Chapter 503: I Am the Hunter, You Are the Prey

Yu Nanhong waters, compared to the land, cover an even more vast and boundless expanse.

With the Southern Long Gong at its head, its six subordinate Dragon Sons, thirteen Dragon Grandsons, and over a hundred generals comparable to Bai Yujing, its demonic soldiers under command spread across the entire waters, encompassing numerous water-dwelling clans, forming a dense, intricate network.

Add to that the magical arrays constructed over many years.

To attempt infiltrating the Long Gong's territory within the water without being discovered is simply as difficult as climbing to the sky.

"Hah! Rest for a moment!"

A crab demon of massive size sprawled across the stone surface, its carapace thick and rough; its pair of fearsome, terrifying great claws merely set down lightly, yet caused the seabed to tremble ceaselessly.

It transformed into human form, its dark red face covered in frustration.

As a great demonic general of Bai Yujing under the Long Gong's command, obeying the Fifth Prince's decree, guarding Shen Yidi for ten thousand years, its prestige was beyond words; where had it ever suffered such a stifling loss?

Troops were ordered to move out of the water, yet they didn't even get a chance to fight, leaving behind dozens of lives before returning in defeat.

Do not think the number is small; know that these are elite soldiers and fierce generals gathered from numerous water-dwelling clans, among whom are not lacking great demons comparable to the late stage of Return to Emptiness, or even those at the realm of Perfection.

Even exhausting the Fifth Prince and the Fourth Young Master's combined strength, they could barely muster a mere three thousand.

Such a humiliating and disheartening affair; where is the style of the Long Gong?

"If this general were to speak, we should report to the other princes and take this opportunity to strike back!" The dark red crab demon general drew out a wine flask and gulped down a mouthful fiercely.

"My lord, speak with caution!"

The deputy general alertly scanned the surroundings, found over a hundred soldiers and generals rapidly dispersing to patrol closely, then withdrew his gaze, smiling bitterly: "The Fourth Young Master is in considerable trouble now; the Fifth Prince also pities us brothers, unwilling to use our lives to fill the disaster the Fourth Young Master has caused."

"..."

The crab demon general silently glanced at it, speaking faintly: "You certainly know how to speak."

Having said this, it tossed the wine flask to the deputy general, leading the other away from the multitude of soldiers toward a submerged cliff fissure.

"However, if this general were to speak, this matter truly feels precarious; the General Nanyang Sect encountered a great calamity back then, causing the Southern Hong situation to reverse; the Long Gong finally gained the upper hand, yet now the opponent has clearly been settling for many years, vaguely showing signs of rising again."

"Dragon Sons and Dragon Grandsons are naturally of supreme nobility, but so many years of ease have made them somewhat forget the frustration of the beginning."

"It is fitting to fight with real swords and spears, to completely press down the General Nanyang Sect, and at the same time give the Seven Sons of Southern Hong a lesson, testing whether they currently harbor thoughts of rebellion."

Hearing the great demonic general's words, the deputy general could only smile awkwardly.

Such matters, let alone them, even the Fifth Prince cannot decide.

Leading troops to attack the General Nanyang treasure land; if the Seven Sons of Southern Hong submit, it is one thing, but if they suddenly become tough, this slaughter could even spread to the other Dragon Palaces.

What would be gained in the end?

The Seven Sons of Southern Hong already guard their own territory and have not affected the Long Gong.

Just for those few pieces of treasure land? That thing, water-dwelling clans might not even need; for instance, the princes, relying solely on their bloodline and bodies, can already compare to cultivators at the Dao-Integration realm; why waste such effort?

A hard bone so difficult to chew it might choke one to death, with no meat on it; how idle must the Long Gong be to willingly provoke them?

"Heh!"

How could the crab demon general fail to see the deputy general's thoughts? It merely felt it had lost face before its subordinates, speaking a few words casually to make up for it: "It is only because the Seven Sons of Southern Hong protect them; otherwise, relying on those few vassals plus a pile of rotten fish and shrimp in the treasure land, they would have the qualification to stand before this general, speaking shamelessly of calling themselves the General Nanyang Xian Sect."

"They even want to convene a Grand Assembly of the Seven Sons and proclaim it across Hongze; those old things are indeed getting more and more confused as they live... truly making this general laugh to death, not even ashamed of showing their face."

Finally, the previous topic was passed over.

A few more genuine smiles appeared on the deputy general's face; as elite soldiers and fierce generals under the Fifth Prince, they truly had the qualification to look down on a fake Xian Sect: "That group of Dao Sons can protect him for a time, but they cannot protect him for a lifetime; moreover, within the Qi Sect, things are not themselves as solid as a fortress; my lord, do not rush; perhaps at that time, you can personally sever the head of a Shen Zongzhu."

"Rest assured, this general will not hold back." The crab demon general sneered coldly, drew out the wine flask again, drank it dry, and casually smashed that jade flask against the stone reef.

To personally crush the head of a Shen Zongzhu is a great honor.

