Chapter 327: The Great Battle Against the Eighth-Rank Emerald Water Drake

Chapter 327: The Great Battle Against the Eighth-Rank Emerald Water Drake

"Kill an eighth-rank beast? Master, are you going to venture into the outer sea?" Bai Ling asked, a hint of surprise in her voice. She recalled that Chu Ning had always been apprehensive about venturing into those uncharted waters.

"Killing an eighth-rank beast doesn't necessarily require me to go to the outer sea anymore," Chu Ning replied, proceeding to share the information he had gathered during his recent outing. "Ideally, the safest option would be to obtain a treasure that can store spirit souls from another source, but that doesn't seem feasible at the moment. I'll have to figure out a way to hunt down an eighth-rank beast's spirit soul myself."

"Master, did you already have this plan in mind before visiting Frost Moon Pavilion?" Bai Ling inquired.

"To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for acquiring such an item through trade," Chu Ning admitted with a nod. "I was hesitant and contemplated whether I should forge the Water Spirit Sword first. I thought about waiting until my cultivation base improved further and the Five Elements Sword Formation was truly perfected before attempting this endeavor. After all, the outer sea is incredibly dangerous." As he spoke, a faint smile appeared on Chu Ning's face.

"However, now that these eighth-rank beasts have ventured into the central sea region, I can try hunting one down before forging my flying sword. By refining its spirit soul during the sword's creation and then nurturing it with my primordial spirit, the resulting flying sword artifact will be even more powerful."

Bai Ling's eyes sparkled upon hearing this. "Master, with the ancient treasure in your possession and the Ice Shadow Sword Seal's immensely powerful offensive capabilities, you indeed have a high chance of success against a solitary eighth-rank beast."

Chu Ning nodded in agreement, a smile playing on his lips. "Even if things don't go as planned, I'm confident in my ability to escape safely. After all, in the central sea region, there shouldn't be any higher-ranked beasts to worry about."

"Are we leaving now, Master?" Bai Ling asked, her curiosity piqued.

Chu Ning shook his head. "Let's prepare first. It's been a while since we last left the island, and I don't want Frost Moon Pavilion to suspect anything if the beast is killed soon after they sold me the information. They might start connecting the dots."

"Do you think they would make that connection based on the killing of just one eighth-rank beast?" Bai Ling asked, perplexed.

Chu Ning picked up the jade slip again, glanced at it, and said calmly, "Killing one or several is still killing. I might not be able to kill that many eighth-rank beasts, but seventh-rank beasts... I could use some of their beast dan to refine my pills."

Hearing this, Bai Ling couldn't help but silently mourn for the seventh-rank beasts in the central sea region. With Chu Ning's current means, those beasts would stand no chance against him.

After perusing the jade slip for a while longer, Chu Ning put it away. Simultaneously, he reached into his storage bag and retrieved a short black dagger that exuded an ancient and formidable aura. It was the ancient treasure he had obtained from the sinister old demon, Situ Yan.

As he took out the ancient treasure, Chu Ning opened his mouth and spat out three mouthfuls of essence blood, which landed on the dagger. Soon, the essence blood gathered in the blood groove.

After more than a decade of cultivation, Chu Ning had naturally spent a significant amount of time researching the various items in his possession. Through experimentation, he had gained a thorough understanding of this ancient treasure.

Indeed, the blood groove could store essence blood, and it could hold enough to activate the treasure three times. This meant that when it came time to use the treasure, he wouldn't need to expend his essence blood again. However, there was a restriction: the essence blood could only be preserved for three months before its power faded.

Chu Ning's face lost some of its luster as he spat out three mouthfuls of essence blood, storing them in the ancient treasure dagger. He then returned to the cultivation room and began meditating with his legs crossed.

Ten days later, in the airspace near the Haiyun Basin, Chu Ning, clad in a white robe, flew solo.

On this beast-hunting trip, there wasn't much that Bai Ling could contribute, and the two Golden Thunder Eagles were still in the midst of their slumber for their advancement. Thus, Chu Ning had left them behind on the island.

