CHAPTER 355: CHAPTER 355: THE DEMON KING’S TEST_1

Unlike typical marine races, these guards from the Demon King Palace were clad in all sorts of armor, holding weapons like swords, spears, and halberds. About half of these weapons and armors bore the marks of a human Forgemaster’s craft. The remainder, in form, style, and design, were vastly different from a cultivator’s magic artifacts. Examples included rudimentary Scale Armor woven from fish scales and spearheads ground from fish bones; these were clearly crafted and refined by the Marine Race themselves!

Looking into the palace gate, a figure stood there—it was the Clam Girl big demon, Ming Zhu, whom Shen Mo had met once on Golden Turtle Island.

Seeing her sister, Ming Yu swam more cheerfully, flapping her clamshell as she moved towards Ming Zhu.

Just as Shen Mo and the others were about to follow, Marine Race guards, clad in armor and wielding weapons, swam up with a RUSH, blocking their way.

"The King has ordered us to take good care of our esteemed guests!"

A seahorse-like guard captain swam out and spoke to Shen Mo in human tongue, "Master Shen, please!"

As it finished speaking, the marine guards parted to make way.

Then, a monkey-like member of the Marine Race emerged from the palace gate, a basket of pearls slung at its waist. Although this demon largely resembled a mountain ape, a closer look revealed that its body was covered not in fur, but in densely packed scales. It also had gill-like organs beneath its ears—clearly a Sea Monkey Demon native to the Immortal Burial Sea!

The moment it steadied itself, it swung the multi-toothed fish spear in its hand, stirring up strong undercurrents that surged towards Shen Mo. It then challenged, "Becoming Princess Ming Yu’s sworn brother won’t be that easy!"

"Come and fight me! If you can take this basket of pearls from my hand, I will let you pass!"

"But if your strength is lacking, then return whence you came! Of course, I won’t let you leave empty-handed; this basket of pearls will be your parting gift!"

This Sea Monkey Demon possessed a late-stage Class III cultivation. For an ordinary Spirit Sea Realm Layer I cultivator, snatching the pearls from it would be nothing but a foolish dream.

This was clearly the first challenge set by Demon Lord Ming Cang. If Shen Mo’s abilities were ordinary, and he couldn’t even defeat one of her generals, how could he have the audacity to become her daughter’s sworn brother?

While this seemed like making things difficult, the threshold was set very ingeniously. Against a peak Class III big demon, Shen Mo would undoubtedly be outmatched. However, he had slain late-stage Class III members of the Marine Race before. The Serpent-Eel Heavenly Demon had been such a master, and it was now a Demon Soul General in his Soul Refining Flag. Demon Lord Ming Cang was in frequent contact with Ming Yu; how could she not know of this?

It was precisely because she knew of Shen Mo’s combat prowess that she had arranged for a Marine Race expert of this caliber. To put it bluntly, while she was testing Shen Mo, she was also providing him an opportunity to display his strength and earn renown! After all, many of the big demons under Demon Lord Ming Cang’s command were quite dissatisfied that Princess Ming Yu had taken a Human Cultivator as her sworn brother and even treated him with the respect due to a semi-mentor. But the strong, regardless of race or origin, earned respect wherever they went!

A spirit light flashed from Shen Mo—the Can Palm—calming the undercurrents stirred by the Sea Monkey Demon. He then looked towards the palace gate. He saw Ming Yu, already ensnared by her elder sister with a chain of bubbles formed by a Spell, still struggling. The Class III late-stage big demon Ming Zhu, half her body emerging from her clamshell, respectfully saluted Shen Mo from a distance before disappearing into the depths of the royal palace with Ming Yu.

Shen Mo pondered for a moment, understood Demon Lord Ming Cang’s intentions, and a wry smile touched his lips.

It really is... Oh well, who asked me to have designs on taking Ming Yu away?

Instantly, a spirit light flashed at his waist, and magic artifacts such as the Demon Slaying Sword, the Soul Refining Flag, and talismans materialized before him.

