Chapter 111: The Disaster of the Demon Beast Tide, The Inner Pill
Chapter 111: The Disaster of the Demon Beast Tide, The Inner Pill
None of these newly arriving demon beasts were beyond the Condensing Evil Energy level, and the strange beast from earlier wasn’t among them. The horde below kept charging forward, trampling over mountains and forcing their way through rivers. They showed no mercy when encountering living creatures, ruthlessly devouring them. Watching from the skies, Mu Yuan felt his heart pound!
The five demon beasts besieging him weren’t particularly strong. Suppressing them with his sword blades of light, Mu Yuan shouted his question, “Where do you fiends come from, to act so recklessly?”
The imposing man who had launched the sharp needles earlier, though trapped within Mu Yuan’s sword light, continued to shout defiantly. He laughed upon hearing Mu Yuan’s words, “The Monster Saint has descended! The beast tide is unstoppable! Who can stand against it? A puny Qi Refinement cultivator like you dares venture into the Southern Wildlands? Can’t get enough of living?”
Mu Yuan felt anger flare within him. Though he didn’t know what this “Monster Saint” was, he gave an eerie smile. “Then I’ll send you on first!”
His sword blade transformed into a fierce, arching rainbow. A sharp clatter rang out as this sword-ray shattered the needle artifact and sliced the burly man in half at the waist!
The remaining demons cried out in alarm, but Mu Yuan paid them no mind. His converging sword blades tightened into piercing threads, punching through their dantian and foreheads. They were dead before they knew it!
Having slain these demons, Mu Yuan dared not linger. The swarming demon beast army surged like an unstoppable deluge, vast and overwhelming as it charged forward. Feeling helpless but recalling Feilong Village was nearby, Mu Yuan hurried towards it!
Arriving before Feilong Village, he found the stronghold reduced to ruins. Scattered everywhere were demon corpse remnants and the bodies of villagers. Mu Yuan’s rapid scan didn’t locate Zha Yun’er’s family. He quickly expanded his spiritual sense, spreading it out in all directions.
His current spiritual sense strength covered over twenty-five miles easily. Though such a wide search was mentally taxing, his effort bore fruit this time; he detected traces east of the village. Flying towards it, he found a massive Golden Corpse and several Iron Corpses protecting a group retreating north. Demons chasing after them were being slain by the flying corpses.
Zha Yun’er was among the survivors, looking rather haggard, staying close to her parents. From the large Feilong Village, only about thirty people remained, each possessing some form of skill. Yuan Lin, having taken his late father’s place, led these remnants. He made a capable leader!
Mu Yuan followed stealthily for half a day. The Southern Barbarian Mountains were now filled with rampaging demon beasts. Many villages had been brutally massacred, reduced to bleached bones; a harrowing sight. He couldn’t fathom what had happened; the mountain’s demons had gone berserk, desperately gathering and stampeding, leaving devastation in their wake.
At noon, while the Feilong survivors rested by a mountain stream, a long, drawn-out wolf howl echoed. Standing atop a nearby peak, they saw a giant mountain wolf coated in pure white fur. It stood as tall as a strong man and seemed exultantly pleased upon spotting the group. Following its howl, powerful beasts emerged atop several nearby peaks: a yellowish fur-covered giant ape, a beast clad in grey-green armor-like hide (a Rhinoceros-Demon?), and a lizard stretching nearly thirty feet long. They surrounded the group, each letting out a low growl before transforming into four large men!
“Truly, Demons are rampant in the Southern Barbarian Mountains! Even four casually selected possess the ability to change shape!” Mu Yuan watched in amazement. The lizard-turned-man was pale-skinned and handsome, holding an iron fan. The other three were imposing: the White Wolf held a steel broadsword, the Ape brandished an iron staff, and the Rhino wielded a long spear. Smiling down at the group below, the White Wolf spoke, “Fancy finding survivors from a measly barbarian village! Brothers, keep watch. I’ll claim the first kill!”
Without waiting for the others to respond, the White Wolf swung his broadsword, unleashing a shower of ten thousand silver points raining down! Yuan Lin roared. The Golden Corpse surged out from a pouch and unleashed countless spear blossoms with its silver lance, blocking the White Wolf!
Mu Yuan had witnessed the Golden Corpse’s might before, holding off two Yin Spirit powerhouses alone. He didn’t know these four beasts’ cultivation levels, but the fact they carried magical artifacts made him hesitate.
Within a few clashes between the White Wolf and the Golden Corpse, Mu Yuan recognized the wolf was already at the Refining Righteous Energy level. Though the quality wasn’t high, and the harmony between his energies wasn’t refined, that steel broadsword was impressive. Silver light flashed with its sweeps; even clashing head-on with the Golden Corpse, it didn’t show weakness. The beast’s magical power was extremely deep!
For demon beasts, Condensing Fiend and Refining Yang cultivation is inherently arduous. The demon power accumulated over the first three realms naturally surpassed that of human cultivators. The other three watched with interest. The Lizard chuckled, “Brother Wolf seems to be struggling! Fancy such puppetry in this little village! Let’s retrieve the method! The Monster Saint would surely reward us!”
The Ape grinned widely, baring its teeth. “Aye! We three eliminate the rest! But capture that corpse-controller! We’ll use a soul search to extract the secret!”
