Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 204: Tier Three Demon King, River Devourer - Novel Cool

Chapter 204: Tier Three Demon King, River Devourer

Chapter 204: Tier Three Demon King, River Devourer

The Jade Cauldron Domain was vast, not as expansive as the Medicine King Domain that spanned tens of thousands of miles, but it still had an impressive grandeur of its own.

With such a massive area, it was naturally impossible for the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect to monopolize it all.

They were merely the nominal rulers of the domain.

Within the domain, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect was the leader, accompanied by six other Golden Core Sects, collectively known as the Seven Sects of Jade Cauldron.

Under them, there were numerous other large and small sects.

Apart from these, there were also scattered cultivators gathering in Immortal Cities and Market Towns.

The larger Immortal Cities possessed high-level spiritual lands, and their strength was no less than that of ordinary Golden Core Sects.

As for the Market Towns, they were quite unique.

Within the entire Jade Cauldron Domain, there were over a thousand large-scale Market Towns.

The smaller Market Towns were even more numerous, like fish in a river, countless in number.

Wherever there was an abundance of spiritual energy or a transportation hub, cultivators would establish large and small Market Towns.

Some well-developed Market Towns would gradually attract the attention of sects, and over time, sect industries would set up there.

Among the countless Market Towns, Da He Fang was one of the rare exceptions.

Its prosperity was not due to any individual, but rather its strategic location.

It faced the untamed million-mountain range of the Eastern Wilderness, giving it strategic importance.

Coupled with its abundant resources, it gradually gained popularity.

In comparison, the other nearby Market Towns were ordinary, except for Xue Lian Market, which also held a similar strategic position.

In terms of distance, Da He Fang was quite far from these Market Towns.

Even the second closest, Mount Tai Market, was a full eight thousand miles away across barren lands.

Eight thousand miles sounded like a long distance.

However, for Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it was merely a day or two of full-speed flight.

The main reason why no one usually traveled between these two places was the vast wilderness in between.

Places like Southern Wall Snow Mountain and Nine Fold Mountain, towering mountains, stood in the way.

These areas were teeming with demon beasts, even including Tier Three Demon Beasts roaming freely, which even Foundation Establishment Cultivators had to be cautious of.

For loose cultivators in the Qi Condensation Stage, and even for mortals, this eight-thousand-mile journey was quite lengthy.

Most of the loose cultivators who initially came to Da He Fang either followed merchant caravans or traveled on the Great River Gang's ships.

Those who dared to walk the journey were few and far between.

Now, with four families traveling together, their speed was naturally slow.

In the past three days, they had only covered a third of the distance.

Moreover, this middle section of the journey was even slower because they couldn't rely on either side, and traveling at night was not feasible.

But no matter how long the distance, it was always getting shorter.

Just like the vast ocean, no matter how far it seemed, the rushing river waters would eventually reach their destination.

On the fifth day, Luo Chen stood on the deck, facing the gentle breeze.

As the waves rolled, the mist from the water, carried by the breeze, hit his face, making him feel refreshed and energized.

"How much further is it to Mount Tai Market?" he asked.

Qin Liangchen, standing beside him, smiled and said, "We're almost there. Once we pass this gentle river section, it's just a day or two of sailing downstream!"

So soon? Luo Chen had thought it would take much longer.

But then he recalled how, when the Debate Stage opened, loose cultivators from numerous nearby Market Towns had gathered.

Apparently, the distance wasn't that far for cultivators.

The reason they were traveling so slowly was simply because there were too many people in their group.

With so many people traveling together, it would inevitably attract unnecessary trouble.

"When you sent Xiao Hu to Luoyun Sect, it took a long time, didn't it?"

Mentioning his son, a gentle expression appeared on Qin Liangchen's face.

"Indeed, it took a long time, almost half a year!" he sighed.

"You must have passed through many places along the way, right?"

"That's true. The first stop was Mount Tai Market, followed by Yue Lang Market. We tried to avoid territories occupied by cultivation families as much as possible, taking detours... In the end, we stayed in Thousand Leaf City for about half a month before Luoyun Sect opened its doors to accept disciples."

Luo Chen asked curiously, "Thousand Leaf City? I remember it's also an Immortal City, right?"

"That's correct! It's ranked seventh among the top ten Immortal Cities in the Jade Cauldron Domain. Inside, there are countless Qi Condensation Cultivators, numerous Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and even Golden Core Cultivators occasionally appear."

In Qin Liangchen's words, Thousand Leaf Immortal City seemed like the true cultivation world.

