Stealing the House

These outer sect disciples had been cultivating for less than a year. The thought of fighting sea demons was preposterous; they’d likely go weak in the knees just seeing one.

Indeed, after Bai Lan and her companions found refuge, their ears were filled with the incessant chatter of these very disciples.

“Hey, hey, did you see those hideous monsters just now? I was right by the sea, and those things almost made my legs give out from fright,” one disciple recounted, their face etched with lingering fear.

“I saw them too. It was terrifying! Are those really demons? We’ll have to fight these creatures in the future? I… I’m scared.”

“Oh, what’s there to be afraid of? Since we’ve chosen to cultivate immortality, facing demonic beasts is inevitable. Our current strength is too low, so the sect doesn’t need us on the front lines, which is why they sent us here to avoid danger.”

“But in a few years, we’ll certainly be battling demonic beasts ourselves.”

One after another, the crowd voiced their thoughts and fears.

Bai Lan and her two companions merely listened casually. However, Li Yunxi, in particular, chattered on without pause, her courage clearly far less than that of Bai Lan and Xue Linglong.

“Hey, why aren’t you two scared? Demons! When I was home, I often heard people talk about demons eating humans. I never thought real demons would attack our Luoshen Sect today. What’s going on?” Li Yunxi clutched Xue Linglong’s hand, speaking with profound fear.

While Li Yunxi appeared somewhat timid, a stark contrast to Bai Lan and Xue Linglong’s composure, her reaction was, in fact, the entirely normal one.

Even an ordinary man would be utterly terrified upon seeing a demon, let alone a woman.

“This world has always been one where humans and demons coexist, so there’s nothing strange about seeing them,” Bai Lan offered soothingly.

“Moreover, Eternal Blossom Island, where the Luoshen Sect is located, lies within the sea territory, and sea demons are the most numerous creatures in our world. You’ll get used to it.”

Bai Lan’s gaze remained fixed on the sky, as did Xue Linglong’s. Within the dark clouds, a colossal monster was currently clashing with Luo Yan and the others.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared, while sword qi crisscrossed through the air. Waves of formidable energy often permeated from the tempestuous clouds.

Luo Yan and the four elders, including Bai Yiren, were attacking a massive azure flood dragon that writhed within the dark clouds, along with several other powerful demonic beasts.

This flood dragon was immense, its body crackling with electricity. As thick as three or four water barrels and nearly a hundred zhang long, it was a Grand Demon of the Purple Mansion realm, fiercely confronting Luo Yan.

Above Luo Yan’s head, a lustrous violet glazed vase hovered, from which torrents of purple water poured forth, enveloping the azure flood dragon. Yet, even this failed to truly suppress the creature.

Demonic beasts inherently possessed greater strength than human cultivators of the same realm. Without the aid of a spiritual treasure to suppress it, Luo Yan could never hope to defeat a Purple Mansion Grand Demon with her cultivation strength alone.

The artifact Luo Yan wielded was the Luoshen Sect’s most treasured artifact, the Profound Water Purifying Vase. The purple currents it unleashed were no ordinary water; they were Heavenly Profound Water, an intensely yin substance.

Any cultivator with insufficient strength who touched this profound water would instantly dissolve into a viscous liquid.

This was a spiritual artifact, but unfortunately, Luo Yan’s cultivation was insufficient to fully unleash its power. At most, she could only tap into a tenth of its true might.

Still, even that tenth was enough to hold off the flood dragon.

“Hahaha, Luo Yan! Your Luoshen Sect truly declines with each generation,” the flood dragon sneered, moving freely within the profound water. “A dignified divine lineage, fallen to such a state! This spiritual treasure is utterly wasted in your hands; you can’t even unleash a tenth of its power.”

Luo Yan’s power was simply insufficient to kill the azure flood dragon.

This azure flood dragon represented the closest sea demon faction to the Luoshen Sect, and they shared an ancestral feud, having clashed for many years.

“Qingxuan, your incessant chatter is tiresome,” Luo Yan retorted bluntly. “If you have the guts, don’t retreat today. Fight me to the very end and let’s see who’s left standing.”

