: Demon

Ning Zhuo decided to investigate the Shanxi Valley.

Sun Lingtong sensed the thrill of adventure and immediately shouted, "Xiao Zhuo, you cover me. I'll go check it out myself!"

The two first rode their cloud away from Misty Hidden Mountain, landing in a secluded spot. Ning Zhuo then drew the "Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles" from his waist.

A strange light shot from the dragon's eyes, enveloping Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong.

Within this light, their bodies rapidly shrank. Following the beam of light, they swiftly entered the Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles within a few breaths.

Shortly after, the two piloted the Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles and returned to Misty Hidden Mountain.

Sun Lingtong pouted. The Nascent Soul-level Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles could change size and conceal its aura effectively, allowing them to explore safely inside.

"But this is no fun at all," Sun Lingtong sighed, glancing at Ning Zhuo, who was intently controlling the mechanism beside him. "Xiao Zhuo is good in every way, just a bit too cautious."

As they flew deeper into the Shanxi Valley, sunlight gradually disappeared behind the towering mountain walls, and the surroundings grew colder and darker.

Moss covered the rocks, dampness filled the air, and the soil looked gloomy. Cliffs rose high, ancient trees intertwined, and the mountain wind rustled the leaves, creating a soft, murmuring sound as if whispering.

The Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles ventured further in, the light dimmed, and the thick, heavy scent of soil felt suffocating, almost blocking their noses and mouths.

The dappled tree shadows grew increasingly eerie, and mist coiled around the forest, giving off a sinister, demonic aura.

"Look there!" Sun Lingtong pointed.

In the magically projected image, there was a patch of whitish ground.

The Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles stealthily approached, revealing a large burial mound of bones. Piles of animal and human skeletons were scattered haphazardly.

With a single glance, Ning Zhuo spotted hundreds of human skeletons, his expression turning grave.

These were only the bones visible on the surface—there had to be many more human remains buried deep within the mound!

"These are signs of a certain demonic technique being used. There's at least one demonic cultivator here!" Ning Zhuo said after examining the bones.

Sun Lingtong analyzed, "Among the remains are many Foundation Establishment-level demonic beasts. The demonic cultivator here is formidable, at least at the Golden Core level."

Ning Zhuo frowned slightly. "If a demonic cultivator is hiding here, common sense dictates that the Fox Deity should report it if it can't handle the situation itself. Why hasn't it done so? Instead, it gave us the clue?"

He controlled the Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles like a small, inconspicuous insect, skimming the ground and flying through the weeds as they advanced deeper.

Near the valley floor, they spotted two guards.

One was a coiled giant python, the other a crouching gray wolf.

Both exuded Foundation Establishment-level auras. The gray wolf's eyes were sharp, glowing with light, while the python constantly flicked its tongue, using some form of demonic art to detect its surroundings.

Ordinary demonic beasts couldn't do this—these two were demonic cultivators!

Though not yet in human form, they had mastered demonic arts, making them several times more dangerous than ordinary demonic beasts.

Ning Zhuo steered the Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Lives, concealing its form, and boldly passed right by the two demonic cultivators.

Inside the valley floor, numerous demonic cultivators were cultivating, roughhousing, and eating. Wolves, snakes, tigers, leopards, bears, wild boars, and more—all ferocious and varied in form—filled the area.

The air was thick with a foul, bloody stench.

On a raised platform lay a massive black tiger, as large as an elephant.

The black tiger was robust and formidable, breathing heavily. Each breath stirred a whirlwind around it.

As the saying goes, clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger. The whirlwind accompanying it hinted at the tiger's strength.

"A Golden Core-level black tiger demonic cultivator... why does it look familiar?" Sun Lingtong frowned.

Ning Zhuo spoke: "The Night Tiger Mountain God."

Sun Lingtong immediately understood. "Right, they look so alike!"

But clearly, they were not the same tiger.

The Mountain God Tiger's physical body had died of old age centuries ago. To remain in the mortal world, it had transitioned into a deity.

In contrast, this adult black tiger had a vibrant, youthful body, full of vitality, like the sun at mid-morning—somewhere between youth and prime.

The black tiger slowly opened its eyes and growled softly, "Where's my blood feast?"

"Coming, coming, Great King!" A human cultivator rushed out from a cave.

His face was dark, his clothes tattered. He held a corpse storage bag, turning it upside down to pour out a large number of bodies.

The black tiger opened its bloody maw, generating a suction force that drew many corpses into its mouth, chewing relentlessly.

Its powerful jaws trembled slightly, sharp teeth clamping down on fresh flesh, tearing it apart and grinding it to pieces. Each chew produced low, crunching sounds as bones shattered incessantly.

Blood seeped from between the tiger's teeth, dripping down its chin.

A strong, metallic scent of blood quickly spread.

Sensing the blood, the demonic cultivators instinctively gathered around the platform, eyeing the tiger's meal with longing.

