Chapter 91 - 90: Ulterior Motives

"Kid, you’ve gone too far! You actually sealed the Demon Emperor Bone I worked so hard to steal."

Luo Tian ignored the Crow’s protest.

The aura emanating from the Demon Emperor Bone was too terrifying; he didn’t dare to simply undo the seal. If he attracted a Great Demon, the loss would far outweigh any gain.

Luo Tian had asked the Celestial Book about the use of the Demon Emperor Bone.

To a Demon Beast, the Demon Emperor Bone was a supreme sacred object. Not only did it provide divine aid in Cultivation, but it could also unleash heaven-shaking power.

And this was after hundreds of thousands of years, with over ninety percent of the Demon Emperor’s power within the bone having dissipated.

However, the Demon Emperor Bone was of little use to human Martial Artists, especially those at lower levels.

If one tried to activate it rashly, they would suffer a backlash from the terrifying Demon Emperor’s Qi inside.

After all, the Demon Race and humans were two different species. Their body structures and paths of Cultivation were vastly different, leading to mutual repulsion.

For humans, the greatest value of the Demon Emperor Bone was as a top-tier Treasure Material for Artifact Refining to create powerful Divine Soldiers.

This was very unrealistic for Luo Tian at his current level.

In the entire Azure Cloud Kingdom, there probably wasn’t a single Artifact Refiner who was confident they could forge Divine Soldiers using the Demon Emperor Bone.

Even if there was, Luo Tian wouldn’t be able to protect a sacred object of the Demon Race of this caliber. It would only bring him a fatal disaster.

"Kid! Don’t go! I have a method that will allow you to get some clever use out of the Demon Emperor Bone."

The Crow cried out, a look of anxiety on its face.

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Luo Tian’s interest was piqued. His consciousness paused, not leaving the Celestial Book just yet.

"But, you have to swear to the Celestial Book that if this method works, you’ll lend the Demon Emperor Bone to me for my Cultivation."

The Crow harrumphed, speaking warily.

"Fine, I promise."

Luo Tian agreed without hesitation.

For a low-level Martial Artist, being able to use even a fraction of the power of a sacred Demon Race item like the Demon Emperor Bone was an incredible opportunity.

"Kid! You can control the Celestial Book to release a reasonable amount of the Demon Emperor Bone’s aura. With your Spiritual Power being more than ten times greater than others at your level, you can simulate a trace of the Demon Emperor’s aura. Even if it’s only a one-percent resemblance, it will be enough to intimidate most Spirit Level Demon Beasts and below."

The Crow chuckled slyly, a treacherous look on its face.

"Simulate the Demon Emperor’s aura?"

Luo Tian was startled by this bold idea.

’This Ugly Bird is a true master of trickery and deceit. I really wonder what its true form is.’

"If I release the aura of a Fake Demon Emperor, will I be hunted down by Great Demons?"

Luo Tian shivered as he recalled the scene of Yue Jing being chased by a Great Demon.

"No! Because the Celestial Book Seal is restraining the Demon Emperor Bone, and you’ll be using up the aura for the simulation, it will only be effective at close range. Even a Spirit Level Demon Beast with low intelligence would be stunned if it suddenly encountered this aura."

The Crow said with a confident expression.

"Alright, I’ll ask the Celestial Book."

Luo Tian’s eyes lit up. ’If this method works, my efficiency at killing Demon Beasts will increase dramatically.’

「Afterward.」

Luo Tian received confirmation from the Celestial Book: the method was indeed feasible!

Because Luo Tian cultivated the Celestial Destiny Creation Technique, his Spiritual Power was more than ten times greater than his peers. In addition to being good at Qi Observing, he could also crudely simulate auras.

Of course, this Magic Technique of simulating the Fake Demon Emperor’s aura consumed the power of four or five pages from the Celestial Book. The deficit was supplemented with Spiritual Essence Coins.

"So? My method is pretty good, huh? You have to keep your promise and lend the Demon Emperor Bone to me for Cultivation."

The Crow said, its face full of anticipation.

As long as Luo Tian agreed, it could use the Demon Emperor Bone to cultivate even while inside the Celestial Book.

"Fine! From now on, I’ll lend it to you for one day of Cultivation each month."

Luo Tian said cheerfully.

"Ah... Raaargh! Only one day!"

The Crow’s furious roar echoed.

...

Luo Tian’s consciousness withdrew from the Celestial Book.

’This Ugly Bird is already unrivaled at causing trouble and a master of every trick in the book. If I let it recover any more of its power, what would happen then?’

「At the Battle Castle gate.」

Yue Jing’s elite squad was still waiting, not having set out yet.

The other Silver Students were all unconditionally obedient to Yue Jing, following his every command.

"When are we leaving?"

Luo Tian urged.

He was getting impatient, eager to find a Demon Beast to test whether the Magic Technique for simulating the Demon Emperor’s aura was effective.

If it worked, he could walk unchallenged among any Demon Beast below the Spirit Level. He might even be able to bluff a Spirit Level Demon Beast with low intelligence.

"Luo Tian, what’s with that attitude! The captain will decide when we depart."

The purple-haired youth said, his expression darkening.

Huh!

