Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 454 - 449: Hunter and Prey, Differential Treatment_1

Chapter 454: Chapter 449: Hunter and Prey, Differential Treatment_1

The Flood Dragon Clan had to hide in the Secret Realm due to hunting by Human Cultivators. Even so, humans were relentless.

Not long ago, someone breached the Flood Dragon Clan’s Secret Realm, hunting Flood Dragons mercilessly and kidnapping the son of the Flood Dragon King. Enraged, the Flood Dragon King mobilized a large number of Flood Dragons to search for the Human Cultivators. Unfortunately, after the kidnappers took the Flood Dragon King’s young son, their whereabouts became unknown.

Unable to find the humans in the Secret Realm, large numbers of Flood Dragons ventured outside. Failing to find the Cultivator who kidnapped the Flood Dragon King’s child, their hatred for Human Cultivators intensified.

If humans hunted Magical Beasts, why couldn’t Magical Beasts hunt Cultivators?

Slaughtering Human Cultivators would surely draw the attention of powerful Human Sects and factions; the Flood Dragon Clan absolutely could not contend with them. At best, they would be subjugated as spiritual pets; at worst, skinned and deboned to be refined into Magical Treasures and Spiritual Treasures.

If it were not so, the Flood Dragon Clan would not have hidden in the Secret Realm, nearly disappearing from the Mysterious Realm.

The Flood Dragon Clan blatantly attacking Human Cultivators was akin to seeking death and would bring unsolvable trouble upon the clan.

The solution was to use low-rank Flood Dragons to lure Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and below, gather them, and then kill them. They chose a remote place to strike, where no Sect Disciples were gathered. By the time the Great Sects noticed the problem, the Flood Dragons would already be long gone.

So cunning!

The Insect External Incarnation was inwardly thankful for the Grandmaster-level Heavenly Eye’s effectiveness, which had spotted the amiss situation and allowed him to escape in time. If he had trusted the Demon-Spotting Talisman, the Insect External Incarnation would have been dead by now.

The Mysterious Realm is indeed full of danger at every turn, and even Magical Beasts can be cunning.

The presence of Flood Dragons was definitely a trap aimed at Cultivators. If humans could lay traps for Magical Beasts, High-Rank Demon Beasts, not inferior in intelligence, could also use their own tactics to deal with them.

This battle was a stark lesson for Jia Ren.

The Mysterious Realm turned out to be far more dangerous than I imagined; I’d better head home early!

No longer interested in hunting Magical Beasts and capturing dragons, the Insect External Incarnation decided to make a swift exit.

Just as he returned to his abode and entered the Mountain and Sea Pearl, a powerful aura approached. Jia Ren recognized this aura very well: it was Ancestor Ji Kong, his nominal master. Ancestor Ji Kong had arrived much earlier than expected.

"My dear disciple, won’t you come out and greet your master?"

"Master will surely avenge you! The Demon Cultivators of the Dark Demon Sect are doomed!"

Hovering in mid-air, Ancestor Ji Kong’s Taoist robe rustled in an invisible wind.

"Greetings, Master."

Upon hearing this, Jia Ren and Zhuo Chengdao, who was in seclusion, immediately came out to greet him, bowing respectfully to Ancestor Ji Kong.

"Let’s go to Old Eighth’s place." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The eighth disciple had contributed tremendously to the Lingbao Sect. Upon hearing of his clan’s annihilation, Ancestor Ji Kong was enraged and had raced here at his highest speed.

The three of them, all at least Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, activated their Escape Light and flew towards the Wu Family. A few hundred li was nothing to them. In less than the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, they arrived before the Wu Family residence.

The Wu Family Residence was in ruins. The air was thick with the strong scent of blood, mingled with a faint trace of demonic qi. Numerous footprints and mixed auras were scattered all around. Someone had visited the Wu Family after Jia Ren and Zhuo Chengdao had left. Belongings and furniture were sparse, clearly showing signs of having been moved.

Ancestor Ji Kong, with his keen senses, did not linger outside and headed straight for a location in the rear mountains. His gaze landed on a distant Blood Dragon Statue. Below it, he saw a large amount of semi-coagulated black blood and several bodies lying on the ground.

