Chapter 186: Testing

The spell formation was time-sensitive; missing a single point would require waiting three days for the next opportunity. This was a discovery made by Khan Jiu during his recent research.

As a great cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment stage within the Hundred Monsters Alliance, Roshana’s abode naturally wouldn’t be simple.

“There’s no rush with these three days,” said the Blood Qi Old Demon. “Since Senior Khan Jiu is here, I’m sure everything will go smoothly. After we kill him, let’s distribute the spoils as previously discussed—Roshana’s body belongs to me.”

This plan had been set in motion by the Blood Qi Old Demon and Lady Bai Gu, with terms agreed upon from the outset.

“His soul shall be mine,” interjected the white-haired woman for the first time. Her voice was utterly bizarre, capable of affecting the surrounding temperature merely through speech alone. It was unclear what cultivation technique she practiced.

“I want his medicine garden.”

“I heard Roshana has a daughter.” The coffin-carrying old man licked his lips, an inscrutable glint flashing in his eyes.

In moments, the group had divided up their interests post-murder. Chen Luo stood to the side without speaking. He’d already received compensation from Lady Bai Gu, needing only to dispatch Roshana to lift the restriction on him.

As for how the spoils would be divided later on, everyone would rely on their own wits; these evil cultivators weren’t known for adhering to rules.

Chen Luo took a closer look at the group and realized they were all seasoned demons like Lady Bai Gu. Even the least experienced among them had been cultivating for over three centuries.

Cultivators differed from martial artists in that their vital energy didn’t decline with age. In fact, the longer such beings lived, the more formidable they became. This was especially true of evil cultivators: their years of experience granted them supernatural abilities far beyond those of younger demons. Having faced countless battles throughout history, each one was a standout within their respective tier.

The individuals Chen Luo had slain—Lin Feng, Han Lin, and others—were but juniors compared to this assembly of elder demons. At best, they might have matched the coffin-carrying old man in prowess.

Even the white-haired woman and Old Demon Fang paled in comparison. As late-stage Foundation Establishment experts, both boasted at least fifty spiritual dragons within their bodies—a stark contrast to those just beginning their journey into Foundation Establishment.

This disparity represented the accumulation brought about by time itself; no one could live through years without gaining something in return.

Within Chen Luo’s body lay six spiritual dragons—a number equal to that of the coffin-carrying old man. In just a few years of Foundation Establishment, he had matched the accumulation of centuries for others like him. This feat was not solely due to his innate talent but also because of the aid provided by medicinal pills.

However, compared to Old Demon Fang, who stood in the late stages of Foundation Establishment, such power paled significantly.

In the realm of Foundation Establishment, each step represented a vast chasm.

For those in the early stages, the limit for spiritual dragons was ten; in the middle stage, it ranged from ten to fifty; and in the late stage, one began with at least fifty.

The gap widened considerably as one progressed.

“As we’re all old friends here, naturally there’s no issue with this distribution,” Old Demon Fang said, once again steering the conversation back to Chen Luo. “But I must say, I’ve never met this fellow before, so I’m not particularly comfortable with the situation.”

He had uttered these words during their first encounter, but they had set aside the matter while rushing to reach their destination. Now, as they approached the stage of dividing spoils, the suppressed conflict immediately resurfaced.

Such was the nature of evil cultivators: when danger loomed, they banded together against a common foe. However, once safety prevailed, they invariably turned on each other over the question of profit allocation.

There was a reason why the Hundred Monsters Alliance had kept them under constant pressure for so many years.

“He’ll do,” Lady Bai Gu said with a glance at Chen Luo.

A man carrying the aura of ‘Heart Demon’ would only bring more trouble than he was worth. There was no way he could be from the Hundred Monsters Alliance; after all, it was Blackstone Ancestor who had led the great monsters of the alliance to slay Demonic Heart Ancestor.

“I trust only myself,” Old Demon Fang said as he looked at Chen Luo.

“There are still three days left. Would Fellow Daoist mind clearing up this misunderstanding? All you need to do is open your mind to my inspection.”

As he spoke, his eyes flickered, an inexplicable power swirling within them.

Lady Bai Gu and Blood Qi Lao Mo watched silently. The white-haired woman and coffin-carrying old man took a few steps back to give the two some space, as did Khan Jiu. Everyone seemed ready for a good show.

Each person had their own calculations, including Old Demon Fang.

“No problem, go ahead and try.” A smile played on Chen Luo’s face, but his eyes unconsciously grew cold. He had never fought a late Foundation Establishment powerhouse before and was eager to see how strong this opponent truly was.

“Excellent.”

Old Demon Fang let out a thunderous laugh, as if he truly believed Chen Luo’s words, and began to walk towards him.

The demon moved with incredible speed, appearing before Chen Luo even as his sentence was still hanging in the air. His right hand, claw-like, reached for Chen Luo’s head. But Chen Luo wasn’t slow either, meeting the attack with a punch of his own.

Fist met palm.

Boom!

A burst of energy exploded between them, sending shockwaves outward and causing the ground beneath their feet to crackle and shatter.

“A physical cultivator?”

“This won’t do!”

A flicker of surprise crossed Old Demon Fang’s face, but it quickly twisted into something far more sinister. Black scales erupted across his arms, while his fingers transformed into razor-sharp talons, descending with terrifying force. Simultaneously, his head morphed into that of a black-haired monkey, letting out a deafening roar at Chen Luo.

Buzz!

Before Chen Luo could react, he felt the air before him ripple like water. In an instant, his mind swam with disorientation as the arm he had raised to block was swept aside. The sharp claws scored down his chest, leaving behind four bloody gashes.

