Chapter 120 Demon Realm 1: The Mist
Unlike the demon realm and the human realm, the demon realm is full of taverns, and the demons prefer various kinds of strong liquor to food.
At this moment, in a small tavern, three or five demons sat at a table, raising their glasses to drink, while secretly glancing at three demon cultivators not far away.
There were two men and one woman. Only one of the male cultivators had the Golden Core cultivation level; the other two were merely at the Foundation Establishment stage and posed no threat. The female cultivator ordered a lot of wine but complained that the tavern's food was inedible, so she brought her own dishes instead.
The dishes made with expensive ingredients attracted the attention of the demons, and the female cultivator inadvertently revealed an extraordinary storage ring on her fingertip with every gesture.
The aura emanating from them was clearly that of demonic cultivators, yet the restrictions on their storage rings were those commonly used by spiritual cultivators. A closer look revealed that they were definitely spiritual cultivators in disguise! To dare to be so picky while traveling—this kind of behavior suggests they are young disciples from some major sect, utterly ignorant of their own limitations.
The demons exchanged glances, their eyes filled with determination.
It's a big fish.
The deeper they went into the Demon Realm, the more desolate the surrounding scenery became. Xu Xing glanced at the withered grass and barren mountains around him and thought to himself: No wonder everyone says the Demon Realm is desolate. It will take a lot of effort to cultivate spiritual plants under such conditions.
Demonic cultivators, like other cultivators, can take elixirs. They have their own internal cultivation techniques that can convert spiritual power into demonic power. However, if immortal cultivators come into contact with things containing demonic energy, it will have a significant impact. This is also the reason why the demon race launched the war between immortals and demons many years ago.
They crossed the sea, gradually encroaching on the territory of the immortal cultivators and expanding their power. Unfortunately, they were eventually suppressed by the alliance of the demon race and the human race, suffering a crushing defeat and have yet to recover to their former glory.
Originally, the demon race could no longer compete with the monster race and the human race. Unfortunately, the "fall" of the demon king caused turmoil among the monster race, and the demon realm took the opportunity to cause trouble, once again showing its fangs.
"Once you cross that mountain, you'll reach the Medicine Valley under the command of Demon Lord Xiao Mu. I'm quite curious about how the demons cultivate spiritual plants."
Yunlan pouted, "The quality of the spiritual herbs in the Demon Realm is not very good, and they are not comparable to those in the Monster Realm at all."
Chen Du's eyes flickered slightly as he glanced at the tail that had been following him for a long time. Without making a sound, he slowed down and walked towards an open area.
While chatting with Yunlan, Xu Xing couldn't contain her excitement. Here it comes! It was worth dressing up as a "nouveau riche"; she had finally stumbled upon another "murder and robbery" scene!
She hadn't forgotten that the cultivation resources she obtained after repeatedly killing demonic cultivators who tried to steal treasures were far more than what she gained from entering a secret realm.
Xu Xing looked at Yun Lan and suddenly asked an unrelated question, "I remember you are good at wood spirits, right?"
Yunlan nodded, puzzled, but saw that His Highness's expression was unfocused, as if he was in a daze. After a moment, she took out a strangely shaped magical artifact and said, "Take out your weapon."
Yunlan obediently took out his weapons, two curved blades made of vines and thorns.
Two? Xu Xing raised an eyebrow and took out another spirit-enchanted sword. She raised her hand and embedded two fifth-tier wood-type spirit-enchanted swords into the hilt. A flash of green light appeared, and the sword was enveloped in a tangible spiritual energy.
Yunlan immediately sensed the change and exclaimed in surprise, "This is..."
Xu Xing clapped his hands. "That's right, you've been buffed. Go ahead and give it a try."
Try it? Where should I try it? There's nobody here.
Yunlan looked around blankly, only to see Chen Du draw his sword and slash a beam of light in a certain direction behind him.
The next moment, four or five demons surrounded them and attacked!
A demonic attack!
Yunlan and Shendu faced off, while Xu Xing leisurely retreated to the foot of a tree, watching the battle with his arms crossed.
The golden dragon in the illusory space didn't quite understand Xu Xing's thoughts. Cultivators grow stronger through battle, and it saw that Xu Xing wasn't someone who was afraid of death. It didn't understand why she rarely took action herself.
"Are you just going to stand by and watch?"
