The goal of all the Demon Cultivators was to escape. But they all understood the consequence of directly asking to leave. So going along with Jian Hu’s wishes and letting the banquet proceed was a last resort. Perhaps once it was over, they could leave? Or, during the banquet, would they discover a clue that allowed them to escape? In any case, no one stopped what the Sea-Swallowing Turtle was doing.
Jian Hu’s smile remained. “A banquet cannot just be an empty venue. The most essential part is the cuisine, and we have a great, great variety of it.” As he spoke, he looked at the Demon Cultivators with a deeply meaningful gaze that made them all feel deeply uncomfortable. That was not the look of someone seeing fellow cultivators—it was the look of someone seeing food.
The Sea-Swallowing Turtle braced itself and asked, “Then where is all our cuisine?”
Jian Hu gestured toward the table in front of him with a grin. “Is this dish not good? This is a most delicious turtle meat soup. Can you smell that rich aroma?”
As his words fell, a fragrant scent indeed filled the nostrils of the many Demon Cultivators. They stared in shock at the table he indicated, where a pot of turtle soup had materialized out of nowhere. The chunks of turtle meat were textured and distinct, looking utterly delectable.
“Bang!”
A sudden crash drew their attention. They all turned to see the Star River Tortoise’s group looking ashen-faced. The Profound Mechanism Tortoise, the most cowardly of the Star River Tortoise’s subordinates, had backed away in fear and bumped into a table.
Wait, where was the Sea-Swallowing Turtle?
All the Demon Cultivators simultaneously noticed the problem. The Sea-Swallowing Turtle, who had just been speaking beside the Star River Tortoise, had vanished.
As if a thought struck them, the Demon Cultivators swiveled their heads to look at the only table with food on it. A pot of turtle meat soup sat there, sending out its delicate fragrance. Whose meat was used for this soup was now painfully clear.
Looking at the turtle soup, all the Demon Cultivators felt a chill in their hearts, their bodies tensing up. A strange silence fell within the Undersea Palace.
Jian Hu smiled again. “Everyone, please take your seats and enjoy the meal.”
None of the Demon Cultivators dared move.
Jian Hu seemed to realize something. “Ah, I almost forgot. The dishes haven’t been served for the other tables yet. I need to make sure every table is laden with delicacies first.” His gaze began sweeping back and forth among the Demon Cultivators, which made them even more horrified.
“I can’t take it anymore!”
A Blade Shrimp shouted and bolted for the exit of the Undersea Palace. The oppressive, terrifying scene had driven it to lose all reason. The Blade Shrimp race looked similar to ordinary shrimp, but the segments of their limbs were like blades, exceptionally sharp. The one that had lost its mind was at the Late Qi Condensation stage. It charged out of the palace in a single swift motion.
Jian Hu seemed to make no move to stop it, simply allowing the Blade Shrimp to disappear from sight. This caused the remaining Demon Cultivators to exchange uncertain glances. Could they escape just by rushing out?
As they all pondered this, Jian Hu pointed to an empty table. “What do you think of this second course? I find it even more fragrant than the turtle soup. Braised shrimp, truly worthy of the name. Smell that aroma.” He wore an expression of pure ecstasy as he spoke.
Again, the Demon Cultivators caught a whiff of the scent. They looked at the table, and their expressions turned ugly. A dish had suddenly appeared there, a plate of braised shrimp that looked incredibly tasty. Looking at the shrimp’s bladed segments, the Demon Cultivators felt a coldness seep into their bodies. Without a doubt, the shrimp that had been braised was the Blade Shrimp that had just fled. Escape was impossible. Any unusual action would only result in being selected by Jian Hu as a dish.
“Now, it’s time for the third course,” Jian Hu said, his smile blindingly bright. But his words were a reign of terror upon the others, causing the Demon Cultivators to lower their heads one by one, not daring to meet his gaze.
Bai Sha scanned the room. There were twenty-six Demon Cultivators remaining, and eighteen empty tables left. If Jian Hu’s dishes had to be made from the Demon Cultivators present, then only eight would survive in the end. Would she and Yin Sha be lucky enough to be among those eight? And even if they were, would that really allow them to leave the Bloodthirsty Territory? The answer was probably not.
As Bai Sha mulled over these things, her heart clenched. She felt Jian Hu’s gaze land on her and Yin Sha. Was he thinking of what dish to make of them?
Yin Sha’s body was already trembling. Even with her head lowered, she could feel the malicious stare, and her whole body shook. Bai Sha knew she couldn’t wait any longer. Some things, even if uncertain, had to be done. Because if she didn’t act, she would have to restart this life.
“Senior Jian Hu,” Bai Sha spoke calmly. “I recall the Bloodthirsty Territory has other Bloodthirsty Swordfish besides yourself. Where might they be? Why don’t they come out to greet us?”
The other Demon Cultivators were bewildered by Bai Sha’s question. What was she bringing this up for at a time like this?
Jian Hu paused, as if in thought. “I should indeed have juniors. Where have they all gone?” It was as if his memory had become incomplete, and he couldn’t quite figure it out.
Seizing the moment when he was distracted, Bai Sha secretly retrieved the Shattering Mirror from within her Moon Spirit Pearl.
Jian Hu didn’t ponder for too long before his face lit up with understanding. “I remember now. They said some outsider had secretly learned our clan’s cultivation technique, so they went to find that foreign demon cultivator. Ai, I wonder when they’ll return, and if they’ll make it back in time for my celebratory banquet. They’d be so happy if there was a grilled shark waiting for them to enjoy.”
As he spoke, he looked back toward Bai Sha.
Just as his gaze landed on her, Bai Sha immediately raised the Shattering Mirror with her pectoral fins. The black cloth had been removed, and the mirror’s surface reflected the direction of Jian Hu, perfectly capturing his figure within it.
In the next instant, Jian Hu’s body began to twist and warp.
“What is this?”
Jian Hu seemed surprised. He looked toward the mirror, but before he could react, he was irresistibly sucked into its surface and drawn inside.
Seeing that it worked, Bai Sha flipped the mirror over to look. Through the transparent backing, she could see Jian Hu’s crimson silhouette inside. A massive force within the mirror was pressing down on his body, causing blood to continuously ooze from his skin. So long as one wasn’t a Transformation Realm Demon, once sucked into the Shattering Mirror, they would eventually be crushed to death. But was this really the end?
