Chapter 500 - 456: Letting Blood and Taking Action

King against king, general against general.

On this Asura Battlefield, though not strictly enforced, the overall flow of battle was still bound by this unwritten rule.

Chu Mu sat on a roof ridge, motionless, pouring and drinking wine for himself as he silently observed the fierce battle that had suddenly erupted.

The difference in spiritual wisdom between humans and demon beasts was originally a natural human advantage.

But in these Demon Suppression Islands, this advantage had clearly turned into an absolute disadvantage.

After all, humans possessed spiritual wisdom. Even ordinary mortals felt fear and had independent thoughts born from that wisdom. They wouldn't be willing to be manipulated at will.

Cultivators might find it difficult to command demon beasts, a different species with incomplete spiritual wisdom. However, higher-tier demon beasts could easily command their lower-tier brethren through the natural suppression of their bloodline and cultivation.

Furthermore, their incomplete spiritual wisdom made them instinctively savage. While they could feel fear, that emotion was largely suppressed by the blood-soaked battlefield and their own violent instincts.

Not to mention that in the Endless Vast Sea, the number of low-tier demon beasts was practically infinite.

Cultivators, on the other hand, clearly felt no sense of national duty or grand patriotism.

Without the moral constraints of patriotism, there were only two ways to command a cultivator: lure them with benefits or suppress them with power.

Even with the Chen Family using the merit point system as an incentive, once casualties reached a certain point, panic was bound to spread.

No matter how great the reward, no one would willingly throw their life away.

This was an undeniable reality.

At this point, the Chen Family could only resort to both methods.

Luring with benefits while suppressing with power and enforcing conscription would inevitably lead to widespread panic and constant anxiety.

'And from what I understand,' Chu Mu mused, 'this is a development the Longevity Sect—and those still lurking in the shadows—would be delighted to witness.'

'Once discontent festers to a breaking point, someone need only raise a banner and issue a call to arms, and followers will flock to them like clouds.'

'With the backing of a Nascent Soul Great Power and the Longevity Sect fanning the flames, the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World will likely see a repeat of the Great Chu rebellion!'

Beset by threats from within and without, the Vast Sea Chen Family would find itself in a precarious position, despite sharing the same roots and being inextricably linked to the Flood Dragon Race.

"What a tumultuous era..."

Chu Mu let out a long sigh.

'Such a situation can only be described as karmic. Where there is a cause, there will be an effect.'

'The Great Chu rebellion was born from a weak central power and strong vassals; the seeds of that conflict were sown long ago.'

'The chaos in the Vast Sea stems from bloodlines, from the Flood Dragons, and also from the Great Chu rebellion.'

'You reap what you sow.'

'Even in the Cultivation Immortal Realm, there is no escaping this karmic cycle.'

Setting down his wine cup, Chu Mu looked up at the sky over the inner island. After a moment of contemplation, he turned his gaze back to the blood-drenched Asura Battlefield.

He Fengshan's Jade Crystal Spirit Gaze, a technique derived from the Celestial Tier bloodline of the Jade-eyed Golden Crystal Beast, occasionally flared with an emerald divine light. He was single-handedly fighting two Tier Three demon beasts, yet he wasn't at the slightest disadvantage.

Chu Mu had heard of the title 'Jade Crystal True Master' ever since he himself reached the Core Formation stage.

Although he was only at the Early Stage of Golden Core, his Spiritual Eye Divine Techniques were considered among the top tier of all bloodline divine techniques in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World.

After a moment's observation, Chu Mu looked away. With his naked eye alone, he could spot dozens of Golden Core True Masters rampaging through the beast tide.

Most of them exuded the distinct aura of a Flood Dragon bloodline, and some had even transformed directly into Flood Dragon bodies. They were clearly members of the Chen Family, or rather, the Flood Dragon race that bore the Chen surname.

Conversely, there were few with true Bloodline Golden Cores; most were orthodox Immortal Dao Cultivators like himself.

Each wielded their own divine techniques, their magical treasures filling the air. Their divine power was vast. For now, at least, the overall battle at the Golden Core level remained in a state of relative balance.

The battle among the low-tier cultivators, however, was far more brutal.

In a beast tide of this scale, Foundation Establishment Cultivators had at least some meager ability to protect themselves. But the Qi Cultivation Cultivators were not so fortunate. Even with the protection of the Puppet Battle Armor issued by the Chen Family, and despite fighting in formations, a single moment of carelessness in the surging tide of beasts meant being crushed to a pulp.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the grand legion of low-tier cultivators had already been visibly overwhelmed, with nearly half of them swallowed by the surging beast tide.

Fortunately, reinforcements streamed in continuously from the inner islands, barely managing to establish a fragile balance against the surging beast tide.