"However, that was just a joke; under the protection of several Dao Sons, he dares not appear, let alone now; he is probably hiding in the General Nanyang treasure land, not planning to come out."

The crab demon general looked toward the submerged cliff with considerable regret.

Just then, its gaze suddenly froze.

"..."

Atop the cliff, a tall figure stood with its back to this place; a black robe rippled amidst the green waves, its posture calm as it looked down upon the cliff bottom.

Like a passing traveler, its thoughts entirely on the bizarre and colorful scenery of the waters, caring nothing that a great demonic general of Bai Yujing was approaching from behind.

Such a scene could appear anywhere in Southern Hong, but absolutely not underwater.

"Daring beyond measure!"

The deputy general stepped out heavily, weapon already gripped tightly in hand, shouting angrily: "Blind dog eyes! Is this a place you can come to?!"

The thick roar was deafening, yet the youth in the black robe seemed not to hear it.

The crab demon general's expression was indifferent, its gaze slightly condensed; at such close range, it easily saw through the concealment technique on this cultivator.

Upon sensing the aura of the late stage of Return to Emptiness.

It did not reveal any expression of contempt, merely slowly standing still in place.

As a great demonic general guarding Shen Yidi, having had no problems for so many years and still firmly holding this position; while joking and laughing, when handling serious matters, its steadiness was flawless.

Mockery and ridicule are things that can wait until after crushing the opponent's head.

"I give you a chance to explain your purpose."

Having spoken these words in a deep voice, the crab demon general's right arm surged with light, transforming into a bumpy, crimson great pincer.

At the same time, demonic energy surged into its eyes; fully focused, it attempted to probe the opponent's true strength again after seeing through the concealment technique.

However, no matter how it looked, that youth seemed merely to be playing tricks with ghosts and demons, seeking death.

With its strength, to slay the opponent required absolutely no effort.

The crab demon truly could not understand: who gave this fool the courage to dare be so presumptuous, turning his back on me!

"..."

Shen Yi finally turned his head to look, his Bai Xi face showing no joy or anger.

He simply gazed silently at the crab demon general, then lightly nodded his chin, as if signaling something.

In an instant, a pair of sturdy arms quietly emerged from beneath the crab demon's armpits, then suddenly locked tight around its shoulders; at the same time, another person's palm had already ruthlessly covered the back of its head, dense golden patterns instantly enveloping it.

"Who!"

The Crab Demon's instinct was to raise its dark-red giant shears, but the third pair of arms slammed them down ruthlessly!

"Enemy attack!" The vice-commander reacted with blinding speed, shouting the words—but before the cry had fully left its mouth, the fourth figure punched its skull to pieces.

Before it died, it finally caught a faint, almost imperceptible whiff of blood seeping through the ward.

Boom—

The vice-commander's shattered skull did not throw the Crab Demon off balance. Without hesitation, it offered up its essence blood; a hard carapace sprouted across its skin, and its body instantly began to swell!

Clearly, this group of cultivators had come prepared.

It did not overestimate itself. The very first thing it considered was stirring up enough of a commotion to intimidate the enemy, then look for another chance.

"Have you forgotten that I, this general, am a great demon?" The Crab Demon roared, and the demonic Qi around its body thickened once more.

A pack of cultivators, daring to close in on a great demon on par with Bai Yujing.

This miscalculation would leave them with a regret they would never forget.

Yet what filled it with dread was that, even after pouring everything into its demonic body, every attempt—whether to revert to its true form or to swing the crimson shears refined from its pincers, weapons on par with Dao-tier arms—was forcibly suppressed.

It was, after all, a famed Great Demon General.

It stared in horror and realized it had truly been pinned in place.

"You—!"

The Crab Demon instinctively turned its head, only to come face to face with four visages twisted into vicious, savage grins—each one more familiar than the last.

"What a coincidence, so am I."

Wu Jun bared his pale teeth and abruptly tightened the golden threads, nearly crushing the hard shell covering the Crab Demon's body.

"So are we." The remaining three figures pulled their lips into exaggerated arcs, letting out low, terrifying hissing laughter—like the whispers of evil ghosts—wrapped in the azure waves, as if to drown the Crab Demon within them.

They were not only demons, but all of them were of the aquatic kind.

More importantly, any single one of them was in no way weaker than the Crab Demon in cultivation, and their Qi-concealment arts were bizarre—lying still like stones, they had drifted soundlessly up behind their target.

"You… you dare betray us…"

The Crab Demon's voice finally began to tremble, as if it had seen something impossible.

But with so many factors stacked against it, there was only one outcome left for it.

Crack! Crack!

Water Elephant stomped heavily onto its chest; Wu Jun swung both fists, hammering the Crab Demon's spine; the Fish Demon and the Flesh-Winged Silkworm tackled it to the ground, lavishly pouring the tremendous power contained within their demonic bodies onto the Crab Demon's carapace.

The golden threads wound tighter and tighter; the Crab Demon stared wide-eyed, choking, letting out a helpless wail: "…"

Yet even the right to wail was stripped away by Wu Jun's fist slamming into the side of its neck.

