Chapter 157: The Millennial Coral Grove

Beneath the night sky, the ocean lost a portion of its grand expansiveness, replacing it with a sense of mystery, unmeasurable depth, and the quiet terror of the unknown that lingers after a calm.

On a tranquil expanse of sea where no ships ever sailed, five men and women of varied appearances stood facing one another, forming a circle.

Their expressions were exceptionally grim. They trod upon the water as if walking on solid ground, their gazes fixed with calm yet heavy gravity upon a massive cluster of reefs resting in their midst.

The jagged reefs had been eroded by the tides into a natural, gigantic labyrinth that rose more than ten meters above the surface of the sea.

Ordinarily, typical reef formations were plainly visible, but this particular one only revealed itself at night. Deep in the night, the exposed reefs spanned a diameter of up to a thousand meters!

Most bizarrely, this strange labyrinth of reefs would emit a faint red glow as soon as night fell.

It flickered intermittently!

It was as though some living creature or spirit-imbued treasure was concealed within.

The four men and one woman stationed far outside the perimeter of the reefs appeared untouched by wind or waves, their garments as fresh as new. Yet, they had already waited in this region for more than two whole months... less than half an hour now!

Far from diminishing, the red radiance grew increasingly brilliant as the night deepened. The reef cluster became ever more vivid, dripping with color until it ultimately transformed into a sprawling grove of blood-red coral resembling fresh blood.

The giant blood coral cluster, a thousand meters in diameter, was clearly visible from a radius of ten leagues. Every single vein exposed above and beneath the water's surface stood out with startling clarity—magnificent and breathtakingly gorgeous!

Rings of red ripples spread rapidly outward, centered upon the coral grove.

They pulsed rhythmically like layers of crimson waves.

In the end, they nearly enveloped the entire sea within a radius of a hundred leagues.

The five individuals were completely engulfed by this intense crimson brilliance.

"The blood jade coral is shining much brighter than usual!"

"Indeed."

Amidst the astonishing red glow, the four men and one woman wore expressions of profound gravity as they conversed and exchanged warnings:

"I reckon they can't hold back much longer. Everyone, be on your guard!"

One of the men, draped in yellow robes, wore an expression of unprecedented solemnity as he spoke: "That aura is also starting to grow very unstable. Brother Skyhawk, you should quickly send a signal to Wanderer and have him come over immediately. The master of the millennium blood coral might be about to appear!"

Simultaneously, the others turned their gazes toward a single person:

"Skyhawk, it's time to bring Wanderer back! Without the nine-star water arts when dealing with the millennium blood coral worms, I honestly don't have much confidence."

The man they looked upon was none other than Skyhawk, another leader of the Heavenly King Pirate Crew. A nine-star wind-attribute swordsman with frosted temples and a slightly furrowed brow, he replied:

"Naturally, I know this. Wanderer is the one who controls the overall situation; without him, the plan will be difficult to execute successfully... I sent out the signal long ago. However, unexpectedly, a multi-decked ship appeared in the forbidden sea region today, commanded by a nine-star dark mage. He went to handle it personally, but it has proven somewhat tricky, and he probably hasn't finished dealing with it yet."

The other four were naturally the leaders of the Skull Pirate Crew and the Furious Dragon Pirate Crew—all powerhouses at the nine-star level.

And the giant crimson coral cluster upon the sea was the true reason they had united to blockade the maritime routes!

Among corals, blood coral reigned supreme. Only from blood coral nurtured over a millennium could a tiny fraction of its essence be extracted, which, when used in weapon crafting, increased the durability and magic-storage attributes of armaments. Furthermore, blood coral essence could be utilized in alchemy, serving as a prime ingredient for refining medicinal elixirs.

The vast expanse of blood coral before them belonged to the absolute pinnacle of supreme quality!

Not only could it yield a substantial amount of blood coral essence, but they had also discovered within it the legendary "Blood Coral Worm"—a special magical beast that parasitized ten-thousand-year-old blood coral.

It was rumored that the Blood Coral Worm sustained itself over long periods on the precious blood coral essence, causing its constitution to sublimate. Aside from possessing a potent acidic secretion capable of piercing gold and eroding stone, its saliva could be used as an ingredient to refine nine-star spirit medicines. The blood of the Blood Coral Worm could be consumed directly, yielding effects that even surpassed "Mana Recovery Potion." Not only could it rapidly restore and elevate mental power within a short time, but it also possessed miraculous properties for healing physical flesh wounds swiftly.

Moreover, the flesh and blood of the Blood Coral Worm were priceless treasures... consuming them directly was no less effective than ingesting rare medicinal pills that elevated one's cultivation realm. Premium pills for raising cultivation—especially those effective for nine-star powerhouses—had a normal market value far exceeding a million gold coins, and even then, they were not always available for purchase.

This was precisely what had attracted six nine-star powerhouses to join forces.

Such a massive marine blood coral cluster could not only yield an adequate portion of blood coral essence, but within the coral grove also grew no fewer than ten "Blood Coral Worms."

However... Blood Coral Worms were not so easily acquired.

The blood coral grove itself was exceptionally tough, impervious to ordinary weapons and attacks. Capturing a Blood Coral Worm—which possessed spiritual awareness, astonishing speed, and camouflage abilities—was more difficult than ascending to the heavens.

Only on specific days would the blood coral worms experience restless vitality and be forced to ascend to the surface of the sea to breathe.

To wait for this day, the six of them had endured bitter hardship for over two whole months, finally reaching the day when the blood coral worms could hold out no longer and were desperate to ascend.

