You Don't Have a Chance to Eat

Chen Xian was excited. Just by reaching the introductory stage of the Vajra Realm, his physical body was like cast steel, incredibly robust.

[After ten thousand months of arduous cultivation, your Vajra Dragon Elephant Art has reached minor completion in the Vajra Realm. Your core energy furnace surges like a tide.]

[Experience: 336,000 points]

As the system prompt appeared, Chen Xian's physical body underwent another transformation. The core energy furnace in his sea of energy also surged, growing three meters taller. Its color turned to that of a glowing hot iron, with surrounding energy swirling and surging.

Mist appeared at the very edges.

Chen Xian clenched his fist, and a three-meter-tall Vajra phantom materialized behind him.

The phantom was humanoid, very similar to himself, outlined with golden threads and filled with energy, appearing ethereal and unreal.

However, it possessed a strong visual impact and formidable power.

The only thing that frustrated Chen Xian was that while his cultivation technique was progressing, his actual cultivation realm had not improved.

This meant he was getting stronger because the technique itself was ten times more potent than the previous Ox Demon Body Refinement Technique. Now, cultivating the Vajra Dragon Elephant Art was causing a cumulative effect, but it wasn't enough to elevate his cultivation realm.

[After ten thousand months of diligent cultivation, your Vajra Dragon Elephant Art has reached completion in the Vajra Realm. Impatience has once again led to a state of obsession.]

Boom!

The dark golden fiery energy surrounding him churned outwards in an instant. The five-meter-tall Vajra phantom behind him became solid and lifelike.

However, what made Chen Xian anxious was that as images flashed in his mind, an evil force suddenly surged from his mind towards all his acupoints and meridians.

Soon, dark energy churned in his eyes, and the Vajra phantom behind him turned golden-black.

It looked more mysterious and domineering than the golden Vajra phantom, but Chen Xian knew in his heart that the rapid advancement had caused a negative side effect, and he was on the verge of qi deviation.

Chen Xian frantically suppressed the Black Fiend Demonic Power, simultaneously activating the Ox Demon Body Refinement Technique and the Vajra Dragon Elephant Art to counter it.

After a quarter of an hour, he finally managed to suppress the Black Fiend Demonic Power, and it dissipated from his body.

But the Vajra phantom behind him had completely mutated. It was no longer pure gold but golden-black.

Chen Xian assessed himself, a wry smile appearing on his lips.

The system was good, but these negative side effects were quite exasperating.

Of all things, it had to be obsession.

It was easy to fall into demonic deviation!

"I still can't be too hasty!" Chen Xian muttered, ceasing his cultivation.

He had originally intended to use the Vajra Dragon Elephant Art to advance to the next realm, but it seemed he would have to take it slow.

[Experience: 306,000 points]

After glancing at his experience, Chen Xian put away the system panel.

With the Ox Demon Body Refinement at completion, the Vajra Realm at completion, both techniques bolstering his physique, and his martial skills at the Microscopic level.

Facing the Black Tiger King should not be a problem.

The next day.

October second.

Chen Xian led three hundred cook soldiers westward towards the Blood River Forest. Along the way, they encountered the Vermillion Bird Iron Cavalry from the Third Battalion again.

The leading Major General was the young woman they had seen before.

"Cook soldiers?"

The female Major General watched as Ding Chen and his three hundred men galloped past, a slight frown on her face.

A female Captain behind her said, "The Ninth Battalion is truly weak, even needing cooks to go to the front lines to fight demons."

The Major General, named Nangong Yan, stared at Chen Xian at the front and said, "This group of cook soldiers possesses a sharp killing intent, stronger than regular mess hall cooks. The young Lieutenant leading them appears to be in the late stage of Core Formation, with a faint fluctuation of elemental energy on his body."

"He should be a cultivation genius!"

Upon hearing this, the female soldiers stared at Chen Xian, only able to see a heroic and spirited back.

West of the Blood River Forest.

When Chen Xian arrived with Ding Chen and his three hundred men, the thousand demon-suppressing soldiers led by Chen Quanwu were already making arrangements.

"You damn dog!"

Chen Quanwu stared at Chen Xian from afar and cursed, then continued to direct his own troops.

