Chapter 127: Great Terror

(Friendly reminder: This chapter contains intense content; those with a weak heart should proceed with caution.)

On the island, the four individuals, including Liu Pan, stood frozen in place.

In truth, they had been standing motionless since the very moment the Netherworld Demon Flood Dragon appeared. Beyond the frantic thoughts racing through their minds, they were capable of nothing else. They watched as the creature assumed a human form, observed as it sensed and understood the formation, and finally, watched as it tore the barrier asunder.

Against a terrifying, god-like entity such as the Netherworld Demon Flood Dragon, they were powerless. Whatever they might have attempted would have been futile; all they could do was stand in silent witness.

When the creature’s horrifying aura surged through the rift in the formation, a shudder ran through everyone present. It was only then that the reality of their situation truly struck them. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably—this was the reaction of everyone within the formation, the man in black, a master of the Martial Sect realm, being no exception.

"Oh?"

A soft sound of surprise echoed. In the next instant, the Netherworld Demon Flood Dragon appeared out of thin air on the island, standing directly before Liu Pan.

*Thump!*

Liu Pan’s legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground. In that single moment, sweat drenched his clothes, and his heart nearly stopped.

*How could it be... this terrifying?*

Liu Pan tried to swallow, but he could not even force the saliva down his throat. Sensing the creature’s aura at such close range, only despair filled his heart. It felt as if someone had clamped a hand around his throat, making every breath an agonizing struggle. His body burned, a physiological reaction to the sudden, violent acceleration of his heart after it had momentarily ceased. His blood felt as though it were boiling. Liu Pan realized that if his body had not been tempered through cultivation, if he were still a mere mortal, he would have surely exploded.

*BOOM!*

Suddenly, the sound of a heavy object slamming into the earth rang out, and the entire island seemed to tremble. Not far from Liu Pan, a massive tail, two zhang wide and covered in black scales as hard as steel plates, slowly rose from a deep crater.

At the bottom of the pit lay a mangled, unrecognizable figure, blood pouring from his body as he gasped for air. Upon closer inspection, it was the man in black, the Martial Sect master!

The man in black truly felt the depths of despair. When the creature’s aura had first leaked through the breach, he had sensed that the Demon Flood Dragon had not yet ascended to the Divine realm, which had given him a glimmer of hope for survival. After all, the creature had been severely wounded before shedding its original form. As a top-tier Martial Sect practitioner, he believed the gap between them was only one major realm. He assumed the creature’s injuries would hinder its speed and strength.

With this thought, when the Demon Flood Dragon appeared before Liu Pan, the man in black had attempted to use the power of space to flee without hesitation. Yet, he never expected that before he could even channel the spatial energy, he would be struck down by that massive tail.

*Is this the gap between the Sect realm and the Saint realm?*

At the bottom of the crater, the man in black could not stop the blood from flowing from his lips. He felt utter foolishness for having dared to dream of escaping such power.

The Netherworld Demon Flood Dragon frowned, glanced at the mangled figure in the pit, and after a moment’s thought, swung its massive tail down once more with brutal force.

*BOOM!*

The ground shook again. Not far away, Li Tu and the middle-aged man with the strained expression turned deathly pale. They trembled uncontrollably, barely able to remain standing. They had no doubt that the man in black had perished under that strike, but what truly horrified them was that the creature’s gaze had now shifted toward them.

*Thump! Thump!*

One after another, Li Tu and the middle-aged man collapsed to their knees. They wanted to beg for mercy, but under the suffocating pressure of the Demon Flood Dragon’s aura, they couldn't even manage a plea; not a single word or sound could escape their lips.

Looking at them, the Demon Flood Dragon’s eyes were filled with disgust. With a flick of its intent, the tail, thick with the stench of blood, rose once more.

*BOOM! BOOM!*

After the two heavy impacts, two more deep craters appeared in the solid ground, and the two bloody masses within them had ceased to show any signs of life.

Liu Pan’s body was now convulsing uncontrollably. Faced with such intense stimulation, he had lost all command over his own physical form. This was a fear that originated from the depths of his soul; he truly felt that everything unfolding before him was pure madness. If not for his mental fortitude, which far exceeded that of ordinary people, Liu Pan had no doubt he would have suffered a mental breakdown and gone insane.

Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth where he had bitten his tongue in his uncontrollable tremors. Liu Pan knew he was next; he was the only one left.

Withdrawing its blood-stained tail, the Netherworld Demon Flood Dragon turned its gaze toward Liu Pan, its eyes filled with curiosity. When it had torn through the formation, it had remained on guard, ready to destroy everything if any human masters of the Saint realm were present. It had prepared for a fierce battle.

Yet, the reality surprised it. The formation contained only a few small fry. Even more astonishingly, it sensed an aura on one of the living humans that did not belong to the living, an aura that bore a slight resemblance to its own Netherworld demonic energy.

*How is this possible?*

It scrutinized Liu Pan, scanning him dozens of times with its divine sense, yet to its surprise, it found nothing amiss. It seemed as if this aura, which should not belong to a living person, had fused completely with this human.

Pacing slightly, the Demon Flood Dragon circled Liu Pan twice, its confusion deepening. This was absolutely abnormal!

After a long moment of contemplation, the creature suddenly realized something and shook its head in silent dismissal. *Whatever, normal or not, any human I see must die!*

They were all dead men walking, so there was no point in analyzing it. Perhaps it was some new cultivation technique humans had devised, but even if it was, it offered no benefit. Besides, the dragon was reaching the twilight of its life; even if there were benefits, it would have little time left to enjoy them.

With that thought, the blood-soaked tail rose once more. However, it paused in the next instant.

It had changed its mind. It did not want to crush this piece of trash with its tail; it wanted to swallow him whole.

From the aura radiating from Liu Pan, it sensed a similarity to its own demonic energy. It felt that digesting this human might offer some benefit to its own body, whereas if it pounded him into a pulp of flesh, it would lose its appetite. After all, the Demon Flood Dragon believed the only use for humans was as food; there was nothing else in their bodies that could be of any value to a demonic beast.

Thinking this, the creature did not hesitate. It opened its mouth slightly, but in the next moment, a violent, thunderous roar reached its ears. At the same time, it saw a flash of silver lightning...