Chapter 59: Stone-Horned Deer
Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Stone-Horned Deer
"Everyone, help me tie this fiend down!
Once the Sixth Great King arrives, this fiend is as good as dead!"
The lead Deer Demon, at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, barely suppressed the fear in his heart and shouted to the Elders around him.
The death of the Seventeenth Elder had already broken their nerve.
If he hadn’t, they likely would have lost all will to fight.
"Annoying!"
Xu Chang’an’s eyelids twitched, and he blasted a Magic spell forward.
At the same time, he slapped out a Top-Grade Attacking Demon Talisman, activating it with his Demon Power.
He also simultaneously sent the Illusory Bell and the Yuanbao Seal smashing forward.
BOOM!
SQUELCH!
Caught off guard, a demon at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer failed to dodge in time and was struck by the Yuanbao Seal, suffering a heavy blow.
If not for the other demons covering for it, one more strike would have meant instant death.
When he was at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, Xu Chang’an could easily slay those at the Ninth Layer.
And now, he was at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining!
He slapped out another Top-Grade Attacking Demon Talisman.
A series of sharp longswords materialized, stabbing straight ahead.
With the resources of Black Crow Mountain at his disposal, Xu Chang’an now had plenty of Top-Grade Demon Talismans.
His experience in Magical Combat was so vast that he could easily multitask.
He simultaneously controlled three Magical Artifacts: the Golden Radiance Needle, the Yuanbao Seal, and the Illusory Bell.
Every so often, he would slap out a Top-Grade Attacking Demon Talisman, putting immense pressure on his opponents.
In just a few short rounds, of Lujiao Mountain’s five Elders,
one was already dead and three were injured.
Only the Qi Refining Ninth Layer Deer Demon and another at the Eighth Layer, a Dog Demon, were left struggling to hold on.
It wouldn’t take much longer to slay them one by one.
BOOM!
Amidst a loud crash from the clash of Magical Artifacts, the Deer Demon revealed a slight opening.
SWOOSH!
A golden light flashed!
The Deer Demon felt a wave of dizziness.
And then...
"Thirteenth Elder!"
a demon cried out in grief.
The Deer Demon was dead!
"Audacious fiend! Die!"
A fiery red beam of light whistled through the sky, shooting toward Xu Chang’an.
A majestic, furious roar suddenly rang out.
’A Foundation Establishment Great Demon!’
Xu Chang’an’s expression tensed.
His Demon Power flared as he prepared to activate his Talisman Treasure at a moment’s notice.
Although he had not yet entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, he possessed Demon Sense, which allowed him to control the Talisman Treasure to some extent.
From the moment he decided to come to Black Crow Mountain, he had prepared himself to face a Foundation Establishment Great Demon.
In his past life as a Core Formation Ancestor, he naturally understood the gap between the Foundation Establishment Realm and the Qi Cultivation Realm.
With his current combat prowess, he wouldn’t be too concerned even if he had to face several demons at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining simultaneously.
But against a Foundation Establishment Great Demon, he truly had little confidence.
Perhaps he could fight a desperate Magical Combat and escape with his life.
But as for fighting to win, his current accumulation was insufficient.
It wasn’t that he was incapable of fighting above his Realm to kill a Foundation Establishment Great Demon, but his Guarding Methods were still too lacking.
He only possessed one Top-grade Magical Artifact.
A Foundation Establishment Great Demon, on the other hand, would have at least two Top-grade Magical Artifacts.
They might even possess a Supreme-grade Magical Artifact.
’Weak Cultivation, inferior Magical Artifacts, and no powerful Heavy Treasures... with what am I supposed to fight an opponent of a higher Realm?!’
His experience in Magical Combat could only narrow the gap between them.
Fortunately...
He had a Talisman Treasure!
The Talisman Treasure was the very source of his confidence for coming to Black Crow Mountain!
’Early-stage Foundation Establishment!’
Xu Chang’an’s expression relaxed slightly.
If the newcomer had been at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, his Demon Sense would have been too weak.
Even if he activated the Talisman Treasure, he would likely have been drawn into a bitter struggle.
But if it was only Early-stage Foundation Establishment...
...things would be much easier.
The Sixth Great King of Lujiao Mountain was a Stone-Horned Deer at the Early-stage Foundation Establishment Minor Achievement Realm.
His Demon Body stood a full sixty feet tall, topped with enormous antlers ashen-white as stone.
"A Lion Spirit!"
