Chapter 447: Demon General

As the spirit pill’s effects took hold, his depleted spiritual power quickly recovered. Lu Ye wasn't in a rush to use the spirit tags; as items that could enhance his strength, they should naturally be used when his spiritual power was at its fullest.

Swallowing Vitality Spirit Pills one by one, Lu Ye also created several small spirit-gathering funnels on his body to speed up his recovery. Currently at the first level of the Cloud River Realm, his 360 spirit apertures were still distinct, though their boundaries would gradually blur with further cultivation.

It took nearly half a day for his spiritual power to fully recover.

Just as Lu Ye was about to test the potential enhancement of the green spirit tag, he heard a faint sound from outside, quickly followed by an explosive roar. His previously set warning formation had been triggered, and the intruder had even activated the explosive formation! He quickly put away the two spirit tags, stood up, and rushed out.

He couldn't exit the cave because a towering figure blocked the entrance: a black bear standing upright like an iron tower. The black bear roared, its fur singed and faint traces of blood visible, clearly injured by the formation. The pain enraged it; its massive paws pounded the cave walls, producing loud thumps, and a dense demonic energy surged around its body. Lu Ye instantly recognized it as a Demon General!

Just as cultivators have distinct cultivation realms, so do demonic beasts. Ordinary demonic beasts correspond to cultivators in the Spirit Stream Realm; even a dominant entity like Little Gray is considered an ordinary demonic beast, having merely reached the peak of its current level without undergoing a qualitative transformation. For cultivators in the Cloud River Realm, the equivalent demonic beast realm is Demon General, just like this black bear. The Cloud River battlefield is home to many ferocious and powerful Demon General-level demonic beasts, and every year, cultivators tragically fall prey to them. Above that, a Demon Commander corresponds to a cultivator in the True Lake Realm. And higher still, a Demon King corresponds to a cultivator in the Divine Sea Realm.

This was likely the black bear's den; Lu Ye had noticed black fur on the cave floor earlier but was too focused on his recovery to pay it much mind. He hadn't anticipated the cave's owner returning at that moment and being injured by his formation. Confronting a Demon General in such a confined space was undoubtedly highly disadvantageous for Lu Ye, as there was no room to maneuver.

The moment he saw the black bear, Lu Ye called out, "Yiyi!"

Yiyi instantly emerged from Amber, reached into the storage bag around Amber's neck, and pulled out the Nine Realms Map. Activating it with spiritual power, she unfurled the map and cast it over the black bear Demon General. The black bear vanished. Yiyi held the Nine Realms Map, maintaining the spiritual energy flow, and gave Lu Ye a slight nod.

The next moment, Lu Ye and Amber charged into the Nine Realms Map. As Lu Ye and Amber materialized within the chaotic rocky forest terrain, an angry roar immediately echoed. The black bear's massive body, like a charging mountain, rumbled as it lunged forward.

Amber roared, landing on the ground as its body rapidly expanded, revealing its true form, and then charged towards the black bear. In terms of strength and realm, the black bear Demon General was stronger than Amber, as Amber hadn't yet reached the Demon General level. Amber's ability to enter the Cloud River battlefield stemmed primarily from its pet contract with Lu Ye; it could go anywhere its master could. Visually, even though Amber had grown quite imposing, it was still significantly smaller than the black bear Demon General. But it was agile enough.

Just as the two figures were about to collide, Amber leaped high, its agile body soaring over the black bear's back, its sharp tiger claws raking fiercely across the bear's hide. For an ordinary demonic beast, that strike would have torn open its back. But the black bear, a true Demon General, was protected by a surging wave of demonic energy, rendering Amber's attack largely ineffective. Moreover, the black bear stood upright, swiftly turned, and swiped a paw at Amber. If that strike had landed squarely, even with Amber's thick hide and tough flesh, it wouldn't have fared well.

Just then, the black bear's movements abruptly halted, as if an invisible force had restrained it. Though only for a fleeting moment, it allowed Amber to narrowly escape danger. It was Yiyi's doing! Although Yiyi couldn't fully control the Nine Realms Map, she could still exert a minor portion of its power. By managing the map, she could subtly influence everything within it. Thus, any enemy engaging Lu Ye within the formation faced a considerable disadvantage, unless they possessed the capability to break free from its restraints and escape.

Lu Ye had already drawn his blade, his Mountain Breaker saber, adorned with fiery-red flowing light and enhanced by two sharp spirit patterns, slashing fiercely at the black bear's waist. The thick demonic energy was breached, leaving a deep gash on the black bear's body. Roaring in pain, the black bear turned and swiped a paw at Lu Ye. However, Lu Ye had already retreated, shielding himself with his Mountain Breaker saber. The force of the swipe sent him sliding back over a dozen yards.

