Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 86

Two figures sped over from the distance and came to a halt beside Lu Xuan.

“Senior Xuan, are you alright?”

The faces of Zhao Sheng and Qian Hao still bore traces of lingering fear. Clearly, the intense battle they had just witnessed between Lu Xuan and that terrifying phantom in the sky had left an indelible mark on them.

“You two saw that phantom just now as well?” Lu Xuan’s expression was grim, and his gaze towards Zhao Sheng and Qian Hao was filled with a dangerous intensity. “What was that thing?!”

“You two had better give me an explanation! Don’t tell me the members of the Xuanniao Guard were unaware of the anomaly within this demon beast.”

This was the first time since Lu Xuan began his martial arts training that he had felt the breath of death. If not for the protection of his Indestructible Vajra body tempering technique, he would already be severely injured.

“Senior Xuan, please don’t misunderstand. We truly had no idea such a terrifying existence resided within this demon beast,” Zhao Sheng explained hastily under the pressure of Lu Xuan’s questioning. “We only heard Envoy Xuan mention that the Xuanniao Guard of Baidao Prefecture need not concern themselves with the demon beast in the Jinlin River.”

Lu Xuan stared at Zhao Sheng and Qian Hao for a moment, only shifting his gaze away when they seemed on the verge of buckling under the pressure. It seemed they genuinely were unaware of the demon beast’s secret.

“Envoy Xuan?” Lu Xuan mused. This person undoubtedly knew the secrets of that terrifying phantom.

A suspected Divine Mansion realm demon beast!

Having concluded that a Divine Mansion realm demon beast likely resided within the Jinlin River, Lu Xuan decided not to dwell on it further. He needed to leave this place, and quickly. He had no desire to encounter that terrifying phantom again.

“It’s dead?”

Lu Xuan’s figure flickered as he moved to stand before the carp demon. Sensing that the creature’s aura was completely devoid of life, his face darkened considerably.

When did this happen?!

Without hesitation, he immediately called up his system panel.

Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Inner Energy (Peak)
Techniques: Crimson Flame Blade Art 6/9, Wind-Chasing Steps 3/9, Indestructible Vajra 2/9.
Points: 11

The system points indeed showed no change, confirming that the carp demon had not died by his hand.

Damn it!

The demon’s death must be connected to the appearance of that terrifying phantom. A nameless fury rose within Lu Xuan. So, all my efforts tonight, my life-and-death struggle against that phantom, were ultimately for nothing?

Fine. I’ll remember this debt, Lu Xuan swore to himself, etching the image of that phantom deep into his memory. The energy around him stirred, causing the air to swirl and a faint, sharp wind to blow.

“Senior Xuan, please hold back! That demon beast is extremely useful!” Seeing the unusual energy fluctuations around Lu Xuan, Zhao Sheng mistakenly thought he was about to unleash those terrifying crimson flames to incinerate the beast’s corpse on the ground. He rushed over quickly to stop Lu Xuan’s next move.

“Senior Xuan, the essence contained in the flesh and blood of a Refined Blood realm demon beast far surpasses the effects of any great tonic herb. It’s comparable to a natural treasure!”

Knowing that Lu Xuan was in great need of potent tonics, Zhao Sheng hurriedly explained the significant benefits of a Refined Blood realm demon beast.

“Oh?” Upon hearing Zhao Sheng’s words, Lu Xuan’s eyes lit up. He swiftly reined in the energy surrounding him, abandoning his thought of venting his anger on the carp demon’s corpse.

“Yes, Senior Xuan. The corpse of this peak Refined Blood realm demon beast is virtually priceless. If placed on the auction block in the prefecture city, it would fetch an astronomical sum.”

Zhao Sheng and Qian Hao looked at the massive carp demon on the ground with fervent, heated eyes. This was a demon beast above the Refined Blood realm, a peak Refined Blood existence! Such beasts could already begin to devour and refine the primal energy of heaven and earth. Every part of their flesh had been nourished by this primal energy, making it extremely valuable for martial artists.

They knew all too well that even they, as Huang-rank Xuanniao Guards, rarely received allocations of Refined Blood realm demon beast flesh in their monthly martial resources. The reason was simple: Refined Blood realm demon beasts were exceedingly rare, immensely powerful, and incredibly difficult to hunt.

“Do you two know how to process demon beast flesh?” Lu Xuan’s quiet question broke the silence, startling Zhao Sheng and Qian Hao.

“Replying to Senior Xuan, I know a little about it,” Qian Hao offered timidly after a moment.

Lu Xuan glanced at the demon beast’s ugly head with some distaste before addressing the two men. “Good. Take this demon beast back to Taiping Town and prepare the flesh for me. The head is yours.”

Zhao Sheng and Qian Hao instantly froze, as if unable to believe what they had just heard. Then, expressions of ecstatic joy rapidly spread across their faces.

Just as they were about to express their gratitude to Lu Xuan, they realized the figure that had been standing beside the carp demon had already vanished without a trace.

“Old Zhao, it seems we made the right choice this time,” Qian Hao said, still in a state of disbelief. “Senior Xuan actually shared peak Refined Blood realm demon beast flesh with us.”

Zhao Sheng shared Qian Hao’s sense of incredulity. Shaking off the shock of this heaven-sent opportunity, Zhao Sheng swiftly walked over to the carp demon’s massive body. He reached down, grabbed hold of it, and lifted the several-zhang-long corpse completely overhead.

“Old Qian, what are you standing around for? This is a tremendous opportunity for us! Hurry up and help me carry this beast back to Taiping Town. We mustn’t keep Senior Xuan waiting.”

“Ah, right, you’re correct, Old Zhao. I nearly delayed Senior Xuan’s important matter.”

Deep within the depths of the Jinlin River!

How deep did the Jinlin River truly go? Not even the common folk of Taiping Town knew the answer.

“Hmm? My divine sense…”
“Why has the divine sense on Hong Lin disappeared?”

At the very bottom of the Jinlin River, ten thousand zhang down in pitch-black, abyssal depths, a pair of colossal, ancient eyes suddenly snapped open. A dim, azure light shot from them, streaking upwards through the river.

They were vertically-slitted pupils, radiating endless antiquity and majesty.

“My sacrificial offering?”
“Someone killed Hong Lin?”

An immense, winding black shadow began to stir violently at the riverbed, causing the entire Jinlin River to tremble. The waters churned, waves rolling with turbulent fury.

“Emperor Tianqi!”
“Damnable humans!”
“You never imagined this, did you? With the great changes in the world, I will soon break free of these accursed shackles!”