Chapter 385: Chapter 385: 85: Reunion with the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch

“In mid-May, Sanxin Island was destroyed, and all the cultivators on the island perished…”

“The demon cultivator Dai Mao appeared near Sanxin Island, and the destruction of Sanxin Island is suspected to be related to him.”

…

“At the beginning of June, Qiying Island was attacked, by none other than Dai Mao. Several Golden Core cultivators joined forces, trying to take him down.”

“They were no match, drained dry into mummies.”

…

“In early July, Dai Mao encountered True Master Lianxin, and after hundreds of exchanges, they parted…”

“Dai Mao is suspected to cultivate the Devouring Human Essence and Blood Demon Skill, having successfully ascended to the Nascent Soul Stage. Be extremely cautious upon sight.”

…

“In late August, Dai Mao attacked Panqing Island, which led to its annihilation. Not a single member of the island’s Alchemy Dao noble family, the Pan family, survived; their clan’s treasured heirloom was lost…”

…

“At the beginning of September, five Golden Core cultivators died mysteriously, as tracks of Dai Mao’s recent presence were found nearby…”

…

“October…”

…

…

All these incidents, one after another, were the doings of the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch.

Moreover, by this time, the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch had already recovered to the Nascent Soul Stage.

Then, the group continued to read on.

Lastly, there were records of the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch’s last known whereabouts.

“Dai Mao was last seen near the southwestern area of the Thousand Islands Domain, close to the Linxi triple islands…”

After reading, the group raised their heads.

Lu Youjiu then spoke, asking,

“Now that you’ve read it, what do you think?”

However, Yan Wanfei directly said,

“What’s there to think about?”

“Of course, it’s to find him and then blow him to smithereens.”

Yan Wanfei’s words were always so simple and straightforward.

Yet the words that followed from Lu Youjiu took the group by surprise.

“This time, I want to go alone…”

“The rest of you should stay here, no need to take risks.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Wanfei immediately turned her head, looking at Lu Youjiu with confusion, before asking,

“Why’s that? Big Bro Jiū…”

“Didn’t we agree to go together?”

Even Lin Jing and Holaw Three Rivers were puzzled, not understanding why Lu Youjiu would say this.

After pondering for a moment, Holaw Three Rivers furrowed his brows and said,

“That Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch is so vicious, it’s really not great for you to go alone.”

“Besides, didn’t I still need to help you set up the formation?”

“That’s true for Brother Lin and Niu San—they don’t necessarily need to go.”

Hearing this, Yan Wanfei immediately became dissatisfied,

“San He, why can you go, but we can’t?”

“No way, I also want to contribute.”

……

Lu Youjiu then spoke again,

“Actually, I do have some considerations for not letting you all go.”

“The Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch ascending to the Nascent Soul Stage was within expectation, but it was only after my own ascension to the Nascent Soul Stage that I realized just how vast the gap between the Nascent Soul and Golden Core Stages truly is.”

“Before, we were too confident, thinking that with just a few of us, we could truly take down a Nascent Soul Cultivator.”

“You’ve also read the report just now; so many Golden Core cultivators teamed up against the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch and were all killed by him.”

“If you all come with me, I’m afraid something unexpected might happen.”

Lu Youjiu’s words left the group in deep thought.

After pondering for a while, Lin Jing looked directly at Lu Youjiu and said,

“Brother Lu…”

“This time, I’m afraid we really have to go together.”

Lu Youjiu then turned his head, looking at Lin Jing, waiting for his reasoning.

Lin Jing continued,

“We are going there to utterly defeat him, and if you go alone, it will be somewhat difficult to achieve that.”

“Brother San He needs to set up the formation, and that goes without saying.”

“And both Niu San and I can flank on the side. Even if we can’t match him, we have the capability to hold him back.”

“Moreover, we have to search for his hiding place this time. If you go by yourself, you will have to look on your own.”

“Perhaps he will wait for you to make a mistake and strike when you least expect it, but if we go together, we can help share that burden and then force him out.”

“That way, Brother Lu, you’ll be in a better condition to face the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch. With this plan, won’t our chances of success be even greater…”

After Lin Jing finished, Yan Wanfei quickly expressed her agreement,

“Right! Big Bro Jiū…”

“Brother Lin is right; if we’re going to take him down, it’s naturally better to do it together.”

Holaw Three Rivers also nodded,

“I’ve prepared two formations this time, which should play a significant role in the fight.”

Lin Jing continued,

“There’s also the most important point…”

“If you face him alone and something goes awry, allowing him to escape, then the three of us staying here might be in more danger than if we were with you.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Youjiu’s expression darkened.

Indeed, his original intent was not to expose the group to danger. Yet if that not only failed to keep them safe but instead put them in greater danger, then it was entirely pointless.

So…

After a moment of silence, Lu Youjiu said,

“Alright, then we’ll go together…”

…

…

Upon the serene sea surface, a silver-white streak of light suddenly shot across at an extreme speed.

