Yang Xiao stood still and thought for a moment. He decided not to leave.
He turned back toward the hall. As he passed the foot of the steps, he reached down, hauled the kneeling farmwife up, and pushed her into the crowd. Her legs were still weak, and she stumbled into the others.
The brocade cushion was already soaked through with Third Lord Jiao's blood.
Yang Xiao paid it no mind. He found a clean edge of the stone platform and sat down, then took the nine-foot Army-Breaking Spear from his back and laid it beside him.
"If you won't leave, then stay here with me."
With that, he ignored the villagers' reactions, pulled out Third Lord Jiao's Flood Dragon Core, and silently commanded it to equip.
[Mysterious Core Realm · Profound Flood Dragon Inner Core (single-use consumable)] [Effect 1: Replenishes a vast amount of Spiritual Power.] [Effect 2: Grants the Blue Prefix Azure Current Treading Waves: Significantly increases underwater movement speed; grants an additional speed boost when traveling with the current.] [Effect 3: Triggers Ten-Thousand-Forged Demon Body (Gold) · Physical Transformation (Seventh Transformation—Pill Pattern Perfection)]
A vast surge of demonic power poured into his body. Third Lord Jiao's Demon Core filled the last remaining gap in the Heaven-Melting Treasure Furnace, with a little to spare.
The Heaven-Melting Treasure Furnace was now brimming with Demon-Baleful Pill Fluid, his to use as he pleased.
At the same time, the Flood Dragon Core's essence washed through his body, carrying him steadily into Pill Pattern Perfection. Every movement brimmed with deep, enduring strength.
But all he had gained was a Blue Prefix, and one that merely increased his speed in water. It was of limited use.
Only then was Yang Xiao certain that Third Lord Jiao's aptitude was truly poor. No