"Three-headed Six-armed, transform!"

He activated the True Immortal Magic. The blood essence primality within his body rapidly transformed into bones, meridians, Flesh and Blood, hair... In the blink of an eye, two additional heads and four arms sprouted from his body. One hand held a sword, another a flag, one clutched a Spirit Stone, and another a talisman. His bearing was awe-inspiring, like that of a divine demon!

In the previous battle against the Serpent-Eel Heavenly Demon, Shen Mo had exhausted all his techniques to suppress and refine it into a Demon Soul General. Confronting this big demon from the Marine Race under Demon Lord Ming Cang’s command, Shen Mo couldn’t possibly use the Withering Pursuit Soul Palm. Doing so and causing irreversible damage to the Sea Monkey Demon would undoubtedly create a feud with Demon Lord Ming Cang. Therefore, to defeat the Sea Monkey Demon swiftly and decisively, he had no choice but to engage it in his strongest state, short of using the Sacrificial Magic!

"Come on! Let me witness the prowess of a general under the Demon King!" Shen Mo’s three heads bellowed in unison.

"Alright, be careful!"

The Sea Monkey Demon let out a low roar. Dark tidal ripples, like rising plumes of cooking smoke, spread out circle after circle, rushing towards Shen Mo. Judging by its momentum, this was no ordinary undercurrent. If struck, even a thick-skinned behemoth of the sea would be severely injured.

"The Seven Constellations of the Northern Black Tortoise, Palm. Wall!"

The pair of hands not holding magic artifacts formed dazzlingly complex seals. Accompanied by a low shout from his left head, he executed a defensive Palm technique. The dark tidal ripples, spreading into a large circle, crashed against the Wall Water Badger phantom. Like raging waves striking the shore, they exploded into myriad droplets of water.

Fortunately, Wei Ye and the others, along with the Marine Race guards, had already cleared a large space for their duel. Otherwise, merely being hit by the aftershocks would have been enough to tear the flesh from the bones of many onlookers.

And this was merely the appetizer!

A demonic light flashed from the multi-toothed fish spear in the Sea Monkey Demon’s hand as it thrust towards Shen Mo, carrying a terrifying aura. Shen Mo didn’t hold back either. He swung the Demon Slaying Sword repeatedly, unleashing several sharp streams of sword Qi that surged towards it. Having been honed in the Sword Tomb Dungeon, his "Carefree" sword intent had advanced further. This allowed Shen Mo to execute his sword moves with greater freedom and abandon, almost ignoring the resistance of the seawater. In fact, he even leveraged the water’s property of transmitting force to enhance the destructive power of his sword Qi!

CLANG!

The Sea Monkey Demon was forced to retract its attack, meeting the Sword Light with its multi-toothed fish spear. The fish spear in its hand was clearly no ordinary item; it managed to withstand Shen Mo’s sharp and terrifying sword Qi. Amidst the screech of metal, the Sea Monkey Demon’s massive body was forced back repeatedly by the blows.

"Imperial Soul, Condense!"

The Soul Refining Flag rustled sharply. Amidst a surge of blood-red light, more than ten Demon Soul Generals—including Snake Eel, Master Hong Jue, the Ghost Bride, and the Gold Piercing Ghost—stepped out from the banner, exuding a powerful aura. In the next instant, they each unleashed their unique Skills and charged the Sea Monkey Demon.

Having returned from the distant sea, the Demon Soul Generals within the flag had feasted well again. Although they hadn’t advanced in rank, their auras were considerably stronger than before. Even the Serpent-Eel Heavenly Demon had recovered to the peak state it was in when it had battled Shen Mo.

Lightning arcs, torrents of Water-light Pilian, the blood-churning Glare, Gold and Silver Ingots, and numerous other offensive Skills instantly overwhelmed the Sea Monkey Demon. Simultaneously, many other Demon Soul Generals also unleashed their most powerful techniques, inflicting a series of wounds upon it!