Chapter 288: Cultivation Straight A’s Student
Zhu Yao spotted a lake that was entirely red, and even everything in its surroundings were dyed in red. Floating above the lake surface were countless gold formations, and even further above them, it faintly looked as if something was being restrained, occasionally part of it could be seen through the thick mist.
The nearer they approached, the denser the scent of blood was. Even though there were formations in the surroundings that were concealing the aura emitted, they were unable to stop the thick scent of blood. Only after they had reached did they realize that the lake was not made of water.
It was clearly a lake of blood.
There was not the slightest of ripple on the surface of the lake, as if it had long been solidified. Its colour of red was incomparably dark.
This was not a lake that was dyed red by blood, but a lake formed by blood itself.
“This… This is…” The three of them were dumbfounded. Little tyrant and Ye Qingcang could not hold it in as they turned around to puke as well.
A piercing pain unknowingly rose in the depths of Zhu Yao’s heart, and for a moment, she found it hard to breathe. Just where did so much blood come from?
“Grandma… What’s… What’s over there?” Little tyrant suddenly pointed somewhere to the right. That was an empty patch of grass, but at the center of it was a large amount of fresh blood flowing into the blood lake. Occasionally, the air above the grass patch would suddenly distort.
Zhu Yao frowned. There was a concealment formation over there, and it was very unstable! She quickly materialized a spiritual sword, and immediately sliced through the illusion. As if curtains were drawn, a purgatory-like view appeared above the grass patch.
Corpses.
The corpses of various demonic beasts littered the surroundings.
They piled up into a huge mountain. Not a single one of the demonic beasts’ bodies was completely intact, as dismembered arms and legs filled the place. The ones at the very bottom had also begun to decompose and emit a foul smell. At the top of the corpses, there were still dismembered beasts that were still breathing, roaring in their exhausted states.
For a moment, their endless screams resounded through the clouds.
In the sky above the pile of corpses was an enormous formation, and it was presently emitting out a piercing red light. When the demonic beasts bumped into that red light, as if they had met with the sharpest of blades, their bodies began to slice open, preventing their escapes. They could do nothing but to scream miserably.
She understood them now. They were shouting out…
“Kill me!”
Among those demonic beasts, there were seventh rank ones, eighth rank ones, and even those of the tenth rank. However, within that enormous formation, they did not have any power to resist at all, as they get sliced apart alive.
All three of them were frightened to a standstill by this scene, unable to believe their own eyes.
“Be… Behind…” Ye Qingcang trembled as he pointed at the back of the pile of corpses.
Zhu Yao turned to look, only to see dozens of similar formations behind, though those formations were double-layered. Under the red formations were white teleportation formations. Suddenly, a few of the formations shone. A moment later, one confused demonic beast after another appeared above the formations, and they were then swallowed the red formations above.
In the end, they appeared above the gigantic pile of corpses, and were sliced alive.
“Those formations are sending demonic beasts here!” Rage instantly surged within the depths of Zhu Yao’s heart, as she instantly materialized a spiritual sword and flew off. “Destroy those teleportation formations!”
She immediately materialized countless swords, attacking the nearest few teleportation formations and stopping the teleportation of demonic beasts.
The two youths were startled for a second, before reacting in the next moment. They hurriedly stepped forward to help destroy the cores of the other teleportation formations. It was her first time seeing such a grand-scale of one-sided demonic beast slaughter. Just what in the world was that enormous red formation used for?
There were dozens of teleportation formations, but because they did not possess any offensive properties in the first place, the three destroyed them in a blink of an eye. Without the teleportation formations, the corresponding red formations above immediately collapsed as well. No more demonic beasts were being transferred.
Though the earlier few had still landed in the pile of corpses.
Eight demonic beasts were fixated under the formation, and some had even turned to look towards Zhu Yao, their eyes evidently carried a hint of fluster and pleading intent.
Zhu Yao’s heart skipped a beat, as she then immediately proceeded to attack that strange gigantic formation. However, the moment her spiritual sword made contact with that formation, they were shattered instantly. The rebound made her hands numb. Just what in the world was that formation?
The formation was already beginning to shine and activate again, if she was delayed any further, those demonic beasts would face certain deaths. Zhu Yao gritted her teeth and immediately summoned her sword intent. A gigantic lightning people flew straight towards that formation. However, the moment it made contact with the formation, it was shattered, disappearing instantly.
Zhu Yao simply felt a powerful rebound assaulting her. An immense pain struck her chest, as she puked out a large mouthful of blood.
“Grandma!”
“Granny!”
Bai Zhiyuan and Ye Qingcang cried out as they hurried over.
That gigantic formation grew even brighter, as rays of red light came shooting down at the demonic beasts. Like laser weapons, they sliced towards the bodies of the demonic beasts.
