Lu Changsheng felt a jolt of alarm.
Ethereal demons were formless and incorporeal, making them exceptionally troublesome to deal with.
He had not even sensed the slightest stir, yet one had already seeped into the mental consciousness of his mind.
Fortunately, he possessed the Mind Pagoda.
Of course, Lu Changsheng's mental consciousness was extremely powerful in its own right. Even without the Mind Pagoda, an ethereal demon that wormed its way into his mental consciousness would hardly have been able to harm him.
Ordinary Divine Ability realm martial artists, and even Martial Venerables, could only rely on immense mental willpower to resist ethereal demons when confronted by them, keeping the creatures at bay.
Lu Changsheng, however, was different.
He had no intention of relying on passive mental resistance.
*Divine ability, Spiritual Black Hole!*
In the next instant, Lu Changsheng shifted his thought.
He unleashed his Spiritual Black Hole divine ability.
Moreover, he brought it directly over himself, letting it sink into his body in an instant.
Within Lu Changsheng's mind, a colossal vortex like a black hole suddenly manifested.
With pinpoint precision, this black hole vortex enveloped the ethereal demon without posing the slightest threat to Lu Changsheng's own mental consciousness.
*Buzz.*
Though formless and incorporeal, the moment the ethereal demon was swallowed whole by the Spiritual Black Hole, it let out a series of shrill, agonized shrieks.
Then it was devoured by the Spiritual Black Hole, annihilated directly into nothingness, reduced to ash.
Dead.
A formless and incorporeal ethereal demon had vanished utterly just like that, leaving behind not a single trace.
Had Lu Changsheng not perceived it so vividly, he might have believed it to be an illusion.
Yet he was well aware that he had indeed encountered an ethereal demon—and had obliterated it using his divine ability.
*Ethereal demons are truly troublesome. When martial artists run into them, they can only resist passively.*
*Unless one possesses a spirit-attribute divine ability, which happens to counter ethereal demons perfectly.*
*With my Spiritual Black Hole, no ethereal demon can threaten me, no matter how strong it is.*
*If one doesn't have to fear the danger of ethereal demons, this Ethereal Spirit Mountain is actually quite safe.*
Lu Changsheng let out a breath of relief.
With that, he resumed his search.
One day, two days, three days...
In the blink of an eye, three days slipped by.
Over the course of those three days, Lu Changsheng encountered no fewer than six ethereal demons—roughly two every day.
He finally understood why Core Melting Liquid was so difficult to find.
Given the frequency of encountering ethereal demons on Ethereal Spirit Mountain, many martial artists were likely killed by the creatures before they could even locate any Core Melting Liquid.
Even if they could withstand them, how long could they hold out?
In the end, only those who had no fear of ethereal demons whatsoever, or those blessed with extraordinary luck, managed to find some Core Melting Liquid.
Consequently, Core Melting Liquid had remained exceedingly precious all along.
After all, the supply was simply too scarce, and rarity drove up value.
For Lu Changsheng, however, this worked entirely in his favor.
He had no fear of ethereal demons.
Thus, over those three days, he never once paused to rest, searching tirelessly throughout Ethereal Spirit Mountain for Core Melting Liquid.
And his luck, evidently, was far from terrible.
Three days of searching finally brought him to the Core Melting Liquid.
"Core Melting Liquid!"
Following the aura of the Core Melting Liquid, Lu Changsheng finally spotted a single drop.
However, this drop was still slowly condensing.
The so-called Core Melting Liquid was effectively a local specialty of Ethereal Spirit Mountain. While other places could produce it, Ethereal Spirit Mountain naturally yielded far more.
Within Ethereal Spirit Mountain existed a peculiar environment that, over prolonged periods, could condense Core Melting Liquid.
At that moment, Lu Changsheng saw the faint silhouette of a gathering mist within a mountain ravine.
The mist was continuously condensing, until it slowly coalesced into three distinct droplets of water.
In truth, this was Core Melting Liquid.
These three drops were still in the process of forming.
