Chapter Seven, Corpse Demon

During these days, while he leisurely gathered herbs, he also occasionally monitored the movements of that demon with his spiritual awareness. If it ventured out to harm others again, Bai Qiuran decided he would pursue it and eliminate it before it could cause any harm.

Then there is only one way, to summon the martial arts community to come and eliminate this demon

Standing amidst the Mang Mountain, his consciousness spread out like a carpet in all directions, effortlessly locating the position of the medicinal herbs he needed within the vast expanse of Mang Mountain

It seems that the situation is unusual; Bai Qiuran's footsteps came to a halt here as he paused to observe the circumstances.

This is also a possibility. Although Bai Qiuran had been continuously monitoring the demons with his divine sense, after discovering the demons, he decided to be lazy and retracted the divine sense that originally covered the entire Mang Mountain, leaving only a portion locked onto the demons.

Within the cave ahead, a violent sound of metal clashing echoed. Upon hearing this sound, Bai Qiuran quickened her pace and hurried into the cave.

However, after observing over the past few days, he has discovered something peculiar

Bai Qiuran cast a glance at several incomplete corpses in the withered forest.

At the entrance of the cave, many white bones were piled up, but Bai Qiu hurriedly moved about, glancing around, and discovered that there seemed to be fresh bloodstains at the cave's mouth

Bai Qiuran quickened his pace and, in an instant, arrived inside the cave from the withered leaf forest. In the underground cavern, which spanned several hundred square meters, Bai Qiuran saw two corpse demons, their bodies in a state of disarray and severely damaged, yet faintly emanating a dark aura, advancing towards the only survivor in the cave. Their target was precisely Tang Wei, whom Bai Qiuran had in mind.

Bai Qiuran initially believed that he would eliminate this demon before Tang Wei took action, but he did not expect that this inexperienced young master surprisingly possessed both charisma and decisiveness

During this time, he even encountered a gigantic black snake on the verge of transformation in a mountain gorge. This man-eating snake attempted to swallow him, but he struck it dead with a single palm strike. Along the way, he also obtained a high-quality inner elixir, which he planned to add to the alchemical furnace later to enhance the potency of the medicine

On a sheer cliff, Bai Qiuran plucked a wondrous herb resembling a human heart from the rock face and placed it into his storage bag, then gracefully descended to the ground

Here lies a sparse woodland, where the vegetation has been eroded by resentment, with most of it having withered away. The few that have survived now exude a ghostly aura, appearing exceedingly eerie and mysterious. Not far in front of the withered leaf forest stands a rugged, bare peak, beneath which lies the lair of the demons, a deep cave that slopes directly into the ground.

Previously, when scanning Mang Mountain with his spiritual sense, he also discovered the lair of that demon. Before leaving, Bai Qiuran decided to make a detour to eliminate this demon, to prevent it from continuing to harm the living. Coincidentally, the area was thick with yin energy, and there were several medicinal herbs for refining longevity pills, which he would also collect.

When Bai Qiuran first used his spiritual sense to capture it, this demon appeared to have just completed a hunt and was on its way back to its lair. However, it had been staying in its den for the past few days, digesting its previous prey, and had not gone out to attack humans again. This was entirely different from the insatiable gluttony described in the rumors.

Just now, in order to travel at full speed, Bai Qiuran briefly withdrew his consciousness.

This young gentleman seems to harbor a significant hostility towards cultivators, yet possesses an inexplicable sense of responsibility for the plight of the citizens of the Upper Xuan Kingdom. He will not seek assistance from the cultivators, but he also cannot disregard the suffering of the common people tormented by demons.

I am afraid that within the next few days, individuals from the martial arts community have gathered outside the mountains and have infiltrated Mang Mountain from another direction, locating the lair of the demons. Subsequently, during the brief moment when Bai Qiuran regained consciousness, they engaged in battle with the demons.

There are still people alive, but from the sound, it seems they are in a precarious situation. Bai Qiuran felt a subtle sense of worry in her heart

Summoning a purer form of true energy than true essence, Bai Qiuran no longer lingered on the journey. His figure transformed into a mirage, covering a distance of over 100 miles in an instant, arriving near the lair of the demons.

Has someone come in? Has there been a battle?

If they had won, Bai Qiuran would not have needed to come here

While it is easy to say, in order to build the foundation for one's own dreams, the longevity elixir must still be refined. Although the underworld cannot do anything to him, he is nonetheless an important realm that maintains the normal operation of the cosmic order, and one cannot afford to disrespect it. Moreover, his esteemed teacher, the Qingming Daoist, is still in the celestial realm. If Bai Qiuran's reckless actions were to affect the future of the Qingming Daoist and the library in the celestial realm, that would be quite unfortunate

Bang! Bang!

The area of Mang Mountain spans several hundred square miles, which can be considered vast. According to the results of Bai Qiuran's spiritual scan, that demon is hiding more than one hundred miles away from this location

He recalled the youth who had walked alongside him, sharing drinks and laughter. Long before Tang Wei mentioned the demons of Mang Mountain at the roadside tavern, Bai Qiuran had already sensed his intentions.

Bai Qiuran's mind was filled with Xue Ling's lifeless face, and his previously good mood turned somewhat gloomy

The place where that demon is concealed is thick with resentment and bloodlust, and it itself carries many such auras. It is evident that it has devoured quite a number of people. However, its feeding frequency does not seem to be as frequent as the rumors previously heard suggested

Well, this is the last medicinal ingredient

Upon thinking of this, Bai Qiuran no longer delayed, tidied up his storage bag, and left the cliff. However, before departing from Mang Mountain, he had one more place to visit

Upon careful observation, Bai Qiuran discovered traces of battle on the trunks within this desolate forest, with some trees even being cleaved in half.

What is this

Within the borders of Mang Mountain, there are demons causing chaos, devouring the living and bringing disaster to the people. As a member of the Qingming Sword Sect, regardless of how others may evaluate them, Bai Qiuran cannot turn a blind eye to this situation

Bai Qiuran had only been apart from him for a few days, and this person had already completed the gathering of personnel, bringing along a group of martial artists to the mountains to slay demons

I hope he hasn't passed away, otherwise it would be truly unfortunate

Alas, it is truly frustrating. Why is it that others, having lived for three thousand years, can transcend the five elements and enjoy eternal freedom, while I, having lived for three thousand years, must be constantly remembered by the soul-restraining messengers? The world is indeed unfair

... ...

Although lacking a foundation, true essence, and the ability to form a nascent soul or to project the primordial spirit, Bai Qiuran's consciousness is exceptionally powerful after three thousand years of continuous refinement

With this, the materials for the Foundation Pill are complete, and it is time to search for the herbs needed for the Longevity Pill

As for the result, it is evident that...

Without the need for his soul to leave his body, his consciousness has even reached the level where he can use his thoughts to initiate physical attacks, making him more terrifying than an ordinary immortal

Bai Qiuran suspected that there might be something more behind this, but he was not in a hurry. When the time came to kill that demon, he would inquire whether there had been any incidents of demon attacks in the nearby villages and towns during this period, which would clarify the matter.