Zhu Yao’s eyes fiercely widened, as she struggled to get up. “We must save them!”
Just as she got up, she puked out a few mouthfuls of blood. She could faintly hear the crackling sounds of her Azoth Core shattering. She had never experienced such powerful rebound, as if her sword intent was deflected several times back into her body.
“Grandma…” Little tyrant held onto her hand, and said with a solemn look. “It’s too late.”
In the next moment, terrifying screams rang through their ears, causing their hearts to tremble. The limbs of the newly entered demonic beasts were sliced inch by inch by the red light. Their painful cries. Their agonizing screams for help. All of them reverberated into their ears.
Zhu Yao had never thought that being able to understand the language of demonic beasts would be such a painful experience. They were crying out their agonizing pain, all of them asking her for help.
She… was unable to do anything.
She was not even able to turn her head around and cover her ears. She could only watch blankly as though demonic beasts were sliced into bits and pieces, their blood and fleshing meshed together. The pairs of clear eyes, from the initial fluster, turned into fear, pleading, and then complete despair.
Until not a single sound could be heard any longer did that large formation finally stop.
She had even clearly watched a beastie reaching out to her with its remaining paw, whimpering a tuneless, “meow…”
For a moment, Zhu Yao could not catch her breath. Powerlessness filled her entire body, and the depths of her heart were filled with an unbearably sour feeling. Heavy sorrow surged upwards, making it difficult for her to breathe. It was as the screams of those beasties were still echoing in her ears.
Just what in the world was that terrifying formation?
However, the nightmare did not end.
“Grandma…” Little tyrant’s face instantly paled, as he shiveringly pointed in the direction they came from. “Above the blood lake…”
When she turned back to look, the few formations that were quietly floating above the blood lake earlier had suddenly activated. Something was presently surging upwards. In the next moment, a foreign and strangely-shaped demonic beast appeared, roaring as it flew away from the floating mountain.
Zhu Yao felt a chill in her heart, as she hurriedly turned to look at the pile of corpses. As expected, a few of dismembered limbs were missing, and the pile of corpses had turned smaller. After a closer look, at the center of the dismembered corpses were a few unique formations. The dismembered parts of the demonic beasts had disappeared within that formation.
A bell seemed to have rung in her mind. Ever since she saw that caterpillar, she had gotten a strange feeling. She suddenly understood now.
Those strangely-shaped demonic beasts that looked as if they did not carry any intelligence, but were unexpectedly brutal… were actually “chimeras” created using formations!
This thought is too crazy. Just how is this possible? In this world of cultivation, why is a plot that would appear in sci-fi movies here!? Could this strange place possibly be a work of science… No, a Jurassic Park created by a cultivation wacko?
“Hoh. It seems a few rats came in!” A solemn male voice suddenly rang above their heads.
Zhu Yao felt her heart skip a beat.
In the next moment, she was pushed against the ground by an immense pressure. She was unable to move even a single inch of her body, and her Azoth Core was even shattering bit by bit. Little tyrant and Ye Qingcang instantly puked out blood and fell onto the ground. If not for the defensive barriers that they had established earlier, adding that Zhu Yao had been desperately transferring them spiritual energy in order to protect their Dantians, they would have already lost their lives.
This was actually… the pressure of a Demigod!
The hell! This cultivation wacko is actually a Demigod straight A’s student!
Sounds of footsteps approached, and only a moment later could she clearly see his appearance. He was a man who looked to be in his twenties, his facial features tended to the feminine side, though his brows were dyed with ruthlessness. He coldly glared at the three people on the ground, muttering out with a cold laugh. “It’s been a good long while since I last saw a living person in my illed grounds. A mere Azoth Core practitioner and two Essence practitioners were actually capable of breaking into this place. Not bad, I have to say.”
Who is this guy?
The man turned to look at the pile of corpses, and his eyes swept towards the dozens of destroyed teleportation formations. His brow instantly turned into a frown, and his voice instantly turned chilly. His killing intent flashed. “You lot actually destroyed my formations, you lot deserve to die!”
The pressure from his body instantly turned heavier, and the cracks on Zhu Yao’s Azoth Core were now more than the wrinkles on her face.
That man slowly walked over. He suddenly reached out his hand to clutch Zhu Yao’s neck, raising her up into the air.
“What are you doing?” Little tyrant was in a panic. He gritted his teeth as he raised his head up. “Let her go.”
“Let her go?” He coldly laughed, his eyes were like that of a snake’s. He sized her up for a moment, the corner of his lips stretched to a side, revealing a sinister smile. “How can I possibly let go of such a wonderful ingredient? I have yet to try using a human’s body to refine beasts. It seems I can try it out today.”