Having lived for thousands of years, Ancestor Ji Kong was widely knowledgeable. He recognized what this was, and his expression turned colder.

"Master, what is this?"

Jia Ren knew this item was likely related to the Blood Ancestor the Wu Family had spoken of, but he feigned ignorance.

Ancestor Ji Kong did not turn around; his face was ominously dark. With a flick of his sleeve, space collapsed, creating a vast black hole. The Blood Ancestor Statue and the multitude of bodies disintegrated, all debris being sucked into the void and disappearing without a trace. He was destroying the evidence and eliminating hidden dangers.

"This is not something you should be concerned with."

"Do you truly not know what happened to the Wu Family?" Ancestor Ji Kong turned around, his electric gaze sweeping over Zhuo Chengdao’s and Jia Ren’s faces.

Zhuo Chengdao looked utterly confused. Wasn’t it the handiwork of the Demon Cultivators of the Dark Demon Sect?

Jia Ren affected a timely bewilderment to assert his ’innocence.’ However, the cunning Ancestor Ji Kong had already fixed his gaze on his youngest disciple. This fellow is the most cunning; this incident is undoubtedly related to him.

"Let the matter of the Wu Family rest."

"No one is to bring this up again."

The Wu Family’s connection to the Sinful Bloodline and Bizarre Demons meant Ancestor Ji Kong would inevitably be held responsible for an oversight, and unexpected troubles were likely to follow. Erasing all traces connecting the Wu Family to Sinful Denizens would preserve his eighth disciple’s posthumous reputation and keep trouble at bay for himself.

"Let’s go!"

Ancestor Ji Kong was the first to step out of the Wu Family residence, with Jia Ren and Zhuo Chengdao following. He extended his left hand. Flickering spatial ripples appeared in his palm as he pressed down heavily. A spatial void, thousands of times larger than before, materialized and began to collapse, engulfing the entire Wu Family residence. After the black hole vanished, only nothingness remained.

Unsure if the Wu Family might have kept any "incriminating evidence," this was the best way to destroy all traces.

Ancestor Ji Kong was shrewd. Perhaps Jia Ren had already noticed the problems with the Wu Family, and the assault by the Demon Cultivators of the Dark Demon Sect was just an excuse to get me to come over and settle the matter. Ancestor Ji Kong’s destruction of this place in one fell swoop covered the flaws in Jia Ren’s lies—killing three birds with one stone. Jia Ren’s way of handling things was very much to Ancestor Ji Kong’s liking; the more he looked at his youngest disciple, the more he approved.

"The Demon Cultivators of the Dark Demon Sect and I battled at the Wu Family Residence, and the battle destroyed the Wu Family." Ancestor Ji Kong told a blatant lie, and Jia Ren hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Zhuo Chengdao realized this belatedly. Looking at his master and junior brother, who seemed to be in cahoots, he felt they were keeping secrets from him.

"Now that this matter is settled, you should both return."

The story about the Dark Demon Sect’s Demon Cultivators was a façade; there was no need to continue wasting time here. Ancestor Ji Kong, a pinnacle Void Refining Stage Cultivator, valued his time greatly and did not wish to waste it.

"Master, I have two important matters to report."

"Elder Brother Zhuo has an enemy at the Lianxu Stage, which is a significant security risk."

"Master, surely you wouldn’t want your treasured disciple to be assassinated while traveling, right?"

Jia Ren was worried Elder Brother Zhuo would not mention it, so he decided to help him out.

Ancestor Ji Kong did not look at Jia Ren but glanced at Zhuo Chengdao and snorted coldly. "You think I don’t know about this?"

"With my strength, killing that person would be as easy as taking something out of a bag."

"As Cultivators seeking immortality and Chengdao, we must contend with others and strive against the heavens."

"Jade cannot be shaped without carving. This is a Sharpening Stone I’ve left for you. Only by overcoming challenges with your own strength can you advance further."

