I am in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have a demonic beast clone!

Chapter 145 Treasure Hunt!

The deep blue alien sea is boundless, silent, and dangerous.

Zhou Ding rode the escape light, maintaining a height of one hundred feet, like a solitary traveler traversing this vast and perilous water and sky.

Killing the level 5 "Ironback Swordfish" that ambushed him was just a minor incident on his journey, not even worth pausing for a moment.

They continued flying for several hundred miles.

The seascape was so monotonous it was depressing. Only the sounds of the wind and waves, and the ever-present, strong or weak auras of demonic beasts emanating from the deep sea or distant sky, constantly fed back through one's consciousness, reminded one of the "abundance" of life in this sea area.

"Splash!"

Suddenly, the sea surface several hundred feet ahead exploded, and a thick, dark purple tentacle covered with suckers, like a giant whip that had been fired, lashed out at Zhou Ding in the air with astonishing speed, carrying a fishy smell and slime!

Before the touch even reached me, a nauseating stench and a strong feeling of dizziness had already hit me first.

It was another level-five demonic beast, seemingly a "Purple Soul Octopus" that excelled at mental attacks and binding.

Zhou Ding frowned slightly. This octopus was cleverly hidden, and it could even slightly interfere with his divine sense prediction.

He remained still, only raising his right hand and making a loose grasping motion towards the enormous tentacle that was pulling at him.

"Buzz!"

The air in front of him suddenly solidified and compressed, and a huge, pale blue, semi-transparent hand, formed entirely from immense magical power, appeared out of thin air and precisely grabbed the dark purple tentacle that was rushing towards him!

The giant hand clenched its five fingers together and squeezed hard!

"Pfft!"

A sickening sound of muscles snapping rang out, and dark purple blood and slime gushed out from between the giant hand's fingers like a fountain!

That thick tentacle was actually crushed in half by this magical giant hand!

A sharp, agonizing scream echoed from beneath the sea, causing the entire area to churn violently, and more shadows danced wildly beneath the surface.

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Ding's eyes. The pale blue magic giant hand did not dissipate. Instead, following the broken tentacle, it seemed to have a life of its own and suddenly plunged downwards, fiercely plunging into the surging seawater!

"boom!"

A huge whirlpool exploded on the sea surface once again, and the outline of a huge purplish-black octopus could be vaguely seen struggling frantically in the center of the whirlpool. But then, the magical giant hand suddenly burst out from inside its body!

The violent magical power was like countless sharp blades, instantly tearing his internal organs and brain to shreds!

The hissing stopped abruptly. The sea surface was quickly stained with large clumps of purplish-black blood. The level-five "Purple Soul Octopus" was dead, and its massive corpse slowly rose to the surface before slowly sinking again.

Zhou Ding then waved his hand, recalling the gradually dissipating giant magical hand. At the same time, he rolled up his sleeve, and a suction force surged out, precisely extracting a fist-sized demon core shimmering with a hazy purple light, as well as a small ball of essence blood condensed in the heart of the sinking octopus corpse. He placed them into the jade box and jade bottle that had been prepared in advance, and affixed a spirit-sealing talisman.

"A level-five demon core and essence blood are of some value and shouldn't be wasted," he muttered to himself.

Even a mosquito's leg is still meat, especially the essence blood of a demon beast, which may still be useful for his cultivation of the "Hundred Beasts Body Forging Technique".

Having done all that, he stopped looking at the murky sea and continued flying northeast.

After traveling another two or three hundred miles, Zhou Ding, who had been on high alert, once again detected an aura at the edge of his divine sense.

This time, it wasn't a demonic beast, but—human cultivators!

A spiritual pressure belonging to a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation was rapidly approaching him from the northeast, its aura somewhat hurried and unstable.

Judging from its flight path, it seems to be heading diagonally towards Black Rock Island.

"Are they also demon hunters from Black Dragon Island?" Zhou Ding wondered to himself.

The opponent's aura was somewhat weak, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy were slightly disordered, indicating that he had suffered a serious injury, and his flight speed was also affected.

It seems that they encountered setbacks in the outer sea and were eager to return to the relatively safe Black Dragon Island to rest and recuperate, and happened to run into my route.

Zhou Ding remained expressionless, neither accelerating to meet him nor deliberately avoiding him, but simply maintaining his original speed and altitude as he continued forward.

Its powerful divine sense had already thoroughly "scanned" the other party inside and out several times.

The newcomer was dressed in a gray-blue outfit, with an ordinary face, the kind that would be easily lost in a crowd. He looked to be around forty or fifty years old, with several dried and blackened bloodstains on his body. His face was slightly pale, and his eyes showed fatigue and a hint of lingering fear, but deep inside was a shrewdness and calculation typical of a seasoned veteran.

A moment later, the two streaks of light met in the vast expanse of sea and sky.