At this moment, Chu Ning hadn't chosen to alter his appearance. Killing an eighth-rank beast was no easy task, even with his current abilities and means. On the contrary, it would likely be a challenging endeavor that would attract attention.

Chu Ning was unsure if his actions would draw the notice of other cultivators. If that happened, it would be difficult for him to conceal his identity, and he might end up exposing his proficiency in illusion magic.

"According to the information recorded on Frost Moon Pavilion's jade slip, there should be an eighth-rank Purple-Crowned Emerald Water Drake on the island ahead. This beast was the first eighth-rank beast discovered to have entered the central sea region, and it seems several late-stage Golden Core cultivators have already fallen victim to it."

With the information from the jade slip in mind, Chu Ning employed the Divine Spirit Concealment Technique to block spiritual sense probes as he quietly flew toward the island.

When he was ten miles away from the island, Chu Ning could sense the overwhelming demonic aura emanating from it, even without using his spiritual sense.

Upon entering the sea region dominated by human cultivators, this beast showed no signs of concealing its presence.

However, out of caution, Chu Ning carefully scanned the area with his spiritual sense. With his powerful spiritual sense, he didn't need to specifically target the eighth-rank beast, so he wasn't worried about being detected by it.

Chu Ning was slightly relieved to find that, aside from the drake, there didn't seem to be any other beasts on the island. This development was within his expectations.

Beasts were different from human cultivators; they had a strong sense of territoriality. Even low-ranked beasts of the same species rarely lived in groups. Higher-ranked beasts almost never did.

Since there was only one eighth-rank beast, Chu Ning didn't hesitate. He flew directly to the island and landed.

At that very moment, within the Hallucination Sect, the younger sect master, Dan Tai Song, was gathered with five Golden Core cultivators in the sect's dojo.

"Younger Sect Master, everyone is here," said one of them, a white-haired elder, addressing Dan Tai Song.

"We'll fly there ourselves," Liu replied after a moment's hesitation. He continued, "Young Master, why don't you fly with us instead? The Purple Cloud Oriole is about to break through to the eighth rank, but it's not there yet. Beasts are naturally sensitive to spiritual auras, and I'm worried that if we get too close, the Purple Cloud Oriole might..."

Dan Tai Song frowned slightly at Liu's words, but before he could respond, the elder added, "With all six of us Golden Core cultivators going together, not to mention that you and I are at the peak of the late Golden Core stage, we should have no problem dealing with an eighth-rank beast. It would be good for the Purple Cloud Oriole to observe the battle as well."

Dan Tai Song paused for a moment, then said, "At most, if things get out of hand, I'll have Chun Xia and the others take the Purple Cloud Oriole further away."

Hearing this, the other cultivators exchanged glances and remained silent.

The elder sighed inwardly. This young master was excellent in every way, except for his excessive vanity. Every time they went out, he insisted on riding the Purple Cloud Oriole to put on a show.

However, the elder decided to let it go and not bring it up again. With so many Golden Core cultivators from their sect participating, they were confident in their chances of success.

Without further ado, the group soared into the sky from the Hallucination Sect's dojo, flying towards the central sea region.

Dan Tai Song sat comfortably in the luxurious house on the back of the Purple Cloud Oriole.

This house had been specially crafted for him, allowing him to see and hear what was happening outside while preventing others from seeing inside.

As he entered the house, two female cultivators who had been waiting inside immediately began to attend to him with food and drink.

"Young Master, with you leading the other elders of the sect to slay this eighth-rank Purple-crowned Emerald Water Drake, many cultivators will have fewer worries when venturing near the central sea region. Otherwise, even if they just go to the edge of the inner sea, they would have to be concerned about attacks from that great demon. The cultivators will surely be grateful to you."

Dan Tai Song's face lit up with a smile as he reached out and gently caressed the hand of the charming female cultivator. "After we kill the drake, I have my own use for its beast dan. But the materials from its body can also be refined into two sets of excellent magical artifacts, which I will give to you two."

"You're the best, Young Master!" The two female cultivators were delighted to hear this.

Meanwhile, the other female cultivator, who had been silent until now, suddenly lifted her clothes, filling the room with indescribable sounds.

