Chapter 234: Infiltrating the Demonic Beasts, Five Years Passing By

"Why do you sound so dismissive?" Xu Chuan asked through their telepathic connection.

"The Black Cloud Spirit Leopard indeed possesses the potential of a Tier 3 Demonic Beast, but it is only considered low-tier. Both of that girl Mingshu's spirit pets possess potential far exceeding it.

I'm afraid the Zhao family paid a hefty price to nurture it to the third tier.

If they used the Five Spirits Reverse Pill Method, it would have cost at least five sets of materials."

Moyue continued, "However, things will be simpler for them from now on. That Black Cloud Spirit Leopard excels in stealth and assassination."

"Of course, if the Zhao family doesn't have a spirit beast with the potential for a third-tier bloodline, even using the Five Spirits Reverse Pill Method would make it exceedingly difficult to nurture a new Tier 3 Demonic Beast.

For our demonic beast race, bloodline essentially dictates our absolute limits."

"Right, when I was probing it earlier, it must have noticed me, which is why it left in such a hurry." Moyue's playful side surfaced, and he let out a mischievous chuckle. "I am going to have a little heart-to-heart with it."

With that said, he vanished silently.

Not long after.

Moyue returned to Xu Chuan's side, bringing back three or four sets of second-tier wind-attribute resources. He claimed it was a tribute from the Black Cloud Spirit Leopard to his new big brother.

Xu Chuan did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"He won't reveal your secrets, will he?"

"Relax, he wouldn't dare." Moyue grinned confidently. "Forget a demonic beast that just broke through to the third tier; even if he were at the peak of the early third tier, I could easily suppress him.

My Flood Dragon Suppressive Might is effective against any beast whose bloodline is inferior to mine, rendering them unable to exert their full strength.

Furthermore, the combat talent of my flood dragon race ranks among the absolute top of all demonic beasts.

Not to mention, at my prime, I was at the peak of the third tier. I have long since developed my innate racial talents to a profound degree."

"I understand. You can go back and rest now, old man," Xu Chuan said, shaking his head with a smile.

Xu Chuan stayed at the Zhao family estate for another seven days.

Using the materials provided by the Zhao family, Xu Chuan refined pills and gifted them five High-Grade Demonic Spirit Pills, divided into three different beast categories.

In reality, he had refined fifteen pills, eight of which were high grade.

Xu Chuan had already held back considerably, yet the sheer number of pills he produced far exceeded the Zhao family's expectations, leaving their Foundation Establishment Elders deeply grateful.

"Daoist Friend Xu, this is the Divine Sense Jade Tablet of my Zhao family's Family Head. Should you ever shatter it, my Zhao family will undoubtedly travel thousands of miles to come to your aid.

Even if it means going against a Golden Core Aristocratic Family like the Cao Clan."

Zhao Qingyan seemed to be hinting at something specific.

Xu Chuan tucked the jade tablet away and cupped his fists. "Daoist Friend Zhao, your Zhao family is too polite. From this day forth, our two families are allies."

Zhao Qingyan's face was covered in a bright smile. "My Zhao family's politeness depends entirely on the person."

"The Xu family has repeatedly come to the aid of my Zhao family in times of outside trouble. We have etched these favors into our hearts, and it is only right that we repay them."

"If the Zhao family ever encounters trouble, you are always welcome to seek out my Xu family in Dongxi. If we can help, we will." The corners of Xu Chuan's mouth lifted slightly as he looked at Zhao Qingyan. He added, "Daoist Friend Zhao, there is no need to see us out any further.

We will take our leave."

With that, Xu Chuan and his two companions departed.

On the journey back.

Xu Mingshu asked in surprise, "The Zhao family was truly generous, handing over what we needed so easily. However, the Great Liang Liu Clan was equally magnanimous, simply giving away a third-tier inheritance without a fuss."

"Great Liang is different from Great Jin and Great Wei. It seems to be tied to the Imperial Dynasty's Fortune. The stronger Great Liang's providence is, the faster the Liu Family Old Ancestor can cultivate.

The Zhao family advancing to become a Golden Core Aristocratic Family while still integrating into the imperial system has significantly boosted Great Liang's providence.

Naturally, the Liu Family Old Ancestor had to show his appreciation. A few mere ancient classics are nothing to him.

If it had been a complete third-tier inheritance, then it would have been truly precious."

"So that's how it is. But it all ended up benefiting our Xu family anyway. Our clan has Grandmaster-Level Figures in all four arts: pills, artifacts, formations, and talismans," Xu Mingshu giggled.

