Exploring Immortality Cultivation

The alarm sounded at dusk.

The "Demon Beast Tide" is not a natural phenomenon—it's hard to imagine several kinds of demon beasts foolishly rushing into an environment they are not adapted to at a particular time. Such foolish demon beasts should have been eliminated by natural evolution. It was an artificially created situation—or rather, a "Dragon-caused phenomenon."

As the overlord of the seas, the Dragon Clan's ruling status is etched into their bloodline. Millions of years of selection and evolution have shaped the unique social ecology of the Sea Demon Clan. This structure is similar to Earth's Xia Dynasty, where the Emperor holds supreme authority but generally does not manage his subordinates directly. Various states pay tributes, and any disobedient tribes are conquered by the Emperor.

This evolved obedience meant that ordinary demon clans couldn't even think about resisting. The superior position of the Dragon Clan was not built on social contracts; to the Sea Demons, the Dragon Clan were not merely sovereigns—they were also a source of meat. This was also similar to the Xia Dynasty's approach. Because the Dragon Clan didn't have to be accountable to different demon races, they often used the Beast Tide, similar to using slaves as cannon fodder, as a common strategy.

However, the Emperor did not manage his territory simply because technical limitations hindered communication. In contrast, the Dragon Clan's negligence towards managing the Sea Demons stemmed genuinely from their indifference. In the eyes of the Dragon Clan, as long as the tasty or adorable-looking demon races were not exterminated in racial conflicts, that was enough.

This is not hard to understand. On Earth, a certain species, not yet the most endangered but constantly used as a diplomatic tool due to its cuteness, receives the highest protection among all species and is unlikely to go extinct. As long as human civilization doesn't collapse dramatically, common livestock like pigs, cattle, and sheep will also continue to live, outlasting many more powerful species.

In the Shenzhou seas, making oneself tastier is actually a way for weaker races to boost their competitive edge. The more powerful demon races, however, need to be cautious—they must ensure their diet does not overlap with that of the Dragon Clan, lest Master Long eradicates them simply because he finds them disagreeable—do nomads need a reason to clear wolves from the perimeters of their pastures? Even if these wolves haven't stolen anything, being "carnivorous" and "living in the pasture" are crimes enough.

When such choices are executed over "millions of years," the marine ecology becomes somewhat different.

In the sea, fish are more delectable, and the closer to the Holy Dragon Abyss, the tastier the flesh of the fish.

After clearing out the nearby Sea Demons, the Human Clan discovered this secret. It drove the food lovers of Shenzhou crazy. The former Sect Leader of the Big Food Sect, Master Po Lu, once boasted, "Do you want exquisite delicacies? If so, go look in the sea, where all the Dragon Clan's accumulated treasures over millions of years are stored." Afterward, he resigned his position as Sect Leader of Big Food Sect and became a "Food Hunter" in the West Sea.

All of Shenzhou's food lovers flocked to the sea, and a new page in Shenzhou's culinary culture was turned—this is an era of gourmet, an era of exploring unknown delicacies.

However, at this moment, the charging Sea Demons surely weren't those under the protection of the Dragon Clan. The bizarre and various Sea Demons appeared ferocious and terrifying to the Human Clan.

Those who had never witnessed a Demon Beast Tide could hardly imagine its horror. A Demon Beast Tide is not simply a group of galloping demons. It's indeed a "tide," a real "tide." Numerous marine demon beasts, along with the sea water, surge towards the shore, the waves alone nearly thirty feet high. And these huge waves were not entirely made of water; even within the crest of the wave were packed demon beasts.

Different species, occupying different levels of the food chain, would absolutely not gather together under normal circumstances. They didn't intend to get along harmoniously now; they were merely fleeing in the same direction by chance, and that direction happened to be towards Langde City.

All the demon beasts exhibited a mix of terror and despair. Under such emotions, predators simply couldn't feel any appetite. All they could think about was one thing—flee! Flee! Flee!

The shore represented death, but behind them lay the more terrifying Dragon Clan!

The catastrophe, mixed with sea water and the flesh and blood of demon beasts, was drawing near!

Watching the dark line gradually approaching from the sunset-tinted horizon, the Langde Border Guard Tu Zhenxi showed a solemn expression, "I've been doing this for fifty years, and this is the first time I've encountered a Demon Beast Tide of this scale..."

"Boss Tu, I'm supposed to have retired from this life, and you've dragged me back into it."

"Mao'er, you're just unlucky."

A few younger guardians made preparations while also casually chatting to ease the tension before the battle. Meanwhile, one of Tu Zhenxi's old comrades said, "Old Tu, don't be overly cautious. The lack of Transformation Demon Beasts in the Demon Beast Tide means that it poses limited threats to us Core Formation Cultivators of the Modern Method."

Tu Zhenxi shook his head. Ancient Method Practitioners were stronger than their counterparts from the Land Demon Clan of the same level, whereas Sea Demons were slightly stronger than Ancient Method Practitioners of the same level. The average cultivation of the Langde Border Guard was in the early stages of the Golden Core, slightly higher than that of the Sea Demons, but the numbers of the Sea Demons were a thousand times, ten thousand times that of the guardians. With his rich experience, he knew that even Core Formation Cultivators of the Modern Method could potentially be overwhelmed by tens of thousands of Qi Storage Stage Sea Demons.

