Chapter 65

First update! There are only four days left on the new book chart, so please add it to your collection, dear readers?

Mu Kui was extremely nervous.

He dared not meet Chen Xi's gaze, but he also felt that he had done nothing wrong.

Previously, when Chen Xi opened the Purple Mansion by drawing on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the commotion attracted the attention of many powerful demons who were cultivating in the Bao Yue Mountain. They all came to seek Mu Kui's introduction.

These powerful demons had a certain level of friendship with him, and they often gathered to drink and discuss the Dao. Although they were not close friends, Mu Kui could not refuse and had to come to pay respects to Chen Xi.

Of course, Mu Kui was also very excited.

He had cultivated in Bao Yue Mountain for a thousand years. Due to his solitary life and lower cultivation compared to other powerful demons, he was rarely spoken to when they gathered. He was merely regarded as a dispensable fellow cultivator.

Now, with Chen Xi advancing to the Purple Mansion realm, these powerful demons all brought various treasures to seek his introduction, showing great enthusiasm and warmth, which made Mu Kui feel both surprised and proud.

However, Mu Kui was also clear that if it weren't for Senior Chen Xi, these people would probably still not give him a second glance.

"Alright." Chen Xi thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

He also wanted to meet the powerful demons nearby. After all, these creatures had long been entrenched in the area and were now his 'neighbors.' While it might not be easy to be friends, it was also necessary not to be enemies, so maintaining a certain relationship with them was essential.

"Senior, you... agreed?" Mu Kui was almost disbelieving, his eyes wide with shock.

"Aren't you hoping I'll back you up?" Chen Xi glanced at him and said, "Just this once, no more."

Mu Kui was both moved and proud, nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice, too excited to speak.

...

Pine trees and cypress, waterfalls and streams, misty clouds and gentle breezes.

In this picturesque setting, over a dozen men and women in various attire were talking and laughing. Some leaned against the green pines, some squatted on the rocks, some sat on the ground in pairs, and some stood solemnly.

"Mu Kui is really lucky to have befriended a Purple Mansion realm expert. It's truly enviable."

"Alas, we were too negligent towards him in the past. If we had known, perhaps I could have also listened to Senior Chen Xi's teachings."

"Do you know where Senior Chen Xi comes from? In the past thousand years, few human cultivators have set foot in the Southern Barbarian Mountains."

...

Various discussions arose, and the waist of Bao Yue Mountain was now a bustling scene.

"Hey, Mu Kui is here. Is the young man behind him the Senior Chen Xi who just opened the Purple Mansion foundation?"

Brush!

All the powerful demons turned their gazes in the same direction.

Mu Kui was walking behind a young man, who was tall and slender, with a clear and serene face. His eyes were calm and clear, and though he seemed ordinary, his every movement seemed to blend with the heavens and earth, naturally exuding a powerful aura.

His spirit and energy were in harmony, his body in tune with the void. Indeed, he was at the Purple Mansion realm!

This realization left no doubt in the minds of the powerful demons, and their gazes towards Chen Xi were filled with reverence.

"I am Xiong Pi from Ling Jiu Mountain, paying respects to Senior Chen Xi!"

"I am Zui Man from Bi Xuan Cave, paying respects to Senior Chen Xi and congratulating you on advancing to the Purple Mansion realm and laying the foundation for the Dao!"

"I am Feng Ling Hu..."

The powerful demons approached one by one, bowing to Chen Xi with utmost respect.

At first, Chen Xi felt a bit uncomfortable, but he soon got used to it, nodding in acknowledgment while mentally noting their names and appearances.

Chen Xi also noticed that these powerful demons, like human cultivators, followed a hierarchy. When paying respects, they did so in order of strength, from the strongest to the weakest.

Mu Kui had already prepared fine wine and rare fruits, setting up some cushions and tables in a clearing among the pine trees, and then invited Chen Xi and the others to sit.

Of course, though the setting was simple, Chen Xi was still respectfully seated at the head of the table.

Mu Kui sat to Chen Xi's right without hesitation, diligently serving him wine and fruit, acting like a diligent servant. This scene drew envy from many of the powerful demons, who, if not for their status, would have been eager to serve Chen Xi like Mu Kui.

Chen Xi was greatly puzzled. These demons had all transformed into human form, so why were they so eager to flatter him?

Take Xiong Pi from Ling Jiu Mountain, for example, who had the bloodline of the ancient and powerful Divine Bear. His status was extremely noble, and he was just one step away from opening the Purple Mansion. It seemed he didn't need to be so respectful.

"Senior, there's no need to worry. Among us, only you have reached the Purple Mansion realm. We demon cultivators only respect strength. As long as you are stronger, we are willing to serve you as slaves."

Mu Kui, sensing Chen Xi's confusion, whispered, "Senior, just enjoy the food and drink. They are here to form a good relationship, or to get to know you better."

