Chapter 117: Continuation
Chapter 117: Continuation
"It's here."
Chen Mu's expression remained calm, his body unmoving, but his gaze shifted from the front to the left side with incredible speed.
Almost in the next instant, a gust of fierce wind blew, and a colossal white wolf demon with a silver-white body, almost as tall as a human's chest, suddenly appeared. It didn't charge from the ground but descended from above, diving down from the top of an ancient tree on Chen Mu's left side. With brutal ferocity, it pounced directly towards Xu Hongyu, who stood by Chen Mu's left.
Swish! Xu Hongyu stood calmly, her soft sword trembled slightly in her hand, creating a shimmering sword flower. The sword dance formed a curtain of light in the air, meeting the descending white wolf demon.
The white wolf demon raised its right limb, its thick, silver-gleaming claws flashing as it viciously struck down. The attack collided with Xu Hongyu's sword curtain, creating a shower of sparks and a sound like clashing blades.
The sword curtain exploded.
The white wolf demon's entire right limb trembled under the force, seemingly unable to bear the impact. It tumbled backward in mid-air, landing over ten feet away. Xu Hongyu took two steps back, her soft sword retracting as she swept it diagonally behind her, dispelling the residual force. A deep trench was carved into the ground where her sword had passed.
Immediately, Xu Hongyu unleashed another burst of sword light, actively attacking the white wolf demon.
Xiao He tightly gripped her soft sword but didn't rush forward. She could tell that this white wolf demon wasn't very strong, and Xu Hongyu was more than capable of handling it. It was a suitable opponent for Xu Hongyu to hone her Vital Energy Sword Technique.
For martial artists, whether tempering their bodies or practicing techniques, progress often couldn't be made solely through solitary training. Xu Hongyu had entered the Sinew Transformation Perfection stage, and by sparring with an opponent of equal strength, she could invigorate her vital energy and refine her sword techniques. Her rapid advancement from the Sinew Transformation Great Accomplishment stage to Perfection was inseparable from her constant demon-hunting and honing during the Great Cold.
Xiao He couldn't help but sneak a glance at Chen Mu, her expression slightly odd.
Only Chen Mu... in her memory, he was always either working at the City Guard Corps or cultivating in seclusion. Even in such circumstances, his progress was like a divine miracle, even achieving the comprehension of Intention. The gap between individuals was truly immeasurable.
At this moment, Chen Mu stood by with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly fixed on the battle between Xu Hongyu and the white wolf demon. Compared to their previous encounter with the remnants of the Heavenly Corpse Sect, Xu Hongyu was now displaying her true strength. Her intertwined sword techniques left almost no openings. Despite the white wolf demon's superior speed and strength, it was constantly suppressed by Xu Hongyu.
The fierce battle between the woman and the wolf demon raged on for several rounds.
A flash of light gleamed in Xu Hongyu's cold eyes. Amidst the intense fight, her sword technique shifted, transforming the sword curtain into a fine rain of slashes that weaved through the white wolf demon's claws, striking its eyes.
"Awoooooo!"
The white wolf demon let out a painful howl as its right eye burst into a spray of blood.
After this strike, its remaining left eye calmed significantly. As it looked at Xu Hongyu, a human-like wariness and hatred appeared in its gaze. It fiercely lashed out with its claws, tearing through Xu Hongyu's sword curtain. With a twist of its body, it darted deep into the forest.
It fled like the wind, instantly escaping Xu Hongyu's attack range.
Xu Hongyu exhaled a breath of turbid air and immediately gave chase with her sword. However, she couldn't match the white wolf demon's speed in the dense forest, and it continued to escape further with each passing moment.
Just as it seemed she would lose the pursuit, a figure silently glided down from above, landing directly above the white wolf demon.
Boom! Chen Mu didn't draw his sword but instead raised his fist with a calm gaze. His fist plummeted down, striking the white wolf demon's forehead. The colossal wolf's entire head was smashed downward, and its body flipped over, crashing into the mud with a thud. Its running body stiffened and shot upright, as if impaled into the ground.
