Huiyao, reverting to his fish-headed form, led the way while muttering over his shoulder, "My clan produces offspring annually, with each brood numbering 36,000. Out of those, only three transform into serpent fish; the rest devolve into eels, lampreys, and moray eels. We are nothing like you humans."

This left both Li Qinghong and Kongheng astonished. Huiyao sighed deeply and muttered, "The Hui fish clan originated from the union of the third son of the Hornless Dragon's fifth grandson and a lamprey. Who knows how diluted our lineage has become? Even after a millennium, we have ended up as such a pathetic sight."

Huiyao grumbled, "You humans, on the other hand, benefited from your ancestors' early beginnings, amassing countless Metallic Essences and Fruition Attainments. You have established stable foundations, dividing lineages into different surnames to distinguish noble descendants. With countless cultivation methods available, how could we possibly compare?"

Huiyao kept nagging, "Even the descendants of the True Hornless Dragon, after ten thousand years, have achieved only minor success in Water Virtue and the Twelve Essences. When all is said and done, they still fall short of you humans."

Huiyao's demeanor lacked the pride typically associated with dragon-lineage demons. Instead, he appeared somewhat despondent. Shrugging, he remarked, "Otherwise... why else would we eat humans? They are a tremendous supplement. Even a mere fraction of their essence would provide benefits beyond measure."

Neither Li Qinghong nor Kongheng replied, silently listening. Huiyao quickly shifted the topic, explaining, "This Cloud Octopus cultivates the

Soft Advance

, one of the Twelve Essences, also called

Auspicious Essence

. Its direct combat strength is not particularly high; just make sure it does not escape."

The Dao lineages, such as Water Virtue or Fire Virtue, included numerous types. The Twelve Essences were one of them, encompassing twelve categories. Some were particularly famous, such as the

Purple Essence

of the Purple Smoke Gate and the Radiant Essence of the Golden Feather Sect.

The most common, however, was the widely known

Minor Pure Spiritual Qi

, which belonged to the

Pure Essence

category. It was the easiest to gather and was commonly cultivated by rogue cultivators.

Kongheng, having traveled widely, was familiar with many of these, but Li Qinghong, who had not encountered much, found herself curious. Together, they flew south, the sky growing darker as they advanced.

Hui'er had already gathered his group of serpent fish subordinates amidst the mist. He was even uglier than Huiyao, his head resembling a split watermelon. Leaving his followers behind, he silently joined the group.

Li Qinghong assessed their strength and concluded that this group of demons posed no significant threat. Keeping some distance, she and the others flew deeper south. Around them, gray mists began to rise, swirling and lingering. The mists coiled around their auras of light, and the surrounding spiritual energy gradually diminished.

After another fifteen minutes of flight, a massive vortex erupted, spinning into the gray fog and transforming into torrential rain that poured down heavily. The spiritual energy in this area remained relatively dense. Several gray eight-legged octopuses descended from the air.

Some of these Cloud Octopuses had already gained cultivation, riding clouds and fog to hover above. These massive creatures carried various animals and even humans in their tentacles. Upon seeing the group, they scattered, with some spraying golden mist as they dove into the sea to escape.

Huiyao, observing this scene, was elated. Laughing internally, he thought,

Heaven is dooming this old thing! Bringing along two righteous cultivators to witness your crimes will only deepen their hatred!

Kongheng closed his eyes slightly, saying nothing. Vague cries echoed in the air. Li Qinghong frowned, feeling they might be acting rashly. Before she could speak, Huiyao stepped forward, pulling out a golden scroll.

He slowly unrolled it, feigning a serious reading, and shouted, "Yun Xiaozi! The Dragon Son has already arrived at the Scarlet Pristine Sea! Why are you not hurrying to greet him?"

At this, the surrounding gray fog visibly trembled. A massive gray octopus emerged, its tentacles weaving through the clouds. Its skin was covered in countless sea-dwelling beetles. Two enormous, pitch-black eyes, as large as windows, stared fixedly at the group.

The Cloud Octopus quickly transformed into a human form—a hook-nosed old man with a sunken nose bridge and a wooden staff. He appeared doubtful, demanding, "What nonsense is this? Where is the token?"

