Hunting Demons on Flower-Fruit Mountain

"Your Majesty... what about the tribulation of love? The Weaver Girl descended to the mortal world precisely to face this tribulation. Though the Buddhist sect interfered, Cowherd is dead, so the tribulation!"

"The tribulation is half over."

The Jade Emperor spoke indifferently.

"How could a tribulation of love be so easily overcome? Cowherd was merely a shadow in her tribulation. That brat's appearance burned the shadow to ashes, but the intent of the tribulation won't simply vanish into thin air!"

He looked east.

"I'm afraid this tribulation will be imprinted on that brat."

Taibai Jinxing drew a sharp breath.

"Your Majesty, then what should we do next...?"

"Wait."

The Jade Emperor slowly closed his eyes.

"When the workings of heaven are in chaos, haste is useless."

"Let my youngest daughter... choose for herself."

He crossed the cliff!

The view suddenly opened up, and an endless expanse of azure ocean rushed into sight!

The East Sea!

And on the shore of the East Sea stood a towering peak.

Its forests were lush and green, clouds and mist wreathed its slopes, and the Spiritual Qi was so dense it had almost taken physical form.

A waterfall cascaded down from halfway up the mountain like a white dragon bursting from a ravine. It crashed into a deep pool beneath the cliff, and sunlight caught the spray, revealing a faint, seven-colored rainbow.

Flower-Fruit Mountain!

A grotto-heaven and blessed land known to every household in China.

It was also one of the most famous demon kingdoms in this world!

Jiang Zhe gazed intently at the rolling mountains.

There really were plenty of demons on Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The most famous was the Demon King of Havoc!

He would be the first whetstone Brother Monkey encountered after returning to the mountain, the beginner village boss.

The Demon King of Havoc was still around, which meant one thing:

Brother Monkey was most likely still learning his arts on Mount Fangcun, or perhaps he had already finished and was on his way back to the mountain.

"Since they're demons..."

Jiang Zhe lowered his head and glanced at his current body, which had been repeatedly scoured by Samadhi True Fire and Green Lotus Core Flame!

His skin was as white as mutton-fat jade, with a faint, jade-like glow. Beneath every inch of it, surging magma seemed to lie dormant, and his flesh was as tough as a magic treasure!

On top of that, he had the profound magic power of Peak Dao Integration, as well as the sky-piercing, savage presence of Wild Bull Force...

If a demon king with a keen sense of smell caught his scent, it would probably drool all over the ground on the spot.

Wild Bull Force was no breath-concealing technique. Quite the opposite: the more he cultivated it, the more brazen and overbearing his presence became!

"As long as I take a stroll around Flower-Fruit Mountain, if I'm lucky, maybe they'll come right to my door."

Jiang Zhe chuckled.

There were plenty of demons on Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The seventy-two demon kings were no joke.

As he pondered, Jiang Zhe carefully stepped across the boundary of Flower-Fruit Mountain.

Soft, decaying leaves lay beneath his feet, and the fragrance of all manner of exotic flowers and fruits filled his nose.

He looked up!

Bananas, peaches, pears, apricots... fruit hung in heavy clusters from the branches.

Flower-Fruit Mountain truly lived up to its name as a treasure land!

Jiang Zhe gave a small leap and reached out lightly in midair. A ripe banana landed neatly in his palm.

He had just spent more than ten shichen running at full speed, and his stomach was empty.

He simply sat cross-legged beneath an old peach tree, peeling a banana and munching on a peach as he released his divine sense and quietly felt for the Demonic Qi around him.

"They're here!"

The next instant, Jiang Zhe's eyes suddenly flashed!

From deep within the forest, the sound of heavy breathing drew closer!

Immediately afterward!

Crash!

A huge green-scaled python burst out of the forest!

The python was as thick as a bucket. Its body, more than ten meters long, coiled on the ground, its triangular head raised high and its scarlet tongue flicking far out!

The moment it saw Jiang Zhe, its whole body went rigid! Then greedy drool trickled between its bared fangs.

"A human... smells so good..."

"Be a good boy and get in my belly, the belly of Great King Green Snake!"

A rough voice came from the python's mouth. Before it had finished speaking, its entire body sprang forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, its bloody maw wide open as it lunged straight at Jiang Zhe!

It plainly intended to swallow Jiang Zhe whole, bones and all!

However!

Facing that bloody maw rushing toward him!

There wasn't the slightest trace of panic on Jiang Zhe's face.

The snake might have looked intimidating, but its strength was nothing special! It hadn't even fully transformed into human form; at most, it had only just gained sentience.

A creature like this wasn't fit to carry that old yellow ox's shoes.

Jiang Zhe couldn't be bothered to transform.

He slowly raised his right hand and flicked a fingertip!

Fwoosh!

A wisp of green flame leaped from his fingertip, swaying gracefully as it formed a green lotus bud.

Jiang Zhe turned his wrist, and the green lotus left his hand, drifting gently into the air.

The next second!

Boom!!

The green lotus suddenly blossomed!

Layer upon layer of petals burst apart, becoming a sea of green fire that blotted out the sky and engulfed the green-scaled python and its bloody maw alike!

"Hisssss!!!"

The python let out a piercing scream, its enormous body twisting violently in midair as it struggled desperately!

But once the Green Lotus Core Flame caught hold, it clung like gangrene to bone, burning even the soul!

Thud!

The python fell from the air and slammed heavily into the ground, leaving a shallow pit.

Within a few breaths, its enormous body had burned and curled into a charred log, without the slightest breath of life remaining.

An instant kill!

As one of the top-tier strange fires in a fantasy world, the Green Lotus Core Flame's power was naturally not to be underestimated.

Though it wasn't as outrageous as Samadhi True Fire, with Jiang Zhe's Peak Dao Integration magic power behind it, instantly killing a minor demon that had only just gained sentience!

Easy.

"With strength like that, you dare call yourself a demon king?"

Jiang Zhe shook his head and walked over to the charred remains.

He glanced at the snake's blackened body, and a flicker of pain at the loss crossed his eyes.

Alas.

His fire was powerful enough, but his control over its strength was still far too crude.

He had originally wanted to find out what demon snake meat from the world of Journey to the West tasted like...

Well, at least it had left him the ashes of its bones.

[Green-scaled python slain · Merit +100]

[Current merit: 300]

Golden text rose from the charred remains, turning into an invisible warm current that flowed into Jiang Zhe's body.

Jiang Zhe was momentarily stunned, and then his eyes instantly grew heated!

A minor demon that had only just gained sentience could give him 100 merit points?!

Then how much could the seventy-two demon kings of Flower-Fruit Mountain and all their minor demons give him altogether?!

He hesitated no longer!

Without another word, Jiang Zhe rode that wave of excitement and began searching through the forest.

One stick of incense later.

[Mountain sprite slain · Merit +100]

[Stone-armored lizard slain · Merit +100]

[Current merit: 500]

He ran into two more minor demons of the same level in succession, and Jiang Zhe killed them cleanly and efficiently.

Three minor demons, 300 merit points earned.

"Not bad, not bad."

Jiang Zhe nodded in satisfaction.

Looking at the 500 merit points on the panel, he pondered for a moment, then acted without hesitation!

"System! Raise Wild Bull Force to proficient!"

[500 merit consumed. Wild Bull Force raised to proficient]

[Current merit: 0]

As the panel refreshed, a familiar, powerful force erupted inside him!