Chapter 450: Bi Bo Pond, Ben Bo Er Ba

After the Lady of the Yin Star departed, Su Chen left the East Sea and crossed space to arrive at the Liushi Mountains’ Bi Bo Pond in the Western Continent of Niuhe.

Underwater currents surged, and several clusters of coral emitted a faint green glow, illuminating the swaying seaweed around them.

Su Chen concealed his aura and stood behind a reef at the pond’s bottom; his purpose here was to find the Nine-Headed Worm.

The Nine-Headed Worm, guided by Bai Ze, had lain hidden in Bi Bo Pond awaiting an opportunity.

Su Chen needed the Nine-Headed Worm to guide him and activate the hidden array shielding the Demon Emperor Island.

But he did not wish to expose the Nine-Headed Worm’s identity, so he swept his spiritual sense across the outer waters and locked onto a patrol shrimp soldier dozing off.

Su Chen flashed forward, trapping the shrimp soldier with his Hunyuan spiritual power and sealing him inside a magic treasure, then used his Transformation Technique to transform into the shrimp soldier’s form, wielding a rusted iron spear, and strode boldly out from behind the reef, blending into the patrol unit.

Outside the underwater palace, several squads of minor demons moved back and forth; Su Chen, carrying his iron spear, had just passed a white jade archway when two figures stepped abruptly in front of him.

To the left was a catfish demon with two long whiskers hanging from its mouth, tossing a water spirit stone in its hand; to the right was a black carp spirit with a bald, jet-black head and a rusty bronze knife strapped to its waist.

Both held bone clubs and blocked Su Chen’s path with arrogant strides.

“Stop.” The catfish demon tapped Su Chen’s iron spear with his bone club. “Newcomer? Which patrol squad? Why did you fall out of formation? Do you even know the rules?”

Su Chen halted and sized up the two.

Neither had entered the Immortal Path; their demonic energy was chaotic and crude, and they hadn’t even fully achieved human form—still sporting fish heads.

“My lord, I’m from Patrol Squad Three. I accidentally got separated.” The shrimp soldier Su Chen had become said.

The black carp spirit stepped forward, circling Su Chen with a shake of his head. “Patrol squad? No wonder you’re so ignorant. Why didn’t you bow to us brothers?”

Su Chen raised an eyebrow, suppressing his impatience.

“I’ve just arrived. I didn’t know your lordships’ identities.”

The catfish demon puffed out his chest, his whiskers quivering with pride.

“Listen well, you shrimp. I am Ben Bo Er Ba, and this is my brother Ba Bo Er Ben.”

“We’re favorites of Lord Wansheng the Dragon King and absolute confidants of the Nine-Headed Prince Consort. Everyone in Bi Bo Pond bows to us. How dare you not recognize us? How will you survive in the Dragon Palace?”

Ba Bo Er Ben chimed in, jabbing his bone club at Su Chen’s nose and spitting out a water bubble.

“You little shrimp, you look unfamiliar and your brain’s clearly addled. Lucky for you, you’ve met us brothers today—we’ll give you some guidance.”

“Go clean the seahorses in the back courtyard. Do it well, and we’ll speak well of you to the Prince Consort—maybe get you off patrol duty.”

Su Chen was speechless inside—he realized these two were fools, so he decided to play along and tease them a little.

Su Chen said nothing, his fingertips twitching slightly as a thread of Hunyuan spiritual power split off and slipped soundlessly into the two demons’ bodies.

Ben Bo Er Ba was about to continue boasting when his body suddenly stiffened—he couldn’t move. Ba Bo Er Ben, beside him, opened his mouth but emitted no sound.

Su Chen’s spiritual sense shifted, casting a simple illusion.

In the two demons’ vision, the shrimp soldier before them suddenly swelled into a terrifying demon god, his head piercing the heavens and his feet crushing the netherworld.

The demon god was wreathed in destruction, his eyes brimming with endless killing intent as he gazed coldly down upon them.

The demon god reached out a giant hand, flaying their skin, extracting their tendons, and tossing them into a vat of boiling oil.

Fear shattered the two demons’ mental defenses; Su Chen released his spiritual pressure.

“Plop.”

Ben Bo Er Ba and Ba Bo Er Ben collapsed to their knees simultaneously, tears and snot streaming down their faces.

“Great King, spare us!” Ben Bo Er Ba banged his head against the seabed rocks, thudding loudly. “Your humble servant had no eyes to see! I offended Your Majesty—please treat us like a fart and let us go!”

Ba Bo Er Ben wept even louder, clinging to Su Chen’s leg.

“Great King, my meat’s sour and inedible! The seahorses in the back courtyard are plump and tasty—eat them instead!”

Su Chen kicked Ba Bo Er Ben away and prepared to erase their memories with a spell.

“What’s all this noise?”

A cold voice echoed from behind the archway.

Water rippled as a man in silver armor strode forward, holding a crescent moon spade.

His face was grim, his gaze sharp—it was the Nine-Headed Worm.

The Nine-Headed Worm had been patrolling the underwater palace and heard the two fools’ wailing from afar.

He approached and saw them groveling before a common shrimp soldier, weeping and sniveling, and immediately felt his dignity insulted.

