Demon Xu Liguo—Please Follow, Please Vote

The Embergold Mountains lay in the heart of Fire Ember Country, a scorching land shrouded in blazing flames and molten lava.

The mountain range towered into the clouds, its peaks surrounded year-round by crimson flames, as though countless fire dragons were winding through the mountains.

The mountains themselves were formed from pitch-black volcanic rock, their surfaces covered in crisscrossing cracks. Scalding magma occasionally erupted from those fissures, like the boiling veins of the earth.

Whenever night fell, the Embergold Mountains became even more magnificent. The crimson glow of magma intertwined with the golden flames, staining half the sky red, as if the entire mountain range were burning.

Lin Che appeared atop a volcanic crater in an instant, holding Li Muwan's hand. If he had guessed correctly, the medicinal ingredient needed to refine Spirit Fusion Pills—the Fire Ember Fruit—could be found inside.

Though this item was of no use to him, it would be immensely useful to Li Muwan. When she broke through to Core Formation in the future, she would still need Spirit Fusion Pills to assist her in making a stable breakthrough.

"Senior Brother, Fire Ember Fruit only grows within the Embergold Mountains. Whenever it ripens, disciples from the four sects personally come here to harvest it."

Li Muwan linked her arm through Lin Che's and pointed at the green vapor above the crater. Smiling gently, she said, "Senior Brother, green means the Fire Ember Fruit has ripened and can be harvested. If the green vapor does not emerge, there is no way to dissolve the fiery poison within the volcano."

Listening to Li Muwan's explanation, Lin Che nodded slightly. Then, with a sweep of his left hand, he uprooted the Fire Ember Fruit growing inside the crater.

If this thing were planted within the Heng Yue Sect, they would have an endless supply of Fire Ember Fruit.

Just then, several figures arrived. The moment they saw the Fire Ember Fruit in Lin Che's hand, they flew into a rage.

"Where did this little brat come from? How dare you harvest the Fire Ember Fruit of our Corpse Yin Sect? You have quite the nerve!"

The middle-aged man at the front was Zhou Gang, an elite disciple of the Corpse Yin Sect whose cultivation had reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment. Beside him stood a man and a woman, both of whom were also at mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

"We only dare to take ten Fire Ember Fruits at most each year, for fear of damaging their roots. Yet you tore out the entire root!"

Zhou Gang glared at him and roared, "No matter what sect you belong to, you will pay a terrible price for destroying the roots!"

With that, the three Corpse Yin Sect cultivators immediately released their corpse puppets and charged at Lin Che and Li Muwan, clearly intending to kill them on the spot.

Lin Che snorted disdainfully. These three from the Corpse Yin Sect were exactly who he had been waiting for. If they had not appeared, that person likely would not have come out either.

"Die!"

His divine sense expanded and shot forth like thunder. In almost an instant, the charging corpse puppets were cut down, along with all three Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Corpse Yin Sect.

Their bodies were reduced to ashes beneath his divine sense, vanishing without a trace.

Lin Che turned and looked coldly at the white mass of energy that shot out from one of the corpses. "Take one more step, and die."

Upon hearing Lin Che's words, the white mass suddenly stopped. It immediately transformed into a tiny figure no larger than a palm and flew trembling before Lin Che.

The delicate-looking little figure swallowed and hurriedly bowed to Lin Che. "Fellow Daoist, please show mercy. This junior is Xu Liguo, a disciple of the Tiangang Sect from a Level Four cultivation country. I offended you just now. We can discuss anything, Fellow Daoist. Please do not act rashly!"

So it really was him.

Lin Che looked at the tiny Xu Liguo, then extended his divine sense into the volcano. Inside, Wang Lin, who had already become Ma Liang, had long since hidden within the Heaven Defying Bead.

The moment Lin Che appeared and took away the roots of the Fire Ember Fruit, Wang Lin had sensed danger. Thus, before Lin Che could even make a move, Wang Lin had entered the Heaven Defying Bead.

Lin Che paid no attention to Wang Lin within the Heaven Defying Bead. Instead, he kept his gaze on Xu Liguo. This Nascent Soul was known as a demon; he would naturally be easy to use in the future.

Seeing that Lin Che said nothing, Xu Liguo thought the other party intended to spare him and inwardly rejoiced. Judging from this guy's aura, he should be at the Nascent Soul Stage too. If I could afford a Nascent Soul Stage body, with his strength, I could slap a hundred of him to death.

Just as Xu Liguo was feeling smug, Lin Che's finger twitched. A mass of blood-red energy wrapped around Xu Liguo's Nascent Soul.

Lin Che naturally understood Xu Liguo's character, so he intended to refine him into a demon now. That way, he would not need to worry about this fellow escaping while he was in seclusion.

"Y-you, what are you trying to do?" Xu Liguo stared nervously. "Let me tell you, I'm a disciple of the Tiangang Sect. If you attack me, the Tiangang Sect won't let you off!"

"Too noisy!"

Lin Che's pupils suddenly turned blood-red, and the murderous intent around him grew chillingly fierce. Even the slightest touch would bring an unprecedented sense of oppression.

Xu Liguo immediately changed his tune. With tears streaming down his face, he hugged Lin Che's arm and choked out, "Fellow Daoist, please calm down. As long as you spare me, I can give you anything you want. I only beg you not to kill me."

Li Muwan walked over at this moment and asked in confusion, "Senior Brother, what use is this Nascent Soul?"

"It naturally has a special use." Lin Che nodded, then grasped Xu Liguo in his hand. Wild energy suddenly crashed into his body, thoroughly erasing his original divine sense.

As his divine sense was erased, Xu Liguo immediately pretended to be foolish and asked blankly, "Who are you? And who am I...?"

Lin Che snorted. He understood Xu Liguo's character better than anyone. However, according to the original story, even if his divine sense was erased, this fellow would still recover his memories after breaking through to Core Formation.

Lin Che's Slaughter Qi gathered once more. This time, its energy was immensely vast, and even Xu Liguo, who had once been at the Nascent Soul Stage, felt an unprecedented pressure.

Xu Liguo immediately returned to normal and begged without pause, "Ah... Fellow Daoist, don't kill me, don't kill me! I don't want to die yet, I don't want to die!"

"Shut up."

Lin Che's tone turned even colder. Even Li Muwan could clearly feel the surrounding temperature plummeting wildly. She could even see cracks spreading across the ground in an area centered around Senior Brother Lin Che.

"Senior Brother... is so terrifying."

Li Muwan gently bit her lower lip. This was the first time she had seen her senior brother's face turn cold. Like an asura from hell, he gave people an indescribable feeling.

"Absorb the Slaughter Qi here, or I will shatter your soul right now."

With a mournful expression, Xu Liguo could only absorb the Slaughter Qi in great gulps. Yet its energy was far too violent, causing Xu Liguo to let out miserable screams.

"Stop releasing the Slaughter Qi, Senior! I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!"