Chapter 154: Immortal Demon Six Molts, Physical Body Comparable to Embracing Elixir!

The evening breeze was slightly chill, tousling the treetops on either side of the ancient road.

Shen Yi stood with his arms folded, leaning lazily against the crimson steed, gazing into the distant horizon.

This was Old General Chen's mount, known to everyone in Qingzhou, used specifically to escort him back to Huicheng.

In the distance, the faint outline of city walls flickered in and out of view.

Shen Yi patted the steed: "Go back."

He had already passed the stage of needing to flaunt General Chen Qiankun's tiger-skin banner; there was no need to make such a grand show of things anymore.

The crimson steed nodded gently, then transformed into a streak of light and shot upward, swiftly vanishing into the horizon.

Shen Yi's gaze settled on the empty air, watching the demon-lifespan on his panel rapidly decrease.

In his mind, he carefully replayed his earlier exchange with Bai Lu.

Even his most relied-upon tempered body had seemed so fragile before a true Embracing Elixir Realm demon.

Once in close combat, had it not been for the Red Feather divine ability, the opponent's first stomp could have crippled half his body.

Moreover, Bai Lu had to constantly guard against Jiang Qiulan's arrival, while he had the Carefree Wind-Riding Art at his side, knowing that even if he couldn't win, he could escape, and with the Heaven-Piercing Sun-Shooting Divine Bow in hand, his mindset was entirely a different matter.

Even under such circumstances, winning in the end was still so grueling that calling it an exhausting narrow victory would not be wrong.

Previously, when slaying the flood dragon, Old Man Chen Qiankun had helped hold the line.

This time, having slain Bai Lu and letting the little demon king escape, the news certainly couldn't be concealed; the only question was whether they would attribute this matter to Jiang Qiulan while also briefly mentioning his own existence.

Shen Yi had previously borrowed the fame of the imperial court's Zhen Mo Si to secretly develop himself.

But in the short span of time, he had suddenly realized he had inexplicably become one of the "tiles" sheltering others from wind and rain.

As more and more demons were slain, this trend would only intensify... until one day, among the targets of the demons' ambushes, perhaps one more name would be added.

To prevent this from happening.

It was best to cut them all down cleanly before they could react.

To achieve this, his current strength was still far from enough.

"Huu."

Shen Yi calmed his emotions and cast his gaze back onto the panel.

The three-headed Flood Dragon Lord had brought him a full forty-six hundred years of harvest, and with Bai Lu's added thirty-four hundred years, breaking through to the Sixth Molt of the Immortal Demon was certainly enough, and there should still be some left over.

As the Golden Eagle's consciousness was completely erased.

He took out the glowing Bai Lu demon core from the silver bell, flawless and without the slightest blemish, as perfect as a masterpiece crafted by divine hands.

Such a precious item, looking across all of Qingzhou, probably couldn't be found in more than a handful.

Shen Yi placed it in his mouth, and unexpectedly felt no fishy stench; instead, it was like swallowing a mellow treasure pill of heaven and earth—a sensation entirely different from before.

Discovering the Heavenly Demon Outer Core stirring restlessly within his body, he mobilized his suppression force and gave it a slap.

He also prepared three flood dragon cores for emergencies, only then looking back at the panel.

A prompt, identical to before, swiftly flashed by.

Over a thousand years of lifespan vanished like flowing water.

Shen Yi, however, slowly furrowed his brow. He silently raised his arm, and in the next moment, cracks abruptly appeared on his skin, as fine and smooth as Bai Yu; the condensed demon qi began spreading outward, and white light surged through his body, barely managing to repair the injuries.

【In the one thousand nine hundred and twentieth year, you suddenly realized that the body after the Fifth Molt of the Immortal Demon was still insufficient to capture an Embracing Elixir Realm great demon, but at this point there was no turning back. Apart from the power of vitality, you decisively activated the Red Feather divine ability of Immortal Nan Ke. Under the augmentation of both, you finally stabilized the collapse of your body.】

A way back certainly existed.

