A Challenge, Demonic Qi Condensing Malice

"I'll do it, in case there's trickery!" Wang Liao took the Jade Slip and slowly poured a stream of true qi into it.

The next instant, a screen of light slowly unfurled above Jing'an Gate.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

The deafening tiger roars spread throughout the entirety of Black Mountain County in the blink of an eye.

The people in the city immediately thought the Demon Race was attacking. One after another, they barred their doors and shut their windows, everyone's hearts thrown into panic.

Upon the screen of light, a pure-black tiger with a mighty, imposing build appeared before the three of them.

"Hmph!" Du Guinian looked at the chaotic scene beneath the City Gate Tower and said coldly, "Lord Black Mountain, are you trying to give this official a show of strength?"

Upon the screen of light, the mighty Black Tiger, as large as a small mountain, spoke in human words. "Heh! You useless trash, don't waste words with this Mountain Lord. Is that brat Lu Yang here? Go tell him that if he has the guts, he shouldn't hide. Let him come out of the city and fight This Mountain Lord!"

As the words fell, the screen of light dispersed, without even half a line of needless chatter.

"Hmph! That fiend is truly discourteous, having lived a hundred years in vain!" Du Guinian's expression was somewhat ugly.

"It seems their target is me," Lu Yang said. "If I don't accept the challenge, Black Mountain County will never know peace."

Beside him, Wang Liao sighed and said, "During this period, My Lord Lu killed too many of Black Stone Mountain's powerful figures. Your progress has been witnessed by all the demons of Black Stone Mountain. Lord Black Mountain is afraid. He doesn't dare give you any more time and let you continue growing stronger, My Lord."

Black Stone Mountain was the Black Mountain commonly spoken of by the people, encompassing many peaks and ridges.

The many demons Lu Yang had slain had all been under Lord Black Mountain's command.

At this point, there was no need for Wang Liao to say more. Lu Yang and Du Guinian both understood it clearly in their hearts.

From the very beginning, Lord Black Mountain's target had not been the entire Black Mountain County.

Although he was powerful, at present he still did not have the ability to swallow the entire Black Mountain County City in one bite.

Part of that was because of the county city's great formation, and part was because he had to worry about angering the Imperial Court.

The reason he had allowed the demons of Black Stone Mountain to rampage around the county city during these days was to put pressure on Black Mountain County and force Lu Yang out of the city.

As long as he killed Lu Yang, this uncontrollable variable, then when facing Black Mountain County City in the future, he could naturally take his time and scheme it out slowly.

If he allowed Lu Yang to continue growing, then perhaps before long, Lu Yang alone would be able to sweep all of Black Stone Mountain flat!

Black Stone Mountain's current arrival looked fierce and aggressive, but in truth, it had been forced into this.

Every day that Lu Yang remained alive, Lord Black Mountain had no way to sleep in peace.

Especially since, unlike the martial arts experts from other places, what Lu Yang had forged with the demons of Black Stone Mountain could be called a blood feud!

"No!" Du Guinian said decisively at this moment. "The current Lu Yang is still no match for Lord Black Mountain. Rushing out of the city recklessly would only be sending yourself to die. If Lu Yang dies, then Black Mountain County truly has no hope left."

Lu Yang felt slightly surprised. "I heard that Lord Black Mountain is only at the peak of the third tier. Could it be that even with my foundation at the sixth tier of Xiantian in the Returning Origin Art, I still can't deal with him?"

Ever since cultivating the Returning Origin Art, Lu Yang had considered his strength far superior to martial artists of the same level.

Even when facing a Third-tier, Seventh-level Two-tailed Fox Demon, he had successfully achieved victory from a weaker position.

And that had been when he was at the third tier of Xiantian.

Therefore, toward that Lord Black Mountain, Lu Yang actually did not have much fear in his heart.

On the contrary, comprehending the Mighty Bull Shakes Mountain Diagram required a great deal of Experience Points. If he could slay him, Lu Yang might have the chance to comprehend the third form of the Mighty Bull Five Forms.

Especially after breaking through to the sixth tier of Xiantian, Lu Yang's heart had in truth been itching to try, wanting to clash with that Lord Black Mountain.

Du Guinian shook his head and explained, "The Returning Origin Art does indeed have its unique qualities. With your foundation, even if you encountered an ordinary peak third-tier member of the Demon Race, you would indeed have some chance of victory. But Lord Black Mountain is not among them. He is not an ordinary member of the Demon Race. As the lord of all beasts, the quality of his bloodline is far higher than that of ordinary demons. If you stepped into the Ninth-tier Xiantian, you might have some chance. Right now, absolutely not!"

