Chapter 57: Qi Refining Ninth Layer
Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Qi Refining Ninth Layer
"If they hadn’t suddenly withdrawn, our three-faction alliance, though no match for Lujiao Mountain, wouldn’t have ended up in this state."
"Lujiao Mountain played its hand well!
Though I’m furious, this is simply the nature of demons. What can be done about it!"
"Third Elder, Lujiao Mountain’s attack was unprovoked, and it broke the rules of Lion’s Mane Cave.
Quickly send an envoy to Lion’s Mane Cave. Don’t be stingy with the gifts.
We must persuade Lion’s Mane Cave to intervene and mediate."
"Yes, Great King. I’ll arrange it at once."
"Inviting Lion’s Mane Cave to mediate will likely come at a great cost.
But to protect the foundation of Langlang Mountain, we have no other choice!"
"Elders, this disaster is all my fault. So many of our old brothers died on the battlefield..."
"You’re being too hard on yourself, Great King. This was Lujiao Mountain’s fault!
With Lujiao Mountain’s treacherous ambition, even if we had retreated, we would have faced this day sooner or later."
"In the end, it’s because my Langlang Mountain is too weak!
Elders, do not lose heart.
Wait a little longer!
Just a little longer...
That day... it should be soon..."
Jin Yuanba stared into the void, his gaze profound, filled with what seemed like infinite ambition.
...
Having been injured, Xu Chang’an was granted ten days of rest.
After leaving Golden Yuan Cave, he returned to his own cave dwelling.
He remained motionless for the entire day.
Once night fell, after sensing no abnormalities in the surroundings, Xu Chang’an concealed his aura and quietly descended the mountain.
The spoils from killing the Black Crow were still hidden at the foot of the mountain.
Avoiding a few Little Demons on guard duty, he smoothly made his way to the hiding spot.
After retrieving the Storage Bag, he climbed directly into a giant tree.
Concealed by the dense leaves, he began to take stock of his haul.
’This...’
Upon opening Hei Wu’s Storage Bag, Xu Chang’an’s eyes lit up.
The Storage Bag was a full ten cubic meters in size.
It was packed to the brim.
Demon Stones, Demon Talismans, Elixirs, Array Flags, Magical Artifacts, Ores, Books...
’Did Hei Wu carry out half the entire foundation of Black Crow Mountain?!’
Xu Chang’an sighed in amazement.
This haul was immense!
Not to mention anything else, there were as many as nine Middle-grade Magical Artifacts.
It was also a stroke of luck for Xu Chang’an.
Hei Wu had risked death to escape from Black Crow Mountain, carrying a vast amount of its foundational resources.
He had originally planned to leave this place and travel far away in search of an opportunity for Foundation Establishment.
However, he learned of the subsequent turn of events.
The three-faction alliance had collapsed, and the demons of Langlang Mountain were besieged.
’How could he let such a golden opportunity slip by?’
Taking advantage of Langlang Mountain’s vulnerability, Hei Wu planned to storm the mountain and avenge the blood debt of Black Crow Mountain.
With his Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivation, supplemented by a large number of Demon Talismans and Elixirs, he had a very high chance of succeeding.
Except...
He never expected to die at Xu Chang’an’s hands in the end!
’Let’s see just how much Energy these resources can get me!’
Xu Chang’an was in high spirits. The haul had far exceeded his expectations.
He quickly took out the Cultivation Elixirs, Spirit Medicines, and Spirit Plants from the Storage Bag and began to devour them frantically.
A torrent of heat surged through him.
After he swallowed the massive quantity of elixirs, the Energy contained within was absorbed at an incredible speed.
The speed was simply terrifying!
points!
points!
points!
...
The numbers on his panel began to change wildly.
A full two hours later, the Elixirs, Spirit Plants, Ores, and other items in the Storage Bag were completely consumed.
Xu Chang’an slowly opened his eyes and looked at the panel in the void.
Spiritual Condensation, breakthrough!
The surrounding Spiritual Qi surged, and the aura on his body changed rapidly.
Fortunately, this place was extremely far from Langlang Mountain’s main peak; otherwise, he might have attracted Jin Yuanba’s attention.