Huiyao cursed loudly, "You blind bubble-eyed fool, you dare question the token?"

With a cold smirk, he grabbed Hui'er and said, "Let us go! Do not blame me for not warning you!"

He turned to leave, flying off. Yun Xiaozi couldn't stay calm. Not daring to gamble, it hastily rode the clouds to catch up, calling out, "I was only joking!"

Flying several li, it finally caught up with the group. Li Qinghong thought to herself,

This demon has improved. Its schemes are now somewhat credible—good enough for dealing with demons.

Huiyao swaggered with a dominant air, clearly carrying out a well-rehearsed plan. With a cold smile, he said, "The Dragon Son values me and tasked me with personally welcoming guests. Show some respect."

Yun Xiaozi scrutinized Li Qinghong and Kongheng. Huiyao introduced them, "These are disciples of the immortal sects..."

Yun Xiaozi had no choice but to step forward. As soon as it moved a few steps, the four immediately launched their attack. Thunder, fire, spiritual light, and demonic energy simultaneously struck it. Explosions and roars reverberated.

Boom!

Yun Xiaozi emitted a sharp shriek as golden mist erupted from its body, spreading over a ten li radius. Violent clashes and blasts echoed, and its figure disappeared amidst the chaos.

Huiyao burst into triumphant laughter. Pulling out a bell from his robes, he held it aloft. It glimmered with a translucent green light. Raising it to the sky, he blew on it lightly and shook it.

Clang, clang, clang…

A series of sharp bell chimes echoed, and the turbulent waves beneath instantly stilled, transforming into a gray, mirror-like surface, as flat and silent as if chiseled from stone.

Above the sea, it seemed as though a breeze swept through a field, rustling faintly. The golden mist dispersed in an instant, and several previously obscured spiritual senses swept across the ocean, all chasing southward.

"You... you borrowed a dharma artifact!" Yun Xiaozi appeared disheveled, his face scorched black and filled with panic. A streak of violet light streaked toward him, spearpoint gleaming, aiming straight for his back.

"Thunder techniques!" Yun Xiaozi cried out. Knowing his human form no longer concealed him, eight tendrils burst from beneath his robes, his lips transformed into a sharp, birdlike purple-black beak that quickly retracted into the writhing mass of his bloated flesh.

The enormous eight-tentacled creature emerged amidst the gray sea of clouds. Though her cultivation was slightly weaker, Li Qinghong showed no fear. Her spear swept horizontally, unleashing a rain of lightning bolts.

A violet Profound Patterned Bottle floated up from her waist, hovering steadily as it aimed at the creature's eyes. Threads of purple lightning began to gather, and dark clouds quickly covered the sky, flashing with thunder.

Li Qinghong only used a fraction of her strength, not even resorting to her treasured Profound Thunderpool, yet the display alone terrified the creature. Realizing she was the most formidable of his opponents, Yun Xiaozi cried out, "Fellow Daoist... what grievance do we have against each other?"

Boom!

The thunderbolt answered faster than her words. A pillar of lightning erupted from the violet bottle, its purple and white radiance intertwined as it struck Yun Xiaozi's massive body. His flesh was seared black, split open and scorched, forcing a shrill scream from his beak. Furious, his eight tentacles lashed out wildly toward the air.

Clang!

At that moment, the narrow-eyed monk burst forth with a brilliant golden light. Sitting cross-legged in midair, his previously tranquil expression shifted as his eyes snapped open with a commanding aura. Without a word, he extended a hand. Golden light poured forth, crashing down and forcibly pinning all of Yun Xiaozi's flailing tentacles back into place.

Kong Heng had not wasted the years since his breakthrough. No longer the fledgling monk who had just became a Master Monk, he radiated an aura of authority. The golden light blazed with searing heat, scorching Yun Xiaozi's tentacles until they curled up in retreat, quivering as they tried to avoid it.

It was then that Huiyao and Hui'er finally arrived, late to the battle. The two demon fish exchanged glances, their expressions betraying mutual bewilderment and fear.

Damn it... what the hell do they even need us for?!