Xu Xing shrugged, speaking with self-assurance, "I'm just an assistant."
Jinlong shook his head, "With your laziness, I'm afraid you'll never reach the Nascent Soul stage."
"That's not right, I was helping too." With a thought, Xu Xing flickered the spiritual fire in the furnace burning brightly in the space towards the golden dragon.
Since she formed her core, Xu Xing noticed that when she used her life skills, not only did her skill experience increase, but her cultivation level also increased. Although it was only a little bit each time, over the years, she was always able to break through.
Her cultivation level had actually been increasing before, but at that time her cultivation level was too low and her physique was too special. It was already a blessing from heaven that she could cultivate. She could not perceive the slight changes in her cultivation level.
If he hadn't broken through to the Golden Core stage, Xu Xing probably would never have discovered it in his entire life.
However, whether she was refining pills or crafting weapons in the space, she could only obtain the finished product, but could not gain any additional cultivation points or skill experience.
But this is already very good, and Xu Xing is very content.
After observing for a moment, Xu Xing noticed the difference in cultivation levels. Although Yun Lan, who was at the Foundation Establishment stage, had an enhanced weapon, he was still gradually losing to the Golden Core demonic cultivator. Xu Xing then threw a bottle of fourth-tier Myriad Spirit Pills over from a distance.
As for his senior brother, Xu Xing wasn't worried because he had a lot of pills and magical artifacts that he had refined himself.
After finally managing to deplete a significant portion of the two cultivators' spiritual energy, a single pill instantly restored their spiritual energy to full.
The demon leader finally realized something was wrong. They had actually concealed their cultivation level, and they didn't know what kind of pills they had taken, but the effect was so good!
His mind raced, and he immediately sent out a distress signal while glaring at Xu Xing and shouting through gritted teeth, "Capture that female cultivator first!"
This female cultivator must have something good on her!
Seeing two demonic cultivators approaching, one of them holding a soul-summoning banner, Xu Xing felt a wave of demonic and deathly energy emanating from them, and the stench was unbearable. He wrinkled his nose uncomfortably.
Jinlong gloated: "You invited me to watch the show, and now you've been targeted, haven't you?"
"Your Highness!"
In a panic, Yunlan tried to get to Xu Xing's side, but she was entangled by the demonic cultivators and couldn't break free for a while.
Compared to the somewhat flustered Yunlan, Chen Du was much more at ease dealing with a Nascent Soul Peak demonic cultivator. He didn't forget to remind Yunlan, "Focus on the enemy!"
Yunlan stared wide-eyed in disbelief. This sword cultivator wasn't worried about His Highness's safety at all?!
He wanted to save Xu Xing, but couldn't get away. In a moment of distraction, Yunlan's arm was struck. The demonic energy was everywhere and instantly paralyzed his entire arm.
He must protect His Highness!
Yunlan gritted his teeth, ignoring his injuries, and his attacks became increasingly intense. However, the demon seized an opening and struck him in the chest with a palm.
Yunlan immediately stumbled back several steps, but suddenly a hand supported him from behind.
"If you're not focused during a fight, you'll get beaten up. Open your mouth!"
Xu Xing quickly threw an antidote pill into Yun Lan's mouth.
Yunlan turned around in surprise, only to see Xu Xing holding the demon race's soul-summoning banner in one hand and a gear-shaped magical artifact in the other.
Two black lines were connected above. Looking along the black lines, the two demons who had attacked Xu Xing earlier were almost completely drained.
In the ethereal space, the golden dragon was speechless.
It knew that Xu Xing had been refining magical artifacts, but it didn't know that her strangely shaped magical artifacts, which were quite different from those circulating in various realms, were so powerful.
Qing and Tuanzi, who were originally all puffed up and ready to come out and help their owner, both sighed when they saw this scene.
The little dumpling lay down out of boredom, and even the fiery Qinglian, who had been sharpening its claws, lost its luster.
What if the master is too powerful and there's no need for these contracted beasts?
I feel so invisible, boohoo...
Compared to the two of them, Yin Xue, who already knew her master's methods, lay quietly by the edge of the herb field and didn't move at all.
"Waaah~"
Suddenly, she heard another whimper. Yin Xue turned around and saw that it was the little sea beast that her master had taken in a while ago.
The owner said they couldn't eat it, perhaps because they wanted to keep it as a pet, so during this time Tuanzi and Qing treated it with disdain.
