share of the spoils."

True Lord Xuanshuang smiled warmly, appearing confident and composed.

Everything is ready, except for the arrival of Lu Zhenjun, who is known for his strong sense of justice and hatred of evil.

Lu Chang'an shook his head without even thinking:

"The sea area where the black dragon wreaks havoc is quite far from Black Coral Island. This dragon has not yet attacked the businesses of our merchant alliance, and I, Lu, do not want to make enemies for no reason and offend the Nine Dragons Palace in the deep sea."

"Fellow Daoist Lu, rest assured, this black dragon is not a direct descendant of the Nine Dragons Palace, but only has a distant, roundabout relationship with it. During the Great Tide, the black dragon invaded the human race's sea area first. It is only right and proper for us to kill it, and the Nine Dragons Palace will not make a big fuss about it."

Based on past experience, True Lord Xuanshuang spoke with certainty.

"I, Lu, do not want to waste the excellent situation on Black Coral Island and cause any unforeseen complications. I will only take action if this black dragon attacks on its own initiative."

Lu Chang'an refused again.

True Lord Xuanshuang did not insist, and left disappointed and surprised.

Is Lu Zhenjun not a righteous cultivator who hates evil?

Moreover, given his past record of slaying the Ink Dragon, why would he refuse this highly likely alliance?
He watched as the departing Xuan Shuang Zhenjun walked away.

A playful, cold smile crept across Lu Chang'an's lips.

Those Nascent Soul cultivators certainly had a good idea.

What dragon-slaying and disaster-eliminating ritual?
They were simply after the valuable materials from the mid-stage fourth-tier black dragon.

Inviting Lu Chang'an to the team was a way to get an easy win and ride on his coattails, greatly reducing the risk.

however.

If Lu Chang'an were willing to take action, he would be fully confident in defeating the Black Dragon single-handedly. Why would he share his spoils with others?

Teaming up to kill the Black Dragon leaves a clear criminal record; if they kill the Golden Dragon, which has an even purer bloodline, in the future, they will become suspects of the Nine Dragons Palace.

After all, in the entire Tianxing Sea, there are very few beings that can threaten a mid-stage fourth-order golden dragon.

Therefore, although Lu Chang'an knew about the Black Dragon before, he had no interest in taking action.

If the black dragon died out of nowhere, it was the strongest in the surrounding seas and was a suspect.

"However, if these people don't change their plans, that would be the best-case scenario."

Lu Chang'an pondered for a moment, then revealed an expectant smile.

He immediately instructed Wei Kui Shi to go to the vicinity of that sea area, lie in ambush, observe, and wait for the situation.

Wei Kuishi is a true mid-grade fourth-order puppet. As long as they don't engage in combat, ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators cannot discern his true strength.

Lu Chang'an guessed that as long as his greed remained unchanged, he could always temporarily assemble a powerful dragon-slaying lineup.

……

Two months later.

In the far reaches of the eastern sea of ​​Tianxinghai, an earth-shattering battle to slay a dragon erupted.

A powerful lineup of two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and three peak early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators ambushed the Black Dragon in the sea.

The black dragon was defeated and injured, and was chased all the way to the depths of the sea by the five Nascent Soul experts.

The battle was fierce and lasted for half a day.

The various forces, large and small, in the eastern part of Tianxinghai were alarmed.

Among those who made the offer were Nascent Soul cultivators from the Cloud Sea and Black Sea merchant alliances, both of which were eagerly anticipating the valuable materials from the Black Flood Dragon.

Two days after the battle to slay the dragon.

In the main hall of Black Coral Island, Lu Chang'an opened his eyes.

Ripples spread across the shallow layer of the void.

With a flash of silver light, the commander puppet, where Wei Kuishi was located, appeared in front of Lu Chang'an.

"How's it going?"

"The black dragon unleashed its dragon blood secret technique at the last moment, narrowly escaping the encirclement."

Wei Kui Shi had been watching the battle from the sidelines and transmitted some scenes from the puppet spirit's memories to Lu Chang'an.

"Tsk tsk, having more people does have an advantage. Even a mighty Black Dragon, when surrounded and attacked, couldn't resist and fought its way out despite being seriously injured, diving into the deep water."

The preceding memories depicted the Black Dragon's pathetic state as it was being chased and killed.

If it were a human at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, such an ambush would likely have resulted in their death long ago.

However, the fourth-tier black dragon possessed a powerful physique and withstood the attacks of numerous magical treasures and supernatural powers.

Among the pursuers was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who was proficient in water escape techniques.

The severely injured Black Dragon had no time to catch its breath and recover before it was entangled again and faced another group attack.

A matter of life and death.

The black dragon activated its Dragon Blood Secret Technique, causing a large number of black dragon scales on its body to explode, sweeping away the attacking human cultivators with terrifying speed.

Each of those black dragon scales was infused with the essence and blood of the black dragon.

Extremely powerful!

It will explode upon hitting the target, producing black dragon flames.

