Chapter 0278: Supreme Hunting Ground
Chapter 0278: Supreme Hunting Ground
The development came too suddenly. Up till this point, Wu Yu was still in a daze.
After some time, he finally came to the realization that he had probably been swallowed by a huge snake. This was a horrifying, large snake that even Ming Long was wary of.
Jiu Ying had addressed this huge snake as "Uncle Ba" and claimed that it has no intelligence and that it had harmed Wu Yu...
Wu Yu took a deep breath and calmed himself before saying, "Jiu Ying, relax a little. Tell me what's going on and we can think of a solution together."
Since it had happened, lamenting about it would not help the situation.
Jiu Ying was getting a little desperate. However, when he saw Wu Yu's composed eyes, he calmed himself a little and replied, "You probably got a glance of a huge snake a while ago. We are currently in its stomach. Its name is ‘Ba She’ and it is a powerful companion demon of my father. You can see it as a brother of my father. However, as it is a companion beast, Ba She doesn't have intelligence. Despite being extremely powerful and having reached the Primordial Spirit Realm, it is similar to a beast. Other than being able to communicate with my father through thoughts and being able to listen to my father's orders, it can't communicate with others. He must have been ordered by my father to bring me back to the Gloomy Dreams Seas."
Wu Yu was a little dumbfounded. He was foreign to the term "companion beast." Based on his knowledge, even weaker demons like Wan Qing had minds of their own. She could even live within the palace in human form. However, this huge beast that had reached the Primordial Spirit Realm surprisingly did not have its own intelligence. That was indeed a strange thing.
"So, it is here to bring you back. I was probably too close to you at that moment. Coupled with the fact that it doesn't have intelligence, it pulled me in as well. Moreover, you can't communicate with it right now. Therefore, he is bringing the two of us back to the Endless Demon Seas?" Wu Yu made his conjecture from the flustered looks and answers from Jiu Ying.
Jiu Ying nodded his head helplessly and replied, "Yeah, that's how it is. If I could converse with it, I'd definitely ask him to release you right now. But this dumbass is just a meaty body filled with demonic power...."
In other words, Wu Yu was likely to be brought into the faraway Endless Demon Seas.
Obviously, ordinary demons preferred to refer to it as the Gloomy Dreams Seas.
"When we get there, just get it to send me back. Although this will take up a lot of time, there's no other solution now..." Wu Yu could only resign himself to fate.
He was guessing that if he had stayed away from Jiu Ying a little further, he wouldn't have been dragged in.
To his astonishment, Jiu Ying shook his head and said apologetically, "There might be some issues with that. This is because I had escaped from the Supreme Hunting Ground before. Considering my father's temper, he has probably asked Uncle Ba to throw me back into the Supreme Hunting Ground. At that time, you will probably be thrown in too. If I can't complete the hunting mission in the Supreme Hunting Ground, even I will not be allowed to come out. For a human like you, it would probably be even..."
Wu Yu was completely overwhelmed by what he heard. However, at least he was still alive. He did get a rough idea that getting back to Shushan wouldn't be easy at all.
The development of events had completely exceeded his expectations.
"Wu Yu." Jiu Ying suddenly looked to him and said, "I don't wish to hide from you. My father is, in fact, the master of the Gloomy Dreams Seas and the supreme leader of the demons. On the heavenly continent, he is known as Ying Huang."
Upon hearing this, Wu Yu's heart skipped a beat. He even thought he had misheard Jiu Ying. However, Jiu Ying was serious and clearly wouldn't joke about this matter.
Wu Yu recalled the introduction of this old demon in the Endless Demon Seas while reading the Lore of the Divine Continent. It was said that Ying Huang was the arch enemy of Shushan and had existed for countless years. Based on records, he was violent, savage, arbitrary, cruel, and had started countless catastrophes that had struck the heavenly continent. He had only been forced and confined within the Endless Demon Seas recently after a large number of orthodox sects allied together to deal with him….
The king of the various demons was none other than Ying Huang!
To encounter the son of Ying Huang by chance of all demons! Wu Yu's luck was really through the skies.
It was no wonder Jiu Ying’s demon bloodline was so incredibly strong. He was the son of Ying Huang, so it was only natural that he was capable of such. There weren't any records of Ying Huang having a descendant. Considering the young age of Jiu Ying, it was clear that this had only happened in the past decade or so. There were probably few who knew about this on the heavenly continent.
Before Wu Yu could react to the shocking news, Jiu Ying said bitterly, "The issue is that my father is too stubborn and strict with me. He even forces me to kill humans. He threw me into the Supreme Hunting Ground, a place that I would have to kill to get out of. Previously, I managed to escape before being thrown in. This was just a few days ago. I wasn't found out earlier as we were underground. The moment we got to the surface, Uncle Ba found me and took me away. He previously told me that if I can't make my way out of that Supreme Hunting Ground, he won't be seeing me again. If I get thrown inside directly, it will be futile even if I cry and scream the entire time."
Jiu Ying was only afraid of being thrown in directly. If he could get out of the Supreme Hunting Ground, he could at least converse with the other demons. At that time, he might be able to send Wu Yu out.
Naturally, this was established on the assumption that these demons wouldn't see Wu Yu as an enemy.
No matter what, he was the son of Ying Huang. Although Wu Yu had been captured by accident, he shouldn't be in grave danger.
"I have no solution at all right now. All I can do is to wait for Uncle Ba to bring us back to the Gloomy Dreams Seas." Seeing that Jiu Ying had been using the term "Gloomy Dreams Seas," Wu Yu felt that it was more appropriate for him to use the same term.
