Chapter 7

There were quite a few demonic beasts, of both the first and second ranks.

However, these creatures were wary of each other and did not immediately attack.

Judging from the situation, it seemed they wouldn't start fighting anytime soon.

Zheng Tuo licked his lips and had a devious thought.

He had seen the second-rank demonic core in Li Jun's hand just now.

It was impossible not to be tempted.

A single second-rank demonic core could save him one or two years of cultivation.

With so many demonic beasts gathered here,

if they started fighting, there would be at least four or five second-rank demonic cores and several first-rank cores to be had.

No.

He couldn't let them just wander around here.

He had to stir things up.

He quietly took out a packet of powder from his backpack.

*Heart Dream Phosphorescent Powder*

It was made from Heart Dream Grass and the gallbladder of a phosphorescent snake.

After inhaling this powder, one would experience hallucinations.

The source of these hallucinations was the deepest fear in one's heart.

Years ago,

he had tricked an old beggar into giving him this powder in exchange for a set of crepes and a steamed bun.

It was one of his thirty-six trump cards.

He put on a homemade gas mask and opened the oiled paper wrapping the Heart Dream Phosphorescent Powder.

Without any action from him,

a gentle breeze blew the powder into the midst of the beasts.

In an instant,

it was like dropping a drop of water into a boiling pot of oil; the entire group of beasts exploded into chaos.

Zheng Tuo didn't know what the deepest fears of the demonic beasts were,

but it was definitely intense.

The beasts fought each other, causing chaos in the forest.

It was brutal.

Extremely brutal.

The battle lasted the entire night.

Dozens of demonic beasts fought, turning the ground red with blood.

The air was filled with a bloody stench that made one's nose turn.

Within a ten-mile radius,

no living creature dared to approach this battlefield.

Zheng Tuo hid in the treetops,

witnessing the battle from start to finish.

The fights between the demonic beasts were straightforward and brutal.

Except for a few that were barely alive, the rest were torn to pieces.

Limbs were scattered everywhere, like an Eight Trigram Formation.

Zheng Tuo remained hidden in the treetops, not moving.

Even though dozens of demonic cores seemed to be beckoning him, inviting him to come and play,

he didn't move.

The reason he didn't move

was that he wasn't sure if the demonic beasts below were truly dead.

He was just an ordinary person.

A single blow from a demonic beast could end his life.

What if one of them was faking death?

It was better to be cautious.

By mid-morning,

Zheng Tuo felt it was about time.

If he delayed any longer, he would find it hard to catch up with Li Jun and the bodyguards.

If he continued alone, it would be dangerous.

He didn't rush down from the ancient tree.

Instead, he took out a set of bow and arrows from his backpack.

The bow and arrows were specially modified by him, with greater power and explosive spirit talismans on the arrowheads.

Standing on the treetop, he drew the bow and shot.

During the ten years of preparation, archery was one of his required skills.

Long range.

High lethality.

Stealthy.

*Whoosh...*

An arrow shot out, accurately hitting a demonic beast's head.

*Boom!*

The head exploded like a large watermelon.

Even if the demonic beast was tough, it couldn't survive with its head exploded.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*

Several arrows whistled through the air, accurately hitting the heads of the demonic beasts.

After shooting all the heads,

Zheng Tuo quickly climbed down the ancient tree using a rope.

With lightning speed,

he collected all the corpses of the demonic beasts into his spatial backpack.

The entire process took no more than two minutes.

Seven second-rank demonic cores.

Twelve first-rank demonic cores were collected.

His movements were so proficient, as if he had practiced them millions of times.

After collecting the cores, Zheng Tuo quickly took off his clothes.

He tied a stone to a rope and threw it into the river to sink.

He used the river water to wash off the blood, then took a Cleansing Pill and sprayed on special perfume.

After doing all this, he changed into clean clothes and quickly left.

The entire process took him four minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

His planning and execution were textbook-level.

The journey ahead was not as smooth as he had imagined.

As they approached the direction of Sunset Mountain,

the number of battles around them increased exponentially.

Not only did Li Jun's team suffer multiple attacks from demonic beasts, with heavy losses,

but other teams also encountered attacks.

Through his homemade sunglasses,

he could see white light flashing in the sky from time to time.

He assumed that these were announcements of someone exiting the trial.

Every time a white light flashed, Zheng Tuo would take out a small notebook, record the coordinates of the light, and sneak over.

The purpose was simple: to collect demonic cores.

Fighting with demonic beasts was not easy.

Whenever Zheng Tuo arrived at the scene, he would usually see the human side defeated and completely wiped out.

Based on past experience,

Zheng Tuo would hide in the dark, wait for the human youths to flee, and then use the Heart Dream Phosphorescent Powder to carry out his ruthless scavenging.

Of course,

things were not always smooth.

For example, when encountering a stronger team.

After killing the demonic beasts, they still had the strength to collect the cores.

In such cases, Zheng Tuo would think, "Trying to stop me from scavenging, how shameless."

So, he would usually take out a sound spirit talisman.

He would play recorded sounds of wild beasts roaring.

And he would play the sounds of dozens of wild beasts going wild.

Compared to their lives, the demonic cores were less important.

In most cases, the human youths would quickly leave,

fearing that more demonic beasts would surround them.

Thus, Zheng Tuo could reluctantly play the role of the scavenger.

To be honest, being a scavenger felt amazing.

Along the way, he not only determined multiple safe routes but also had a bountiful harvest.

Happy days were like when the girl from the neighboring class passed by the window.

Short, but beautiful.

Five days later,

a towering peak rose from the ground, piercing the clouds.

At the foot of the mountain, a stone tablet read the destination: Sunset Mountain.

In front of the stone tablet, thousands of people gathered.

"Everyone, ahead is the main base of the demonic beasts. We must unite to pass through. I believe this is the ultimate test given to us by the sect. If we pass, we will surely become part of the Luo Xian Sect and leave our mark on the path to immortality..."

Li Jun stood on a large rock, looking heroic and full of spirit.

Thinking of the companions who were killed that night,

he was determined to wipe out the demonic beasts and avenge his fallen comrades.

"Everyone, rest here today. We will set out tomorrow to decide our fate."

Li Jun's speech boosted everyone's confidence.

They all cheered loudly, as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

If no one stopped them, they would have rushed up Sunset Mountain to fight the forest wolves right away.

Zheng Tuo, who usually acted cautiously, did not leave.

Instead, he chose to rest here.

Although he hadn't encountered much danger in the past few days, he hadn't rested well either.

Picking up demonic cores alone had made his arms sore, and he couldn't fully sleep.

On the contrary, with so many people around, they could act as security, allowing him to rest peacefully.

Everyone was busy setting up tents and preparing meals.

They were sharpening their weapons, ready for the battle the next day.