Stone-Forging Art

A tide of refugees!

Before Su Changsheng had even finished listening, his heart lurched, and those words sprang unbidden into his mind.

He couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath of cold air.

An age of chaos was coming!

Under the snow disaster, the situation in the Left and Right Strongholds of the Black Mountain Demon Stockade had already been hanging by a thread.

Now massive unrest had suddenly erupted in the Left Stronghold. Although it had been suppressed, the Left Stronghold had obligingly collapsed first, and the formation of a refugee tide was already a certainty.

There was no avoiding it.

With the Left Stronghold in such a state, how could the Right Stronghold escape unscathed?

If heavy snow hadn't sealed off the mountains, making the safe passages between the three strongholds impassable for the moment, fleeing yao residents would already have poured into the Black Mountain Demon Stockade in droves.

"Why didn't the Great Yao step in to stop it? Did they just stand by and watch the Left Stronghold collapse?"

Su Changsheng still couldn't understand.

This world had no host of unfounded moral restraints, nor so many rules and restrictions. It was a world where overwhelming might reigned supreme and strength stood above all.

The Great Yao, whose power could shake mountains and seas, could single-handedly wipe out every rebel who dared defy their superiors.

In their eyes, the Yao Stronghold's collapse was nothing more than a swarm of ants hopping about beneath their feet.

"What do you mean, they didn't stop it!"

"The Left Stronghold is that madam's territory. Lots of Lesser Yao were sent over to suppress the unrest. But it came so suddenly, and so strangely, on such a massive scale that it seemed planned. Quite a few of the upper-ranking Lesser Yao in the Left Stronghold died in the chaos before they could react."

"Although it was suppressed afterward, the collapse could no longer be prevented. But the madam was merciful. Seeing what had happened, she personally used her mighty power to open a safe passage and allowed us to flee here."

"That's why I said I'm only among the first batch of yao residents to flee here. There are plenty more behind us, dragging their families along. Just wait. It won't be long before they all arrive."

"With so many yao residents crammed into the Main Stronghold, how are we supposed to get by!"

The toad yao sighed, looking miserable amid the curling smoke.

Su Changsheng remained silent.

The Left Stronghold's sudden collapse, that Great Yao's response, the formation of the refugee tide, the Main Stronghold's attitude... none of it was normal!

Those Great Yao couldn't possibly be unaware that once the refugee tide flooded into the Main Stronghold, its destructive force would grow by the day. The entire Black Mountain Demon Stockade might then be dragged into the abyss.

It was clearly the worst possible choice, yet they were letting it unfold!

Did that make sense?

Could the rumors really be true? Were the three Great Yao ruling the Black Mountain Demon Stockade at odds with one another? Were the two Great Yao ruling the Left and Right Strongholds deeply dissatisfied with the overlord who ruled the Black Mountain Demon Stockade?

Was this so-called collapse, this so-called refugee tide, merely the result of the Great Yao of the Left and Right Strongholds trying to force their territories into the Black Mountain Demon Stockade, dividing its domain three ways?

Was that why the Great Yao were allowing the Yao Stronghold to collapse despite possessing supreme power?

This fucked-up world and its filthy politics. In every struggle for power and profit, the sacrifices were always those at the bottom.

Su Changsheng considered many possibilities, his heart heavy.

When the nest was overturned, no egg remained whole!

Weakness itself was the original sin!

Faced with the Great Yao's contest, bottom-rung monsters like them, who didn't even qualify as pawns, could only passively savor whatever came their way.

Perhaps that was also why there had been rumors about opening up new territory. Reclamation was the Main Stronghold's Great Yao's countermove!

More possibilities occurred to Su Changsheng.

Since you dare dump so many residents from the Left and Right Strongholds on me, hoping to force the three strongholds together and carve the Main Stronghold into thirds, I'll dare launch a reclamation campaign and send them all out as cannon fodder!

Let's see whose heart aches then!

And the best part is, the justification is perfectly legitimate. It holds up completely!

The top plays its games, and the bottom pays the price!

Why don't you three just have a fight and settle it? Whoever's strongest takes the biggest share. Why put on this act, playing the whore while demanding a monument to your chastity!

Fuck!

Su Changsheng cursed inwardly. That Great Yao of the Left Stronghold, in particular, was clearly a scheming piece of work.

Of the Yao Stronghold's three Great Yao, the ruler of the Left Stronghold was a thousand-year-old Great Yao named White Madam. The ruler of the Right Stronghold was named Zhou Hu, another Great Yao with nearly a thousand years of demon power.

The former was the hidden ruler behind the Demoness Market, while the latter was the boss of the Spirit Plant Shop.

As for the yao king ruling the Black Mountain Demon Stockade, he called himself the Black Mountain Yao King. His strength and true form were entirely unknown. He had founded the Black Mountain Demon Stockade single-handedly.

Looks like I'd better prepare more blood food before the refugee tide arrives.

Su Changsheng immediately thought of food.

No one could escape the games played at the top. They would only be swept helplessly into the prevailing tide. Since that was the case, the only thing he could do was arm himself further before it arrived.

Stockpile enough food, and prepare enough trump cards.

Meet every change by holding steady; build high walls and store ample grain. One day, he would be able to take charge of his own life.

Su Changsheng asked a few more questions. After learning that Toad Oil also had a decent body-tempering effect, he bought ten small jars from the toad yao in one go.

They cost five Concealment Runes in total.

What a killing! There's not even any tax, so why is this stuff still so expensive? Su Changsheng grumbled inwardly. Looking at the beaming toad yao, he couldn't resist asking, "How do you extract Toad Oil?"

The toad yao paused briefly, then fixed large eyes on Su Changsheng while rubbing a buttock with one claw. With a clear gaze and utter sincerity, the toad said, "Lord Snake, my esteemed toad friend, take my advice. The origins of Toad Oil are beyond your ability to handle. You're better off not knowing."

"I'm thinking of your welfare, truly! What can dispel your worries? Only Toad Oil! Just down it and be done!"

Su Changsheng: "..."

That was the same logic as printing "smoking harms your health" on a cigarette pack!

Fuck you!

After bidding farewell to the amusing toad yao, Su Changsheng continued wandering with his large sack on his back.

Along the way, he spotted Eagle Yao, who looked hurried, offered only a greeting from afar, and disappeared into the crowd of yao.

The fellow seemed rather afraid of him now, though he had no idea why.

Then Su Changsheng struck a run of luck. He actually discovered a fairly ordinary Demon Art whose strengths were its stability and lack of pitfalls.

Those Demon Arts from Fox Woman had truly frightened him earlier. Now, whenever he looked at any Demon Art, he felt like a bird that startled at the mere twang of a bowstring.

Demon Art: Stone-Forging Art

It was a Demon Art that used demon power to draw stones onto specific parts of the yao body, then extracted the essence within the rock to strengthen and forge the yao body.

The name alone made it clear that this art must have come from those stone yao, dim-witted but astonishingly gifted.

Good yao!

I'll never call you stupid again. If anyone does, I'll fight them!

Su Changsheng was extremely satisfied.

This art fit his Stone-Shattering Art exceptionally well. Although it would be somewhat difficult to practice, with his prior experience in the Stone-Shattering Art as a foundation, he reckoned he could master it.

Moreover, among all the Demon Arts he had seen, those produced by stone yao were some of the few good ones.

They were incredibly stable, with no hidden pitfalls and not so many taboos. All he needed to do was diligently cultivate them step by step. That did fit those stone yao's dull-witted, honest, and simple nature.

If he combined it with Toad Oil for body tempering, the results might be even better.

He was already itching to go back and try it.