Chapter 232
Chapter 232 – Clues Regarding Ten Thousand Ghosts Mountain
The rogue cultivator Monster Generals who were quick to wrap their thoughts around the matter began to loudly voice their congratulations with joyful expressions on their faces. “Red Silk Monster General, congratulations on your imminent promotion to Great Monster General! We are willing to render our humble services to you!”
Red Silk Monster General’s expression was as mild and cordial as before. He smiled as he looked around the room and said, “You are all rogue cultivator Monster Generals belonging to these waters. If you continue to cultivate independently, the Monster Core stage may be too distant of a goal for many of you to achieve. As I am about to establish my own monster mansion, you all may feel free to join my influence. Not only will you always have cultivation resources to use, but you may also be able to receive a position in Quicksand Paradise as a nautical patrol guard!”
At this point, his ambitions were now clear for all to see!
He wanted to take these several dozen Transformation stage rogue cultivator Monster Generals as his own subordinates!
Regardless of whether their interest was in the convenient abundance of cultivation resources that they would receive after Red Silk Monster General established his own monster mansion, or the promise of a position as a nautical patrol guard of Quicksand Paradise, it made the expressions of the rogue cultivators stir excitedly. Many of them immediately voiced their assent!
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Being a rogue cultivator was an extremely arduous path. If they could take advantage of this opportunity to join Red Silk Monster General’s influence when he was just about to move to a new cave abode, there was a good chance that they would be able to rise up in the world!
Red Silk Monster General’s thoughts were meticulous. He turned to look at Zhao Jianxin and the other human rogue cultivators with a warm smile. “Brother Zhao, your cultivation base is incredible. You are already at the half-step Divine Core stage, and are on the very brink of becoming a bona fide Divine Core stage cultivator. If you would like to join my cave abode, I would be willing to reserve for you a position as a Mansion Protector.”
In every Great Monster General’s cave abode, there were usually several positions reserved for Monster Generals to serve as Mansion Protectors. They were involved in everyday tasks and could represent the Great Monster General in overseeing all kinds of different matters, possessing enormous authority!
If we were to liken the cave abode of a Great Monster General to a Mountain Peak established by a Divine Core stage Spirit Master, then the position of a Mansion Protector would be like a Vice Peak Master! A Vice Peak Master had authority above everyone else aside from the Peak Master, and could decide on practically all matters with a single word!
Zhao Jianxin was moved. He suddenly remembered something, and cupped his fist in salute. “Red Silk Monster General, if I may be so bold as to inquire… the rumors about Divine Excellency Quicksand, are they…”
Red Silk Monster General’s expression became a shade more solemn, and he turned to the enormous, majestic Monster Mansion and humbly clasped his hands. “This matter is true. My ancestor, Lord Black Sea Monster King, has already issued several orders. Many of the Monster Mansions belonging to the nearby Great Monster Generals have been forced to capitulate and were assimilated into Quicksand Paradise. However, this isn’t something that mere Monster Generals like us need to worry about—it is simply too distant of a matter from us for it to be consequential.”
The powers within the Quicksand Earth Territory were numerous, and also extremely disjointed and chaotic. The most powerful of them, Quicksand Paradise, had the reigning Quicksand Sea Deity, allowing them to stably occupy the centermost region of the Quicksand Earth Territory.
There were also several large demon race paradises. The White Night Paradise at the border of the Quicksand Earth Territory was one such demon paradise. They usually had several Primordial Spirit stage cultivators among their ranks, possessing power on par with a large-scale human race sect.
There were several monster paradises as well, such as the Sandsea Paradise that Xu Disheng had passed by before. They normally had a Monster King level existence leading them.
The most numerous were the practically countless rogue cultivator monsters. A portion of the powerful rogue cultivator monsters had already been taken into the influence of Quicksand Paradise, where they would be given titles as Monster Kings, Great Monster Generals, and so on, ruling over a region within the Territory.
The vast majority of rogue cultivator monsters were still struggling to scrape by as the lowest stratum in the Quicksand Earth Territory. At this moment, Red Silk Monster General, who was about to establish his own cave abode, wanted to bring together these scattered Transformation stage Monster Generals and ensign them to his influence.
As for the half-transformed monsters below the Monster General rank, they were practically endless in number, so it wasn’t worth paying them any special attention.
