: The Pearl Diver, the Caged Bird

There was no deliberate attempt to conceal their presence.

As before, Lu Jianghe flew slowly towards the middle of the deep sea, as a faint streak of light.

Suddenly a thought occurred to me: if there are great demons that can transform into human form, why have no plant spirits ever been seen to transform into human form in the human world?

The moment the thought arose, I understood.

Plant spirits are extremely rare, one in ten thousand. Looking across the entire human realm, those capable of taking human form are probably fewer than a handful, or perhaps they simply don't exist at all.

Herbs and medicinal plants that are over a thousand years old are highly sought after by cultivators, and are often harvested before they can develop any spiritual intelligence.

Moreover, it is a hundred times more difficult for plants to take human form than for demonic beasts. Ordinary demonic beasts with strong bloodlines can take human form at the eighth level, which is equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator. Even ancient trees and spiritual plants that have grown for ten thousand years may not be able to develop a wisp of intelligence, let alone take human form.

Such a fortunate opportunity is rare even in ancient times, let alone in this world.

After flying for two or three days, they still failed to reach the core area.

Although Lu Jianghe deliberately slowed down, this area of ​​water was indeed rarely visited even by monsters of the fourth rank or higher.

Could it be a mid-stage Nascent Soul demon beast lurking here?

A smile appeared on Lu Jianghe's face. "We sword cultivators are never afraid of powerful opponents, only of demons that are not powerful enough."

Not only was he not afraid, but a long-lost surge of energy welled up within him.

So be it.

Lu Jianghe simply stopped testing the waters.

The azure light transformed into a rainbow, suddenly accelerating and flying straight southwest towards an island a hundred miles away.

When I scanned the island with my divine sense earlier, I sensed something was off. Not only were there cultivators' auras on the island, but there were also signs of mortals living there.

However, before they had even reached halfway across the island, Lu Jianghe's expression had completely darkened, becoming expressionless.

Wherever his divine sense swept, the scene on the island was clearly reflected in his mind's lake. There were not only mortals, but also cultivators, and even a group of unformed demonic beasts mixed in.

In the center of the island, among the many mortal cultivators forced into labor, stood several rugged fortresses that resembled human settlements.

Such a human settlement system is no accident; it could only be the work of a Nascent Soul stage demon beast.

What Lu Jianghe saw was not a utopia where monsters and humans coexisted.

Upon investigation, the sight of low-level demonic beasts driving and whipping mortal cultivators, even devouring them, as well as the faint stench of blood and the resentment of those who were devoured alive, were all clearly revealed.

Domesticated.

Lu Jianghe had seen far too many of these kinds of acts over the years.

The fact that the demon race views humans as livestock, laborers, and even cultivation materials is nothing new to him.

He scanned the area repeatedly with his divine sense, but failed to detect the aura of those Nascent Soul demon beasts.

Instead, there were several seventh-tier sea king beasts and more than a dozen sixth-tier infant carp beasts.

It is unclear whether this is an isolated case or if there are other similar islands.

Now that we've stumbled upon it, there's no reason for us to stand idly by.

If it were someone with ulterior motives planning this, they would inevitably have to infiltrate first, secretly contact the trapped cultivators, and create chaos, then use methods such as poisoning and assassination to organize a breakout amidst the confusion... Such a roundabout and convoluted process would take at least four or five chapters to fully describe.

It's like an old woman's foot binding cloth—smelly and long.

Too much trouble.

A nearly transparent pale blue sword light pierced through the sky from the distance, drawing an arc before suddenly hovering a hundred feet above the island.

The blue light faded, revealing its form.

The human's aura was like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly startling the several enormous seventh-tier sea king beasts.

The lantern-like giant eyes suddenly opened, and they all raised their ferocious heads, gazing at the blue shadow on the horizon.

The most imposing of the sea monsters let out a roar that shook the heavens.

In an instant, the other monsters inhabiting various parts of the island were startled, and roars rose and fell.

One after another, figures, some enormous and some swift, soared into the sky, their fierce expressions locking onto the uninvited guests in the air.

Each of them exuded a surging demonic aura, so dense that it could obscure a small patch of the sky.

Meanwhile, in those simple stone houses, some Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining stage cultivators were also alarmed by this sudden change.

The cultivators and mortals on the island were not completely restrained; they could move around within a limited area and were even allowed to cultivate.

In reality, it's like drawing a circle around yourself and imprisoning yourself... more like a small act of charity before a long period of torture, or to keep the "blood food" fresh.

Under the very noses of such beings, they are like livestock being carefully raised in captivity.

Not only are there seventh-tier sea king beasts that are difficult for cultivators of the same or higher tiers to defeat, but there are also numerous sixth-tier demon beasts patrolling and monitoring the area.

Trying to escape?

Where can one escape to in this vast ocean abyss?

Previously, there were those who harbored wishful thinking.

There was a Core Formation cultivator who once tried to escape, relying on his cultivation level.

Their physical bodies were chewed and devoured, and even their souls were not spared, being extracted and refined along with them, resulting in the complete annihilation of both body and spirit.

This tragic scene, like the coldest warning, is deeply imprinted on the hearts of every survivor.

Dozens of iron cages are hanging on a mountain wall in the center of the island.

Each room imprisoned a young girl, forced to kneel in the cramped space like caged birds.

These girls were all pearl divers from Luhua Island.

Not long ago, an eighth-order transformed demon passed through Luhua Island, its ferocious power sweeping across the entire island, which was slaughtered in an instant.

The islanders perished, and the once prosperous island turned to ashes.

The transformed demon beast specifically targeted dozens of beautiful and smiling young women, abducting them to serve as maids and playthings.

The vast majority of them were only at the Foundation Establishment stage, but one woman, who appeared to be the oldest and had a charming demeanor, was actually a female cultivator at the early Core Formation stage.

There were no restrictions on the cage; someone at the Core Formation stage could easily break through.

However, she did not. She simply knelt silently on the thin, rough mat beneath her, her hands folded on her fair knees, her face withered.

While pearl diving is described as a profession, it is more like a "sect" system based on bloodline inheritance.

They have been rooted on Luhua Island for generations, and their core livelihood is to search for spiritual shellfish that have been nurtured for thousands of years in the deep sea.

Opening the Spirit Shell gives you a chance to obtain a treasure orb, which can repel water or fire, and has extraordinary effects.

These shellfish monsters, which are around a hundred years old, don't possess any extraordinary treasures within their bodies. At most, they can produce a few pearls with unique colors, which, although they can be exchanged for some scattered spirit stones, are not of high value.

Only giant clams that have lived for over a thousand years, or giant tridacna shells that have survived for thousands of years, can produce rare treasures that can protect against wind and water. Even more remarkably, some can produce four rare treasures that can protect against wind, water, fire, and dust, making them extremely rare in the world.

Strangely enough, the waters near Luhua Island are rich in these kinds of shellfish. Given the profit-seeking nature of cultivators, the monsters in this area should have been completely harvested long ago, but the reality is far from that.

It turns out that most of those ancient clam-like monsters live deep in the ocean, thousands of feet below the surface, and are extremely strange in nature, especially repulsed by men.

They only refrain from attacking when a woman approaches, and if she is a virgin, she is exceptionally beautiful.

These shellfish monsters not only do not attack, but are actually quite docile. In rare cases, they even follow a woman when she dives into the sea, which is extremely strange.