"That's right."
"Alright. With regard to the Supreme Hunting Ground, what kind of place is that?"
Jiu Ying looked a little abashed as he said, "You might be angry when you learn about it."
"It will be fine." Wu Yu was still relatively composed.
Therefore, Jiu Ying answered honestly, "The Supreme Hunting Ground is a place of trials for our demon race. As the name suggests, it's a place for young demons to hunt. There's a total of 10 levels. Each level is a completely sealed world with only a connection point between each of the 10 levels. In each level, there are various prey. You should be able to guess what the prey for our demon race is..."
Wu Yu instantly thought of the Demons' Abyss!
Indeed, what comes around goes around.
"They are humans, or cultivators," answered Wu Yu.
"That's right. There are various cultivators from major sects on the heavenly continent, like the Tianyi Race. In fact, there is quite a number of ghostly cultivators too. They are basically prisoners of the demon race and are thrown into the Supreme Hunting Ground by our seniors to provide trials for young demons. In the Supreme Hunting Ground, they have to defeat a certain number of demons to gain the opportunity to leave. As for our demon race, a demon has to make it through 10 levels and obtain 10 Enslavement Injunction Orders to be allowed to leave the Supreme Hunting Ground. If you succeed in completing the mission, not only will you get lots of rewards, but you will also be able to enjoy high status.
Just as Wu Yu had expected, this setting was almost identical to the Demons' Abyss.
However, it was obvious that the predators within the Supreme Hunting Ground would be much stronger than the demons within the Demons' Abyss. The Demons' Abyss was located in the Common Sword Domain. Wu Yu didn't know if the other four main sword domains would have similar facilities. Wu Yu's guess was that they probably existed....
Martial cultivators used demons to hone their swordsmanship, while demons used martial cultivators as prey. What comes around goes around as karma.
Jiu Ying continued, "Truth be told, the actual scenario is like this. When a demon from the demon race enters the Supreme Hunting Ground, it has to kill a martial cultivator at each level to obtain the Enslavement Injunction Order from him. This is a special spiritual immortal treasure of the demon race. However, martial cultivators are only allowed to defeat us to obtain the Demon Injunction Order on us. If a Great Demon Enforcer finds out that a martial cultivator has gravely injured or killed the demon, he will be slain immediately. The only way to get out seems to be collecting a total of 50 Demon Injunction Orders."
Although Jiu Ying was apologetic, Wu Yu knew clearly that this setting was not much different from that of the Demons' Abyss. In the Demons' Abyss, demons were the prey and not allowed to kill Shushan disciples.
In order to ensure Wu Yu understood clearly, Jiu Ying continued, "You might not be able to understand this, but the demon race respects those with true strength and not those with just high status without the corresponding strength. Although I'm the son of Ying Huang, there aren't many in the Gloomy Dreams Seas who would listen to me. Unless, of course, I can meet up with my father after proving my strength. As a human, you will likely be seen as an enemy. I'm worried that they will treat you as a slave martial cultivator and throw you into the Supreme Hunting Ground as prey for the demons...."
"There's such a thing?" This was something different from Shushan. In Shushan, as long as you made it clear who you were, whose disciple you were, or whose descendant you were, you would be feared and respected, regardless of your actual strength. If Wu Yu had become a disciple of the Galaxy Sword Sage, there would probably be quite a number of Heaven sword rank disciples who would try to get onto his good books.
This might be the difference in thinking between a human and a demon.
If he was thrown into that Supreme Hunting Ground, he would be similar to the fox demon in the Demons' Abyss. What would be his outcome? Seeing the gloomy look of Jiu Ying, who had always been able to stay calm, Wu Yu could roughly guess his outcome.
"For martial cultivators who have just arrived, they are implanted with the Enslavement Injunction Order. After which, they will be placed in one of the 10 levels based on their strength in battle. They are not allowed to enter other levels without authorization. If there's a change in the assessment of strength, they will be quickly shifted to a stronger hunting ground. This continues until the martial cultivator obtains 50 Demon Injunction Orders.... However, I will definitely fight for the opportunity to send you out safely. I believe some demons will still give me a little leeway." In this aspect, Jiu Ying wasn't very convinced with what he was saying.
He couldn't confirm his thoughts at this moment, he could only wait till Ba She let him out.
Wu Yu had never expected himself to reach the Endless Demon Seas, a place he was slightly curious but mainly fearful of, in such a way. This was a place that belonged to the demons. It was said that there were countless demons in it. Some were so big, they could cover the skies, while some were so small that one could hardly see them with his naked eye. Nonetheless, these small demons were capable of easily killing their enemies. Other than these, even rocks, trees, or even discarded miscellaneous items could become demons after a long period of time.
Ba She's speed was shocking. Jiu Ying estimated that they would reach the Supreme Hunting Ground of the Endless Demon Seas soon.
"Wu Yu, I'm really sorry." Jiu Ying was still feeling very apologetic. The key was that he felt extremely depressed. Ba She was just like a wild beast without brains. No matter what Ying Huang ordered him to do, he would do it in a very direct manner and complete his mission according to orders.
Recalling that green eyes that were still like a lake, Wu Yu indeed didn't felt a tinge of intelligence from them.
"This might just be part of my destiny. Even if I have to defeat 50 demons to get out, I'll just take it as a trial. I don't mind it." Wu Yu had gotten over the incident.
Even if he had returned to Shushan, he would also be cultivating. The time for Nangong Wei to come out had not arrived.
The only shame was that he had completed the mission but had not claimed his merit points. He hoped that Shushan would not forget about this when he eventually returned.