Chapter 140: Monk Samura and the Thunder Demon Ray

The Fire Crow placed Ye Mo, who had been struck by the Thunder Net Technique, aboard a small boat moored some distance away, then took to the air and began spitting fireballs at the Thunder Demon Ray in the sea below.

The Thunder Demon Ray retaliated furiously.

The repeated attacks from the Fire Crow had enraged it. Its hatred for the Fire Crow had already surpassed its hatred for Ye Mo. Yet it could not reach the bird, which hovered more than a hundred feet above the sea, and was forced to endure one fireball after another. All it could do was emit a series of bizarre shrieks.

A Jin, A Shui, and the other Earth Slave Guards rushed to the small boat and hurriedly examined Ye Mo’s injuries.

Ye Mo felt the numbness caused by the Thunder Net Technique beginning to fade. His right index finger twitched.

“Master, what happened to you?” A Jin asked anxiously.

“It’s nothing serious. I was struck by the Thunder Net Technique, but the injuries aren’t severe.”

Ye Mo forced himself to sit up. His meridians still burned with the searing sensation left by the lightning.

“Fortunately, we brought the Fire Crow. Otherwise, we would have been in serious trouble this time.”

Ye Mo still felt utterly weak.

“Is the Thunder Demon Ray really that powerful?”

A Jin and the others were astonished.

They knew Ye Mo’s strength very well. Even against the Tier Three demon eagle he had faced before, he had been able to hold his own.

In all this time, it was the first time they had seen Ye Mo in such a miserable state, reduced to fleeing for his life before a low-tier demon beast.

“It really is formidable. Even if we joined forces, we might not be able to withstand its Thunder Net Technique. Killing it won’t be easy,” Ye Mo said gravely.

“Master, what should we do?” A Shui asked at once.

As a guard, she considered her inability to protect her master the gravest dereliction of duty. She wished she could immediately hack the Thunder Demon Ray into pieces.

“Don’t worry. We have plenty of reinforcements. They should arrive soon. For now, let the Fire Crow lure this enraged Thunder Demon Ray somewhere else.”

Ye Mo glanced at her and spoke through the pain.

The Earth Slave Guards exchanged looks. Then they recalled the intelligence they had received before setting out and realized that their City Lord was once again plotting against those with ill intentions.

Three large ships flying the banners of the Gong, Chen, and Xu clans reached the Demon Sea Reef and stopped instead of continuing onward.

The waters ahead were filled with reefs and hidden shoals.

“Reporting to the three City Lords, the man surnamed Ye and his companions entered this stretch of demon reefs aboard a small boat. I have been lying in wait near these reefs. Fearing discovery, I did not dare approach them and remained only on the outskirts.

“I saw six people enter. I saw no other ships or golden eagles. They have been inside for more than an hour and have not come out.”

A short cultivator in black water armor emerged from behind a reef, leaped aboard one of the ships, and spoke respectfully.

“Do you know the waterways within these reefs that are navigable by ships?”

“I have been hiding here for three days, so I know a little.”

“Good. You have done well. I’ll record this as a merit and reward you after the battle.”

After praising him briefly, City Lord Gong turned to the other two City Lords.

“Brothers, let’s go in. These demon reefs are rather large. We should find Ye Mo as quickly as possible, before anything unexpected happens.”

“We have the numbers. We can spread out and search. The moment anyone finds something, let out a signal and surround it.”

Chen and Xu naturally agreed.

The three ships lowered several large boats, each capable of carrying more than a dozen people. Over thirty Qi Refinement cultivators rowed into the reef-covered waters, traveling more than ten miles inside.

Having learned from the previous incident in which City Lord Min’s ship had been burned, they had left dozens of Qi Refinement cultivators aboard the three ships to guard them, preventing a surprise attack by the three golden eagles of Ye Clan Immortal Village.

In their haste, City Lord Xu’s boat accidentally struck a sharp shoal barely beneath the surface, tearing open its hull. The boat came to an awkward stop beside a large reef while they waited for another boat to be sent in from the ships outside.

The other large boats also stopped one after another.

“Damn it. What rotten luck.”

Seeing his half-soaked Daoist robe, City Lord Xu cursed bitterly.

City Lord Chen offered a few words of consolation.

