Chen Sansi formed a hand seal with both hands, deploying the life-giving flame of the Taiyin Qinghua Life and Death Flame to help the White Snake recover its wounds.
"..."
The severely injured White Jade Spirit Snake merely glanced at the White Robe before fainting right away.
After Chen Sansi checked its injuries and confirmed that its life was not in danger, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
He had spent a lot of resources raising this White Snake.
Especially in recent years, he planned to cultivate it into a third-order spiritual beast, feeding it countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. If it died at the hands of others, it would be a huge loss.
Chen Sansi placed the White Jade Spirit Snake into a storage bag, then turned his gaze to the Core Formation Demon Cultivator. With flames burning in his eyes, he said in an icy voice, "Daoist from the Demon Clan, hunting my spiritual pet without cause, isnât that somewhat inappropriate?"
"Oh?"
The Demon Cultivator raised his eyebrows and replied calmly, "I truly didnât know this Snake Demon was a servant with a master, however..."
He paused, then suddenly intensified his tone, "So what?!"
"Boomââ"
Before the words were fully spoken, the Demon Cultivator erupted with aggression first. Amidst the mountain forest, a gale rose fiercely, and within moments, he had crossed a hundred steps to appear before the Human Race cultivator, wielding a broad sword that suddenly appeared, sweeping horizontally toward the head.
Heavenly Slaughter Tripod!
Chen Sansi didnât dodge or evade, controlling the Copper Cauldron engulfed in Burning Sky Intense Flame to descend with the force of Mount Tai.
The Demon Cultivator had no choice but to draw back the sword to block.
The over-ten-feet-high Copper Cauldron was in the hands of the Human Race cultivator, moving with a flexibility and unpredictability akin to a flying sword, yet each strike was incredibly forceful.
In just a few short rounds, the Demon Cultivator found himself out of strength, realizing he was not the opponent. He withdrew quickly, holding the broad sword.
Unfortunately, the opponent gave relentless chase, and the flames on the Copper Cauldron could scorch mana. Soon, the Demon Cultivator exposed a flaw under the dazzling assault and suffered a severe blow to the chest.
"Puff!"
The Demon Cultivator spat out a mouthful of blood, his body shooting backward under the enormous impact, plowing a trench at least seven feet deep on the ground.
After being wounded, his shape-shifting technique broke, revealing his true formâa Tiger Demon with a human body and a tigerâs head!
Demon Cultivation and Beast Cultivation have significant differences.
Demon Clan cultivators emphasize transforming into human form. Therefore, even those in the Demon Soldier Realm corresponding to the Human Raceâs Qi Refining Realm appear with human bodies and beast heads.
Only after transformation can they truly possess human bodies.
"So itâs a Big Worm!"
Chen Sansi sneered, "Today is just the day to take your Demon Core and bring it back for my servant to cultivate!"
"Cough, cough, cough..."
The Tiger Demon coughed up blood repeatedly, with black mist spraying from his nostrils, transforming into two Ghost Cultivators standing in front of him.
Chang Ghosts!
Tiger Demons often possess an innate divine skill, which allows them to refine killed cultivators into Ghost Cultivators for their use.
As the saying goes, becoming a Chang Ghost for the tiger.
"Boom!"
With a cauldron descending, the two Chang Ghosts dissipated on the spot.
Chen Sansi raised the cauldron again, ready to take the Tiger Demonâs life.
"You, you dare kill me?!"
The Tiger Demon clutched his chest, struggling to crawl backward, "Do you know who I am?!"
"Who you are, I donât know, nor am I interested!"
Chen Sansi remained expressionless, "But I hope you remember, Iâve killed at least eighty Big Worms if not a hundred, youâre just one whoâs lived a bit longer!"
"Boomââ"
With a deafening roar, the Copper Cauldron, carrying immense power, smashed down, leaving a massive crater over ten feet wide on the ground.
The Burning Sky Intense Flame on the surface of the Copper Cauldron tormented the Tiger Demon below with scorching heat like a branding ironâs punishment, until its last trace of life was burned away, leaving only a Golden Core carved with intricate inscriptions.
Demon Core!
Chen Sansi collected it into his possession.
"Heh, what a bold lad!"
A deep male voice resounded near his ear, "Do you know youâve caused trouble again?"
Chen Sansi looked up, and saw a cultivator in a gray robe standing on a treetop not far away, with a fox mask concealing his face.
