King of Ten Thousand Years

Along the way, Luo Tian spotted many exotic treasures. Though they were a step down from the Blood Jade Fruit, they were still quite valuable.

Having experienced being short on money several times, Luo Tian picked everything that was even slightly valuable. Besides, he had just switched to a Storage Item with a larger capacity.

WHOOSH! FLAP!

The Crow flew down and squawked, ”Lad, you sure can run. How did you end up on an island in such a short time?”

”An island?”

Luo Tian was a little surprised.

According to the Crow, there were several other islands of varying sizes nearby.

”Someone else is coming,” the Crow added.

’This unknown Secret Realm isn’t very large, so the chances of running into others are quite high.’

Luo Tian nodded slightly and made no effort to avoid them.

Soon, a man in a brown robe appeared in his line of sight, his face etched with caution.

”Luo Tian?”

The man in the brown robe was none other than Chai Yuxing.

Luo Tian had a vague impression of him. He was one of the cultivators whose strength had been overestimated by the Spirit List. He had luckily scraped into the top twenty of the Celestial Pride Conference, only to be defeated by Luo Tian in the first round of the finals.

Chai Yuxing was with the Celestial Ring Alliance, so Luo Tian ignored him, preparing to continue on his own.

But after hesitating for a moment, Chai Yuxing smiled. ”Brother Luo, I didn’t expect to run into you. This is wonderful.”

”I just discovered a Heavenly and Earthly Treasure that was thought to be extinct, but a powerful Demon Beast is guarding it. I wonder if Brother Luo would be willing to cooperate?”

Chai Yuxing’s heart was filled with apprehension.

Luo Tian wasn’t part of the Celestial Ring Alliance, and his strength far surpassed his own. Even if Luo Tian killed him to take the treasure for himself, there was nothing he could do about it.

But Chai Yuxing decided to take a gamble. He was willing to let Luo Tian take the larger share and use this as an opportunity to team up with him.

Luo Tian was the King of the Celestial Pride, the strongest existence to enter the Frosty Winter Secret Realm. If he could team up with him, his own journey would become much easier.

”I’m not interested in ordinary treasures,” Luo Tian said flatly.

”It’s a rare Three-star Treasure that nourishes the Soul and heals spiritual injuries.”

”Lead the way.”

Luo Tian’s eyes lit up.

Treasures that nourished the Soul were extremely expensive due to their rarity.

Soon, the two men and the bird arrived beside a river.

But the treasure Chai Yuxing had spoken of was nowhere to be seen.

”Huh? The Purifying Spirit Grass is gone?”

Chai Yuxing looked astonished.

He then turned to Luo Tian with a panicked expression and hurriedly explained, ”Luo Tian, I’m not lying to you! There really were a few stalks of Purifying Spirit Grass here just a moment ago!”

If Luo Tian thought he was being tricked, the King of the Celestial Pride might get angry and send him to his death right here in this strange land. He would be finished.

”And besides the Purifying Spirit Grass, there are two Ancient Demon Beasts in that river! Both are at the Earth Element Realm. I couldn’t possibly harvest the grass alone...”

Chai Yuxing practically spilled everything he knew.

”Were they Golden-Scaled Giant Crabs?” Luo Tian suddenly asked.

”Huh? How did you... Yes, that’s right! Two Golden-Scaled Giant Crabs!”

Chai Yuxing was flabbergasted.

Luo Tian had just arrived, the Purifying Spirit Grass was gone, and the Golden-Scaled Giant Crabs were nowhere to be seen. How could he possibly know?

Luo Tian’s expression suddenly darkened.

His Spiritual Sense detected two Golden-Scaled Giant Crabs at the bottom of the river. They were covered in thick, golden Scale Armor, and their pincers were like guillotines, glinting with a cold, sharp light.

However, these two Golden-Scaled Giant Crabs were already dead.

Their thick, golden Scale Armor had been shattered and pierced by some powerful means. The stench of blood from their corpses had already been washed clean by the turbulent river, which was why Chai Yuxing hadn’t noticed anything was wrong.

’These two Earth Level Demon Beasts working together would be much stronger than that black giant tiger I encountered earlier...’

