Chapter 474 - 436: Deception in Warfare, the Azure Dragon’s Claw
WHOOSH.
The night was a dark curtain, with a bright moon hanging high in the sky.
Currents of air surged. Beneath the brilliant moonlight, the majestic Ghostly Flood Dragon soared through the sky, its external skeletal armor bathed in a layer of clear, silvery-white lunar radiance.
The captain’s quarters.
"This time, the objective is simple."
"Kill all the Candle Python Cave Golden Core cultivators, reclaim Volcano State, and completely expel the Star Casting Hall’s lackeys from the Day Flame Sea Region."
"Of course, I will be the one primarily carrying out this difficult task. You all just need to be on the sidelines, cheering me on and boosting our morale."
Li Jinhua was full of confidence.
She stood before a sand table, laying out her strategy.
Su Ye, Lin Yinxiu, and Zhao Jiuhuang stood on either side of the table, listening to her orders.
"Um..."
"I have a question." Lin Yinxiu raised her hand, a slightly strange expression on her face.
"Speak."
"If that’s the case, then why are you..."
At this moment, Li Jinhua was dressed in a black robe and cloak. She had even suppressed her Magical Power fluctuations to the Crystal-formation level, making her completely inconspicuous within the Flame Alliance’s grand army.
She had even retracted her dragon horns and tail.
What a rare sight.
It was only after seeing Li Jinhua that Su Ye learned that parts of a True Dragon Transformation, like the horns and tail, were merely for displaying one’s status and could be retracted at will.
"Oh."
"You mean the disguise... How stupid." Li Jinhua’s expression was one of slight disdain.
"I am one of the Seven Sages of the True Treasure Pavilion. How could I openly attack and slaughter these Golden Core juniors? Of course I need a layer of disguise to justify it!"
"Don’t worry. When the time comes, I’ll mix in with your Crystal-formation cultivators and launch a sneak attack on the enemy’s Golden Core masters. With my sneak-attack skills, I guarantee that for every poke, one will die!"
Li Jinhua patted her chest.
It jiggled violently.
Hearing her words, Su Ye’s expression remained calm, but Zhao Jiuhuang and Lin Yinxiu exchanged glances, their faces showing a hint of awkwardness.
’One of the Seven Sages of the True Treasure Pavilion, a dignified Nascent Soul True Monarch, is so openly declaring her intent to ambush Golden Core cultivators... Isn’t this a bit too shameless?’
’You’re a Nascent Soul expert!’
However, this issue didn’t trouble the two of them for long.
Shameless or not, if she killed all the Candle Python Cave’s Golden Core cultivators and reclaimed Volcano State in one fell swoop, they could recover all their recent losses!
"Kill!"
A grim look appeared on the faces of the two female Golden Core cultivators.
This was especially true for Zhao Jiuhuang. The Spiritual Qi in the Day Flame Sea Region was abnormal, with the fire-elemental Spiritual Qi boiling and surging several times over, providing a significant boost to a cultivator with a Fire Spiritual Root like her!
’Perhaps I can even fight a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.’
Zhao Jiuhuang thought to herself, brimming with ambition!
"Later, I’ll lead the charge!"
...
「Volcano State.」
The coast of the Fourth Ring.
Unlike other states, Volcano State’s territory was divided into "Rings."
After all, the state itself was a unique landmass formed by volcanic eruptions. Throughout history, multiple supervolcano eruptions had caused Volcano State’s area to expand again and again!
Each eruption brought many deeply buried metal veins, as well as Spiritual Qi, to the surface.
Therefore, although a supervolcano eruption brought destruction in the short term, over a longer timeline, the land repeatedly covered by supervolcanic lava became richer in Spirit Veins and ore veins, and the soil grew more fertile!
Thus, based on prosperity, the Flame Alliance had divided Volcano State into four Rings.
The First Ring was the innermost, and the Fourth Ring was the outermost, bordering the ocean.
At this moment, in a Daoist temple on the coast of the Fourth Ring...
The evil cultivator stationed here, the Mid-stage Golden Core Black Death Zhenren, who had an aquiline nose and deep-set eyes, was in a very good mood, clapping his hands and laughing.
"Excellent, excellent!"
Before him lay tens of thousands of portions of Essence of Flesh and Blood, brimming with life force.
