Equipping the Mystic Turtle Demon Core, His Physique Transformed Again!
The Army-Breaking Spear shot in through the crack and penetrated deep into the body of the Black Tortoise.
Golden Astral Force erupted along the spearhead, tearing the wound open from the inside. Solar Flame then scorched in, penetrating deeper along the spearhead, doubly burning both the flesh and the soul.
The roar of the Mystic Turtle Demon King suddenly rose in pitch, then abruptly fell silent.
Its massive body struggled on the mountain path, its four claws digging wildly, carving out several deep furrows.
After struggling several times, it lay prone on the ground and remained motionless.
[Slayed the Mysterious Core Realm Mystic Turtle Demon King; the "Gold-Splitting Jade-Breaking Saber" skill has reached max proficiency and is now solidified! The (Purple) Gold-Shattering Jade-Collapsing attribute has also been solidified!]
[Slayed the Mysterious Core Realm Mystic Turtle Demon King; Proficiency in "Blazing Sun Evil-Splitting Spear" is now maxed out and solidified! The purple attribute "Evil-Splitting, Defilement-Burning" is now solidified!]
[Slayed the Mysterious Core Realm Mystic Turtle Demon King; Mastery of "Bone-Transforming Cotton Palm" is now maxed out and solidified! The purple attribute "Sinew-Extinguishing, Bone-Melting" is now solidified!]
The mountain path quieted down.
As the smoke and dust settled, the enormous corpse of the Black Tortoise was revealed, with a nine-foot-long spear embedded in its back, the spearhead still trembling slightly.
Tie Yunyan did not immediately sheathe her sword.
She approached with her knife, circled around to the side of the Black Tortoise's head, and stared into its murky eyes.
Until the last glimmer of light in his eyes faded, his Yao Qi slowly seeped out of his body, like a deflated sack.
She was relieved, then looked at Yang Xiao with a look of astonishment.
Yang Xiao walked over and drew his Army-Breaking Spear.
The spearhead drew out a pool of demonic blood that fell to the ground, the edges of the wound charred black, and it even emitted a slightly barbecued aroma.
"Dead."
Tie Yunyan straightened up and let out a long sigh of relief for the first time in six days.
Yang Xiao crouched down, inserted the tip of his spear deep into the body of the Black Tortoise, and gently flicked it.
A Demon Core rolled into his palm, heavy and dark in color, its Demon Power profound and restrained.
The Core Illumination Perfected Stage Demon Core was enough to allow him to make further progress.
Tie Yunyan watched as Yang Xiao took away the Demon Core, but did not stop him.
Her gaze fell on the huge wound on the Black Tortoise's shell, which stretched from its shoulder and neck all the way to the center of its shell, with charred edges and broken pieces of shell scattered all over the ground.
She looked at it for a long time.
"You're really a beginner?"
"Um."
Tie Yunyan remained silent, looking at Yang Xiao's face, trying to find a hint of a joke in that young face.
After a moment, she gave up.
"To be able to do this well after just learning?! You must be a genius."
"General Pei has truly struck gold."
Yang Xiao didn't explain much, "I just learn things a little faster."
That's as good as saying nothing at all.
Tie Yunyan did not ask any further questions.
In battle, one should not concern oneself with the length of the battle; after the battle, there is no need to inquire either.
Outside the mountain pass, the convoy and its crew, which had been blocked for six days, were already starting to stir.
People were peeking in this direction, but no one knew what had happened. All they knew was that the commotion behind the blocked valley entrance was terrifying.
Tie Yunyan turned and walked back the way she came.
After taking a few steps, she called out to the Captain waiting in the distance.
"Go and inform the convoy outside the mountain pass that the road is open."
"Give us some more men to clear the fallen rocks from the mountain path..." She glanced back at the enormous Black Tortoise carcass, "And this thing, we need to find a way to get it out."
The Captain responded and ran off.
The commotion on the mountain path continued until the sun began to set.
The Captain mustered about thirty men, who used shovels and picks to clear away the rubble that had fallen onto the road, basket by basket.