After a long moment.
Name: Xu Chang’an
Bloodline: Ordinary Grey Rat (Ungraded)
Lifespan: 36 Years
Realm: Qi Refining Ninth Layer
Skills: Alchemy (Tier One Middle Grade)
Energy: (29/500)
...
’Qi Refining Ninth Layer!’
Hei Wu’s Storage Bag contained nearly half of Black Crow Mountain’s accumulated resources from over the years.
But in the end, not all resources could be consumed and converted into Energy.
As his cultivation improved, the Grade requirement for the items he needed also became higher.
Therefore, accumulating Energy for the panel became more and more difficult the further he progressed.
To be honest, being able to break through to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer in one go had far exceeded Xu Chang’an’s expectations.
’If I sell the remaining Magical Artifacts, Demon Talismans, and other resources, I could probably get several thousand Demon Stones!
This was an astonishing haul, all thanks to a fortunate coincidence!’
’Also...
With the help of the panel’s power, I actually developed Demon Sense at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer!’
Normally, only a Foundation Establishment Great Demon could master Demon Sense.
Yet he had obtained it ahead of time.
An ordinary Foundation Establishment Great Demon’s Demon Sense could cover a radius of at least a thousand feet.
His, however, only covered a radius of about three hundred feet, a much smaller range.
But having Demon Sense versus not having it were two completely different concepts!
’With this, I should be able to use a Talisman Treasure!’
After successfully breaking through to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer and familiarizing himself with his Demon Sense,
Xu Chang’an once again concealed his aura and returned to his cave dwelling along the same path.
Because Xu Chang’an had been granted special leave to rest, he could take it easy for these ten days.
However, he didn’t stay idle. He sought out many of the returning demons to ask for news about Xiong Da.
He had thought Xiong Da would have returned safely with Jin Yuanba, but unexpectedly, he hadn’t come back at all!
A demon in the know said that he had seen Standard-Bearer Xiong before the retreat.
The situation became chaotic afterward, so no one knew what happened to Standard-Bearer Xiong.
However, there was a high probability that he was still alive.
After Langlang Mountain’s breakout, Lujiao Mountain completely took over Black Crow Mountain.
They had usurped the nest.
Black Crow Mountain had been severely damaged in the great battle.
Lujiao Mountain needed a large labor force for restoration and construction.
They had likely captured many demons to use for rebuilding Black Crow Mountain.
During the breakout, Langlang Mountain lost many demons.
Not to mention others, even two of the Sequence Elders had fallen.
The Fourth Elder and the Sixth Elder!
It felt as if he could still see the two Elders’ faces before him; he never imagined they would die at Black Crow Mountain.
Back then, he had received his first Magical Artifact, the Money Shield, from the hands of the Sixth Elder in the Merit Hall.
And the Fourth Elder...
Xu Chang’an closed his eyes slightly.
The Demon Path was arduous, filled with thorns and obstacles; one never knew when their body and soul might be extinguished.
The dead are gone and cannot be brought back.
But what about those who were still alive!?
"Grey Rat, when I get back this time, I might just be a Vanguard!
Haha, that’ll be way more impressive than you."
"Alright, I still want to use a Middle-grade Magical Artifact for Flying in the Sky!
Of course I’m coming back alive."
Scene after scene from their farewell flashed through Xu Chang’an’s mind.
"Lujiao Mountain!"
"Xiong Da..."
A moment later, Xu Chang’an’s eyes snapped open.
He had made a decision.
Another day passed. Jin Ling’er, who had recovered considerably from her injuries, made a special trip to see Xu Chang’an.
She came to express her gratitude.
"Standard-Bearer Grey Rat, if it weren’t for you, I would have died at Hei Wu’s hands long ago.
I will never forget this kindness as long as I live."
Jin Ling’er spoke with great solemnity, clearly taking it to heart.
Xu Chang’an naturally denied it repeatedly, insisting it was because the Elder was blessed with great fortune that she managed to escape safely.
And so on and so forth.
The matter with Lujiao Mountain had yet to be resolved, and affairs on Langlang Mountain were complicated.
After the two demons chatted for a while, Jin Ling’er took her leave.
...