As for the most mysterious figure, who had only ever existed in the words of others—Mu Changsheng, the Demon Suppression Commissioner of the Northwest Circuit Demon Suppression Monastery, the actual leader of the Demon Suppression Division today, and the master of Ma Jiu—
Nan Zhi meticulously fleshed out his persona. Gradually, a vivid, concrete image formed in her mind.
He was a mighty cultivator who had attained the Dao and achieved immortality before the great transformation of heaven and earth.
His cultivation was unfathomable. He had slain a dragon above the South Sea, leaving true dragons without a trace; he was skilled in alchemy and Gu, had once commanded an insect swarm to slay immortals, and the 128 Green Beetle Needles he casually gave away were unrivaled under heaven.
The external incarnation floating before her twisted and deformed, slowly sprouting four limbs, but at the crucial moment, it suddenly dissolved back into chaos.
“Still not working, as expected.”
Nan Zhi looked calm, quickly circulating spiritual power to forcefully suppress the irritability in her heart:
“The more detailed the persona of the external incarnation, the lower the difficulty of crafting it. The cover identity of Mu Changsheng is still not fleshed out enough—”
She was not discouraged. After all, as her cultivation increased in the future, there would always be opportunities.
Right now, refining pills was the top priority, followed by swiftly refining the Nether Cold Fire and using the Jiao-dragon bones to forge her natal dharma treasure to boost her combat power, so she would have the strength to protect herself in the Four Provinces Continent.
As for exploring secret realms, relying on herself alone was simply too difficult.
Nan Zhi turned her gaze to the two skins—one human, one tiger. After pondering for a moment, she made a decision.
...
Over the next half month, Nan Zhi stayed on the island refining pills as usual. To outside observers, she was wholly immersed in cultivation, showing no signs of abnormality.
Southwest Qingmeng Mountain, the Mountain Lord’s cave abode.
A slender figure landed inside the cave, a pair of cold tiger eyes gazing back indifferently.
This external incarnation was Nan Zhi’s first time condensing one. Compared to the disguises fashioned with the Painted Skin Art, though there were subtle nuances, there was not a single flaw:
Standing nearly three meters tall, its sheer presence exuded an overwhelming, suffocating pressure.
Snowy skin, white fur, black hair, and beast ears.
Behind it, a long tail swayed gently. The figure leaped forward, transforming into a five-meter-long, white-browed, slanting-eyed tiger—fierce between the brows, imposing and magnificent, brimming with murderous intent.
Transforming into a beast, the white tiger’s expression was rather peculiar.
At the same time, Nan Zhi, seated in the alchemy room refining pills, also gently blinked.
It felt like playing a game—a familiar sensation. Controlling the Mountain Lord did not affect the main body’s alchemy in the slightest.
This feeling was marvelous.
Controlling two bodies simultaneously did not create any sense of split personality.
Instead, it was as effortless as when she used to play games, controlling game characters with a tablet.
The thoughts of both bodies were independent and did not interfere with one another, as though her brain had been duplicated into two identical copies placed inside two glass jars at once.
With the external incarnation merged with the white tiger painted skin, this body was now an outright demon through and through.
Even if a Deity Transformation cultivator stood right before her, they would not find anything amiss.
Having turned into the giant tiger, Nan Zhi felt a surge of excitement. Stepping forward eagerly, she opened her maw and let out a roar:
“Roaaar—”
A low, resonant tiger roar reverberated out of the cave, unobstructed tiger might sweeping across the mountain forest in rolling waves.
High-flying birds had their courage shattered, while hunting wolves trembled in their tracks.
The beasts and birds across the mountain were terrified beyond measure, bowing and kowtowing toward the cave abode to respectfully welcome the Mountain Lord.
With all four paws on the ground, Nan Zhi in her white tiger form stepped out of the cave.