City Lord Gong felt a trace of contempt. He had seen clearly what happened: City Lord Xu had been urging everyone forward too impatiently. Despite having sailors who knew the waters, he had insisted on giving foolish orders himself, which was why the boat struck the shoal.

City Lord Gong had no favorable impression of Xu, but he did not show it.

“Look! What is that? Some flat thing floating on the sea!”

A cultivator suddenly cried out and pointed toward the water several hundred feet away, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

“It’s probably the hide of a beast whose flesh and bones have been eaten away,” another cultivator said dismissively after taking a glance. Floating carcasses of sea beasts were occasionally seen on the surface.

“It definitely isn’t hide. That thing can swim by itself. I saw it moving just now,” the first cultivator hurriedly replied.

The strange object, which resembled a piece of animal hide, appeared to be searching for something. Suddenly, it gave a bizarre shriek, sprang out of the water, and slid several yards across the surface. Its bulging eyes glared viciously at the cultivators hundreds of feet away.

“Is it a sea demon beast?”

“What… what kind of demon beast is that?”

None of the cultivators had ever seen such an unusual sea demon beast. Many of them were startled and cried out in alarm.

“Wait, that looks like a Thunder Demon Ray. It has enormous wings, like a flying fish.”

City Lord Chen was shocked at first sight.

“There’s no mistake. It is a Thunder Demon Ray. Everyone, be careful. This kind of Thunder Demon Ray possesses an exceptionally domineering and rare Thunder Net Technique.

“A single Thunder Net Technique rune seal is worth at least one or two thousand spirit stones. It is practically impossible to buy, and whenever one appears, someone immediately purchases it at a premium. It is an absolute treasure among low-tier demonic arts. Judging from its size, it should be around Tier Three. This demon beast is extremely dangerous. Do not underestimate it.”

“Kill it! Kill it!”

“It’s only a Tier Three demon beast. What is there to fear? With so many of us, could we really fail to kill it?”

The cultivators began cheering excitedly.

“But we came here to capture Ye Mo. If we go after this Thunder Demon Ray, won’t it delay our real objective?”

City Lord Gong’s brow twitched.

“What does that matter? We can kill the Thunder Demon Ray first and capture Ye Mo afterward. Even if he tries to escape, three large ships are waiting outside. Killing the Thunder Demon Ray won’t take much effort.”

City Lord Xu immediately spoke up.

“If we obtain the Thunder Net Technique rune seal, our strength will increase greatly. It serves two purposes at once. If we miss this opportunity, who knows when we’ll encounter another Thunder Demon Ray?”

“Very well,” City Lord Gong said reluctantly.

City Lord Chen added, “With more than thirty Qi Refinement cultivators, there should be no accidents as long as we do not encounter a Tier Four demon beast. We must act under unified command. We cannot descend into chaos.”

“Heh heh, Brother Chen seems quite familiar with this Thunder Demon Ray. You should take command. Everyone under me will follow your orders.”

City Lord Xu’s eyes shifted as he spoke with a smile.

City Lord Gong frowned slightly. Xu had already declared his position. Even if Gong objected, it would serve little purpose and would only make him appear petty. Besides, if he did not command the battle, he would lose the initiative in claiming the rune seal afterward.

There was only one Thunder Net Technique rune seal, and it would probably end up in Chen’s hands. Still, he could make up for it in other ways.

City Lord Gong shook his head helplessly.

“My men will also follow Brother Chen’s command.”

City Lord Chen cupped his hands toward the other two and shouted to the cultivators, “Everyone, listen to me! Surround this beast from all sides and do not let it escape. Anyone who injures it will receive twenty spirit stones. Anyone who kills it will receive one hundred!”

“One hundred spirit stones?”

The reward immediately invigorated the Qi Refinement cultivators.

Their monthly allowance amounted to no more than three to five spirit stones. Even those who were better off rarely received more than ten.

One hundred spirit stones was a truly enormous reward, equivalent to more than a year of their income.

More importantly, they had strength in numbers. No one expected to die fighting a Tier Three sea demon beast. Hunting it down was a low-risk, high-reward opportunity.

“Brothers, charge!”

Even those Qi Refinement cultivators who had hesitated moments earlier drew their spirit swords.

The cultivators rushed forward, scrambling across the reefs toward the Thunder Demon Ray. With nowhere to stand on the open sea, they only needed to throw down a few thin pieces of broken wood to steady themselves.