Xu Chuan turned to look at Xu Mingxian. "How has your research into the third-tier Array Dao been these past few days?"

"I've gained new insights. Combined with the Formation Dao Inheritance from the Li family and my deduction power in formations, I estimate that I will completely comprehend a Tier 3 Low-Grade formation within ten years.

As long as my array mastery reaches the third tier, comprehending other formations of the same level will become much easier."

"That makes perfect sense."

Over ten days later.

Xu Chuan and the others returned to Dongxi and went into seclusion one after another.

Whether it was Great Wei, Great Liang, or Great Jin, all three nations were currently in a bizarre state of tranquility.

One day, after emerging from seclusion.

Xu Chuan took some time to write an Infernal Affairs Script and handed it over to Moyue.

Shortly after, Moyue left Dongxi.

————————————

In the Azure Sea Forest.

Moyue took out the Infernal Affairs Script, glanced at it, and tucked it away.

Step one: Infiltrate the enemy ranks!

As a demonic beast, he naturally couldn't act as cautiously as humans. His primary approach had to be arrogant and domineering. If he encountered a pushover, he would just crush them outright!

Moyue transformed into a massive flood dragon, measuring around fifty meters long, soaring above the Azure Sea Forest.

He released his divine sense with utter reckless abandon.

In less than an hour, he discovered a Spirit Vein location and the Tier 3 Demonic Beast entrenched within it.

"A Sky-Rending Tiger?!"

"Early third tier, equivalent to the peak of the second layer of the Golden Core Stage. I will use you to establish my dominance!"

Moyue thought to himself, 'If I can kill it and use its Demonic Core and spirit essence to refine a true Demonic Spirit Pill, the Xu family will gain another Tier 3 Demonic Beast.'

After all, the Sky-Rending Tiger was also a Metal-Element Demonic Beast and possessed a trace of the White Tiger Bloodline.

It would be the perfect supreme tonic for Xu Bai.

Of course, in Moyue's eyes, while the Sky-Rending Tiger was talented, if Xu Bai were to consume a Demonic Spirit Pill made from its materials, it would be best to use it as a whetstone to excavate his own White Tiger Bloodline.

Once the White Tiger Bloodline reached a certain density, he would naturally awaken incredibly powerful innate abilities, perhaps even an Innate Divine Ability.

After all, the inheritances of the demonic beast race were engraved within their bloodlines.

They could be awakened by activating the bloodline.

"Who dares to spy on me?!"

The Tiger Roar shattered the air like a clap of thunder, scattering the white clouds above the green-grey mountain range into falling, wispy fragments.

The early third-tier Sky-Rending Tiger crouched atop a broken cliff in the mountain range. Its body was covered in glossy Golden Fur that faintly radiated Golden Radiance. Its tail swept across the ground like a steel whip, sending crushed stone flying.

Its Amber Vertical Pupils locked onto the dense forest below. Its front claws casually dragged across the cliff face, carving five deep gouges into the solid rock.

Moyue soared above the Sky-Rending Tiger. His fifty-meter-long dragon body coiled like a floating hill, his scales shimmering with a deep blue light. Cold Qi condensed into frost around him, and his dark gold vertical pupils gazed down with overwhelming arrogance, completely disregarding the tiger below.

The Sky-Rending Tiger leapt into the air.

Demonic beasts gained the Ability to Fly upon reaching the second tier, but due to the bulky bodies of most beasts, it was often clumsy and slow.

However, upon reaching the third tier, Flying in the Air became effortless. A heavy body no longer posed a significant hindrance, and most Tier 3 Demonic Beasts gained the ability to alter their physical size.

"Flood dragon, where did you come from, and what are you doing in my territory?!"

"Why ask so many questions? I have taken a liking to your lair. If you know what's good for you, scram! Otherwise, I'll slaughter you, little kitty!"

The Sky-Rending Tiger had occupied the Cloud Gold Mountain Range for hundreds of years, long since cultivating the tyrannical aura of a local overlord.

Now, having been so blatantly insulted, it flew into a blinding rage. Countless streams of sharp metal qi erupted from its body alongside its oppressive tiger aura, sounding like the simultaneous ringing of thousands of longswords.

"Still defiant? If you refuse to submit, then die!"

The roar of the flood dragon shook the heavens and the earth, its pressure blanketing a radius of tens of miles. Countless demonic beasts trembled uncontrollably. First-tier demonic beasts fared even worse, groveling on the ground in absolute terror.