Upon seeing Xu Chang’an’s Demon Body, the Stone-Horned Deer’s overwhelmingly powerful momentum faltered for an instant.
’Is he from Lion’s Mane Cave...’
’...Or...’
"What kind of demon are you? Why have you come to trespass on my Lujiao Mountain’s territory!"
Instead of attacking immediately, the Stone-Horned Deer demanded in a stern voice.
"This is clearly Black Crow Mountain. Since when did it become Lujiao Mountain’s territory?"
Xu Chang’an retorted sarcastically.
’If I can avoid a fight for now, then it’s best not to fight.’
His primary goal was simply to stall and buy time for the other demons to escape.
However, he also wanted to see just how he measured up against a Foundation Establishment Great Demon.
This was a matter of seizing an opportunity, not forcing one!
’The Demon Path is fraught with hardship; it’s best to avoid conflict.’
’But since trouble has come knocking, we Demon Cultivators must be decisive and resolute.’
’Only by understanding one’s limits can one better protect their Demon Path.’
"You dared to kill the Elders of my Lujiao Mountain. Surrender without a fight, and I won’t harm you."
The Stone-Horned Deer Great Demon didn’t dare to act rashly without first figuring out Xu Chang’an’s origins.
His opponent had a cultivation at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, yet under the siege of several Lujiao Mountain Elders,
he had not only shown no signs of defeat but had even managed to slay several of them.
’Clearly, this is no ordinary Independent Cultivator Demon.’
’Such combat power, combined with the fact that he’s a Lion Spirit, makes it highly likely he’s a disciple from the Direct Lineage of Lion’s Mane Cave.’
’For him to act so unscrupulously... could he have been instructed to do so by Lion’s Mane Cave?’
The Stone-Horned Deer was overthinking it.
He was the only Foundation Establishment Great Demon from Lujiao Mountain present, and it would be some time before another could arrive.
Since the Stone-Horned Deer was hesitant, Xu Chang’an was happy to stall for time.
However, after several probing exchanges, Xu Chang’an remained completely intractable.
The Stone-Horned Deer finally lost his patience and attacked.
A fiery red light flashed—it was a long spear, a Top-grade Magical Artifact.
"Enlarge!"
Xu Chang’an roared, and the Golden Radiance Needle expanded as it shot forward.
It stabbed out sharply, meeting the spear-like Magical Artifact head-on.
"You’ve got guts!"
Seeing that Xu Chang’an actually dared to meet him head-on, the Stone-Horned Deer bellowed.
He sent another Top-grade Magical Artifact blasting forward.
While controlling the Golden Radiance Needle to tangle with the spear, Xu Chang’an slapped out a High-Grade Defense Demon Talisman.
He then sent his Yuanbao Seal to block the incoming attack.
The moment they collided.
VMMMM—
The Yuanbao Seal trembled violently before falling to the ground.
The Top-grade Magical Artifact then slammed viciously into the light barrier from the Defense Demon Talisman.
The barrier only held for an instant before shattering with a bang.
The Magical Artifact continued on, hurtling viciously toward Xu Chang’an’s body.
Xu Chang’an’s eyes narrowed. He once again multitasked, casting a Magic spell to barely fend it off.
His body shot backward, retreating several hundred feet.
’Such power!’
He had come out on the losing end of that exchange.
After two more rounds of Magical Combat, Xu Chang’an had a clear measure of his own strength.
He could contend with an ordinary Foundation Establishment Great Demon for a short while, but in a prolonged fight, his defeat was certain!
If their Guarding Methods were on the same level, he shouldn’t lose to a Great Demon who had just entered the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Unfortunately, any demon who could reach the Foundation Establishment Realm was a veteran who had fought for years and possessed a deep well of resources.
To put their Guarding Methods on equal footing was an incredibly difficult task!
Seeing that he had stalled for enough time and had also gauged his own combat strength, Xu Chang’an no longer hesitated.
A pitch-black Talisman Treasure materialized before him.
"Let me leave. Otherwise, under the power of this Talisman Treasure, you will die without a doubt!"
Xu Chang’an’s gaze was ice-cold as he stared directly at the Stone-Horned Deer.
"A Talisman Treasure!"
The Stone-Horned Deer’s expression changed drastically.
He inspected it and confirmed that it was, without a doubt, a Talisman Treasure.
’This Lion Spirit must be a demon from Lion’s Mane Cave!’
’And not just any demon, but one from the absolute core of the Direct Lineage.’
In that instant, the Stone-Horned Deer was certain.