Chen Xian pretended not to hear and led his men forward to pay their respects first.

Chen Quanwu snorted and got straight to the point: "Take your men to the southwest corner. Remember, don't let any demons through, or I'll have you court-martialed!"

"I must state beforehand, if the demons exceed a thousand, we won't be able to hold them!" Chen Xian said neither subserviently nor arrogantly.

"Even if you can't hold them, you'll have to hold them for me!" Chen Quanwu barked.

Hearing this, Chen Xian said nothing, turned, mounted his horse, and led Ding Chen and the others towards the southwest corner.

The so-called southwest corner was the intersection between the Blood River Forest and the southern foothills of Seven Mile Peak, still far from the Black Abyss.

Demons would not come from the west of Seven Mile Peak; some areas there were territories of rogue demons.

Even if demonic beasts passed through, they would be hunted by rogue demonic beast lords.

Therefore, the southwestern corner was the westernmost passage for the demon army to attack the Demon Suppressing Pass, but this passage was not large. It was faster and much shorter to go through the Blood River Forest.

Chen Xian led his men to the southwestern corner. His Spiritual Sense Eye quickly spread out, reaching a range of two kilometers.

Soon, he discovered a demonic beast on sentry duty.

The view in the corner was slightly more open. To the east was the Blood River Forest, to the west were the foothills of Seven Mile Peak, and further west were rolling mountains. Some peaks were shrouded in clouds and mist year-round, their summits hidden.

Some peaks pierced the sky, giving a sense of mystery and grandeur.

Directly ahead was the south. The sky was black, with swirling vortices and Black Fiend Demonic Qi like tornadoes, connecting heaven and earth.

Chen Xian stopped upstream on the Blood River.

The cooks and soldiers made no attempt to hide themselves, finding flat spots and sitting on their horses to cultivate.

In the evening, a troop of three hundred Zhenyao soldiers arrived.

Chen Xian did not recognize the lieutenant in command.

"You are Chen Xian?" the lieutenant asked, glancing at Chen Xian with an arrogant expression.

"That's right. And you are?" Chen Xian replied expressionlessly.

"I am Lieutenant Peng Lianqing, under Major General Zhong Lian, responsible for the southwestern corner. From now on, you and everyone under your command will obey my orders!" Peng Lianqing said coldly, looking down on Chen Xian and his men.

"Why should we listen to you?" Wang Yan retorted.

"Why?"

Peng Lianqing snorted and beckoned to Wang Yan with a finger. "Come here, and this lieutenant will tell you why."

Wang Yan wasn't foolish enough to go over.

"Get over here!"

Peng Lianqing roared, his imposing presence suggesting he had killed many demons, his aura sharp with killing intent.

"Lieutenant Peng, please calm down!"

Chen Xian spoke calmly. "Is this the order from Major General Zhong Lian?"

Major General Zhong Lian was the middle-aged general who had dealt with the Black Tiger King alongside Pei Menglong that night; Chen Xian had met him once.

"What do you think?" Peng Lianqing said coldly.

Chen Xian nodded. "Does Lieutenant Peng have any instructions?"

Seeing Chen Xian back down, Peng Lianqing's arrogance intensified. "My soldiers and I are hungry. Get the meat roasted quickly. After we've eaten our fill, we have to fight demons tonight."

Chen Xian remained seated on his horse, staring at Peng Lianqing. "Lieutenant Peng might not have a chance to eat!"

"What do you mean?"

Peng Lianqing was stunned for a moment, then swept his spear towards Chen Xian. "You want a beating, huh...!"

"Roar!"

Before he finished speaking, a roar echoed from the forest on the opposite bank upstream.

Soon, dense demonic beasts appeared on the opposite bank. A powerful black tiger demon roared repeatedly and then leaped towards the crowd.

Peng Lianqing looked astonished. He hadn't sensed anything at all. How did Chen Xian know the demon army was attacking?

Judging by their numbers, there were at least fifteen hundred.

"Chen Xian, take orders! Charge forward for this lieutenant!" Peng Lianqing shouted.

He himself did not move, nor did he allow his Zhenyao soldiers to engage.

To those who have tickets, please cast them. Follow-up readings are needed, the results are too poor.