Sure enough, Qingmeng Mountain was rich in spiritual energy, filled with the fragrance of rare flowers and exotic herbs, alongside peculiar pines and strange cypresses that grew ever more lush under the nourishment of spiritual energy.
The area before the cave was spotless, planted with various orchids, fragrant herbs, spirit ginseng, and wild fruits, tended like a scenic garden with a distinct touch of rustic charm.
“Mountain Lord!”
“The Mountain Lord has emerged from seclusion!”
One large and two small yellow foxes had originally been startled by the sudden roar, lying flat on the ground motionless.
Seeing the colossal white tiger exit the cave, the three foxes finally trembled and hastily bowed to Nan Zhi:
“This little demon, Hu Ban’er, pays respects to the Mountain Lord!”
“Cuiling / Cuixian congratulates the Mountain Lord on emerging from seclusion!”
—That single roar just now had frightened countless beasts and birds out of their wits; only they had the courage to step forward and offer their congratulations.
“This Lord has been in seclusion for several days, unsealing a portion of the legacy and gaining modest insights.”
Nan Zhi took great delight in the white tiger demon body and did not shift back into human form. Narrowing her tiger eyes slightly, she said in a deep voice:
“While This Lord was in seclusion, what has transpired in the outside world? Report it all, one by one.”
“Mountain Lord, while you were in seclusion, two secret realms appeared in the world: the first is the Yellow River Secret Realm, currently controlled by the authorities; the second is the foreign Ghost City of Ultimate Bliss secret realm, accessible to all cultivators across the realm.”
Hu Ban’er hurriedly nudged his two granddaughters, gesturing for them to step up and curry favor, while he hunched over and bowed his head cautiously:
“Mountain Lord may not know, but during the time you were away, the Demon Suppression Division has truly stolen the spotlight—”
With that, the old fox gave a thorough account of all the earth-shattering commotions stirred up by the Demon Suppression Division, such as ‘an immortal riding a fish’ and ‘azure light plummeting from the sky.’
The fat fox flicked his tail and added uneasily:
“This little demon also heard that Mu Changsheng, the current Demon Suppression Commissioner of the Demon Suppression Division, slew dragon kin of our Demon race in the South Sea and even took a human cultivator as an apprentice. Mountain Lord should know that all of us Huaxia demons are rather uneasy, fearing that we might be killed by the Demon Suppression Division for no rhyme or reason at any moment.”
“Slaying a dragon? How is it that This Lord never heard of an evil dragon causing trouble? The Demon Suppression Division’s methods are truly overbearing.”
Nan Zhi frowned in displeasure, an unexplainable murderous urge rising within her. Forcibly suppressing her anger, she said:
“Though humanity flourishes and our Demon race is currently in decline, we are by no means weaklings to be pushed around. Even if an evil dragon caused trouble, it should be handled by our Demon race. Since when does the Demon Suppression Division have the right to overstep their bounds and meddle in our affairs?”
“That is precisely the case, Mountain Lord!”
Hu Ban’er instantly grew emboldened, puffing out his chest and looking up at the giant tiger, only to shiver at the waves of murderous intent radiating from the tiger’s eyes:
“This little demon... what I mean is, with the Demon Suppression Division backing humanity, I fear our Demon race will have to lower our heads and live at humanity’s mercy once again. Let alone exploring secret realms, we won’t even get a share of those spiritual pulses rich in spiritual energy! In the past, we didn’t have a great demon as formidable as the Mountain Lord, but now that you are here, why should our Demon race still act with such timidity and walk on eggshells?”
“With heaven and earth in great upheaval and spiritual energy reviving, our Demon race should naturally rise as well.”
A cold sneer rumbled from the giant tiger’s throat:
“This Lord has meditated and cultivated for many days, sympathizing with how arduous cultivation is for our fellow Demon race Daoists in this age. I intend to follow the Demon Suppression Division’s example—gathering the world’s demons to deliberate on our race’s resurgence. It so happens that within This Lord’s legacy, there is a Foundation Establishment demon core capable of advancing cultivation. I am willing to present it and host a Demon Core Tasting Assembly, appraising it and sharing the joy with our fellow kin—”
A demon core from a great demon at the Foundation Establishment stage?