Needless to say, this high-quality Essence of Flesh and Blood was, without a doubt, "voluntarily" contributed by the people of Volcano State as they "joyfully welcomed" the royal army of Candle Python Cave.
Of course, the people of Volcano State had only contributed the raw materials.
The Candle Python Cave cultivators had to process it into Essence of Flesh and Blood themselves.
’With this essence, I can refine another thousand strands of my Five Yin Black Fiend...’ Black Death Zhenren muttered, patting the leather pouch at his waist.
The pouch was made of a strange material, suspected to be human skin.
With a pat from Black Death Zhenren, nine thousand strands of Five Yin Black Fiend flew out and pounced upon the Essence of Flesh and Blood.
Nourished by the Essence of Flesh and Blood, the Five Yin Black Fiend rapidly multiplied. In just two hours, it had increased by over a thousand strands, its swirling black masses exuding a terrifying might!
’Ten thousand strands of Black Fiend.’
’The Five Yin Evil Qi Pouch is complete!’
Black Death Zhenren grinned, stroking the Human Skin Pouch at his waist with a flicker of satisfaction.
He had started refining this Spiritual Treasure during his Qi Refining Stage. For hundreds of years, it had devoured countless living creatures, advancing step by step from a mere Magical Artifact until it finally reached completion!
’It really wasn’t easy...’
Black Death Zhenren sighed to himself, just about to recall his Five Yin Black Fiend.
But at that very moment, a strange look crossed his face.
He gathered the Five Yin Black Fiend, using it to fly hundreds of feet into the air in an instant. Black Death Zhenren stood upon the wind, gazing intently toward the horizon.
There, he saw a Floating Battleship streaking through the sky!
’The Ghostly Flood Dragon?’
’Flame Alliance cultivators?’
Black Death Zhenren was startled. Su Ye’s Ghostly Flood Dragon was very well-known in the Day Flame Sea Region.
However, he wasn’t flustered.
"Hah... They’re courting death!"
BUZZ.
With a flicker of Magical Power, he sent out several Communication Talismans.
Right now, more than ten Tier-4 beings were gathered here in Volcano State!
The four Golden Core cultivators from Candle Python Cave, two dragonoids, and the many Golden Core masters sent over by the Star Casting Hall—this level of strength could sweep through the entire Day Flame region!
The Flame Alliance only had three Golden Core cultivators!
’The advantage is mine!’
’The Flame Alliance? I’ll make sure they never return!’
Soon, the Communication Talismans flickered, carrying their replies.
"Acknowledged."
"Got it."
Hundreds of miles away, several auras of Golden Core cultivators shot into the sky!
This was like a calming pill for Black Death Zhenren, making him even more composed!
"Heh..."
’The flesh and blood of Golden Core cultivators, used to nourish my Five Yin Evil Qi... if I could gather eight or ten of them, my precious pouch might even be refined into a Quasi-Dao Artifact...’
Black Death Zhenren stood ready for battle.
The ten thousand strands of Five Yin Black Fiend formed a dense black cloud, completely concealing his figure.
He was a little afraid of Su Ye. No, he was very afraid of Su Ye. Since the war began, a whole stack of Golden Core cultivators had died at Su Ye’s hands. How could he not be afraid when facing such a ruthless person?
’And I’m only at the Mid-stage Golden Core.’
Fortunately, reinforcements would arrive soon. He just needed to stall for a bit.
Just then, from atop the Ghostly Flood Dragon, a phoenix’s cry rang out. A Burning Fire Phoenix flapped its wings and came roaring toward Black Death Zhenren’s Five Yin Evil Qi Clouds!
’Zhao Jiuhuang?’
’Hah... just an Early-stage Golden Core.’
The Five Yin Evil Qi Clouds swirled, splitting off a third of its mass in an attempt to grind the fire phoenix into dust.
At the same time, Black Death Zhenren’s mind was taut, on high alert for a sneak attack from Su Ye.
SZZZZZ!
However, when the cloud of Evil Qi collided with the fire phoenix, hundreds of strands evaporated in an instant!
This level of power caught Black Death Zhenren completely off guard. He was just about to mobilize more of his black fiend for support.
But in that instant, a chill ran down Black Death Zhenren’s spine. A cyan-gold dragon claw, devoid of any aura fluctuations, suddenly appeared out of the void and pierced through his Dantian!
The Cyan Dragon Claw!
"That’s one," Li Jinhua said with a smile as she retracted her hand.