https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-125-Toad-Returns-to-the-Cold-Pond/12941060/
Chapter 124: Ambush of the Toad Demon Lord
Chapter 124: Ambush of the Toad Demon Lord
In a not-so-spacious room, three Personal Escort Commanders stood trembling at the entrance, one of them approaching the table and respectfully handing over a token to the youth. "Reporting to Commander Shen."
Liu Bin, stripped of his black robe, was tied up and kneeling in the middle.
Xiao Qiangwei stood by his side, responsible for guarding him.
The only thing she was curious about now was, what exactly was Shen Yi planning? Since they had already captured Liu Bin, why not return him to Tingyang Prefecture as soon as possible?
"Reporting to Commander Shen, the Blackstone Pool Demon King is a four-thousand-year-old venomous toad with Condensation Core Realm cultivation. It excels in using poison and occupies the bottomless Blackstone Pool. Even Marshal You has no good way to deal with it, so he ordered General Liu to lead us to guard this place."
The commander's voice grew softer as he spoke.
It was clear that after Liu Bin was injured, they had long lost the strength to defend the area. They could only watch as the Demon King roamed Qingzhou as if it were his own backyard, and even one of the trusted Personal Escort Commanders kept it hidden and helped cover it up.
"The places guarded by Personal Escort Commanders are mostly like this. Either the terrain is bizarre, or the methods are astonishing. They couldn't get rid of it, but it was too close to the Qingzhou Twelve Prefectures to let the demons run rampant..."
Xiao Qiangwei subconsciously explained to the commander, but halfway through, she realized that Shen Yi must have been treated like a close relative by Elder Chen, and she wondered how close their relationship was.
There was no need for her to say more.
She shook her head and said, "To be precise, it's a Core Formation Realm Demon King, and it shouldn't be far from achieving Condensation Core Perfection."
At this moment, Liu Bin slowly raised his head, staring at Shen Yi behind the desk. His pale face was filled with ridicule, "Indeed, after digesting me, it should be enough. So, Commander Shen, what can you do?"
He had done so much for Qingzhou.
Even this injury was caused by the venomous toad Demon King.
He just wanted to wait a little longer, even at the risk of his life, rather than have his cultivation regress. He didn't want to be a Personal Escort Commander for the rest of his life.
In the end, he would end up like a dog being cooked. Where was the justice in that?
"Is it that Elder Chen couldn't accommodate you, so you had to come to Tingyang Prefecture to find another way out? How about we switch places, haha!"
The old man laughed, his throat hoarse, but suddenly, a teacup shattered on his face, splashing tea all over him.
Shen Yi retracted his hand and said calmly, "I didn't ask you, so keep quiet."
Xiao Qiangwei pursed her lips, suddenly feeling great admiration for his composure.
The letter from Marshal You lay quietly on the table. But after Shen Yi sat down with a calm and composed demeanor, not even Liu Bin dared to have the thought of opening it to take a look.
With this imposing manner, the commanders even felt that Marshal You had given Commander Shen the authority to act first and report later.
Liu Bin reluctantly lowered his head. He wanted to see what this arrogant young man was up to.
"Is it still in the Blackstone Pool?"
Shen Yi looked at the others.
It was already rare to encounter a Core Formation Realm demon, let alone one that he had complete control over and could even enlist the help of the Golden Bell Exorcists.
From Jiang Chengyun's expression, it seemed that Xiao Qiangwei had a good relationship with Marshal You.
Although the Blackstone Pool Demon King was a family matter for the Demon Suppressing Bureau, it was also a favor for Marshal You. Surely he wouldn't just stand by and watch.
If they could eliminate the demon, as a Personal Escort Commander, he should represent the Demon Suppressing Bureau and properly thank Xiao Qiangwei, the exorcist, for her assistance.
"Counting the days, it should be back in a couple of days..." The commanders lowered their heads in shame.
Xiao Qiangwei frowned, truly at a loss for words. The demon had reached the point of freely entering and exiting Qingzhou, even with a certain regularity, yet Liu Bin didn't plan to inform Marshal You.
The next moment, Shen Yi stood up, and his words left everyone stunned.
"Lead the way."
Xiao Qiangwei looked on in astonishment, finally realizing what he intended to do.
She opened her mouth to say something but sighed helplessly. Perhaps he wasn't fully aware of the situation at the Blackstone Pool and didn't understand why a Core Formation Realm demon, even Marshal You, couldn't deal with it.
Once they arrived at the location, Shen Yi naturally wouldn't waste more time on this.
...
Three commanders led the way, followed by over a hundred Demon Suppressing Officers.
They followed a row of wooden buildings around the hillside, and the ground beneath their feet suddenly became damp and muddy, exuding a chilling aura in the darkness.
Ahead was a circular depression.
Right in the middle, a deep pond about a hundred feet wide came into view. The surface of the pond was calm, but even before approaching, one could feel the bone-chilling cold, and a strange green mist hovered over it.
Xiao Qiangwei pulled on the chains, pushing Liu Bin forward, "In a direct confrontation, the venomous toad may not be his match, but because of this cold pond, the demon has been able to live for so many years on the edge of the Qingzhou Twelve Prefectures without any mishaps."
The demons' innate abilities truly made the warriors envious.
Despite being at the same cultivation level, demons could soar into the sky or dive into the depths of the sea. Even this terrifying extreme cold couldn't harm the Toad Demon Lord and instead became his protective sanctuary.
"Now that we've seen it, let's go."
Xiao Qiangwei sighed. If it were that easy to resolve, it wouldn't have dragged on until now.
"No hurry, wait a couple more days."
"You can also take some time to recuperate and avoid aggravating your injuries."
