Golden-Winged Blood Mosquito

Chen Ganliu could not help calling out, "This demon is truly savage. Even with death staring it in the face, it's still this bold."

Jiang Ningxue and Xie Zhanrou walked out and laughed together. "This demon really is ferocious."

Xie Zhanrou pointed, and a streak of cold light descended, instantly severing the Wild Boar Demon's head. A gourd flew out from her sleeve and gave a shake. A wisp of Black Qi immediately flew from the Wild Boar Demon's corpse and was sucked into the gourd.

Xie Zhanrou pointed again. The streak of cold light reappeared, split open the Wild Boar Demon's belly, and carried out a golden-orange pearl.

With another wave of her hand, she sent out a red flame that burned the Wild Boar Demon's corpse to nothing on the spot, leaving behind only a pile of ashes and that thick iron staff.

Chen Ganliu was shaken to the core. As expected of the Demonic Sect's methods. Killing a boar with such crisp efficiency—extracting its soul and collecting its spirit, dissecting its corpse to take its core, destroying every trace. Her techniques are so practiced they flow like water. Senior Sister Xie must kill demons often enough to have built up quite the experience.

When he saw that demon core, his eyes grew hot. He asked, "Senior Sister Xie, can you give me this demon core?"

Xie Zhanrou smiled. "It's useless to me anyway. You may as well have it." She casually tossed it over.

Chen Ganliu was overjoyed. He accepted the demon core, thanked his senior sister, and thought, This Wild Boar Demon's cultivation isn't shallow. Maybe I can even refine several spiritual veins from it.

Although this Wild Boar Demon had several centuries of cultivation and was at the sixth or seventh layer of Qi Condensation, in Xie Zhanrou's eyes, it was merely an ordinary little demon. She was, after all, a Golden Core Realm cultivator who practiced the Orthodox Heavenly Demon Sect. She usually refined heavenly demons into magical power. Even a prodigy like Nan Shiheng, who came from the Immortal Encounter Sect and whose cultivation surpassed hers by a notch, could do nothing to her in Magical Combat. How could she care about a mere demon core?

Pear Blossom Lady was overjoyed to be rid of this calamity and called out, "It's all thanks to you two sisters. Otherwise, I'd still have to endure his incessant chatter. Come into the residence quickly—I'll prepare some good wine and dishes to entertain you."

Jiang Ningxue and Xie Zhanrou had originally planned to continue traveling that day, but they could not resist their friend's enthusiasm and could only agree to stay one more day.

Although Chen Ganliu was not allowed to attend the banquet, the food and wine that day were much more plentiful. Besides, he had obtained a demon core from the Wild Boar Demon. Thus, even though they had to stay another day, he held no resentment. He simply cultivated in silence, feeling that his cultivation advanced much faster than usual, and he grew even fonder of the newly restored Spring Bloom Spiritual Vein.

Still, one day was naturally not enough to refine the Wild Boar Demon's inner core. This was a task requiring patient, painstaking effort, and seeing results would take several more months of hard work.

Another day passed. Jiang Ningxue and Xie Zhanrou bade Pear Blossom Lady farewell, then took Chen Ganliu with them as they continued on their journey.

A thousand-odd li was an arduous distance for ordinary people. Even Qi Cultivators who had yet to reach the seventh layer and achieve Essence and Qi Integration, learning spells of flight, would find the journey bitterly difficult if they relied only on Talisman White Deer, the wind beneath their feet, and the spells within Talisman Black Donkey. But to two Golden Core Realm grand cultivators, it was merely a matter of one or two hours.

When they saw Plum Blossom Mountain from afar, the two women did not dare approach. After all, its six mountain lords were all True Yang Realm Demon Cultivators. Even their master would not dare claim that she could treat them casually, let alone charge straight in.

Chen Ganliu gazed at Plum Blossom Mountain from afar. Demonic clouds coiled around it, baleful energy billowed upward, and the dense, turbid, foul aura was so thick it seemed impossible to disperse—like a huge, tangible-yet-formless pot inverted over Plum Blossom Mountain.

This sacred mountain of the Demon Race required no spell or formation. The sheer density of its demonic aura was enough that any ordinary person who approached would immediately be corroded by it and melted into thick liquid.

