Werewolf

With his Stone-Shattering Art at the Skilled Level, Su Changsheng felt more confident. With his spirits bolstered, his days grew ever more settled.

The tunnel digging was progressing well, too.

By combining the Stone-Shattering Art with the Ice-Fire Runes, he could extend the tunnel another three or four meters into the mountain each day.

In just three days, he dug an exceptionally long tunnel stretching over ten meters into the mountain. Once he reached that point, Su Changsheng stopped digging straight ahead and instead wound his way upward or downward, aiming to make the passages more complex.

For his own safety, whenever he dug, he placed Ice-Fire Talismans inside the stone house and around the tunnel, setting up simple trigger traps that would explode if any yao set them off.

They were not particularly effective, but they could at least give him a warning.

The tunnel's advantages were obvious. It was considerably warmer than the stone house, too. With thick layers of mountain rock blocking the way, the howling winds and blizzards outside could scarcely reach him.

The higher temperature eased his instinct to hibernate somewhat, letting Su Changsheng breathe a sigh of relief. After all, this was hardly a good time for hibernation.

Digging was strenuous work, however, and burned enormous amounts of energy. Combined with what he consumed for his breathing cultivation, the blood food he had bought from the Eagle Yao ran out in just a few days.

Left with no choice, he went to the Yao Market twice more to trade for blood food, disguising himself as a different individual each time.

One trip brought him eighty jin of flesh, the other a hundred. He spent nearly all the Concealment Runes he had painstakingly stockpiled, leaving only three for emergencies.

The price of Concealment Runes had risen again, too. A single rune now fetched twenty-five to twenty-eight jin of blood food. Clearly, security in the Black Mountain Demon Stockade seemed to be deteriorating further.

There was not the slightest sign of improvement.

Although this worried Su Changsheng, he was also happy to see it. After all, as he grew increasingly adept at making Concealment Runes and his success rate multiplied, his profits were becoming substantial.

The blood food he obtained still did not allow him to cultivate at full intensity for all twelve double-hours of the day, but he was gradually approaching that goal.

After that, it was still digging, making talismans, and breathing cultivation. His daily schedule was packed so full that his head barely touched his bed. His days were uneventful, but fulfilling.

Compared with the other yao struggling through the bitter winter, Su Changsheng's little life was growing increasingly comfortable.

With ample blood food to nourish him, even his body filled out a little. His tail accumulated a good deal of fat and flesh, no longer looking shriveled and dry. His snake scales were full and hard, gleaming faintly with a deep blue-green sheen.

His abundant blood and vital energy began nourishing his yao body in turn, making it stronger by the day. Even the demon wind he occasionally released was a good thirty percent stronger than an ordinary yao's. His narrow, elongated snake eyes shone brilliantly, bright and alert.

He was in better and better shape.

During his breaks from cultivation, his favorite pastime was sorting through the information he had heard at the Yao Market.

After all, with so many visits to the Yao Market, he had inadvertently picked up plenty of rumors and information about the Yao Stronghold, the Black Mountain Range, the Wilds, and more.

First, the Black Mountain Range stretched over a hundred thousand li in both length and breadth, with various yao strongholds scattered throughout it. Dangerous wilderness separated these strongholds, and the distances between them were so vast that communication was nearly impossible.

Even Great Yao dared not risk crossing the endless wilderness to reach another Yao Stronghold without a safe route.

The dangers lurking in the wilderness were far greater than he had imagined.

However, the Black Mountain Demon Stockade lay near the outer edge of the Black Mountain Range, with an endless wilderness plain on its other side. The danger there was not low, but neither was it particularly high. Under the protection of the Great Yao, survival was not a problem.

Second, the Black Mountain Demon Stockade was jointly ruled by three Great Yao. Besides the Black Mountain Demon Stockade, those three also commanded two smaller yao strongholds. Those other two were not far from the Black Mountain Demon Stockade, one to the east and one to the west.

But with the mountains sealed off by heavy snow, no yao from either place had come over in a long time.

Finally, the Wilds were vast-so vast they had no boundaries. Never mind the Black Mountain Demon Stockade; even the seemingly boundless Black Mountain Range was merely a tiny loach compared with the Wilds.