The temperature plummeted instantly. In the blink of an eye, countless ice spikes condensed in the midair.

Now that Moyue's strength had recovered to the third tier, his power was more than ten times greater than when he fought the Ancient Willow tree demon.

The ice spikes shot toward the Sky-Rending Tiger like a sudden, torrential rainstorm.

The Sky-Rending Tiger let out a low growl. Accompanying the sound, countless streams of sharp metal qi surged forward to intercept the attack.

Countless ice shards rained down from the sky.

Suddenly, the Sky-Rending Tiger transformed into a blur of gold and lunged. Its sharp claws produced a piercing screech as they tore through the air, aiming straight for Moyue's Seven-Inch Spot—his vital weakness.

Moyue did not dodge. His tail swept up a freezing tidal wave, condensing a half-meter-thick Ice Shield to meet the strike.

With a deafening clash, the golden claws slammed into the Ice Shield. Sparks flew as spiderweb-like cracks spread across the ice, yet it barely managed to halt the offensive.

Before the Sky-Rending Tiger could pull back, Moyue's Dragon Head shot forward like an arrow, spewing out Cold Qi that expanded into a blinding white mist.

The Sky-Rending Tiger frantically spun its body to dodge, but its left hind leg was still grazed by the Cold Qi. Frost covered its fur, causing its movements to become sluggish.

Seizing the opening, Moyue lashed out with his tail, completely covered in ice spikes. The blow landed squarely on the tiger's flank, sending the Sky-Rending Tiger tumbling backward for dozens of meters.

"Roar—"

Enraged beyond measure, the Sky-Rending Tiger's Golden Radiance flared violently. The sharp light around its claws extended by several inches, and the tearing sound in the air grew increasingly harsh.

A cold light flashed in Moyue's eyes. As he coiled and uncoiled his massive body, the surrounding ice shards condensed into dozens of arm-thick Ice Spears, which shot forward with a flick of his head.

The Sky-Rending Tiger swung its claws with lightning speed. Two crescent-shaped streaks of Golden Radiance tore through the sky, shattering all the Ice Spears in their path.

However, a few remaining spears broke through the claw wind and pierced into the tiger's Golden Fur. Though they didn't reach the bone, they severely disrupted the flow of its Gold-Element Spiritual Power.

Taking advantage of the situation, Moyue slithered forward and coiled his massive body around the tiger. The Cold Qi seeping from between his scales invaded the tiger's wounds, causing the beast's movements to stiffen even further.

The Sky-Rending Tiger struggled madly, its claws raking three bloody gashes across the Dragon Back. Moyue ignored the pain, instead tightening his coils, blasting a pillar of ice directly into the tiger's mouth and nose, while his Dragon Claw brutally pierced through the beast's flesh.

The Sky-Rending Tiger's steel-like tail continuously lashed against Moyue's body, emitting sounds akin to clashing metal.

Unfortunately for the tiger, although Moyue's cultivation was only at the early third tier, his physical body was genuinely at the peak of the third tier. It was tough enough to clash head-on with the Magic Treasures of true Golden Core Stage immortal cultivators.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The ferocious glint in the Sky-Rending Tiger's golden eyes was gradually devoured by the freezing cold.

Its frontal combat abilities were not weak. If it had been fighting a flood dragon of the exact same tier, it might have ended with both sides suffering utter defeat.

But sadly, Moyue was simply a cut above.

Moyue kept his divine sense on high alert, scanning the surroundings. He knew that the commotion caused by a battle between Tier 3 Demonic Beasts was simply too massive; it was absolutely impossible to hide it from the other two overlords.

Seeing a white shadow flying towards him, he immediately extracted the Demonic Core and spirit essence, sealed them, and placed them into a wooden box before storing the Sky-Rending Tiger's corpse away.

At that moment, a wave of pain flared from the claw marks on his Dragon Back.

He secretly marveled at how sharp the tiger's claws were. Worthy of a beast with a trace of the White Tiger Bloodline, it had actually managed to break through his peak third-tier dragon body.

If they had truly been at the same tier, it likely would have ripped off a massive chunk of his flesh.

Then.

The white shadow arrived and landed silently. It turned out to be a massive Three-Tailed White Fox, several meters long.

Her body was covered in pristine white fur that outshone snow, faintly radiating a silvery glow. Her three long tails unspooled like cascading silk, the tips adorned with fine ice shards that mirrored the Cold Qi surrounding Moyue, adding to her enchanting and demonic allure.