… …
Through the effects of the Primordial Canon of Supreme Mystery, the profound qi in Xu Disheng’s body was being converted to monster qi, but that only made him appear at the early Transformation stage in terms of cultivation base. Sitting among those several half-step Monster Core stage and dozens of Transformation stage Monster Generals, there was no way he would be able to attract any attention.
It was only Liu Tongbai who paid him any heed. He turned to Xu Disheng and asked, “Brother Soul Suppressor, why are you not helping yourself to the spirit fruits and herbs?”
Ignoring Liu Tongbai’s strange way of addressing him, Xu Disheng shook his head and replied, “These rare delicacies are indeed quite good, but their effect is very minimal for me.”
Liu Tongbai gave a playful smile and said, “It couldn’t be that you prefer flesh, do you, Brother Soul Suppressor?”
Xu Disheng glanced at the few remaining mortals at the corner of the hall before saying, “These spirit fruits and herbs are useful for the cultivation base, but what use is the flesh of humans aside from satisfying the crude impulses of a monster’s appetite?”
Liu Tongbai nodded slowly and responded, “That’s exactly right. But these humans are really too pitiful.”
“Humans raising livestock for food, and monsters eating people—the two races act the same way in that sense,” Xu Disheng said, lightly flicking his sleeves. He seemed to glance inadvertently at Red Silk Monster General as he continued, “Have you heard of Ten Thousand Ghosts Mountain in Quicksand Paradise?”
Liu Tongbai revealed a look of astonishment. “Ten Thousand Ghosts Mountain is the mountain peak on the seabed where Divine Excellency Quicksand’s Divine Palace is located. It is also the deepest part of the Quicksand Sea. What about it?”
Xu Disheng didn’t respond to him. He picked up a Bright Heart Fruit from a platter on the table and tossed it into his mouth. When he lowered his gaze, resplendent black light glittered within.
… …
Over the frozen, icy expanse, snowflakes filled the air.
Bone-piercing cold wind howled, but Azure Night Island was silent, seemingly devoid of any traces of life.
CRASH!
A dozen overbearing streams of monster qi broke through the ice, arriving at the edge of Azure Night Island in rapid succession. They coldly examined the massive island, of which there were only a few in the Quicksand Sea.
All of these beings were Transformation stage Monster Generals!
From the space where they had blasted through the ice, a few hundred half-transformed monsters swarmed out, landing in neat formation behind the Monster Generals.
Leading the group was an elegant, demure woman clad in white armor, her expression solemn. Her voice resonated through Azure Night Island, imbued with monster qi. “Azure Night Lord, stop playing dead and get out here.”
An aged sigh echoed in the ears of the Monster Generals as the figure of the Azure Night Lord appeared in the middle of the air. As he looked over the crowd of Monster Generals and monsters below, he said flatly, “In the thousands of years of my Azure Night Island’s existence, we have always acted benevolently, sheltering human rogue cultivators. Even the Great Monster Generals around these waters treat my master well. At this time, the order has already come down, sealing Azure Night Island off. Why have you all come to make things difficult?”
The woman snorted derisively at the Azure Night Lord’s words, smiling coldly. “Stop spouting useless drivel. No one, not even a demon paradise with ancient roots, a Monster King, or a Great Monster General can escape this. Aside from capitulating to Quicksand Paradise, the only other path is extermination!”
The Azure Night Lord seemed to have expected this response long in advance. The gaze that he swept over the monsters below turned even icier. “I may have lost face for my Ancestor, having been trapped at the half-step Divine Core stage for several hundred years without being able to break through, but how can a few Transformation stage monster minions like you dare to speak so boldly, saying you wish to exterminate my Azure Night Island?”
Azure Night Island was a gathering place for human rogue cultivators that had existed for thousands of years. Every Island Master assumed the title of Azure Night Lord, but this particular Azure Night Lord had been unable to break through to the Divine Core stage for a few hundred years due to the limited cultivation resources. Because of this, he often had to put up with the bullying from monsters of the surrounding waters.
In the past, the previous Azure Night Lord had established friendly relations with each of the Great Monster Generals in the region. If it weren’t for these mutual friendships, the few hundred rogue cultivators of Azure Night Island would have long since been suppressed and annihilated.
Recently, the Quicksand Earth Territory had undergone shocking changes. Quicksand Paradise suddenly began to expand outward madly, and many overbearingly powerful Great Monster Generals and even Monster Kings were deployed, taking personal action in the conquest. With their subordinate Monster Generals in tow, they gradually began to annex the influences surrounding Quicksand Paradise.