Inside the [Void Realm], Jing Qian, who had just pulled off his daring theft, wiped the sweat from his brow!
When he had watched the battle through the dimensional veil, it had only looked grand and awe-inspiring. But the moment he slipped into the real world and faced the overwhelming might of those Blue-Blood Demons head-on, he finally felt, deep in his bones, the sheer terror of it all.
That was a crushing suppression of Life Essence itself, so heavy that Jing Qian could barely stand, let alone lift his sword! Only after he returned to the [Void Realm] did he manage to stabilize himself again.
Yet, once the oppressive pressure faded, Jing Qian realized his spiritual sense had grown sharper, and his will felt more grounded than ever. Instead of fear, a spark of eagerness stirred inside him, a faint desire to one day face such trials himself.
And truth be told, this trip had been far from a loss. In his hands now were two enormous crocodile dragon fangs, each longer than his arm, gleaming like a pair of savage short blades.
These were the fangs of a seventh-rank demon beast, brimming with condensed Blue-Blood Life Essence. Just these two alone were worth more than everything Jing Qian owned except for his clan's ancestral manuals!
When the giant clam descended from the heavens, the crocodile dragon had foolishly believed its sharp teeth and iron head could endure the blow. Instead, it was smashed into a daze, and two of its prized teeth were broken clean off.
Having watched the battlefield with unwavering attention, Jing Qian had seized the moment as soon as the fighting lulled, darting in to snatch those fangs away. The haul was even better than his best hopes, and for a moment, exhilaration filled him.
Refocusing, he turned his gaze back to the battlefield.
Seawater roared inward to refill the void, the seabed rising swiftly beneath the pressure. The once-rugged ocean floor had been nearly flattened by the impact.
Yet, astonishingly, the broken ship lodged there remained unscathed. Jing Qian realized its prow was pinned deep into the earth by a massive black anchor. Clearly no ordinary object, the anchor had withstood even the devastating shockwaves unleashed by seventh-rank monsters!
The ship's interior, however, was further ruined, though its hull remained perfectly intact. After enduring such a cataclysm, its mysterious nature was only more evident.
Meanwhile, the three wounded demons finally recovered enough to act, surrounding the clam in tight formation.
The crocodile dragon was the first to speak:
"Clam King, this sea region is my domain. Do you intend to make an enemy of me with such treachery?"
"This time, I was careless, and you ambushed me well. But do not think you'll ever have such a chance again!"
Snarling, the crocodile dragon launched its assault. At first, it unleashed torrents of spellfire, and when that failed, it lunged forward, clawing and biting at the clam's shell.
All it managed were faint scratches.
Rage boiled in its chest, two teeth broken, wounds still fresh, and worst of all, the Golden Dragon Carp it coveted had been stolen right out from under its nose. For its cultivation path, this loss was a devastating blow. How could it possibly endure such humiliation?
Fury blazing, the crocodile dragon resolved to unleash its deepest trump card. Coiling on the seabed, it drew in a terrifying torrent of power, the surrounding ocean's spiritual energy surging wildly into its body. Even from within the [Void Realm], Jing Qian could see the currents spiraling around it.
At that moment, the pink-hued giant turtle spoke up:
"Crocodile King, it is but a single dragon carp. Let Clam King have it. There's no need to waste your Life Essence."
"Unlike us, it rarely stirs from its place. For it, acquiring resources is far harder. Now that it has seized this carp, it will not release it."
"Our lifespans are not easily replenished. Why squander them in fruitless struggle?"
The words soothed the crocodile dragon somewhat. Its wrath ebbed, and the dreadful aura it had gathered slowly dispersed.
Then the white jade lobster chimed in:
"That Dragon-Gate Grass Dumpling was no seed you planted, Crocodile King, but a relic from a sunken naval ship. Since that is so, our contest for the Golden Dragon Carp was fair.
Now that Clam King has succeeded, it simply proves his skill is greater. I'll withdraw first farewell!"
The lobster, cold and indifferent by nature, ignored the battle entirely and slipped away into the waters.
This sudden shift in the battlefield left Jing Qian watching from within the [Void Realm] with a pang of regret.
He had hoped to linger a little longer around the Blue-Blood Demons' battleground, perhaps scoop up a few more spoils. Ideally, he might even witness one of the great demons fall and pick up its soul for free.
But unexpectedly, these terrifyingly powerful monsters turned out to be… so harmonious. After only a brief clash, they simply ended the fight.
Still, Jing Qian had already gained much, so he kept his composure.
The crocodile dragon exchanged a few more words with the giant turtle, then gave up on fighting. The rosy-hued turtle, seeing this, also drifted away without hesitation.
The vacuum pocket of seawater was nearly filled in.
At that very moment, just as the radiant clam in the center was being submerged and the crocodile dragon was preparing to depart this frustrating place
Suddenly, a thunderous eagle cry split the heavens.
The next instant, a colossal Roc, wings spanning over thirty meters, plummeted from the sky. Its razor talons lunged straight for the crocodile dragon.
The Roc's form was sleek and powerful, moving with lightning speed. By the time its cry even reached the ears of those present, its talons had already struck home!
"Roarrr!"
The supposedly impenetrable carapace of the seventh-rank demon dragon's back shattered like rotted wood under the Roc's claws. Agony tore through the beast, forcing a howl from its throat.
It tried to muster all its strength to resist but discovered in horror that both its Fate Pattern and mana no longer obeyed its command.
The crocodile dragon cried out:
"Dragon-Subduing Insight! Divine Roc's Manifestation! The Ling Mingji! You..."
But before it could finish, it was already too late.
The blazing, sky-shaking Blue-Blood Demon was torn apart. The Roc drove its beak into the back of its neck, severed its throat, and scattered its Life Essence, killing it outright!
The crocodile dragon's death sent shudders of terror through the resplendent clam beside it. But as a stationary, artillery-like creature, it couldn't run, and it couldn't fight. There was nothing for it to do but endure.
Meanwhile, the Roc, its left talon clamped around the dragon's corpse, swooped down before the clam was fully submerged. Pinning it with its right claw, the great bird spread its wings and lifted both prey at once, soaring into the clouds.
Unbeknownst to it, in another unseen dimension, a half-grown child was desperately burning through his meager Whitefang Life Essence, chasing after the Roc with all his might.
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