’Even if Chai Yuxing and I teamed up, we would only have a slim hope of killing them.’

’Among the geniuses from the Dongchen Continent who entered this place, only Qi Yuntian might have been capable of such a feat. It would have been extremely difficult for anyone else.’

’But the wounds on the Golden-Scaled Giant Crabs didn’t match the style of any of the five great Celestial Prides.’

’Are there outsiders here?’

The moment that thought occurred to him, Luo Tian heard a faint noise.

SHIING!

In the distance, a black streak of light suddenly shot through the air.

”Danger!”

Luo Tian sensed a clear killing intent and shouted a warning.

But he was a step too late.

SQUELCH!

Chai Yuxing, who stood beside him, was suddenly impaled through the chest by a black claw, blood spraying into the air.

”Who...?”

Chai Yuxing’s face was pale, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He turned to see an ugly, dark blue-skinned creature holding a black metal chain, which extended all the way to the black claw that had pierced his body.

”Heh heh!”

The blue-skinned creature gave a contemptuous laugh. With a sharp tug, the chain yanked Chai Yuxing’s body through the air toward him.

The motion was just like a fisherman reeling in his catch.

”You dare ambush me?! Die...!”

Chai Yuxing’s face twisted in fury. He gripped his White Jade Long Staff and swung it, sending a heavy, brilliant arc of light like a meteor crashing toward the blue-skinned creature.

”Get lost!”

The blue-skinned creature’s face was full of contempt. True Essence pulsed from its palm as a violent, dark-blue stream of light shot out, completely shattering Chai Yuxing’s attack.

Just then, the chain dragged Chai Yuxing right in front of the creature, who crushed his throat with a single squeeze of its claw.

”No...!”

Chai Yuxing only managed to utter a single word before his head rolled to the ground, his eyes wide open in death.

The blue-skinned creature then cupped a handful of fresh, crimson blood in its claws, tilted its head back, and poured it into its mouth with relish.

Luo Tian’s expression grew grim. The blue-skinned creature’s strength was no small matter. A genius from the Dongchen Continent at the Earth Element Realm, ranked in the top twenty of the Spirit List, had been hunted and killed with such ease!

”It seems you’re the one who killed those two Golden-Scaled Giant Crabs,” Luo Tian said, glancing at the blue-skinned creature’s weapon and drawing his conclusion.

’What kind of Demon Beast is this? I’ve never seen one before,’ Luo Tian wondered.

The blue-skinned creature, who was drinking blood not far away, suddenly twitched its lips and spilled the rest of the blood onto the ground.

”Did you just call me a Demon Beast?”

The blue-skinned creature’s green pupils constricted. Its face contorted into a ferocious snarl, revealing long, sharp teeth.

’Huh? This Demon Beast is pretty intelligent. It can speak?’ Luo Tian was surprised.

”Insolent human! How dare you slander the Sea Hunter Race!”

”I was going to let you live, but now, I’ve changed my mind!”

The blue-skinned creature licked the blood from the corner of its mouth, its eyes flashing with a chilling killing intent!

The Sea Demon Palace had sent them here to gather information.

Upon encountering two humans for the first time, he had planned to capture one for interrogation. He killed Chai Yuxing, who had the higher Cultivation, and prepared to capture Luo Tian, who was at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm, alive.

’Not a Demon Beast? Could it be one of the indigenous people here?’ Luo Tian wondered.

”You... are courting death!”

The blue-skinned creature finally snapped at Luo Tian’s insults.

SHIING!

A black streak of lightning tore through the air as the chain shot forward. The black claw at its tip radiated an icy chill as it stabbed toward Luo Tian’s chest!

Moments ago, Chai Yuxing, a master of the Earth Element Realm, had been critically wounded by this very sneak attack before being instantly killed by the blue-skinned creature!

Already on high alert, Luo Tian executed the Wind Manipulation Technique. His body transformed into a wisp of gentle wind, evading the blow.

BOOM!

The black claw slammed into the ground, instantly blasting a crater the size of a house. The destructive power was terrifying.

”He dodged?”

The blue-skinned creature looked up in surprise.

’It must have just been luck. After all, this human is weak, only at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm.’