The Black Tortoise's corpse was too heavy; dozens of people couldn't move it. In the end, Tie Yunyan personally took action, cutting along the cracks that Yang Xiao had created, and dismembering the entire corpse into seven or eight pieces before people could lift it onto a cart and haul it out in trips.
However, the shell was loaded onto a separate truck.
It can withstand six days of sword strikes, leaving only white marks; its defensive capabilities are exceptional, making it perfectly suited for use in armor.
Yang Xiao stood aside and watched for a while without intervening.
On the other side of the mountain pass, the caravan that had been stuck for six days finally arrived. The drivers shouted and urged the carriages on. Seeing that the Mystic Turtle Demon King was dead, some of the bolder ones spat at the pool of unwashed demon blood in the middle of the road and grumbled as they drove past.
After arranging the last car, Tie Yunyan returned and wiped the dust from her forehead.
Thank you so much for today.
She paused, then looked at Yang Xiao: "Where to next?"
Yang Xiao took out the Qi-Gathering Bottle and channeled his Spiritual Power through his fingertips.
A wisp of crimson-gold Yao Qi emerged from the bottle's mouth, condensing and not dissipating, like a small cluster of molten gold.
Tie Yunyan's eyebrows twitched slightly.
"Golden-Mane Boar."
She stared at the Yao Qi and recalled, "This Demon King has been entrenched in the Black Mountain Ridge in the south for over five hundred years. His cave is located in the forest on the back side of the ridge, and he keeps dozens of lesser demons under his command, none of whom are of high cultivation level."
Yang Xiao drew the Yao Qi back into the bottle.
"How do I get there?"
Tie Yunyan raised her hand and pointed south. "Follow the official road for forty li towards the Commandery City, there's a fork in the road; turn right, go into the mountains, cross two ridges, and you'll see a ridge full of black rocks—that's Black Mountain Ridge."
"Hurry up, we'll reach Black Mountain Ridge by noon tomorrow."
Thank you.
Yang Xiao nimbly mounted his horse.
Tie Yunyan looked at him and opened her mouth.
According to her methods, Demon King who has been entrenched for many years and has a large following should mobilize people to surround the mountain, first cut off his spies, then surround the cave, and proceed step by step.
But as she was about to speak, she remembered the shattered shell of the Mystic Turtle Demon King.
"... Should I send a few people with me?"
"Need not."
Yang Xiao turned his horse around, and the sound of hooves quickly faded into the distance.
Tie Yunyan stood there for a while, then turned around and called for her men to prepare to return to Fuyu Commandery.
After riding for a while, it was still not dark, so Yang Xiao did not rush to continue his journey.
There were many paths on the wild hills beside the official road, and he chose a hilltop overgrown with weeds to stop.
He tied up the Demon Horse and sat down under a large tree.
He took the Black Tortoise Demon Core out of his bosom and placed it in his palm.
The jet-black Demon Core, held in the palm of the hand, was more than twice as heavy as the White-Foreheaded Giant Tiger's Demon Core; its weight seemed to speak of the abundant Demon Power contained within.
Upon closer inspection, the Equipment Slot hung silently.
The first three slots are already empty.
With the death of the Mystic Turtle Demon King, all the conditions for solidifying the three Mystic Core martial arts techniques have been met. The Gold-Splitting Jade-Breaking Saber, the Blazing Sun Evil-Splitting Spear, Bone-Transforming Cotton Palm have all been solidified and no longer need to occupy slots.
Yang Xiao placed the Black Tortoise Demon Core into the first slot.
[Mysterious Core Realm - Black Tortoise Demon Core (One-time consumption)]
[Effect 1: Replenishes a massive amount of demonic energy.]
[Effect 2: Gain the blue affix "Rock-Patterned Armor": The body is empowered by the power of earth and stone, greatly increasing defense and reducing external damage.]
[Effect 3: Triggers the Ten-Thousand-Forged Demon Body (Gold) - Physique Transformation (Eleventh Transformation - Core Illumination Perfected Stage)]