Compared to Da He Fang, a remote and small place, it was like a mundane town.

In such places, as long as one had sufficient wealth, there was no need to worry about cultivation resources.

Unlike Da He Fang, even with spirit stones, one might not be able to find the necessary items.

Additionally, with high-level spirit veins inside, it naturally attracted many loose cultivators to settle there.

Over time, various forces and organizations would also emerge.

Around a super Immortal City, there would be dozens, or even hundreds, of large and small cultivation families.

"To be honest, an environment like this is actually more suitable for the development of our Luo Tianhui."

Qin Liangchen sighed, then shook his head.

"Unfortunately, Thousand Leaf Immortal City is too far from us. Moreover, it's very close to Luoyun Sect, and that area is currently in a state of war."

Luo Chen seemed to have something on his mind.

He asked with a specific intention, "What about Celestial Wave Immortal City?"

Qin Liangchen was taken aback and answered subconsciously, "It's a bit closer. If we don't take a detour and go via Radiant Light Market, it's just a journey of one or two months."

"How's the situation there?"

Looking at Luo Chen, a thought popped into Qin Liangchen's mind.

Could he be considering relocating Luo Tianhui all the way to Celestial Wave Immortal City?

Outwardly, he continued to answer Luo Chen's curiosity based on his own understanding.

"Celestial Wave Immortal City is different from Thousand Leaf Immortal City. The latter was mainly developed by Luoyun Sect and three other sects. But Celestial Wave Immortal City was jointly funded by the Seven Sects of Jade Cauldron, and its geographical location is not in the heart of intersecting sects. Now..."

Qin Liangchen was one of the few members of Luo Tianhui who had ventured outside in recent years.

His knowledge and experience far surpassed that of the other local cultivators.

From his words, Luo Chen gained a general understanding of the Jade Cauldron Domain.

The seven major sects each controlled a nominally-owned super Immortal City.

Additionally, they jointly funded the construction of three more super Immortal Cities in relatively important locations.

Thus, the ten Immortal Cities of the Jade Cauldron Domain were formed.

The Lianyun Merchant Alliance, which Luo Chen was very familiar with, actually had its headquarters in Celestial Wave Immortal City.

Nearby, there were three major sects: Ailao Mountain, Ice Fortress, and Hundred Flowers Palace.

Nominally, the Jade Cauldron Domain belonged to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

In reality, it was a ruling structure of one major and six minor powers.

Xue Lian Market was under the control of Ice Fortress, while Mount Tai Market was governed by the Flame Alliance.

Da He Fang was different; it was more like an enclave, remotely controlled by the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

Through the means of Immortal Cities and Market Towns, the sects strived to control and utilize the resources within their respective territories.

Furthermore, they would also develop vast territories in areas devoid of spiritual energy, allowing large numbers of mortals to live and thrive there.

Mortal Kingdoms, Market Towns, Cultivator Families, Immortal Cities, Golden Core Great Sects, and Nascent Soul Supreme Sects.

Layer upon layer, this structure eventually formed the prosperous Jade Cauldron Domain of today.

Just as the two were chatting, Luo Chen's expression suddenly changed.

Qin Liangchen, standing beside him, was puzzled, and then loud commotion came from the front.

"It's sinking! It's sinking!"

"We're going down!"

"Oh my, what kind of monster is this!"

The sound of roaring waves filled the air.

"Go and join them!"

Luo Chen said to Qin Liangchen, then leaped into the air.

A cloud appeared beneath his feet, lifting him higher.

Soon, he witnessed the events unfolding ahead.

A huge vortex with a diameter of a hundred feet was slowly spinning in the broad Lancang River.

Though it seemed slow, it had formed and expanded in an instant.

When Luo Chen looked, he saw that the magical artifact ship at the front had already sunk halfway into the vortex.

The activated defensive formation couldn't even last a breath before it was annihilated into nothingness.

Over a thousand cultivators flew out of the ship in terror.

But for some reason, no matter how they flew, they couldn't escape the giant vortex.

Some cultivators who managed to fly to the riverbank were pierced by terrifying water arrows.

It seemed that leaving was prohibited at this time.

"A Tier Three Demon Beast!"

Luo Chen's face changed dramatically, and his gaze turned sharply towards Wang Haichao, who had already left the cabin.

"Wang Bangzhu, what's going on here?"

Not only him, but Li Yixuan and Nan Gong Jin also flew out, their faces ashen.

Facing the tense trio, Wang Haichao's expression was grave, but he didn't seem overly concerned.

