Demonization Abilities

The sky gradually darkened.

On the official road, the dim yellow afterglow stretched the horse and the two corpses behind it into long shadows.

"Hyah! Hyah!"

Jiang Yuechu urged it twice, but the horse beneath her only snorted and panted heavily, its steps growing slower and slower.

She glanced back.

The two Pig Demon corpses carved two deep furrows through the ground, kicking up dust all the way.

She had hoped to reach Gold City before nightfall.

But now, it seemed she would not make it.

"Forget it." Jiang Yuechu sighed and swung herself down from the horse.

She walked up to it and patted its soaking-wet neck.

"You've had it rough, old friend."

The horse snorted in response.

Jiang Yuechu untied the rope, tossed the two corpses by the roadside, and removed the saddle.

"Go find some grass to eat. We'll rest here tonight."

She looked around. Not far from the official road stood a ruined Land God Temple. Half its walls had collapsed, and even the statue had fallen over. It was just right for sheltering from the wind.

She moved her things into the ruined temple, then sat down hard against a broken wall.

The night wind swept past, carrying the chill of the wilderness.

But Jiang Yuechu had no mind to care about that.

With a thought, the ancient scroll slowly unfurled in her mind.

[Dao Cultivation: One Hundred and Eighty Years]

Looking at that number, she could not help baring her teeth in a grin.

All that hardship, all that running about, licking blood from the blade's edge—wasn't it all for this?

Now that she had one hundred and eighty years of Dao Cultivation in hand, naturally she had to spend it without restraint.

Her thoughts settled upon the two Demon Creature Scrolls that had already reached the Vermilion-Dyeing Realm.

Should she continue upgrading Tiger Mountain God, or Green-Faced Gentleman?

Fierce Tiger Quickblade was the technique most suited to her right now—broad and forceful, crushing ten skills with a single strength.

Green Cliff Echoing Shadow placed greater emphasis on movement techniques, strange and ever-changing.

After turning it over and over in her mind, she decided it was safer to fleece one sheep first.

After all, one who grasped at too much would chew none of it properly.

"You, then, big tiger."

Jiang Yuechu made up her mind.

She took a deep breath and sank her consciousness into the scroll.

The next instant, those one hundred and eighty years of Dao Cultivation surged into the scroll of the white-browed, hanging-eyed tiger like floodwaters through an opened dam!

Boom—

Blood light blazed across the scroll!

That fierce tiger seemed to come alive. Every strand of fur, every inch of sinew and bone, underwent an indescribable transformation.

The Dao Cultivation count plummeted at a frantic pace.

One hundred and seventy years.

One hundred and fifty years.

One hundred years.

Fifty...

In the end, it stopped at zero.

One hundred and eighty years of Dao Cultivation had been consumed completely.

Jiang Yuechu felt a sharp pang in her heart.

But before she could finish mourning it—

A new line of writing slowly emerged upon the scroll.

[One Hundred and Eighty Years of Dao Cultivation Consumed. Tiger Mountain God Progress Increased.]

[Current Scroll: Tiger Mountain God (Eye-Dotting)]

Boom—

A deafening blast rang out.

Jiang Yuechu felt as though a pot had exploded inside her skull.

She shot her eyes open, gasping heavily, her forehead drenched in cold sweat.

On the scroll, a streak of scarlet cinnabar had been dotted into the pupils of that white-browed, hanging-eyed tiger.

It seemed to have come alive.

[Tiger Mountain God Successfully Eye-Dotted. Demon Creature Gift Obtained.]

[Demonization: Tiger Mountain God Unlocked (Consumes the user's own vitality and blood to temporarily enter a half-demon state and obtain its abilities. This divine ability is exceedingly dangerous. Use with caution.)]

"Fuck..."

Jiang Yuechu stared at the new lines on the panel for a long while, unable to speak.

Demonization?

Temporarily transforming into a Tiger Demon?

Jiang Yuechu licked her somewhat cracked lips, her heart pounding wildly despite herself.

Slowly, she raised her right hand and willed it.

An indescribable scorching heat erupted from her heart.

The vitality and blood in her body seemed like ignited fire oil, burning away at a terrifying speed.

Jiang Yuechu grunted, feeling every bone in her body groan under an unbearable burden.

Before her eyes, her right hand was undergoing a startling transformation.

The muscles beneath her skin tightened at an astonishing speed, becoming tough as iron without swelling excessively, only outlining sleek lines brimming with explosive power.

Her long black hair began to be rapidly stained blood-red from the roots, like flames burning beneath the cold moonlight.

The most terrifying change happened to her eyes.

The world before her seemed to stretch and twist, and in an instant, her pupils became a pair of cold, merciless golden vertical slits.

A sense of power unlike anything she had ever felt surged wildly from every limb and bone!

It felt as though, if she wished it, she could smash the broken wall beside her with one punch.

But what followed was agonizing pain from her heart.

It was as if an invisible black hole were madly devouring her life force.

Her vitality and blood were draining away faster than ever before!

If this continued, she would be sucked dry alive in less than ten breaths!

Jiang Yuechu screamed inwardly.

Buzz—

That scorching power receded like the tide.

Her entire body went limp, and she collapsed onto the ground. Her chest heaved violently as she gulped down breath after breath.

A strand of hair fell before her eyes. It had already turned black again.

She raised a trembling hand and touched her eyes, then looked at her palm. That explosive power had vanished without a trace.

"Fuck..."

Jiang Yuechu spat out the word, feeling so drained that she barely had the strength left to curse.

This move...

It was powerful, all right.

But if she failed to end the fight within the time limit—

She would probably become meat on someone else's chopping block on the spot.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, she could never use it again.

Struggling, she sat up and leaned against the wall.

Just then—

Grrr—

An ill-timed sound came from her stomach.

Jiang Yuechu clutched her belly, helplessness written all over her face.

There was no helping it. That was simply how martial artists were.

When vitality and blood were depleted, food was the only way to replenish them.

That bout of Demonization had nearly drained her dry. Her stomach was empty now, and hunger had her chest pressed to her back.

She pulled out the jerky Chen Qingyuan had given her. It was dry and hard. She broke off a small piece and chewed for a long time, finding it utterly tasteless.

Her gaze drifted, almost unconsciously, to the two massive corpses outside the ruined temple.

Pig Demons...

"They're pigs too, right?"

She licked her lips.

"To hell with it. I'm starving to death already—who has the leisure to be picky?"

She stood, dug a fire starter out of her bundle, then drew her horizontal blade and strode toward the Pig Demon corpses.

The blade flashed, and a plump hind leg was cleanly severed.

The stench of blood rushed at her, but Jiang Yuechu did not even furrow her brow.

Before long, a bonfire rose inside the ruined temple.

The skinned pig leg crackled as it roasted over the flames. Grease dripped into the fire, producing bursts of popping sounds and a strange aroma of meat.

Jiang Yuechu tore off a large chunk of golden-brown roasted meat. Ignoring the heat, she blew on it twice and stuffed it into her mouth.

The meat was coarse and carried an indescribable gamey stench. It was far from delicious.

But as the flesh went down her throat, a warm current rose from her stomach and swiftly spread through every limb and bone.

The vitality and blood depleted by Demonization began to replenish at a visible speed.

Jiang Yuechu's eyes lit up.

It really was a great tonic!

She no longer hesitated, gripping the pig leg and tearing into it in huge mouthfuls.

At that moment, she suddenly felt that—

Demon creatures...

Really were good things...