Over the next few days, Su Changsheng obediently stayed holed up in his stone house, working hard to produce snake saliva ice to keep himself fed.
If he could avoid leaving the house, he did.
The outside world was too dangerous. Half-demons died every day, and Wraith Beast attacks were growing more frequent. Unease had spread throughout Yao Stronghold.
Fortunately, he was a demon who could endure staying home and exercise patience. Aside from occasionally growing so hungry that he panicked, and becoming increasingly convinced that his tail must taste sweet and delicious, he grew ever more adept at making snake saliva ice.
His snake saliva ice talent, now at the Skilled Level, proved far more powerful than expected. Not only was his breath colder, but his production speed had also increased more than tenfold.
Previously, producing a palm-sized piece of this talent material had taken nearly a month. Now, it took only three or four days.
The improvement was downright demon-frightening.
And as he continued adapting to his newfound talent power, that speed was still increasing.
Beyond that, the improvement in his talent had brought subtle changes to Su Changsheng's half-demon body. His strength, speed, flexibility, and other attributes had all improved a little.
Although he remained at the very bottom of Yao Stronghold, it had shown him another path to strength besides practicing the Breathing Technique.
It felt rather like reaching the end of the mountains and rivers with no road in sight, only to find another village beyond shaded willows and bright blossoms.
"Perhaps innate talents matter far more to demons than I imagined. It's just a shame there's so little information about them."
Su Changsheng sighed inwardly.
In the Wilds, information and knowledge were more precious than even high-grade blood food.
Some knowledge never circulated among half-demons at all.
After roughly four days, Su Changsheng successfully produced a piece of snake saliva ice about one-third smaller than his monthly dues.
Only after completing his planned objective did Su Changsheng breathe a sigh of relief and review his survival settlements from the past few days.
He had originally possessed 105 points. Improving his talent had cost 80, leaving him with 25. Now, however, his survival points had risen from 25 to 45, an increase of 20.
Twenty points in four days was hardly a small amount. It was mainly thanks to two favorable survival evaluations.
Evaluation one: Cautious and adaptable. You keenly recognized the potential danger posed by Demon Art Runes, abandoned your original plan, and decisively chose to improve your own talent. You possess a cautious heart, yet know how to adapt rather than remaining rigid. This is highly beneficial to survival. Survival points +10 Evaluation two: Unwavering resolve. Condensing talent materials taxes both mind and body. Your performance during this period was commendable. To keep yourself fed, you refused to slack off and steadfastly pursued your objective once it was set. Survival points +6
The other four survival points were the guaranteed minimum from the remaining two days, two points per day, without so much as an evaluation.
Although Su Changsheng had completed his objective ahead of his estimated production time, he did not rush to find Black Tiger and exchange it for blood food. Instead, he relied on his scraps of remaining food and fantasies about his own tail to hold out for several more days.
He stubbornly endured until the middle of the month.
During that time, he repeatedly reviewed his upcoming plan, checking for gaps and plugging holes every day. Only when he truly could find no more flaws did he prepare to seek out Black Tiger Yao.
At noon that day.
For the first time, Su Changsheng practiced several rounds of the Breathing Technique during daylight. The multiplied expenditure left him so hungry that his belly clung to his backbone. His eyes were faintly bloodshot, and his face was as pale as a corpse's, making him look terribly weak.
There was no misunderstanding it: he was not doing this to win Black Tiger Yao's sympathy. He had another purpose.
The world of demons had room for every bizarre thing imaginable, but it knew nothing of sympathy.
Weakness was the original sin!
That alone was the truth.
"Let's begin!"
Su Changsheng drew a deep breath, hesitated no longer, moved the boulder aside, and slithered out, heading straight for his destination.
Seeking out Black Tiger Yao to trade snake saliva ice was already the least dangerous of all his options for survival. He could not guarantee that nothing would go wrong. He could only do his best.
He knew the danger, but to survive, he had no choice!
It was like how some people could spend their lives drinking and carousing, lost in glittering extravagance.
While others had to expend every ounce of strength just to keep breathing.