After the light passed by, the Demonic Beasts that originally lingered on the surface, startled, swiftly dived into the depths of the sea.

That streak of light was the Flying Boat on which Lin Jing and his companions were embarked.

Several days had elapsed since their last meeting and discussion.

By now, Lin Jing and his companions had already reached the vicinity of the three western islands.

Moreover, they had already made two complete circles around the area.

At that moment, they were planning to head to a somewhat remote island to gather information.

Because, not long before, they had learned that Dai Mao might still be in this sea area and had not left.

Without any further discussion, they drove their Flying Boat there directly.

Inside the Flying Boat, Lu Youjiu was controlling the vessel, while Lin Jing and the other two sat in the cockpit, idly chatting.

Yan Wanfei said,

“Speaking of which, will the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch really head to Nanli Island?”

“On Nanli Island, there are several Golden Core Late Stage, and even Golden Core Peak Cultivators with formidable strength…”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“If he goes there now, he shouldn’t be able to gain much of an advantage, should he?”

However, Holaw Three Rivers said at this time,

“From the intelligence we’ve gathered, Nanli Island should be the most suitable for him.”

“Right now, he must be relying on devouring those Golden Core Cultivators to restore his Cultivation.”

“Thus, we must find him before he fully recovers and kill him.”

Lu Youjiu also spoke up to the others,

“Besides, he should be stronger now than before.”

“All of you need to be extra cautious.”

“Okay…” the group nodded in agreement.

Afterward, Lu Youjiu observed the front, controlling the Flying Boat as they proceeded forward.

Not much time passed, and about four hours later, they finally arrived at Nanli Island.

Even before reaching the island, they could already sense the tragic aura and smell the blood that permeated the air.

They then piloted the Flying Boat directly over Nanli Island.

In the middle of Nanli Island, there was a city, which at that moment lay silent as death.

Lin Jing and his companions subsequently disembarked from the Flying Boat and descended into the city.

Crimson bloodstains, contorted mummies, and even shattered corpses were everywhere to be seen.

Walking along the streets of the city, Lin Jing saw mummified bodies desiccated of all fluids everywhere.

These mummies looked ferocious, their bodies curled or contorted.

Clearly, they had suffered immensely before their deaths.

Most of these victims were ordinary people without any Cultivation.

It seemed that the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch had used a wide-ranging Spell to drain everyone in the entire city.

Before this, when they read about such events in reports, it didn’t seem quite real.

But upon witnessing the horrific state of the city with their own eyes, Lin Jing was truly horrified by the stark reality.

Beyond these mummified bodies, there were other corpses, or rather, fragments of bodies.

These remains likely belonged to the Cultivators who had resisted first, and the results of their resistance seemed far from favorable.

Lin Jing swiftly moved through the alleys and streets, eventually rising to mid-air to survey the entire city.

But alas, he found not a single survivor.

Even sweeping with his Divine Sense, there was nothing but deadly silence everywhere.

A moment later, Holaw Three Rivers and Yan Wanfei approached Lin Jing.

“Everyone on the island is dead. I even saw a Golden Core Cultivator who died explosively,” Yan Wanfei said directly.

Holaw Three Rivers then said,

“These bloodstains haven’t completely dried up, it seems the massacre didn’t happen too long ago. If we pursue now, we should be able to catch up.”

Lin Jing nodded in agreement,

“Indeed…”

“Let’s go, we’re heading back to the Flying Boat now.”

Having said that, the three made their way back to the Flying Boat.

Once on the Flying Boat, Lu Youjiu spoke,

“Have you completed your investigation, what’s the situation?”

“Not a single survivor,” replied Holaw Three Rivers.

“However, the slaughter seems to have happened not too long ago, possibly within the last couple of hours. If we pursue now, we should be able to catch up.”

Lu Youjiu nodded and responded,

“Good…”

With that, they set off again, chasing toward the direction ahead.

After searching for half an hour, they finally discovered traces of battle left behind in the seas to the south of Nanli Island.

They continued to pilot the Flying Boat forward.

Before long, they felt a rampant aura ahead.

Within this aura was a powerful Demonic Qi suppressing several other breaths.

The group exchanged glances and then, Lu Youjiu directly steered the Flying Boat towards the ongoing battle.

In no time, they arrived near the battlefield.

Next, Lu Youjiu retracted the Flying Boat and flew through the air directly towards the battlefield.

Lin Jing and the other two followed closely behind on their flying swords.

When they arrived at the battlefield, they caught sight of the fierce combat between the two sides.

One of the parties was unmistakably in the likeness of Dai Mao, the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch.

The Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch was enveloped in a sky-covering demonic aura, shrouding the nearby area completely.

Each of his attacks carried a vast amount of Demonic Qi, enhancing the power of his Spells even further.

Opposite him, three Golden Core Late Stage Cultivators were jointly resisting the Heavenly Desire Demon Monarch.

However, these three were covered in wounds, and the aura of their Cultivation fluctuated uncertainly.

The situation seemed extremely dire.

It appeared that they wouldn’t last much longer before falling at this place…