Rat in Yellow Wind Ridge, rising from plundering entries

Chapter 7 The Dragon Vein Dies, the Mountains Weep, and a Fortuitous Encounter in a Small Corner!

Time in the cave passed without measure. In the blink of an eye, more than nine months had gone by. The Yellow Wind King had completely devoured the flesh and blood of the three demons.

During this time, his cultivation had advanced significantly. He underwent a second transformation, gathering demonic power and forming a demon core in his abdomen. He could now be considered a Great Demon!

The demon race did not have strict classifications for cultivation realms but was generally divided into Lesser Demons, Great Demons, Demon Generals, Demon Kings, and Demon Saints. Newly transformed demons were Lesser Demons.

Those who formed a demon core and cultivated for over five hundred years were considered Great Demons. A thousand years of cultivation marked a Demon General. Becoming a Demon Immortal made one a Demon King. As for Demon Saints, they were on the same level as Great Immortals and Bodhisattvas, and such beings were rarely heard of.

However, these classifications were often ignored. Some demons claimed the title of ‘King’ just by occupying a mountain and gathering a group of minor demons. For example, the six demons who had sworn brotherhood with Sun Wukong—none of them were true Demon Saints. But true Demon Saints did exist, such as the Nest Zen Master and the Nine-Spirit Saint.

Crackling!

The Yellow Wind King stretched his limbs, his bones clanking like metal.

“Feels great! With my purified bloodline, my very foundation is changing—I am no longer just an ordinary mountain spirit or wild beast.”

“Normally, after transformation, it takes decades to form a demon core.”

“But by devouring the flesh and blood of three demons and seizing their cultivation, I underwent another transformation in just over a month!”

“The gray eagle contributed the most. It was close to its second transformation, but due to old age and declining strength, it had become vulnerable—otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared provoke it.”

[You have purified your bloodline and awakened a new trait: Moon Devourer (Blue)!]. [Moon Devourer (Blue): Your bloodline enhances your connection with the moon, increasing your cultivation efficiency under moonlight.]. [Your Moon Devourer (Blue) and Moon Absorption (Blue) traits resonate. Would you like to merge and upgrade them?].

The Yellow Wind King was delighted.

Could traits actually merge and upgrade?

[Moon Devourer (Blue) and Moon Absorption (Blue) have merged and upgraded. You have acquired a new trait: Moon’s Favored Spirit (Red)!].

“It really upgraded?”

The Yellow Wind King checked the new trait.

[Moon’s Favored Spirit (Red): You are a child of the moon. Your cultivation efficiency under moonlight increases by 100%. On nights of the full moon, you receive the Moon’s Blessing, doubling all aspects of your abilities and enhancing your perception of moon-related phenomena by 30%.].

“Not only does it combine the effects of the previous traits and significantly boost efficiency, but it also grants a new Moon’s Blessing ability.”

“This is a huge gain!”

The Yellow Wind King was overjoyed.

He glanced at his current status.

[Name: Yellow Wind King]. [Race: Demon—Moon Devouring Rat (10%)]. [Realm: Qi Refinement—Demon Core]. [Cultivation Method: Moon Devouring Art]. [Traits: Heaven’s Mandate (Gold), Gold-Consuming Breath (Red), Moon’s Favored Spirit (Red), Thick Skin (Blue), Hundred-Pace Precision (Blue), Devour (Blue), Archery Specialization (White), Critical Strike (White), Diligence Makes Up for Mediocrity (White)].

This looked far better than before.

Just as he was feeling pleased—Suddenly, he felt an ominous premonition. His innate sixth sense warned him that danger was approaching from afar.

The Yellow Wind King immediately restrained his aura and swiftly approached the Mother Mirror. Pouring his demon energy into it, he activated its reflection ability to observe the outside world. The sky had darkened, casting a massive shadow.

My god!

It was an incomparably massive divine bird, its wings spanning hundreds of miles as it soared across the sky, stirring up fierce gales.

Whoosh!

The violent winds swept across a hundred miles, toppling trees, some even uprooted and sent spiraling into the sky like drifting leaves. Clutched in its talons was the lifeless corpse of a divine dragon, over a hundred feet long. The bird pecked at it, swallowing it piece by piece.

As it passed, a divine sense swept across the land, scanning all directions—it seemed to be searching for something. The bird descended toward High Cliff Ridge. Its enormous body rapidly shrank, transforming into a humanoid figure draped in golden feathers. It was the Golden-Winged Great Peng!

“Something has happened?”

It strode into a cavern, its golden eyes gleaming as it scanned the scorched rock walls, stopping before its own temple. A mysterious light shot from its forehead, merging into a stone statue of a carved eagle head. The stone eyes flickered to life, replaying past events.

“A mere little rat demon? It killed the gray eagle? Impossible—it’s more likely that the gray eagle went out and met an unfortunate fate.”

It observed the sneaky, white-furred rat demon entering the cave. Its gaze was filled with disdain and contempt—weak, lowly, an insignificant creature. It did not believe that such a demon could kill the gray eagle. The Peng family was proud to the extreme.

Seeing that the rat demon had entered the lair, it lost interest and instead shattered the stone statue, revealing a golden pill hovering quietly inside.

“Fortunately, the Golden Core is still here.”

It breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thirty years ago, while campaigning with Spirit Mountain, I discovered a hidden dragon vein here. So, I placed my pill here to absorb its essence and nurture a Dragon Vein Core.”

“Judging by the patterns on it, it needed just a few more years. But alas, the gray eagle died too soon, and lately, Spirit Mountain’s scrutiny has been too intense…”

“Forget it. I’ll use some methods to accelerate its maturation.”

Grasping the golden core, it performed an Earth Escape Technique, burrowing underground and following its senses to an open chamber. Inside, a golden dragon form was bound by golden chains. It coiled in place, its light dim, its aura feeble.

Sensing the Great Peng’s approach, the dragon form struggled and roared.

“Hmph! Seeking death?”

The Great Peng raised its hand, summoning a sword in its palm, and drove it into the dragon’s form, pinning it down.

In that instant, a wicked wind erupted across Yellow Wind Ridge. The sky turned dark. The mountains wept. The forests wailed.

“What’s happening?”

The Yellow Wind King grew uneasy, an inexplicable sorrow washing over him. It wasn’t just him—all creatures in Yellow Wind Ridge were crying out in grief.

“The mountains mourn, and all beings grieve… What has the Golden-Winged Great Peng done?”

The Yellow Wind King was filled with dread. But he did not dare reveal himself.

Deep in thought, he muttered, “That old bird definitely laid a trap for me. It either hid the truth or was unaware of it itself.”

About a month later, through a subsidiary mirror, the Yellow Wind King saw the Golden-Winged Great Peng soar into the sky. It unfurled its immense wings and vanished into the clouds.

Its aura lingered for a long time.

Silence.

Yellow Wind Ridge fell into a deathly stillness.