Chapter Eleven: Targeted by the Young Demon Crab
The campfire still burned within the encampment, casting flickering shadows that revealed every detail of the young demon crab lurking outside the spiritwood fence.
“Damn it, it’s that young demon crab again! One of its little crab legs was severed by my ‘Double Wave Slash’—I can’t be mistaken!”
Ye Mo’s heart sank.
He made no rash moves, keeping his figure hidden in the shadowed recesses of the cave. The young demon crab hesitated in front of the spiritwood fence, pacing restlessly, but showed no sign of charging it.
Mo Ling had already awakened in alarm.
Ye Mo signaled to her, slowly drawing his Azure Edge Sword in preparation.
Mo Ling nodded in response.
Ye Mo watched the young demon crab intently.
He hoped above all that it would leave of its own accord. Facing this mysterious and powerful creature, with its enigmatic aquatic sorcery, left him uneasy—even as a mid-ranked martial artist.
Unless forced, Ye Mo had no desire to engage it.
The young demon crab lingered outside the fence, growing impatient as it realized it could not enter the cave.
Suddenly, it swung its golden pincers, slamming them hard against the spiritwood fence.
A loud crash resounded.
The sturdy fence dented, splintering small shards of wood.
Yet, even with its immense strength—hundreds of pounds—the crab could not easily destroy the barrier. It would take dozens of strikes to break open a hole large enough for it to pass through.
“Damn, it’s trying to break the fence!” Ye Mo was startled.
He could not allow the hard-won spiritwood fence to be ruined by this creature, or he’d have nowhere safe to sleep.
“Now!” he cried.
He leapt up, rushing to the inside of the fence, gripping the Azure Edge Sword tightly, and struck out, the blade flashing cold as it slashed toward the crab.
There were gaps in the fence; the crab’s massive body could not enter, but Ye Mo could reach it with his sword.
“Wavebreaker Slash!”
His fierce, swift strike landed squarely on the crab’s cold, golden-glinting pincer.
Ye Mo’s battle spirit surged—he had just absorbed the fiery medicinal power of the Scarlet Blood Vine, his body burning, strength seeking release. Since the crab was attacking the fence, he retaliated without hesitation.
Mo Ling followed, drawing her Black Plum sword and thrusting rapidly at the crab’s joints.
But her blade bounced harmlessly off its shell.
“No good! I can’t hurt it. My sword technique is too nimble, not powerful enough—I can’t break through its shell!” Mo Ling’s expression was anxious.
“Don’t worry, I can wound it!” Ye Mo replied coldly.
The young demon crab recoiled from the blow, retreating several yards from the fence.
It recognized Ye Mo as its foe, shrieking angrily, then charged the fence again, intent on smashing it open to get at him.
Another crash left a fresh mark on the fence.
Each time it tried to break through, Ye Mo’s sword lashed out with lightning speed, leaving fresh wounds on its pincers.
Ordinary mid-ranked martial artists could not harm its shell.
But Ye Mo’s “Wavebreaker Slash” was too powerful. Ten years and ten million repetitions of training had brought it to the level of “turning decay into miracle,” transcending the ordinary. This strike rivaled those of grandmasters of any generation.
Each blow left a scar on its shell.
It dared not linger before the fence. If it remained still, Ye Mo could deliver six or seven consecutive strikes, likely severing its hardest golden pincers. And breaking the fence would take at least twenty or thirty attempts.
After nearly half an hour, the crab’s pincers were scored with scars of varying depth.
It waved them menacingly outside but no longer dared approach the fence, realizing not only could it not harm Ye Mo within, it couldn’t damage the fence either.
As for its water arrow sorcery, it refrained from using it.
Not yet fully grown, employing that sorcery was harmful to itself.
The young demon crab circled outside the cave for a while, unable to find a way in.
It glared fiercely at Ye Mo, then finally retreated, repeatedly looking back as it vanished into the forest.
“At last it’s gone! That crab is terrifying! Its thin shell is so hard—even stronger than a thick piece of first-grade spiritwood. My sword couldn’t even scratch it. Its strength rivals that of a late-stage martial artist at peak power!” Mo Ling’s limbs were weak, and she sat on the ground in fright.
