Born with immortal seed

Chapter 788 The Demon Lord's Remains
"Brother Jiao, do you have a wonderful method?"

Deep within the underwater eye, undercurrents surge, and even Nascent Soul cultivators cannot maintain their footing here, as they could be swept away and disappear without a trace at any moment.

The terrifying suction force meant that not a single fish or shrimp could be found in this area.

A young man with an eerie and handsome appearance stood with his feet in the water, the water consciously flowing around him, without even lifting the hem of his clothes.

It has eight snake heads on its back, each with a ferocious appearance and different supernatural powers.

"I have already used the Nine-Headed Serpent Staff left by my ancestors, which can summon four peak fourth-tier serpent demons to form a battle formation. But I was still defeated by the Five Elements Sword and can't even return to my lair. I can only come to seek refuge with Brother Jiao tonight."

This person was none other than the Nine-Headed Hydra Demon King, who lived in seclusion in the North Sea and at his peak occupied nearly half of the sea area.

After his defeat, he hid for a while, but finding no better way out, he took the initiative to visit his enemy.

"What else can we do but fight to the death... They've made it clear that they won't negotiate peace with you. They just want to kill us to establish their authority and then seize the spiritual veins in the sea."

At the center of the water's eye, a dragon hundreds of feet long coiled up, its entire body pitch black and with three horns on its head.

As the mouth opened, demonic energy surged and coalesced into a large black cloud.

Even breathing affects the trajectory of water flow.

“That old deer is utterly shameless. He betrayed his own kind and only managed to save his life by begging for mercy from human cultivators… Don’t expect our fellow tribesmen on land to come to our aid. You and I, brothers, have already done it with our troops. We’re not without a chance of winning.”

"There's no need to hide the ancestral remains anymore. If we win, we'll at least have a chance to escape the North Sea. The legendary Time Sword Lord's avatar must have limitations; he can't keep an eye on things all the time."

What are you talking about, a deer and a tiger, being of the same kind? Your dragon offspring have eaten plenty of other sea creatures on a daily basis!

The Hydra Demon King kept referring to the Flood Dragon Demon King as "our kin," which sounded grating to my ears.

The law of the jungle prevails even more blatantly among demons.

In the past, these two were not the only dominant forces at sea. Their disappearance over the past few hundred years could not have been due to the sea monsters' dislike of the Central Plains and their willingness to humbly give way and leave.

However, they currently have a common enemy, who is the only one they can join forces with, so they have to suppress their emotions.

In recent years, the situation in Xuanzhou has changed dramatically. If an old demon who has been in seclusion for hundreds of years were to emerge, it would surely shock everyone.

The human race, who had always been raised like livestock and harvested blood regularly, suddenly turned the tables. Led by a mysteriously appearing group of human cultivators, they first killed the Five Elements Peacock and then destroyed the Flying Tiger Demon King.

Strangely, the other demon kings of Xuanzhou remained unmoved, as if they hadn't seen anything.

The Flying Tiger Demon King, in particular, had many powerful demons under his command and was besieged for several years before being completely destroyed.

To say that the reaction was too slow is simply unacceptable.

A powerful demon escaped and sought the protection of other demon kings, but was turned away by all of them.

After the Flying Tiger Demon King was destroyed, the human race occupied nearly half of the land, and then they stopped their actions and became respectful to each other again.

But soon, it extended its reach to the North Sea.

The famous swordsman is said to be a disciple of that Nascent Soul stage expert. His swordsmanship is divine, and he can control five different flying swords at the same time. Over time, he has been known as the Five Elements Swordsman.

With his mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, he utterly defeated the demons of the North Sea, even the Nine-Headed Hydra Demon King who brought out his supreme treasure was cleanly and decisively defeated.

If I hadn't escaped quickly by diving into the sea, I would have almost had several heads chopped off.

He relentlessly pursued the demons, with a large human army pressing behind him. The number of transformed demons who died at his hands was nearly ten.

Moreover, this relentless pursuit and refusal to accept surrender made the Hydra King realize that he should not harbor any illusions.

"Brother Jiao, what are your plans? The remains of our ancestors are so important that I will naturally carry them with me. But even if I infuse them with demonic energy and they can move on their own, they will at most be equivalent to the peak of the fourth rank. Even if the two of us work together, along with the two remains of our ancestors, it will be difficult to withstand the Five Elements Sword."

A flicker of fear crossed the Hydra King's face as he recalled the events of that day, a chill running down his spine.

I can hardly believe that such a strong person could exist among the traditionally weak human race.

At the same level, the difference in strength between two human cultivators can be this great.

"You haven't fought him head-on, so you don't know how powerful those five flying swords are. No matter what kind of magic or supernatural power you use, once you fall into his five-colored sword light, it's like a mud ox sinking into the sea. If you reveal your true form and try to win with your physical body, before you even get close to the sword circle, your flesh and blood will be almost cut off."