He transmitted his voice, "It's fine. This demon beast has a gentle temperament. As long as it's well-fed, it won't cause trouble."

"Well-fed?"

What kind of ghostly explanation was this?

Luo Chen's face darkened as he watched the ship slowly being swallowed by the vortex.

The loose cultivators struggling in the vortex kept shouting for help.

"Save me!"

"Quickly, save me!"

"There's a Demon King, it's going to eat people!"

"Wang Bangzhu, I've paid for my ticket, please save me quickly!"

"Wang Haichao, if you don't save us, you'll go to hell!"

On the Dragon Whale ship, Wang Haichao watched this scene indifferently.

He ignored the deafening curses as if he couldn't hear them at all.

"I demand an explanation!"

Luo Chen said sternly, his voice echoing from the depths of the Nine Netherworld.

If their ship had been at the front of the fleet, wouldn't the members of the Luo Tianhui be the ones feeding the demon beast now?

Even he would have found it difficult to escape from the overwhelming demonic energy!

Not only him, but Li Yixuan and Nan Gong Jin also glared at Wang Haichao with icy gazes.

Wang Haichao turned around and forced a smile:

"Since we've formed an alliance, how could I possibly harm you?"

"I only had a guess about the River Devourer's appearance, and I didn't have a high degree of certainty, so I didn't inform you in advance."

A guess?

What kind of guess would make Wang Haichao arrange for loose cultivators to escape on the three ships at the front of the fleet? Luo Chen suppressed the anger in his heart.

It was too late to get angry now.

"River Devourer?" Nan Gong Jin asked suddenly.

Wang Haichao nodded, "Indeed, it's a Tier Three Demon Beast, the River Devourer. This demon cultivates by swallowing rivers, lakes, and seas, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. Its temperament is very gentle."

"How did it appear here?"

"This goes back to Pang Ren Xiong's second visit to Da He Fang."

"Hmm?"

Wang Haichao said, "Do you remember? During that visit, he was unrestrained wherever he went. He even caused the collapse of Southern Wall Snow Mountain, which had always been the River Devourer's hibernation site. Now that Southern Wall Snow Mountain is no longer the same, the River Devourer has lost its habitat and wanders in the Lancang River all day."

"This time, with so many of us traveling together, there's a high chance we'll attract its attention."

Li Yixuan was still dissatisfied, "You could have informed us earlier. We could have taken a detour, there was no need to be so heartless and let so many loose cultivators feed the River Devourer."

"Detour?" Wang Haichao scoffed.

Li Yixuan couldn't maintain his composure under Wang Haichao's ridicule.

Nan Gong Jin spoke up to ease the tension.

"Taking a detour is more dangerous. The Nine Pine Deer on the other side of Nine Fold Mountain is a real Tier Three Beast King, leading a herd of deer."

The Nine Pine Deer is not like the gentle Hu Zhu Deer.

They live in groups, and even ordinary carnivorous demon beasts dare not approach them easily.

The three cultivators' conversation seemed to go on for a long time.

In reality, it was only a matter of a few breaths.

After devouring a boat full of loose cultivators, the enormous whirlpool gradually shrank.

The endless curses also slowly faded away.

Only the ships at the back were left, filled with terror.

Luo Chen watched this scene with a heavy heart.

His sharp gaze seemed to penetrate the murky river water, spotting the massive River Devourer lurking at the river's bottom.

The whirlpool...

"That's not right, it's still hungry!"

Just as Luo Chen finished speaking, the shrinking whirlpool suddenly began to expand rapidly again, sweeping towards the nearest large ship.

A vast demonic energy spread out, pinning down the Qi Condensation Stage loose cultivators on the ship, rendering them immobile.

The ship was slowly being dragged towards the whirlpool.

Without hesitation, Luo Chen released a massive surge of spiritual power, using the Pulling Technique to halt the ship.

This move stunned everyone.

Li Yixuan hesitated for a moment before also employing the Pulling Technique, barely managing to hold the ship's tail.

However, how could the combined strength of two Foundation Establishment Cultivators possibly resist the power of a Demon King?

"Wang Haichao, Nan Gong Jin, if you don't act now, when will you?" Luo Chen's booming voice echoed, reaching everyone's ears.

Nan Gong Jin instinctively lent a hand.

With his help, the ship's descent into the whirlpool slowed.

Wang Haichao, however, frowned at Luo Chen, "I never thought you, Dan Chenzi, would be such a benevolent person!"

