Chapter 505 - 461: Refusing a Toast Only to Drink a Forfeit

"I, Mo Bai, have long heard of your great name, fellow cultivator. I hope you'll forgive my presumption in seeking a meeting today!"

The White Snake coiled, and as its unhurried voice echoed, it eventually took the form of a youth in white robes, who gave Chu Mu a courteous bow.

Chu Mu's expression was indifferent. He naturally knew that this white-robed youth before him was merely a form created by an Illusion Skill; its true body was still within the vortex of ice and snow.

Demon Beasts could only gain the ability to switch freely between human and beast forms if they underwent Transformation at Tier Four. Only then could they combine the advantages of both human and Demon.

Otherwise, any other method of taking on a human appearance could only be a false Illusion, not a person in the true sense of the word.

And this Profound Snake before him, who called himself Mo Bai, had a Cultivation of only Tier Three Middle Stage!

Chu Mu asked in a low voice, "I don't believe you and I have ever crossed paths, have we?"

"Though I have not met you before, fellow cultivator, I have heard much of your name. I have admired you from afar for a long time, which is why I have presumed to disturb you today."

The white-robed youth remained courteous, deliberately taking a humble, even slightly reverent, stance.

"And this is your way of 'disturbing' me?"

Chu Mu raised an eyebrow, glancing at the dual-bladed giant beast.

"The beast lacks full Spiritual Wisdom and acts recklessly. If it has offended you, fellow cultivator, then I, Mo Bai, will apologize on its behalf."

"Heh..."

Chu Mu chuckled lightly. Looking at this youth who acted more human than a human, he cut to the chase. "What do you want from me?"

"My race has always placed great importance on the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortal. I have heard that you, fellow cultivator, possess a Pill and Artifact Dual Proficiency that is unparalleled in the Vast Sea. Today, I have taken the liberty of inviting you..."

The youth remained courteous, his face holding a gentle smile as if it were stamped from a mold.

Chu Mu frowned and glanced at the dual-bladed giant beast, a series of memories surfacing in his mind.

From the Giant Eagle he had encountered before, to the countless Flesh Puppet creations during the Beast Tide, and now this dual-bladed giant beast...

All the signs proved that the Profound Serpent Race, at the very least, possessed a relatively complete system of Cultivation Immortal Civilization.

'But this is clearly unrealistic. The Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortal—every single one of them—not only have extremely high requirements for talent but are also systems built entirely around humans.'

'Even for Bloodline Cultivators, the mere corrosion from their Demon Beast Bloodline has caused the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortal to languish and nearly die out in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World.'

'All the High Tier Refiners and Array Masters I have seen in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World, with the exception of a few who possessed special bloodlines, were either pure Immortal Dao Cultivators or had switched to bloodline cultivation midway through their journey. With the support of their foundational knowledge, they could barely maintain some of their skills.'

'Bloodline Cultivators who were born and raised as such find it almost impossible to achieve great heights in the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortal.'

'They can reach Tier One or Tier Two at best. For one to advance their skills to Tier Three after years under the influence of their bloodline is nothing short of a miracle!'

'If this is the case for Bloodline Cultivators, it's even more so for Demon Beasts.'

'Normally, a Tier Three Demon Beast has no Spiritual Wisdom. They only develop a complete Spiritual Wisdom upon reaching Tier Four.'

'For a Tier Four Cultivator to then start learning a Cultivation Immortal Technique from scratch is already a far-fetched notion, to say nothing of the fact that the influence of a Demon Beast Bloodline on the Demon Beast itself is practically instinctual.'

'Even if some Demon Beasts managed to awaken their intellect early, they couldn't possibly escape the influence of their bloodline's instincts.'

'Under these circumstances, the truth is undoubtedly clear.'

'Even if the Profound Serpent Race had a few genius Demon Beasts capable of overcoming their bloodline instincts and mastering these techniques, they would be an absolute minority. They couldn't possibly establish a relatively complete and systematic Cultivation Immortal Civilization.'

'It's even more impossible for it to be as widespread as what I've seen.'

'The only possibility is that there are Cultivators—a group of Cultivators skilled in the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortal—serving the Profound Serpent Race.'

'So... is it because of my reputation for Pill and Artifact Dual Proficiency? Or is it because of that Tier Four Soldier Puppet that the Profound Serpent Race has targeted me?'

Chu Mu's gaze turned a little colder. While he didn't hold himself to any grand moral principles, the idea of serving Demon Beasts, of being their lackey, was utterly absurd.

"I suggest you leave!"

Chu Mu's voice had grown colder.

"Fellow cultivator, you should know that we of the Demon Race have little need or use for most Treasures of Heaven and Earth."

"My race has existed in the Vast Sea for over a hundred thousand years. In such a long time, we have collected countless Treasures of Heaven and Earth."

"If you are willing to join my race, fellow cultivator, then I, Mo Bai, can guarantee that my race's Treasure Vault will be opened to you without reservation."

After speaking, Mo Bai added with a pointed look, "We even have a considerable collection of Flood Dragon Souls!"

Chu Mu's eyes narrowed slightly. Even with his mental fortitude, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of temptation.

'It remains to be seen whether Mo Bai is lying about opening the Treasure Vault to me.'