Especially under the circumstances where these Qi Storage Stage Sea Demons were nearly mad and fearlessly aggressive.

"This time the Demon Beast Tide is vast, but don't we also have the Zhenhai Navy?" one cultivator said.

Lately, the Zhenhai Navy had been gaining some fame in the Western Border for demon-hunting and training.

"Thirty thousand at the Foundation Establishment, and each one no better than the next—just bulk in numbers." Some did not have high hopes for the Zhenhai Navy: "I reckon their fancy routines will be overwhelmed in no time."

"They are, after all, in charge of the northwestern frontline; if they are overwhelmed, the people in the city will suffer." The previous old comrade took a couple of drags of his dry pipe, then carefully put away the smoking pipe: "Let's hope they can be a bit more reliable."

"Enough talking, the demons are almost at the 'charging distance,' get ready to move!"

The Demon Beast Tide was not stronger the closer it got to the coast. The demons expended their demonic power as they charged, and their internal clashes consumed some of the weaker demons. The Water Element Spiritual Energy became thinner closer to the coast... However, the cultivators could not allow the battlefield to take place on the shore, as that would also cause losses. Therefore, based on the average speed of the Demon Beast Tide and the average speed of the Border Guards, the Langde Border Defense Department had deduced some tactics. For example, once the demons crossed a certain line, the Border Guards would launch a charge, this line was called the "Charging Line," while the battlefront where the Border Guards and the Demon Clan clashed was called the "Front Line."

All cultivators were becoming increasingly tense. At that moment, a brilliant Spirit Light suddenly burst out from the northwest direction.

"Is it the Zhenhai Navy? Why have they mobilized now?"

"Damn it, I knew mortals would delay our opportunity to strike!"

A few hot-headed Border Guards were already preparing to rush towards the northwest defense line. But after they flew into the air, the scene they saw shocked them.

What did ten thousand Gunners lined up in a row look like?

It was a rainbow of Sword Qi, miles wide!

After more than two months of training, the equipment of the Zhenhai Navy had been discussed and upgraded. The talismans in the hands of the Gunners were no longer just Sword Charms; among several Sword Charms, there would inevitably be a Fire Talisman, Thunder Talisman, or Ice Talisman. A single layer of Demon Energy protection was no longer enough to resist the variety of different attacks.

Especially since these attacks were won by sheer quantity.

The logistical soldiers of the Zhenhai Navy rode flying discs, shuttling back and forth within the military formation. They were in charge of distributing Recharge Pills and Mechanical Rune Scrolls. With this ample mana supply, the firing rate of the Gunners was increased once again. The Demon Beast Tide at the northwest defense line actually stopped early, unable to cross the "Charging Line"!

Meanwhile, the demons in other directions had also reached the Charging Line.

"Forget watching the Zhenhai Navy; let's move! Not one step back!"

"Not one step back!"

Among the chants, the Border Guards deployed.

They did not possess the Zhenhai Navy's uniformity, where all members functioned like parts of a fearsome machine. But they were the genuine cultivators!

A human torrent clashed fiercely with the Demon Beast Tide.

Struck by seven or eight Demon Beasts at once, Tu Zhenxi's Protective Gang Qi wavered slightly. But this middle-aged man resisted the nausea in his stomach and stayed put as if nailed in place. The quickest wave of Core Formation Cultivators did the same. Thousands of "human nails" thus firmly pinned the "Tide"!

Tu Zhenxi's fierce expression could not hide a trace of satisfaction. The badge of the Border Guard was also a Magic Artifact, combining positioning and recording into one. In this war, it would record the battle achievements of the cultivators. And dealing with the Demon Beast Tide had always been a major source of income for the Border Guards.

Just the items "First to Reach the Front Line" and "Stopping the Momentum of the Beast Tide" alone brought in hundreds of Merit Points!

However, after stopping the momentum of the Beast Tide, the real battle began.

The Core Formation Cultivators who initially blocked the Beast Tide with brute force found that when the subsequent demons realized they couldn't get through, they launched attacks without holding back. The first wave of Innate Divine Abilities came crashing like another tide, targeting specifically to devour. The cultivators on this side were not to be outdone, unleashing powerful killing techniques. Demon Energy and Gang Qi reflected off each other, clashing fiercely. The shock of Spiritual Energy could be felt even a hundred miles away!

In just a quarter of an hour, Tu Zhenxi had bloodshot eyes. His Heavy Sword shredded flesh, and blood sprayed everywhere. The sea water turned dark red, forming dark red flocculent substances due to the mixing of different types of blood. The translucent sea surface began to darken.

For cultivators, this was somewhat problematic. Blood containing Spiritual Energy could to some extent interfere with Spiritual Sense. Although not as intense as Dragon Blood, these cultivators were still of a low level.

Once the blood covered the sea surface, half of Tu Zhenxi's Spiritual Sense focused below the surface. He sensed a group of Qi Storage Stage Sea Demons beneath his feet and thought nothing of it.

But before long, his old pal's expression drastically changed, and he yelled to those around him, "Retreat! Ascend more than twenty zhang into the air!"

"It's just a group of Qi Storage Demons, Old Cheng is being too cautious…" Tu Zhenxi was thinking this when he suddenly felt as if the earth had struck him.

It was a Qi Storage Stage...

"Sea God Whale!" Among the Border Guards, someone cried out in fear. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)