Luo Chen stared back at him without fear, "Who knows how many people it will take to fill its appetite? Without these loose cultivators, the journey ahead will only become more dangerous."

"With the strength of the four of us, it might not be possible..."

"Then let's feed it!"

Luo Chen spoke with absolute conviction.

Wang Haichao was taken aback. How could they feed it? "Didn't the Li Clan and Nan Gong Clan bring a large number of tamed demon beasts? Isn't the flesh and blood of these demon beasts more than the two ounces of flesh from human cultivators?"

"But..."

Li Yixuan and Nan Gong Jin also hesitated, as these were all their families' assets.

Luo Chen took a deep breath and glared at Wang Haichao.

"You took their boat fees, so you have the obligation to do your best to protect them."

"Take out some Spirit Stones and buy the demon beasts from both families."

"Don't try to haggle, Wang Haichao, just look at those people!"

The ruthless Wang Haichao instinctively glanced at the Da Jiang Bang cultivators.

Their faces were pale, and they had all retreated to the back of the ship.

Moreover, some of them even tried to escape, completely lacking the confidence to unite against the Demon King.

Many of them looked at him with eyes filled with the same disdain one would have for snakes and scorpions.

He shuddered.

The lives of loose cultivators were indeed cheap!

But if too many loose cultivators died, it would be like the death of a rabbit affecting the fox, and even the Da Jiang Bang members would lose faith in him.

It was hard enough to unite them under the Alliance Leader's position, and this unity might instantly vanish.

Even if he managed to reach safety elsewhere, he would likely become a lone wolf.

This time, he couldn't refuse.

Soon, with Li Yixuan and Nan Gong Jin's consent,

Numerous cultivators from both families retrieved a large number of dead and living demon beast meats from their cabins and spirit beast bags.

They manipulated their spiritual power, lifting the demon beast meats and throwing them into the enormous whirlpool.

One, two... ten, a hundred... the number quickly exceeded a thousand tamed demon beasts.

This was already the maximum amount the two families could carry.

Only then did the whirlpool slowly begin to shrink.

Seizing the opportunity, Luo Chen unleashed his spiritual power with both hands, using the Grand Completion of the Pulling Technique to forcibly pull back the loose cultivator's ship at the edge.

Huff... Huff...

Luo Chen breathed two heavy sighs, unconcerned about the gazes of the loose cultivators.

Stepping on the breeze, he quickly reached the front.

"Dan Chenzi, you've caused me a huge loss this time!" Wang Haichao said with a sigh.

Luo Chen coldly laughed, "Then you shouldn't have given out those Spirit Stones."

"Er..."

Li Yixuan, with a fearful expression, came closer. The blood and flesh of over a thousand tamed demon beasts far exceeded that of human cultivators.

Even this barely satisfied the River Devourer's appetite.

If they hadn't listened to Luo Chen, not only would the previous ship have been lost, but two more ships might have been sacrificed.

According to the order, the next ship in line was likely to be Wang Haichao's Dragon Whale ship and the Li Clan's ship.

With Wang Haichao's character, he would definitely have a means to temporarily escape using the magical artifact ship.

In that case, wouldn't the Li Clan's ship be next?

"Is it full?" Li Yixuan swallowed, looking at the whirlpool, which had shrunk to the size of a basin, and the blood-colored bubbles that continued to rise.

Wang Haichao hesitated, "It should be full now."

"If it's not full, I'll help it get full!"

Luo Chen raised his hand, and hundreds of jade bottles suddenly appeared.

Under his spiritual power's control, a large number of Jade Marrow Pills rained into the whirlpool.

His gaze fell on a pink jade bottle, and Luo Chen's heart stirred, smashing it and letting it fall into the river.

Nan Gong Jin watched this scene, his eyes widening in surprise.

"High Grade Jade Marrow Pill!"

"Luo Chen, have you gone mad?"

The other two Foundation Establishment Cultivators were also startled.

In just a moment, he had thrown out tens of thousands of Spirit Stones! But the effect was indeed remarkable.

Soon, the whirlpool disappeared amidst the swallowing of massive bubbles.

A colossal shadow beneath the water slowly sank.

Only then did the oppressive pressure that enveloped the heavens and earth completely dissipate.

"Let's go!"

Luo Chen waved his wide sleeves, like a weary bird returning to its nest, and returned to the Luo Tianhui's ship.

Wang Haichao no longer hesitated and immediately gave the order.

The fleet instantly set off, racing along the raging river to flee from this place.

(End of Chapter)

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