Near the boundless sea, Chu Ning had just arrived close to the eighth-rank Purple-Crowned Emerald Water Drake.

The massive drake, which had been coiled at the intersection of land and sea, suddenly reared up.

It had the head of a man and the body of a serpent, and the transformation had reached up to its waist, indicating that it had been in the eighth rank for a significant amount of time.

The head took the form of a handsome young man, but his expression was cold, and his eyes shone with a eerie green light, giving him a sinister appearance.

Upon seeing Chu Ning, a mixture of confusion and cruelty flashed in the drake's icy gaze.

"A Golden Core cultivator? Just an ordinary late-stage Golden Core, at that." The drake spoke in a human language.

"Human, are you here to die?" it asked.

"Die? I'm not interested in that," Chu Ning replied, his eyes sweeping over the eighth-rank beast before him. A faint smile played on his lips as he continued, "But I do have a small request. I want to borrow a wisp of your spirit soul."

The Purple-Crowned Emerald Water Drake was taken aback for a moment, then it burst into raucous laughter.

"Did I hear that right? You, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, dare to ask me for a wisp of my spirit soul?"

As it spoke, the drake's gaze shifted to Chu Ning's back, as if searching for a Nascent Soul cultivator who might be backing him up.

"Don't bother looking. It's just me," Chu Ning said, his voice calm.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Ning opened his mouth and spat out a giant flying sword that hurtled towards the eighth-rank beast.

The drake's gloomy face twisted into a disdainful smile as it waved its hands, which had transformed into a human shape.

Several water columns shot out, aiming to intercept Chu Ning's flying sword.

The drake believed that these water columns would surely block the sword.

However, to its surprise, the giant sword in the air suddenly split into four, deftly dodging the water columns and attacking from four different directions.

The drake's eyes narrowed, and its fingers tapped rapidly.

Four more slender water columns shot out, transforming into four beams of white light that rushed towards Chu Ning's four flying swords.

But at that moment, Chu Ning performed a complex hand seal.

The four flying swords that had just separated suddenly changed direction again, skillfully avoiding the water columns and merging back into one.

The sword then transformed into a dazzling light that slashed towards the drake with lightning speed.

The speed was even faster than before, surprising the drake.

It had never expected Chu Ning's flying sword to be so versatile.

By the time the drake reacted, the sword was already upon it.

The eighth-rank beast lifted its right hand, and soon, a layer of green-blue scales similar to those on its tail appeared, enveloping its hand.

Confident that its scaled hand could withstand the sword, the drake reached out to block Chu Ning's flying sword.

But the next moment—

"Szz!"

Accompanied by a flash of light, blood splattered in the air.

"Grrrr!"

The drake let out a furious roar.

In that one strike, its scaled right hand had been cleanly severed!

A faint smile appeared on Chu Ning's face as he watched the drake's reaction.

How naive of it to try and block his Black Mystical Gold refined magical artifact with its transformed body!

"You damnable flying sword... How dare you injure my body!" The Purple-Crowned Emerald Water Drake bellowed in rage, its upper body rapidly shifting back into its true serpentine form.

The Purple-Crowned Drake's eyes shone with a sinister crimson light, and as its massive tail lashed out, it sent a towering wave crashing towards Chu Ning.

Phantom Escape! Chu Ning's body flickered, leaving only an afterimage as he instantly teleported to the top of the drake's head.

Pointing with his right hand, Chu Ning unleashed a giant sword that viciously slashed towards the drake's skull. Simultaneously, he raised his left hand, shooting out five icy blue sword beams that attacked five different parts of the drake's body.

"Nascent Soul cultivator!"

The drake, whose attention had been focused on Chu Ning's giant flying sword, roared once more as it suddenly realized the threat posed by the icy shadow sword talismans.

Its enormous body moved swiftly, attempting to dodge Chu Ning's attacks.

However, with five sword beams unleashed, it was impossible for the drake to evade them all.

Barely managing to dodge two of the Ice Shadow Sword Talisman beams, the remaining three struck its massive body directly.