Yin Xue was alright; seeing the little sea beast whimpering, she asked, "Why are you crying?"
The sea monster timidly rolled over, revealing its sunken belly as if to show weakness, "I...I'm so hungry."
Ignoring Tuanzi and Qing, who were huddled together sighing, Yinxue kindly pushed two of the beast spirit pills it had hoarded over with its hoof, "Eat them."
It smells so good...
The little sea beast twisted its body and moved over, swallowing the Beast Spirit Pill without hesitation. Immediately, its two round eyes lit up. It was so delicious!
Silver Snow let out a soft cry, "Once you become your master's pet, you can eat it every day."
The little sea monster's large, black, grape-like eyes darted around. A pet?
Is this the thing the old beasts at home said we absolutely can't do? They keep saying we must never be caught by humans, otherwise we'll either be skinned alive or become pets, but they never mentioned that being a pet comes with good food!
...
This young female cultivator used some unknown technique, and in just a moment, she had drained the life force of two demons, one a Golden Core cultivator and the other a Foundation Establishment cultivator! Seeing their kin fall as lightly as paper, the remaining demons trembled with fear. This method was no less cruel and bloodthirsty than that of the demons themselves!
The demons who were locked in combat with Yunlan instantly retreated, shouting in terror, "Oh no! They really are demonic cultivators!"
"Bullshit!" the demon who had been knocked back by Shen Du's sword cursed in a moment.
Look at this sword energy, look at this demonic spirit, they are clearly human cultivators and demon cultivators!
Besides, so what if they are demonic cultivators? Don't they have enough of their own kind's blood on their hands?!
The demon leader realized he had encountered someone who was pretending to be weak while actually being strong. "Ling Xiu is indeed cunning!" he thought bitterly.
He caught a glimpse of a black light hurtling towards him from the distance, grinned, and said menacingly, "Our reinforcements have arrived. Let's see how you handle this!"
Then, a few hours later...
The black lines on the Spirit Binding Wheel increased from two to seven.
"It seems the experiment went well?" After killing the two Nascent Soul cultivators who were trying to escape, Shen Du sheathed his sword and walked to Xu Xing's side.
Xu Xing smiled and nodded. She had originally wanted to test whether the upgraded fifth-order Entangling Spirit Wheel could absorb the demonic energy of the demon race, and now it seemed to be working very well.
However, she could only draw from demons of the same cultivation level, and she had to rely on her senior brother's help to draw from those few Nascent Soul stage demons.
Now, all the demonic power of these demons is contained in the magical artifacts. In the demon realm, this demonic energy might come in very handy.
test?
Yunlan, clutching her arm, looked around blankly. What were they talking about?
Xu Xing stepped forward to check his injuries. Fortunately, they were only minor, and the demonic energy in his body had been cleared away by the Detoxification Pill, so there was no significant impact.
Finally realizing what had happened, Yunlan lowered his head in shame, his face flushed. He was clearly the prince's personal guard, yet the prince had to come and save him!
Xu Xing, however, did not notice Yun Lan's reaction. She took stock of her spoils; most of the items were usable, except for the Soul-Summoning Banner...
The smell of blood on it was too strong, and Xu Xing was reluctant to put it in his storage ring. In the end, Chen Du took it and purified it, calming the resentment on it.
"There should be a trading house in Yancheng, so let's sell everything then."
Xu Xing was somewhat disgusted by the magical artifacts that had been used by these ferocious demons. She didn't lack magical artifacts, and there was no need to keep such harmful things.
Little did she know, in the eyes of the demons, her Entangling Spirit Wheel was even more terrifying than the Soul-Summoning Banner...
Chen Du looked up at the sky. As he was entangled with the demons, the sun was setting and it was getting dark.
Worried about the safety of Wen Yao and Zuo Qiuxu, and not wanting to delay, Xu Xing destroyed the pale and shriveled demon body to cover up the crime, and the three of them rushed to the Medicine Valley without stopping.
After they left, a man in a blue robe with a jade flute at his waist came here.
Looking down at a spot of blood on the ground that hadn't been completely burned, he squatted down and pressed his hand to the ground.
"Medicine Valley..."
"The security here doesn't seem very strict?"
Under the cover of night, Xu Xing and his two companions hid in concealment talismans and quietly approached the herb field.