Luo Tian noticed that the purple-haired youth had brought a black dog with him today. Its nose and tongue were quite large; it was probably a tracking-type Battle Beast.

"Don’t be hasty! For this mission, two teams will be joining forces to look out for each other."

Yue Jing’s expression was indifferent, but a sinister coldness flashed in the depths of his eyes.

’Luo Tian’s demanding attitude displeased him. It was a challenge to his authority as team captain.’

However, he had planned this mission meticulously. He would absolutely not allow Luo Tian to return alive.

"Another team?"

Not just Luo Tian, but the other Silver Students also looked surprised, clearly unaware of this.

Luo Tian’s brows furrowed slightly. He had a bad feeling about this.

「A moment later.」

A beautiful young woman in a pink and gold dress, leading three or four Silver Students, rendezvoused with Yue Jing’s squad.

"It’s Senior Sister Liu!"

"This is great! The legendary genius beauty, Liu Ziyan, is actually doing a mission with us?"

In Yue Jing’s team, several Silver Students were ecstatic.

Recently, in the circles of the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion, Liu Ziyan was the hottest topic!

When Liu Ziyan fought her way into the top thirty of the Human List, she had become quite famous throughout the entire Azure Cloud Kingdom, attracting numerous admirers.

Aside from Liu Ziyan, Luo Tian saw a familiar face in her group: Nangong Yu.

Nangong Yu’s handsome, slender figure stood at the back of the group. He merely shot Luo Tian a cool glance and said nothing.

"Ziyan, you’re finally here. Let’s set off together."

Yue Jing said with a smile.

At that moment, Yue Jing’s and Liu Ziyan’s gazes met before sweeping over Luo Tian. A cold light flickered in their eyes, as if they were sizing up a dead man.

’Hmph! Luo Tian, you sold me that inauspicious Crow and nearly got me killed. I won’t let this debt be settled so easily!’

Vicious killing intent filled Yue Jing’s heart.

’Once he got rid of Luo Tian, he could not only get his revenge but also have a chance to win the beauty’s heart.’

’If Luo Tian had refused to go on this mission, he could have charged him with being undisciplined and cowardly, and punished him severely.’

The moment Luo Tian saw Liu Ziyan, he knew there was something strange about this mission.

He feared that Liu Ziyan and Yue Jing were plotting something again.

’I’d like to see what tricks you two have up your sleeves!’

A coldness filled Luo Tian’s heart.

His strength had greatly increased; he could now hold his own even against someone at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening.

Besides, Luo Tian still had trump cards like Kun Ga’s Fang and the Demon Emperor Bone.

The two teams, eleven people in total, soon left the Battle Castle and headed toward the Human Realm behind them.

Within the group, the purple-haired youth’s Black Dog Battle Beast kept its nose to the ground, sniffing for the tracks of Demon Beasts.

"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

The black dog barked a few times and led the way forward.

With the black dog searching for Demon Beast tracks, the team’s mission became much easier.

Moreover, with two Golden Lords, Yue Jing and Liu Ziyan, in the team, the danger was significantly reduced.

And for this mission, there was a guaranteed base reward of one hundred Contribution Points per day, with extra points for killing Demon Beasts.

On the surface, this mission seemed like an excellent deal.

But Luo Tian sensed a hint of conspiracy, and a feeling of crisis slowly crept over him.

「One hour later.」

The purple-haired youth’s black dog found a trail.

In the nearby jungle, a giant, blue-striped wolf over two meters tall was gnawing on a severed arm. At its feet lay a mangled human corpse.

"A Cyan Wind Wolf, a One-star High Tier Demon Beast, famous for its speed. It’s equivalent to a Martial Artist at the Eighth Layer of Meridian Opening."

The purple-haired youth said in a low voice.

When the Cyan Wind Wolf saw Yue Jing, Liu Ziyan, and the others, it instinctively sensed danger and turned to flee.

WHOOSH!

Like a gust of cyan wind, its figure blended into the jungle.

"You all go after it!"

Yue Jing waved his hand, not participating himself.

The Demon Beasts that infiltrated the rear of the battlefield generally had higher intelligence and were quite strong.

But to a Golden Lord like Yue Jing, the Eighth Layer of Meridian Opening wasn’t worth his time. Even a typical Ninth Layer practitioner was no match for him.

"Chase it!"

The Silver Students from both teams excitedly gave chase, competing for the merit.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH...

As the students left, only Yue Jing and Liu Ziyan remained.

Why would Luo Tian stay behind alone with Yue Jing and Liu Ziyan?

SWOOSH!

With a leap, he too entered the jungle, joining the other students in hunting the Cyan Wind Wolf.

"How are the preparations for the plan coming along?"

Liu Ziyan asked.

"Everything is ready! When that kid ’accidentally’ dies at the hands of a Spirit Level Demon Beast, no one can blame me."

Yue Jing’s face turned cold and sinister, his expression cruel.

"I’ve troubled you, Senior Yue. Ziyan has no way to repay you..."

A charming glint flowed through Liu Ziyan’s eyes. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she revealed a hint of girlish coyness.

Her coquettish posture made Yue Jing stare blankly, and he secretly gulped.