Fifth and sixth-stage demon beasts meant nothing to a group of Emperor Realm cultivators. With sweeping gestures, they obliterated entire swathes of the creatures, bodies bursting apart and dissolving into streams of blood that flowed back into the marsh. Far from scaring off their companions, the carnage only stoked the beasts' ferocity, and even more of them surged up from the ground.
The shrill screeching never let up for a single instant. Then, in one moment, the cacophony of discordant cries suddenly unified. Tens of thousands of shrieks merged into a single wave of sound, forming a visible shockwave that bore down on the seven of them.
Yang Tai, at the forefront, looked as though he were facing a mortal enemy. He barked, "Move! Now!"
Hua Yulu and Wu Kuangyi's expressions grew grim as well.
While the others were still bewildered, a bizarre sight unfolded before them.
Once the shrill cries achieved resonance, the auras of those demon beasts lurking beneath the marsh began to tighten and merge together. Their power, previously at the fifth or sixth stage, climbed rapidly toward the seventh, eighth, and even higher tiers.
Yang Kai launched a casual strike, then stole a glance downward — and what he saw made him click his tongue in amazement.
The sky-covering swarm of demon beasts was gradually fusing together, as though each creature had originally been a component ripped from some colossal entity and was now reassembling itself through some unknown catalyst.
A monster over a hundred feet long materialized before Yang Kai's eyes. It bore a pair of horns on its head, its entire body sheathed in scales, and eight claws extending from its frame — resembling a flood dragon yet not quite one, its appearance utterly grotesque. It was no longer merely a fifth or sixth-stage beast; instead, it radiated the aura of a tenth-stage demon beast.
Below, more and larger monsters circled in pursuit.
Yang Kai sensed the auras of several twelfth-stage demon beasts, with eleventh-stage and tenth-stage ones scattered everywhere aplenty.
Those fifth and sixth-stage beasts that the Emperor Realm cultivators had dismissed without a second thought possessed the extraordinary ability to fuse together and grow stronger, and the speed of their transformation was beyond imagination.
That they could survive in such an environment proved these beasts were not to be underestimated.
A thunderous rumble shook the earth as these titanic creatures slithered across the ground in pursuit, their heads rearing high as they snapped their jaws at the figures overhead. A foul stench poured from their gaping maws. When their initial strikes failed, they spat out clusters of multicolored orbs.
Yang Kai saw clearly that those orbs were none other than the toxic miasma they had previously swallowed. Even twelfth-stage demon beasts were something he could face with composure, but this devastating poison mist was a threat he could not afford to ignore.
The other six had gone pale as well, each of them summoning their Artifacts to shield themselves.
Unlike the rest, Yang Kai had no defensive Artifact at his disposal. His only notable piece, the Crimson Sky Black Dragon Armor, was of Emperor Treasure grade, but it was designed primarily to conceal his body during dragon transformation — he had never once considered using it to block damage. With no other choice, he channeled Emperor Essence to form a protective layer around himself.
The orbs of toxic miasma came screaming through the air. Most were shattered by the group's combined efforts, and the few that struck their Artifacts dissipated without effect — yet the sheer potency of the poison still made their scalps tingle.
Several Emperor Treasures flickered and dimmed after absorbing the miasma, their spiritual energy clearly damaged. As for Yang Kai, the Emperor Essence he maintained around his body was being corroded badly, forcing him to continuously feed more power into his defenses. The strain was plain on his face.
The group fled without any intention of tangling further with these monsters.
It might have been a long time, or perhaps only a heartbeat. When they burst onto a stretch of dry land, the toxic miasma that had shrouded them on all sides vanished in an instant. The demon beasts that had been chasing them stopped dead, as though something ahead inspired such dread that they dared not cross the boundary. They prowled along the edge of the mist, their enormous eyes fixed on the group.
"This is far enough," Yang Tai said with a genial laugh, visibly relieved. He pointed at the beasts. "Those things won't cross into here. No one knows why."
The demon beasts gathered along the miasma's edge maintained their vigil for only a short while before scattering with a crash. Each of them reverted into a creature no more than two feet long, radiating only fifth or sixth-stage auras, and slithered back the way they had come, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
The group took stock of their surroundings.
It was a stretch of dry land. In the Southern Marsh, such a place was exceedingly unusual — the region was nothing but pools and bogs everywhere one looked. This patch of land was like a solitary island in a vast, treacherous sea.
The island was modest in size, perhaps a few dozen li across, and on all sides it was hemmed in by the very same toxic miasma that made even Emperor Realm cultivators give it a wide berth. Had the demon beasts not carved a path through, none of them would ever have reached this place.
Yang Tai's expression turned solemn, and he spoke in a deep voice: "The ancient cave dwelling — it's right here."
Though his face was grave, his eyes burned with a barely concealed fervor.
Wu Kuangyi looked equally excited. "Last time, Brother Yang, Palace Mistress Hua, and I managed to obtain some gains inside, but we were stopped by a restriction formation. With more people this time, and with Patriarch Gong's generous assistance, breaking through that formation shouldn't be a problem."
Gong Yue smiled modestly. "I shall do my best."
"Then we thank Patriarch Gong in advance." Wu Kuangyi cupped his fists toward him, then turned to address the group. "Let me remind everyone: once we enter the ancient cave dwelling, don't touch anything at random, and don't wander off. Stick close to Patriarch Gong. There are still many residual restrictions inside — though ancient, they remain enormously powerful. If you accidentally trigger one, the consequences could be... unpleasant."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted, deliberately or not, toward Yang Kai — as though the words had been aimed squarely at him.