If one failed to spot Core Melting Liquid while it was taking shape, the moment it dropped onto the ground, it would vanish completely. Once absorbed into the earth, it became impossible to find, only to enter the cycle again and reappear elsewhere on Ethereal Spirit Mountain in the future.
This was precisely why Core Melting Liquid was so difficult to find and so scarce in quantity.
One had to happen upon the liquid right as it was forming and then wait in silence for it to fully condense.
Lu Changsheng waited an entire day before the three drops of Core Melting Liquid finally finished coalescing.
He then retrieved a porcelain vial and stored all three drops inside.
"Three drops of Core Melting Liquid—a hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones!"
Lu Changsheng was very pleased.
This was equivalent to fifteen drops of Heavenly Spirit Water.
It was only natural; Core Melting Liquid was in such demand that money often could not buy it, making it far more precious than Heavenly Spirit Water.
Still, this had been purely a stroke of luck.
He had already spent four or five days on Ethereal Spirit Mountain, yet had only obtained three drops of Core Melting Liquid.
At this rate, he would at most gather ten or twenty drops in total, and even that assumed his good luck held out the entire time.
Over the course of those four or five days, most of the martial artists who entered Ethereal Spirit Mountain had likely come away completely empty-handed—all while keeping their hearts in their throats, constantly praying not to run into ethereal demons.
"Onward."
After stowing the three drops of Core Melting Liquid, Lu Changsheng resumed his search across Ethereal Spirit Mountain.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, before Lu Changsheng could even leave the mountain ravine, his mind wavered in a daze.
His mental consciousness had come under attack once more, and the Mind Pagoda radiated brilliant light.
An ethereal demon!
Another ethereal demon!
What was more, this time there was more than one.
Lu Changsheng settled his mind and discovered three whole shadowy masses within his mindscape, representing three ethereal demons.
Encountering three ethereal demons all at once was no ordinary occurrence.
"Spiritual Black Hole!"
Lu Changsheng showed no fear.
With a single cast of the Spiritual Black Hole, he swallowed the three ethereal demons whole, reducing them to ash.
Yet this seemed to give Lu Changsheng a flash of insight.
*Three drops of Core Melting Liquid, and I ran into ethereal demons—not just one, but three.*
*In fact, the closer I drew to this place earlier, the more frequently I encountered ethereal demons.*
*Could there be an intimate connection between ethereal demons and Core Melting Liquid?*
*Or perhaps, wherever ethereal demons gather, there is a high probability of Core Melting Liquid being present?*
Lu Changsheng considered the possibility.
With so many ethereal demons on Ethereal Spirit Mountain and so many martial artists having ventured inside over the years, it seemed no one had ever drawn such a conclusion.
Or rather, even if someone had recognized the pattern, it would have been useless to them.
Who would willingly seek out ethereal demons?
Lu Changsheng, however, was different.
His Spiritual Black Hole utterly countered ethereal demons.
Moreover, with the Mind Pagoda, his mental defenses would not be breached in a split second. As long as he detected an ethereal demon, he could immediately cast his divine ability to devour it.
Therefore, no matter how many ethereal demons there were, they posed no threat to him whatsoever.
Rather than wandering aimlessly across Ethereal Spirit Mountain relying on blind luck, it would be far better to actively search for ethereal demons.
Perhaps where the ethereal demons converged, he would find an abundance of Core Melting Liquid.
With that thought, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer.
He began actively seeking out ethereal demons.
In truth, tracking ethereal demons required a certain knack.
As one drew closer to an ethereal demon, a subtle, distinct sensation would arise.
Furthermore, ethereal demons would actively close in on martial artists.
Time ticked away.
One hour, three hours, five hours...
In just five hours, Lu Changsheng encountered ethereal demons once again.
"Hmm?"
"There are two ethereal demons here. Could there be more nearby?"
Having run into two more ethereal demons, Lu Changsheng did not rush to leave this time.
Instead, he carefully searched the surrounding area, focusing his senses on the presence of ethereal demons.
With this thorough search, he truly did sense them.
After all, within this single region, the distance was not particularly great.
Ethereal demons were difficult to perceive, but that was only when one did not search attentively. If one scrutinized the surroundings closely, the faint stirrings could still be discerned.
