Consumed 570 Exorcism Points to accelerate cultivation of the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art, gaining 570 days of cultivation time.
As the Exorcism Points were entirely consumed by Zhong Bai, those parts of the Qi Training section of the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art that he had previously found somewhat difficult to understand suddenly became as clear as an initiation, and an expression of complete enlightenment washed over Zhong Bai in an instant.
At the same time, deep within his dantian, a terrifying suction force spread outward from his body toward the surrounding heaven and earth.
The spiritual Qi of heaven and earth within a ten-mile radius began to gather rapidly toward Zhong Bai's location.
The spiritual Qi of heaven and earth entered his body, refining at an extraordinary speed into pure True Essence that poured into his dantian. The thunder seal flashed intermittently, and the speed at which it solidified was also exceptionally fast.
Zhong Bai had originally been at the peak of the third layer of Qi Training, ready to step into the fourth layer at any moment. Now, with a massive influx of True Essence rushing into his dantian, Zhong Bai effortlessly broke through the barrier of the fourth layer of Qi Training.
Terrifying True Essence continuously condensed and poured into his dantian, and Zhong Bai's aura surged ceaselessly.
Mid-stage fourth layer of Qi Training, late-stage fourth layer of Qi Training...
It was not until Zhong Bai reached the peak of the fourth layer of Qi Training that the spiritual Qi between heaven and earth finally ceased its influx.
570 days of Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art cultivation completed!
Accompanied by the Exorcism Points on the Exorcism Panel clearing to zero, Zhong Bai's entire body trembled with excitement.
This feels amazing. No wonder protagonists in novels love cheating in cultivation; just a few hours of cultivation speed matches the results of ordinary people spending a year or two.
Simply breathtaking, truly terrifying!
Zhong Bai could not help but praise. The effect of the Exorcism Points was truly defying the heavens. Although Zhong Bai had rapidly entered the realm of the peak fourth layer of Qi Training, he personally felt as though he had walked there step by step, completely free of any issues such as adapting too quickly to surging power or having a shaky foundation.
Peak fourth layer of Qi Training; that should be enough to kill that wolf demon!
His gaze flashed, and Zhong Bai's memories began to retrace. Five years ago, Zhong Bai had hidden in a cellar to escape with his life.
He had clearly caught a glimpse of that wolf demon back then. Judging from the cultivation of demons, once they birth demonic power, they are considered a Minor Demon.
Upon stepping into the realm of a Demon Soldier, they become comparable to cultivators at or above the fourth layer of Qi Training, and can even awaken innate divine abilities inherent to their bloodline.
As for the Demon General tier, they can transform into human form, comparable to a Foundation Establishment True Person.
As for the Demon King, they rival a Golden Core True Monarch.
Analyzing the wolf demon that Zhong Bai had seen back then with his current experience, it should have just barely crossed the threshold into becoming a demon.
Now, five years later, it might have already stepped into the ranks of a Demon Soldier. Of course, there was a high probability it was still at the Minor Demon stage, seeing as the cultivation speed of the vast majority of demons and malevolent spirits is much slower than that of cultivators.
This was the very reason Zhong Bai dared to seek revenge on that wolf demon right now.
Unless that wolf demon possessed heaven-defying talent or had slaughtered countless people within this short span of five years, it was simply impossible for it to have stepped into the realm of a Demon Soldier.
Even if it had managed to stumble into becoming a Demon Soldier, Zhong Bai believed that relying on the suppression of demons and malevolent spirits by the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art, he could still blast it to death.
High skill makes one bold; that was precisely the case here.
The night gradually faded, and when the dawn illuminated the earth, Zhong Bai finished his cultivation. He glanced toward the direction of the old village chief's house, and sensing that imperceptible sign of life, Zhong Bai did not hesitate, deploying the Thunder Escape Technique to head toward West Mountain.
West Mountain.
This was a boundless great mountain that the Zhong Family Village backed onto. Although generations of the Zhong Family Village called it West Mountain, that merely referred to a portion of West Mountain adjacent to the village. The endless mountains themselves were known as the Bottle Mountain Range.
It got its name because its highest peak, Bottle Mountain, resembled a vase. However, Zhong Family Village was dozens of miles away from Bottle Mountain, and coupled with the fact that Bottle Mountain was infested with venomous insects, the villagers of Zhong Family Village ordinarily cut firewood and hunted only within West Mountain.