The middle-aged cultivator in the gray-blue outfit had clearly spotted Zhou Ding long ago. Seeing that Zhou Ding was a lone, mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, a flicker of apprehension crossed his eyes. Then, as if making a decision, he slowed his pace and, from a distance, cupped his hands towards Zhou Ding, forcing a somewhat forced, ingratiating smile, and called out, "Fellow Daoist ahead, please wait!"

Zhou Ding stopped his escape light as instructed, hovering in the air. He calmly looked at the other party, his expression indifferent, showing no intention of taking the initiative to exchange pleasantries. He simply asked, "What is it?"

Seeing Zhou Ding's cold attitude, the middle-aged cultivator wasn't embarrassed. He seemed quite adept at dealing with such "cold-faced" cultivators. He moved closer, stopping about thirty feet away from Zhou Ding, and cupped his hands again, his tone even more polite: "My name is Li Mu, a rogue cultivator who makes a living hunting demons in the nearby seas. Judging from your extraordinary bearing and profound cultivation, you must also be here to hunt demons for training, right?"

Zhou Ding remained noncommittal, simply watching him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

He'd seen this kind of ingratiating opening line countless times.

Seeing that Zhou Ding didn't respond, Li Mu chuckled dryly and cut to the chase, his tone both alluring and urgent: "To be honest, fellow Daoist, my acquaintances and I unexpectedly discovered the tracks of a rare level-six demonic beast, the Azure Water Rhinoceros, in an underwater canyon about a thousand miles ahead! Although this beast has thick hide and immense strength, its demonic core, horn, and leather are all top-grade materials for refining magical treasures and elixirs, priceless!"

He licked his slightly chapped lips, a greedy glint in his eyes, and continued, "However, that Azure Rhinoceros is incredibly powerful. It would be extremely difficult for me or my fellow Daoists to deal with it alone. Therefore, we have discussed inviting a few more powerful Daoists to join us on this hunt. Seeing your calm and composed escape, and your imposing presence, I know you must be a remarkable person, hence my presumptuous invitation."

I wonder if you would be interested in joining me? After the mission is accomplished, the materials obtained will be distributed according to the amount of effort contributed and the level of cultivation. There will be absolutely no deception!

With such a powerful ally as you joining the fray, our chances of hunting that level-six demonic beast will increase by at least 30%!

He spoke earnestly, explaining in detail how he discovered the level six monster, formed a team to hunt it, and distributed the spoils, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Hunting a level six demon beast is indeed a huge fortune for demon hunters who spend their lives on the edge of a knife.

If we can persuade this Core Formation cultivator to join us, the chances of success will undoubtedly increase significantly.

However, Zhou Ding showed no sign of being moved after hearing this, and his eyes did not even flicker.

He slowly shook his head, his voice still calm, yet carrying an undeniable distance: "Not interested."

"Well----"

Li Mu's smile froze, seemingly not expecting the other party to refuse so decisively, leaving no room for negotiation.

He quickly added, "Fellow Daoist, that's a Level 6 demonic beast, the Azure Water Rhinoceros! Its demonic core is worth at least 100,000 spirit stones, and its horn is priceless! We've already gathered three or four fellow Daoists, all at the early stage of Core Formation. With you, we'll have five people working together. With careful planning, we have a great chance of capturing this beast! Even if you look down on those ordinary materials, the demonic core and the rhinoceros horn—"

"I told you, I'm not interested."

Zhou Ding interrupted him, his tone still calm, but the coldness in it was clearly discernible.

He had no goodwill toward these hastily assembled demon-hunting teams in the outer sea. People's hearts are unpredictable, and in the face of huge interests, so-called alliances are extremely fragile.

Moreover, he really wasn't very interested in hunting down an ordinary level six demon beast to obtain those spirit stones and materials.

He has Xiao Jin, the "Heavenly Hearing Technique," and the ancient "Heavenly Mirror" diagram. His goals are far more ambitious. Why would he risk cooperating with strangers, or even being stabbed in the back, for such a petty gain?

Li Mu was speechless for a moment, and his face turned somewhat ugly.

Having spent many years roaming the outer reaches of the universe, he knew well the role a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator could play in hunting level-six demonic beasts, and was unwilling to give up easily.

His eyes darted around, as if he wanted to say something more, such as hinting that he could get a larger share of the profits, or boasting about how well-prepared his side was.

However, before he could speak again, Zhou Ding's brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes.

With a slight thought, a vast and powerful divine sense, far surpassing that of ordinary mid-stage Core Formation cultivators and even faintly carrying the pressure of Nascent Soul cultivators, suddenly swept out like an invisible raging sea, precisely and mercilessly suppressing Li Mu!

There was no actual attack, just pure divine pressure, carrying a cold warning and a sense of expulsion!

"If you utter another word, don't blame me for being impolite." Zhou Ding's voice, accompanied by that terrifying divine sense, was clearly imprinted into Li Mu's sea of ​​consciousness.

