Mid Demon Core Stage

By now, the white light was practically upon it. The golden eagle's demonic power was utterly useless against it. Looking ahead, the eagle saw two figures standing atop the distant mountain peak. Both wore masks, their auras clearly those of human cultivators, and their cultivation levels were noticeably low. A white orb floated before one of them. The sight of this orb only made that lurking sense of dread grow sharper. Startled, the golden eagle dared not confront it head-on. Flapping its wings violently, it darted to the right to evade. Just then, it caught sight of a shadowy silhouette out of the corner of its eye. Appearing on its right out of nowhere, it bore a green face and fangs, resembling an evil ghost, and lunged toward the eagle at astonishing speed. "A Flying Yaksha!" The golden eagle screeched in horror, every feather instantly standing on end. Under normal circumstances, with its original cultivation, it had no reason to fear a mere Flying Yaksha. Yet it was already wounded, and the mysterious white light above was about to crash down. In such a dire predicament, the sudden appearance of the Flying Yaksha was fatal. Thinking fast, the golden eagle immediately changed course and fled toward the left. Just as it seemed poised to slip past the white light, however, it sensed something amiss. Glancing downward, it saw countless vines erupting from the ground. *Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* Shooting into midair at blistering speed, the vines wrapped securely around the golden eagle before it could even counterattack, forming a tight cage. *Bang!* A muffled blast echoed from within the cage as it bulged outward, snapping several vines in the process. At this rate, the cage would never hold the golden eagle for long. Right then, however, the white light plummeted downward, fusing directly into the cage. The cage fell deathly silent, and the vines rapidly reeled it back down until it vanished into a dense forest. Two figures appeared at the forest's edge, standing just outside. Yunyouzi smiled as he gazed into the quiet woods. "The ancient restrictions in this forest are no joke—saying danger lurks at every turn is hardly an exaggeration. There's no way the golden eagle can break free anytime soon. Let it spend its time unraveling the restrictions in there. Let's go!" "Senior, not only can you crack these ancient restrictions, you can even bend them to your own will. This junior is truly filled with admiration!" Qin Sang had watched the entire engagement unfold and was thoroughly impressed by Yunyouzi. Throughout the fight, he and the Flying Yaksha had only shown their faces without actually attacking; the entire ambush had been orchestrated single-handedly by Yunyouzi. If word got out that someone at the False Core stage had trapped a Demon Core stage demon cultivator with barely an effort, hardly anyone would believe it. Yunyouzi replied modestly, "I merely seized the momentum to channel a fraction of the ancient restriction's power. It can hardly be called mastery." *** Trapping the golden eagle had eliminated a major threat, but neither of them let their guard down. They continued breaking through restrictions with everything they had, drawing ever closer to the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit. Upon a sheer precipice, a waterfall cascaded from the heavens like a bolt of white silk. *A torrent plunging down three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way had fallen from the nine heavens.* Nothing could describe this scene better. Qin Sang looked up at the waterfall, marveling at the lingering charm of this former immortal paradise, only to see Yunyouzi fly straight into the cascading water. He hastily followed behind with the Flying Yaksha. Passing through the waterfall, the rocks inside proved slick and wet. Compounded by the crushing weight of the plunging water, finding a footing was nearly impossible. Following Yunyouzi upstream, Qin Sang eventually landed on a protruding boulder, barely managing to keep his balance by pushing his spiritual power to the limit. Tracing Yunyouzi's gaze, Qin Sang scrutinized the rock wall but found nothing out of the ordinary. He cast a puzzled glance toward the old Daoist. Yunyouzi channeled the Flawless Pearl, sending it floating toward the stone wall as he explained, "There is a hidden grotto inside the cliff face. It originally had an ancient restriction of its own, but the demon race later added another layer, making it even more concealed. To those unaware, even sweeping their spiritual sense over the waterfall would reveal nothing." The Flawless Pearl hovered before a moss-covered boulder, releasing waves of white light that seeped into the depths of the cliff face. Before Qin Sang's astonished eyes, the mossy rock turned translucent and gave way to a flight of stone steps leading deep into the stone wall. "Let's go." Yunyouzi took the lead. Ascending the stone steps, they saw a faint green phosphorescence shimmering along the walls, though whether it came from some strange mineral or the manifestation of an ancient restriction remained uncertain. Before long, the soft gurgle of running water reached their ears; an underground river flowed within. Following the river, the passage opened up, growing wider with every step until a massive stone hall suddenly appeared ahead. Bearing no marks of manual excavation, it seemed entirely naturally formed. The stone hall also served as the source of the subterranean river. The waters pooled in the center to form an underground lake, filling the air with damp, biting cold. The water was crystal clear, its surface calm without a ripple. Standing at the entrance of the stone hall, Qin Sang stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes utterly captivated by a spirit tree on the far side of the lake. Across the water lay a shallow hollow. A spirit tree grew from between the rocky fissures. Not particularly tall, it possessed a gnarled trunk and luxuriant foliage, closely resembling a plum tree. Several fruits hung from its boughs, half-hidden among the leaves. The fruits varied in size; the largest was as big as an adult fist, while the smallest were merely the size of longans. Those smaller fruits were all green, clearly still unripe. The largest fruit, however, was a rich purple from top to bottom, its surface covered in dense, concentric cloud patterns of deep crimson, giving it an aura of profound mystery. A rich fruity fragrance emanated from the spirit fruit, permeating the entire cavern. This was a mature Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit! It took its name from its color and cloud patterns. This fruit could mend a cultivator's damaged foundation, and for demon beasts, it was an even greater treasure. Its greatest function lay in helping demon beasts temper and purify their essence blood. With purer bloodlines, their cultivation speed would increase considerably. It was precisely for this reason that demon cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Mound ventured into the Inner Hall to vie for it. However, the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit was only effective for demon beasts below the Demon Core stage, and it grew at an excruciatingly slow pace; only one or two ripened each time Ziwei Palace opened. This time, only a single fruit had matured. Consuming an unripe Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit was useless—a total waste of a heaven-sent treasure. *At last, the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit is within reach!* Ever since he broke through to Foundation Establishment, his foundation had remained damaged for nearly a century. Carrying this compromised body, Qin Sang had pushed forward with sheer grit. Fortunately, blessed with good fortune, he had obtained several exotic treasures that offset the effects of his crippled foundation, ensuring his strength never lagged behind his peers. Yet how could he not yearn for a swift and complete recovery? Now that the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit was finally before him, he could hardly contain the surge of excitement in his chest. Qin Sang clenched his fist and nodded toward Yunyouzi, just about to fly across and pluck the fruit. Right then, a mocking voice suddenly echoed from behind them: "Two mere False Core stage human cultivators, and you dare covet our race's spirit fruit! This king is truly curious—how did you two learn the location of the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit?" Qin Sang and Yunyouzi's expressions changed drastically as they spun around. There at the entrance of the stone hall, stepping out from the darkness with graceful strides, was a black panther. The panther moved without making the slightest sound, its posture fluid and elegant. That refined air made it feel less like an uncivilized demon beast and more like a human aristocrat—indeed, even high nobility could hardly match its elegance. It was utterly absurd. Even more terrifying was the cultivation it made no attempt to conceal. The mid Demon Core stage!