Entering the mountain forest.
The overgrown wild mountain paths that generations of ancestors from Zhong Family Village had walked had long since been abandoned for five years, becoming choked with thorns and impassable.
Zhong Bai was unconcerned about this, retrieving a bronze sword from the Cosmic Ring on his left ring finger.
As he cleared a path, he looked down at the compass in the palm of his left hand.
This was also a magical tool stored in the Cosmic Ring—the Demon-Seeking Compass. Much like the Ghost-Seeking Compass, it was a treasured item used to locate the hiding places of malevolent spirits and demons.
As the needle spun continuously, the Demon-Seeking Compass soon pointed in a certain direction. That was the shady side of West Mountain, and also the deepest part of West Mountain. Crossing the shady side and moving further ahead would lead straight to Bottle Mountain.
Ordinarily, no villagers would venture to the shady side. For a wolf demon, it could be described as a natural hiding place.
"The demonic Qi is not very conspicuous, indicating its strength is quite ordinary."
Merely glancing at the Demon-Seeking Compass, Zhong Bai practically deduced the strength of that wolf demon; the demonic Qi fluctuations were infinitely close to the intensity of a Demon Soldier.
Seeing this, Zhong Bai completely set his mind at ease. Since it had not broken through to the realm of a Demon Soldier, Zhong Bai could slaughter it as easily as butchering a dog.
Quickening his pace, a little over an hour soon passed.
Just as Zhong Bai reached the peak and was about to step onto the shady side, his brow furrowed as he observed the direction the leaves were being brushed by the gentle breeze.
It's a mountain breeze blowing. Entering the valley right now will make it very easy for this wolf demon to detect my scent...
Taking a deep breath, Zhong Bai had no choice but to proceed with extreme caution. After all, he only had one chance. Should he let that wolf demon catch his scent beforehand and flee, goodness knows when Zhong Bai would ever be able to capture it.
Thinking of this, Zhong Bai focused his mind and converged his aura. Even the scent belonging to a living human on his body was masked when Zhong Bai plucked some spicebush leaves from his surroundings, squeezed out their juices, and smeared them all over himself.
Having acted with such meticulous caution, Zhong Bai then gently crept forward...
Inside a rocky cave on the shady side of West Mountain.
A massive black wolf standing two meters high at the shoulder was currently resting inside the cave.
This was precisely the wolf demon that had attacked Zhong Family Village five years ago!
The sleeping wolf demon suddenly snapped its eyes open, its scarlet wolf pupils filled with greed and agony.
It had reached the limit of a Minor Demon. The massive number of villagers it had devoured over the years had built up enough demonic Qi within its body to support its breakthrough into the realm of a Demon Soldier.
Therefore, during these past few days, it had not left the rear cave at all, single-mindedly wishing to evolve and break through into a Demon Soldier!
However... Zhong Bai's arrival destined this wolf demon to march toward its end.
After walking for about half an hour following the Demon-Seeking Compass, Zhong Bai looked at the pitch-black cave before him. Even separated by a mere hundred meters, Zhong Bai clearly caught the scent of the lingering demonic Qi and recognized that familiar aura!
"Found it!"
The anger and murderous intent suppressed within his gaze for five years were no longer held back in the slightest at this moment. The vital energy and blood within Zhong Bai's body surged into the sky, his muscles and bones cracking like thunder.
Deep within his dantian, True Essence surged wildly through the thunder seal, transforming into purple thunderbolts that poured out.
The crackling light of the thunder illuminated the cave ahead.
With a whoosh, Zhong Bai deployed the Thunder Escape Technique, transforming into a streak of thunder light that fiercely charged into the cave.
Inside the cave, the wolf demon, which had been immersed in its breakthrough, suddenly bristled as the hair all over its body stood on end. That premonition of a crisis from the nether realms made it straighten its spine and emit a low snarl toward the front.
Finally, a purple radiance surged forth, and at their very first encounter, Zhong Bai uttered not a single word as a brilliant thunderbolt shot directly toward the wolf demon's glabella.
With a roar, the wolf demon raised its claw and instinctively slashed across the void.
In an instant, a shrill wolf howl echoed fiercely through the cave...
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