Chapter 615 - 596: Exiting Seclusion

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BOOM! A flash of fire erupted from Wang Meng. An innocent smile appeared on Master Wang’s face.

In that instant, the roars of the remaining Bone Demons came to an abrupt halt. Their already battered bodies were pierced by his Divine Sense, and the flames burning in their eye sockets gradually flickered out.

Wang Meng quickly dismantled the Bone Blades from the Bone Demons’ bodies and harvested their Bone Cores. As he turned, he felt a chill on his back... The last Bone Demon’s final counterattack hadn’t injured Master Wang, but it had completely ruined his clothes.

Wang Meng stripped off the ruined clothes with a wry smile. This was his last set. He’d been in the Taiyuan Bone Land for three months. Master Wang had thought of everything, except for the problem of clothing. Any casual fight with the Demons in the Taiyuan Bone Land would leave him bare-chested, his clothes either burned away or shredded into rags by sharp claws.

But Wang Meng was no pushover. Pressure created even stronger motivation. To preserve his last few articles of clothing, Master Wang had resorted to every trick in the book, using all sorts of methods, and had somehow managed to make them last until today.

A soft neigh...

Old Horse emerged from the nearby stone forest, tilting its head and eyeing Wang Meng as if to say, ’I get a share of that.’

The man and the horse began to divide the spoils. They had an agreement: Wang Meng would fight one battle, then Old Horse would fight the next. Old Horse’s attacks were quite domineering; the Bone Demons’ bodies couldn’t even withstand its hooves. However, the cunning creature was much like Wang Meng—it would be considerably weakened after a single fight, its injuries clearly not yet fully healed. Meanwhile, Wang Meng also needed time to recover after using his Primordial Spirit once. By taking turns, they worked together in perfect harmony.

Back in their temporary cave, Wang Meng performed some concealment Magic and set up a small Illusion Array. As long as it wasn’t a Demon of the Fifth Transformation or higher, it would be difficult for them to see through the array and break in, which was enough to ensure their safety.

Old Horse sensibly huddled inside the cave. The space was a bit small and not very comfortable for it, but compared to the dangers outside, Old Horse clearly preferred saving its own skin in an uncomfortable environment.

Just then, Old Horse peeked secretly at Wang Meng and saw him take out the Third Transformation Bone Core he had just harvested. He held it in his palm. A moment later, a faint red light rose from his hand, and the Bone Core began to shrink as if it were melting ice.

A short while later, the Bone Core vanished completely.

The Bone Demons and Demon Spirits of the Taiyuan Bone Land were strange in that they possessed no attribute. The energy contained within their Bone Cores was pure, attributeless energy. It wasn’t of much use to others, but for Wang Meng, it was the best kind of supplement.

Wang Meng opened his eyes. ’Profound Wheel Realm, Twelfth Layer... I’ve finally reached it.’

After three months and absorbing hundreds of Bone Cores of varying grades, Wang Meng had finally reached the Profound Wheel Realm 12th Layer. Furthermore, his Merak Fire Cloud Technique had also reached the Minor Success Realm. With this growth in strength, the Bone Cores of Bone Demons below the Third Transformation were gradually losing their effect on him.

The outer region of the Taiyuan Bone Land could no longer satisfy Master Wang’s cultivation needs. As for the deeper interior, he didn’t have the confidence to venture there yet. In fact, hunting various Demons in the outer region was already an enormous risk. Even an expert at the Earth Wheel Realm would only face death here.

If Wang Meng wanted to advance further, he had to return to Wang City. In this world, closed-door cultivation was only suitable for breakthroughs when all necessary resources were already prepared. Daily cultivation still required one to engage with the world. Trying to enter a death-seclusion without preparation would truly mean being secluded until death, with no chance of ever emerging.

The mark of humanity as the spirit of all creation is its ability to use external objects and tools. Even for someone like Master Wang, it was impossible to continue cultivating quickly without resources.

"I’ll have to head back to Wang City first. Old Horse, are you coming with me?"

