Chapter 292: Turtle Soup

The reason for temporarily sparing the Tree Demon Granny was simple: Tang Luo needed her to serve as a "guide."

In this mission world, within the Great You Realm, the Tree Demon Granny was at least the kind of calamity-class entity who, if left unchecked to run rampant, could rival a natural disaster.

A demon like this, having lived for over a thousand years, was widely experienced; her "connections" were undoubtedly extremely rich.

If she fled, she would surely flee toward a safe place — whether to divert trouble eastward or as a desperate Hail Mary with nothing to lose.

Tang Luo could leverage the Tree Demon Granny either way to discover more demons and monsters.

The original conversion route had indeed been planned out, but it was time-sensitive; given the current situation, the demons' territorial awareness wasn't particularly strong either, and "the Great You is so big, I want to go see it" incidents happened often.

Tang Luo had come up empty-handed several times already.

The demons and monsters the Tree Demon Granny sought out would inevitably not be weaklings.

Tang Luo converting those powerful ones first was considerably beneficial for the Great You, and for the entire mission.

Strike directly at the "old" ones, and the remaining "young" ones — what waves could they possibly stir up?

The rescued people were naturally handed over to A Fei and Lu Sheng to handle.

Don't forget, A Fei holds an official post; he is a Youyi Tiji. However, A Fei has lost his sword at this moment and his strength is greatly reduced, so Tang Luo temporarily lent him the Zuanfeng.

The Zuanfeng is overbearing and ferocious; it doesn't perfectly match A Fei's fast-sword style, but it is sufficient to compensate.

It made Lu Sheng a bit envious instead — such an incomparably overbearing weapon, and a sword at that, was very suitable for a scholar like him who possessed a body full of righteous Qi.

Tang Luo didn't bother with these trivialities; taking the Howling Celestial Dog, he left, using the Green Giant's travel method — not flight, but the speed of his leaps and the distance covered were staggering.

It was in no way inferior to escape arts, and as Tang Luo's uninjured cap rose and his strength gradually recovered.

The originally vast momentum was also gone; his movements became utterly silent.

"In such a short time, to have fled such a distance — this Tree Demon should still have some secrets." Tang Luo thought silently as he pursued.

The Tree Demon did not travel in a "linear rush" like him, but vanished directly from the spot and then abruptly appeared in another location.

After lingering for a period, it vanished once more.

The route trajectory consisted of discrete points.

The dwell time wasn't long, but it was enough for the Howling Celestial Dog to firmly lock onto its aura.

In one sentence: truly no way up to heaven or down to earth; there was no one in heaven or on earth who could save it.

Regarding the Tree Demon Granny's origins, A Fei had briefly mentioned before leaving: she was a wronged soul that possessed a buried willow tree after death.

She could barely be classified as a "willow tree become a spirit."

It was extremely difficult for such a being to possess such a fast escape art; there was a distinct possibility she was borrowing a related magic treasure — if it was a magic treasure, it might be equipment that can be brought into and out of the mission world.

"Old Turtle! A great enemy descends from the heavens; we all face annihilation!"

Beside the famous Dream Cloud Great Marsh of the Great You, the Tree Demon Granny descended along with a stretch of mountain terrain; her true body was actually not as simple as that single large willow tree seen.

Accurately speaking, every place Tang Luo and the others stepped into belonged to the Tree Demon Granny's true body.

The great willow's roots spread and took root in the land; wherever the faint mist shrouded, the entire Lanruo Temple was a part of the Tree Demon Granny.

The Dream Cloud Great Marsh was a great lake of the Great You, its blue waves rippling, water meeting sky in a single line, rich in aquatic produce.

Originally, the nearby people relying on this great marsh should have been able to live affluent lives.

Unfortunately, the Dream Cloud Great Marsh was occupied by the "Black Dragon King," who demanded a batch of virgin boys and girls every year; otherwise, forget entering the lake to salvage, even the shore was unsafe.

Waves often surged violently, sweeping people into the great marsh, leaving not even bones.

Moreover, even if the offerings were made, it depended on the Black Dragon King's mood; after entering the lake, one moment it would be calm, the next the waves would suddenly churn.

Cases of being sucked in and never reappearing were not few.

This Black Dragon King was of course not the rumored Black Dragon King, but a ferocious turtle demon.

It could not take human form; its body was huge, and its movements on land were slow, but once in the water it was "a fish entering the great sea" — occupying the great marsh and stirring up wind and waves, incomparably carefree.

"Annihilation?" The originally calm great marsh suddenly churned with waves; beneath the water surface, a huge black shadow appeared.

It did not surface; a pair of huge, lantern-like eyes bobbed near the water surface.

"Could it be the Black Mountain Old Demon has come out of the mountain?" the Giant Turtle asked.

These demons had no actual names, only some nicknames.

This Giant Turtle was also called the "Black Water Turtle," implying it basked in the reflected glory of the Black Mountain Old Demon — which also showed the Black Mountain Old Demon's power and these demons' dread of it.

And interestingly, the world's cultivators knew very little about the Black Mountain Old Demon and the Black Mountain Ravine.

"No, it's a monk. Get ready fast, or we'll all die here!" the Tree Demon Granny said.

"If it's not the Black Mountain Old Demon, what's there to fear?" the Black Water Turtle said in a deep, muffled voice.

As long as it wasn't the Black Mountain Old Demon, holed up in this Cloud Dream Great Marsh, he feared no one and feared nothing.

Being a happy local emperor, stirring up waves whenever he wanted, with virgin boys and girls as blood food.