Xiao He silently covered her eyes with her small hands.
So brutal.
To physically overpower a white wolf demon with sheer physical might... How would Miss Xu ever bear such violence?
Swish, swish, swish!
The white wolf demon's head was buried in the ground, its limbs stiff. But it wasn't dead; soon, it began to move again. Its claws flailed in the air, creating a comical scene. Finally, it managed to pull its head out, but it seemed dazed, neither fleeing nor knowing what to do. It just shook its head in place, dislodging dirt from its fur.
Xu Hongyu had already approached, and with a swift slide, she glided beneath the white wolf demon's head. Her soft sword struck its throat, and a thin line of blood silently blossomed.
The massive body of the white wolf demon froze briefly before wobbling and finally collapsing.
Whoosh.
Xu Hongyu sheathed her sword and walked straight to the white wolf demon's corpse. With skilled movements, she stabbed its chest with her sword, lightly lifting the tip. Her right hand plunged into the wound, and when she withdrew it, the blood-stained tip of her finger held a blood-red, crystal-like object, about the size of an infant's fingertip.
"Here."
Xu Hongyu raised her hand, and the blood-red crystal flew towards Chen Mu.
Chen Mu reached out and caught it, examining it closely: "So, this is the demon's Vital Blood Essence..."
Vital Blood Essence was the most refined part of a demon's vital energy, usually found only in second-rank demons. Most third-rank and above demons possessed it. Martial artists at the Refine Flesh stage and above could directly consume and refine it, nourishing their vital energy.
Generally, it could only be consumed directly because Vital Blood Essence dissipated quickly. If not extracted immediately, it would dissolve into the demon's blood. Even with immediate extraction, without extremely high-grade Cold Jade, it couldn't be preserved and would dissipate into the environment over time.
This probably won't be useful for me.
Such a thought flashed through Chen Mu's mind, but since it was his first encounter with it, he thought for a moment and then swallowed it. Soon, a warm current spread from his abdomen, flowing throughout his body, enveloping him in warmth.
After a while, the warmth dissipated, and Chen Mu's vital energy did not become more vigorous as expected. It remained at its original level, only slightly replenishing some lost strength, making his vital energy more active.
Chen Mu shook his head slightly.
This was not surprising to him.
Having reached the limits of Skin Refinement, Flesh Tempering, and Sinew Transformation, he had already attained the realm of Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound, where his muscles resonated harmoniously. His vital energy had long since reached its peak, far surpassing that of ordinary people.
Only those like Xu Hongyu and Xiao He, whose vital energy had not yet been refined to the limit of the first realm, could benefit from the Silver Wolf Demon's Vital Blood Essence to slightly increase their vital energy, allowing their Body Tempering Art cultivation to progress faster and making it easier to break through to higher realms.
Xu Hongyu swiftly dealt with the White Wolf Demon's corpse, her movements so quick and skilled that Chen Mu couldn't help but marvel at her efficiency. In no time, she had processed everything neatly, using the demon's entire hide to create a large bundle, carefully packing all the bones and claws inside.
Then, with a flourish, she hoisted the bundle, larger than herself, onto her back and turned to Chen Mu, saying, "Alright, we can go back and report now."
"..."
Chen Mu's lips twitched slightly, finding Xu Hongyu's appearance at this moment somewhat amusing, but Xu Hongyu herself seemed oblivious to it, her expression calm as she turned and began walking back.
Watching Xu Hongyu's figure gradually move away, Chen Mu couldn't help but shake his head and follow after her.
Xiao He covered her mouth to hide a giggle, but she didn't dare say anything. She quietly trailed beside them, and soon they left the forest. The scorching sunlight, no longer obstructed by the dense foliage, shone down on the trio.
"For a White Rank mission, how much merit do we get?"
Chen Mu, walking beside Xu Hongyu, asked about the Demon Slayer Bureau's merit points.
"The mission itself is worth a hundred merit points, but the reward also depends on the type of demon slain. For a White Wolf Demon, an extra five hundred merit points are given for each one."