He was no different.
The Black Mountain Demon Stockade backed onto the Black Mountain Range and occupied hundreds of thousands of mu.
It was a sizable place indeed.
The area where Su Changsheng lived was called the Half-Demon Grounds, situated in a remote southwestern corner of Yao Stronghold. Most of Yao Stronghold's half-demons were concentrated here.
Black Tiger Yao and several other lesser demons jointly managed it.
In truth, demons placed considerable importance on bloodlines. Half-demons had thin, heavily mixed bloodlines, so among the Demon Race of the Wilds, most were the lowest-grade cannon fodder, there to be exploited.
Lesser demons like Black Tiger Yao, with impeccable origins and pure tiger bloodlines, looked down on these lowly half-demons even more.
It was the same principle as those inside the establishment looking down on those outside it.
Black Tiger Yao's residence was easy to identify. The tallest, largest stone house in the area belonged to him.
With the snake saliva ice tucked against his chest, Su Changsheng proceeded cautiously, making himself as inconspicuous as possible.
Perhaps it was because it was daytime, when many demons preferred to sleep. Perhaps it was because most half-demons could not get far enough away from Black Tiger Yao.
Either way, nothing went wrong along the way.
None of the emergency contingencies Su Changsheng had prepared were needed.
After traveling for roughly another seven or eight minutes, before he even approached Black Tiger Yao's residence, Su Changsheng felt a towering wave of killing intent strike him head-on, mixed with a nauseating, bloody stench.
All the snow around the enormous stone house had turned pitch-black, corroded by prolonged exposure to Black Tiger Yao's demon power.
Black Tiger was not inside the stone house. His massive demonic body, nearly ten meters long, lay curled directly in front of it.
He seemed to be resting with his eyes closed.
Every so often, he gave off a rumbling sound like a tiger's thunderous roar. Wisps of demonic wind constantly howled from his mouth.
So powerful!
Even seeing Black Tiger Yao again, Su Changsheng could not stop his body from tingling, his heartbeat from quickening, or cold sweat from pouring out. This was not cowardice, but awe born of the disparity between their levels of existence.
Anyone confronted with such an enormous creature would have felt some fear.
Just then.
Before Su Changsheng could approach, a sinister wind came howling over, binding his serpentine body. He rose into the air and flew straight toward Black Tiger Yao.
Crack, crack, crack.
At that moment, Su Changsheng felt as though his serpentine body was about to be crushed. Amid the excruciating pain, he could also feel endless, sinister cold invading his flesh.
It was a Wailing Ghost!
Black Tiger Yao's Wailing Ghost was at work.
"Food delivered right to my door!"
As those chilling words rang out, Black Tiger Yao abruptly opened his closed eyes. His scarlet gaze laid bare his ferocity.
Without questions, investigation, or even the slightest curiosity, Black Tiger Yao could not be bothered to find out why Su Changsheng had come. He intended to eat him outright.
This was the Wilds Yao Stronghold!
This was the creed the Demon Race lived by!
Bloody, brutal, and utterly devoid of reason.
Here, one must never impose human morality or human ways of life.
This was the most dangerous stage of the entire plan. The slightest misstep would leave his soul scattered into nothingness.
But Su Changsheng had anticipated this and rehearsed this situation many times.
He raised the snake saliva ice in his hand a little, first drawing a fraction of Black Tiger Yao's attention. Then he seized the opportunity and said in a hurried, hoarse voice, "Tiger Lord, I've come to hand over my snake saliva ice."
Sure enough, as soon as those words fell.
Black Tiger Yao paused slightly, but still did not release Su Changsheng. He merely ordered the Wailing Ghost to take the snake saliva ice from his hand, then examined it closely.
Only after a long while did that icy voice sound again. "Interesting. It's only the middle of the month, yet you've already made a piece of snake saliva ice!"
"It seems you've made some substantial gains recently."
Black Tiger Yao's interest had been piqued. For now, Su Changsheng had survived the first brush with death in his plan.
Next, it was time for him to put on a performance!
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