In the mid-level great hall, nearly a thousand Lesser Beasts lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to even breathe.
The floor was slick with Demon blood, and over a hundred Lesser Beasts’ corpses were arranged in two rows.
Their snarling heads were piled together, forming a gruesome pyramid.
More than half the heads belonged to the Mouse Family, and those mouse demon clans with close ties to them.
The rest were those Lesser Beasts whose recent actions had been especially out of line, the ones who had left a deep impression on Hong Yanzhi during previous events.
The thick stench of blood filled the entire hall.
Hong Yanzhi, face full of murderous intent, handed her blood-soaked treasured blade to the attendant behind her.
Every one of those hundred-plus Lesser Beasts had died by her own hand, each head chopped off personally.
On the dais, Lang Buping sat on the throne, fanning himself, flanked on both sides by dozens of Yellow Wind Mountain demon soldiers.
They served as Hong Yanzhi’s backing, helping her maintain order in the hall.
Hong Yanzhi returned to the dais, regaining her former dignity and solemnity.
She gazed coldly at the shivering Lesser Beasts sprawled below and said, “That’s enough for today. As for what happened before, I will let it go. From now on, do your jobs properly for the sake of the cave.”
“But if anyone makes another mistake in the future, don’t blame me for settling both old and new scores together!”
“All right, you may leave.”
Hearing this, the thousand-odd Lesser Beasts below seemed as if granted amnesty. All sighed in relief, their faces showing an expression of great release.
They kowtowed to Hong Yanzhi, then scrambled up from the ground, leaving the hall in groups of two or three, still terrified.
Hong Yanzhi maintained her proud and dignified demeanor, watching as the Lesser Beasts left one after another.
Suddenly, Lin Xue’s voice rang in her mind: “Yanzhi, when you have a moment, bring me a few Serpent Cores.”
This voice from within her mind startled Hong Yanzhi.
She looked around, but Lin Xue was nowhere to be seen.
Only then did she realize that Lin Xue was using the Soul Link between master and servant to transmit her voice over distance.
Hong Yanzhi gave an order to her attendants, instructing them to select a few late-stage Body Tempering Lesser Beasts from among the corpses, cut open their chests and bellies, and retrieve the Serpent Cores.
She took the Serpent Cores in hand, greeted Lang Buping, and made her way upstairs.
Lang Buping scampered after her.
Feeling helpless about this tagalong, Hong Yanzhi sent him off on the pretense of having him check the Marriage Ceremony preparations, and returned alone to her own cave chamber.
Lin Xue was sitting on the bed, waiting for Hong Yanzhi.
She had decided that today she would attempt to condense a Serpent Core and ascend to Grand Demon.
She had encountered a bottleneck at early Foundation Establishment and didn’t know what medicine to use to break through, so she decided to try the path of the demon clan for now.
She thought to herself, “If even someone as despicable as Shu Er can become a Grand Demon, could it be that I, a transmigrator with cheats, am less capable than him?”
She was already at the peak of Body Tempering, just one step away from condensing her core.
Originally, Lin Xue had planned to wait until she reached mid Foundation Establishment before taking Hong Yanzhi to the Meishan Secret Realm, hoping that with her cultivation at that stage, she might be able to enter.
Now that the Beast Refinement Codex had leveled up, she could still use this technique to condense her core as a Grand Demon, so it was safer to inherit the Yao Wang’s legacy with mid-core cultivation.
Thus, she sent a message to Hong Yanzhi, asking her to bring a few Serpent Cores up.
Hong Yanzhi entered the room.
She handed the Serpent Cores to Lin Xue, asking in confusion, “Sister Xue’er, what do you need these Serpent Cores for?”
Lin Xue thought, “I might as well tell Hong Yanzhi that I use Serpent Cores to improve my cultivation, and pass on the Beast Refinement Codex to her as well.”
Since Hong Yanzhi could never betray her as her servant, increasing her strength was the same as increasing Lin Xue’s.
But Lin Xue reconsidered—the Beast Refinement Codex was far too formidable and could not be passed on lightly.
If Hong Yanzhi were to pass this art to another Demon in the future—especially one with an evil disposition—who then used it to rampage in human lands, it would be Lin Xue’s fault.
After careful thought, Lin Xue searched the “Beast Mastery Heart Sutra (Recognition Chapter)” and found a way to ensure a spirit pet would keep a secret.
She patted the empty space beside her and winked mysteriously at Hong Yanzhi. “Come here, be good. I’ll give you something nice.”