The white fox's eyes were like condensed vermilion. As she gazed around, a faint red mist seemed to linger within her pupils, exuding a subtle, almost imperceptible charm.

"Flood dragon, you killed the Sky-Rending Tiger?!"

"So what if I did? I took a liking to his territory, which was a blessing for him. Yet he not only refused to yield but even dared to attack me.

Did he not deserve to die?" Moyue sneered coldly.

The Three-Tailed White Fox pondered for a moment, scrutinizing Moyue. Seeing his abundant vitality, which suggested he was quite young, she asked, "Where do you come from?"

"'The Hundred Thousand Mountains'. I wasn't happy there, so I came out to find a mountain to claim as my own kingdom. Is there a problem with that?"

"Are you a wild demonic beast?"

"Why, must one hail from a major clan in some holy land?" Moyue glared at her coldly, fully unleashing his fierce aura. "White fox, although you are at the mid third tier, since I can kill that stupid cat, I can kill you too."

The Three-Tailed White Fox's pupils shrank. After a moment of thought, she replied, "Since the Sky-Rending Tiger attacked first, so be it if you killed him. However, he had a duty to oversee this area and prevent humans from escaping through this forest."

"That's easy. I'll just take over his post."

At that moment, a green shadow tore through the air and arrived. It was actually a wooden figure shaped like a human.

"Tree King, you're here as well," the white fox said. "The Tiger King was killed by him. Now, we have no choice but to let him take over the guard duty."

"Sigh, since things have come to this, it can only be so. What is your name? This old man needs to make a trip to the holy land to report this matter and your identity."

"Moyue."

As Moyue spoke, he took out a few High-Grade Hundred Herbs Pills and swallowed them.

The effect of a single pill was limited, but taking multiple pills would still accelerate his wound recovery.

The fragrance of the pills wafted into the air. Although it lasted only for a fleeting moment, it successfully captured the attention of both the Three-Tailed White Fox and the Tree King's Wood Clone.

The Wood Clone asked, "Was that a human medicinal pill you just took? Where did you get it?"

"This? It was refined by my human servant."

Step two of the Infernal Affairs Script: Use medicinal pills as bait to form a community of shared interests.

Moyue bared his teeth in a smug smile and boasted, "Over a decade ago, I ran into a human Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. I originally wanted to swallow him for a quick snack.

But the guy begged for mercy, offering me medicinal pills as tribute. He claimed to be a second-tier alchemist and offered to become my servant to refine pills for me.

I figured that alchemists were a rare breed even among humans. If he eventually advanced enough to refine third-tier pills, wouldn't it greatly aid my cultivation?

And so, I took him under my wing."

"Moyue, you actually have such luck! Human alchemists are rare indeed." The Three-Tailed White Fox chuckled softly. "If your servant can refine third-tier pills in the future, don't forget to send a pill to this little sister."

"Of course, little sister white fox."

"Then this old man will head to the holy land first."

With those words, the Wood Clone blurred into a green shadow and vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Was that Wood Escape?"

"Big brother Moyue, you have quite a sharp eye. The Tree King is the strongest existence in this forest. What you just saw was merely a wood-element clone refined from one of his branches.

Although he is also at the mid third tier, he is far more powerful than I am."

"I see." Moyue's eyes flickered. "By the way, why are we guarding this place?"

"Isn't it obvious? To prevent human cultivators from leaving." The Three-Tailed White Fox saw no reason to hide anything from Moyue, who was a fellow Tier 3 Demonic Beast.

"If they leave through here, although they won't reach the prosperous human regions directly, they'll end up in the remote human territories. As long as they spend some time taking a detour, they can still make their way to major immortal cultivation cities.

Therefore, the holy land ordered us to stand guard here, preventing the blood food we've corralled from escaping en masse."

"If that stupid cat had just said so earlier, I wouldn't have killed him!" Moyue put on a look of utter exasperation.

"Big brother Moyue, there's no need to fret. Aren't you about to take over his duties anyway?"

"Is it really that simple? Just a quick report and it's done?"

"The Spiritual Qi here isn't as rich as in the holy land. How many of those major clans would actually want to come here and suffer? Nine times out of ten, they'll approve your takeover."

"Alright, guard duty it is. It's still vastly better than my previous life, wandering around fighting tooth and nail for cultivation resources."

The Three-Tailed White Fox quickly shifted the topic, asking, "By the way, big brother Moyue, about those medicinal pills of yours..."