The three gave a simultaneous cry and pounced down from the peaks! The remaining Feilong survivors hastily unleashed Iron Corpses and Gu Insects to intercept them. Iron Corpses might hold against ordinary cultivators, but against these accomplished beasts, they were inadequate.
The Ape, wielding an iron staff, was the fiercest. Possessing immense strength, a sweep of its staff scattered the lead Iron Corpses like gourds. Its flying insects were blown down easily by a flap of the Lizard’s iron fan. Clenching her teeth, Zha Yun’er released two icy hooks! She channeled her Ice Soul Divine Light, sending strands of intensely cold energy roiling through the mid-air!
Reaching the first perfect stage of Qi Refinement, Channel Passage afterwards wasn’t overly difficult. Back then, Mu Yuan traversed the first to third layers in less than a year. More than a year had passed now; Zha Yun’er had perfected the second layer. The power of her Frosthooks was far greater than before!
The Rhino-Demon chuckled evilly, “Aye, and a skilled cultivator? Quite pretty! Let this lord have his fun!”
Rumored to trace its lineage to the ancient Leisi, a beast capable of controlling thunder, this Rhino-Demon was rare in the Southern Barbarian Mountains. Naturally skilled wielding lightning and possessing strong lust, its cultivation surpassed the others. Already in the Elixir Formation stage, it ignored its own long spear. Instead, it spat out a sparkling multicolored, smoke-wreathed orb!
The smoke instantly wove into a large, all-encompassing net descending upon the group below! The survivors caught a whiff of a damp, cloyingly sweet odor that made them instantly dizzy. Even Zha Yun’er’s hooks, trapped in the vibrant smoke, stalled in flight and wobbled precariously mid-air!
“Good Heavens! It already formed an Inner Pill! How rare!” Mu Yuan was both surprised and delighted! An Inner Pill held immense benefit for cultivators. Many cultivators stalled at the cusp of forming their core; obtaining a demon beast or cultivator’s pill could let them forcibly break into the Elixir Formation stage. While it might sacrifice their further potential, it granted longevity. Beyond that, its mysteries were boundless. Knowing even the Golden Corpse would struggle against this Rhino-Demon, Mu Yuan immediately acted! His Primordial Qi Grasping Hand manifested at a thought! A flash of light saw it land and firmly grasp the shimmering Inner Pill!
Confident he’d seize Zha Yun’er effortlessly after deploying his Inner Pill, the Rhino-Demon was startled by this sudden interference. Someone had seized its core! It frantically tried to recall it. But Mu Yuan gave it no chance! Confined by the grappling hand, the Rhino-Demon bellowed in alarm as Mu Yuan simultaneously transformed the Minghe Immortal Sword into a raging, star-studded blade! Streaks of multi-hued starlight whirled before the demon’s eyes! Roaring, the Rhino-Demon spun its long spear like a wind wheel! Clanging! Intense vibrations shot up its arms, forcing it into a backwards flip! Frantically urging its trapped pill to summon crackling lightning snakes, shocking Mu Yuan’s grappling hand into violently trembling!
Crafted from Abyssal Sunken Silver and Five-Colored Star Sand, and later refined further, this grappling hand was incredibly sturdy. Seeing the Rhino-Demon’s pill fully formed, Mu Yuan feared complications and quickly sought his Gourd to seal it!
Zha Yun’er had acted in desperation. Seeing the demon unleash its pill, she knew defeat was certain — her Frosthooks were entangled, helpless. Closing her eyes in resignation, she was astounded by Mu Yuan’s divine intervention! Joy bloomed instantly; she cried his name aloud! The Ape and Lizard, seeing the danger, rushed forward to join the fight against Mu Yuan!
Mu Yuan snorted coldly. He materialized the Black Water Gourd from his dantian! The Mountain Elf bellowed, wielding Mu Yuan’s Green Wood Thunderblade to meet the charging Ape! The four radiant incantations circled the Lizard demon, binding it in combat! This left Mu Yuan solely confronting the furious Rhino!
Among the four demon brothers, the Rhino possessed the deepest cultivation. Caught off guard and with its core trapped, its rage boiled! Lightning crackled along its spear! Glancing towards its companions, it saw the Ape and Lizard also restrained. Worse, unlike itself, these two only understood the essential practices, barely reaching the Refining Righteous Energy level. Relying on weapons scavenged during the recent attack on the Heavenly Demon Palace led by the Monster Saint, they held limited true power. The Mountain Elf, utilizing the profound techniques of the Tidal Flow and the shifting, invisible chill of the Ice Soul Divine Light, had suppressed the Ape within rounds. Though somewhat stronger and craftier, the cunning Lizard found the radiant incantations fierce! The Earth Guardian Kirin Curse erected thirteen Yellow Sand Crystal Pillar that stirred dust grains weighting like mountains! Unable to disperse them despite fierce fanning, the Lizard was also tightly checked! The trapped White Wolf, barely holding ground against the Golden Corpse with skill, saw Mu Yuan unleash such formidable treasures. Though apprehension swelled within, abandoning its core was unthinkable! With an earth-shattering roar, the Rhino hurled itself in a desperate lunge!