Chapter 297 - 186: Pure Land

Chapter 297: Chapter 186: Pure Land

The Taiping Captains all nodded. Comparing themselves to Su Mu was just asking for trouble.

It would be better to seize the opportunity to grow stronger. That way, they might be able to close the gap with Su Mu, even if just a little.

After tossing the Tier Three Demon, the Lingyun Leopard, to the others, Su Mu didn’t get involved any further.

He was now the only Fifth-Grade Captain on the team; there was no need for him to handle menial tasks.

Sitting by the campfire, Su Mu silently summoned his system panel.

[Name: Su Mu]

[Identity: Silver-faced Killer (Concurrent), Taiping Captain (Fifth-Grade)]

[Points: 3500]

[Realm: Rebirth Realm (11x Blood Exchange, Body Tempering Extreme Realm)]

[Divine Techniques: Indestructible Golden Body, Blood Body]

[Cultivation Technique: Four Symbols Rebirth Technique (White Tiger Body (Major Accomplishment), Black Tortoise Body (Perfection), Vermilion Bird Body (Perfection))...]

[Martial Arts: Li Fire Realm (Major Accomplishment), Kan Water Realm (Major Accomplishment), Xun Wind Realm (Major Accomplishment), Gen Mountain Realm (Major Accomplishment), Archery (Perfection)]

Before setting out, Su Mu had specifically checked his system panel. His points had been at 2,500.

Now, it had changed to 3,500.

His Fifth-Grade status earned him one thousand points per day.

That was two hundred more than the eight hundred he received as a Sixth-Grade.

An extra six thousand points a month. Not bad.

Xu Chongyuan, Zhong Guizheng, and the others had already finished dressing the Lingyun Leopard’s carcass and started roasting the meat.

Grease dripped onto the campfire, making a soft SIZZLING sound, and the aroma of roasting meat gradually filled the air.

Su Mu continued to examine the contents of his panel.

The Four Symbols Rebirth Technique required 30,000 points for Third Level Perfection.

To advance the Li Fire Realm from Major Accomplishment to Perfection now only required 70,000 points.

The Kan Water Realm needed a bit more—80,000 points. However, since he had achieved the Black Tortoise Body, the required points should decrease further as long as he trained diligently.

The Xun Wind Realm and Gen Mountain Realm had barely seen any progress; they still needed 100,000 points each to reach Perfection.

By that calculation, he would need at least 350,000 more points to bring all four Realms to Perfection.

At his current rate of one thousand points per day, that would take about a year.

However, he also needed to upgrade his Four Symbols Rebirth Technique, which meant his Realm progression would have to be delayed.

’Cultivation is so difficult.’

Su Mu couldn’t help but sigh internally.

Even with the help of the system panel, reaching Realm Perfection was this hard.

If he had to rely on his own comprehension, it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

If Realm Perfection was already like this, he couldn’t imagine how difficult the phenomena beyond it would be.

’Fifth-Grade isn’t high enough. I have to keep climbing.’

Su Mu thought to himself.

When he returned from this trip, if his luck was good, he could attempt to break through to the True Essence Realm.

He just didn’t know if the merits from this trip would be enough to exchange for a True Essence Technique.

"Junior Brother Su, catch!"

Xu Chongyuan called out, tossing a piece of roasted meat over.

Su Mu caught it, pushed his thoughts aside, and began to feast with the others.

...

On the side of Daxing Mountain bordering the wildlands...

A few demons were moving through the mountain forest when they suddenly ran into several people dressed in white clothes.

Strangely, they didn’t start a massive fight.

Instead, the people in white clothes approached the demons and bowed obsequiously.

"I didn’t expect to run into Lord Hu here. What business brings you here, my lord? Is there anything we can do to be of service?"

The leader of the group spoke with a fawning smile.

"And here I was wondering who it was."

The demon actually spoke in human tongue, a hint of regret flashing in its bronze-bell-like eyes.

It was inconvenient to eat humans he recognized.

"Don’t go snooping into things that aren’t your business. Haven’t you people from the Pure Land Sect already left the wildlands? Why are you still lingering on my Demon Court’s territory? Are you up to no good?" the demon said coldly.

The men in white clothes kept their heads down, but a flash of contempt flickered in their eyes. Inwardly, they cursed, ’This is Daxing Mountain, not your Demon Court’s territory.’