"Oh, I don't have many pills left on hand. I'll bring some for you next time. The main problem is that my servant can't obtain many resources in the human world, and his Alchemy Dao Inheritance is incomplete.

He claims that if he had a massive supply of resources, he would be absolutely certain to advance to a third-tier alchemist.

Of course, that also depends on getting his hands on third-tier pill recipes beforehand."

"Pill recipes... He would have to go to the human world to acquire those."

"Little sister white fox, your words make perfect sense. Then we must go to the human world. I'll take my servant out to the external human immortal cultivation regions.

Give him some time, and he should easily become a third-tier alchemist."

The Three-Tailed White Fox was slightly taken aback. "Um... is that a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be? The holy land only ordered us not to let large amounts of blood food escape. I'm just taking my servant out for a quick trip. Furthermore, he's fully under my control; his life and death rest entirely on my whim."

"That does seem reasonable."

The Three-Tailed White Fox's vermilion eyes flickered slightly before she said, "Let's discuss this again after the Tree King returns."

"If he doesn't agree, this little sister wouldn't dare do anything."

"Fair enough."

A day or two later.

The Tree King's wood-element clone returned, hovering above the Cloud Gold Mountain Range. He transmitted his voice, "Brother Moyue, although the holy land is furious that you killed the Sky-Rending Tiger, as long as you take his place guarding this region...

...the holy land will not pursue the matter any further.

Fox King, the Sky-Rending Tiger's former territory now belongs to Brother Moyue. Do you have any objections?"

"Naturally, I have none," the Three-Tailed White Fox replied softly.

"Then it is decided."

The Tree King's clone morphed into a green blur and departed. The Three-Tailed White Fox also chose not to linger.

Moyue's gaze rippled as he pondered deeply. 'The first step of infiltration went incredibly smoothly, but fully gaining their trust seems a bit difficult.

Ordinary second-tier pills have a very low efficacy on Tier 3 Demonic Beasts; they simply cannot increase their spiritual power.'

Once reaching the third tier or above, the heavenly materials and earthly treasures that actually proved effective sharply plummeted. Even human Golden Core Stage immortal cultivators mostly relied on bitter, grueling cultivation, occasionally taking a single pill to boost their mana.

It was impossible for them to rapidly increase their cultivation by popping massive quantities of pills, unlike cultivators in the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment Stage.

Among the third-tier pill recipes Xu Chuan obtained from the Mysterious Moon Secret Realm, aside from the Core Formation Pill recipe, there were also a few for restoring mana, regenerating severed bones, advancing cultivation, and breaking through bottlenecks.

However, the primary ingredients either casually demanded spirit herbs aged three to four thousand years or required obscure, entirely unheard of rarities.

Gathering a complete set of ingredients was excruciatingly difficult.

The prospect of mass refinement was utterly hopeless.

Out of all the spirit herbs Xu Chuan had transplanted, only the primary ingredients for the Core Formation Pill recipe were complete. The primary and supplementary ingredients for the other third-tier pill recipes were severely lacking.

'The Spiritual Qi here is indeed potent and beneficial for me, but it is primarily metal-attribute, which isn't the best fit for me.'

After staying for a few more days, Moyue ventured to the Three-Tailed White Fox's territory.

The white fox was also a water-attribute demonic beast. Her domain encompassed a massive Mirror Lake containing a colossal water-attribute Spirit Vein, which made the surrounding vegetation incredibly lush.

It was nothing like the Cloud Gold Mountain Range, where the overwhelming metal-attribute aura caused the vegetation to be notoriously sparse.

"Big brother Moyue, what brings you to my humble abode?"

The moment Moyue arrived, the Three-Tailed White Fox's voice echoed all around him, seeming to emanate from everywhere at once.

"I am a water-attribute flood dragon. Although according to the mutual generation of the Five Elements, metal generates water, I am still incapable of performing elementary conversions. The water-attribute Spirit Vein here would be vastly more beneficial to me.

Why don't you let your big brother cultivate in this Mirror Lake? We can just be neighbors. How about it?"

The Three-Tailed White Fox darted out from the forest as a white blur, staring silently at Moyue.

"It is absolutely impossible for human Foundation Establishment Cultivators to force their way through here. As for Golden Core cultivators, if they ever show up, we would naturally detect them anyway, so guarding that mountain range is pointless.

If it's truly necessary, the worst-case scenario is that I'll just go find a Metal-Element Demonic Beast friend later and make him guard the Cloud Gold Mountain Range."

"Little sister white fox, do you truly have the heart to refuse me?" Seeing her lack of response, Moyue began to sound threatening.

