Chapter 860: Kui Dragon

"Fourth Junior Brother, is he the Junior Brother Xue you recruited as a disciple on behalf of our master?" Another black-robed man turned his gaze on the shopkeeper, scrutinizing him from head to toe. The eyes beneath that robe were razor-sharp.

The shopkeeper looked uneasy. He quickly cupped his hands, bowed to everyone, and said respectfully, "Junior Brother Xue Ming greets Second Senior Brother and all the senior brothers."

The second senior brother let out a short grunt and nodded lightly. "I trust Fourth Junior Brother’s judgment will not be wrong. Junior Brother Xue, as long as you do your tasks well, Master will not treat you poorly. Though you and I are not of the same race, we who walk the path of divine patterns have reached a dead end, forced to cultivate human arts. Even the path of insect gu can only serve as support. Aside from bloodline, there is no difference between us. With just a few words of guidance, Master can benefit you for life. Here, this astra was entrusted to me by Master to give you. Refine it well, and it will protect you."

As he spoke, the black-robed man produced a long saber[1] and handed it to Xue Ming.

Xue Ming’s joy was unrestrained. He received it with both hands, then knelt facing south. "I will never forget Master’s grace in bestowing such a treasure."

Second Senior Brother chuckled, waved his hand, and said, "In the future, Master will grant you many more treasures. Go now, and follow your Fourth Senior Brother’s instructions."

The shopkeeper Xue Ming left happily with his prize.

Fourth Junior Brother asked, "Second Senior Brother, was this saber truly a gift from Master?"

"On the road I came across a foolish human cultivator. I killed him and seized it."

Second Senior Brother was unconcerned. "This Xue Ming you recruited will be stationed in Tianxing City. He will be of great use. Moreover, Master is not like other race members who bear deep hatred toward the human race. Taking him as a true disciple is very possible. The treasure can be considered a gift for one of our own. Enough, let us depart quickly. We must set the Beast King Banner in time or we risk delaying the great affair."

The group set out, following the direction Qin Sang and his companions had taken. But since this was human territory, they acted with extreme caution, avoiding contact with any human cultivators.

Someone asked, "Second Senior Brother, Fourth Junior Brother, Eldest Senior Brother has been traveling with those human cultivators for so long. Will his identity be exposed?"

"Impossible!"

Fourth Junior Brother answered with certainty. "The ancient treasure Red Origin Gauze bestowed by Master conceals our witch race identity, allowing us to appear as human cultivators. Unless confronted by a Spiritual Infant, no one will discover us. I have used this treasure in Tianxing City many times without being exposed. Unfortunately, the treasure is incomplete, and even Master cannot repair it. It can only be used a few more times before it is destroyed."

"That’s good. Still, from Eldest Senior Brother’s message, this matter sounds complicated. Since it is for Master’s treasure hunt, why has it turned into hunting a demonic beast? With our brothers wielding the Beast King Banner, we should be able to take a late-stage Demonic Core Realm demonic beast down. Why go to such trouble?"

Fourth Junior Brother’s tone carried some doubt. "Eldest Senior Brother mentioned once that this beast might be the spirit beast of a cultivator. To obtain that treasure, we must approach these people first. But they are no easy opponents. With Master absent, we must proceed with caution. That is why Eldest Senior Brother arranged matters this way. Once we arrive, we must not act rashly, only after his signal."

***

Two months later...

Qin Sang and the others reached an unfamiliar sea region, still traveling aboard the flying astra.

Throughout the journey, they had never stopped rehearsing the array. By now, the five of them had completely mastered the Heavenly Cold Wind Array. Their cooperation was seamless, able to unleash the array’s full might.

Daoist Fang was very pleased.

An island appeared ahead. The astra’s light curved toward it, circled briefly, then descended onto the island.

They stepped onto solid ground, climbed to a high point, and looked around. The island was not large, its spiritual qi extremely thin, with no signs of demonic beast activity. It hardly looked like a lair of a great demon. Everyone was puzzled.

"Daoist Fang, what beast do you expect to hunt in this barren place?"

Daoist Fang was unhurried. He chose a clean spot, sat cross-legged, and said, "Do not worry. The time has not come yet. We only need to wait."

"Wait?"

Daoist Fang nodded, pointing northeast. "The lair is there, but the beast only emerges on rainy days. The island has a peculiar terrain. Whenever torrential rains fall, lightning will descend. It is those lightning strikes that draw the beast here. This place is at the North Sea’s edge. We won’t have to wait long."

"A stormy night..."

Qiu Ji muttered in surprise. "Is it a lightning beast?"

Daoist Fang merely smiled without replying.

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Seeing this, the others had no choice but to wait. They cleared spaces nearby and continued practicing the array to ensure perfection.

They waited five days.

On the sixth night, violent winds suddenly rose. Black clouds gathered overhead, blotting out the stars.

The waves surged sky-high.

Rumble...

The salty sea wind carried thick moisture. Dull thunder rolled from afar, silver flashes darting like serpents in the depths of the clouds.

Everyone sprang up, exchanged glances, and their faces were filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Daoist Fang, surely now you can tell us what beast it is?"

Ma Debao twisted his mustache impatiently, his curiosity unbearable.

Daoist Fang fixed his gaze on the direction of the lair, his eyes flashing with light. Then he glanced at the dark storm behind them, withdrew his look without a trace, and said calmly, "Since matters have come this far, I will not conceal it anymore. Our target is a Kui Dragon[2]!"

"A Kui Dragon!"

"It’s a Kui Dragon!"

Everyone cried out in shock. They never expected it to be such a beast.

"No wonder it only appears on stormy nights! No wonder you kept it hidden! They say the Kui Dragon is a divine beast that commands thunderbolts, breathing out bolts of lightning. Its skin and bones can be refined into astras that grant lightning-controlling powers, transforming into treasures of extreme yang and overwhelming force! If news of a Kui Dragon appeared, even Spiritual Infant grandmasters would be restless."

Qin Sang, well-versed in artifact refinement, knew all manner of rare materials. Lightning treasures were extremely rare, yet the Kui Dragon’s hide and bones could directly grant such properties.

The Kui Dragon was a treasure from head to tail. No wonder Daoist Fang had been so cautious.

Daoist Fang chuckled. "If it were a true Kui Dragon, it would indeed be as you say. But the Kui Dragon was an ancient divine beast. How could it exist in this era? This creature merely carries a trace of Kui Dragon's bloodline. It is not so exaggerated. Still, its lightning supernatural abilities are formidable. At that time, I must ask you all to activate the array, resist its lightning, and suppress it."

Qin Sang nodded. That explanation made sense. A true descendant of an ancient divine beast was rare even in the Demonic Sea.

1. a two-handed, single-edged Chinese sword. The term changdao has been translated as "long saber," "saber-staff," or "long-handled saber." ☜

2. This is a Chinese mythical creature. It's said to look like a one-legged dragon, and was always followed by storms. ☜