NEIGH. Old Horse nodded its head seriously, then stared at Wang Meng’s still-bare torso, its mouth pulling back in a mocking, grin-like expression. It seemed to be saying, ’If you don’t go back soon, you’re going to turn into a wild man.’

"Haha, you know, I’ve discovered you’re quite thick-skinned."

Wang Meng laughed and patted Old Horse.

Old Horse didn’t hold back, nudging Wang Meng with a hoof, the meaning clear: ’Pot, meet kettle.’

The next day, Wang Meng, now clad in an outfit of beast hides, left the Taiyuan Bone Land with Old Horse.

Not long after Wang Meng left, a team composed entirely of Earth Wheel Realm experts cautiously entered the outer region of the Taiyuan Bone Land.

As soon as they entered, the leader repeatedly warned his subordinates, "We must avoid the Bone Demons and Demon Spirits. I don’t want any casualties in my team. In short, caution is the prerequisite for all our actions!"

However...

The closer one got to the edge of the Taiyuan Bone Land, the easier it was to capture good Exotic Beasts and Spirit Beasts, especially Third Transformation ones. With luck, one might even encounter a Fifth Transformation beast. But if one ran into Bone Demons or Demon Spirits, it was a death sentence, as these Demons were especially sensitive to the aura of living things.

The rumors were true. Because the profits were enormous, there was never a shortage of Hunter Teams willing to take the risk. But the last few groups had discovered that the Bone Demons and Demon Spirits at the edge were all gone. Some had seen skeletons scattered everywhere, but unfortunately, the Demon Cores were all missing. A scene like this probably meant a super expert had appeared, or a terrifying team was hunting here. Nine times out of ten, they weren’t from Wang City, because Wang City had no team that formidable.

Meanwhile, Master Wang, who was thought to be part of a demon-hunting team... had already walked out of the Taiyuan Bone Land. The dusty gray Old Horse followed listlessly behind him, looking around from time to time. Suddenly, its eyes would light up, and it would dash off toward some spot, returning with strange things clenched in its mouth.

Sometimes it was materials, sometimes flowers and plants. This time it was a wild rabbit... which meant it was hungry.

"Not bad. You’re a bit better than a hunting dog."

Wang Meng took the rabbit. "Go catch two more. One isn’t enough to eat. Look at you, a horse who’s supposed to eat plants, yet you eat meat."

Old Horse tilted its head with a dismissive snort, as if to say, ’If you want to eat, go catch it yourself.’ But Wang Meng remained completely unmoved. ’Want me to roast the rabbit? Not without some incentive.’

Old Horse understood. It hesitated for a good while before reluctantly charging out again. When it returned, it was carrying a goat in its mouth. It shot Wang Meng a sideways glare but refused to drop the goat.

"Alright, fine, I’ll take the loss. The big goat is yours, the little rabbit is mine."

Master Wang wore an expression that said he’d suffered a great injustice.

Old Horse was furious. ’I caught all of this! If anyone’s taking a loss, it’s me!’ But then it glanced at the Qiankun Bag at Master Wang’s waist... which still contained quite a few Bone Cores... and Old Horse calmed down again. The cunning horse wasn’t one to haggle over a bit of food.

After the barbecue, Wang Meng patted his belly. In addition to the rabbit, a goat’s hind leg had also found its way into his stomach. There was nothing Old Horse could do about it... Who told it not to know how to roast meat? ’Having learned a painful lesson,’ it thought, ’I see that learning to barbecue is of the utmost importance when you’re out making your way in the world.’

As they continued onward, Wang Meng suddenly stopped. The drab, gray Old Horse also pricked up its ears alertly.

"There’s some commotion over there. Let’s go take a look."

Fatty Bai’s face was ashen. The Bai Family was at its breaking point. He’d recently heard that luck was good here, so Fatty Bai had decided to risk it all on one last gamble. He never expected to run into a Third Transformation Peak Taiyuan Demon Spirit here in Yima Mountain, on the outskirts of the Taiyuan Bone Land! After a short, brutal fight, seven of his family’s disciples had already fallen, their status unknown.