Although Ancestor Ji Kong was protective, he was not a coddling master. If not for this, he would not have considered sending Jia Ren to the Secret Realm Battlefield back then. If enemies resorted to despicable tactics like sneak attacks, Ancestor Ji Kong would not hesitate to strike with overwhelming force and personally intervene. Should his treasured disciple die at the hands of an enemy, Ancestor Ji Kong would also take action to eliminate that enemy.

"Thank you for your teachings, Master. I understand!" Zhuo Chengdao quickly responded respectfully, simultaneously giving Jia Ren a meaningful look.

I appreciate your kind intentions, but this is something I must handle myself.

What a stubborn old coot! Jia Ren could not be bothered to remark on the old man and continued, "Now, for the second matter."

"Dozens of Flood Dragons have appeared around the Yunlan River. They are wreaking havoc everywhere and taking pleasure in hunting Human Cultivators."

"A Sixth Order Flood Dragon disguises itself as a Fourth Rank Flood Dragon, attracting Cultivators to gather before slaughtering them."

"This has only just happened. If Master acts in time to stop this, it will truly be a great merit."

Jia Ren was someone who held grudges. His Insect External Incarnation had almost been killed by the Sixth Order Flood Dragon, an incident he remembered well. He was no match for the Sixth Order Blue Flood Dragon and was uncertain if more Sixth Order Flood Dragons were lurking, so he naturally would not risk his own life.

His master, Ancestor Ji Kong, had arrived at the perfect time. Jia Ren did not mind using his master as a weapon to deal with the Lianxu Stage Flood Dragons. Having witnessed Ancestor Ji Kong’s Ji Kong Palm, and knowing he possessed a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure, he believed his master would stand a chance even against several Sixth Order Flood Dragons. If Master gets the meat, I can at least follow behind and sip some soup.

"Is this true?" Ancestor Ji Kong’s eyes sparkled upon hearing about Sixth Order Flood Dragons.

High-Rank Magical Beasts comparable to the Lianxu Stage were scarce in the Mysterious Realm, let alone the elusive Flood Dragons. Killing even one would be considered a huge windfall. Not to mention there were dozens more. This was a treasure trove that even Void Refining Stage Cultivators would covet. Ancestor Ji Kong could use the Spirit Devouring Treasure Art to absorb Spiritual Treasures. Divinity Transformation Stage and Lianxu Stage Flood Dragons could be refined into Spiritual Treasures; this prospect made Ancestor Ji Kong’s eyes turn red with envy.

Zhuo Chengdao also looked at Jia Ren. In just a few days of seclusion, my junior brother has quietly stumbled upon a great opportunity.

"Is what you say true?" Ancestor Ji Kong looked skeptical, not believing such a remote place could nurture so many Flood Dragons.

"Master, before you arrived, I had my incarnation visit the area."

"Flood Dragons are cunning and deceitful. I suspect that once they have slaughtered the Cultivators, they will flee immediately." Jia Ren laid out his speculations.

Since the Flood Dragons could set traps for Cultivators, they should not be treated as ordinary Magical Beasts. Their intelligence should be compared to that of Cultivators, and their actions considered from a human perspective. When humans kill Magical Beasts, they certainly flee immediately to avoid retaliation from the beasts’ clans. The sudden appearance of dozens of Flood Dragons from nowhere indicated they were not native to this area; consequently, they would leave afterwards. If this chance was missed, not even a single Flood Dragon would be found.

Ancestor Ji Kong did not doubt his disciple; his eyes revealed a faint glow. This is a rare opportunity. Since I’ve encountered it, I absolutely cannot miss it!

"We cannot delay this any longer! My treasured disciple, hold on tight!"

Ancestor Ji Kong grabbed Jia Ren firmly and, transforming into a dazzling streak of light, disappeared over the horizon in an instant.

Zhuo Chengdao had been standing to the side, listening quietly. Before he could even speak, he saw Ancestor Ji Kong and Jia Ren vanish without a trace.

"Master, wait for me! Why didn’t you take me with you?!"

Why is there such a big difference when we are both his disciples? Master, how can you show such favoritism?!

Sensing the fading auras of the two, Zhuo Chengdao activated his Driving Light Escape and swiftly gave chase.