Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 577
Li Yao observed the surroundings with great interest. On every corner of the square was an enormous pillar with vivid patterns painted on it. On the first pillar, many elegant-looking, obscure demons were bathed in divine lights. On the second pillar, some demons wearing glamorous armor were commanding an intense battle. On the third pillar were demons in simple hides or without protection at all slashing enemies that looked like noodles with their blades. On the fourth pillar, countless demons were mining and farming.
The four giant pillars were in gold, silver, bronze, and black respectively.
Li Yao was aware that the four pillars represented the saint-blood demons, the silver-blood demons, the bronze-blood demons, and the black-blood demons. They were the 'Four Pillars' of the entire demon race.
As for the chaotic-blood demons, they did not have a place in such a system.
Chapter 867: Defiant |
"The headhunters of the Skeleton Island and all other forces are now observing the newly-arrived slaves. The cruelest and most defiant ones will be picked by the headhunters from the Skeleton Island and become gladiators of the Skeleton Island."
Jin Xinyue remind him for the last time, "Normal demons, if talented and having grown up in perilous areas that are frequented by demon beasts, might have the capability of high-level demon solider or low-level demon general in terms of physical strength and speed. However, they have never received special training before, and they do not know how to make the best use of their talents. In most cases, they are fighting without any skills by simply resorting to their physical strength and their aggressiveness. Please do bear that in mind, Elder, and don't expose that you are actually far stronger than them."
Li Yao nodded.
In fact, he did not know too many demon combat skills in the first place. The previous two battles he had been involved in were won merely based on his physical strength and his experience.
I can suppress my capability to one tenth the original and pretend to be a hunter who has been raised in the wilderness amid the demon beasts. I have the strength and speed between the high-level demon soldier and the low-level demon general, and I fight solely with my natural instincts, Li Yao thought to himself. Just consider the journey to the Skeleton Island as a special training session!
He thought for a moment and then asked Jin Xinyue in a low voice, "How can I be 'defiant' enough to catch the Skeleton Island's attention?"
Jin Xinyue smiled and pointed her chin at Li Yao's back. "Just like… them."
Li Yao was dazed for a moment, when he heard shouts and yells not far away, along with the noises of a fierce fight.
Soon, a black shadow flew in front of them and crashed into the ground after a heavy landing.
It was a slave catcher in armor.
On the solid breastplate was a giant hole from which black blood was flowing out unstoppably.
Li Yao looked back and saw that more than ten muscular demons were roaring in outrage under the suppression of dozens of slave catchers!
The skin of the muscular demons was dark and shining, with bone pins everywhere on it, making their skin look like a natural armor. They were all more than three meters tall, and their shoulders were almost two meters wide. They appeared to be black iron towers that were stabbed into the ground.
On the head of every muscular demon was two thick bull horns. Their faces were also crimson like the faces of infuriated bulls!
Ho! Ho! Ho!
The bull-horned muscular demons bashed their chests crazily while red smoke popped out of their nostrils, as if their entire brain was on fire.
With their dull roars, their body size further expanded. Red brightness was surfacing on their skin, and all their muscles bulged out. Their bodies, which could not have been more athletic, seemed to be made of entire blocks of red bronze!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Their knees bent to the front. Their thick veins tied up their tights like giant boas while they stomped on the ground hard with their enormous hoofs, leaving cracks that looked like a spider web on the black rocks of the square!
Li Yao's eyes suddenly shone. Those muscular demons seemed to be the 'Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls', one of the toughest types of bronze-blood demons!
Back when Li Yao was in the Heaven's Origin Sector, he had browsed through the files of many demons. The Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls were among the toughest, most furious ones even taking all the bronze-blood demons into account. They were best known for their momentum and sturdiness. They had six stomachs in their body, four of which were used to digest normal food at an extremely high frequency as if they could perform the Art of the Swallowing Whale naturally while the other two stomachs could even devour and digest crystals and metals directly. In their battle frenzy, their skin would secrete the crystals and metal elements, forming a layer of solid, natural armor!
According to the tests of the Cultivators of the Heaven's Origin Sector, the natural armor of the Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls could withstand the head-on bombardment of a 'Pure Sun'-level crystal cannon three times!
Although they were not very agile normally, their short-distance sprint when they were infuriated could approach or even surpass the speed of sound.
When they threw themselves over like cannonballs, they could easily smash a heavy crystal tank weighing more than a hundred tons away into the sky!
On the list of the most threatening demons in the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls was in a higher place than many silver-blood demons!
With a careful look, Li Yao soon discovered that those muscular demons were not pure Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls.
The pure Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls had narrow, long tails with puffy hair on them, which were used to drive away the annoying bugs of the Blood Demon Sector.
But the tails of the muscular demons were thick and long, with scattered scales that were surrounded by a layer of vague flames.
When they were infuriated, they whipped their tails and straightened them like spears!
Those are… Kirin tails!