With the appearance of the blood coral came celestial anomalies!

The crimson glow filling the sky was precisely the phenomenon caused by the blood coral worms exhaling and inhaling toward the heavens.

As time passed, the red radiance grew ever more intense!

The emotions of the five individuals stretched to their absolute limits. Their battle qi surged forth, protective barriers fully activated. The majestic fluctuations of magic and battle qi caused the sea surface to churn violently... The five of them had already spotted the writhing forms of individual Blood Coral Worms stirring within the coral cluster.

Like crimson parasites, they clung to the interior of the blood coral, creeping toward the very apex and core where the red glow was most intense!

"Thirteen... fourteen... fifteen... Fifteen of them?!"

The eyes of the five grew fixed and wide. Fifteen Blood Coral Worms meant that, provided their operation succeeded, each of the six nine-star powerhouses could secure at least two Blood Coral Worms, advancing their cultivation by two tiers.

Among those present, the lowest was at the second tier of the nine-star realm, while the highest could ascend to the high tier of the nine-star realm, becoming a figure whose strength approached the Supremes of the Soul Continent.

How could this fail to excite them?

Yet harvest and risk coexist... The "Blood Coral Worm" was itself a special magical beast of the nine-star level. Furthermore, because they were born from the same blood coral cluster, they were considered kin, resulting in extremely strong solidarity. The more Blood Coral Worms they faced collectively, the greater the difficulty in obtaining them.

Fortunately, while the Blood Coral Worm's attack power and movement speed approached the nine-star level infinitely, its own damage resistance could not compare to that of normal nine-star magical beasts.

Despite the danger, as long as the six of them cooperated with tacit understanding and employed proper methods, acquiring the Blood Coral Worms remained achievable.

Taking this risk was worth it!

However, without "Wanderer"—the nine-star water mage capable of dominating the seas—everything became unpredictable.

Gazing at the Blood Coral Worms, each only a few meters long and seamlessly integrated with the blood coral so as to remain easily unnoticed, the worries etched into the brows of the five individuals grew increasingly dense.

"They're coming out."

The sole female nine-star powerhouse among the five lifted her eyelids, vigilance flaring in her eyes as her body drifted lightly backward by a hundred meters... The other four were also somewhat caught off guard, not expecting the blood coral worms to emerge so quickly in Wanderer's absence. With a gnashing of teeth, they too retreated over a hundred meters, transmitting their voices:

"It's too late! Wanderer definitely won't make it in time!"

"If we miss this window, heaven knows where these worms will move the coral. We'll fight individually; whatever number of Blood Coral Worms each person can seize will depend entirely on their own abilities."

The proposal came from the two members of the Skull Pirate Crew.

The male and female duo from the Furious Dragon Pirate Crew also realized the original combat plan could no longer be executed. Exchanging a glance, they nodded in agreement.

Only "Skyhawk" of the Heavenly King Pirate Crew was deeply dissatisfied with this suggestion.

He knew that due to Wanderer's absence, the original tactics could not be successfully implemented, and the other four, harboring various motives and reservations, were unwilling to let him reap the maximum benefit.

Though stifled with frustration in his heart, he had no grounds for rebuttal.

Yet... relying solely on his own strength, he might handle one Blood Coral Worm with ease, but if two or more came at him, he would be stretched to his limit, facing perils several times greater than the other four.

Skyhawk was no fool; he understood when to advance and when to retreat.

After launching an exceptionally eye-catching signal flare high into the sky, a responding flare quickly bloomed in the distant firmament.

Without waiting for the Blood Coral Worms to fully appear, Skyhawk rapidly took to the air and flew far away!

The moment Skyhawk departed, the red radiance of the blood coral cluster grew even more violent.

Feeling the fifteen Blood Coral Worms stir restlessly, the other four furrowed their brows into tight knots, realizing their miscalculation. With one person gone to divert attention, the remaining four would each have to face the onslaught of at least three to four Blood Coral Worms.

This was troublesome!

"Swift victory! Take them and leave!" shouted the two members of the Skull Pirate Crew.

"Agreed!"

The male and female duo from Furious Dragon nodded decisively.

Having left the blood coral cluster, Skyhawk flew rapidly toward the direction from which the signal had originated, without ever looking back. He needed to find Wanderer; if there was still time, perhaps they could return to snatch some blood coral essence and Blood Coral Worms before the coral cluster vanished.

"Eh?"

Midway through his hurried journey, Skyhawk caught sight of a tiny black dot lingering near the sea surface in the distance.

A flying beast?
And a few people?

They seemed to have been drawn by the cluster of red light as well and were approaching that direction.

"Are they people from the Fish Arrow Mercenary Corps, or..."

Skyhawk frowned slightly, yet he did not alter his flight path—had it been yesterday, he would have flown over without a second thought to slaughter them and ensure no interference during his hunt for the Blood Coral Worms. But now! He wished more people would head over to cause trouble for the Skull and Furious Dragon factions.

With a cold snort, he sped past without stopping, continuing his flight toward his destination.

Meanwhile, upon the back of the Black Wind Condor in the distance, upon "seeing" Skyhawk streak past without stopping to cause trouble, a cold sweat had already soaked through the rider's back!

The moment Skyhawk flew far away, the rider immediately changed course, turning away from the southeast. The intensity of the red light in that direction was growing stronger by the moment; persisting any further would undoubtedly invite unnecessary trouble, leading to an unknown demise.