Chapter 269: Liar, Liar, Sea On Fire

It was, in fact, not even the entirety of the accusation Han Xuhan had in his mind against the demon. He further suspected that the demon was somehow involved in the process by which the Tupshu horde had found his island and chosen to attack it. After all, when a villain needs to cultivate the image of a hero, the shortest route is always to create a problem that only he can solve!

The reason why Han Xuhan had not voiced this lethal allegation was because he finally understood how the playing field worked and who the other player was. He was dealing with a literal demon, not just a human with evil intentions. He couldn't expect to have a clean slate on the playing field unless he chose to overlook some of the misdeeds of the other party. 

Moreover, he was certain that the demon would never accept this allegation either. Looking at the bigger picture, it would probably be for the best if he pretended that he hadn't even thought of the possibility that the demon was the one who guided these Tupshus from nearby to his island. 

"...Alright, alright, you got me, man. Can't believe I missed a loophole that big. Damn, I must have been affected by the Intelligence Reducing Halo of a protagonist when I possessed you," the demon said in a defeated tone while Xuhan was suppressing his urge to go all out with the allegations due to his anger. 

"I admit, I did want to take advantage of this predicament, but don't tell me you wouldn't do it if you were in my shoes. I know you quite well to be certain that you'd not pass up the opportunity, Xuhan."

Han Xuhan felt a wave of relief washing over his worried thoughts. Finally, some good news...

"So what exactly did you exaggerate?" he said, curious.

"I didn't exaggerate anything about the spiritual energy eruptions. Yes, they are that powerful. They can not only destroy you and me, they can also destroy the young Tupshus. But the eggs which have been embedded in the mouths of these subspatial pockets are naturally protected with shells and external layers of protection by the mother Tupshus. These eggs NEED the eruptions of spiritual energy to hatch. Adult Tupshus actively create these subspatial pockets inside ordinary space during breeding seasons so that energy begins to funnel into these pockets and the eggs can be laid over there, like a pile of rocks suppressing an active, growing volcano. When the explosions take place, the energy flow baptizes the eggs. Sometimes, these eruptions can be powerful enough to even destroy the eggs."

"Okay, but how do we avoid them then? How do these hatched, young Tupshus survive them?"

"They can sense the leaking energy from the pockets and just move away from the area before eruption. It's in their instinct."

"You're avoiding the main question again," Han Xuhan said with a groan. "What about us? We can't move this island now, can we? Neither can we sense when or where the next eruption of spiritual energy will happen."

"Have you forgotten that I'm controlling a Tupshu right now? I know exactly where and when the next one is about to erupt. And it's not a news you'll like. The hatching rate of Tupshu eggs is quite slow by human standards. They only breed once every couple decades or so. But right now, the very area on which our island is afloat contains a massive, and I mean, MASSIVE, subspatial pocket. Even more unfortunately, it's very close to the explosive phase. Most Tupshus nearby are getting ready to migrate far away. That is why this horde was so eager to attack this island despite being totally unfamiliar with a prey like us. They are desperate to get some reserve food."

"Gahhh- Xianxia stories and their terrible disaster calendars!" Han Xuhan would have spat on the ground if he could. "No matter if a disaster takes place once a decade, or once in a century, or even once every millennium, it WILL happen when the main character is nearby. I'm just a protagonist's martial brother, but even I can't escape this fate?!"

The demon laughed out loud. "Since you caught me, I'll just come clean, Xuhan. I do have a way to protect this island from the explosions. I was waiting for the right time to blackmail you into agreeing to some disadvantageous deals. Seems like you won't believe me now unless I show some sincerity."

"You are absolutely correct to think that," Han Xuhan confirmed. "I might not even trust the show of sincerity. But since the situation is so dire, I'll give you a chance."

If his cocky tone annoyed the demon, he didn't express it. After a brief pause, however, the demon said something Xuhan never expected.

"To do it, I need to possess you. Your teacher Kong Ye, and your sect master Xuan Zi will probably be alerted if I do. Let's try it out when they're around. Otherwise, you crazy master's gonna come running with his poison supply."

Han Xuhan felt that the demon's words were logical. He also didn't want the demon possessing his body when Xuan Zi or Kong Ye weren't around. But was it really possible? To just possess him and save the dao tower from the explosion right beneath the island?

Only time could answer that. For now, he believed that the problem had mostly been resolved. There shouldn't be any immediate dangers. Without that pressure, he could handle the other concerns.

But of course, first, he had to kick out this giant, psychosis-inducing, spiritual predator. Even with the demon possessing it, Han Xuhan didn't feel comfortable having to share the little space on the island with the monster. 

"Hey, it's kinda cramped here with your new ride taking up so much space, not to mention, we can't even look at the direction it is in. Can you make it leave like the rest of its siblings?"

But contrary to his expectations, the demon snorted in disdain again. 

"Truly a frog in a well, unable to see the bigger picture. Have you not even considered that there might be a reason why I brought this young Tupshu here?"

Somewhat stunned, Han Xuhan said, "Wasn't it to try to sneak attack me and my minions with its mental pollution ability?"

"...Kid, did you really think I need a Tupshu to defeat you four in a spiritual battle? Did you forget that I locked up all of your minions and almost took full control of your body without you even sensing anything?"

"Ah, makes sense," Han Xuhan said, feeling sheepish. "All this stress has been taking a toll on my intelligence, man. Just quit beating around the bush and tell me the reason. Why did you bring the Tupshu here?"

"It's a gift."

"...." Han Xuhan fell silent. His thoughts seemed to crash into a wall. The ability to infer a conclusion slipped beyond his reach.

"Er... A gift for whom, exactly?"

"For you and your minions. With weaklings like you accompanying me, it'll be very difficult for us to survive in this Totality. When I was being forced to enter your dao tower, I had no idea that I would be transported to this ancient hellscape. Tupshus, I can take care of myself. But these creatures are pretty much the bottom feeders of this Totality. They are bare remnants of a long-lost glory, of extinguished civilizations. However, those that have cultivated in this primordial ocean since time immemorial are still out there, I firmly believe that! 

Leagues beneath us, within the abyss, denizens as old as your universe are resting, observing, cultivating, consolidating powers beyond my comprehension. I'll have to use every bit of resources at my disposal if I want to survive their 'curiosity'. And you, your minions, are just that-- resources that I can invest in, that I am being forced to invest in."

"How...how are we supposed to use this investment? What use is a Tupshu to us?" Han Xuhan asked, totally caught off guard.

"This is, at a fundamental level, a world based on spiritual capabilities. So you need to start training your spiritual existence as fast as possible. But your cultivation is too low and too slow to reach the requirement of the Soul Reformation realm. All you can do to strengthen it is to use the oldest, crudest method of nature. That's where the Tupshu comes in."

The clues finally connected in his mind. Voice wavering, Han Xuhan whispered, "You want us to subject ourselves to repeated spiritual attacks of the Tupshu so that we can get used to it?"

"That's right. Didn't you cultivate a zeroth layer foundation before starting your journey in the Physique Transformation realm? You can treat this early spiritual training as a foundation for your journey in the Soul Reformation Realm!"