SHIING! CLANG!

The blue-skinned creature controlled the chain, and the black claw at its tip moved with incredible agility, as if it were an extension of its own arm.

It was as if a steel viper, reeking of death, was weaving through the air, attacking Luo Tian from every conceivable tricky angle.

Luo Tian pushed his Wind Manipulation Technique to its limits. Gusts of wind swirled around him, and his figure became ethereal and untraceable, allowing him to remain unharmed.

But the black steel claw was relentless. A single mistake would mean Luo Tian would be struck.

’I have to counterattack!’

Luo Tian activated the Celestial Sword Technique, infusing it with some of his Divine Vein Cold Power. A sharp, bone-chilling Sword Qi instantly slashed out.

CLANG!

The Ice Trace Sword collided with the black claw, knocking it back several meters. A wave of coldness spread across the chain, freezing it and greatly reducing the flexibility of the blue-skinned creature’s attack.

’Huh? The human at the Earth Element Realm was so weak, yet this one at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm is so difficult to handle?’

The blue-skinned creature was completely baffled.

Furthermore, even though he hadn’t used his full strength in that exchange, the force of Luo Tian’s Swordsmanship had knocked back his Treasure Artifact.

’A human is stronger than a member of the Sea Hunter Race? Is this a joke?’

”The indigenous people here are pretty strong,” Luo Tian commented as he closed in, his sword slashing down in a flash of cold, swift light.

”Shut your mouth!”

The blue-skinned creature roared. Its True Essence surged, and the entire chain whipped through the air, shattering the ice that covered it. Like a soaring dragon, it smashed through Luo Tian’s sword attack.

WHOOSH!

Just then, a swift and icy palm strike shot forward, stirring up a biting gale. It was none other than the Cold Wind Palm, a technique Luo Tian had only recently begun to cultivate.

Luo Tian had only just begun cultivating this Palm Technique, so his mastery wasn’t profound, but when combined with his True Palm Skill Intent, its power could not be underestimated.

The blue-skinned creature couldn’t react in time and hastily formed a True Essence Shield around its body.

SMACK! CRACK!

The palm strike landed like a raging blizzard, covering the entire True Essence Shield in a layer of frost before it shattered into pieces.

Its face fell. ’As a member of the Sea Hunter Race at the Earth Element Realm First Layer, I can’t even take care of a human at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm!’

”You’re courting death!”

Its skin gradually darkened to a deep blue, and strange, ancient scale-like patterns appeared on its surface as a ferocious, cold, and violent aura erupted from its body!

”Crow!”

Luo Tian’s eyes narrowed as he shouted instantly.

At this moment, the blue-skinned creature felt even stronger than Extreme Ice Fairy or Ye Feng. It was almost on par with Qi Yuntian!

’What in the world is this monster?’

”CAW! CAW! CAW!”

The Crow immediately let out a demonic screech that sounded like grinding metal.

The enraged blue-skinned creature was suddenly struck by a splitting headache and dizziness. Its mind grew agitated, and it struggled to remain rational.

In this state, its combat strength was reduced by thirty percent.

Luo Tian seized the opportunity to attack. A silver-white Sword Mark flashed in his eyes as he executed the Nine Heavens Sword Technique Third Technique: Sharp Sword and Wind.

A dazzlingly sharp Sword Light shot out with the speed of lightning, resonating with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and unleashing a powerful, sky-piercing momentum!

SQUELCH!

A gash appeared on the blue-skinned creature’s abdomen, splattering blue blood.

With Luo Tian and the Crow working together, dealing with the blue-skinned creature became much easier.

Moreover, Luo Tian wanted to defeat this monster and get his hands on the Purifying Spirit Grass.

Working together, the man and the bird made the blue-skinned creature’s life a living hell, and it was constantly being wounded by Luo Tian.

After fifty or sixty exchanges, the blue-skinned creature fled, resentful and unwilling to concede defeat.

Luo Tian gave chase.

This blue-skinned creature was very powerful; it had taken a great deal of effort for him and the Crow to fight it together.

Besides, the creature could talk. Perhaps he could extract some information about this unknown Secret Realm from it.