A spray of vivid crimson blood burst forth, forcibly silencing the Crab Demon.

Four against one, and a sneak attack at that.

The Crab Demon could not imagine any chance of survival left to it.

What it could not fathom even more was when exactly it had offended such ruthless people—how they had so carefully laid this trap, lying in ambush along the very path it took while hurrying back to its post.

But no one was willing to offer it any explanation.

The Crab Demon could only stare helplessly at the youth standing alone, wanting to curse, wanting to beg for mercy, yet unable to make a sound. The other party did not seem to bother casting it even another glance—cold and composed enough to chill the heart.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Until its entire shell-covered body was pummeled into complete collapse, it still kept its eyes wide open, as if they would burst from their sockets, filled with unwillingness and bitter resentment.

A Great Demon General that had guarded these waters—dying such a wretched death.

Even now, it still did not know the identity of its attackers.

"…"

From beginning to end, Shen Yi stood quietly at the edge of the broken cliff, golden threads dancing at his fingertips, watching this silent farce with cold eyes.

The murky blood-mist drifted through the water, and the instant before it touched his ink-black robe, the thumb-ring drew it in.

By the time the golden threads at his fingertips had all been recalled and the concealing formation withdrawn, the once-clear water below had long since turned into a dark-red domain of death—like a great maw waiting to devour the living, reeking of a thick, foul stench.

Win or lose aside, Shen Yi did indeed possess the qualifications to engage a great demon of Bai Yujing caliber.

But every time he entered the hunter's state—

he seemed to become a different person; he no longer fretted over the wear on the Town-Stones, nor allowed himself the slightest danger.

Only the cold calculus of gain and loss remained in his heart.

Like a true hunter.

And the Long Gong was merely prey.

【Slain: Return-to-Void realm Green-Fin Carp Demon. Total lifespan: 170,000 years. Remaining lifespan: 38,000 years. Absorption complete.】

These elite soldiers and fierce generals were a foundation the Long Gong valued greatly; the price of their rich experience was that their remaining lifespans were on the low side.

It looked rather insignificant, but once such notices piled up past a hundred, it became utterly terrifying.

【Remaining demon lifespan: 3,230,000 years】

Shen Yi swept the densely packed floating corpses into his thumb-ring, then transformed the four Town-Stones back into spiritual light and drew them into his brow.

He re-cast the Qi-concealment art, and his long robe rippled outward like ink; his whole figure vanished on the spot like a phantom.

Only the azure waters, clear once more, were left behind.

……

In the gloom-shrouded depths of the water.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged, wasting no time. With one thread of will, he condensed the demon's essence to reshape the Crab Demon's soul; with another, he sank his divine sense into the thumb-ring and began sorting the corpses of those hundred-plus aquatic elite soldiers.

Drawing on the information provided by Ke Thirteen, he had also come to roughly understand the Long Gong's strength.

Soldiers and generals led by Great Demon Generals like this one—

In reality, they were jointly supported and established by several water-dwelling clans to vie for status among the water races.

This situation happened to provide Shen Yi with convenience.

After all... he could truly achieve the "gathering the entire clan's strength" in the literal physical sense.

These hundred-plus demon soldiers were roughly composed of strong ones from three great water clans.

After a simple classification.

Excluding the fish demons, whose numbers were truly scarce, strength relatively weak, and who were purely there to pad the count, they would likely not reach the level of a Supreme Grade Dao Pillar.

Shen Yi quickly shaped four Pillar Stones.

By all rights, a Pillar Stone like Wu Jun, who had been forcibly elevated from Return to Emptiness all the way to the Bai Yujing level, was actually a huge loss; after all, forcibly raising the rank of an opponent's demon soul would inevitably consume more demon origins.

But the accounts are not calculated that way.

What Shen Yi lacked most now was time and manpower; he had to earn as much demon lifespan as possible before the Long Gong reacted.

A full one hundred and seventeen demon origins were exhausted.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: One million seven hundred and ninety thousand years】

Such a huge price, yet the thing obtained was truly not cheap.

The four Pillar Stones, including the Crab Demon General and the Three-Headed Snake Demon from the Immortal Cave earlier, stood silently behind him.

Those two great demons forcibly condensed, though possessing Bai Yujing cultivation as well, displayed a slightly thin aura upon observation, clearly reaching only the level of a single city.

But that was normal; after all, not every water clan possessed the strength to independently support a Dragon Grandson like the Golden-Patterned Turtle Demon.

But it did not matter.

Anyway, it would only be used this one time; once outside, they would receive the treatment of filling the palace.

Thinking thus, Shen Yi stored them all into his brow.

He retrieved the jade slip Yan Xianqing had given him earlier.

A single appetizer could not satisfy his appetite.

The purpose for Shen Yi's special journey was very simple.

He wanted to use this hard-won opportunity... to complete the path of Return to Emptiness in one go.

(End of Chapter)