“One of my clan elders, whose strength was only slightly weaker than mine, was cut into a skeleton by the Five Elements Sword on his way to stop him. His body lay exposed for many days before being brought back… How could I underestimate him? If I want to win, I have to be ruthless!”

The Demon Dragon King raised its head high, and the demonic patterns on its body seemed to come alive, constantly climbing and walking, revealing a cruel aura.

"By directly detonating the two ancestral remains, he unleashed power approaching that of a demon lord!"

"Are you crazy! With the remains of our ancestors, the clan's reproduction and growth rate is much faster, and it's also crucial for our advancement to the fifth rank! If we self-destruct, not only will we lose all hope of advancement, but we will also become sinners of our own clan!"

The Hydra King was utterly shocked. He had thought the plan was daring, but he hadn't expected it to be so outrageous.

The remains of their ancestors are considered sacred objects by both families.

From ordinary demonic beasts to demon kings at the peak of the fourth tier, they all play extremely important roles.

"Do you think ordinary methods will work against the Five Elements Sword? If we all die here, what use will our ancestral remains be? Won't they just become someone else's spoils of war?"

The scales on the Demon Dragon King stood up, hissing and roaring, its fury echoing back and forth in the water's eye, forming waves.

"Only by killing the Five Elements Sword will we have enough time to take our people and escape to the end of the North Sea... Our clan once had a legend that there is a rift in the sea that leads to Yanzhou. Once we get there, we will destroy the passage, and even a Nascent Soul cultivator will not be able to catch up with us."

"Has it really come to this...?"

The Hydra King muttered to himself, his expression calming down, clearly somewhat persuaded by the Demon Dragon King.

"While it will take some time for the Five Elements Sword to find this place, let's discuss the battle plan first, how to catch him off guard and have him killed by the ancestral remains!"

The Demon Dragon King opened its huge mouth and spat out a ball of mysterious light, inside which was the body of a dragon.

It is less than one-tenth the size of the original, with many parts missing and damaged, and exudes an aura of irreversible decay and ruin.

Yet, upon its appearance, its power still spread throughout the water's eye, momentarily halting the surging waves.

It was the ancestor of the Demon Dragon Clan who cultivated to the fifth rank of Demon Venerable tens of thousands of years ago.

"They're both willing to sacrifice their ancestral remains, so what's there to discuss... It's like two demon lords attacking him at the same time. Even though he only gets one chance to strike, how can a Nascent Soul cultivator escape from a Deity Transformation cultivator's grasp?"

The Hydra King still had full confidence in the power of his ancestor's remains.

Their ancestors were the last two fifth-tier demon lords of Xuanzhou and Beihai, and they existed together at the demon lord realm for about a thousand years.

During this period, borders were demarcated, and war was never started lightly.

Half of Xuanzhou and half of Beihai, the vast territory allowed the two demon lords to leave abundant cultivation resources for their descendants.

"It would be better to discuss whether to kill the Five Elements Sword directly or spare his life, so that he has the leverage to negotiate with the Time Sword Lord."

"Of course, the insurance is to slap him to death!"

The Demon King of the Flood Dragons spoke without hesitation, his words resolute.

"This kid is incredibly strong. Who knows how many of that Nascent Soul cultivator's trump cards he has? If he relaxes even slightly, he'll be overturned... After all this, do you still expect to maintain any goodwill with the human cultivators? Besides, why would a Nascent Soul cultivator hesitate to harm a disciple's life?"

"If the most outstanding member of your bloodline has the potential to rival the Hydra you've achieved, and is kidnapped and used to threaten you, would you hesitate to let them go?"

The Hydra King fell silent and shook his head slightly.

……

Bai Zhaoqing tied a thin hemp rope around his upper arm, straightened his Taoist robe, and went into the mourning hall to take three sticks of incense for a distant offering.

In a solemn and respectful atmosphere, candlesticks surrounded the coffin, while close relatives knelt on both sides.

"Elder Bai Zhaoqing of the Transmission Hall has come to pay his respects! His family returns the courtesy!"

Fu Donghai's wives and children all prostrated themselves deeply, dressed in hemp clothing.

For a steward of the General Affairs Hall to have even one elder come to pay their respects is already a great honor.

In most cases, without any kinship ties, those who come to pay their respects and mourn are cultivators of the same level, whose cultivation levels and statuses are not far apart.

The funeral hall was filled with a steady stream of guests, mainly the stewards and managers of the General Affairs Department. Some of them were entangled in conflicts of interest, scheming against each other, and their sincerity was questionable.

"He's actually an elder from the Transmission Hall. When did Deacon Fu get to know him?"

"He rose from a fire-working Taoist to a steward, and then died from exhaustion in his duties within the hall. It's normal for him to have acquaintances with his colleagues or other disciples... Among the disciples who were in the same period as Steward Fu, several have successfully formed their cores. This Elder Bai is probably one of them."

“That makes sense… but I haven’t seen this elder in the Transmission Hall yet. Could he have just been transferred from the main mountain?”

A murmur rippled through the guests; the presence of a Core Formation elder at the funeral of a Foundation Establishment elder was quite noteworthy.