But they didn’t dare say such a thing aloud. They could only force a smile and say, "To inform Lord Hu, we have an enemy. He came to assassinate our Sect Leader, was wounded by him, and then fled into Daxing Mountain. We are here to hunt him down."

"I’m not interested in your affairs."

Lord Hu waved a claw impatiently. "This is no place for you. Scram."

"But—"

The men tried to say more, but Lord Hu’s eyes glared, and a sharp killing intent radiated from his body.

The words on the tips of their tongues were immediately swallowed.

"We’re leaving."

After his expression flickered, the leader gritted his teeth and left with his men.

Lord Hu watched them disappear from sight and licked his lips with some regret.

If the Lord National Master hadn’t just reached an agreement with this Pure Land Sect, it would have definitely satisfied its craving today.

The flesh and blood of human Martial Artists... so delicious.

It reluctantly averted its gaze and said in a booming voice, "Keep moving. If the path left by White Cat is real, we’ll get to feast once we reach Jingzhou!"

The demons set off again. Not far away, the men who had just left reappeared.

"PAH! A few beasts. If I wasn’t counting on you to deal with Da Xuan, do you think I’d be sucking up to you like that?"

The leader spat and cursed.

"Boss, what do we do now? Do we keep chasing him?"

a person whispered.

"Chase my ass! Where do you think we are?"

the leader cursed. "He ran into Daxing Mountain. He’s not going to survive.

If we keep chasing, we’ll end up dead too!"

"But Shi Ziran stole the item that the Demon Court’s National Preceptor Liang gave to the Sect Leader."

one of his subordinates muttered.

"It’s just a True Essence Technique. Some people can wear an official’s robes and still not look the part. Liang Jinglue was just a humble scholar. Even as the Demon Court’s National Preceptor, he can’t shake off his petty nature,"

the leader said with disdain. "You think our Sect Leader would even care about that?

Let’s go. We’ll report back. Not only did we settle things with the Demon Court, but we also dealt with that remnant, Shi Ziran. When we get back to the sect, the Sect Leader will definitely reward us handsomely."

Looks of joy appeared on their faces as their figures quickly vanished in the direction leading out of the mountains.

...

Deeper in Daxing Mountain, a figure staggered forward. His eyes were filled with determination. Though covered in blood, his steps were resolute.

He couldn’t die. He still had unfulfilled wishes. He had to survive.

THUD.

He dropped to one knee.

Suddenly, a foul-smelling wind blew past.

A demon’s claw slammed into his back, smashing him to the ground.

Shi Ziran felt as if every bone in his body had shattered. Despair washed over him. ’So I’m not going to make it back after all, am I?’

’It’s a pity I won’t get to see the Young Miss get married...’

"Don’t kill him."

Just as Shi Ziran closed his eyes, waiting for death, an oddly accented voice reached his ears.

"The road is boring. Let’s keep him and eat him slowly."

The strangely accented voice continued, "When it comes to food, nothing beats humans. I heard the National Preceptor say that humans have a method: they raise a cow and slice off a piece of it every day. The cow won’t die, and the meat will grow back. A single cow can be eaten for three years.

There are no other humans to eat on this road, so let’s keep him. Let’s see if he’s enough to last us the whole trip."

Shi Ziran’s eyes, which he had already closed, snapped wide open.

’This has to be a demon, right? How could it think of such a twisted idea?’

’Then again, it really is a demon.’

Shi Ziran’s eyes were filled with conflict. ’Should I beg for a quick death, or endure this and hope for a chance to escape?’

BANG!

Before he could figure it out, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head, and his vision went black as he passed out.

A few demons gathered around the unconscious Shi Ziran.

SWISH. Lord Hu sliced a thin piece of flesh from Shi Ziran’s body and popped it, still bloody, into its mouth.

It smacked its lips.

"Delicious."

It cackled. "Stop the bleeding. Don’t let him die."

As it spoke, it sliced off two more pieces of flesh and tossed them to the other demons.

The demons grinned from ear to ear as they swallowed the slices of meat, then crudely bandaged Shi Ziran’s wound.

Shi Ziran’s body twitched twice. His eyelids trembled as if he were trying to open them, but ultimately, they remained shut.