Staring at the seemingly gruesome, gashing wound, Lu Ye was secretly astonished. As expected of a Demon General, that strike had only inflicted superficial damage; he had anticipated it would at least severely injure the beast. While the black bear's attention was focused on Lu Ye, Amber charged again, this time more cunningly. Its snow-white body, like an arrow, slammed into the black bear, making it stumble. Simultaneously, it bit down with fierce force, tearing off a chunk of flesh. Before the black bear could retaliate, Amber swiftly leaped away.

The black bear was powerful, but once trapped within the Nine Realms Map, with Lu Ye and Amber launching a combined assault and Yiyi secretly interfering, it naturally stood no chance. A quarter of an hour later, as Lu Ye's blade struck, the black bear's massive body crashed to the ground, covered in wounds and looking utterly pathetic.

Gazing at the black bear's corpse, Lu Ye exhaled softly. In terms of cultivation alone, the black bear's strength was roughly equivalent to a cultivator at the fifth level of the Cloud River Realm. However, Lu Ye, Amber, and Yiyi being able to kill this Demon General didn't mean they could defeat a fifth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator. Firstly, cultivators might not be so easily drawn into the Nine Realms Map. Furthermore, cultivators possess more diverse abilities, and even if trapped within the Nine Realms Map, they would still have ample means to resist. This black bear, though powerful, lacked high intelligence, making it easy for Lu Ye and Amber to outmaneuver it.

The flesh of such a Demon General was undoubtedly very appealing to Amber. Lu Ye also quite enjoyed eating demonic beast meat; compared to ordinary animal flesh, it was more nourishing, and long-term consumption could significantly strengthen the body.

After the fierce battle, Amber had already pounced and was tearing at the black bear's flesh. Lu Ye walked over, placed his hand on the bear's abdomen, and channeled his spiritual power to investigate. He quickly found what he was looking for. His Mountain Breaker saber pierced the black bear's abdomen, and with a twist and a pull, a blood-stained, round bead the size of a longan was extracted. Lu Ye took out clean water to wash off the bloodstains. He saw that the bead was entirely scarlet, resembling a fleshy core.

A Demonic Core!

Ordinary demonic beasts do not possess demonic cores; they only form once a beast reaches the Demon General level, serving as the crystallization and source of its power. Holding the demonic core, Lu Ye carefully sensed it and indeed detected abundant demonic energy within. Amber, its mouth stained with blood from eating, walked over and nudged Lu Ye's hand, its longing gaze impossible to hide. Lu Ye casually tossed the demonic core to Amber, who swallowed it in one gulp, completely satisfied.

"Yiyi!" Lu Ye called out softly, and his surroundings shifted. He, Amber, and the black bear Demon General's corpse reappeared in the open space outside the cave. He stored the black bear Demon General's corpse as emergency rations and retrieved the scattered formation flags near the cave entrance. Only then did he depart with Amber and Yiyi.

He had originally intended to test the spirit tags, but that was no longer feasible. He would have to find another location. Half an hour later, Lu Ye landed on a small mountain peak. He found a suitable spot and sat down cross-legged. Yiyi knelt beside him, watching him expectantly, while Amber's eyes were also filled with curiosity. It was their first time encountering spirit tags, so they were all eager to see their effects.

Lu Ye first took out the green spirit tag. He had examined it earlier in the cave: the spirit tags appeared jade-like, smooth and warm to the touch. Both the green and purple ones were identical in size and shape; the only difference was their color. Lu Ye didn't know what profound mystery was hidden within these spirit tags that allowed cultivators to practice.

He would find out by trying. With a firm squeeze, the green spirit tag in his hand instantly dissolved into a fine, green powder. Instead of scattering, the powder gently swirled and surged before him, quickly forming a green circle. The circle was small, only about the size of a fist. As the green circle materialized, a visibly pure mist simultaneously emerged from thin air. A continuous stream of mist surged from the green circle, and in the blink of an eye, Lu Ye's surroundings became completely shrouded.

A quick check revealed that this mist was actually spirit mist! Lu Ye was surprised; for the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to condense into mist, it had to reach an exceptionally dense state. Furthermore, this mist, appearing from nothing, felt incredibly pure and flawless. Lu Ye hadn't even consciously absorbed it; merely by breathing naturally, the spirit mist surged into his body, quickly being consumed and converted into his own spiritual power.

On the small mountain peak, the wind whistled, yet it had no effect on the spirit mist. This mist, born from thin air, lingered around Lu Ye, unscattered by the breeze. Seeing this, Yiyi quickly entered a state of cultivation. Amber also opened its maw, continuously devouring the spirit mist to strengthen itself. Needless to say, Lu Ye had already begun constructing small spirit-gathering funnels.

In just half an hour, the surrounding spirit mist dissipated. Lu Ye examined the river of spiritual power within him, but found no significant change. Cultivation in the Spirit Stream Realm involves opening spirit apertures and forming small circulation cycles with them, with each additional cycle leading to a level increase. Upon reaching the Cloud River Realm, cultivators must absorb spiritual power to expand the scale and volume of the spiritual power river within their bodies. Each time a limit is surpassed, their cultivation advances by one level.