Chapter 385: Design

Li Yuanjiao hurried to the foot of Mount Dali and thoroughly explained the situation with the boar demon. Yuan Chendun, conversing with him, frowned and asked, "Friend, do you have a way to trap this boar demon? Although my cultivation base excels at slaying demons, I'm not good at pursuit. With just the two of us, I'm afraid we won't succeed."

Li Yuanjiao took out Kong Tingyun's azure array disk from his storage bag and replied, "I have a Foundation Establishment array disk; trapping this creature won't be an issue. The problem is how to lure it out of the mountain."

Yuan Chendun's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "Rest assured, friend, leave it to me."

He then led Li Yuanjiao around the vicinity, found a small valley, descended, and asked, "Does this demon eat humans?"

"Yes, it does," Li Yuanjiao confirmed.

"Easy enough! Very easy," Yuan Chendun laughed.

He took out a jade bottle from his storage bag and whispered, "Human flesh is sweet and delicious; once tasted, it's impossible to forget."

Yuan Chendun tilted the jade bottle, spilling a cloud of dust onto the ground, followed by a rustling shower of red soil. He then took out a jade box and gently opened it. Inside lay a small white flower, white on top and green underneath, about the size of a palm, and in bud, appearing unremarkable. Yuan Chendun inserted it into the red soil and began to cast a spell. Instantly, the flower bloomed, its bud dripping with blood, and topped with a fist-sized skull.

Li Yuanjiao observed his actions, frowning as he said, "Friend, is this method viable? If the scent is too strong, it might attract all the Fetal Breath-stage and Qi Condensation-stage demons on the mountain, causing a huge commotion, which would be truly undesirable."

Yuan Chendun calmly replied, "The Ancient Skull Flower doesn't have such power; it can only attract a few demons. Just wait, friend."

As Li Yuanjiao watched him cast the spell, Yuan Chendun chuckled, "The demons of Mount Dali are not like those in the Southern Wilderness; most are quite foolish. They've lived in comfort for so long that they don't know how to be cautious."

"The demon cave doesn't manage them?" Li Yuanjiao asked.

Yuan Chendun shook his head and replied, "Don't let the ostentatious demon generals outside the demon cave fool you. In reality, the outer perimeter is full of 'marked-price' items. Any peak master from the Three Sects and Seven Gates who wants to gain experience, or anyone who decides to capture demons, can simply come and kill or capture them."

Li Yuanjiao nodded, many of his doubts now explained. Yuan Chendun continued, "To those Purple Palace foxes, these pigs, dogs, snakes, and wolves aren't truly their kin. They're essentially raised for food, much like humans raise cattle and sheep."

The two conversed for a moment, and two Fetal Breath-stage demons approached. Yuan Chendun killed them with a single palm strike and continued, "The demon cave kills no fewer demons than outside. Aside from a few specific races, the demons within the cave are even more ruthless. They have no restraints; wolves eating deer and foxes eating rabbits are simply natural occurrences. The widespread belief within the seas that the immortals and demons of Jiangnan live in harmony is due to this."

Yuan Chendun sneered, "Only immortals of the Purple Palace are true immortals, and only demons of the Purple Palace are true demons. As for how those below the Purple Palace devour each other, who cares?"

Just as he finished speaking, a burst of demonic mist galloped swiftly from afar, driven by the wind. From within the black mist, a single hoof became visible, followed by a loud laugh: "Haha… It seems this demon has found a treasure today!"

Then, its form became clear: it was a black-furred stag demon, baring its fangs and claws. It swallowed the Ancient Skull Flower in one gulp and began to cultivate its energy.

Yuan Chendun and Li Yuanjiao remained hidden nearby, silently waiting for a moment, only acting once they confirmed the demon had fully digested the Ancient Skull Flower.

Bang.

Yuan Chendun struck again with a single palm. The demon, still foolishly suspended in mid-air in cultivation, died instantly. With a crash, a black deer fell from the air, collapsing softly onto the ground. Yuan Chendun pointed at the demon and said, "This stag demon consumed the Ancient Skull Flower, so its flesh and blood are incredibly delicious. Once it's dragged back, the boar demon will be the next to come."

Li Yuanjiao understood. Yuan Chendun's trap was extremely rudimentary and certainly sufficient for ordinary demons, but he had some knowledge of the cowardly boar demon in the mountain, and knew the situation wasn't so simple. Although facing a stupid pig, it was still a stupid pig that feared Li Tongya and had lain dormant in the mountains for many years. It would likely be difficult to trick such a demon.

So he cupped his hands and whispered, "This boar demon has a bit of sense; relying solely on this might not be enough to make it risk itself."

Although Yuan Chendun felt Li Yuanjiao was being overly cautious, he still asked, "What do you intend to do, friend?"

Li Yuanjiao replied, "I'm going to leave for a bit, but I'll return soon."

With that, he rode the wind into the mountains to find the White Banyan Fox.

***

Dazhu Cave.

The demon cave was pitch-black and eerie, with several blood pools carved into the ground. A burly man sat cross-legged within one, silently cultivating. This blood pool required the blood of a thousand people to fill once, which was no easy feat. Even as a Foundation Establishment demon general, he hadn't enjoyed such a luxury for a long time. After all, in previous years, the Li family's restrictions at the foot of the mountain meant he had to fly to a neighboring county to abduct people for proper cultivation, which was quite dangerous. Fortunately, the recent demonic plague had caused the price of blood qi to drop significantly, making things much more comfortable for him.

"Which creature died?" he frowned from the blood pool.

Below, the boar demon said, "Great King! Your humble servant specifically went to investigate, and the black deer at the foot of the mountain are all dead. No one dares to approach. When I heard about it, I hurried up to report!"

The burly man straightened up from the blood pool and exclaimed, "Where are the bodies! Has someone dared to secretly eat them?!"

The boar demon hastily dragged the corpse up, saliva dripping from its mouth, and exclaimed, "Great King! Has the black deer perhaps eaten some treasure? Its body smells incredibly fragrant!"

The demon below dragged up the black deer's corpse; two of its hooves had already been bitten off. The Foundation Establishment boar demon was too lazy to fuss, grabbed it, and shoved it into its mouth, blood splattering as it chewed.

"It is indeed delicious. I wonder what it ate. You can send someone to investigate," the muscular man sighed. Then another demon reported, "Great King! Lord White Banyan Fox from the south sent a message. They heard from the cave that a cultivator passed away in the mountain and want your help to find them!"

Upon hearing the news, the demon general was stunned. This fox, ever since it arrived in his territory, had been very aloof. He didn't know if it had backing within the cave, so he had always symbolically accepted offerings, not daring to interact much. Now, this fox finally sought his help, and in its message, it hinted at being a direct descendant of a powerful demon within the cave. How could he not be delighted? As long as he forged this connection, he wouldn't have to worry about someone breaking in and slaying him with a sword one day.

In his surge of joy, demonic energy surged throughout his body. His face, which he had painstakingly maintained in human form, reverted to a boar's snout, upon which a smile appeared. He exclaimed, "No wonder it's so delicious! So it ate parts of a Foundation Establishment cultivator! Where was the black deer found? Quickly, lead this general to see it!"

And so, excitedly, he rode the wind, stirring up a burst of demonic mist, sweeping up his subordinates, and flying swiftly towards the outskirts of Mount Dali.