Lin Xue finally finished dissolving and absorbing Shu Er’s Serpent Core.
Her mastery of the Beast Refinement Codex had reached the level of perfection, and she absorbed most of the demonic power in Shu Er’s Serpent Core, merging it into her own.
But even now, she was still at the early Condensation Core Stage.
After all, moving from early to mid-stage Condensation Core required an enormous amount of demonic power.
Even Hong Lao San of Luoyun Cave, an old cat who had cultivated for many years, was still rolling around in the early Condensation Core Stage.
Relying solely on Shu Er’s Serpent Core was still not enough to advance to mid-stage.
Lin Xue could feel that if she absorbed one more Condensation Core Stage Serpent Core, she would probably be just about there.
It was a pity Shu Da had escaped. If she had two Serpent Cores in hand, she would have already reached mid-stage, and could go directly to the Meishan Fox Clan Secret Realm.
Lin Xue felt regret in her heart, sighed softly, finished her cultivation, and withdrew her inner sight.
Suddenly, she sensed someone beside her.
She hurriedly opened her eyes.
Right away, she saw a massive pig’s head, wearing a disgusting grin, eyes full of lechery, its filthy paw reaching toward her.
Lin Xue instantly broke out in goosebumps. Her pupils contracted, her movement art activated, and she sprang up in a flash, instantly appearing behind Zong Biao Yao Jiang.
Xuesha flew from her ring and fell into her hand.
She originally wanted to strike him down in one blow, but Zong Biao Yao Jiang was far too large and fat, squatting there in a big heap.
Xuesha was too short to reach his thick neck. Lin Xue simply grabbed his back, caught the scruff of his neck, and heaved him over her shoulder in a heavy throw.
Zong Biao Yao Jiang grunted, his pig face hitting the ground, his huge and heavy body slammed hard onto the earth.
Then, she stepped on Zong Biao Yao Jiang’s back, pressed Xuesha against his thick, fatty neck, and harshly demanded, “Who are you?!”
Zong Biao Yao Jiang felt the icy blade against his neck, and his face instantly turned pale, sweat beading on his pig head, not daring to move a muscle.
He didn’t doubt for a second that if Lin Xue wanted to, she could take his life instantly.
He couldn’t believe that as a dignified mid-stage Condensation Core demon, he was subdued in a single move by a female demon of a whole minor realm lower.
Among the four followers Zong Biao Yao Jiang brought, the tall, thin man’s eyes flashed sharply and, in an instant, drew his sword with a clang, thrusting straight at Lin Xue.
By now, Lin Xue had also noticed there were others present.
She saw a shadow rushing toward her, feeling the sharp sword wind at her back.
Lin Xue frowned, let go of Zong Biao Yao Jiang, and leapt aside.
The tall, thin man reacted swiftly, the sword changing direction, sticking right to her white neck.
Lin Xue appeared stunned, frozen on the spot, unmoving.
The tall, thin man sensed something was off.
Then, he saw the beautiful female demon in front of him turn into a sheet of white paper and burst into flames.
Only then did he realize he’d been tricked.
The tall, thin man’s face changed, and he turned to look at Zong Biao Yao Jiang.
He saw Zong Biao Yao Jiang still pinned to the ground, pig face pressed to the dirt, while that female demon still stood there, foot on his back, the blood-red short blade at his throat.
“If you move again, I’ll cut his throat.” Lin Xue warned, eyes on the tall, thin man.
A strange look flashed in the tall, thin man’s eyes.
He made no further move, sheathed his sword, his face unperturbed, watching Lin Xue with interest.
Only then did Zong Biao Yao Jiang’s three pig demon followers react, each shouting:
“Insolent demoness!”
“Outrageous!”
“Let our Demon General go at once!”
Hong Yanzhi’s face changed dramatically and she hurriedly shouted, “Xue’er Elder Sister, don’t do it! This is Zong Biao Yao Jiang, sent by the Yao Wang to choose a consort.”
Lang Buping, seeing all this, nearly fainted.
He quickly shouted, “Miss Lin Xue, let go, quickly! Don’t harm the Demon General!”
Lin Xue’s heart skipped a beat.
What?
The pig demon under her foot was actually the Zong Biao Yao Jiang that Hong Yanzhi had mentioned before, the one picking a consort for the Hei Pi Yao Wang?
Didn’t Hong Yanzhi say this Demon General wouldn’t come until next month?
How did he arrive so many days early?
The reason Lin Xue had stayed in the mountains to wait for Zhang Zongnian, planning to leave after eight days, was because she’d heard Zong Biao Yao Jiang would only come to Xixia Mountain next month.
She could easily have left Luoyun Cave before this Demon General arrived, avoiding the selection of consorts entirely, then returned to reunite with Hong Yanzhi after he left.
But she never expected the Demon General to come early.
Now she’d been caught red-handed; it would be hard to get away today.
And now that she had offended him, who knew how furious this pig would be inside?
If she let him go, who knew how he would retaliate, or if he would take it out on Hong Yanzhi and Lang Buping because of her.
A thought suddenly flashed through her mind: Why not just kill this damn pig!
From the demon aura of Zong Biao Yao Jiang, she could tell he was at the mid-stage Condensation Core.
If she killed him and took his Serpent Core, it would absolutely be enough for her to advance to mid-stage, and she could immediately take Hong Yanzhi to find the Meishan Secret Realm.
But since Zong Biao Yao Jiang was here on the Hei Pi Yao Wang’s orders to select a consort, killing him would certainly incur the wrath of Hei Pi Yao Wang.
