Chapter 305: Fight the Jin Dan, Secure the Green-Gold Stone

He Pingsheng descended along the cave passage.

The yin-sha energy around him grew denser, the darkness thicker, until no trace of daylight remained.

Fire spiritual power condensed within him, forming a fire crow ten feet tall.

Flames danced above He Pingsheng's head, following him downward, illuminating a ten-zhang radius.

His spiritual sense weakened further, growing fainter.

Now he could only perceive the environment within a hundred-zhang radius.

It wasn't that his soul perception was weak—only that the surrounding yin-sha energy had grown stronger.

He leapt continuously, descending deeper.

After roughly half a stick of incense, he reached the bottom of the cave.

No one was there. No living beings at all!

Yet from the cave's floor, two smaller openings extended into the surrounding mountain.

These passages were also filled with yin-sha energy.

As He Pingsheng's spiritual sense swept through, he finally detected the source of the yin-sha energy.

A massive stone, over a zhang in size, jutted from the cliff wall at the cave's base.

No—it wasn't stone.

"Boom…"

Fire spiritual power erupted again from He Pingsheng's body, and six fire crows spiraled around him.

Under the firelight, the stone became clearer.

The entire stone displayed two colors: green and gold.

Yin-sha energy continuously oozed from its surface.

"Legends say the earth contains yin veins…" He Pingsheng circled the stone, muttering to himself: "Could this be an exposed yin vein?"

He had heard a saying: solitary yin cannot grow, solitary yang cannot thrive.

Where there is black, there is white; where there is righteous, there is evil; where there is heaven, there is earth.

All things consist of two opposing sides.

Cultivators are no exception.

Where there is the Profound Gate, there is the Demon Gate.

Profound Gate cultivators absorb celestial spiritual energy through their spiritual roots and meridians, refining it into their dantian.

Demon Gate cultivators are similar, but they absorb yin-sha energy, not celestial spiritual power.

If the earth can produce spiritual veins, it can also produce yin veins.

For Demon Gate cultivators, a yin vein is equivalent to a spiritual vein.

"Could this stone be the equivalent of a spiritual vein stone?"

Forget it!

Whatever it is, take it first.

Later, ask an experienced alchemist—he'll know its value.

"Slice…"

He Pingsheng drew a flying sword and slashed at the stone.

His logic was simple: cut it off, then take it.

But before his sword struck, a powerful surge of yin-sha energy erupted from the side cave.

A massive fist of condensed yin-sha energy slammed into his flying sword, sending it flying.

He Pingsheng instantly leapt backward.

At that moment, another giant claw of yin-sha energy descended from above, striking precisely where he had stood.

This sudden turn sent a cold sweat down He Pingsheng's spine.

Boom… boom… boom…

The densest yin-sha energy around him coalesced instantly.

A monstrous creature over ten zhang tall appeared before He Pingsheng.

It had four legs!

Each leg bore sharp claws.

Towering and grotesque, it resembled a hellish asura, with a pair of black wings on its back.

"Hss…"

The demon beast lowered its massive body, opened its terrifying maw, revealing two rows of green fangs.

It had eyes—tiny, like two red candles flickering, their gaze burning, pulsing faintly.

A vast aura surged toward him.

Without hesitation, He Pingsheng immediately pulled out the Nine Radiance Dragon-Slaying Flag.

Simultaneously, his spiritual sense swept over the beast.

He didn't realize—until he scanned it—that it was… Jin Dan?

Early Jin Dan!

A Jin Dan cultivator beast?

He Pingsheng was startled, but seeing it was only early Jin Dan, he instantly calmed.

Before He Pingsheng could think, the Jin Dan yin-sha beast slashed a claw through the air at him.

In response, countless yin-sha forces in the cave coalesced into a larger claw-shaped shadow, directly aimed at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng dared not delay.

"Open…"

He roared, and wood spiritual power surged from his body, transforming into lightning that flowed into the Nine Radiance Dragon-Slaying Flag.

The flag surged forward, wrapped in a torrent of thunder.

Attack as defense.

For safety, He Pingsheng also activated a spell: Golden Shield.

A metallic barrier formed around his body.

Boom… boom… boom…

The two attacks collided.

To He Pingsheng's surprise, his strike completely overwhelmed the beast's.

This…?

Is this all a Jin Dan early cultivator can muster?

The towering yin-sha beast now looked terrified, trembling as if trying to flee.

In that instant, He Pingsheng understood one thing: Thunder dominates all demons.

It wasn't that the beast's attack was weak—it was that He Pingsheng's lightning precisely countered yin-sha energy.

Perfect!

Again.

"Want to run?" He Pingsheng leapt upward.

Boom… boom… boom…

Lightning crackled from the Nine Radiance Dragon-Slaying Flag, striking the demon beast with even greater force.

"Open…"

Before the lightning reached the beast, He Pingsheng roared again.

Golden light flashed beneath his feet—his speed quintupled.

In his hand, the Nine Radiance Dragon-Slaying Flag vanished, replaced by the top-grade ancient treasure: the Heaven-Defect Divine Spear, sealed with nineteen layers of restrictions.

Puff…

The spear pierced straight through the Jin Dan demon's body.

Then, a sea of lightning descended.

Boom… boom… boom…

The two attacks He Pingsheng unleashed in an instant severed half the demon's life.

Severely wounded, the demon shrank from ten zhang to one zhang, then exploded into countless demonic energies, vanishing into the surrounding void.

He Pingsheng didn't understand yin-sha demon behavior or concealment tactics, so he didn't linger—he severed the large green-gold stone with lightning speed, seized it, and fled.

Once the prize was secured, the battle became meaningless.

Though a demon, it was still a living being—he had no desire to slaughter it utterly.

Unnecessary.

Besides, he wore the Seven-Clasp Sharp-Metal Armor—he wasn't afraid of ambushes.

After another half stick of incense, He Pingsheng burst out of the cave into the small valley.

Huh…

Stepping onto solid ground, He Pingsheng exhaled deeply.

That battle seemed to last only two moves—but the pressure on him had been immense.

This was his first direct confrontation with a Jin Dan cultivator.

Although, this Jin Dan realm is pathetically weak.