As Luo Yan finished speaking, she formed a hand seal, and a surge of yin lightning emanated from the profound water. The azure flood dragon, seeing the lightning rushing towards it through the water, immediately let out a strange cry, forcefully breaking through the profound water’s embrace.

Turning their attention to Bai Yiren and her companions, the opponent Bai Yiren faced was also a flood dragon: a white flood dragon of the Nascent Soul realm.

This white flood dragon was the azure flood dragon’s wife and the second-in-command of the Azure Dragon Palace. Her strength was roughly at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, comparable to Bai Yiren’s.

However, the white flood dragon was clearly inferior to Bai Yiren. Wielding a shimmering, iridescent immortal sword, Bai Yiren unleashed a torrent of frosty sword qi with her very first move, hacking towards the white flood dragon.

“Hmph! Sword cultivators are truly troublesome,” the white flood dragon grumbled, feeling the painful sting of the sword qi on her body. “White Pavilion Master, it seems your strength has grown considerably since we last met.”

“From the looks of it, it won’t be long before you break through to the Purple Mansion realm. This concubine is quite envious.”

Bai Yiren and this white flood dragon were old acquaintances.

“Bai Su, I sense a decline in your combat prowess lately,” Bai Yiren stated calmly. “Are you injured? If so, I advise you and Qingxuan to return to your Azure Dragon Palace immediately.”

Even as she spoke, the sword techniques in her hands never ceased.

“That’s not for this concubine to decide. Whatever my husband wishes to do, I can only accompany him,” the white flood dragon chuckled. “As for why my strength has declined, there’s no harm in telling you. I know you, Bai Yiren, aren’t the type of cultivator to take advantage of others. I’m pregnant, hehe.”

Bai Yiren was momentarily stunned by these words.

It was well-known that for both demonic cultivators and human cultivators, the higher their cultivation realm, the more difficult it became to conceive.

For Bai Su to be pregnant was an absolutely monumental blessing for any married female cultivator.

“Then I must congratulate you,” Bai Yiren said, parrying the white flood dragon with a sword strike before offering a warning. “However, you’re pregnant, yet you’ve come here to fight me. Aren’t you afraid of an accident?”

“Hehe, it’s fine. Our demonic beast bodies aren’t as fragile as you humans’,” the white flood dragon replied directly. “White Pavilion Master, both you and I know why we’re fighting.”

“Your Luoshen Sect recently recruited a batch of disciples. If we don’t attack to curb your development, our Azure Dragon Palace will eventually be driven out of this sea territory by your Luoshen Sect. This is something my husband cannot tolerate.”

Bai Yiren naturally understood this reasoning and said no more. Yet, for some reason, a flicker of doubt crossed her mind.

She glanced at the Nascent Soul Grand Demons clashing with her three junior sisters—all familiar faces. Moreover, in other directions, the Luoshen Sect’s early Nascent Soul realm deacons were intercepting several weaker Nascent Soul sea demons outside Eternal Blossom Island.

The battle was split into several fronts: Nascent Soul versus Nascent Soul, Purple Mansion versus Purple Mansion, and disciple versus disciple. But at that very moment, something unexpected occurred.

The outer sect disciples of the Luoshen Sect, who were hiding within the protective formation, suddenly felt a violent tremor beneath their feet.

“What? What’s happening?” Everyone was startled.

Xue Linglong immediately cast her gaze downwards. Under her keen observation, it appeared something was attacking them from beneath their feet.

“Sister, something’s beneath us,” Xue Linglong urgently warned.

Bai Lan was no fool.

“No! Run!” Bai Lan shouted, her voice laced with urgency. “A sea demon is attacking from underground!”

She simultaneously grabbed Xue Linglong and Li Yunxi, fleeing to the side with the utmost speed.

Although others heard Bai Lan’s warning, many failed to react in time. By the time they did, it was too late.

Suddenly, a massive hole ripped open in the very spot where they had been hiding. The disciples who hadn’t reacted quickly enough plunged directly into the abyss, their terrified screams echoing through the air.

While there were inner sect disciples providing protection here, there were no truly powerful cultivators present.