The situation was clear: it was a matter of which side would break first.

The demon beasts could retreat, but the cultivators had no such option.

If they retreated, the high-tier cultivators might be able to withdraw safely, but the countless low-tier cultivators would be nothing more than food for the demon beasts.

As Chu Mu's thoughts drifted, disaster suddenly struck He Fengshan, who had been calmly handling two Tier Three demon beasts.

From within the tide of beasts, an ordinary, low-tier Bone-Transforming Beast suddenly transformed. Its bones erupted from its body, forming a dense coat of sharp spikes that glinted with the cold chill of metal arrowheads.

A terrifying aura, far beyond that of a low-tier demon beast, erupted from it.

He Fengshan's expression changed drastically when he sensed the transformation, but before he could react, the mutated Bone-Transforming Beast violently self-destructed!

A surging shockwave tore through the air, and the bone spikes shot out, filling the sky like a torrential downpour!

Within a radius of hundreds of yards, countless demon beasts were instantly shredded by the explosive volley of spikes.

He Fengshan staggered out of the sky and plunged toward the sea. He was covered in blood. A gruesome gash ran across his eyes, and several sharp spikes were embedded in his back, from which blood flowed freely. Even the divine light in his eyes had dimmed considerably.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, save me!"

Without even a moment to check his wounds, He Fengshan whipped his head toward Earth Demon Island and cried out!

Instantly, a crimson light flared from Earth Demon Island. It streaked across the sky like a meteor, arriving before He Fengshan in the blink of an eye. A faint phantom of a fire dragon swept out, accompanied by what seemed to be a distant dragon's roar, and in that instant, it knocked back a pouncing Tier Three Red Cloud Beast.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, my Spiritual Gaze is injured! Please, hold them off for a moment. I would be eternally grateful!"

"I accepted the responsibility, so I will see it through. Rest easy, Fellow Daoist He."

Chu Mu's tone was calm, but as he glanced at the metallic spikes in He Fengshan's back, his expression grew visibly grim.

With his expertise in artifact refining, it wasn't difficult for him to see traces that the metallic spikes had been artificially forged.

He had witnessed the entire event with his own eyes.

'That Bone-Transforming Beast was most likely a flesh puppet, a creature designed specifically to self-destruct and ambush powerful cultivators. If I hadn't intervened in time, He Fengshan would have been gravely injured, if not killed.'

"Then I'll leave it to you, Fellow Daoist."

He Fengshan dared not delay. With those parting words, he took cover behind Chu Mu and leaped away, vanishing onto Earth Demon Island in the blink of an eye.

Only then did Chu Mu turn his attention to the two Tier Three demon beasts already bearing down on him.

One was a Red Cloud Beast at the early stage of Tier Three, the other a Golden-winged Bird at the middle stage of Tier Three.

Before he could examine them further, a sharp whistle cut through the air. Countless phantasmal golden feathers, like sharp, twisting swords glinting with golden light, formed a golden rain that descended upon him.

Meanwhile, the Red Cloud Beast dissolved into a crimson poison cloud. With a roar, the toxic mist billowed and surged toward him, coordinating its attack with the rain of golden blades!

Now that the battle was upon him, Chu Mu's expression became serene. With a flick of his fingers, crimson light twisted and condensed into a row of fireballs before him. Several faint golden fire dragons materialized, circling the fireballs and letting out low roars.

With a light flick of his finger, the fireballs, each wreathed in the phantom of a dragon, shot forward. They collided with the rain of golden blades and the crimson poison cloud, instantly unleashing a brilliant explosion of light that swept out for hundreds of meters. The terrifying fluctuations of Spiritual Qi annihilated every living thing within the blast radius.

A flicker of surprise crossed Chu Mu's eyes.

'I didn't use the Nine Dragon Prison Suppression Tower to avoid revealing my trump card in a place with so many eyes on me.'

'I merely used my transformed Great Sun True Flame as a source, borrowed a sliver of the Nine Dragon Prison Suppression Tower's mighty power, and channeled it through the Sword Intent Finger Snap. I had only intended to hold them off before finishing them secretly with my Sword Intent.'

'But this power...'

'It seems... a little beyond my expectations.'

'A single, casual strike was enough to force back two Tier Three demon beasts.'

'My strength... it seems it's even greater than I thought!'

'Top Grade Golden Core...'

Chu Mu came to a realization.

He raised his hand and made a grasping motion. Flames coalesced into the shape of a blade, and a potent battle intent surged within him.

'Since reaching the Golden Core realm, aside from the battle where I was completely overwhelmed in the Demon Realm, I've never truly fought an opponent of the same tier.'

'I don't even have a clear concept of my own strength.'

'Today, I'll find out...'