The Three-Tailed White Fox had personally witnessed Moyue's sheer power and ruthlessness.

If a battle truly broke out, she genuinely wasn't confident in defeating him. Her eyes brimmed with wariness.

"Since that is the case, I will yield the Mirror Lake for big brother Moyue's cultivation. However, you must guarantee not to randomly devour the demonic beasts nearby. The vast majority of them belong to my tribe."

"No problem at all. If I get hungry, I'll naturally head outside to find a snack."

Moyue bared his teeth in a grin. Freezing Cold Qi permeated the surroundings, causing the temperature to plummet significantly.

He promptly took out a High-Grade Qi-Merging Pill and presented it to the Three-Tailed White Fox. "Consider this pill a gift to you, little sister white fox. Although it can't increase your spiritual power by a massive margin, it is still quite effective.

According to my servant, this pill is exceedingly rare even in the human world and remarkably difficult to refine."

The Three-Tailed White Fox swallowed it down, and sure enough, she felt an abundant medicinal efficacy transform into pure spiritual power that circulated throughout her body.

Her eyes lit up brilliantly. "So this is a human pill! It truly is a marvelous thing!"

"It's just a shame there are so few of them."

"I wonder if big brother Moyue has any more."

"That was my last one. However, little sister white fox, if you can gather these materials, I can have my servant refine a few more."

With that, he transmitted the list of required ingredients directly into her mind via divine sense.

"Not bad. Except for one or two slightly rare ones that aren't very abundant, the rest are quite plentiful within my territory. Big brother Moyue, your territory should have plenty of them as well."

These spirit herbs were practically useless to the Three-Tailed White Fox, but the refined pills could grant her several months' worth of accumulated spiritual power.

This was the equivalent of turning worthless trash into treasure. How could she not be tempted?

'I am truly brilliant. Now Xu Chuan shouldn't have to worry about Qi-Merging Pill ingredients ever again.'

Even to a Golden Core Aristocratic Family, Qi-Merging Pills were incredibly precious items.

Firstly, the ingredients were rare and incredibly difficult to collect. One almost always had to venture into perilous lands like the Azure Sea Forest just to find the primary ingredients.

While clan Medicine Gardens did cultivate them, even with meticulous care, it took decades for a single batch to mature.

Secondly, refinement was exceptionally challenging, resulting in an incredibly low success rate.

Even the top alchemists of the Cao Clan likely only possessed a thirty to forty percent success rate.

Out of ten sets of materials, they might succeed three or four times. Each successful batch yielded a maximum of two or three pills, almost exclusively of middle or low grade.

Therefore, even Golden Core Aristocratic Families wouldn't have many Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators.

Aside from a handful of individuals with the most outstanding innate aptitude, everyone else had to rely on slow, grueling personal cultivation.

Two months later.

Moyue returned to Dongxi carrying dozens of sets of Qi-Merging Pill ingredients.

Xu Chuan and Xu Deling were left utterly dumbfounded as they stared at the massive pile of spirit herbs and numerous spirit ores and Spirit Irons.

Among them were even pieces of Tier 3 Spirit Iron mined from the Cloud Gold Mountain Range.

"This completely exceeded my expectations. I figured you might be able to trade some pills for materials from Tier 3 Demonic Beasts, but I never expected this much."

Moyue flashed a triumphant grin. "I am now the Flood Dragon King of the Azure Sea Forest! The other two overlords are the Fox King, a Three-Tailed White Fox, and the Tree King, an ancient tree that gained sentience."

"You replaced one of the Tier 3 Demonic Beasts?"

Moyue immediately tossed a corpse out of his Storage Pouch. The lingering pressure of a Tier 3 Demonic Beast remained, looking genuinely terrifying.

"This is the greatest haul of all. A Metal-Element Demonic Beast tiger with a trace of the White Tiger Bloodline. It shares the same lineage as that stupid tiger of yours that loves to act cute and spoiled.

If you can refine a true Demonic Spirit Pill from this, it should help him advance into a Tier 3 Demonic Beast.

It might even further excavate his Four Spirits White Tiger bloodline, giving him the potential of a fourth-tier demonic beast.

As for the fangs, claws, and pelt of the Sky-Rending Tiger, they are all prime materials for refining Magic Treasures."

"Excellent! Excellent!" Xu Chuan's smile was beaming. "Then I will have Mingshu nurture Xu Bai to the peak of the second tier first. By then, I should have reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, massively increasing my certainty of successfully refining a third-tier Demonic Spirit Pill.