"To the southwest, there are ethereal demons—roughly three of them."
Lu Changsheng immediately flew toward the southwest.
A moment later, a familiar scene greeted his eyes.
A vast swathe of mist billowed across the landscape, continuously condensing.
"Is this... the scene of Core Melting Liquid coalescing?"
Lu Changsheng felt a surge of delight.
Core Melting Liquid.
It was Core Melting Liquid once again!
How long had it been since he obtained the previous three drops?
Merely a few hours.
To think he had encountered Core Melting Liquid so soon.
Could it simply be good luck?
Lu Changsheng pondered carefully.
Luck was certainly a factor, but a far greater reason likely aligned with his hypothesis.
There was indeed a connection between ethereal demons and Core Melting Liquid.
Where ethereal demons gathered, Core Melting Liquid was very likely present.
Perhaps ethereal demons possessed a sharper sense for Core Melting Liquid, often arriving a step ahead to lie in wait where it was forming.
Or perhaps there was another reason entirely.
Regardless, as long as ethereal demons gathered in large numbers, Lu Changsheng could follow the trail to locate Core Melting Liquid.
Lu Changsheng knew there were bound to be ethereal demons in the vicinity.
Yet he could not pinpoint them, sensing only the faintest wisp of their presence.
Ethereal demons were formless and incorporeal; unless they entered one's mental consciousness, they were virtually impossible to detect.
No matter, though.
Since he could not sense them clearly, Lu Changsheng could not be bothered to try any further.
*Buzz.*
In the next instant, Lu Changsheng unleashed his Spiritual Black Hole divine ability.
In the void, an enormous black hole slowly manifested, blotting out the sky and instantly covering half the heavens.
The surrounding light seemed to plunge into darkness all at once.
Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Black Hole devoured the mental consciousness of every living entity in the vicinity with brazen, overwhelming force.
So long as it was spirit, nothing could escape being consumed by the Spiritual Black Hole.
Lu Changsheng was operating on the principle of err on the side of caution—sparing nothing in his path.
In any case, there were virtually no wild beasts on Ethereal Spirit Mountain, only ethereal demons.
His Spiritual Black Hole's wide-area devouring would consume only ethereal demons.
Sure enough, this tactic proved remarkably effective.
Before long, Lu Changsheng felt one ethereal demon after another being swallowed into his Spiritual Black Hole.
One, two, three, four, five...
There were actually five whole ethereal demons here.
Of course, Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Black Hole covered a massive radius, but even at its widest, it was largely confined to this local area.
That meant five ethereal demons had been roaming this single territory.
Such a number was already quite substantial.
"Retract."
Lu Changsheng reined in the Spiritual Black Hole.
Now the area was safe; the ethereal demons had essentially been swallowed clean by his Spiritual Black Hole.
With that, Lu Changsheng waited with peace of mind.
Core Melting Liquid required time to fully coalesce.
One day later, Lu Changsheng looked down at the porcelain vial in his hand, a faint smile spreading across his face.
"Three more drops of Core Melting Liquid."
"Not bad luck at all. In just a few days, I've gathered six drops of Core Melting Liquid."
Lu Changsheng smiled with genuine delight.
It was not merely because of these six drops, but more importantly because he seemed to have uncovered the secret to gathering Core Melting Liquid.
Namely: seek out ethereal demons!
Furthermore, the more ethereal demons there were, the better. A greater concentration of ethereal demons meant a far higher likelihood of more Core Melting Liquid taking shape.
Days passed one after another.
In the blink of an eye, ten-odd days had flown by.
"Hmm?"
"Divine ability fluctuations ahead... is someone there?"
Lu Changsheng sensed the ripples of a divine ability and swiftly flew forward.
Soon, he spotted a top-tier Divine Ability realm martial artist up ahead unleashing a divine ability, seemingly locked in a fierce battle against an ethereal demon.
However, the divine ability appeared to have little effect against the ethereal demon.
After all, it was not a spirit-attribute divine ability.
The martial artist seemed to be struggling to cope with the ethereal demon, but because he possessed a treasure that protected his mind and spirit, he was in no immediate danger for the time being.
