https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-148-The-Demon-of-Qingfeng-Mountain-has-been-Slain/12554191/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-150-I-ll-Count-to-Three-Thanks-to-Alliance-Leader-Kaixin-Boom-Brother-/12554196/
Chapter 149: Leaving Tingyang County to Find Chen Qianka
Chapter 149: Leaving Tingyang County to Find Chen Qianka
Jiang Qiuluan slowly left the mountaintop, his departure a casual and unhurried affair.
Shen Yi gazed after him, a faint sense of awe in his eyes. A true master, he thought, time seemed to hold no value as even his leisurely stride exuded an air of calm and control.
He wondered when he would attain such a level of power, when he could afford to pause and rest for a while.
But as soon as this thought arose, he quashed it.
The battle with the White Deer Demon Lord had pushed him to his limits; he had employed every tactic at his disposal.
The Heavenly Demon External Elixir was depleted, and the blue-red light from the Peacock Demon, which had enhanced his vision, would also need time to recover. Even the golden light of the Sky-Piercing Sun God Bow had dimmed by more than half.
His body, strengthened by the Fifth Shedding of the Immortal Demon technique, now felt weary to the core.
No wonder this Demon Lord was renowned throughout Qingzhou as one of the elite Demon Kings.
Even the White Deer, in the presence of the Ox Demon, maintained a subservient and fawning demeanor.
There was still a long way to go before Shen Yi could stand firm amidst the chaos and turmoil of this world.
Shen Yi retracted his gaze, recalling Jiang Qiuluan's earlier mention of the Heaven Devouring Elixir and the Sun Melting Treasure Furnace.
Evidently, even if Jiang Qiuluan hadn't recognized the External Elixir technique as originating from the Green Hills Fox Demon, he had sensed that Shen Yi was relying on some external power to augment his demon cultivation.
But what surprised Shen Yi was Jiang Qiuluan's nonchalant attitude about it.
He didn't seem to consider it a big deal and even suggested using the Essence Condensing technique to fully assimilate this "external power" and make it his own.
Previously, just a slight touch of the Ice Sword had been almost too much for Shen Yi to handle. If he recalled correctly, Jiang Qiuluan's body housed thousands upon thousands of identical silver needles, capable of forming a terrifying Icy Jade Dragon.
In comparison, Shen Yi's suppression of a single External Elixir was indeed insignificant.
Was she suggesting that he use the suppressing power of the Sun Melting Treasure Furnace to feed the Heavenly Demon External Elixir to his Internal Elixir?
"..."
Shen Yi calmed his thoughts. Contemplating this was a bit premature, as he hadn't even obtained the Qi Condensation technique yet, let alone achieved the perfection of Qi Condensation and the subsequent stages of Core Formation and Nascent Soul.
It was about time he returned to Qingzhou City to collect the imperial reward for his demon-catching exploits.
The silver bell was now filled with all sorts of demon and monster essences.
The Mountain Lord and his family of four, the Peacock family of three, the Toad Lord of Black Stone Pond, the two great demons—the Golden Eagle and the Violet Marten—who had achieved perfection in Essence Condensing, the three small Open Wisdom demons he had slain while escorting Xiao Qiangwei to Black Stone Pond, and the demon essence of the Houtian realm he had obtained from sending a message to Baiyun Temple.
And the most potent of all, the essence of the White Deer.
On the other hand, the auras of the demonic beasts had completely dissipated due to their deaths, not a trace remaining... The most efficient way forward would be to first return with these auras to claim credit for his deeds and then venture out again to hunt more demons.
Perhaps it was because this was his first time acting as a demon catcher that he had wasted so much potential credit.
Shen Yi stretched his body slightly before turning back and asking, "Senior Xiao, how long do you plan to lie there?"
Both he and Jiang Qiuluan were martial artists with cultivated skills, so they knew that Xiao Qiangwei had already woken up. They just weren't the type to meddle in others' business, so they hadn't disturbed her pretense of sleep.
"..."
Xiao Qiangwei's eyelashes fluttered, and she sat up, a hint of embarrassment in her voice as she said, "I saw that you were discussing important matters, so I didn't want to interrupt... It's fine, I can make my own way back."