Puzzled, Hong Yanzhi sat down beside her.
Lin Xue wrapped her arm around Hong Yanzhi’s soft waist, and via consciousness, transmitted the knowledge of the Beast Refinement Codex to her.
Hong Yanzhi was stunned as a flood of strange knowledge poured into her mind.
After a while, she realized what this new knowledge was, and her expression shifted from confusion, to surprise, then to wild joy and excitement.
For a Grand Demon who had lost her cultivation and fallen back to a Lesser Beast, ascending again was far harder than the first time.
Hong Yanzhi had long since lost hope of becoming a Grand Demon again.
But the art Lin Xue gave her was incredibly powerful and feasible—it rekindled her hopes.
She studied the contents of the Beast Refinement Codex, marveling at its ingenuity.
While immersed in this, she suddenly felt an intangible restriction bind her soul.
Lin Xue turned to her and, her face serious, warned, “Yanzhi, this art is called the Beast Refinement Codex. It’s too powerful to be spread in the world, so you can only use it yourself and may not pass it to others. I have placed a command in your Spirit Blood—should you ever pass this art on, you will suffer backlash and die. Remember this well.”
Hong Yanzhi shivered inwardly and immediately nodded, promising never to pass it on.
Only then was Lin Xue reassured, and explained her goal.
She would go outside the cave and use the Beast Refinement Codex to condense her core and ascend.
After learning Lin Xue’s intentions, Hong Yanzhi suggested she use the cavern behind Hong Lao San’s chamber—an auspicious place where generations of the Hong family had ascended and passed their Lightning Tribulation—to mitigate the heavenly thunder’s damage.
But Lin Xue declined.
Hiding from heavenly lightning by relying on terrain or treasures might be safer and increase one’s chances of survival, but it was ultimately a shortcut and would hinder future progress.
Lin Xue resolved to face the thunder head-on in an open space outside.
Seeing she couldn’t persuade her, Hong Yanzhi simply followed Lin Xue out of the cave to help her find a suitable place to transcend the tribulation.
Not far from the cave entrance, in a secluded spot, Lin Xue sat cross-legged, picked up the Serpent Cores Hong Yanzhi had brought, and began her advancement.
Swallowing a fresh Serpent Core, the Beast Refinement Codex activated automatically.
The demon power within Lin Xue wrapped around the core, slowly breaking it down and dissolving it.
Streams of demon energy circulated through her meridians, gradually pouring into the core forming in her dantian.
Her core began to condense.
Above Xixia Mountain, masses of thick black clouds gathered again, pressing heavily upon the summit.
Thunder rumbled ominously.
Inside Luoyun Cave, all the Demons were alarmed.
Another Demon ascending? Wasn’t there just a Grand Demon this morning? And now again this afternoon?
Three Grand Demons emerging from Luoyun Cave in just over half a month?
Wasn’t this a bit much?
Lang Buping also dashed out of the cave, his face full of confusion. After searching around, he found Hong Yanzhi and Lin Xue.
Seeing Lin Xue sitting cross-legged on a flat boulder, eyes closed and on the verge of a breakthrough, Lang Buping was astonished.
He was about to call out to her when Hong Yanzhi stopped him.
Hong Yanzhi explained, “Don’t worry. Sister Xue’er gained some insight from today’s battle, so she’s condensing her core and attempting to ascend. There’s no need to worry, husband.”
Being called “husband” made Lang Buping’s heart blossom.
He had witnessed Lin Xue and his father Lang Qianxing fight side-by-side against that specter this morning, so he felt quite favorably towards her.
Plus, with Hong Yanzhi saying she and Lin Xue were as close as sisters, he let go of any wariness upon learning Lin Xue was ascending.
He simply joined Hong Yanzhi in standing guard, protecting Lin Xue.
After the time of a single incense stick, Lin Xue had fully digested the Serpent Core, absorbing and fusing most of its demon energy into her own core.
Her core had expanded to the size of a goose egg, incredibly solid.
She opened her eyes, her gaze sharp as blades as she looked up at the surging black clouds above.
Within the clouds, lightning flickered with a terrifying aura.
Hong Yanzhi looked at the clouds and felt that this Lightning Tribulation was far fiercer than the one that Shu Er faced this morning.
She couldn’t help but worry for Lin Xue, unsure if she could withstand it.
Lang Buping’s face was a bit pale too.
When he transcended, the clouds above were nowhere near this dense, and the scene couldn’t compare to what he was witnessing now.
How much heavenly thunder had this Serpent Demon provoked, for such a mighty display?