Even with the ethereal demon present, the martial artist showed no intention of leaving.
Lu Changsheng swept his gaze across the area and immediately spotted a large swathe of mist condensing.
Clearly, more Core Melting Liquid was brewing here, not yet fully formed.
No wonder this top-tier Divine Ability realm martial artist refused to leave despite struggling against the ethereal demon—he was staying for the Core Melting Liquid.
Lu Changsheng drifted through the void toward him.
Just as he was about to speak, the top-tier Divine Ability realm martial artist caught sight of him, and his expression instantly warped in horror.
"Venerable Lu!"
Without a second thought, with a sharp *whoosh*, the man spun around and fled.
In the blink of an eye, he turned into a streak of light and vanished without a trace.
The sight left Lu Changsheng parting his lips in sheer bewilderment.
Was he really that terrifying?
A Divine Ability realm martial artist had merely caught sight of him, only to flee in utter panic as if facing a mortal calamity—abandoning even the Core Melting Liquid without a backward glance.
Upon reflection, however, Lu Changsheng roughly understood the man's reasoning.
Lu Changsheng was no longer an unknown figure.
He was the renowned Venerable Lu, a top-tier Martial Venerable!
Earlier, at the foot of Ethereal Spirit Mountain, Lu Changsheng had unleashed his boundless divine ability, and that display of all-suppressing might had been witnessed by countless Divine Ability realm martial artists.
Running into him now inside Ethereal Spirit Mountain, who wouldn't be terrified?
Within Ethereal Spirit Mountain, killing others to seize their Core Melting Liquid was by no means uncommon.
The man clearly knew he was no match for Lu Changsheng and had simply chosen to retreat immediately.
Such was the deterrent power Lu Changsheng commanded now.
Without realizing it, he had grown into an illustrious, top-tier Martial Venerable.
Lu Changsheng glanced at the Core Melting Liquid. It would still take a little time to fully form.
With a wave of his hand, the Spiritual Black Hole manifested once more, devouring all the ethereal demons in the vicinity.
After waiting another day, the Core Melting Liquid finally finished coalescing.
This time, there were only two drops, but it was still a welcome gain.
Day after day slipped by.
Ten days, twenty days, twenty-five days...
Ethereal Spirit Mountain remained open for only one month, and just a few days remained before the deadline arrived.
*Rumble!*
Suddenly, Ethereal Spirit Mountain shook violently.
Everyone inside the mountain raised their heads at that moment, only to see vast plumes of mist gathering in the void.
The mist blotted out the sky and sun, blanketing an area a hundred li across.
"Heavens, is this... Core Melting Liquid?"
"A cloud of Core Melting Liquid mist covering a hundred li! Once it fully condenses, just how many drops will there be? Ten drops, twenty drops, or perhaps fifty drops?"
"...your harvest on Ethereal Spirit Mountain must not be bad."
"Not bad. Fellow Daoist Fiery Cloud, your harvest must be quite good as well, right?"
"Hahaha! My luck was truly quite good this time; I harvested ten drops of Core Melting Liquid!"
Venerable Fiery Cloud made no effort to conceal it, laughing heartily.
Ten drops of Core Melting Liquid was indeed a bountiful haul.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, an opportunity like this is exceedingly rare. Tens of drops of Core Melting Liquid covering a vast expanse, but this spot is undoubtedly the core region—there must be dozens of drops here."
"What do you say we join hands to drive off these Divine Ability realm martial artists?"
"When the time comes, I will only take thirty percent of the Core Melting Liquid!"
A gleam flashed in Venerable Fiery Cloud's eyes.
His ambitions were grand indeed—he actually wanted to join forces with Lu Changsheng to expel the other Divine Ability realm martial artists and claim the lion's share of the Core Melting Liquid for themselves.
*Swish!*
As Lu Changsheng and Venerable Fiery Cloud spoke, many of the remaining Divine Ability realm martial artists fixed their gazes upon the two of them.
Their expressions were decidedly unfriendly.
"Fellow Daoists, do you intend to monopolize the Core Melting Liquid?"