However, currently, no one in our Xu family is capable of perfectly utilizing the tiger's materials. I will store them for now. Once someone breaks through to the Golden Core stage, or Deling, once your artificing skills advance further, we will put them to use."

"Yes, grandfather."

"As for the remaining second-tier materials, you can hold onto them."

"Mm, now I have all the materials needed to perfect the Top-Grade Treasure Bow for father," Xu Deling smiled softly.

The Xu family had quite a few members who cultivated metal-attribute cultivation methods.

After staying with the Xu family for just a few days, Moyue returned to the Azure Sea Forest.

Compared to the Xu family's grounds, the Spirit Veins over there were far more conducive to his recovery.

Xu Chuan went into seclusion to refine pills and cultivate, while Xu Deling focused on perfecting Xu Mingwei's Dharma Tool.

Half a month later.

The Xu family's second complete set of Top-Grade Magical Artifacts was successfully forged.

Another month passed.

The thirty-six Hundred Grass Needles that Xu Chuan requested were fully refined and securely stored within his Hundred Herbs Paster.

Considering that the True Yang Treasure Orb was primarily fire-attributed, Xu Chuan placed it into the Foundation Establishment Treasury and commissioned Xu Deling to forge him a brand new Top-Grade Defensive Magical Artifact.

The Heavenly Wood Shield—a specialized wood-attribute Dharma Tool recorded within the Wood Sovereign Scripture, focused entirely on defense.

When infused with wood-attribute mana, it could sprout a massive quantity of wooden vines, designed to bind and ensnare approaching magical artifacts, immortal cultivators, or demonic beasts.

Some of the Fine-Grade Magical Artifacts previously used by Xu Mingwei and the others were also gradually retired.

They were either stored within the treasury or bestowed upon the younger generation, passing on as a form of Inheritance.

The Xu Clan's underlying foundations steadily deepened with each passing day.

Many members of the Chong generation also gave birth to "Wen" Generation Descendants.

——————————

Five years passed like A White Colt Flashing Past a Crack, slipping swiftly through the crevices of time.

During this period, Great Liang launched separate attacks against Great Wei and Great Jin. They emerged victorious in both campaigns, seizing portions of their respective territories.

The Zhao family rapidly developed and expanded, gaining the allegiance of two or three smaller aristocratic families within Great Liang.

The Cao Clan's academy consistently clashed with Under the Moon Academy Point Against Point. The two institutions eventually established an agreement to hold an academy grand tournament every three years, wagering a portion of their resources on the outcome.

Aside from this ongoing rivalry, there were no further disturbances between the Cao Clan and the Xu family.

The remaining two trade agreements between the Xu family, the Taiyuan Li Clan, and the Langya Wang Clan were smoothly completed.

Thanks to the Void Rushing Pills, both families successfully produced another Late Foundation Establishment immortal cultivator.

The Jiang, Lei, and Lin Families appeared completely inactive on the surface. However, the three factions had secretly formed an alliance. The ancestors of all three families had sworn binding oaths to advance and retreat together as a unified force.

The Three Great Families intended to dedicate all their efforts to collecting the ingredients for the Core Formation Pill recipe, or searching for Connate Spirit Objects, with the ultimate goal of helping one of their clans produce a Golden Core cultivator first.

Dongxi.

Jade Cold Pool.

Xu Mingwei arrived, bringing along a man wearing a Black Mask.

The mask obscured the vast majority of the man's face, revealing only his eyes, nose, mouth, and jawline.

"Father (Grandfather)."

Xu Mingwei and the masked man cupped their fists in unison.

Xu Chuan opened his eyes and looked at them. "Why have you come here?" he asked mildly.

"Father, Dewen has now reached Peak Qi Condensation," Xu Mingwei said. "Your son wishes to request a Foundation Establishment Pill on his behalf."

"Peak Qi Condensation?" Xu Chuan shifted his gaze to Xu Dewen.

"It is all thanks to the family's cultivation," Xu Dewen replied respectfully.

"What position do you currently hold within the family?"

"To answer grandfather, I am a Dark Division Captain. Over the past few years, I have helped purge some parasites from within the clan, as well as those outsiders attempting to spy on our Xu family."

"Your aura is brimming with Malevolent Energy and Grievance. If you were Cultivating Demonic Path Techniques, you might advance rapidly. However, walking the Righteous Path, I fear your mind is too clouded with conflicting thoughts. When attempting Foundation Establishment, you might easily become Entangled by Inner Demons, ultimately leading to failure."