Still, as long as she succeeded in inheriting the Yao Wang’s power of the Meishan demon clan and advanced to Yao Wang, she wouldn’t have to fear Hei Pi Yao Wang’s revenge.
Lin Xue was sorely tempted by this idea.
But she glanced at the tall, thin man holding his sword, eyes fixed on her, and gave up on it.
If she really killed Zong Biao Yao Jiang, that man would attack her with full force.
He was at the late Condensation Core Stage, two minor realms above her.
Earlier, she’d used the Paper Substitute Technique to fool him, but such tricks couldn’t bridge the gap in cultivation.
If she faced him head-on, and he attacked with all his strength, she would lose without a doubt.
Killing was out of the question.
Should she run away?
But she didn’t dare.
First, she might not be able to outrun that tall, thin man;
Second, just now Hong Yanzhi had called her Xue’er Elder Sister, clearly showing her close connection with Luoyun Cave.
If she offended Zong Biao Yao Jiang and then escaped, the pig would definitely take out his anger on Hong Yanzhi and Lang Buping.
She believed one must bear the consequences of their own actions, and didn’t want others to be implicated because of her.
She silently sighed, hurriedly put away Xuesha, lifted her foot from Zong Biao Yao Jiang’s back, stepped back a few steps, stood aside with hands down, pretending to be flustered, and said with fear and trembling, “I did not know it was the Demon General who had arrived. I offended you without meaning to. Please, Demon General, have mercy.”
The three pig demon followers rushed up and helped Zong Biao Yao Jiang to his feet.
With their help, he got up from the ground, thoroughly disheveled.
His face was covered in cold sweat, and with his face pressed to the dirt, he’d eaten a mouthful of earth, his pig face now a mess of colors.
One follower handed him a handkerchief.
Zong Biao Yao Jiang wiped the dirt from his face.
To be embarrassed like this in front of so many demons, made a fool of by a female demon, Zong Biao Yao Jiang felt he’d lost all face.
Over the years, choosing consorts for Hei Pi Yao Wang, he’d visited countless mountains.
Which mountain king wasn’t polite and respectful? Where had he ever suffered such humiliation and loss of face?
His chest heaved, anger burning inside, snorting through his pig nose.
He glared at the tall, thin man and cursed, “Guo Shan Feng! Are you a useless fool? I was almost killed! My father sent you as my bodyguard, and this is how you protect me?”
The tall, thin man, called Guo Shan Feng, gave him a cold glance, as if not taking this Demon General seriously at all. Hugging his sword, he replied coolly, “But you’re not dead.”
A trace of helplessness flashed across Zong Biao Yao Jiang’s face.
Guo Shan Feng was his father Bao Lie’s personal attendant, assigned as his bodyguard due to his high cultivation and skill.
But with his rotten attitude, unlike other subordinates who would curry favor, Zong Biao Yao Jiang had no way to control him.
He could only complain once, still hoping Guo Shan Feng would protect him, and didn’t dare say any more.
He glared with his pig eyes, turning fiercely to Lin Xue.
Lin Xue’s heart thudded.
She saw Zong Biao Yao Jiang glaring with his pig eyes, wearing a man-eating expression, and he demanded, “You demoness, what’s your name and where are you from? What are you doing here? Tell me the truth!”
Lin Xue acted frightened, head lowered, and answered obediently, “My name is Lin Xue, I…”
She hesitated slightly, then used her spiritual link with Hong Yanzhi to quickly communicate, and continued, “I came from Unicorn Mountain, passing by Funiu Ridge to find a friend, and happened to pass through Xixia Mountain. I’d met Sister Hong Yanzhi before, so I stopped by to visit her, which is why I’ve stayed in the mountain these two days.”
Unicorn Mountain and Funiu Ridge were outside the domain of Hei Pi Yao Wang, belonging to other demon kings.
Hong Yanzhi had deliberately instructed her to mention those two mountains, to make it clear to Zong Biao Yao Jiang that Lin Xue was not from here, but under another demon king’s rule, so the pig wouldn’t force her to become Hei Pi Yao Wang’s consort.
Zong Biao Yao Jiang sneered, “Just visiting a friend? I’m here on the Yao Wang’s orders, and you looked unfamiliar, so I only meant to wake you and ask who you were and why you were here. Yet you attacked me directly—I say you must have a guilty conscience and some plot, and you certainly haven’t told me the truth!”
Lin Xue lowered her voice, pretending to be on the verge of tears, and pleaded pitifully, “Please calm your anger, Demon General. I was focused on cultivation just now, cut off from the outside, and had no idea you’d arrived. When I finished and suddenly saw you before me, I panicked and, to protect myself, acted rashly and offended you. Please forgive me.”
Zong Biao Yao Jiang looked at Lin Xue’s delicate, tearful face, so lovely and pitiable, and most of his anger faded, replaced by a rising lust.
Over the years of choosing consorts for Hei Pi Yao Wang, he’d seen countless female demons, but few as beautiful as Lin Xue.
Especially since Lin Xue was a serpent demon—this especially suited his tastes.
Those demonesses he presented to Hei Pi Yao Wang would, after being used in the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Rejuvenation Technique, either die on the spot if their cultivation was weak, or, if strong, barely survive to be given to his subordinates.
Zong Biao Yao Jiang saw that Lin Xue was already at the Condensation Core Stage and thought she’d definitely survive the process, and live to be carried from the Yao Wang’s bed.
As the nephew of Hei Pi Yao Wang, he’d naturally be able to claim this serpent demon for his own pleasure afterward.
His heart itched unbearably. He immediately decided—no matter what, he must choose Lin Xue as a consort and take her back to Erlong Mountain!
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