Shen Yi turned and walked towards several temporary tents where the Demon Suppressing Bureau personnel usually guarded the demon.
"I'm truly grateful to you." Xiao Qiangwei's eyelids twitched slightly. After walking for so many days, this was the first time the other party had shown concern for her, and the result of that concern was to have her stay in this bone-chilling place filled with poisonous mist to "rest and recuperate."
"You're not seriously thinking of ambushing the Toad Demon Lord outside, are you?"
Just as the words left her mouth, Xiao Qiangwei realized what she had said.
The Toad Demon Lord had never tried to kill Liu Bin outright but instead used insidious demonic arts to slowly consume and digest him, which was definitely not an act of mercy.
Most likely, it didn't want to risk a life-or-death struggle with Liu Bin, and it also didn't want Marshal You to send another, even stronger, personal escort.
After such a long time, the Toad Demon Lord might have let its guard down... If they were to truly ambush it, now would be the best opportunity.
"I just thought of something."
Xiao Qiangwei looked at him with confusion. If... if they really succeeded in killing that Toad Demon, then its heart's blood...
"What is it?"
Shen Yi turned around and casually patted the cloak on his body. "Go on."
Xiao Qiangwei stared at him silently, appearing expressionless but actually seething with anger.
How great! With a turn of his body, he had made himself an outsider, and this matter had become a private affair for the Demon Suppressing Bureau.
What was even more absurd was that, in name, the youth was helping her solve her problem.
"I finally understand why you don't like to talk."
She raised her eyebrows slightly, secretly mocking him. He pretended to be a reckless and impulsive young man, but in reality, his mind was sharper than anyone else's.
Shen Yi glanced at Xiao Qiangwei and saw that she wasn't going to ask further, so he turned and entered the tent.
In the beginning, the other party had used his aura to ensure her safe passage, and he had said those words—that as long as there was confirmed information, he could ask the Demon Subduing General to intervene... He was treating her like a child.
To be honest, dealing with these demon hunters, one could indeed learn a lot.
Seeing the two of them like this, Liu Bin kept his head down, but the mocking expression on his face became even more pronounced.
With just an injured Core Formation Realm warrior and a young man who had practiced some kind of body tempering technique, they wanted to take down the Toad Demon Lord? He had thought he was in a hopeless situation, but he never expected there would be a turn of events.
After these two were devoured, perhaps the Toad Demon would keep him alive to continue guarding this place.
...
About a day and a night passed.
Xiao Qiangwei closed her eyes, nurturing her injuries. Occasionally, she opened her eyes to look at the distant youth, only to find that he was as still as a statue, his perfectly cultivated Tortoise Breath Technique never withdrawn. It was already astonishing to cultivate the Tortoise Breath Technique to such a level.
Ordinary Essence Condensation Realm warriors would be considered dragon-phoenix among men if they could cultivate three or four of their best martial arts to perfection.
But this youth was wasting his time on the Tortoise Breath Technique.
She asked curiously, "With your talent, you must have been the center of attention since childhood. How did you develop such a cautious personality?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yi still didn't turn around.
The center of attention? He was indeed the center of attention. The dog demon in the western suburbs, the black ape in the eastern mountains, the fox in the northern cliffs—there were only a few demons in Banyun County, and each of them wanted his life.
Now, he had to add the Yangchun River Dragon and the Xitai Mountain Tiger Lord to the list.
He leaned quietly against a cold tree, reciting these names in his mind, and his mental state became even more stable.
Just then, a pungent and sinister demonic aura slowly swept over. It was clear that the owner of this aura wasn't tense, and their attempt to conceal their aura was perfunctory.
On the mud slope opposite the depression.
A pot-bellied, balding man burped and patted his belly as he walked towards the cold pond.
As if seeing something, he smiled and waved at the Demon Suppressing Bureau captains, "You've worked hard, please return. I need to go back and digest, and I'll send my regards to Lord Liu on your behalf."
Several personal escort commanders unconsciously lowered their heads.
Their backs had long been broken by Liu Bin's repeated orders, so they didn't even have the courage to look directly at this Demon Lord.
Xiao Qiangwei suddenly stood up but found that the distant black-robed figure had already taken to the air. Without time for exclamation, she also mobilized her inner core, and a thick essence aura burst forth from her palms.
Since it was an ambush, the first strike had to be the strongest!
Boom—
Shen Yi stepped down from mid-air, his boots stomping heavily on the bald man's shoulder, and at the same time, he drew his ink saber.
After completing the second transformation of the Immortal-Demon, the power contained within his body was no less formidable, even when facing a Core Formation Realm demon.
With one kick, he forced the bald man to kneel.
The long saber tore through the cold air and slashed into the man's neck, and ink-green blood gushed out.
The Toad Demon Lord knelt on the ground, tightly gripping the saber.
Xiao Qiangwei also rushed over, and her surging palm intent ravaged the demon below.
Facing such a fierce attack,
The Toad Demon Lord was clearly taken by surprise, but he held the saber in one hand and stared at the approaching Xiao Qiangwei.
The gaping wound on his neck was deep, and ink-green blood flowed out, but a hideous smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "I spoke kindly to you, and yet you dare to be so insolent?"
Regarding the realms mentioned, the Essence Condensation Realm is a major realm, but it is divided into several stages:
Nestling Core (Mountain Lord's two sons), Core Formation (Dragon Lord Zhang Hengzhou), Core Formation Perfection (Mountain Lord), Embracing Core (Twelve Great Generals, Golden Bell Exorcists, White Deer). Core Shattering is not included because after core shattering, it is the next realm.
(End of Chapter)
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