Xu Hongyu replied after a moment's thought.
In the 1619 version, the information is accurate!
Chen Mu's expression turned thoughtful. He had previously learned that the Bone Forging Pills could be exchanged at the Demon Slayer Bureau for 20,000 merit points each. Each portion contained about thirty pills, sufficient for three months' use, and each White Robe Guard could exchange for them up to him was as bright as ever.
This system was inherited from the past regulations of the Great Xuan Court.
Compared to Sinew Transformation, Bone Forging had a lower threshold. The biggest challenge for martial practitioners here was often age; after thirty, their vital energy became less vibrant than in their youth, making it harder to enter the Bone Forging realm.
If one couldn't break through after three exchanges of Bone Forging Pills, it was likely that their vital energy was already declining. There would be little chance to enter Bone Forging, and exchanging more would be pointless and a waste of resources.
A White Wolf Demon's task yields 600 merit points.
To obtain 20,000 merit points,
it's a bit much.
To acquire enough merit points for a Bone Forging Pill, one would need to slay over thirty White Wolf Demons, which equates to thirty missions. Judging from the time it took for this mission, about six to seven days, it would take Xu Hongyu, a White Robe Guard with Sinew Transformation Perfection, more than half a year to obtain a Bone Forging Pill from the Demon Slayer Bureau, assuming she could complete each mission successfully and without incident.
Of course, encountering a large group of White Wolf Demons, say ten or twenty at once, would earn a substantial amount of merit points... But the issue is, for most White Robe Guards, encountering such a group could be life-threatening. Escaping, let alone slaying them, would be challenging.
However, Chen Mu could handle it effortlessly. For him, slaying one White Wolf Demon or ten made no difference.
But this time, they had to traverse mountains and valleys to track down just one.
Unless there was a Great Drought or a Great Cold, causing widespread demons to go into a frenzy and appear, it would be challenging to accumulate merit points quickly. No wonder during last year's Great Cold, many from the Four Great Families of the Inner City went out to hunt demons, and even Xu Hongyu, the temporary South District Chief, took leave to join the hunt.
As Chen Mu pondered, Xiao He, who had been walking beside him, suddenly waved her small hand to fan herself, saying, "Today feels hotter than yesterday, doesn't it?"
Chen Mu snapped back to attention, glancing at the distance, and said with a hint of foreboding, "It's probably not just the heat that's the problem."
In the distance,
a river was swelling.
Just the day before, when they passed by, the river was about two to three zhang wide, but now, it had shrunk by almost half, exposing a large stretch of barren riverbank.
Xu Hongyu, witnessing this scene, froze for a moment, and said, "Great Drought..."
Chen Mu shook his head. "A Great Cold at the beginning of the year, a Great Drought in the middle, this year is full of disasters."
A Great Drought following a Great Cold was undoubtedly a continuation of the calamity.
The upcoming Great Drought, as Chen Mu remembered, would last for at least half a month to a month. While households would have enough water stored to avoid the risk of dehydration, the crops would be ruined for a season. Additionally, there would be an increase in demon activity.
However, as this was a recurring event, it wasn't considered an extremely severe situation. Just like during the previous Great Cold, various departments, including the Demon Slayer Bureau, would take action, and the Four Great Families would also mobilize their forces.
Chen Mu glanced at Xiao He and said, "It seems like heaven is punishing you for your sins in your past life."
Xiao He widened her eyes and scurried to Xu Hongyu's side, sticking out her tongue.
"Let's head back to Anyu County."
Xu Hongyu's gaze turned serious as she replied, "With the Great Drought approaching, there's no need to rush back to the prefecture city. We'll stay in Anyu County for now. The prefecture city will also send more people here."
The impending Great Drought, while not a major disaster, was still significant. Apart from the crops being destroyed, the increased demon activity required more manpower to suppress. Just like during the Great Cold, various departments, including the Demon Slayer Bureau, would mobilize their forces, and the Four Great Families would also take action.
(End of Chapter)
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