The sheer expanse of this world lay far beyond the imagination of its inhabitants. Many yao might spend their entire lives unable to leave even the "tiny" Black Mountain Range.

Without becoming a Great Yao, one would never know how vast heaven and earth truly were. Lowly yao like them were frogs at the bottom of a well, rootless duckweed. Perhaps their only value lay in being exploited by the Great Yao.

"Great Yao!"

Su Changsheng yearned for that realm.

In the tales told by lowly yao, Great Yao could pluck stars with a single hand and chase the sun, moon, and stars. They could soar through the heavens and burrow through the earth, wielding all manner of inconceivable divine abilities.

Roaming the Northern Sea at dawn, reaching Cangtong by dusk!

Even yao immortals of the Wilds could be no more than that.

According to the rumors, Great Yao were powerful beings who transcended lesser yao and half-demons, standing above the ninth level. But how the Great Yao were ranked, how strong they were, and what lay beyond them remained unknown.

That realm was still far beyond Su Changsheng's reach. What he needed to do now was advance to a level three half-demon as soon as possible.

Once he became a level three half-demon, he would leave the ranks of lowly yao behind completely and become someone of standing even within the Half-Demon Grounds. Unless necessary, even the domineering, bloodthirsty Black Tiger Yao would not lightly offend a yao at that level.

There was another advantage: level three half-demons could move into the neighboring Lesser Yao Grounds. Closer to the center of the Yao Stronghold and enveloped by the aura of the Great Yao, that area was safer and more prosperous than the Half-Demon Grounds.

Of course, if Su Changsheng could quietly keep his head down in the Half-Demon Grounds, he would never choose to move to the neighboring Lesser Yao Grounds. Though somewhat safer, that area had far too many powerful beings. It offered nothing like the freedom of the Half-Demon Grounds.

But...

"That Black Tiger Yao..."

Thinking of the Black Tiger Yao, Su Changsheng sighed inwardly again. Every day the Black Tiger Yao remained absent was another day his heart could not rest easy.

He had no idea when it would end.

Another night of cultivation passed.

Realm: second-level half-demon 467/500

The third level was already within sight.

Early the next morning, a burst of violent knocking startled Su Changsheng awake.

Could the Black Tiger Yao be here?

Forcing down his shock, he swept his gaze around the room. After making sure nothing looked suspicious, he hurriedly moved the enormous stone blocking the doorway and slithered outside.

"What took you so long?"

"You made me..."

A Werewolf was muttering in displeasure, about to berate him, when he suddenly caught sight of Su Changsheng's body, a good thirty percent burlier than his own, and the thick tail behind him.

What a thick, huge... half-snake yao!

This fellow is not someone to mess with!

The Werewolf grew extremely wary. Just as Su Changsheng's shadow was about to fall over him, he hastily said, "I'm here on Lord Wolf Yao's behalf to collect last month's dues. Please pay what you owe."

Wolf Yao?

That Old Wolf from the neighboring territory?

Su Changsheng frowned and eyed the Werewolf suspiciously before saying slowly, "Isn't this the Tiger Lord's territory? Why has the Wolf Lord suddenly taken over?"

The Half-Demon Grounds were jointly ruled by four lesser yao. The Black Tiger Yao was the strongest and held the largest territory, while a Wolf Yao occupied the territory next door. Their relationship was unremarkable, but they could not be called enemies either.

"Well..."

The little Werewolf's eyes shifted, and he hesitated, seemingly unwilling to explain.

Seeing this, Su Changsheng took a Hair-Shedding Talisman from inside his clothing and slipped it to him with a smile. "You've come a long way, little Wolf Lord. Please accept this Hair-Shedding Talisman as a gift from me."

A Hair-Shedding Talisman was worth only one jin of flesh, a price he could afford. He understood the principle well: the King of Hell was easy to deal with; it was the little devils who were troublesome.

The little Werewolf first glanced to either side. Once he confirmed no other yao were around, he accepted the Hair-Shedding Talisman with satisfaction and tucked it into his clothing.

Su Changsheng calling him "little Wolf Lord" also dispelled his wariness and brought them much closer. Lowering his voice, he said:

"To tell you the truth... I don't know what's going on either!"

"But..."