Li Yao realized that those muscular demons boasted features of the Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls and a certain Kirin race simultaneously. They were clearly chaotic-blood demons.
Heavy manacles and shackles had been imposed upon the muscular demons. Many of the restraints were carved with glamorous stripes, indicating that they were magical equipment with barriers.
However, it was clear that such restraints were not enough to lock the bull-horned muscular demons. After only a moment, they were all broken apart.
On their journey here, they might have been injected with abundant narcotic drugs, But now that the effects of the drugs had passed, and they had been freed from the specially-made black iron prison cells, they were immediately infuriated and went out on a rampage.
Just now, one of the slave catchers was blown away by them directly in his carelessness.
However, those muscular demons had never received special training after all and were merely fighting with their natural instincts.
On the other hand, the slave-catchers were all experts adept at the secret arts of training, and they were all used to such fusses.
Very soon, the slave catches blocked the muscular demons from other chaotic-blood demons with stockades made of bones. Then some ten fat, caterpillar-like demon beasts were led to the front and asked to spurt yellow and brown liquids toward the disobedient newcomers.
The liquids were apparently very sticky. When the rampant muscular demons got in touch with them, their movement was immediately slowed down.
If the Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls start rushing, they will cause great damage. The slave catchers are trying to limit their zone of activity!
Li Yao immediately realized what was going on.
Huala! Huala!
An enormous web that was full of thorns was thrown toward the muscular demons!
Those muscular demons were not clearly not a bunch of mobs. They were probably from the same tribe. In the emergency, one of the demons who had a circle of white hair on his neck and a broken right horn, with three deep claw traces on his right eye, shouted and commanded the Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls into a battle formation that was tight on the outside and loose in the middle.
The four muscular demons at the edge opened their arms and took all the mucus and the web while the Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls in the inner circles started rushing and bringing up their speed under the cover of their companions!
Now is the time!
Li Yao looked at Jin Xinyue deeply. While everybody's attention was focused on the bull-horned muscular demons, he made his way to the leader of the slave catchers quietly through the crowd.
His body was as magnificent as a fierce tiger, but his footsteps were as soft as a leopard. The panicked chaotic-blood demons were his best cover while he approached the target, escaping everyone's attention.
The leader of the slave catchers was a bear demon more than 3.5 meters tall. According to Li Yao's observations, his capability was in the middle level of the demon general state, but other than his horrifying physical strength, speed and agility seemed to be his biggest weakness.
With Li Yao's capability, killing a middle-level demon general was as easy as slapping a fly.
However, he could only wield the strength and speed of a high-level demon soldier, since so many people were watching him, and he had to leave a deep impression on the bystanders!
Li Yao thought quickly and observed the situation of the battle. He calculated the speed of the muscular demons and the damage that they could possibly deal while he selected his weapons inside his brain.
Very soon, his fingers became soft and boneless, but his fingernails grew longer and longer with sharper and sharper edges, like five coldly blinking razor blades.
The Thousand Finger Soft Bone was a secret art that he had practiced for ten years that could allow the fingers to break the limits of joints and become unbelievably agile.
The Thousand Finger Soft Bone was the most fundamental body-building technique and did not rely on much spiritual energy. Besides, it was from the era of ancient Cultivators forty thousand years ago. Li Yao believed that few demons in the Blood Demon Sector could recognize it. It would not be odd if he claimed it to be a certain naturally-endowed technique.
Li Yao was aware that there were not too many chaotic-blood demons who had distinctive features of exactly two types of demons, such as the bull-horned muscular demons here.
Most of the chaotic-demons were often mixed with several vastly different features, some of which were so bizarre that there was no telling where they originated from at all.
What was awakened with the uncanny features was the disordered, strange talents.
Shua!
When he was trying to approach the innermost circle of the slave catchers, his presence was finally detected.
Two slave catchers were dazed for a moment and pointed their electric whips at him.
However, Li Yao already crouched and rushed toward them!
Chi! Chi!
He could not activate his top speed. The two electric whips fell on his back one after the other.
Although the spluttering electric arcs gave him no feeling other than tickling, he still pretended that he was foaming and cramping!
But his movement was not hindered by the attack. Instead, he held back the 'excruciating pain' and dashed past the two slave catchers while his left arm phantomized into a streak of black brightness. After two explosions, the two slave catchers immediately bulged their eyes and held their necks, but blood was already flooding out of the gaps of their fingers!
"Huh?"
Not far away, on the back of the few black behemoths that looked like mountains, the silver-blood demons wearing glamorous silk robes beamed with interest.
"His speed is fast, and his body is tough enough to resist two attacks of the electric whips?"
"His attack was quite fierce, mixed with the feeling style of several demon beasts. It is obvious that he must've been a hunter in the forest!"
His sharp and fierce attack naturally caused the counterattack of more slave catchers. Almost ten electric whips swept at Li Yao overwhelmingly!