“You two idiots, what are you doing?” The Nine-Headed Worm snapped, slamming his crescent moon spade down, causing the seabed currents to churn violently.

Ben Bo Er Ba, seeing the Nine-Headed Worm, leapt forward like a drowning man spotting salvation.

“Prince Consort, save us! This shrimp soldier is a demon—he wants to eat us!”

The Nine-Headed Worm frowned and turned his gaze to Su Chen.

He swept his spiritual sense over him—this shrimp soldier’s aura was ordinary, utterly unremarkable, his spiritual power barely detectable.

Yet Ben Bo Er Ba and Ba Bo Er Ben would never be so terrified without cause.

The Nine-Headed Worm, by nature cautious, tightened his grip on the crescent moon spade, secretly activating his Jin Xian spiritual power, preparing to test the shrimp soldier’s true strength.

Just as he was about to act, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

“It’s me, Su Chen.”

The Nine-Headed Worm froze, his hand gripping the crescent moon spade mid-air.

He stared at Su Chen, eyes filled with confusion.

Why was Su Chen here in Bi Bo Pond?

But the Nine-Headed Worm reacted swiftly, sheathing his crescent moon spade and casting a cold glance at Ben Bo Er Ba and Ba Bo Er Ben.

“You two fools, what demon? Get out of here.”

The two demons, as if granted divine mercy, scrambled away into the depths of the palace without daring to look back.

Once no other minor demons remained nearby, the Nine-Headed Worm’s expression turned respectful, and he sent a mental message: “Su Chen, my lord, what brings you here?”

“Find a quiet place to speak.” Su Chen replied mentally.

The Nine-Headed Worm nodded and turned to lead the way.

The two passed through several secluded waterways and arrived at an abandoned coral grotto.

The Nine-Headed Worm cast several spell seals to lock the grotto’s aura.

Su Chen dispelled his Transformation Technique, revealing his true form. He wasted no time: “Take me to the Demon Emperor Island. I must meet Elder Bai Ze.”

The Nine-Headed Worm frowned in confusion—Elder Bai Ze had left the Demon Emperor Island with Su Chen. Why return there now?

“Elder Bai Ze returned to the Demon Emperor Island a few years ago.” Su Chen explained, seeing his confusion.

“My lord, is this about the recent rumors spreading across the Three Realms regarding the Outer Realms?” the Nine-Headed Worm ventured.

Su Chen glanced at him. “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t. Just guide me. This concerns the future of the demon race—no delays.”

The Nine-Headed Worm’s spirit tightened instantly; he bowed his head. “Understood. My lord, allow me to first request leave from Lord Wansheng the Dragon King.”

The Nine-Headed Worm left the coral grotto and headed straight for the Dragon Palace’s main hall.

Lord Wansheng the Dragon King was playing with a night pearl when the Nine-Headed Worm entered; he greeted him with a smile.

“Son-in-law, what’s the hurry?”

The Nine-Headed Worm bowed respectfully.

“Father-in-law, my family has sent urgent news—I must return to attend to private matters. I’ve come to request leave.”

Lord Wansheng set down the night pearl and stroked his dragon whiskers.

The Nine-Headed Worm was powerful and of mysterious origin; Lord Wansheng had always relied heavily on him.

“If it’s a family emergency, you must go. Go quickly and return soon. If you need any aid from Bi Bo Pond, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, Father-in-law.” The Nine-Headed Worm didn’t linger, turning to leave the Dragon Palace.

The Nine-Headed Worm returned to the coral grotto; Su Chen had already been waiting.

“Let’s go.” Su Chen said.

Su Chen tore open a spatial rift directly on the seabed; the two stepped into it and vanished from the bottom of Bi Bo Pond.

Through the void, light and shadows flowed around them.

Su Chen’s cultivation base—mid-stage Da Luo Jin Xian—combined with his body’s mid-stage Pretender Saint strength, made him as steady as a mountain within the space passage.

The Nine-Headed Worm watched silently, astonished—he had never imagined that in just a few centuries, Su Chen had gained the ability to traverse space.

Moments later, the two stepped out of the space passage; thick, damp air hit their faces.

Before them stretched an endless black sea, waves crashing violently against dark reefs with deafening roars.

They were deep within the Northern Sea.

The Nine-Headed Worm withdrew a black jade token from his sleeve.

It was the artifact granting access to the Demon Emperor Island; he infused it with spiritual power, preparing to activate the reception array.

The token glowed faintly—but the sea surface before them showed no reaction.

The Nine-Headed Worm frowned and increased his spiritual power output.

The array patterns on the token blazed with blinding light—but the sea remained calm, the usual path to the Demon Emperor Island still absent.

The Nine-Headed Worm stared at the unresponsive token, his face darkening.

He had lived on the Demon Emperor Island for tens of thousands of years—he knew exactly what this meant.

“Su Chen, my lord, something terrible has happened on the island. The island’s great array has changed—my token can no longer open the path to the Demon Emperor Island.”

"Lord Su Chen, a major upheaval has occurred on the island. The great array within has changed—my token can no longer open the passage to the Demon Emperor."