Hu Ban’er’s eyes nearly popped out.
Nowadays, awakening wisdom was difficult for the Demon race. Most awakened demons had a lifespan of only two hundred-odd years, their cultivation stalled at the first-revolution of the demon core (Qi Refinement) with no hope of breakthrough. If one could consume this Foundation Establishment demon core, they might shatter the shackles of heaven and earth and step into the second-revolution of the demon core (Foundation Establishment cultivation)!
Demons were no different from humans in their dread of their approaching lifespan limit. Stepping into the second-revolution of the demon core would grant another two hundred years of lifespan, placing the grand Dao of cultivation right within reach!
It was truly seizing fortune from heaven and earth and wresting lifespan from Impermanence!
The Mountain Lord was actually willing to offer such a supreme treasure?
Greed instantly surged in Hu Ban’er’s heart, but it was quickly snuffed out.
—Though this was a treasure coveted by every demon, one had to weigh whether they had the life to keep it after snatching it. The tragic fate of the ghost-demons slaughtered across the Southwest was still fresh in his memory.
“Mountain Lord may not know, but ever since the Qing Dynasty, our Demon race has mostly lived beyond Shanhai Pass and hasn't crossed it in a hundred years.”
Hu Ban’er hesitated:
“Qingmeng Mountain is situated in the Southwest, guarded by both the Demon Suppression Division and the Special Investigation Bureau. I fear...”
“If they cannot cross Shanhai Pass, then they can drop dead.”
The giant tiger flicked its tail impatiently, its eyes devoid of warmth, filled only with icy detachment:
“If they are held back by a mere prophecy, how can they be qualified to attend the Demon Core Tasting Assembly hosted by This Lord? Humanity has a saying: ‘Natural selection, survival of the fittest.’ Cultivation is like rowing upstream—to not advance is to fall behind. If the demons of our race lack even the will to fight, how can they be worthy of sitting at the same table as This Lord?”
The giant tiger’s golden eyes swept over them, their chilling gaze making Hu Ban’er and the two little foxes tremble uncontrollably:
“This Lord does not like others questioning my decisions. Should there be a next time, you will not be spared lightly.”
A mountainous weight crashed down upon them. Drenched in cold sweat, the three foxes trembled, tucking their tails and not daring to look up.
If the former Mountain Lord had felt distant—dignified without anger, yet separated by a thin veil of mist—the present Mountain Lord was far more terrifying, every gesture brimming with overwhelming majesty and murderous intent.
“Ch-ch-chatter... Y-Yes... yes... cl-clatter.”
Hu Ban’er’s teeth chattered violently. Scrambling backward in terror, he immediately turned and bolted to make the arrangements.
Nan Zhi understood the strategy of wielding the carrot alongside the stick.
Suppressing her aura, she parted her tiger maw slightly, spitting out an azure-blue cultivation manual along with two pale-green gourd seeds:
“While This Lord was in seclusion, you two maintained the interior and exterior of the cave abode well. Here is the 《Gourd Art》, a cultivation technique suited for the Demon race, along with spirit gourd seeds. Cultivate diligently. When you step into the world in the future, you must never disgrace This Lord’s name.”
“Yes! Hu Cuiling / Hu Cuixian thanks the Mountain Lord for the reward!”
Seeing this, Hu Cuiling and Hu Cuixian hurriedly kowtow in gratitude, their pointed fox snouts curling upward in immense delight.
...
In less than half a month, word of the Mountain Lord hosting a Demon Core Tasting Assembly had spread completely.
The Demon race grew restless. For a time, awakened demons frequently manifested in various regions, stirring up waves of commotion.
Truly, the wind sweeping through the tower heralded the rising storm.
Rate on N.U.