The external brain issued a reminder from the mummy’s memories.

Can Transformation magic be used like this?

The Old Demon Fang opposite Chen Luo underwent another transformation. His spine elongated, sprouting a tail of pure white bone from his back, which swept towards Chen Luo from the left.

Lower your head; don’t meet this attack head-on.

In a split second, the Core Formation stage brain assessed the power surging through that bony tail. Simultaneously, Chen Luo ducked, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Boom!

The force of the bone tail whipped past, coalescing into a three-meter-long wind sickle that sliced through a nearby abandoned house at waist height. The residual energy slammed into a nearby rock, pulverizing it completely.

After this single strike, the Old Demon Fang’s aura weakened perceptibly.

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Luo raised his hand, summoning a magical sword. The sword glowed with condensed energy, transforming into a streak of light as it hurtled towards the Old Demon Fang’s throat.

There was no concept of holding back for either combatant.

Clang!

The magical sword shattered. At some point, the Old Demon Fang had transformed into a tortoise, its carapace perfectly positioned to block the blade. The force of the impact snapped Chen Luo’s first-rank magical sword in two.

The severed sword blade whirled through the air.

A vast expanse of gale-force wind swept in from the side, but Old Demon Fang countered with a swift strike.

His killing move is beneath our feet.

Without hesitation, Chen Luo cast an Aerial Flight Technique, unleashing a Lotus Wind Formation. The spinning lotus exploded mid-air, colliding with the wind blades erupting from the ground below. The two forces merged into a tempest, allowing him to leap away on the back of the storm.

As he retreated, Chen Luo examined his chest wound, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. His gaze, now considerably more serious, locked onto Old Demon Fang. He was astounded by the disparity between Late Foundation Establishment and Mid Foundation Establishment realms—it was night and day.

This exchange had left everyone else nearby utterly dumbfounded as well. They never would have imagined that Old Demon Fang’s Transformation Magic could be employed in such a manner. With this infinitely adaptable ability, whether attacking or defending, he stood head and shoulders above others at his cultivation level. None of them were confident they’d fare better against him.

In their brief skirmish, Chen Luo had displayed power on par with any Mid Foundation Establishment cultivator. Yet even with such prowess, he’d taken a nasty hit during their clash. Had he not reacted swiftly enough, that final burst of gale-force wind surging forth from the earth would surely have cleaved him in twain.

“Excellent, excellent! No wonder you were invited by Lady Bai Gu. To possess such strength in the early Foundation Establishment stage, you must be a genius indeed.”

Old Demon Fang burst into laughter before his monkey-like face suddenly transformed into that of a fierce tiger.

With a jingle, black mist swirled around his feet, summoning two black-and-white demonic souls beside him.

“A Soul-Driving Treasure Bell?” Khan Jiu narrowed his eyes, retreating further as he did so. The others also spread out, giving the combatants more space. After all, the cave would remain sealed for three days, completely isolated from the outside world while the spell formation was active. If there were any real risk of exposure, Khan Jiu wouldn’t have let them engage at all.

Facing this new development, Chen Luo felt a surge of unease.

In close quarters, when this opponent shifted into a beast form, his power could easily overwhelm Chen Luo, who had cultivated the Iron Body Art. At range, meanwhile, Khan Jiu’s superior cultivation realm would dominate him.

Previously, Chen Luo often relied on combining both magical and physical techniques to gain an edge. Now seeing someone employ a similar strategy against him felt utterly frustrating.

The Old Demon Fang’s figure blurred as he shifted positions rapidly, tracing a long serpentine path through the air. The two demonic souls also left curved trails as they attacked from either side.

Direct at the chest.

Right brain.

Left shoulder.

The external brain sprang into high activity. Each of the forty Foundation Establishment brains possessed its own combat experience, allowing them to swiftly discern the Old Demon Fang’s intentions.

But it was simply too fast.

Chen Luo could barely avoid fatal blows while simultaneously activating his divine ability, striking back at the Old Demon directly across from him. Abandoning defense on both flanks, he channeled all his spiritual energy into his body, unleashing a Flame Fire Incantation.

Boom!

Power erupted, kicking up massive clouds of dust on both sides. The two demonic souls struck Chen Luo squarely on the back. Despite his best efforts to evade, he managed to dodge only the blow aimed at his heart. The other two hits landed with slight deviations but still connected fully.

Chen Luo clamped one hand around the opponent’s head, his fingers gripping like iron shackles. His eyes glinted with concentrated malice. This level of adversary was indeed formidable, but not insurmountable.

Sparks of malevolence ignited within his chest as the soul banner he had refined began to stir in the Bright Platform.

As he channeled his power, a layer of gray energy materialized around him. It emanated from his heart, slowly swirling up through his arms. This was the instinctive battle response of a late Foundation Establishment stage brain, perfectly tailored for this situation. Chen Luo’s three-colored perfect Foundation Establishment magic spread outward, causing his spiritual energy to surge like boiling water, radiating fluctuations akin to those of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Across from him, Old Demon Fang narrowed his eyes. In an instant, his form shifted: the head Chen Luo had grasped transformed into a shoulder, while the original shoulder morphed into a head that hurtled directly towards Chen Luo.

Thud!

The force of their separation sent them flying apart.

Their clash left the surrounding derelict buildings shattered and in ruins.

Old Demon Fang tilted his head, examining the five finger-shaped imprints on his shoulder left by Chen Luo. He raised his hand once more. Two demonic souls flew back to his side, and with a wave of his hand, bells began to jingle.

Circles of sound waves rippled outwards from the bells, surging directly towards Chen Luo.

A divine soul attack was underway.