"You don't know shit! That monk is no weaker than the Black Mountain Old Demon! Word's out — he wants us demons exterminated to the last!" the Tree Demon Granny's voice was shrill, half true, half false.

"Hahahaha!"

The Black Water Turtle laughed loudly, stirring up waves crashing like a thousand layers of snow. "Old Tree Demon, you're getting more cowardly the longer you live, more past-it the longer you live."

Holding the terrain advantage, he only feared the Black Mountain Old Demon as a single "person"; all the rest, he didn't put in his eyes at all.

The Tree Demon Granny didn't speak; a cold sneer rose in her heart.

This old turtle was still as arrogant and conceited as before, and incomparably stupid.

But that was precisely the stupidity he wanted; otherwise, why come here?

Any cunning demon would have detected the Tree Demon Granny's scheme of diverting trouble eastward.

But this old turtle was still immersed in his fantasy of being a local emperor, self-satisfied, utterly unaware of the approaching danger.

"This old turtle has rough skin and thick flesh." The Tree Demon Granny thought, "At least he can block that monk; if there's a chance, I can even wound him a bit."

When Tang Luo struck casually and sliced off several hundred years of the Tree Demon Granny's cultivation.

The Tree Demon Granny knew that monk was not an opponent she could face head-on; only by roping in some "people" was there a sliver of hope to contend with him.

Hmm, merely hope.

Up to now, the Tree Demon Granny still completely could not fathom that monk's origins, unable to judge just how much strength he actually possessed.

"If there's nothing else, then leave, don't block my doorway." The Black Water Turtle said to the Tree Demon Granny, its massive body beginning to sink bit by bit.

The shadows gradually faded and disappeared.

The Tree Demon Granny's great willow tree also began to gradually sink, not leaving, but rather submerging itself underground, hiding away.

"I told you to leave!"

The originally gradually calming water surface surged up once more, the Black Water Turtle surfacing again, shouting sternly.

However his voice was incomparably deep and resonant, even his stern shout did not "sound" sharp at all, instead resembling muffled thunder surging.

The few residents around the Yunmeng Great Marsh heard the thunderous sound coming from the horizon, frightened into kneeling on the ground one by one, continuously kowtowing toward the direction of Yunmeng Marsh.

Begging the Black Dragon Lord's forgiveness.

The Black Water Turtle feared no "one" within Yunmeng Marsh apart from the Black Mountain Old Demon, not meaning he was willing to let others (demons) block his doorway.

No one hoped for this kind of thing to happen.

If he went ashore, he still wouldn't be a match for this old tree demon.

The Tree Demon Granny remained silent without answering, hiding completely, striving to regulate her breath, preparing for the next translocation.

"Hey!"

The Black Water Turtle could not sense her, but knew this old tree demon definitely had not left, about to fly into a rage, water vapor rose steaming above Yunmeng Great Marsh, dense mist spreading everywhere.

Fortunately there were no fishing boats here, the entire Yunmeng Great Marsh had only the sound of surging waves.

Before the Black Water Turtle could make more moves, a white-robed, white-haired monk suddenly descended from the sky, landing on the lakeshore.

When the surging waves at the shore reached his side, they were blocked by an invisible force, let alone harming him in the slightest, they couldn't even wet his hair and robes.

A bizarre cat was still perched squatting on his shoulder.

"Where did this wild monk come from?" The Black Water Turtle froze, this fellow was the demon monk the old tree demon spoke of?

Tang Luo's gaze looked toward where the Tree Demon Granny disappeared, watching for a while before withdrawing it, then falling on the great black turtle with murderous intent soaring to the heavens, laughing: "A fine pot of turtle soup."

The Black Water Turtle flew into a towering rage, turtle soup?

Only he had ever eaten people, where did a person eating him come from?

Just before the Black Water Turtle could stir up terrifying waves to roll the monk on the shore into the great marsh, letting him suffer a fate worse than death.

Tang Luo had already raised his hand, Glazed Nirvana Great Hand Seal!

A semi-translucent pale golden giant hand instantly formed, five fingers spread open, the palm seeming to contain several black holes, bringing forth boundless attractive force.

The surging waves instantly calmed, the Black Water Turtle however seemed to have a mountain peak pressing on its body, instantly unable to move.

Unable to move was not all, its body was still rising, the hard turtle shell had already left the water surface, unexpectedly already seized out of Yunmeng Great Marsh.

How could the Black Water Turtle be willing?

Once out of the great marsh, his strength would be greatly weakened, immediately struggling frantically.

However before that giant hand, like an infant before a strong man, there was actually not a shred of power to resist, only able to watch helplessly as the distance to the golden giant hand grew closer and closer.

The palm replaced the horizon in its vision, closing down, seizing it, then giving a slight shake.

The still-struggling Black Water Turtle suddenly stiffened, not moving an inch.

Outwardly appearing intact, inside the vital points had already been thoroughly pulverized, dead beyond dead.

Not even a chance to self-destruct its demon core and perish together.

Casually tossing it away, the Great Hand Seal vanished, the Black Water Turtle's heavy massive body was thrown by Tang Luo back into Yunmeng Marsh, sinking to the bottom before long.

Set it aside for now, wait until the matters at hand are resolved then come back to collect it.

Tang Luo's gaze returned once more to where the Tree Demon Granny hid.

Clearly certain she had already hidden with utmost secrecy, absolutely no possibility of being discovered, yet this one glance still shocked the Tree Demon Granny so her soul nearly fled.

All thoughts turned into a single word: "flee".

Disregarding the cost, forcibly translocating to escape.