Chapter 1243: Clever Consequences

"What is that thing!" A shiver ran down everyone's spine. They couldn't see anything from head to tail, only a tongue. The unknown brought immense fear.

Even Yan Xuehen and the other women frowned. They weren't afraid; as Grandmasters, they had encountered far more terrifying and mysterious beasts than this. However, women inherently disliked sticky, tentacle-like things.

On the other side, the remaining demon clan experts also frowned, analyzing what kind of monster was beneath them when suddenly a deep, thundering sound echoed all around.

"Goo~" The sound was like muffled thunder, or a massive hammer striking a broken drum, making everyone extremely uncomfortable.

"Goo~" Again, a rhythmic rumble sounded. Everyone suddenly felt a tightness in their chests, and their faces began to turn pale. After several consecutive sounds, someone suddenly couldn't hold it in and vomited a mouthful of fresh blood. In the pool of blood lay a heart, seemingly beating in sync with the muffled thunder. Immediately following another "goo" sound, the heart exploded.

The others quickly jumped away, their expressions changing. Someone shouted, "Everyone cover your ears! If our heartbeats synchronize with this sound, we'll surely die!" The rest hastily covered their ears, some even tearing off strips of cloth to stuff into them.

However, some high-level cultivators sneered. This sound wave directly impacted the body; covering one's ears was useless. They either used artifacts or channeled their internal energy to resist the strange sound.

Though the sound was uncomfortable for Zu An given his current cultivation, it couldn't harm him. Instead, he looked worriedly at the woman beside him. Yu Yanluo, despite her severe previous injuries, had largely recovered after his treatment using the unique dual cultivation method of the Primordial Chaos Scripture. Her power was already formidable, and with the bloodline of an ancient Medusa, she could naturally withstand the sound wave attack of this unknown beast.

Yan Xuehen, however, was in much greater distress. Her injuries were severe, and her cultivation was barely a fraction of its former strength. Ordinarily, relying on her Grandmaster realm and experience, she could still defend herself against common experts, but this sound wave attack offered no opportunity for evasion. Soon, she felt her blood and qi churning, and her face instantly turned pale.

She was trying to use the Supreme Oblivion Scripture to resist the sound waves when she suddenly felt a warm, large hand grasp hers, and a stream of warmth flowed into her body. Her face flushed, and she instinctively tried to withdraw her hand, but Zu An gravely said, "It would be troublesome if your old injuries were aggravated." Yan Xuehen, understanding the implications, reluctantly allowed him to hold her hand.

The strange calls earlier hadn't made her heart race, but now it was truly pounding like a drum, almost synchronizing with the peculiar sounds. Startled, she quickly circulated the Supreme Oblivion Scripture to calm herself. She was too embarrassed to look at the other two women, instead pretending to gaze at the center of the swamp as if contemplating what kind of beast was there.

At that moment, Zu An also went to help Yun Jianyue, but she pulled her hand away, proudly stating, "Just take care of the 'Ice Maiden'; I'm not as delicate as she is."

Zu An was speechless. "You're clearly not lightly injured, are you?" What a fiercely competitive personality.

Meanwhile, an expert on the other side could no longer hold back. A burly, white-haired man let out a loud roar, his muscles bulging as he picked up a boulder the size of a small hill and hurled it forcefully towards the center of the swamp. With a tremendous crash, water and mud splattered everywhere, and the strange calls that had echoed earlier abruptly ceased.

"As expected of Xiong Da from the Black and White Bears! Legend says he possesses boundless strength, capable of moving mountains and overturning seas. Seeing it today, his reputation is certainly well-deserved!"

"Xiong Er hasn't even acted yet. What beast can't be suppressed when those two brothers join forces?"

The crowd gasped in astonishment. Some, eager to show off their knowledge, introduced: "There's also Young Master Jin Shi of the Golden Roc Royal Clan, Princess Changning of the Peacock Royal Clan, and Qiao Heng of the Elf Clan."

