Chapter 866: Skeleton Island
Translator: flycrane01 Editor: Millman97
All the brutal bandits of the Blood Demon Sector had gathered in Void Turmoil City. Due to their different living habits, the city was divided into almost ten districts whose environments were different from each other. The team of the Land Whales pa.s.sed through the forest district, the swamp district, the neve district, and the desert district. Some of the districts were divided by high mountains and waterfalls, while some others were blocked by man-made rune arrays. It was told that there was an enormous undersea district at the end of the peninsula that was specially designed for the Sea Clan.
Seeing that almost a million different kinds of demons were living in the same city peacefully, the more fas.h.i.+onable of whom were even driving shuttles from the Heaven’s Origin Sector instead of riding eagles or other flying demon beasts, even Li Yao was dazzled and quite amazed.
Very soon, after a prolonged shriek, the Land Whales spurted bright green gas up into the sky. The full airbags around their body were clearly emptied as they gradually lowered their alt.i.tude and velocity.
In the front was an enormous square made of black rocks, which was the center of Void Turmoil City.
Jin Xinyue whispered to him, “We are about to arrive at the ‘Four Pillars Square’ of Void Turmoil City. All newly captured black-blood demons and chaotic-blood demons are gathered and screened in the Four Pillars Square first.
“The docile and weak ones can be refined into servants and maids; the not-so-strong ones can be refined into slaves for mining and tending to the demonic plants; the strong ones can be refined into soldiers for the war to come. As for the exceptionally strong and yet impetuous ones, they are the unstable factor among the slaves, and they will be sent into the arena to become gladiators.
“The biggest arena in Void Turmoil City is known as ‘Skeleton Island’. It is in the top tier even taking all the arenas of the Blood Demon Sector into account. That’s our target!
“Before, in order to trade for intelligence, I’ve been to Void Turmoil City several times and observed the combat of the gladiators on the Skeleton Island. They were indeed marvelous, blood-freezing games.
“I once saw a black-blood demon being ripped apart by a demon beast and losing his left arm and the majority of his heart. It was clear that there was no way that he could survive. The staff on the Skeleton Island tossed him into the ‘Thousand Corpse Abyss’ to get rid of him.
“The Thousand Corpse Abyss is a natural cave deep inside the Skeleton Island. At the bottom of the cave, countless ferocious demon beasts are locked up. Whenever a dead body falls down, they will immediately be devoured by the demon beasts. There won’t even be sc.r.a.ps of their bones left. n.o.body can survive their attack.
“The black-blood demon was using a special combat skill named ‘Hundred Soft Killing’, which aroused my interest and gave me some enlightenment. He left a deep impression on me, and there was no way that I would mistake somebody else for him.
“He was clearly dead, but during the ‘Riot of b.l.o.o.d.y Blade’, I ran into the black-blood demon by accident again.
“Although his appearance was slightly different and his combat style had changed, I had a very familiar feeling. Then, as I expected, he performed the ‘Hundred Soft Killing’ at the perilous moment when I tested him, with exactly the same form as before!
“Therefore, I am certain that he was the gladiator who should’ve been killed on the Skeleton Island!
“But right now, he has turned into a member of the Blade of Chaos, and even a captain in it, with a higher capability than before!
“I felt that something was greatly wrong. Therefore, I did not ask for any of my subordinates’ help and captured the black-blood demon in secret by myself, hoping to elicit the information from him.
“His tongue was rather tough, and he didn’t give me much valuable information. But there was indeed a faint scar resulting from tearing on the joint of his left arm and his shoulder blade. The entire left arm seemed to be sewed back to his body after the accident.
“His heart was quite weird, too. It displayed the features of two different kinds of demons at the same time.
“I was pretty sure that he was an out-and-out black-blood demon in the beginning. How could his heart show the features of two types of demons?
“It was this incident that made me grow more and more suspicious about the Blade of Chaos. I investigated in secret and got more and more involved. Later, by accident, I discovered Elder Nether Spring’s uncanny att.i.tude toward the Blade of Chaos. I dug deeper into it, and you know the rest.
“Based on the few words of the black-blood demon and the proof that I grasped, ‘Skeleton Island’ is very likely an important bureau of the Blade of Chaos, and there is something seriously wrong with ‘Yuchi Ba’, the boss of the Skeleton Island!
“On the surface, the Skeleton Island is a cruel arena, but in fact, it is probably the ‘boot camp’ to select the elite warriors for the Blade of Chaos!
“But whether or not it is the case will require your thorough investigation or even a personal ‘chitchat’ with Yuchi Ba.”
On their trip, Jin Xinyue had explained the whole plan multiple times. However, she was still scared that the unpredictable old monster would prefer the straightforward method. She repeated without getting bored, “I know that, with Elder’s capability, you can rage inside Void Turmoil City and find Yuchi Ba directly.
“However, Yuchi Ba is extremely prudent, and he brings a lot of bodyguards wherever he goes. He rarely shows up by himself.
