https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-126-So-You-re-the-Master-of-Black-Stone-Pool-/12554046/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-128-Imprisoning-the-Demon-Within/12554048/
Chapter 127: Third Heavenly Demon Molting
Chapter 127: Third Heavenly Demon Molting
"Damn it, jinx!"
The admiration the battalion commanders and officers initially held for Liu Bin had already diminished significantly.
Seeing the Toad Lord appear, they could not help but curse aloud.
The enemy was undoubtedly doomed, and they were just following orders, perhaps even with a chance to make amends for their crimes.
Now, not a single one of them could hope to escape!
Xiao Qiangwei's expression also changed slightly, but in the next moment, a look of astonishment and doubt appeared in her eyes.
This demon lord didn't seem to be returning for a fight; the more she looked at him, the more he seemed to be... fleeing for his life?!
But where could he flee to that would be safer than Black Stone Pool in the nearby Qingzhou?
And if he was running, who could be chasing him?
The next moment, her gaze fixed on the hilt of the sword protruding from the Toad Demon's head, a sight that left her somewhat incredulous.
As if to validate her suspicion, a wave of water surged forth, and a figure in ink-colored robes leaped into the air, delivering a powerful punch to the sword hilt!
Under this immense force, the long sword pierced straight through the Toad Demon's wide head and shot out from the other side.
The Toad Lord's remaining eye had already gone blank.
Shen Yi delivered a whip-like kick in mid-air, sending the massive creature flying. Its huge body crashed into the hillside, creating terrifying ravines that spread in all directions.
Xiao Qiangwei stared blankly at the sky, only to see the young man suddenly glance at her, as if he had something to say.
She nervously loosened her grip on the Demon-Subduing Chain in her hand.
She heard him casually say, "Trouble to help me pick up the knife, don't drop it."
Before he had even finished speaking, the young man suddenly pounced on the Toad Lord again, and the force between his fists rained down like a storm.
The Toad Lord lay sideways on the slope, its massive body trembling from the relentless pounding. It tilted its head, not even having the strength to wriggle, yet it still pitifully extended its branch-like forelimbs, clinging to the hillside in a desperate attempt to escape.
As the young man's fingers plunged into the Toad Demon's abdomen, demonic energy erupted once more, and its enormous belly exploded with a loud bang.
Dust flew, and minced meat filled the sky.
When Shen Yi reappeared, he had already placed the demon core in his hand into the silver bell, along with a strand of the Toad Lord's heart-tipped essence blood, which had also drilled into the bell.
[Kill the Toad Demon in the Elixir Realm, with a total lifespan of 4,900 years, 872 years of remaining lifespan, absorption completed]
...
Xiao Qiangwei subconsciously obeyed his instruction and walked towards the black knife in a daze, reaching out to pull it out.
It was only when the cold sensation touched her palm that she suddenly reacted, turning abruptly to stare at the figure in ink-colored robes in the distance. Not only had he not drowned in the cold pool, but his clothes were also completely dry.
Watching Shen Yi walk slowly back to the tent, the battalion commanders and officers unconsciously stepped back a few paces, revealing Liu Bin in the middle.
"Ah woo woo! Woo woo!"
Liu Bin opened his mouth wide like an old lion, revealing a bloody and muddy mouth cavity, as well as a mouthful of black mud.
He hammered his head frantically against the ground, as if trying to dispel the illusion before him.
How could anyone survive the Black Stone Pool? How could anyone kill the Toad Lord so easily?
If what was happening before her eyes was real, then what meaning did her years of guarding this place hold!
Xiao Qiangwei hurried back and handed the black knife to him. As she lifted her gaze to his handsome face, which she had already looked at for several days, she felt even more estranged at this moment.
She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but in the end, she could only ask in a dazed voice, "Are you okay?"
Shen Yi sheathed the long knife and glanced at her wrist, "Is this injury serious?"
Originally, he had only wanted to ask this woman to help out with the formation, but he hadn't expected her to fight so desperately.
"It's fine."