Others, not to be outdone, added: "That's not all! There's also Princess Suolun of the Demon Clan, Prince Shiling of the Lion Clan, Prince Yinsha of the Sea Clan... Hey, doesn't that person look like Ma Huang of the Blood Clan?"

"Yes, it is him! I also just saw Duan Tiande of the Night Elves. There's going to be a good show."

Zu An quickly surveyed the group. From the techniques they had just displayed, he could generally deduce who each person was. Yu Yanluo quietly explained, "These are all outstanding young members from various demon clans. However, except for Princess Suolun and Shiling, who are direct descendants, the others are not from the main lineage of their respective tribes. It seems this treasure map was only recently discovered; otherwise, more prominent figures would have arrived."

The women all nodded. This was for the best, as they were in no condition to deal with old monsters if they showed up.

Zu An, however, let out a sound of surprise. "Isn't the Demon Clan's royal family named Yun? How is this Suolun also a princess?" As he spoke, he subtly glanced at Yun Jianyue. Wu Wangfei, Yun Yuqing, was from the Demon Clan, so what was her exact relationship with them? Unfortunately, Yun Jianyue showed no change in expression, making it impossible to discern her thoughts.

At this point, Yu Yanluo explained, "Everyone has a misconception that a race only has one family. But just like humans have countless powers and various noble families, the demon clans also have many families."

"In a major clan like the Demon Clan, power is held by the four great families: Yun, Suolun, Rong, and Wu. While the Yun family is the royal lineage, the other families also control various departments and are on equal footing with them."

"And this Suolun Shi is the apple of the Suolun family's eye, so being called a princess is well-deserved."

At this moment, Yun Jianyue, standing nearby, said with a half-smile, "Why are you so concerned about this Princess Suolun? Are you interested in her? Shall I, your older sister, catch her and bring her to warm your bed?" This Princess Suolun was the most beautiful woman among the group they had discussed earlier.

Yan Xuehen, standing by, was somewhat displeased. This 'demoness' truly seemed to thrive on chaos. "In your current state, are you going to capture her, or just get yourself delivered?"

"Ice Maiden, how about a wager? What would you say if I went and brought her back?" Yun Jianyue's eyebrows shot up.

Zu An was speechless. These two were bickering again. He quickly interrupted, "I was just asking about the Demon Clan's information. Speaking of demons, the Demon Clan and the Demonic Cult are both 'demons.' Is there any connection between you?"

Yun Jianyue said chillingly, "Brat, we are the Sacred Cult. If anyone else dared to mention the 'Demonic Cult' in front of me, I'd scatter their ashes."

Zu An chuckled, "Sister, we're all family, no need to be so formal."

Yun Jianyue snorted, no longer bothering with him.

Zu An was about to seize the opportunity to ask more, when another colossal muffled thunderclap erupted, making everyone's ears ache. At this moment, the swamp began to churn, and then a massive, hill-like body surfaced. It was a gigantic toad, covered in various pustules, visibly seeping with pus, a sight that instantly made one nauseous. Half a thigh still hung from its mouth, evidently the remains of victims recently swallowed.

"A Grandmaster-level fierce beast," everyone's hearts sank. The combat power of a fierce beast was already superior to cultivators of the same realm, and now it had the home advantage. How could they possibly contend with it? However, with the treasure tomb chamber so close, no one was willing to leave just yet.

The toad, clearly holding a grudge over being struck, swelled and contracted its belly, croaking and glaring fiercely in the direction of the Black and White Bears. Others, terrified, quickly dispersed. Some quick-witted individuals suddenly had an idea: the swamp was so vast, why not take advantage of the toad engaging Xiong Da and Xiong Er and bypass it from both sides?

A considerable number of people harbored this thought and began to act. Having just witnessed the length of the great tongue, they deliberately kept a distance several times longer, ensuring the toad couldn't reach them at all.

"We're so clever!" But just then, a gaping maw suddenly opened on the left side of the water, swallowing all the passing demon clan members like a whale. On the right, black light flickered in the air, as if several massive scythes had swept through, dismembering each of the demon clan experts.