After eating about thirty percent of the corpses, the black tiger's belly visibly swelled. It then activated a technique to digest the food.

Demonic Art—Flesh and Blood Devourer Technique!

Both Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong recognized it.

The Flesh and Blood Devourer Technique was a widely spread demonic art. By consuming the blood and flesh of other beings, it enhanced one's own physique, bulking muscles and enriching vital energy.

As the technique activated, the black tiger's belly shrank visibly, quickly flattening again.

It continued eating, consuming another thirty percent before repeating the process, using the technique to cultivate.

After finishing, the black tiger let out a lazy burp. "Distribute the rest."

The demonic cultivators, now permitted, howled and roared, pouncing on the pile of corpses to feast heartily.

In the chaos, the demonic beasts pushed and shoved, fighting over the blood feast. The bloody scent grew even stronger amid the disorder.

The black tiger narrowed its eyes, listening to the clamor and enjoying the sight of its subordinates fighting.

A few weaker demonic cultivators, while scrambling for food, inadvertently exposed weaknesses and were severely injured by sneak attacks.

Soon, the surrounding demonic cultivators saw them as new prey. Driven by hunger and greed, they mercilessly surrounded and killed their companions, turning them into food.

The only human cultivator, trembling with fear, huddled near the black tiger, seeking protection. Yet he dared not get too close, afraid of irritating the tiger and being swatted to death.

Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo watched all this with stern expressions.

"A Golden Core-level Night Tiger demonic cultivator, along with many demonic cultivators, mostly at the Foundation Establishment level," Ning Zhuo estimated the enemy's strength.

"We can kill them all!" Sun Lingtong gritted his teeth, hatred flashing in his eyes. "Any beast that eats humans deserves death."

Ning Zhuo knew the reason.

Sun Lingtong's village had once been raided and slaughtered by demonic cultivators. He was fortunate to have been found and saved by his master.

Sun Lingtong said, "Although the black tiger demon is Golden Core level, I got several bottles of rare poison from Yang Chanyu. One of them is colorless and odorless—we can put it in the corpses. Once it eats them and activates its technique, heh heh, it'll be quite a sight."

"With us planning against an unsuspecting enemy, victory isn't impossible!"

Ning Zhuo frowned slightly. "Boss, let's not rush. Allow me to think."

He clasped his hands behind his back, paced a few times inside the dragon's head cabin, and made a decision: "Let's keep this demon alive for now. We need to investigate further."

"Hmm?" Sun Lingtong raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"

Ning Zhuo explained, partly to reassure him: "Boss, think about it. How could a Golden Core-level black tiger demon hide for so long?"

"It eats so much in one meal, and cultivating demonic arts consumes vast resources. If it were preying on Misty Hidden Mountain, the impact would be huge."

Sun Lingtong immediately grasped Ning Zhuo's meaning and continued, "Yet Misty Hidden Mountain shows no signs of demonic activity—it's peaceful. When we entered Misty Village, we heard no reports of villagers being massacred. This means these demons are deliberately holding back, not preying locally but hunting elsewhere."

Ning Zhuo nodded. "So they must have caused disturbances elsewhere. We just don't know yet. They might even be on the wanted list."

"Attacking rashly carries risks. Why not check the wanted list first, gather some intel, and then strike with better odds?"

Sun Lingtong agreed. "Makes sense."

Though eager, he knew better than to act impulsively.

After discussing, the two piloted the Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles out of Misty Hidden Mountain.

Ning Zhuo activated the mechanism's void-traversing ability, quickly arriving at Jade Steel Mountain.

Jade Steel Mountain stood tall and majestic. Rich in Jade-Moist Mystical Steel, even the soil had a bluish-jade hue. From afar, the entire mountain looked emerald green, as if clad in jade armor.

Mountain streams flowed like gentle zither music, clinking softly. The rocks were hard and glittering, all bearing a jade-like luster.

The mountain had been mined multiple times, revealing multiple露天 ore veins.

From inside the Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles, Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong looked down and saw many miners, like ants, laboring diligently in the ore veins.

The veins and mountains were dotted with mining tunnels of various sizes. Deep,错综复杂的 mine shafts stretched deep into the mountain's belly like a giant web.

Halfway up the mountain was a small town.

The town was surrounded by high walls, equipped with mechanical watchtowers, with many cultivators guarding key points at all times.

Large露天 smelting furnaces in the town continuously refined ore, billowing smoke that never dispersed.

Sun and Ning left the Wandering Dragon of Ten Thousand Miles, disguised themselves as two middle-aged rogue cultivators—one tall, one short—and entered the mountain town together.

Guards at the main gate stopped them immediately: "The price list is posted over there. Read it, pay the fee, then you may enter."

Clearly, the guards mistook them for rogue cultivators coming to mine at Jade Steel Mountain.

Sun and Ning went to the foot of the wall and saw the posted price list.

It was quite detailed: 50 low-grade spirit stones for one day of mining in the first underground layer...

(End of )