This time, Li Yao did not dodge at all. Instead, he screamed in the middle of the dancing electric arcs, with a twitching face and a miserable expression, as if he were really suffering from great pain.
He had achieved his purpose.
By attracting the attention of almost ten slave catchers, he had already created a tiny opening for the muscular demons who had reached their most rampant point!
The Kirin ([tɕʰǐ.lǐn]; Chinese: 麒麟) is a mythical hooved chimerical creature known in Chinese and other East Asian cultures, said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler.
Chapter 868: Gladiators |
For the bull-horned muscular demons, the opening came at the right time. They were able to cause the most damage with their rushing speed. Just like ten raging crystal tanks, they knocked away several slave catchers in the blink of an eye before they crashed into the fat 'caterpillars'!
Those caterpillars that were spurting out mucus were fat and clumsy. It was very difficult for them to turn quickly. They were the most typical examples of shooters and definitely no match for the muscular horns in a head-on clash. Very soon, they were all rolling on the ground with wounds all over their bodies.
The spluttering electric whips were hitting the muscular demons brutally, and the webs full of thorns cut deep into their skin armor. However, none of the hinderances could stop them from unleashing their savageness.
Influenced by them, many black-blood demons and chaotic demons captured together with them were seething. The square was like a calm ocean before the arrival of a storm!
Shua!
The guards of the Fire Ant King all unsheathed their blades and bared their teeth and claws, ready to go forward and take control of the situation at any moment.
Hooo!
The leader of the slave catchers, seeing that his subordinates were so useless, seemed to be greatly humiliated. Black wind suddenly circled around his arms and then spread out, blocking the collision of two bull-horned muscular demons like a high black wall!
BOOM!
Three rushing crystal trains seemed to have crashed. The bear demon fought two enemies entirely on his own, yet there was no sign that he was under any pressure. He grinned hideously while he grabbed the horns on the enemies' head and forced them back. He then waved his arms hard, throwing the two muscular demons who were more than three meters tall and weighed several tons high into the sky!
It was a perfect demonstration of the unbelievable strength of a middle-level demon general!
The terrifying strength made the furious Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls all shiver for a moment. The leader of the slave catchers burst into laughter and leapt in front of the leader of the muscular demons who had a circle of white hair on his neck!
Hu! Hu!
Scorching air currents were surrounding both of them, rubbing until sparks seemed to be bursting out.
BOOM! BOOM!
The two equally strong demons that looked like two black iron towers pushed their arms against each other's, which were expanding as if they were balloons being blown.
The black rocks below their feet exploded into pieces one after another, only to be bound by their intimidating aura and drift into the air, getting rid of the control of gravity!
The leader of the bull-horned muscular demons, due to the lack of professional training, was no match for the bear demon after all. The veins on his arms exploded one after another, with bloody mist spreading out!
But he simply bulged his eyes and gritted his teeth, carrying on the fight. When the pain was at its worst, even his broken horn seemed to be shedding blood!
"Get down now!" the bear demon roared. Under the suppression of the enormous strength, cracking noises were echoing on the straight spine and legs of the bull-horned muscular demon, indicating that his bones would be broken if he did not lower his head!
Right then, an abrupt change took place!
Nobody had noticed that Li Yao, who seemed to have 'passed out' after cramping and rolling on the ground for a while because of the slapping of almost ten electric whips, had rolled to the bear demon's foot quietly.
Right now, the square was in an utter mess. Hundreds of feet, claws, and hoofs were moving here and there. He had already been drowned in the crowd of demons.
Right at the most crucial moment of the competition between the bear demon and the leader of the Red-Blooded Bronze Bulls, Li Yao suddenly jumped up from behind the bear demon and hugged the bear demon from the rear while he threw his left arm to the front, extending his middle finger and his index finger into the bear demon's left eye!
"Ahhh!"
The bear demon did not expect that somebody would ambush him from behind. Suffering from the sharp pain, he shook his body hard!
Chi!
Li Yao pretended that he had been knocked away by the attack and vomited a mouthful of blood, but he took the opportunity to pull the bear demon's left eyeball out!
The bear demon's head was dizzy due to the excruciating pain. Because of the distraction, his arms were entirely twisted after two cracking noises by the leader of the bull-horned muscular demons.
The leader roared. The skin armor on his body exploded, revealing muscles that were as red as fire. He lowered his head, pushed forward, and raised the bear demon up with his horn!
The square was immediately caught in chaos.
The guards of the Fire Ant King finally entered the field to restore order.
The guards were mostly the brutal demons from various places around the Blood Demon Sector who were guilty of major crimes. They were much stronger than the slave catchers, and the electric arcs released from their whips were multiple times more dazzling, too.
Li Yao lay on the ground dutifully, as if he were suffering from internal bleeding because of the bear demon's final attack. He simply held his head while the electric whips were slapping everybody randomly.