Xiao Qiangwei hid her ugly wrist, with its white bones, slightly behind her, "When we return to Tingyang County, there will be many doctors and precious medicines at General You's place.
With no more demons in the area, there was no reason for this group from the Demon Suppression Force to linger. They would all be escorted back to Tingyang County, and the accomplishments of the day would be tallied—a Demon Lord in the Elixir Realm and his followers, against the efforts of these officers and commanders. It seemed like a fair trade.
In just a few words, Liu Bin realized he had been lumped in with the demons as a "merit" to be casually distributed by this young man.
Xiao Qiangwei pursed her lips and said softly, "General You will surely be delighted to meet a master like you."
Unbeknownst to them, her perception of Shen Yi had subtly shifted from "prodigy" to the more straightforward term "master."
The former still had room to grow, but the latter already possessed the capability to stand alone.
As she watched Shen Yi nod and turn to leave, Xiao Qiangwei hesitated before mustering the courage to ask, "How did you manage to defeat the Toad Lord in the Black Stone Pool?"
"..."
Shen Yi thought for a moment before replying nonchalantly, "It's a process of tempering the body. You won't understand unless you experience it yourself."
Xiao Qiangwei tugged at the corner of her mouth but didn't press further. Given their short acquaintance, the question was already quite presumptuous. Every demon catcher had their own closely guarded secrets, and divulging them too freely could mean losing a lifeline in a critical moment.
It was only because she was so astounded by what she had witnessed that she had asked in the first place.
At least he was willing to give a vague answer, which showed that their relationship had improved significantly.
"Rest for the night, and we'll depart tomorrow."
With that, Shen Yi strode back the way they had come.
The officers and commanders meekly followed, dragging Liu Bin along with them. The old general, defeated and dispirited, allowed himself to be led, no longer daring to cast venomous glances at the figure ahead.
Xiao Qiangwei quietly fell into step beside them.
In the presence of this young man, even a well-meaning warning like "the night is long and full of terrors" seemed superfluous.
The proverb "a cornered dog will jump over a wall" presupposes that one is, at the very least, a dog to begin with.
Whether it was Liu Bin, these officers from the Demon Suppression Force, or even herself, she suspected that none of them would be able to stir up much trouble for the young man.
The group returned to the wooden house.
Even though they knew that come morning, they would be escorted back to Tingyang County, the three officers respectfully boiled water and prepared tea for Shen Yi, before quietly exiting the room.
Once they were alone, Shen Yi reached out and took the Toad Lord's core, a sentiment of awe washing over him.
This toad core was even larger than the one he had obtained from the Flood Dragon Lord at Green Peak Mountain, and it would restore at least seventy-five percent of his Heaven-Defying Demon Pills.
The cultivation contained within this single core was comparable to the combined cultivation of the three pills he had obtained from the Tiger Demon in the Condensation Realm.
He summoned the panel with his spiritual sense.
[Remaining Demon Lifespan: 2,465 years]
[Condensation Realm. Immortal Demon's Nine Moltings (Rare): Beginner]
If his calculations were correct, the third molting would bring him to the threshold of the Minor Accomplishment realm. By then, even without relying on the Heaven-Defying Demon Pills or Xiao Qiangwei's assistance, he would be able to truly dominate over Demon Lords in the Elixir Realm.
Shen Yi swallowed the toad core and channeled the demon lifespan into his martial arts.
[In your first year, you plan to undergo the third molting. Before that, you will become adept at manipulating death energy and begin to eradicate the residual consciousness of the Mountain Lord within your body.]
Just like when he had severed the consciousness of the Flood Dragon Lord, he needed to completely erase this vestige of the Mountain Lord's consciousness for this innate divine ability and its power to truly become his own.
To imprison a demon within oneself could also be interpreted as cultivating a demon within one's body.
It was akin to nurturing a powerful demon without a physical form, composed purely of cultivation and endowed with its own consciousness.
Failing to eradicate this consciousness could pose a threat to oneself.
(End of Chapter)
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