’A Demon like this should be staying inside the Taiyuan Bone Land! How did it get all the way out here to Yima Mountain?!’

Seeing their formation about to collapse, Fatty Bai steeled himself and shouted, "It seems this is the calamity fated for the Bai Family... Haha, so be it! In a moment, I’ll tie down the Taiyuan Demon Spirit. The rest of you, run! Save whoever you can!"

"Young Master, I, Old He, am not afraid of death! I’ll hold it back with you!"

"Me too! Just let one of my two sons escape to preserve our bloodline..."

"Father, I’ll stay with you!"

"Big Brother, you’re the pillar of our family! What will they do without you? If someone has to stay, it should be me!"

Several of the Bai Family’s elders stepped forward. Though they each had their own motives, their attitudes were all resolute.

The formation, which had been on the verge of scattering, solidified once more.

The Third Transformation Peak Taiyuan Demon Spirit cunningly paused its attack. Unlike the frenzied madness of the Bone Demons, the Taiyuan Demon Spirit was a Demon with high combat intelligence. It knew to pick the softest persimmons first. ’It won’t last. Soon, their vitality will be exhausted by the fear I’ve sown, and then... I’ll harvest every last one of them...’ The thought of the taste of human brains made the Taiyuan Demon Spirit tremble with excitement. The brains of Human Cultivators, in particular, were not just a delicacy but a great supplement for it.

Fatty Bai shouted continuously, trying to bolster morale. He had also seen through the Taiyuan Demon Spirit’s ploy but had no better solution. He cursed his luck inwardly. ’I came to Yima Mountain this time hoping to capture a Third Transformation Spirit Beast. The last vestiges of the Bai Family’s strength are all concentrated here. This is my final gamble. I originally thought that if we failed, the Bai Family would cease to exist in Wang City. But if we succeeded, I could prove to certain people my ability to lead a hunt for a True Essence Beast, and the Bai Family would be able to hold on a while longer.’

Fatty Bai gritted his teeth. "I’m the one who doomed you all. With my strength, I can hold this bastard off for a moment. Those willing to sacrifice themselves with me, on my count of three, charge with me! Everyone else, run immediately! Scatter and run! The Bai Family still has some meager assets. Whoever makes it back can divide them up. Just burn a few sticks of incense for the Bai Family every year!"

"Young Master!"

"SOB... I... I’m not afraid of death... I... I... I want to stay. If there aren’t enough people to hold back the Demon Spirit, no one will get away. Remember to burn a stick of incense for me, too. Just one is fine."

There were quite a few people in the group whimpering in fear and tension, but one of the most terrified-looking kids actually volunteered to stay...

Fatty Bai turned to look. It was one of the Bai Family’s kids. He didn’t even know the boy’s name, only that he was always the first to volunteer for all sorts of odd jobs.

"Good... For me, Fatty Bai, to die with you is an honor. Tell me, what’s your name?"

"Young Master... I don’t have a name."

"Haha, if we survive this, I’ll give you a name... One! Two! Three! CHAAARGE!"

Fatty Bai put his life on the line. After counting to three, he was the first to let out a war cry and charge forward.

His momentum inspired the few behind him who had already made up their minds. Even a few who had planned to run gritted their teeth. ’This is what life is. Death is inevitable. Rather than clinging to a wretched existence, it’s better to go out in a blaze of glory!’

"Whoever gets back, remember to tell my son his father was no coward!"

"I’ve got no one to worry about! On the anniversary of my death, burn a stick of incense for me, too! Kill!"

The group broke apart in an instant. A dozen or so people charged madly toward the Taiyuan Demon Spirit, while twenty-some others scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives!

No one noticed that, at that moment, a man and a horse had appeared on the hillside...

(Oh god, it’s the 24th! This is serious, please give me your monthly tickets!) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)