Looking around the room, besides Bai Zhaoqing, there was only one Core Formation Elder from the General Affairs Hall.

To date, the number of Core Formation cultivators in the Qingfeng Sect has exceeded thirty-six for the first time, achieving the goal that no one can become an elder without reaching the Core Formation stage.

Newly promoted Core Formation cultivators can only enjoy the treatment and authority of elders, but cannot be assigned positions or duties.

Elders have already proposed expanding the number of elder seats, or learning from the sects in the Central Region and adding positions for Holy Sons and Holy Daughters.

It's still in the discussion stage, and it will be a long time before it's officially written.

However, there are only about ten Core Formation disciples left at Rotten Axe Mountain, who belong to the absolute upper echelons.

Seeing that there were no familiar cultivators around, Bai Zhaoqing prepared to leave after finishing the worship.

He has been in Lankeshan for many years, but he has mostly been a loner and rarely has any real interaction with people.

This Steward Fu was in charge of issuing and accepting tasks for the General Affairs Hall, which is how he came to know Bai Zhaoqing. He was a warm-hearted person and took the initiative to help a lot.

After a while, the two became acquainted.

They had known each other for a hundred years. Bai Zhaoqing had already reached the mid-stage of Core Formation, while the other party did not have that aptitude and died of old age in the hall a few days ago.

Upon receiving the news, Bai Zhaoqing made a special trip to pay respects to this fellow disciple whom he was somewhat familiar with.

Although the other party's initial intention may have been to curry favor and get close to me because of my status.

However, after getting to know each other, he never once asked for help in private, and their relationship remained neither close nor distant.

This changed Bai Zhaoqing's opinion of Fu Donghai.

"Junior Brother Bai, please wait. Kuang Shu from the General Affairs Department has something to ask you."

Suddenly, another elder in the arena transmitted his voice, his eyes looking over the crowd towards the target.

"Kuangshu? The newly appointed elder of the General Affairs Hall..."

The information about this person flashed through Bai Zhaoqing's mind. He paused slightly, then turned and stepped forward.

"What brings you here, Senior Brother Kuang?"

"It's related to Fu Donghai's funeral arrangements. He left a will that he said you should open it yourself, so I need to pass it on to you."

Kuang Shu pulled out a letter stamped with a secret seal, raised his hand, and pushed it over.

"After you have read it, if you find that the contents are related to me, please inform me."

"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Kuang... If so, it is only right."

Bai Zhaoqing put it into his sleeve, did not check it on the spot, but bowed and left.

Kuang Shu stared at him for a moment, then turned around and began to busy himself with receiving guests, discussing with people the compensation and benefits for Fu Donghai after his death, and increasing the number of outer disciples for the Fu family next year by two, keeping his feet constantly on the ground.

The seeds planted a century ago are finally ready to be harvested.

……

Song Ding held a sea chart in his hand, which detailed the hiding places of every fourth-order or higher great demon in the North Sea.

The human army followed the map almost exactly, wiping out the great demon of the North Sea.

The land demon king took the initiative to negotiate peace. Seeing that there was hope for a quick end to the pioneering war and a confirmed harvest, the Zuzhou side immediately increased its investment.

Such a detailed nautical chart could not have been created by an outsider gathering intelligence; it could only have been made by someone from the demon race, and someone in a high position at that.

Song Ding already had several suspects, presumably all of whom were using others to do his dirty work and seize greater benefits.

"We're only a few hundred miles from the Demon Dragon King's lair. Hopefully, we can find our target as quickly as possible this time and end our hunting expedition in the North Sea."

Last time, even though they had an overwhelming advantage over the Hydra King, it still managed to escape and they only managed to kill all the Hydras in one underwater valley.

"The task my master entrusted to me has been spent in Xuanzhou for almost a hundred years without me realizing it. I only went back once in the middle, and I don't know how the sect is doing now... Fortunately, the intense and frequent battles have indeed not affected my cultivation progress, just as my master said. Even if I had stayed in Lankeshan to cultivate in peace, I might not have been able to achieve what I have today."

As a sword cultivator, Song Ding was used to flying on clouds, making him somewhat of an anomaly.

They encountered two demonic earthworms on the road. With a bow and a stretch of their bodies, they reached their prey.

Before he could even open his mouth, vying to be the first to snatch the prey, two streaks of sword energy shot out from his eyes.

With a splash, the notoriously troublesome Tier 3 peak demon earthworm split into several pieces and fell into the sea.

Its body twisted, trying to grow a new body, but it just couldn't.

The sharpness of the sword energy in his eyes was no less than that of real sword energy.

These kinds of demonic earthworms have no brains. They will attack any living thing they see, and they are fearless of death. Even monsters will stay far away from them.

However, when he encountered Song Ding, who had just advanced to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, he was naturally doomed.

He defeated the Hydra King, but did not press his advantage because he had an epiphany during the post-battle review.

After spending several years breaking through the bottleneck, one can be called a Great True Lord by the world.

(End of this chapter)