One of them was in the early stage of Nascent Soul cultivation. His physical body was destroyed on the spot, but his Nascent Soul left his body to save his life.

The other two early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were also seriously injured.

The two leaders, both in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, the one skilled in water escape techniques, was struck and shattered by several black dragon scales, sustaining serious injuries.

Taking this opportunity, the black dragon consumed its dragon blood and lifespan, transforming into a black blood dragon shadow in the water. It briefly unleashed a late-stage fourth-order escape speed, ultimately escaping the crisis.

……

"A black dragon with impure bloodline of a true dragon was able to unleash such strength and survival potential under dire circumstances."

Lu Chang'an couldn't help but admire.

This battle provided him with valuable experience.

The Black Dragon's performance in this battle is helpful in predicting the Golden Dragon's strength in the mid-stage.

As both are fourth-tier dragon descendants, the Golden Flood Dragon is undoubtedly stronger, but there won't be a world of difference between them.

The golden dragon "Jin Chang" has a purer bloodline than ordinary golden dragons, and its cultivation foundation surpasses that of the black dragon.

The Golden Dragon clan is generally associated with the elements of metal and water.

The primary element is metal, and the secondary element is water.

The Golden Dragon's offensive capabilities clearly surpass those of other dragons.

Lu Chang'an predicted that "Jin Chang", with its powerful dragon bloodline, could contend with, and even fight against, human Nascent Soul cultivators in the sea.

If the fight drags on, Jin Chang might not be a match for it, but even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in the sea would generally be helpless against it.

At least in the sea, Jinchang's ability to protect itself is no less than that of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Unfortunately, you are ultimately not a Nascent Soul cultivator..."

Lu Chang'an murmured, understanding Jinchang's relative shortcomings.

That is the soul.

Even with the advantage of the Dragon Soul, making it stronger than a typical mid-stage Demon King, it still falls significantly short of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

The realm of the divine soul is Lu Chang'an's greatest strength.

"If the ambush is successful, we should have a 70% chance of success."

"If the material of the [Pikehead Arrow] is fully upgraded to near-fifth tier, the chances of success will be much greater."

Thinking of this, Lu Chang'an took out the nail-headed arrow that was being refined and strengthened.

After several years of refinement, the spikes of the [Spiked Arrow] have developed a dark golden luster, initially reaching the quality of near-fifth-tier materials.

The soul wood part of the arrow shaft is more efficient because it is concentrated on nurturing this one shaft, and it is not far from the quality of a near-fifth-tier material.

……

Several more days passed.

The bad news of the failed dragon-slaying spread widely across hundreds of thousands of miles of sea.

Xuan Shuang Zhenjun, who participated in the dragon slaying, expressed his regret.

We were so close to successfully slaying the dragon.

It was indeed just a little short.

If the five Nascent Soul cultivators had been more cautious and prepared more thoroughly, they might have succeeded.

It's unclear who spread the news:

Xuan Shuang Zhenjun once invited Lu Zhenjun to participate in slaying the dragon, but the latter did not agree.

"If Lu Zhenjun had led the team to participate in the dragon slaying back then, they would probably have succeeded."

"Lu Zhenjun is a top-tier mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, possessing a mid-stage fourth-tier giant tortoise. He could probably suppress the black dragon by himself."

"Unfortunately, Lu Zhenjun had too many concerns and did not want to offend the Nine Dragons Palace, so he did not participate in this dragon-slaying battle."

The related comments quickly spread to Black Coral Island.

Even statements detrimental to unity have emerged:
"Lu Zhenjun is too cautious and cowardly! He caused several Nascent Soul cultivators to be injured and fail, and let the wicked Black Flood Dragon escape."

Such remarks prompted the island's guardian cultivators to speak out in defense of Elder Lu.

Despite taking action to eliminate the giant shark king that was causing trouble nearby, bringing peace and prosperity to Black Coral Island, he has to bear such accusations.

"I won't offend anyone unless they offend me."

"That black dragon did not attack the merchant alliance's industries. I made this choice for the sake of the Azure Sea Merchant Alliance and the human civilization."

Lu Chang'an calmed the emotions of the cultivators guarding the island, and even spoke privately with several Core Formation cultivators to show his magnanimity and overall perspective.

The parties involved don't care.

These attempts at moral blackmail from the outside world have no real effect.

Lu Chang'an, of course, didn't care.

because.

He had Wei Kuishi secretly spread the rumors that were detrimental to unity.

On the surface, Lu Chang'an only killed the Mo Jiao, who had been wanted by the Merchant Alliance and had previously caused trouble by attacking the Merchant Alliance's flying boats. Moreover, that evil dragon had a bad reputation in the deep sea and couldn't survive there.

As a fourth-tier dragon descendant with a relatively close relationship to the Nine Dragon Palace, he was cautious and steady, and unwilling to provoke or cause unnecessary trouble.

For this reason, he even turned down invitations to team up to slay the dragon, even though he had a better chance of success.

(End of this chapter)