Chapter 688 Confront the Demon King, Finish Them Off

Song Changsheng and Niu Dazhuang breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the Red-tailed Golden Eagle dive into the Gang Qi Layer and flee in disgrace.

“Damn it. Good thing that feathered bastard’s Cultivation wasn’t high, or we’d have had a hard time getting away today,” Niu Dazhuang said, wiping the cold sweat from his brow, still shaken.

“Forget about that. We need to cross the river, now. The fight made a huge racket, and it might have already attracted the attention of the Water Demons in the river.”

At these words, Niu Dazhuang shuddered and immediately picked up the pace. These Water Demons were even more troublesome than the raptors in the sky. It would be dangerous if they were to get bogged down.

It took them nearly a full hour, but the two finally managed to cross the Canglan River.

“This river… it’s vaster than the sea.”

Standing on the soft earth, Song Changsheng couldn’t help but marvel. In his past life, he had seen the sea—boundless and vast. Compared to that, even the greatest rivers seemed to pale in significance.

Yet this Canglan River before him was every bit as magnificent as the seas of his past life.

“The sea? What’re you talking about? You’ve seen the sea before?” Niu Dazhuang asked, surprised.

The region they were in was extremely far from any ocean. Many Cultivators went their whole lives without ever knowing what the “sea” looked like.

Niu Dazhuang himself had only ever read descriptions of the sea in ancient texts; he had never seen it with his own eyes.

Hearing Niu Dazhuang’s question, Song Changsheng snapped back to his senses and quickly explained, “Er… I haven’t seen it either. I’ve just read a thing or two about it in the texts left behind by our predecessors. Never had the chance to see it myself. I was just moved by the magnificence of the Canglan River, that’s all.”

“Oh, so that’s it. Well, you’ve got it all wrong. There are countless waterways in this world. The Canglan River is nothing special, and it’s a far cry from the real sea. Changsheng, you’re still young. If you ever get the chance, you should go see the East Sea. *That’s* what you call vast. Don’t be a… a bug at the bottom of a well,” Niu Dazhuang said with the pompous air of a seasoned veteran, crossing his arms.

“…”

“Alright, enough nonsense. Don’t forget we’re here on official business,” Song Changsheng said irritably, shooting Niu Dazhuang a glare.

“Fine, you’re the boss. Which way now?” Niu Dazhuang readily agreed.

“We’ll head southeast. That should let us avoid the territories of most known Great Demons. If we run into one on the way, we shouldn’t get bogged down in a fight. It’ll be a real problem if we get surrounded.”

At this, Niu Dazhuang’s expression turned serious as well. This was the Demon Realm, far from the Human Race World. If they were besieged, they wouldn’t receive any support anytime soon.

The two of them concealed their figures and auras, weaving through the dense forest and carefully avoiding every Great Demon’s territory along the way.

Over the next several days, they traveled thousands upon thousands of miles. It was hard to say whether it was good luck or a well-chosen route, but their journey was startlingly calm. They hadn’t spotted a single trace of a Great Demon.

But in the Demon Realm, such peace was the greatest abnormality of all…

「Late one night.」

Song Changsheng and Niu Dazhuang were resting and regulating their breathing inside an Array.

Suddenly, Song Changsheng’s eyes snapped open, shining like two brilliant stars in the pitch-black night.

“What is it?” Niu Dazhuang, also startled awake, looked over in confusion.

Song Changsheng said nothing, merely pointing up.

Niu Dazhuang looked up and instantly saw a flock of snow-white birds flapping their wings in silence as they flew overhead.

“Three-legged Migratory Birds? There are so many of them.”

Hearing Niu Dazhuang’s astonished voice, Song Changsheng nodded. “Correct. Three-legged Migratory Birds. Judging by their numbers, this is likely an entire flock on the move.”

“But it’s not the right season. Why are they migrating now? Besides, the deeper in you go, the more dangerous it gets. They can dominate a patch of territory on the fringes of the Demon Realm with their numbers, but if they go into the interior, won’t they just be an easy meal for other Demon Beasts?”

The Three-legged Migratory Birds were one of the few Demon Beasts in this world that still retained their migratory instincts. Whenever the climate changed, their leader would instinctively guide them to a new location, where they would put down roots and wait for the next migration.

This was their breeding season, a time when they would never migrate—let alone deeper into the Demon Realm.

“Perhaps… they were summoned by a Demon King.” A glint flashed in Song Changsheng’s eyes. It was the only explanation that made sense.

A Demon King was more than just a title. They were true Kings among beasts, holding absolute power and dominion over Low-tier Demon Beasts.

When a Demon King issues a summons, none dare disobey.

These Three-legged Migratory Birds had most likely been summoned, forcing them to go against their own survival instincts and migrate toward the inner Demon Realm during their breeding season.

“Even a minor flock like the Three-legged Migratory Birds has been conscripted… No wonder we haven’t seen hide nor hair of a Great Demon this whole time. Changsheng, the scale of this Beast Tide might be far beyond what either of us can imagine.”

Niu Dazhuang’s face was grim as he spoke, having listened to Song Changsheng’s analysis.

“This is just a theory. Seeing is believing. No matter what, we have to see it for ourselves before we can decide anything. Let’s go. We’ll follow this flock of Three-legged Migratory Birds. We might be able to find where the beasts are gathering.”

“Right.”

The two instantly agreed. They quickly concealed their figures and followed.

The Three-legged Migratory Birds possessed no Divine Beast bloodline. Perhaps they once had, but after countless ages of dilution, it had grown incredibly thin. They were at the very bottom of the Demon Beast hierarchy. Their only advantage was their fecundity; every flock was enormous.