Chapter 1019: Chapter 987: A Battle It Is!
After a Demon Beast reaches the Golden Core Stage, it can take on human form and awaken intelligence.
At that point, it already has the ability to come into contact with the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, able to recognize the written language, illustrations, and so on of the Human Race.
Further on, Demon Beasts whose Realm is even higher, at the Nascent Soul Stage, because their lifespan is longer and their comprehension improves, will already have made some achievements in the Hundred Skills of Cultivation and gained certain accomplishments.
Compared to Human Race Cultivators learning the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, the difference is not large; some Demon Beasts, relying on the advantage of their bodies, even come with their own Beast Fire for Alchemy and Artifact Refining.
For this Dark Demon Flood Dragon to have reached the Divinity Transformation Stage and know something of the Path of Array is not strange at all; one could even say its attainments in this area are not low.
"According to what’s recorded in the Jade Scroll, this Dark Demon Flood Dragon has Tier Five Middle Grade attainments in Arrays, and also understands some of the Path of Beast Taming, roughly equivalent to a Tier Three Middle Grade Beast Tamer."
Lu Ping gave a brief explanation.
Such accomplishments as this Dark Demon Flood Dragon’s would be enough to secure it a place even among the Human Race, being respectfully addressed as an Array Grandmaster, and it would absolutely be capable of founding its own sect.
Hearing Lu Ping’s introduction, the Void Celestial Extreme Saint avatar slowly nodded.
"It does have some skill."
If not for this Dark Demon Flood Dragon being hostile to the Human Race by nature, its temperament bloodthirsty and hard to tame, carving out its own domain here, there really would have been the intention to recruit it as a Spirit Beast under his command.
Lu Ping’s gaze swept over, faintly making out several dark Demon Beast shadows floating and surging in the air above the island; those were powerful Demon Souls at the Golden Core Stage, and even the Nascent Soul Stage.
For a Ghost Cultivator, those Demon Souls are great tonics, able to strengthen one’s Cultivation and be used in Refining Magical Treasures.
But the premise is that one must have the ability to collect them.
After all, there is still a Dark Demon Flood Dragon at the Divinity Transformation Stage on this island; that is a mighty existence.
While Lu Ping hovered and assessed from the air, among the three Nascent Soul Great Demons guarding the island, one discovered Lu Ping’s figure—that was a Red Blood Celestial Python.
This python’s whole body was crimson, possessing a portion of the bloodline of the Ancient Red Flood Dragon, and in Adulthood could reach Tier Five High-Grade.
It had originally ruled as a sea Great Demon over a stretch of ocean, but later suffered a hunting campaign by the Profound Yang Sect; for the sake of self-preservation, it then took refuge under the Dark Demon Flood Dragon, becoming its top general.
Divine light surged in Lu Ping’s eyes as he met that Red Blood Celestial Python’s gaze from afar, not retreating in the slightest.
The Red Blood Celestial Python flicked its tongue and coiled its body; after sensing that Lu Ping was no simple character, it chose to back away, not daring to step forward and vie head-on.
The perception ability within its bloodline let it clearly feel that Lu Ping’s strength far surpassed its own and could not be matched by force.
Apprehension filled its heart, and it could only go to report to the Dark Demon Flood Dragon that a Divinity Transformation Stage Human Race expert had arrived.
Lu Ping temporarily held his forces in check; wanting to probe how dangerous this place was, it was naturally impossible to just charge in blindly.
The contents of the Jade Scroll given by the Hongfu Commerce Association could not be trusted completely; what the situation here was really like still needed him to investigate personally.
The Red Blood Celestial Python went to make its report, and only moments later, in a large Water pool deep within the island, the surface of the Water began to surge and churn, forming a vortex.
This vortex approached the central area of the pool, and at the center of the vortex, a massive figure began to surface.
Lu Ping directly unfolded his Divine Sense, his investigative range covering the entire island, and at the first moment he took note of the movements within the pool.
As the vortex roiled, a Flood Dragon more than five hundred meters long thrust its head out of the Water in the pool. Its entire body was pitch-black like ink, its pair of eyes scarlet, shining with a bright radiance like two lanterns.