“Refine beasts?” Little tyrant was stunned for a moment, and he suddenly came into realization. “Those strange demonic beasts outside were your work?”
“It seems you’re not too stupid.” The man coldly said. “Unfortunately, those are all failed products. It might possibly work with a human practitioner added in.”
“By sacrificing so many demonic beasts, just what are you trying to refine?” Zhu Yao struggled to ask.
The man glanced at her, but did not give an answer. He turned around and dragged her to the pile of corpses, as though he was really planning to refine her into a demonic beast. Zhu Yao’s heart clenched. No matter how she struggled, she could not escape his control.
“Grandma!”
“Granny!”
Little tyrant and ye Qingcang wanted to come over, but they did not even have the ounce of strength to even crawl.
Zhu Yao was left with no choice but to desperately use all of her strength to gather all of the spiritual energy in her body to temporarily resist his pressure. She grabbed onto his hand and immediately materialized a lightning bolt, sending it right at him.
The man loosened his hand out of reflex and retreated a few steps back. He was struck directly by her heavenly lightning, but there was not a single scar on his body. Fortunately, the pressure had disappeared.
“You guys hurry and leave! Immediately!” Zhu Yao took this opportunity to shout at the two youths behind. She circulated all of the spiritual energy in her body, once again summoning her sword intent. Facing an overwhelming enemy like him, she was left with no choice but to take a gamble!
“Grandma…” Little tyrant still wanted to say something, but he was dragged away by Ye Qingcang who immediately left on his flying sword. He understood Zhu Yao’s intentions. Over here, they would just pull her down.
At the same time, the lightning phoenix charged towards the air, releasing out a long cry that tore through the skies.
The man raised his head to look at the sword intent. As though he was stunned for a moment, a hint of shock flashed past his face. “Phoenix!”
He had merely hesitated for a second before releasing the pressure from his body. He coldly laughed. “Hmph, a mere little trick!” Just as he was about to scatter her sword intent, he suddenly sensed a powerful spiritual energy disturbance next to him. He looked at her with widened eyes. “You’re trying to self-destruct!”
That’s right. Zhu Yao was not trying to fight him off with her sword intent, she had planned on self-destructing her Azoth Core right from the start. The difference in levels was too great. No matter how heaven-defying she was, an Azoth Core practitioner could not hope to match a Demigod. What she could do was to buy time for the two youths to escape. Though self-destructing an Azoth Core was not enough to kill a Demigod Sovereign, at the very least, he would suffer some injuries that would prevent him from giving chase.
Zhu Yao had already gathered all of the spiritual energy in her body, and was preparing to explode the next instant.
“If you want to self-destruct, you will still have to see if I permit it!” The man coldly snorted, as he slammed his palm onto her chest. In an instant, a strange formation appeared in the center of his palm, and Zhu Yao simply sensed the spiritual energy that was about to explode earlier had instantly dissipated. Her Azoth Core shattered resoundingly, and even her sword intent had instantly disappeared. Not only did the detonating momentum not cause an explosion, it instead returned to her body, destroying her meridians completely.
The hell, and what’s this formation? Why was it able to even stop her self-destruction? This definitely isn’t a mystic art?
Intense pain instantly swirled up her entire body. Zhu Yao simply felt her vision darkening, and she fell into unconsciousness the next moment.
The man laughed in disdain. Raising his head, he looked at the two youths who had already flown far away, yet, he did not immediately give chase. After all, they could not escape this place. Instead, he turned around and walked towards the pile of corpses. Just as he was about to throw the woman in his hand into the pile…
A green ray of light, carrying an overwhelming pressure, came shooting straight at him.
The man was stunned, immediately releasing the person in his hands and retreating several meters away with haste. However, it was too late. A swoosh sliced past his ear, as a sharp sword-light instantly pierced through his body.
The man puked out a mouthful of blood. “Who?”
A chilling intent unknowingly rose in the depths of his heart, as he looked in fear at Zhu Yao who had already lost consciousness. Her entire body was presently wrapped around by a green light, and was slowly floating upwards. The light grew even brighter, and with a flash, she suddenly disappeared without a trace, as if she had never been there in the first place.
The man took in a few deep breaths in fear, a streak of blood flowed out from the corner of his lips. His expression grew even darker. Suddenly, like a image from a cassette tape, his body twitched a little. Gritting his teeth, a hint of ruthlessness flashed past his eyes. In the next moment, he disappeared.
In an underground cave.
Enveloped in green light, Zhu Yao suddenly appeared.
The light on her body slowly receded, gathering into a green ball.
The green ball rolled next to her, and quietly stayed next to her for a moment, as if it’s inspecting something.
A long while later.
A white light suddenly leaked out of the green ball’s body.
A sigh echoed out…