'But his claim about his race having a Treasure Vault is obviously not false.'

'Demon Beast Cultivation doesn't rely on external items; it focuses only on the transformation of the Demon Body.'

'If it were Treasures of Heaven and Earth that could increase Cultivation or benefit the Demon Body and bloodline, their Treasure Vault might not have many.'

'But most other Treasures of Heaven and Earth are obviously useless to Demon Beasts.'

'Take Spirit Ore, for example. Without being processed by Artifact Refining Skill, any Spirit Ore is just Ore Materials with special properties, its uses extremely limited.'

'A considerable portion of Spirit Medicine, if consumed directly without being refined, would be more harmful than beneficial, even for a Demon Beast's bloodline.'

'One can only imagine how many Treasures of Heaven and Earth the Profound Serpent Race has collected over such a long history, especially in a primitive place like the Vast Sea, which has never been developed by Cultivators.'

The temptation lasted only for an instant before vanishing without a trace.

'There's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if there were, I'd have to see if I'm qualified to eat it.'

'If I really went to the Profound Serpent Race, I would clearly have no right to negotiate. I'd probably be branded with a Slave Seal and be driven by Demon Beasts from then on.'

"I appreciate the kind offer."

Chu Mu's voice remained cold. "I have already notified those on the island. Reinforcements will arrive soon. If you leave now, you should still have time."

The youth's face turned icy in an instant, his previous courtesy gone without a trace. "You really refuse?"

"Please."

Unmoved, Chu Mu gestured for him to leave.

"So you've chosen the hard way!"

"Whether you're willing or not is not up to you!"

The youth snorted coldly. The white robes dissipated, and within the frozen vortex on the seabed, the White Snake raised its head. It opened its mouth and spat out a wisp of frost that, in the blink of an eye, surged from the vortex like a volcanic eruption!

At the same time, the dual-bladed giant beast, which had been still, seemed to receive another command. With a roar, its Demon Body shifted. The Qianlan Ice Flame billowed, and its crossed, deep blue Giant Blades swept down to engulf Chu Mu.

With the Qianlan Giant Blades above and the White Snake's frost below, in just a brief moment, Chu Mu was facing the most terrifying life-or-death crisis since his time in the Demon Realm.

The Divine Soul Blade sent frantic warnings, yet Chu Mu's expression remained calm. He didn't dodge; in a situation like this, there was no room to do so.

Especially when he was unsure of Mo Bai's methods, he needed to be all the more cautious.

Chu Mu raised a hand, and the Ancient Tower floated up, hovering above his head. In an instant, with the Ancient Tower at its center, boundless True Flame surged forth, forming a screen of light with Nine Dragons Spiraling around it, completely enveloping him.

At the same time, he swiped his hand across his chest. A Flaming Blade stretched into existence out of thin air. As its sharp edge appeared, a cold glint flashed in his eyes!

'To catch bandits, first catch the king. At this moment, with my life on the line, I can't afford to hesitate!'

"Slash!"

He ignored the dual Qianlan blades descending from the sky and instead slashed fiercely down at the frost on the sea's surface.

The blade slashed down in an instant. The crimson light of the blade streaked across the sky at an unimaginable speed, like a falling star. In a single breath, it crossed over a thousand meters, the Flaming Blade arriving before the erupting frost.

Fire and ice collided. At that moment, a crisp sound, like shattering glass, seemed to spread through the air. The crimson blade light sank into the frost as if cutting through tofu, instantly splitting the erupting frost in two.

The White Snake hissed, seemingly somewhat shocked. It opened its mouth and spat again, and another deluge of frost appeared. But this time, the frost was not in a misty state; it transformed into a series of frost mirrors, blocking the path of the descending blade light.

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

The blade light cut through them like a hot knife through butter, shattering one ice mirror after another. But soon, countless more ice mirrors formed in succession.

Ultimately, amidst this endless barrage, the sharpness of the blade light was gradually worn down and dissipated into nothing.

"Innate Divine Techniques? A Defense Divine Technique?"

Chu Mu's pupils shrank. The vigilance in his heart grew even stronger.

The White Snake's telepathic voice, tinged with obvious surprise, reached him. "To think you're also a True Cultivator of Sword Intent! I truly didn't expect that!"

"You've also surprised me, I must say. With such an Innate Divine Technique, I'm afraid few below the Nascent Soul realm could possibly harm you," Chu Mu chuckled.

Though his words were light and casual, the blade in his hand remained ruthless. He slashed down again and again, as if vowing not to stop until he succeeded.

As for the dual-bladed giant beast, Chu Mu was now completely ignoring it.

With the Nine Dragon Prison Suppression Tower above his head, he let the giant beast wantonly hack and slash at it with its dual blades, and allowed the Qianlan Ice Flame and the Great Sun True Flame to erode and devour each other.

'The situation is dire: a mutated Tier Three Middle Stage Profound Snake on one side, and a dual-bladed giant beast that will be equally difficult for me to kill on the other.'

'My only choice is to use the defensive Mighty Power of the Nine Dragon Prison Suppression Tower to buy some time and go for the leader. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to find a way to escape.'

'Fighting one against two, and both of them are special beings whose Cultivation Realms exceed my own... I will surely lose!'

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