Lu Yang nodded.

The Demon Race did indeed have the concept of bloodlines.

Within the memories of his predecessor, there had also been similar knowledge, but comparatively speaking, it was rather vague.

However, Lu Yang was not someone who advanced rashly. If that Lord Black Mountain truly could not be matched by force at present, he would not recklessly stick his head out either.

But the Returning Origin Art was only one of his trump cards. Aside from that, Lu Yang's Tablet Smashing Hand, Mighty Bull Strength, and cultivation stacked together, combined with the [Elemental Fusion Pill], could erupt with power far beyond normal in a short period of time.

Therefore, Lu Yang still refused to give up.

Seeing Lu Yang's expression, Wang Liao also advised from the side, "My Lord Lu, I know you're eager to eliminate demons, but County Magistrate is right. The current you is probably still no match for that Lord Black Mountain."

"Oh? How so?" Lu Yang's brows lifted slightly, and his expression grew a little more solemn.

Although he had slain the Fox Demon and saved Du Guinian's life, this County Magistrate had, after all, not personally seen him take action, so he might not yet understand his strength very well.

But Wang Liao was different.

Previously, when he had fought Qian Yikang and Lu Jue, Wang Liao had witnessed Lu Yang's methods.

Later, during the process of his slaying the Two-tailed Fox Demon, brothers from the City Defense Army had also witnessed it with their own eyes. There was no way Wang Liao would not know.

Even so, he still agreed with Du Guinian's view. That was worth pondering deeply.

Wang Liao said, "The strength of Black Stone Mountain is far from as simple as you imagine, My Lord Lu. There are two reasons."

"Let's hear them," Lu Yang said.

Wang Liao said, "First, aside from Lord Black Mountain, Black Stone Mountain also has the four great Xiantian demons: Bear, Wolf, Eagle, and Snake. Each one of them has strength above the mid-stage Xiantian!"

Lu Yang was not surprised by this.

The territory ruled by the Demon Race of Black Stone Mountain was even more vast than the region Black Mountain County actually controlled.

Even tiny Black Mountain County had produced several Xiantian Realm cultivators. In Black Stone Mountain, it was naturally impossible for Lord Black Mountain to be the only Demon Race member at the middle-to-late Xiantian stage.

Unfortunately, the existence of these Demon Race members was not a threat to Lu Yang. Instead, they were Experience Points that nourished his growth.

"What else?" Lu Yang still did not care much. They were only at the mid-Xiantian stage. Getting rid of them would not be very difficult.

Seeing him like this, Wang Liao said again, "That Lord Black Mountain's bloodline is extraordinary. Though it is only at the peak of the Third Realm, its strength is enough to rival a Fourth Realm great demon! Its brute strength exceeds a hundred thousand jin, and it has even mastered the method of Demonic Qi Condensing Malice! Below the Fourth Realm, it has few opponents!"

"What? Demonic Qi Condensing Malice?" Lu Yang's expression changed slightly. "In that case, it is indeed somewhat tricky."

Demonic Qi Condensing Malice was, generally speaking, a method that only Fourth Realm demonic creatures—those who could be called great demons—could master.

Within the range covered by Sha Qi, the true qi inside a martial artist's body would be suppressed to a certain extent, and their full strength would drop by several tenths.

Under such circumstances, fighting Lord Black Mountain, whose cultivation was already higher than his own, would indeed be very troublesome.

Even though Lu Yang had many trump cards, his expression had turned somewhat grave now.

Although the Demon Subduing Saber Art could restrain demonic qi, it was, after all, only the simplified version of the Earth-Grade Saber Art, the Demon Subduing Saber Scripture. Facing Lord Black Mountain, who was comparable to a Fourth Realm great demon, it probably would not have much effect.

If it entered the Sobered Berserk state again, Lord Black Mountain's Combat Power would rise by several tenths once more!

Lu Yang asked himself honestly: with his current strength, if he wanted to fight and defeat it, the difficulty was indeed not small.

After all, no one knew whether Lord Black Mountain had any other trump cards in its hand.

Black Stone Mountain had colluded with Black Mountain County's noble families and officials for all these years. Who knew how many benefits it had obtained from Lu Jue, Wang Kang, and the others? Some things had to be guarded against.

Seeing Lu Yang hesitate somewhat, Wang Liao finally let out a slight sigh of relief.

Du Guinian then continued, "Aside from that, Lord Black Mountain is also a Demon General under Niangniang Rong of Wanlin Prefecture. With your current strength, if you are targeted by the demons of Wanlin Prefecture, I fear it will be a calamity rather than a blessing."