Even as an eighth-rank beast with incredible defensive capabilities, the Purple-Crowned Drake struggled to withstand the might of the Ice Shadow Sword Talismans.

While its hard back endured, its softer abdomen was not so lucky. Two of the sword beams sliced open its abdomen, causing blood to gush out.

Before the drake could react, Chu Ning's flying sword, which had been aiming for its head, changed trajectory and stabbed towards its green eyes.

The drake's reaction was swift as it forcefully endured the pain in its abdomen, quickly moving its head to dodge the incoming sword.

But before it could catch its breath, Chu Ning, who had already flown to a distance, opened his mouth and spat out three blood-red needles.

Blood Cloud Needles!

This was a secret technique Chu Ning had obtained from the Hallucination Sect elder he had defeated, a technique that fused one's essence blood.

The Blood Cloud Needles left three afterimages in the air.

Two of the needles pierced the drake's eye, causing blood to pour out of its eye socket.

The third needle stabbed at the purple crown, only to be deflected away.

"Hiss!"

The drake was filled with shock and fury as its vital points were continuously assaulted.

After letting out a deafening roar, it lunged straight at Chu Ning.

Its speed was astonishing, especially for a creature of its massive size.

In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Chu Ning.

At the same time, it opened its giant mouth, spraying a white mist that enveloped Chu Ning.

The next moment, its jaws clamped down.

But as the drake hesitated for a moment, its target dissipated, and Chu Ning was nowhere to be seen.

As the drake lunged forward, Chu Ning had already used the Phantom Escape technique to teleport away.

He left behind only an afterimage, causing the drake to lunge at thin air.

As he dodged the drake's attack, Chu Ning waved his hand, activating five Ice Shadow Sword Talismans.

Five icy blue sword beams struck out simultaneously.

However, the eighth-rank beast lived up to its reputation as it reacted with astonishing speed, even in this situation.

Its tail swept across, creating a towering wall of water that blocked its front.

While the icy blue sword beams pierced through the water wall, their power was greatly diminished.

When they struck the drake, they caused little more than a tickle.

"Indeed, an eighth-rank beast possesses extraordinary abilities. It seems I'll have to resort to using this item after all!" Chu Ning muttered to himself. With a flip of his hand, a black short dagger appeared.

Initially, Chu Ning had wanted to avoid using this ancient treasure as it consumed a significant amount of spiritual energy.

However, after employing various techniques that dealt considerable damage to the Purple-Crowned Drake, he realized it was still not enough to finish it off.

The commotion they were causing might soon attract other cultivators or beasts. Chu Ning did not want to prolong the battle any further.

As he held the ancient black dagger, Chu Ning unleashed three Ice Shadow Sword Talismans to distract the drake's attention.

At the same time, he quickly channeled his spiritual energy into the ancient black dagger.

Even though Chu Ning had broken through to the late Golden Core stage, this action still drained almost seventy percent of his spiritual energy.

The ancient black dagger, now infused with Chu Ning's spiritual energy, radiated an incredible might.

Whether it was Chu Ning's Ice Shadow Sword Talismans or the eighth-rank beast's formidable demonic aura, they were both overshadowed by the power emanating from the black dagger.

In that moment, it seemed like nothing else existed in the world except for that dagger.

Sensing the overwhelming power of the black dagger, the Purple-Crowned Drake lifted its head, its solitary eye flashing with fear.

This power posed a significant threat, even to a creature as intelligent as it was.

"Quickly!" Chu Ning shouted, locking his gaze onto the drake.

The ancient black dagger transformed into a black beam that tore through the heavens.

In the blink of an eye, it reached the drake's head.

"Hiss!!!"

The drake let out an ear-piercing hiss, its body trembling with fear.

At the same time, the purple mist on its crown shimmered, forming a purple light that enveloped its entire head.

In that same instant, the black dagger in the air seemed to cut through the very fabric of reality, slicing through the purple light and penetrating the drake's hard scales.

It easily pierced the drake's head, causing blood to splatter.

The drake's massive body stiffened in mid-air before crashing down, creating a massive wave.

Simultaneously, a small emerald drake shot out from its body, soaring into the sky.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end