Scorpion-Tailed Demon Wolf

The outskirts of the boundless mountain range held an exceedingly complex environment—forests, marshes, barren wilderness, and endless stretches of water.

Over the past few days, a figure could often be seen darting back and forth, slaughtering one Demonic Beast after another.

"My luck really isn't very good. Thirteen Level Two Demonic Beasts, yet not a single one had condensed an Inner Core. Four of them were even top-tier Level Two Demonic Beasts." Ye Chen sliced open the Demonic Beast's body with his Fine Steel Sword. Finding nothing inside, he was somewhat irritated.

Ever since the Pure Origin Skill had reached the highest realm of the fifth revolution, Ye Chen had understood that if he wanted to advance quickly from then on, he could only rely on external aids, such as Demonic Beast Cores.

Demonic Beast Cores were the essence condensed by Demonic Beasts after absorbing Heaven and Earth Origin Energy. In theory, an Inner Core with one year of cultivation could save a martial artist one year of hard work, while one with five years of cultivation could save five years. But that was only theory. Inner Cores did not contain only refined Origin Energy; they contained even more Demonic Energy. If an ordinary martial artist became tainted by even a trace of Demonic Energy, they risked going mad. If they absorbed too much, they would inevitably explode and die.

Thus, no matter how much refined Origin Energy an Inner Core contained, ordinary martial artists could not fully use it. They had to use Evil-Warding Potion to dissolve the Demonic Energy within. If one-fifth or one-tenth of the Origin Energy remained, that was already considered good. With poor luck, the entire Inner Core might be dissolved, leaving all their efforts in vain.

Of course, if one's cultivation reached the Primal Origin Realm, one could use True Qi to draw out the Demonic Energy and make perfect use of the Inner Core. However, the Inner Core had to be below the Primal Origin Realm in grade. In other words, Primal Origin Realm martial artists were equally helpless before Inner Cores of Level Four and above.

The strong smell of blood drew quite a few Demonic Beasts over to investigate. Ye Chen closed his eyes and used his powerful Soul Force to sense a relatively strong wave of Demonic Energy within thirty meters. It should have been a top-tier Level Two Demonic Beast.

Whoosh!

With a flash, Ye Chen actually leaped into the air. Like a great bird, he glided more than twenty meters through the air and fiercely pounced toward the back of a large tree.

Squelch!

The tree was cleaved in two, exposing a Demonic Beast that resembled both a wolf and a tiger.

A top-tier Level Two Demonic Beast—the Tiger-Wolf Beast!

With a flick of his wrist, Ye Chen transformed the Fine Steel Sword into a dazzling Sword Light and thrust it forward. It was breathtakingly brilliant—the strongest move of the Thirteen Peaks Sword Style—Reaching the Peak of Perfection.

How could the Tiger-Wolf Beast have expected Ye Chen's strike to be so swift? It had only just moved when its chest was pierced. Though wounded, it was extraordinarily savage, swiping a claw at Ye Chen's arm.

"You're courting death—Peak Turns, Path Winds!" Ye Chen ignored its attack, channeling Internal Energy into the Fine Steel Sword and sweeping it upward in reverse. He forcibly tore open the Tiger-Wolf Beast's chest and, in the same motion, severed its outstretched claw.

The formidable top-tier Level Two Demonic Beast could not even withstand two moves from Ye Chen. Its body went limp, collapsing weakly to the ground. It was clearly beyond saving.

Following the Tiger-Wolf Beast's wound with his gaze, Ye Chen's eyes lit up. Ecstatic, he said, "Fortune has finally turned in my favor. This Tiger-Wolf Beast has an Inner Core inside it."

With one sword strike, Ye Chen split open the Tiger-Wolf Beast's corpse. Reaching inside, he pulled out an egg-sized, milky-yellow Inner Core faintly tinged with pink.

According to the records on Demonic Beasts, when a Level Two Demonic Beast produced an Inner Core, its chances of advancing to a Level Three Demonic Beast increased greatly. If the color of its Inner Core underwent a subtle change, it meant that advancement was not far away. This Inner Core was milky yellow with a pink sheen, clearly a sign that it was about to advance. It was much stronger than an ordinary Level Two Inner Core, and judging by its size, it should have more than a year of cultivation.