In the vast, empty medicinal field that had been harvested, Xu Xing spotted a frost-crushing herb that had been left aside and had lost its vitality.
Thinking of the symptoms on those martial artists, she realized that this was very likely one of the materials used to refine that strange pill!
She used her spiritual power to envelop the Frost-Destroying Grass and transported it over from a distance. After examining it closely, she guessed, "It must have been picked yesterday."
Senior Brother Zuoqiu and Ayao may have been here, but this medicine valley is too big.
Xu Xing looked at Chen Du and quietly gestured, "Let's split up and search."
After a moment's hesitation, Shen Du saw that Xu Xing had already chosen the rightmost path to sneak in.
Knowing that few could harm Xu Xing with the magical artifact in her hand, Shen Du had no choice but to suppress the words she was about to say, signaling Yun Lan to go to the left while she went to the main road in the middle.
No sooner had the three separated than a night fog descended, and in a short while, the entire medicine valley was enveloped in thick fog. The surrounding darkness, which was so intense that even cultivators with excellent eyesight could not distinguish directions.
Chen Du stopped in his tracks, a spiritual fire ignited at his fingertips, and the night mist instantly swallowed the spiritual fire.
He immediately turned around. This was no ordinary fog; a fog array had been set up here!
This kind of formation consumes a lot of spiritual resources and is extremely difficult to set up. Once the eerie mist attaches to a magical artifact, it can render the artifact ineffective. It can only be restored to normal once you leave the area of the mist.
For a normal cultivator, the mist array is nothing to fear; as long as the array is broken, it will be fine. However, Xu Xing is more skilled in alchemy and artifact crafting.
Shen Du had a bad feeling. The person who set up this formation must know Xu Xing very well!
He hurried back along the same path, calling Xu Xing's name repeatedly in his mind. He quickly arrived at the place where the group had parted ways, but only saw Yun Lan fighting a demonic beast that had appeared from the mist. Xu Xing was nowhere to be seen...
Why is there such a thick fog?
Xu Xing looked at the pitch-black darkness and hesitated.
Jinlong's voice turned serious, "Be careful, this is a fog array, your magic weapon probably won't work."
If it remembers correctly, setting up a fog array is quite costly. Who would set up an array in such a place?
Xu Xing frowned slightly. He couldn't use a magical artifact?
She summoned Silver Snow, grasped the Snowless Sword in one hand, and carefully searched for the array's core.
Xu Xing never expected that this formation would trap her for three whole days.
She kept circling inside the formation, unable to contact anyone else and unaware of her senior brother and Yunlan's situation.
"Master, your spiritual power is draining away. If this continues, I'm afraid things will get very bad."
The beastmen are completely helpless against strange things like formations. Although Yin Xue already has a fifth-level cultivation, she is unable to help Xu Xing find the formation's core.
Despite the contracted beast's concern, Xu Xing seemed unusually calm. She appeared completely unconcerned about her situation, wandered aimlessly for a few minutes, and then simply sat down on the ground to replenish her spiritual energy with food.
Jinlong was speechless. "What are you doing?"
Xu Xing was quite straightforward: "Since I can't get out anyway, I'll just wait for someone else to come looking for me."
"Are you so sure Chen Du can find you?"
Xu Xing smiled but did not answer.
She wasn't waiting for her senior brother.
Two days later, Xu Xing, who had eaten and drunk his fill, suddenly noticed a noise coming from a certain direction.
She appeared nonchalant, but secretly gripped the hilt of her sword, only to see someone she had never expected.
"Senior Brother Xiang? What brings you here?"
Xiang Yuquan smiled slightly and said gently, "How long have you been trapped? I came to find A-Xu and the others, but I didn't expect to find you first."
"Let's go, I know where the exit is."
Xu Xing followed Xiang Yuquan with his sword in hand, silently watching his familiar and reliable back, without saying a word the whole way.
Xu Xing stopped when the exit was almost in front of her. She suddenly spoke, her voice very soft.
"Senior Brother Xiang, how did you find me?"
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Author's Note: Thank you to 44201549, Ji Sui, Zai Shui Yi Hui, Feng Zhen, Tu Yao Gui Hua Gao, Tian Tian Shui Dao Zi Ran Xing, Xing Fu Miao, Fu Lang He Fei Yan She, and Yan Yan for the nutrient solution! [Please!]
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