Even Qi Cultivators with some cultivation would lose vital energy upon approaching Plum Blossom Mountain. If they remained near it too long and were eroded by the heavy, filthy aura, their cultivation would even regress. They might not be able to recover it after several years of practice.

Chen Ganliu was secretly alarmed. If demons cultivated on this mountain, they would probably advance a hundred times faster than elsewhere. But if a human cultivator entered, their entire cultivation would likely be washed away after staying only a little while.

Although I have the White Emperor's Discourse Collection and know how to neutralize it, I still wouldn't dare stay long.

Jiang Ningxue watched for quite some time before asking quietly, "Junior Sister, how is your cultivation of the Seventy-Two Transformations Insect Art?"

Xie Zhanrou gave a coquettish laugh and transformed with a twist of her body, a pair of colorful wings appearing on her back. "Your junior sister is now the Jade-Waisted Slave!"

Jiang Ningxue laughed. "What a fine Jade-Waisted Slave. Now watch your senior sister's skill."

Jiang Ningxue formed a spell with her fingers. A pair of transparent wings also grew from her back, and she called out, "How is this Golden-Winged Envoy that your senior sister cultivated?"

Chen Ganliu could at least claim to have read a few books. One butterfly demon and one bee demon. They're both remarkably lifelike. With demonic aura coiling around them, there isn't the slightest flaw.

The two women each transformed into little demons of the Qi Refining Realm, then asked together, "Junior Brother Chen, how is your cultivation of the Seventy-Two Transformations Insect Art?"

Chen Ganliu stammered, "My cultivation is still lacking. I don't have the skill of either senior sister."

Jiang Ningxue and Xie Zhanrou shouted together, "Transform already!"

Chen Ganliu had no choice. He had indeed cultivated the Seventy-Two Transformations Insect Art along the way, but he lacked his two senior sisters' ability. After shaking himself seven or eight times, all he managed was to gain a little more demonic aura around his body.

After all, the Seventy-Two Transformations Insect Art required at least the eighth layer of Qi Condensation and Qi Refining Transformation before it could be cultivated with ease. He was only at the second layer of Qi Condensation, Boiling Liquid into Qi. How could he transform into any demon insect?

Adding those two or three fractions of demonic aura was already the limit of his cultivation.

Chen Ganliu did not choose the Ice Silkworm, nor the five-colored poisonous centipede, nor the ice spider. Instead, he chose the easiest demon insect to cultivate—the Golden-Winged Blood Mosquito.

The Golden-Winged Blood Mosquito was an ancient species. Its pair of golden wings made it astonishingly fast in flight, and it was skilled at sucking blood. Moreover, when it sucked blood, injecting demonic aura would allow it to control the victim's mind, turning them into a mosquito puppet.

Chen Ganliu had his eye on this demon insect's flying ability. After all, a tiny mosquito would not attract attention. If he ever needed to gather intelligence in the future, he could transform into one and come and go unseen.

Of course, with his current cultivation, he still could not transform into a mosquito. Realizing this vision would have to wait until later.

Jiang Ningxue and Xie Zhanrou were both somewhat surprised. Although the two women had urged him to transform, they had not truly expected him to succeed. After all, they both knew that Chen Ganliu had only one Severed Vein and extremely poor aptitude.

They had not expected that although Chen Ganliu's cultivation was insufficient to transform into a demon insect, he had actually managed to cultivate demonic aura.

The two women secretly thought, No wonder the Mind-Wandering Zen Blade likes him. This Junior Brother Chen must be hiding some great secret. His aptitude is not as poor as it appears.

The three disguised as little demons of the Qi Refining Realm naturally could not fly through the sky or burrow underground. They descended to the ground together. Jiang Ningxue casually drew two Talisman Green Oxen and mounted one, while Chen Ganliu continued riding his own Talisman Black Donkey behind the two women, serving as their attendant.

There were still some days before the Beggar-Bowl Assembly, and Plum Blossom Mountain had not yet opened. Thus, the three first went to an Immortal Market at the foot of Plum Blossom Mountain to settle in.

Plum Blossom Mountain was one of the five sacred mountains of the Demon Race, and the Immortal Market at its foot was even livelier than the Immortal Encounter Sect's Qingyun Immortal Market.

It was the thirty-first already. There would be an extra update at midnight. Please give me the first monthly ticket of August.