"puff!"

Li Muru was struck hard, his face turned ashen, he groaned, and the light beneath his feet shook violently, almost causing him to fall from the sky!

He felt as if he had been thrown into a bottomless ice cave in an instant, or as if his soul had been violently struck by an invisible mountain, causing him excruciating pain in his mind and body!

The strength and refinement of that divine sense gave him the illusion of facing those unfathomable Nascent Soul elders within the sect!

"Senior, please calm down! This junior was blind to your greatness! I'll leave now! I'll leave now!"

Li Mu was so frightened that he was scared out of his wits. He dared not linger or show any dissatisfaction. He quickly bowed and kowtowed, his voice trembling uncontrollably, his face full of fear and lingering apprehension.

Only then did he realize that he had not run into an ordinary mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, but a Nascent Soul cultivator whose divine sense was terrifyingly abnormal and whose strength was unfathomable!

The other party had simply ignored him before, but if he had truly angered them, he would probably have perished in this alien sea today.

He dared not linger any longer, not even glancing at Zhou Ding. Suppressing the discomfort in his soul and the trembling in his body, he hurriedly activated his escape light. Like a startled rabbit, he fled in panic towards Black Rock Island at an even faster speed than when he came, disappearing into the vast sea and sky in the blink of an eye.

Watching Li Mu's disheveled escape, Zhou Ding showed no joy or sorrow, and slowly withdrew the terrifying pressure of his divine sense.

For demon hunters who harbor侥幸心理 (a gambler's mentality) and try to drag others down with them, the best way to deal with them is to give them a slight punishment to make them back down.

Once Li Mu's figure had completely disappeared, Zhou Ding did not immediately continue on his way.

With a thought, the opening of the spirit beast pouch at his waist opened, and a stream of dark golden light flashed out, rapidly expanding and transforming into Xiao Jin's enormous, majestic, and ferocious body, radiating primordial ferocity.

Xiao Jin hovered quietly beside Zhou Ding, its dark golden vertical pupils gazing at him.

Zhou Ding issued commands through the soul connection, using the Heavenly Hearing Technique.

Now that we've reached the outer sea and temporarily escaped the potential "tail," it's a good time to test the detection effect of Xiao Jin's "Heavenly Hearing Technique," which expands its range to three hundred miles after his advancement.

Who knows, there might be some unexpected discoveries.

Little Gold let out a low growl, and then, a strange, pale golden light suddenly shone in its pair of dark golden vertical pupils, as if it could see through the essence of all things!

An invisible, strange wave, centered on Xiao Jin, spread rapidly in all directions like ripples on water, instantly covering a vast sea area of ​​three hundred miles in radius!

Zhou Ding closed his eyes and shared Xiao Jin's "vision".

In an instant, an incredibly clear, three-dimensional, and dynamic colorful "map of treasure light" appeared in his perception.

The depth of the seawater, the topography of the seabed, the lurking monsters, the minerals scattered on the seabed, the fragments of the sunken ship, and even some items half-buried in the mud and sand, emitting a faint spiritual light—all are revealed in exquisite detail.

The vast majority of items emit a white or blue (precious light).

Occasionally, one can see a few dark blue spots of light, which are mostly hidden nests of level five or six demonic beasts, or some special spirit mineral veins.

However, when Zhou Ding's "gaze" swept across an area about a hundred miles to the northeast, his mind was suddenly jolted!

There, on the edge of a deep underwater canyon, two pure, dazzling, and profound "blue" lights, like stars in the darkness, quietly radiate an alluring glow!

Its radiance and purity far surpassed those surrounding deep blue light spots, clearly indicating that they were two treasures that had reached the "blue" grade!

"A blue radiance! And two pieces at once!"

Zhou Ding felt a surge of joy.

Blue light usually represents a rare and precious natural treasure, comparable to a elixir that is thousands of years old, a fragment of a top-grade ancient treasure, or some extremely rare and precious natural treasure!

Such treasures are rarely seen even at large auctions in Tianxing City!

I never expected to discover two such places so soon after arriving in the outer sea!

Although we don't know exactly what it is, the fact that it can be identified as a blue precious light by the "Heavenly Hearing Technique" means that its value is definitely extraordinary!

Perhaps it is a treasure left behind by ancient cultivators, or perhaps it is some kind of naturally formed wonder.

In any case, now that we've discovered it, there's no reason to let it go.

"Let's go, let's go take a look over there." Zhou Ding's eyes gleamed as he pointed to the location of the two blue orbs of light. With a swift movement, he landed lightly on Xiao Jin's back.

Xiao Jin understood, let out a low roar, and a dark golden demonic light flowed around its body, transforming into a huge golden swan, carrying Zhou Ding, and speeding towards the underwater canyon that emitted an alluring blue light a hundred miles away!

Its speed far exceeded Zhou Ding's own flight, and it was incredibly stable.

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