"With so much Core Melting Liquid, we cannot possibly allow you two to hoard it all!"
"Hmph! Even if you are Venerable Lu and Venerable Fiery Cloud, we can easily join forces to clash with you!"
The remaining dozens of Divine Ability realm martial artists were well aware of the situation.
Lu Changsheng and Venerable Fiery Cloud were formidable; if they joined hands, who could stand against them?
Consequently, they genuinely banded together—or at least shared a unified stance: they would never let Lu Changsheng and Venerable Fiery Cloud monopolize the Core Melting Liquid!
"Heheh, a rabble of chickens and dogs!"
"Brother Lu, if you agree, thirty percent or even twenty percent will do!"
Venerable Fiery Cloud showed no fear.
How many great battles had he weathered? Why would he fear being besieged?
He knew very well just how terrifying Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Black Hole divine ability was; it had no fear of numbers whatsoever.
With him assisting Lu Changsheng from the side, what did it matter if the other martial artists swarmed them?
They would never be able to touch them!
Even Venerable Jingyun looked as though he were facing a formidable foe.
Lu Changsheng did not agree right away.
He cast his gaze around the surroundings, then spoke in a soft voice: "Venerable Fiery Cloud, even if we join forces and drive away these Divine Ability realm martial artists, I'm afraid you won't be taking any Core Melting Liquid with you."
"In fact, you might even leave your life behind here."
Lu Changsheng's words took Venerable Fiery Cloud aback.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, what do you mean by that?"
Was Lu Changsheng unwilling to yield even ten percent? But even if he refused, he would not have put it that way.
"Everyone, such a massive commotion drew all of you here. Do you truly believe the ethereal demons wouldn't be drawn here as well?"
"Those who wish to leave had better do so immediately. If you delay any longer, I fear you won't be able to leave at all!"
Lu Changsheng's words echoed through the void.
"Ethereal demons?"
A collective chill ran through everyone's hearts.
Indeed, ethereal demons.
They had been so consumed with competing for the Core Melting Liquid, yearning to seize a massive quantity, that they had forgotten where they were—this was Ethereal Spirit Mountain, home to those terrifying ethereal demons!
One or two ethereal demons, or even a handful, did not frighten these Divine Ability martial artists.
They each had their own methods—be it divine abilities, treasures, or extraordinary mental willpower, they could generally withstand a few ethereal demons; otherwise, they would never have entered Ethereal Spirit Mountain.
Yet facing several ethereal demons was one thing, while confronting dozens or even hundreds was an entirely different matter.
As they all began employing their own techniques to perceive the ethereal demons, someone suddenly detected them and drew a sharp, ragged breath.
"Look! Ethereal demons—there are ethereal demons in every direction!"
"Heavens, how could there be so many ethereal demons?"
"They're packed wall-to-wall—dozens of them! And that's not all; even more ethereal demons are rushing in without end!"
"Ahhh!"
By this point, screams were already ringing out.
Countless ethereal demons swarmed in like bees, throwing themselves upon several of the Divine Ability martial artists.
Those martial artists certainly possessed means to withstand ethereal demons under normal circumstances, but now, with an overwhelming horde pouring into their bodies all at once, they could not hold out for even a single breath. Their minds were instantly corrupted by the ethereal demons, and all signs of life vanished from their bodies.
Dead!
A top-tier Divine Ability realm martial artist had perished just like that.
Moreover, more and more Divine Ability realm martial artists found themselves trapped under the siege of ethereal demons.
Venerable Fiery Cloud's face turned pale.
He exchanged a glance with Venerable Jingyun.
"Ethereal demons... so many ethereal demons is simply unheard of."
"At this rate, to say nothing of Core Melting Liquid, whether we can even survive until the liquid finishes forming is a question."
"Retreat!"
Almost instantly, Venerable Fiery Cloud and Venerable Jingyun flew outward, intent on breaking through.
They could not allow themselves to be surrounded.
Once encircled by ethereal demons, even with their defensive methods, death would be certain.
No Divine Ability martial artist could remain calm and composed in the face of dozens or hundreds of ethereal demons.