She never expected that the young man would refuse Jiang Qiuluan's invitation. If Jiang Chengyun had been here, he would have already drawn his sword and pledged his allegiance.
As for why she had pretended to sleep...
She just couldn't imagine what expression she should have worn to sit beside them and not seem out of place...
Shen Yi shook his head slightly and said calmly, "It doesn't matter, and we have plenty of time anyway.
"Thank you," Xiao Qiangwei said as she stood up and walked to his side, her voice soft with gratitude.
The two left the dilapidated temple and exited the Xi Tai mountain range, heading toward the small grove where they had tethered their demon horses.
Xiao Qiangwei used her silver bell to signal the waiting demon catchers, reassuring them of her safety, and then proceeded to soothe the startled demon horses.
"Are you heading to Linjiang County?" she asked.
As the two rode back toward the city, the woman intended to wish him a safe journey, but the words caught in her throat, unspoken.
After last night's events, it was clear that Shen Yi was now capable of accompanying Jiang Qiuluan on his demon-slaying endeavors, and what he was about to undertake was no longer something she could be a part of.
"I'll go take a look," Shen Yi replied.
Although he felt that it might be a bit troublesome, he quickly changed his mind. Due to his inexperience with the Heavenly Demon External Elixir, two Great Demon Subduing Generals had been dragged into this matter.
All he had to do was run an errand, which wasn't a big deal.
Moreover, as a personal subordinate general of Linjiang County, it would be strange if he didn't know the location of the Linjiang County Demon Subduing General's Mansion by now.
"I want to ask about the demon that tried to assassinate Jiang last night. What did it look like?" Xiao Qiangwei asked, a hint of tension in her voice.
"It was a bull demon," Shen Yi replied, a slight, barely perceptible trace of annoyance flashing across his eyes as he mentioned the incident. He had been in too much of a hurry last night and had forgotten to collect a strand of the bull demon's aura.
"The Little Demon King?" Xiao Qiangwei suddenly pulled hard on the reins, her eyes widening. "Oh no!"
"What do you mean?" Shen Yi glanced at her, a question in his eyes.
"No wonder Jiang rushed back to Yushan County. Every time the Little Demon King escapes with injuries, the Howling Moon Demon King stirs up trouble in Qingzhou, keeping the Demon Subduing Division busy so they can't take advantage of the situation to ambush him," Xiao Qiangwei explained, a worried look on her face.
An elderly demon king was actually taking such good care of an outside competitor.
It could only mean that he had been coveting this territory in Qingzhou for a long time.
He was willing to nurture a new demon king to compete with him, as long as he could first kill the commander-in-chief and Jiang Qiuluan.
Xiao Qiangwei sighed. "This deliberate troublemaking is simply to give the Demon Subduing Division something to do. Since they have no ulterior motives, it's difficult to get any advance information or take preventive measures."
Shen Yi gazed into the distance, his expression unchanged.
Just a few months ago, he had been a lowly runner in Boyun County, and now she was discussing the situation in Qingzhou with him. It was a bit too much to take in.
All he could do was kill the demons he encountered. What else could he do?
...
Upon returning to Tingyang City, Shen Yi did not linger.
After a simple farewell to Xiao Qiangwei, he boarded a plain-looking carriage, still pulled by a demon horse, but without the airs of a subordinate general.
Just as he had quietly arrived in Tingyang County with Jiang Chengyun, he now left with only Xiao Qiangwei standing on the street, watching as the carriage gradually disappeared from view.
The only difference was that the area around Tingyang County was now devoid of many powerful demons.
It was a long while before Xiao Qiangwei withdrew her gaze, her eyes fixed on the tip of her shoe as she lost herself in thought.
Why was it that among Demon Subduing Generals, Chen Lao had cultivated such a formidable and awe-inspiring subordinate, while General You, despite his formidable strength and renowned subordinates, seemed to pale in comparison to Shen Yi?
Indeed, experience trumps all.
I will strive to save up chapters and adjust the update time next year. Thank you, big shots, for your monthly tickets. I missed Chapter 144 in the chapter names because I forgot that I had previously published a single chapter, and VIP does not allow me to change the chapter names. Please forgive me, big shots.
(End of Chapter)
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