Even if an Inner Core with one year of cultivation had nine-tenths of its Demonic Energy and Origin Energy dissolved by Evil-Warding Potion, it could still save at least one month of hard work. What was more, this was an Inner Core on the verge of advancement. Perhaps its effect would be doubled, saving him two months of hard work.

Looking at the Inner Core in his hand, even Ye Chen's steady temperament could not contain his emotions. Two months of hard work! At the very least, it could help him reach the late Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer. If he was luckier and one-fifth of the Inner Core's Origin Energy remained after using Evil-Warding Potion, that would equal four months of hard work. He would definitely break through to the Qi Cultivation Realm Eighth Layer.

Taking a Jade Box from his robes, Ye Chen carefully placed the Inner Core inside, then closed the lid to prevent the Demonic Energy and Origin Energy from leaking out.

Taking a deep breath, Ye Chen calmed down from his wild delight and turned his gaze to the Tiger-Wolf Beast's corpse.

"The materials from a top-tier Level Two Demonic Beast should sell for at least a thousand taels of silver. I can't waste them. After all, I still need to gather money to buy Evil-Warding Potion, and that costs five thousand taels of silver per bottle." Muttering to himself, Ye Chen crouched down and began collecting materials from the Demonic Beast's corpse, not leaving behind the slightest bit.

Once he had finished collecting the materials, Ye Chen frowned. The large leather sack he had brought was almost full. How wonderful it would be if he had a Storage Spirit Ring.

Of course, that was only wishful thinking. Among the Core Disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect, only two or three people, such as Senior Sister Zhu Mei and Young Master Cold Mountain Luo Hanshan, possessed Storage Spirit Rings. How could it possibly be his turn? Yet this alone showed the strength of Jade Valley. Even Ji Xueyan, at the Mid True Condensation Realm Peak, had been equipped with a Storage Spirit Ring. One had to know that Jade Valley was filled with geniuses, and there were certainly quite a few Core Disciples stronger than Ji Xueyan.

"Ah, a Seventh-Rank Great Sect truly is a Seventh-Rank Great Sect—rich and overbearing, with every kind of treasure. My Ye Family is one of the Eight Great Families and possesses abundant wealth, yet only Father and several family elders have Storage Spirit Rings. Mother is one of the more prominent Outer Sect Elders of the Southern Luo Sect, so it is normal for her to have one. For anyone else, obtaining a Storage Spirit Ring is basically a foolish dream."

Shaking his head, Ye Chen tied up the large leather sack and was about to leave.

Suddenly—

A fierce gale swept through the forest, sending sand and stones flying. Some small plants were uprooted and carried into the sky along with the violent wind.

Ye Chen was greatly startled. "What kind of strange wind is this? It came far too suddenly."

Awooo!

A terrifying roar shot into the heavens. From the sound, it was already more than a hundred meters away.

Not good—it was a Level Three Demonic Beast. Only Demonic Beasts of Level Three and above could release Demonic Energy and guide the airflow to form demonic winds, confusing one's vision and senses.

Before Ye Chen's soul had transmigrated, he had read the part in Water Margin where Wu Song fought the tiger. Before the Fierce Tiger appeared, a gust of wind first blew up. Now, this Level Three Demonic Beast was countless times stronger than a Fierce Tiger, and the wind it summoned was enough to rival a typhoon.

There was no time to lose. Ye Chen circulated the Pure Origin Skill with all his strength, kicked off the ground, and shot away like a great bird, hoping to evade the Level Three Demonic Beast's attack.

Crack, crack...

The sound of trees breaking rang out. Within several breaths, a demon wolf the size of a water buffalo appeared where Ye Chen had been standing. Its body was long and powerful. No fur grew on its surface; instead, it was covered in black scales. Its tail was a long scorpion tail, the hook at its tip glinting with a gray light. It had clearly been coated in deadly poison—anyone struck by it would surely die.

Ye Chen glanced back once, then immediately drove his Internal Energy with all his might as if he had seen a ghost. He pushed the movement technique Golden Goose Steps to its limit, racing like the wind and lightning.

This bizarre demon wolf was actually a Scorpion-Tailed Demon Wolf. Even among Level Three Demonic Beasts, it was an overlord-class existence. Even ordinary Mid True Condensation Realm martial artists would have to keep their distance when they encountered it.