Could someone as delicate as her really endure the Lightning Tribulation?
He feared she wouldn’t survive even a few strikes before meeting her end.
Lang Buping sighed inwardly.
Soon, the first bolt of heavenly lightning crashed down.
Watching that terrifying bolt shoot straight at her forehead, Lin Xue’s heart clenched.
She instinctively ducked her head.
The lightning struck her forehead with a loud “clang.”
To her surprise, it didn’t hurt as much as she had imagined—more like the shock from dismantling a piezo igniter as a child, a sharp jolt and a tingling numbness.
She rubbed her head, face full of confusion.
That’s it?
Was this all the Lightning Tribulation could do?
Or was heaven going easy on her?
Immediately after, another bolt of lightning struck at Lin Xue.
This one missed slightly, striking the rock beside her, blasting a pit and sending shards flying—it clearly packed a punch.
Lin Xue realized: Heaven wasn’t going easy; it was that she had some resistance to the tribulation.
After a moment’s thought, she guessed it might be because she had already succeeded at Foundation Establishment, and was now facing the lightning with a cultivator’s strength.
Early Foundation Establishment cultivators were on par with newly ascended Grand Demons.
For a demon who’d just condensed their core, the tribulation was deadly; but for one who’d already achieved Grand Demon level, it was much less threatening.
Lang Buping and Hong Yanzhi stared, dumbfounded, as bolt after massive lightning strike hit Lin Xue—she only furrowed her brow, felt a little discomfort, but wasn’t hurt at all.
They’d never heard of such a thing.
Even Mouse Da, as tough as he was, had been covered in wounds after his tribulation.
In their clans, even with the help of terrain or treasures, demons ascending to Grand Demon always suffered injuries—sometimes even death.
Lin Xue’s situation was entirely beyond their understanding.
After another incense stick’s time, the final lightning bolt struck, the black clouds dispersed, and Xixia Mountain returned to calm.
Lin Xue was unscathed.
She had advanced—she was now a Grand Demon.
She felt the changes in her body.
Her senses had become even keener, and her body surged with strength far beyond her previous Body Tempering Lesser Beast form.
Lin Xue straightened her tousled hair, rose from the ground, and brushed the dust off her clothes.
A few of the lightning strikes had gone wide, showering her with bits of stone.
Lang Buping and Hong Yanzhi hurried over, gazing at her in awe.
“Congratulations on your successful ascension, Miss Lin Xue!” Lang Buping said with a cupped fist.
Lin Xue smiled in return. “Thank you, Young Master Lang.”
Hong Yanzhi was overjoyed.
Having been given the Beast Refinement Codex, she was eager to regain her Grand Demon status.
But she was still gravely injured; in this state, there was no way she could survive the tribulation.
She would have to focus on recovery and bide her time.
She resolved that once she was healed, she would begin eating Serpent Cores and leveling up immediately.
Lang Buping, seeing Lin Xue had successfully advanced, offered his congratulations, then went back to the cave to continue preparing for the Marriage Ceremony.
Lin Xue took out Shu Er’s Serpent Core, preparing to refine it with her newly-upgraded Beast Refinement Codex.
She hoped to reach mid-stage core as soon as possible, so she could take Hong Yanzhi to the Meishan Secret Realm and ascend to Yao Wang.
Once she swallowed Shu Er’s Serpent Core, a surge of formidable demon energy erupted.
However, with the System’s help and her mastery of the Beast Refinement Codex, Lin Xue easily controlled the speed at which Shu Er’s Serpent Core broke down, slowly melting and absorbing it.
Half an hour passed, and only a sliver of Shu Er’s core remained.
Hong Yanzhi stood guard at her side the entire time, keeping any passing Lesser Beasts from interrupting.
Bored, she looked into the distance—and suddenly spotted a mass of black clouds flying toward them.
As she watched, Hong Yanzhi’s expression instantly changed.
It was clearly a cloud of demon energy.
Who knew which Grand Demon this was, or whether they were just passing by or coming specifically for Luoyun Cave.
Hong Yanzhi glanced at Lin Xue, saw that her eyes were still closed, and grew more anxious.
That mass of black cloud headed straight for Luoyun Cave, and several figures could be faintly seen on its crest.
One figure was especially tall and fat.
A rather scrawny demon stuck out its neck and shouted, “By order of the Hei Pi Yao Wang of Erlong Mountain—Zong Biao Yao Jiang, envoy for bride selection, has arrived! Why haven’t you come out to receive us?”