“Yes. Luckily it’s still young; if it were fully grown, we’d stand no chance,” Ye Mo nodded, exhausted as he slumped down in the cave. The excitement from absorbing the Scarlet Blood Vine had faded, replaced by immense pressure and fatigue.
“Daybreak is near. That crab must have returned to the sea and won’t come back. Rest now—this is only the beginning. More sea monsters will come to this island in the days ahead. We must reinforce the camp while we can.”
Mo Ling remained uneasy, deeply shaken.
“Being targeted by that crab is a real problem. I’m only at the sixth stage of body refinement, mid-ranked. I must focus all my efforts on strengthening my cultivation and breaking through to the late stage! The Scarlet Blood Vine I have won’t last more than a few days. Since there’s seventh-grade Scarlet Blood Vine here, there should be other body-refining herbs as well. Tomorrow at dawn, I’ll search for them!”
Ye Mo resolved silently, acutely aware of his own weakness and longing for greater strength, until he drifted into sleep.
...
Morning came, warm sunlight filtering in.
The campfire in the cave had long since burned out.
“Where’s Ye Mo? Did he leave so early?” Mo Ling awoke to find herself alone in the cave, with several wild fruits beside her, feeling a warmth and a hint of embarrassment.
This island was so dangerous, yet she slept so soundly, while Ye Mo had already risen to work.
Outside the cave.
Several miles away, on a small mountain, Ye Mo clung closely to a cliff.
He had risen before dawn, first consuming a segment of Scarlet Blood Vine and practicing the “Wavebreaker Technique” for an hour to strengthen his body and vital energy. He then gathered wild fruits for sustenance, before heading up the mountain to collect herbs.
On the cliff two yards ahead, there grew a bush of vivid green—the most notable difference from ordinary shrubs was that it bore seven leaves, rather than many.
“Sevenleaf Lotus! An eighth-grade body-refining herb!” Ye Mo’s face lit up with excitement.
He had memorized the “Martial Kingdom Herb Manual” since childhood, remembering over three hundred herbs for healing, detoxifying, and body refinement.
The green bush before him was the Sevenleaf Lotus, a renowned body-refining herb.
It not only strengthened bones, replenished vital energy, and opened meridians, but was also a holy medicine for wounds—especially effective for treating sprains and fractures.
This Sevenleaf Lotus was over two feet tall. Given the saying “an inch per decade” for Sevenleaf Lotus, it must be at least two hundred years old—an absolute treasure among eighth-grade herbs.
How could Ye Mo not be excited?
After using Scarlet Blood Vine last night, he had noticed many impurities expelled from his body, his physique improved, and his vital energy far more abundant.
“I’m not far from late-stage body refinement.”
“The Scarlet Blood Vine is too fiery; paired with the gentle, yin nature of the Sevenleaf Lotus, the refining effect will be greatly enhanced.”
“I might even break through in the next two days.”
“Once I reach late-stage body refinement, I’ll have a good chance at mastering the third advanced move of the ‘Wavebreaker Technique’—the ‘Twin Wave Slash.’ Its power and lethality would double.”
Ye Mo’s spirits rose as he gripped another vine near the cliff, inching closer to the Sevenleaf Lotus.
It took him a quarter hour to traverse two yards, successfully harvesting the lotus and stowing it in his chest. He left the nearby seedlings untouched.
Harvesting unripe herbs was seldom done, except by those capable of cultivating them properly. Ye Mo would not.
He climbed down from the cliff, returning to the forest floor, sighing in relief—the climb had been dangerous, but the reward was great.
Ye Mo continued searching the surrounding forest within a dozen miles.
The island was rich in herbs, including those for body refinement, healing, and detoxification.
He needed more, not just for refining his body, but also for healing and detoxifying wounds—essential for survival on the island. Frequent battles with sea beasts and demon monsters meant injuries were inevitable; he had to gather as much as possible.
He spent several hours in the dense forest, finding more than a dozen herbs such as Snake Gall Grass and Bitter Ginseng, ranging from low to mid-grade.
The harvest left him quite satisfied.