This Dark Demon Flood Dragon had already grown claws and fangs, possessing four limbs, somewhat resembling the form of a True Dragon.
Only, the biggest difference from a True Dragon was that no dragon horns had yet grown on its head, and its body lacked both dragon scales and a dragon tail; in its blood and bones it was still a Flood Dragon.
At this pace of evolution, it would at least have to advance to the Void Refining Stage before it would have the chance to transform into the Dragon Race.
"First Layer of the Divinity Transformation Stage, a Realm on par with yours, but due to the Dark Demon Flood Dragon’s racial Talent, its strength is somewhat greater than that of a Same Tier Cultivator. As for this battle, see for yourself whether you have the confidence."
The Void Celestial Extreme Saint avatar said, "Since we’ve come all this way, you might as well go all out and have a good fight. Only after actually crossing blows can you feel out the true depth of the other party’s strength."
"Alright." Lu Ping secretly nodded. At this moment, that Dark Demon Flood Dragon rose up from the pool, its immense body soaring into the air and sweeping across the sky, casting a vast shadow.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
At the same time, three figures tore through the air, closely following behind the Dark Demon Flood Dragon; they were three Nascent Soul Stage Demon Beasts, among them that Red Blood Celestial Python.
The other two were a Lion Bird Beast and a Golden-winged Fierce Tiger.
One Divinity Transformation, three Nascent Souls, each carrying overwhelming ferocity, flew aggressively toward the direction where Lu Ping hovered.
Further back, countless Demon Beasts opened their eyes and climbed to their feet, or emerged from caves and from the sea, their gazes unified in one direction.
The direction where Lu Ping was!
He had long since formed an estimate of the number of Demon Beasts on this island; the main concern was still the Dark Demon Flood Dragon— the rest of the Demon Beasts were not worth worrying about.
Divine light surged in Lu Ping’s eyes. He did not retreat at all as he stared straight at the incoming Demon Beast Group, his body standing steadily suspended in midair.
The aura on Lu Ping’s body was at this moment displayed without reservation, like an ancient flame blazing fiercely, releasing a sky-piercing scorching might and bearing a powerful imposing presence that swept across the six directions and swallowed the eight wildernesses.
On the other side, although only a few Demon Beasts were flying in the air, their aura was in no way weaker than Lu Ping’s.
Coupled with the massive size of the Demon Beasts themselves, their movement through the air was like great black clouds drifting over, easily stirring a dread of colossal things in one’s heart.
If it were an ordinary Cultivator, not to mention facing this Dark Demon Flood Dragon, even coming face-to-face with just that Red Blood Celestial Python alone would be enough to give rise to fear and make them turn around and flee, not daring to confront it head-on at all.
In terms of momentum he could not lose; he had come precisely to hunt. Lu Ping stood as steady as Mount Tai, calmly welcoming the approach of these Demon Beasts.
When they arrived before him, the corner of his mouth hooked into a faint smile as he simply watched quietly.
The Dark Demon Flood Dragon halted its body, keeping a distance of roughly a hundred meters between them, located at the edge of the Demon Soul Array’s coverage. It coiled in the void, overlooking Lu Ping from a commanding position, its gaze cold as it stared him down.
In front of its enormous size, Lu Ping appeared incomparably insignificant; that immense oppressive force came crashing over him, the shadow it cast completely enveloping Lu Ping within.
Before Lu Ping could speak, the Dark Demon Flood Dragon was the first to act. Its pair of huge pupils locked tightly onto Lu Ping, and with the arrogance and conceit of a superior, it questioned in a chilling voice, "You... also came courting death?"
Just those simple six words landed with the weight of stone, rolling out like Celestial Thunder, filling a radius of ten thousand meters and making the countless Low-Tier Demon Beasts around them tremble in fear.
Around it, the three Nascent Soul subordinates, led by the Red Blood Celestial Python, rode on the prestige of their leader, panting heavily and letting out low roars in succession to bolster its momentum.