Several wind-element cultivators with particularly nimble techniques even walked across the surface of the water.

“Three to a group. Spread out and surround it from all sides. It knows the Thunder Net Technique. If you bunch up, it can strike all of you at once.”

“Don’t fight recklessly. Those with strong combat techniques, stay on the inside and attack at close range. Those skilled in spells, remain on the outer perimeter and support the brothers inside. Do not give it any chance to counterattack!”

The Chen cultivator remained on the outskirts, directing everyone with loud shouts.

More than a dozen cultivators in the inner circle had already surrounded the Thunder Demon Ray from all sides. Holding spirit artifacts, they charged simultaneously, their momentum terrifying.

The Thunder Demon Ray swept its gaze over them. Perhaps sensing the danger, it suddenly splashed and sank into the depths.

“Damn it! It has gone underwater! Who among you specializes in water techniques? Go down and pursue it!”

City Lord Chen flew into a rage, afraid that the Thunder Demon Ray would flee rapidly beneath the surface.

Qi Refinement cultivators could move underwater, but their strength was greatly diminished there. Only cultivators who specialized in water techniques could move freely beneath the waves.

Before anyone could criticize City Lord Chen for his poor command, the Thunder Demon Ray burst out of the water once more.

“It hasn’t escaped! Seize the opportunity and kill it!”

City Lord Chen immediately shouted excitedly, wishing he could tear the demon beast apart with his own hands.

The Thunder Demon Ray emerged from the sea and opened its mouth. A dazzling mass of lightning began to glow within it.

Crack!

“Careful! Fall back!”

City Lord Gong was startled and shouted a warning.

The cultivators hurriedly retreated, but they were too late.

The lightning spread in an instant, completely enveloping more than a dozen Qi Refinement cultivators in the innermost circle.

Terrible screams rang out together. The cultivators caught within the thunder net were struck until their entire bodies went numb. Twitching violently, they fell into the seawater.

Whoosh!

A water arrow pierced through a cultivator’s chest.

With a wet burst, a black whip-like shadow flashed across the air.

The Thunder Demon Ray’s hard tail stretched several yards long. Its tip pierced through another cultivator and burst into a dazzling spray of blood. Even that cultivator’s light armor failed to withstand the blow.

Only then did the cultivators remember that the Thunder Demon Ray was a water beast. It possessed not only the Thunder Net Technique but also water-based spells. Even its physical body was extraordinarily powerful and difficult to withstand.

Their attention had been entirely drawn to the Thunder Net Technique, causing them to forget everything else.

“Kill it! The others, save the wounded!”

City Lord Chen’s eyes were bloodshot.

The cultivators farther away finally came to their senses. In a panic, they unleashed their various spells in a wild barrage.

The Thunder Demon Ray swept its tail and sank into the water again, allowing the mass of spells to bombard the surface. Beneath the waves, however, it attacked the unconscious cultivators floating on the sea.

In the short time that followed, four or five cultivators were brutally killed.

Soon, the Thunder Net Technique dissipated, and the surviving cultivators were pulled to safety.

The remaining twenty-odd cultivators were thoroughly frightened. Earlier, they had been eager to rush forward and kill the Thunder Demon Ray for the reward. Now, no one dared approach within even several dozen yards of the area where it had disappeared beneath the sea.

Even the cultivators skilled in water techniques did not dare dive down to pursue it. The Thunder Demon Ray was a sea demon beast; in the water, it would only be more formidable than they were.

“Run! We have no chance against it!”

One cultivator who had barely escaped the Thunder Demon Ray’s grasp had already been shaken to the core by his brush with death. His expression was panicked.

“Don’t scatter! Don’t give it a chance to attack!”

City Lord Chen shouted to stop them, but no one listened anymore.

“Fall back! Return to the ships!”

The cultivators were already in complete disarray as they fled toward the large boats.

Suddenly, a cultivator leaping between two reefs was pounced upon by the Thunder Demon Ray as it burst from the sea. He was dragged beneath the waves.

The cultivator thrashed a few times underwater before falling still, leaving only seawater stained red with blood.

“It’s hunting us.”

City Lord Chen’s face was bitter as he muttered to himself.

“From the very beginning, it never intended to flee. It never regarded us as a threat. And I actually thought it would run.”