"You again?!"
Without wasting words, he immediately used the wood escape technique and, like lightning, appeared before the man in the fox mask, the Copper Cauldron crashing down like a Meteor Giant Hammer.
"Hmm?"
Dugu Ao seemed taken aback, raising his hand to summon the broad sword left by the Tiger Demon to engage.
One sword and one cauldron clashed fiercely above the forest, igniting forest fires and causing vegetation to collapse.
After a dozen rounds, neither side had gained the upper hand.
What a meticulously precise Swordsmanship!
Chen Sansi frowned.
When he last encountered Dugu Ao, he recognized the otherâs martial arts were extraordinary, though slightly inferior to his own Extreme Divine Power.
Now, Dugu Aoâs Sword Dao had reached the Ultimate Realm, in no way inferior to Extreme Divine Power.
The two share certain similarities.
This means that in just two short years, Dugu Ao comprehended a Sword Dao no weaker than Extreme Divine Power!
"Lad!"
While blocking the fierce onslaught of the Heavenly Slaughter Tripod, Dugu Ao chastised, "Is this how you thank your savior?"
"..."
Chen Sansi realized something seemed off.
He didnât stop his actions, asking, "Senior, how did you advance from the Core Formation Realm to the late-stage Nascent Soul phase that day?"
"Nascent Soul? Are you truly clueless or just pretending?"
Dugu Ao sneered, "The mana I demonstrated is the genuine Qi Refining Technique; donât you have even that bit of discernment?"
"You..."
Chen Sansi paused, "Are you truly Senior Dugu?"
"Nonsense!"
With a sword, Dugu Ao deflected the Copper Cauldron and leaped backward over a hundred yards, pulling away.
Chen Sansi also didnât continue the pursuit, both ended the conflict there.
Curiously, he asked, "Is the Demon Slaying Sect here to participate in the righteous war against the demons?"
Before Dugu Ao could reply.
Suddenly a captivating fragrance enveloped the world, with just a sniff, Chen Sansiâs heart wavered. He reacted swiftly by biting his tongue and silently reciting the Calming Incantation in his heart to maintain his clarity.
Intense Demon Energy swept in, as a vague, ethereal figure descended from the sky.
She glanced at where the Tiger Demon perished, sighed faintly, "Such a pity, still a step too late."
Another Transformed Demon!
"Rustleââ"
The phenomenon didnât end.
Surrounding trees began twisting, and a Jiao Long formed from vegetation spiraled up into the sky, then transformed into a long-bearded elder.
Green Wood Old Demon glanced similarly at the Tiger Demonâs remains, then glared at the White Robe, "Foolish child! Why did you kill Geng Xiaoyue!"
"You know each other?"
The Shape-shifting Witch glanced at Qingmu, chuckling, "I see, so this young master ruined hundreds of your years of cultivation?"
"Senior Qingmu!"
Chen Sansi reminded, "We vowed not long ago that within this forest, we shall not harm each other. Violating the oath will bring heavenly retribution!"
Externally he remained calm, but internally he was already devising escape routes.
Truly ridiculous!
Where do so many Transformed Demons come from?
Even if Wanxiang Mountain is dangerous, it shouldnât be to this extent.
Moreover, the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range is the domain of the Beast Clan; if encountered, it should be Beast Cultivators!
What are these Demon Clans gathered here for?
"No need to be nervous."
Dugu Ao saw through his thoughts, "These two are both old friends of mine."
"Dugu Ao!"
The Green Wood Old Demon leaped in frustration, "This lad just made me lose over four hundred years of cultivation!"
"Wasnât it because youâre just foolish?!"
Dugu Ao mocked, "A Transformed Old Demon being duped by a Core Formation Cultivator, and youâre even bold enough to admit it?"
"Hmph!"
The Green Wood Old Demon huffed coldly, pointing harshly at the White Robe, "Brat, even if I donât kill you today, Geng Xiaoyueâs kin will surely find you to settle the score!"
"Alright."
The Transformed Female Cultivator chuckled indifferently, "The little tiger is dead and thatâs that, it was irritating anyway."
"Senior Dugu..."
Chen Sansi was a bit puzzled, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh."
Dugu Ao responded, "Weâre looking for the Green Blood Sacrifice. If Iâm not wrong, your martial cultivation at this stage also requires the essence blood of this beast, right?"