Shen Yi only needed to stop pouring in demon lifespan, spit out the remaining demon core in his mouth, and then use the Heavenly Demon Outer Core to consume the excess demon power.

"Is the gap in demon power between Perfected Core Condensation and the Embracing Elixir Realm really this vast?"

Thinking of this, he withdrew his attention from the panel, closed his eyes, and carefully sensed the changes in his body.

According to normal cultivation progress, one should capture a nascent Core Condensation Realm demon to begin, then capture an Elixir Formation Realm demon to reach minor completion, and three Perfected Core Condensation demons to break through to major completion.

As for the Embracing Elixir Realm, it was most likely something only to be considered in the final three molts.

"Fortunately, Bai Lu was relatively weak..."

When Shen Yi discovered that the white light and red glow were enough to offset the injuries to his body, he decisively sat down on the ground, forcefully enduring the intense pain coursing through him; when he truly couldn't bear it, he would glance at the miserable state described in the panel's prompts.

By comparison, his mood instantly improved considerably.

The same agony, within the panel, had to last for several thousand years.

【Immortal deer tread upon Lady Yushan, hidden within white mist, knowing men's hearts, discerning good from evil; the dream of yellow millet must eventually wake, mirrored flowers and moonlit water always seem empty.】

【Immortal Demon Nine Molts, Major Completion!】

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: two thousand seven hundred and thirteen years】

The cries of deer, "yo-yo," lingered on and on, even threatening to overshadow everything else.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged and slowly opened his eyes.

The five great demons captured within his body clearly had no consciousness left, only instinct, yet they had been so intimidated by Bai Lu that they didn't dare to move at all.

He could even vaguely see that proud Immortal Deer raising its head, flaunting its majestic antler crown.

Without the slightest hesitation, Shen Yi once again mobilized demon lifespan.

【In the four hundred and ninetieth year, you erased the Immortal Deer's consciousness with killing intent.】

The long deer cry had not yet ceased before it transformed into a wail and dispersed.

Shen Yi stood upright, carefully savoring the changes in his body.

Successfully capturing Bai Lu meant his physical body had officially stepped into the tier of the Embracing Elixir Realm; this entirely different experience made his breathing increasingly slow and steady.

Until he had completely grasped this brand-new, surging power.

Only then did Shen Yi look at the prompt on the panel. What it described should have been the illusionary realm divine ability Bai Lu had previously used, but the description of "knowing men's hearts, discerning good from evil" left him somewhat puzzled.

Could it truly know?

The three figures who had walked out of the bathing pool still gave Shen Yi a chill to this day.

There were still over two thousand years of demon lifespan remaining, which could be used to condense treasure crystals to deduce the true meaning of the Two Forms, or it could be saved for the Core Condensation method.

Shen Yi hesitated for a moment, then still chose the latter—after all, if he was going to Jingcheng, there might not be any chances left to slay demons.

He shook his head, turned, and walked toward Outside Qingzhou.

……

The ancient bricks and stones formed a wall of incomparable grandeur.

Compared to other places, Outside Qingzhou had the Zhen Mo Si government office, four first-rate powers stationed within, and countless martial arts sects of every size.

The voices of the crowd roared like a boiling cauldron, faces beaming with smiles, the bustle reaching its absolute peak.

Naturally, no one paid any attention to a figure in dark robes passing quietly through the crowd.

Within the vast city, Shen Yi took several wrong turns, and only by relying on the Qi-Gazing Technique did he finally locate the Zhen Mo Si government office.

He walked slowly back to his lodging.

Looking at the several rows of courtyards, now empty and desolate, it seemed far fewer people remained than when he had left.

The silver bell trembled ceaselessly; Shen Yi briefly sensed the voices within it.

Most were discussing what new gains they had made and what rewards they wished to exchange. The only useful piece of news was that Aunt Aqian would remain at Zhen Mo Si for three days to uniformly compile the demon-hunters' merits and submit them all together to Jingcheng.

(End of Chapter)