Chapter Nine: The Nine-Headed Dragon Turtle (Part Two)

The nest of the Forked Horn Dragon Beast lay in a rather expansive valley.

As far as the environment of Planet 55963 was concerned, Devourer was exceedingly fond of it. Though the trees and creatures here all seemed exceptionally large, after spending some time, one could discover that some of these beings could easily be nurtured into excellent pets—of course, only those like Devourer, who delighted in giant companions, would appreciate them. Yet, these creatures were remarkably docile, and their appearance was not lacking either.

Devourer was strolling about with a leisurely, sightseeing mood, enjoying the unique beauty of Planet 55963. However, Kuang Qingshan and the others dared not be so careless. The group of eleven was cautious: six were split into two teams, patrolling the surroundings—so that if danger arose, Devourer could be evacuated first. The remaining four stayed close to Devourer, their eyes constantly scanning left and right.

Among the eleven, nine had cultivated the Wild Dragon Technique to the sixth level, and three were ranked as level-seven powerhouses—rare experts from the Kuang family, seldom dispatched from the War Star. Devourer, though only ranked at level five, had advanced his Wild Dragon Technique to the seventh layer. According to the technique's characteristics, in single combat, he would not be inferior to any level-six expert.

Privately, Kuang Qingshan and the others speculated that, given Devourer's peculiar Divine Beast and the massive hammer he wielded, he could easily hold his own against a level-seven powerhouse.

For three days, the group moved cautiously through the jungle. Kuang Qingshan insisted they proceed slowly, wary of encountering danger with so few companions and no backup nearby. Each step was taken only after the route had been scouted.

Those three days were not in vain for Devourer. He encountered no fewer than ten monster packs; three had relatively few members, and Devourer dispatched them either by smashing their skulls or leaving them to be wrapped up by Little Flower. In the end, they collected dozens of mediocre crystal cores.

When the group finally arrived at the valley where the Forked Horn Dragon Beast's nest was located, they were stunned by what they saw.

All of them lay prone atop the cliff flanking the valley, gazing down at a scene that had become a bloody inferno—a veritable hellscape of carnage.

The valley stretched about five hundred meters long, narrowing to just over a hundred at its slimmest, and widening near a thousand at its broadest, forming a basin-like expanse. One side was a sheer cliff three hundred meters high, where the group now took cover. The opposite flank lay at the foot of a mountain range.

Perhaps due to the destruction wrought by the Forked Horn Dragon Beast, not a single tree remained, only bizarre, monstrous grasses growing in patches.

The original color of the grass could no longer be discerned, for the valley was now covered entirely in beast blood and flesh, strewn with corpses and bones. The stench of blood was so overwhelming that, when carried by the breeze, it nearly knocked Devourer and his companions unconscious.

At the very center of the valley, amidst the sea of blood and flesh, there lay a scarlet, gigantic turtle-shaped beast, as large as a small mountain, motionless. Its massive, elongated head was sunk deep into the gore. On its back, black patterns shimmered with streaks of light—so bizarre and uncanny that none could immediately accept what they saw.

Everyone was dumbstruck by the sight. Only after a long moment did Kuang Qingshan gently pull Devourer back. The group retreated several hundred meters and entered a smaller valley, where Kuang Qingshan, his face pale with fear, finally spoke: "Young master, the energy response from that blood-red giant turtle is overwhelming."

Just then, a shadow appeared overhead. All looked up instinctively. From the direction of the valley, a blood-red colossus began to rise slowly into the sky.

Bathed in the light of the star, they could clearly see that the shadow was the very same giant turtle they had just witnessed in the valley.

As the beast ascended and disappeared, it took half a day for everyone to recover their wits. Kuang Qingshan cried out in alarm, gasping, "Heavens, a cosmic beast!"

Their eyes were filled with awe. A beast the size of a small mountain, able to lift itself into the air on a planet with such strong gravity, relying solely on its own energy—it was obvious, even to a fool, that this was one of the legendary cosmic beasts, rarely seen by humankind.

After another half day, the group finally calmed down. Kuang Qingshan watched Devourer for a long time before speaking: "Young master, this place is too dangerous. Let us return and have the family send a battleship to take us back to the fortress."

Devourer slowly, yet steadfastly, shook his head. Everyone exchanged looks, as if they had expected this response.

Kuang Qingshan hurriedly continued, "Young master, it's simply too perilous here. We can't stay any longer. Please—"

Devourer stood up slowly, smiling. "The cosmic beast has left, hasn't it? What is there still to fear? Don't you think there's surely something valuable hidden beneath all that blood and flesh in the valley?"

One of the group addressed Devourer cautiously, "Young master, there must be a large number of crystal cores in that valley. That's undeniable—the energy response is so strong I can sense it from here. But... young master, isn't it unwise to risk so much? If you need crystal cores, the family could easily meet your requirements. You came to relax and hunt a few cores; we have no objections. But at this moment, that cosmic beast is not something we can provoke. We absolutely must not enter the valley. Besides—"

Devourer cut him off. "Say no more. I must see that valley for myself."

No matter how Kuang Qingshan and the others tried to dissuade him, Devourer was resolute. He ordered them to remain atop the cliff while he, alone, with Little Flower’s help, descended directly from the summit.

Devourer landed gently atop the massive skull of some unknown beast at the valley floor.

Once steady, Little Flower's head emerged from Devourer's neck, glanced around, and said, "Master, the ruler here is too powerful. I too think you should not risk it. All the crystal cores you wanted were just devoured by my brother Black."

"Black is here too?" Devourer was startled.

Little Flower nodded twice, smiling. "Yes, just after the ruler departed, Black emerged from underground and swept up all the crystal cores."

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