chsdbacks Chapter 199: The Mysterious Island
Chapter 199: The Mysterious Island
Morning dew clung to the tips of the water plants that sprouted on the shore, condensing into frost.
The island is not large, and most of it is low-lying woodland.
However, the moment Zhang Ping stepped onto the island, he noticed human activity there.
He looked into the woodland at the center of the island.
"The fluctuations in Qi and blood seem quite significant?" Zhang Ping was somewhat surprised and, driven by curiosity, quietly approached.
The trees on the island don't lose their leaves in winter; they remain lush and green. I don't know what kind of trees they are, but their leaves are sword-shaped.
The soil beneath his feet was soft, and Zhang Ping walked on it without making a sound.
Upon arriving at the center of the island, a fortress-like building suddenly appeared before us.
The building is tilted, and the entrance is very strange, showing a tendency to go underground.
It looks very much like a portal leading underground.
Zhang Ping hadn't been standing there long when his ears suddenly twitched, and his gaze turned to his right.
Two figures emerged from the bushes, carrying a cage and cursing.
"Pah, what were they thinking, establishing a base in such a remote place?"
"Who knows? They're probably worried about being found by the three major sects."
"I think so too. Those lunatics love to issue missions for their disciples to kill our leaders for a reward. We should stay away from them."
As they chatted, the two opened the stone gate of the fortress and went inside.
Zhang Ping stood calmly not far away, blending into her surroundings without appearing out of place.
He noticed that the cage the two men were carrying seemed to contain a young girl.
"Human trafficking? Doesn't seem like it."
A guess formed in his mind, but he then shook his head.
At this moment, Zhang Ping is facing a problem. He has followed the spotted fish he marked all the way here in order to find the King of Spotted Fish.
But then the fish swam into a cave below the island, and the senses became blurred. The person could only vaguely sense that the fish was still down there, but could not detect its exact location or situation.
After a moment's thought, Zhang Ping examined the place. If this fortress truly led underground, it might be related to the King of the Reed Fish he was searching for.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Ping no longer hesitated.
Reaching the stone gate, I manipulated the water vapor in the air to condense, silently moving the stone gate open and entering.
After entering, close the stone door again.
He looked down into the passage and found that it indeed led underground. The walls on both sides were inlaid with luminous stones, and the passage was not dark.
The soil in the cracks between the bluestone bricks underfoot was fresh, clearly indicating that this place had only been built recently.
After a short pause, Zhang Ping continued down the passage for several dozen meters until he heard the sound of rushing water ahead, mixed with the sounds of people talking.
"Brother Chun, the higher-ups are really amazing. They actually came up with this method to cultivate demon beasts. Once this batch of goods is shipped out, a lot of spirit coins will be coming in."
"Hmph, what are you so happy about? The spirit coins aren't going to end up in your pocket." The man called Brother Chun spoke up, his voice soft and feminine.
"Hehe, while those up there feast on meat and soup, we little guys should at least get a taste too!"
Zhang Ping raised an eyebrow.
Breeding monsters?
He used the fox spirit's ability to conceal itself and silently entered the area around the corner.
The moisture concentration in the air was extremely high, and it turned out to be a huge underground cave!
A hint of surprise flashed in Zhang Ping's eyes. The soil on the island had been very soft as he walked along, so the existence of such a large cave below suggested it wasn't formed naturally.
Seventy percent of the cave is occupied by a huge pool of water, which is full of reed fish swimming around. In the very center, a huge shadowy brown-red fish with a long, snake-like body and two short horns lies coiled at the bottom of the water.
"The King of Reed Fish?" The moment Zhang Ping saw that shadow, he knew he hadn't come to the wrong place.
There's a kingfish here!
While noticing the fishpond in the middle, Zhang Ping also discovered that dozens of iron cages were placed around the cave, and each cage contained a person.
And they were all teenagers, the oldest being no more than twenty years old.
The people locked in the cages looked listless and emaciated, appearing to have suffered a severe loss of vitality.
Besides the two people who had spoken earlier, several other people dressed in the same clothes took a small cup from each cage, and the cups were filled with bright red blood.
These people poured the extracted blood into the fishpond.
Then, many other ingredients were added, which caused the spotted fish in the pond to frantically fight over the mixture. In particular, the king spotted fish in the very center opened its mouth and swallowed most of the ingredients and blood.
The fish quickly finished feeding, and their scales became noticeably shinier than before, emitting a faint reddish glow.
Although they were some distance apart, Zhang Ping could clearly sense that the blood and qi of the group of reed fish were increasing, and that some mysterious power was continuing to exist within them.
"Is this the method they were talking about for raising demonic beasts?"
Upon witnessing the entire process, Zhang Ping's pupils constricted slightly.
Recalling the conversation I had just overheard, I immediately understood what this group of people were doing.
They actually used the blood of these young boys and girls to awaken the bloodline within the reedfish?
At this moment, Brother Chun walked to the fish pond, carefully inspected it, and said with satisfaction, "The quality of this batch of fish is very good. In another two years, a new king of fish will be born."
"It was worth the great expense I paid to borrow this old fish king from the Ninth Hall."
One of his men leaned over and nodded in flattery, saying:
"Brother Chun is truly amazing. He subdued those local gangs, and now his subordinates only need to select qualified individuals from the list, greatly improving efficiency. Brother Chun is a genius!"
"Hmm~ I've said it before, you have to use your brain when you do things." Chun Ge crossed his arms and looked smug.
Zhang Ping, hidden in the shadows, suddenly realized that it required the blood of someone with exceptional talent.
Those with good talent are either born into extraordinary families or, as they grow older, by chance embark on the path of cultivation and gain self-protection.
Only those born into ordinary families who were born with exceptional talent and good fortune in cultivation were captured.
Judging from their numb state, they've probably had their blood drawn for quite some time now.
Those that couldn't withstand the bloodletting and died during this process have probably sunk to the bottom of the lake to feed the fish.
After observing for so long and confirming that there were only a few low-level minions below the Blood Essence Realm on the island,
Zhang Ping no longer concealed his cultivation level, and a powerful force swept through the entire cave.
Before Chun Ge and the others could react, they were pulled apart by the qi and blood within their bodies and died.
As a result, the king of reed fish in the pool was also stunned and controlled.
The sudden turn of events finally brought the numb boys and girls inside the surrounding iron cages to their senses, and they looked at Zhang Ping.
Zhang Ping ignored him and instead placed his hand on the King of the Reed Fish.
【King of Reed Fish, Descendant of the Reed Dragon】
[Soul Sea: A hidden talent deep within the bloodline of the Reed Fish King, capable of manipulating water currents using divine sense as a benchmark. Refining it to its peak significantly enhances the strength of the divine soul.]