Xu Mingwei's expression abruptly shifted. "Father, your son also possesses an aura of slaughter."

"You are different. You surge forward bravely without any distracting thoughts, allowing your killing intent to become a sheer weapon to crush your enemies. But Dewen... back then, you watched Deqian die right before your very eyes.

He gave up his hope of survival entirely for your sake. You then suffered the agony of seeing your own son and nephew murdered, and nearly perished yourself.

Not a single day has passed in all these years where you have forgotten that, have you?"

Hearing this, Xu Dewen's hands clenched into tight fists. His knuckles turned white from the immense force, veins bulged on his forehead like twisted roots, and his eyes burned bloodshot red.

"I hate them!"

"I want nothing more than to charge straight into the Cao Clan and slaughter every last one of them, even if it costs me my own life!"

"But I also understand that the family has its own overarching plans. To our Xu family, the Cao Clan is simply still far too powerful. If my reckless actions were to cause the entire family to be wiped out, Vanishing Like Smoke and Ashes, even dying ten thousand times would not absolve me of my sins."

"Wener." Xu Mingwei looked at his son, his face etched with profound grief and pity.

"Father..." Xu Mingwei turned to look at Xu Chuan, wanting to say something.

The fact that Moyue had recovered his third-tier strength was known to very few within the entire Xu family. Although Xu Dewen was Xu Mingwei's own flesh and blood, without Xu Chuan's explicit permission, he couldn't divulge a single word.

"Never mind, Dewen. There is no harm in telling you. Our Xu family already possesses the preliminary strength to contend against the Cao Clan. We merely lack sufficient underlying Foundation Establishment foundation."

Xu Dewen froze slightly. After a long moment, he finally uttered, "Could it be that we can already match the Cao Clan Ancestor?!"

He knew perfectly well that the person the Xu family feared above all else was the Cao Clan's Golden Core ancestor.

"The Cao Clan is nothing. The true crisis still lies far ahead in the future, so I absolutely refuse to gamble our Xu family's entire future by clashing recklessly head-on with the Cao Clan.

However, what your grandfather can absolutely guarantee is that very soon, our Xu family will slap the Cao Clan right across the face in broad daylight, forcing them to repay the lost lives of our Xu Clan descendants ten times over!

As for you..."

Xu Chuan thought for a moment. Sweeping his right hand over his Storage Pouch, he took out a Porcelain Bottle and handed it to Xu Dewen.

"Inside is a High-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill. It can increase your chances of Foundation Establishment by thirty percent. Combined with your Transformed Divine Sense, your overall chances of success should exceed fifty percent.

But if you still fail to successfully establish your foundation even with all of this..."

"Then your grandson will attempt to switch to Cultivating Demonic Path Techniques."

Xu Dewen stored the Foundation Establishment Pill carefully and turned to leave.

Xu Mingwei remained behind. He looked at Xu Chuan and asked, "Father, are you truly going to let Wener practice the Demonic Dao?"

"What do you believe the definition of a demon is?"

Xu Mingwei fell completely silent, unable to answer.

"In your father's eyes, the true evil of the human heart is the real demon. As long as Dewen's heart remains devoted entirely to the Xu family, what does it matter if he is righteous or demonic?

As long as one fiercely guards their original heart and firmly adheres to their unyielding principles, what actual difference is there between practicing a righteous cultivation method and a demonic one?

The only true difference in this world is the divide between the strong and the weak.

Because our strength was weak, our Xu family was constantly targeted and endlessly harassed by the Cao Clan.

Because our strength is weak, when the Demon Tribulation descends upon us in the future, our Xu family might suffer the agonizing tragedy of a mass slaughter.

Because our strength is weak, we will be ultimately reduced to..."

In the end, Xu Chuan swallowed his words, completely unable to voice the horrifying truth that every human on this land was merely livestock being raised as blood food for the demonic beast forces of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Thousands of years of continuous legacy, all just to serve as food in the mouths of another race!

The truth was simply far too dark, far too despairing!

Whether it was living in perpetual, terrifying panic as the inevitable date approached after learning the grim truth, or being abruptly overcome by crushing despair when the sudden calamity finally struck, both scenarios were nothing short of absolute worldly tragedies.

"Your son will strictly remember father's teachings." Xu Mingwei bowed respectfully with cupped fists.

"Mingxuan is currently in Guangling, right? Find someone to call him back immediately. I have a crucial task for him."

"Yes, father."