“If his Skeleton Island is really the boot camp of the Blade of Chaos, his valiance and wisdom must be extremely impressive, too, considering that the Fire Ant King is right next to him.
“Right now, the Blade of Chaos is being struck heavily, and it is the most perilous moment for him. Will he acknowledge his ident.i.ty if you pay an unannounced visit to him?
“More importantly, we don’t know whether or not there are the spies of the Fire Ant King and even Elder Nether Spring around Yuchi Ba. It will be a disaster if we alarm them and expose the secrets of the Skeleton Island and Yuchi Ba.
“Therefore, I’m afraid that Elder must sneak into the Skeleton Island in order to approach Yuchi Ba.
“According to the tradition of the Skeleton Island, if a gladiator can survive five battles on the island, they will be invited to meet Yuchi Ba and regain their freedom. Yuchi Ba will refer them to high-level demons as killers, a.s.sa.s.sins, or bodyguards.
“I a.s.sume that they are probably the spies that Yuchi Ba sends out. Since those killers, a.s.sa.s.sins, and bodyguards are around the high-level demons, it is only natural that they can provide a constant, accurate stream of intelligence for the Blade of Chaos.
“The battles on the Skeleton Island are quite cruel, and it is nigh on impossible for normal gladiators to pa.s.s five of them, but with Elder’s capability, it should be as easy as pie. I believe that you will be able to approach Yuchi Ba and find out what exactly he is up to very soon, Elder.
“As for me, I have turned into a human being right now. Although I can pretend to be chaotic-blood demon, my real ident.i.ty will certainly be revealed should I engage in combat!
“Therefore, I’m afraid that I cannot enter the Skeleton Island with you, Elder, but I will spend the time while you are inside gathering the latest intelligence here.
“This is about the whole plan. Do you have any suggestions, Elder?”
Li Yao slightly nodded.
He was not really a disobedient brutal demon from forty thousand years ago. Such stealth and infiltration operations were what he was best at. Naturally, he did not feel uncomfortable at all.
On his way here, Li Yao had been observing the slave-catching team of Void Turmoil City, too.
The slave catchers were all tough, well-trained demons who were mostly above the level of demon general. They were adept at combat in all terrains, and they could even spot the demons who were lurking in crevices.
If compared to the army of the Star Glory Federation, those slave catchers were definitely elite special forces.
The slave catchers who were sent out on regular missions were already so strong. How awesome would the real elites around the Fire Ant King be?
Besides, the Fire Ant King was a middle-level demon emperor who was adept at refining narcotic and berserker plants. He must have prepared a lot of drugs to boost his combat ability. There was no telling how terrifying his strength would be in a real battlefield at all.
According to Li Yao’s calculations, if he triggered the full strength of the superlative height of the Core Formation Stage, with the enhancement of the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit, he was naturally not scared of the Fire Ant King.
However, without resorting to his capability as a Cultivator and his crystal suit, it would be troublesome for him to fight against the Fire Ant King just based on the primeval force that he had only been practicing for half a month.
It was like two soldiers of similar physical strength, one with professional combat training and the other knowing nothing about it, engaged in a fight. The winner of the battle would be obvious.
Chi!
The Land Whales were all spurting out air currents from the top of their heads, wreathing the s.p.a.cious square in a faint fog. The tentacles of the Land Whales interweaved with each other slowly into a web that led to the ground.
“Get down now! Get down now!”
All the cabins were opened. The slave catchers drove the prey away from the vehicles rudely, waving their electric whips. Rows of guards in black armor were standing afar together with the biochemical beasts, which were higher than many buildings.
All the biochemical beasts were silent, but the intimidating aura that they released was like enclosing high walls that were suffocating the prey.
On the backs of the biochemical beasts, on comfortable silk seats, hundreds of silver-blood demons were sitting and talking in a high mood.
They were all there to pick slaves.
The black-blood demons and the chaotic-blood demons were mostly raised up in nature. They were used to the free lifestyle in the wilderness, and now that they had been captured and locked in the narrow cabins for several days, they were more than p.i.s.sed.
The moment they were released, the square was a mess. Cries, moans, screams, and roars resounded with each other. The entire square seemed like it would explode at any moment.
Li Yao observed the surroundings with great interest. On every corner of the square was an enormous pillar with vivid patterns painted on it. On the first pillar, many elegant-looking, obscure demons were bathed in divine lights. On the second pillar, some demons wearing glamorous armor were commanding an intense battle. On the third pillar were demons in simple hides or without protection at all slas.h.i.+ng enemies that looked like noodles with their blades. On the fourth pillar, countless demons were mining and farming.
The four giant pillars were in gold, silver, bronze, and black respectively.
Li Yao was aware that the four pillars represented the saint-blood demons, the silver-blood demons, the bronze-blood demons, and the black-blood demons. They were the ‘Four Pillars’ of the entire demon race.
As for the chaotic-blood demons, they did not have a place in such a system.