“Hah!”
The Jiang Family Ancestor struck a powerful palm against a crimson-brown Sand Scorpion. The terrifying palm strength shattered the Scorpion’s carapace, but the rebound of the force made the Jiang Family Ancestor’s body tremble.
“What a stubborn beast!”
The Jiang Family Ancestor was astonished.
The indigenous Demon Race of this Ancient Star possessed shockingly formidable power.
Even with the cultivation level of a Greatly Accomplished God-King, the Jiang Family Ancestor found it quite strenuous to kill this Sand Scorpion.
In order to keep their presence hidden, Lu Changsheng and his group tried their best to eliminate any indigenous Demons they encountered during their journey.
“The Demons here seem unusually aggressive, and they differ significantly from the Demon Race of the Three Realms. What exactly is their origin?”
Daoist Earth Hound wagged his tail as he examined the corpse of the Sand Scorpion, feeling that the Demons inhabiting this Ancient Star were quite extraordinary.
The Demon Race of the Three Realms were much craftier—when things looked unfavorable, they would slip away in an instant. Some of them even took human form, mingling within the dynasties of the Human Race or hiding within Human Sects.
Yet the indigenous Demon Race of this Ancient Star were fiercely aggressive, immediately launching attacks upon encountering Human cultivators.
Lu Changsheng, meanwhile, used his Longsword to dismember the corpse.
The Demons on this Ancient Star were unlike those in the Three Realms. Their bones, claws, and hides were invaluable materials that couldn’t be found anywhere else in the Three Realms.
Lu Changsheng collected these materials and distributed them to his disciples, eager to see what treasures his system might reward him with.
“Xiaoqi, take this tooth.”
Lu Changsheng tossed a fang from the Sand Scorpion to Su Xiaoqi.
“…”
Su Xiaoqi held the enormous fang in both hands, confused about what deeper meaning her master might have in gifting her such an item.
[Ding! You have gifted your disciple Su Xiaoqi the Heavenly Treasure “Sand Scorpion Fang,” and received a thousandfold reward from the system: “Scorpion Dragon Tooth.”]
[Scorpion Dragon Tooth: The fang of a unique lifeform known as the Scorpion Dragon.]
Oh?
Scorpion Dragon?
Lu Changsheng had never heard of such an unusual entity before, let alone that it was classified as a “unique lifeform.”
The fang awarded by the system was much harder than the Sand Scorpion Fang—it looked like an excellent refining material that could later be gifted to Dugu Aotian, aiding him in forging an exceptional Magical Treasure.
“Hah!”
The Jiang Family Ancestor tore apart the massive body of the Sand Scorpion in search of its Golden Core.
What he uncovered in the center of the Scorpion’s head was a rather dim Golden Core resembling a black stone, riddled with cracks on its surface.
The Jiang Family Ancestor froze: “How does the Demon Core of this Great Demon resemble a stone? What kind of creature is this?”
The group exchanged puzzled glances, their understanding of this Ancient Star remaining shallow. They were truly unsure of the origins of its indigenous creatures.
“Perhaps it’s the result of ‘a region shaping its inhabitants’—the indigenous beings here indeed differ significantly from those in the Three Realms.”
Su Yun could only offer this conjecture.
“Just ahead lies a stretch of crimson hills. At the center of these hills lies the Great Formation trapping our Ancestors. Indigenous tribes dwell within these hills, guarding the Great Formation. If they discover us, we’re bound to be attacked—we must remain vigilant and prepared to fight at any moment.”
Su Yun’s expression was grim.
The group was finally nearing the Great Formation, but approaching it meant that a clash—and likely a battle—with the indigenous tribes of the Ancient Star was highly probable.
Judging from the strength displayed by the Demons on this star, the tribes guarding the formation would no doubt be even more terrifying.
The Ancestors of Guanghan Palace and Mount Taihua Sacred Land all understood the implications of a confrontation with the indigenous tribes. They heightened their focus, ready at any moment to bring forth their treasures.
Furthermore, they had prepared various elixirs and talismans.
Even Li Lingfei and Lin Shiyu had no assurance of escaping unscathed.
The group tread even more carefully, cautious not to alarm the inhabitants of the crimson hills.
The ideal scenario was to avoid the indigenous tribes altogether, reach the Great Formation, coordinate forces inside and outside the formation to break it, rescue the Su Clan’s Ancestors, and swiftly retreat aboard the Void Boat back to the Three Realms, thus avoiding a conflict with the local tribes.
If possible, Lu Changsheng’s group naturally wished to avoid unnecessary clashes with the tribes.
Engaging in combat against such formidable natives not only offered no tangible benefits but could result in casualties among their ranks—a loss far outweighing the gains.
“Ideally, we could negotiate with these indigenous tribes. I assume those with great cultivations also possess considerable intelligence; it’s likely they can be reasoned with and persuaded to allow us to rescue the captives.”
Lu Changsheng pondered strategies to minimize casualties while saving the trapped Ancestors.
“The concern is whether these tribes will trust us. From their perspective, if they let us leave after revealing the location of this Ancient Star, word could spread, attracting more Three Realms experts to explore in the future. What then? From their standpoint, the best solution would be to eliminate everyone aware of this star’s existence.”
Su Yun’s apprehensions were not unfounded.
It was akin to the “Dark Forest Theory.”
Even if they attempted to negotiate with the indigenous tribes, there was no guarantee of earning their trust. Considering the worst-case scenario, the likelihood of conflict between the two sides was substantial.
Suddenly, Su Yun’s face changed drastically, her fair complexion turning pale: “This is bad—the Ancient Helian Clan and the Ancient Huangfu Clan have set an ambush here. I would recognize their energy anywhere!”
The Ancestors of Guanghan Palace and Mount Taihua Sacred Land immediately grew alert, scanning their surroundings in alarm upon hearing Su Yun’s revelation.
The Ancient Helian Clan and Ancient Huangfu Clan had tracked them here!
“Hahaha, Su Yun, you little wench! Back then you dared to toy with our families, manipulating us like pawns. You truly are familiar with the techniques of our two clans, yet even with your mastery, not even your Turtle Breath Skills could deceive us.”
“Hahahaha! Today, you will finally fall into our hands.”
With peals of laughter, experts from the Ancient Huangfu Clan and Ancient Helian Clan emerged from the woods—hundreds of them, each emanating immense power!