Chen Xi couldn't help but sigh. It seemed that whether they were demons or humans, they all fell into the trap of favoring the powerful and shunning the weak.

As they drank and chatted, it was already dusk.

"Senior, this is a green spirit gourd that grows in my Bi Xuan Cave, producing a fruit every thousand years. It can hold ten thousand pounds of wine and has both ice and fire attributes. It can chill or warm the wine, and I hope you will accept it."

At the end of the banquet, Zui Man from Bi Xuan Cave stepped forward, respectfully presenting a green, gourd-shaped object that emitted a faint green light.

"Senior, this is the Xuan Lin Fruit I dug up from the depths of the lake, which is very beneficial for solidifying one's cultivation."

"My Jade Bone Spirit Mushroom is nurtured in the heart of the earth's magma, capable of reviving the dead and regenerating flesh. Please accept it, Senior."

...

These powerful demons seemed to have been well-prepared, each presenting some rare treasures.

Chen Xi was stunned, but Mu Kui took the opportunity to collect all the treasures, showing no hesitation.

"Hmph, just some useless things."

Xiong Pi, who had been sitting to one side, suddenly sneered, making the other powerful demons pause and look at him with dark expressions.

Hmm, this guy is straightforward.

Chen Xi was greatly surprised. The items these powerful demons had presented, though seemingly precious, were mostly auxiliary and of little benefit to cultivation. Xiong Pi's words were not entirely false.

"Hmph, Fellow Daoist Xiong, our intentions are sincere, unlike you who brought nothing and only speaks cold words."

"That's right. Though your cultivation is the highest among us, you are deliberately causing trouble in this visit to Senior Chen Xi, which is very malicious."

"Dislike our gifts? Fine, why don't you show us something useful, Old Xiong?"

The powerful demons all turned their attention to Xiong Pi, some with disdain, others with ridicule, the atmosphere tense.

"Shouldn't you stop them?" Chen Xi glanced at the indifferent Mu Kui and whispered.

"Xiong Pi is like this. Stopping him would only make everyone unhappy. Just watch. Though he speaks without restraint, he must have something prepared," Mu Kui quickly explained.

Sure enough, as Mu Kui said, Xiong Pi ignored the ridicule, drank the wine in his cup, and then stood up, holding a new treasure in his hand.

The object resembled a thin, straight bamboo, two feet long, completely black, and emitting a dull, dark light. Though it seemed unremarkable, as soon as it appeared, a chilling and intimidating aura spread through the air.

This is...

The powerful demons all widened their eyes in disbelief.

Chen Xi's gaze also fixed on the black bamboo. After advancing to the Purple Mansion realm, his divine soul's perception had become even more acute, and he could keenly sense the terrifying and violent power within the bamboo, like a bolt of lightning from the heavens, carrying a destructive force that made one tremble.

"Does this three-foot-long Geng Metal Sword Bamboo meet your approval?" Xiong Pi, who was as tall as a small hill, scanned the crowd with a cold gaze.

Geng Metal Sword Bamboo!?

Hearing this name, the powerful demons all gasped, their gazes filled with intense greed and desire.

So it's Geng Metal Sword Bamboo!

Chen Xi was both enlightened and shocked.

As the name suggests, Geng Metal Sword Bamboo is a naturally occurring dual-attribute spirit plant of metal and wood, with a stem as sharp as a sword. It is extremely rare, growing only one inch every hundred years, and then enduring lightning strikes. If it survives, it grows another inch every hundred years. However, most Geng Metal Sword Bamboos are destroyed by lightning as soon as they sprout, with only one in ten thousand surviving.

The Geng Metal Sword Bamboo in Xiong Pi's hand must have survived for at least three thousand years, enduring no fewer than ten lightning strikes. The hardness of the bamboo, having survived so many lightning strikes, must be incredibly strong.

"Please accept it, Senior!"

Xiong Pi stepped forward, respectfully offering the Geng Metal Sword Bamboo.

The powerful demons watched in shock, unable to fathom why Xiong Pi would give such a precious treasure to Chen Xi.

Mu Kui was also extremely excited and was about to accept it on Chen Xi's behalf, but Chen Xi stopped him, firmly saying, "This is too valuable. Please take it back, Fellow Daoist Xiong."

"This is just a useless thing to me, neither useful nor discardable. Only in Senior's hands can it truly be put to use," Xiong Pi insisted, refusing to back down.

"Do you have something to ask of me?" Chen Xi asked after a long silence, his gaze fixed on Xiong Pi's face.

Xiong Pi seemed unsurprised, his expression resolute. "Yes, I have only one request in my life: I ask Senior to help me kill the Black Ape King of Kong Shui Cave!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire crowd was shocked.

Kill our king? On a distant tree, a white-feathered spirit bird's eyes suddenly narrowed, and it immediately took flight, disappearing into the clouds.

Page AD starts

Page AD ends