It was simply impossible!
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Yet one Divine Ability martial artist after another, seemingly oblivious to the danger, continued rushing toward this area from the outside.
While a large crowd fled for their lives, others charged blindly into the fray.
"Ahhh!"
"Ethereal demons! Save me..."
"Hold them off..."
The martial artists who charged into the area underwent drastic changes in expression the moment they arrived.
Their minds were shattered in an instant.
Agonized wails echoed through the void, and one after another, their bodies fell to the ground as lifeless corpses.
In a brief span of time, more than ten Divine Ability martial artists had fallen.
"What terrifying ethereal demons!"
"Thank heavens we escaped. If we had been encircled, we would have been dead for sure."
"With this many ethereal demons, no matter how much Core Melting Liquid there is, we cannot obtain it."
"Where is Fellow Daoist Lu? Why hasn't he broken out?"
At that moment, Venerable Fiery Cloud suddenly realized Lu Changsheng was nowhere to be seen.
No, he had not disappeared.
Rather, Lu Changsheng was still standing right where he had been, having made no attempt to break out at all.
Instead, it was Venerable Fiery Cloud, Venerable Jingyun, and the others who had escaped the encirclement.
Now, however, more and more ethereal demons were converging around the perimeter, making any escape utterly impossible.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, you..."
A look of anxious dread appeared on Venerable Fiery Cloud's face.
Over this period, he had truly come to consider Lu Changsheng a friend. Seeing Lu Changsheng trapped in such dire peril naturally filled him with intense worry.
Yet there was nothing he could do.
Ethereal demons were terrifying entities that even Venerable Fiery Cloud found immensely difficult to handle; if he charged back in, he would only trap himself alongside him.
By now, many people had noticed the scene.
Countless ethereal demons gathered together, appearing to envelop Lu Changsheng entirely.
Yet Lu Changsheng seemed entirely oblivious, standing quietly in place.
"Lu Changsheng is finished."
"Even with a boundless divine ability, he is doomed."
"Lu Changsheng has thrown his life away for Core Melting Liquid. With so many ethereal demons, who could possibly withstand them?"
Many Divine Ability martial artists shook their heads, feeling Lu Changsheng had grown far too overconfident.
To dare stand firm against the ethereal demons under such conditions was nothing short of courting death.
Yet from beginning to end, not a single ripple disturbed Lu Changsheng's expression.
He even beckoned with his hand, drawing the spatial treasures from the corpses of the ten-odd fallen Divine Ability martial artists below into his grasp.
Inside these spatial treasures was Core Melting Liquid as well—the hard-earned gains of those martial artists over more than twenty days.
Now that they had perished and their Dao had been extinguished, it all fell conveniently into Lu Changsheng's hands.
"Not bad; there are actually a few drops of Core Melting Liquid."
More than a dozen corpses had yielded only a few drops, which showed just how poor these martial artists' luck had been. After all, none of the fallen were Martial Venerables; with lesser strength, they naturally had not dared to search across vast territories, vastly reducing their odds of obtaining Core Melting Liquid.
Even so, Lu Changsheng was not one to turn his nose up at a few drops.
*The ethereal demons have gathered in full, haven't they?*
*It's time!*
Lu Changsheng murmured softly, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.
He had not broken through the ethereal demons' encirclement because he had been waiting—waiting all along for them to converge.
*Buzz.*
Hesitating no longer, Lu Changsheng shifted his thought.
In the void, an enormous black vortex abruptly manifested.
The Spiritual Black Hole!
Moreover, the Spiritual Black Hole covered a colossal radius. Across this entire region, it devoured one ethereal demon after another with brazen, unstoppable momentum.
One after another, the ethereal demons were powerless to resist, swallowed whole into the Spiritual Black Hole.
Lu Changsheng did not even have to make another move, merely watching on in silence from the side.
The spectacle left every Divine Ability martial artist in the surroundings utterly dumbfounded, tempestuous waves of shock surging through the depths of their souls.
*Ethereal demons can be dealt with like this?*
*The unimaginably terrifying, nightmarish ethereal demons... that was it?*
Chapter 223