Chapter 669: Great Demon 32

The Great Demons spoke without a shred of concern for Shi Miao’s pride. Old Niu’s voice, in particular, boomed so loudly it made one’s ears go numb.

Already half-dead from the Heavenly Thunder and with her Heart Demon drawn out once more, Shi Miao was at the end of her rope. Hearing Old Niu’s words, she coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed inside the God Trapping Array.

Tan You showed no intention of stopping. As more Heavenly Thunder prepared to descend, Shi Miao hurriedly said, "I spoke out of arrogance today. I ask the Snake King not to stoop to my level. We have no past grievances or recent enmity..."

Tan You snatched the feather fan from Peacock’s hand and gave it a wave. "I seem to recall you saying you were going to level my Demon Market. If I let you go, and you return to cause trouble in the future, wouldn’t that be like letting a tiger return to the mountains?"

Peacock hadn’t expected Tan You to move so strangely; it was mostly because he hadn’t been on guard that she’d managed to take his fan. He couldn’t help but pout, and a second later, another feather fan appeared in his hand.

He was a Peacock, so he was always molting. If there was one thing he had in abundance, it was fallen feathers. Making a few more fans was a trivial matter.

Shi Miao ground her teeth in resentment, but she knew she was in a position where she had no choice but to yield. "It was I who spoke out of turn. I can make a heavenly oath: if the Snake King allows me to leave today, I will never repay your mercy with malice."

Tan You was barely satisfied. "Very well. Swear on the lives of your son and daughter. If you ever break your oath, may your lineage be severed and your very existence erased."

Shi Miao’s jaw was clenched so tightly she almost drew blood, yet she had no choice but to make the oath. "I, Shi Miao, swear on the lives of my son, Shi Qi, and my daughter, Shi Yuan, that if I leave the Demon Market safely today, I shall not seek out trouble or harbor resentment toward any of the demon beasts of the Demon Market. If I break this vow, may my immortal path, and the paths of my two children, be severed forever!"

As the vow was spoken, a peal of thunder rolled across the sky. Tan You gave a slight nod, and the God Trapping Array holding Shi Miao instantly dissipated.

Tan You waved the fan, her movements a perfect mirror of Peacock’s. "Congratulations. In the more than three hundred years since the Demon Market was founded, you’re the first Cultivator to experience it firsthand."

"If there’s nothing else, Fellow Daoist, you may leave on your own."

Using her sword for support, Shi Miao pushed herself to her feet. "I will take my leave now and trouble the Snake King no longer."

Tan You smiled, the very picture of a graceful scholar. "Of course. See yourself out."

After forcing herself to circulate her Spiritual Power and leave the territory of the Ten-Direction Great Mountain, Shi Miao could no longer suppress her injuries. She coughed up another mouthful of blood and fell from her longsword like a kite with a severed string.

"Mother!"

"Mother!"

Just before losing consciousness, she faintly heard two anxious voices. Reassured, Shi Miao slipped into a coma.

Inside Tan You’s cave residence in the Demon Market, a small, thumb-thick green snake was coiled on the stone table opposite her. It was wound up like a mosquito coil, its tiny tongue constantly flickering as it made a HISSING sound.

A Cultivator would never have understood what the little snake was saying. But this was the Demon Market, filled with demon beasts. How could they possibly fail to understand?

Peacock beamed. "Such big talk from such a little thing. You’re only a second-rank demon beast, yet you’re already fantasizing about taking on a Body Integration Realm Cultivator. You’d just be serving yourself up on a platter if you went now."

Old Niu’s voice boomed like a great bell. "Is he not even allowed to dream?"

The deer-horned youth’s mouth twitched. "Old Niu really knows how to twist the knife. If anyone ever tells me again that the Bull Clan is simple and inarticulate, I won’t believe a word of it."

Old Niu, who was a single-horned wild bull, pursed his lips. "That’s just the world’s stereotype of us. Jin Huan doesn’t think that way, does she?"

Bai Ze said, "Jin Huan was the first one to see your true nature. She’s always said you’re nowhere near as simple as you appear."

Seeing the Great Demons go off on a tangent, Qing Ming grew anxious. He squirmed, his tail tip even daring to poke Tan You’s arm. "Senior, please help me! I want to become powerful as quickly as possible."

Tan You considered this. "You are currently a second-rank demon beast. Even though Shi Miao is severely injured, she is still a Cultivator at the Body Integration Realm. The chasm between you is not just one of cultivation, but also one of time."

"There’s nothing wrong with wanting to become strong enough to kill your enemy with your own hands. However, time is what you lack the most. If you can endure suffering, I can help you."

Qing Ming’s tail shot upright. "Senior, I can handle any hardship! I’m not afraid of any amount of suffering!"

Peacock said, "Those bloodlines we’ve collected can finally be put to use. Go look and see if we have any Qingming Snake blood essence."

Tan You answered factually, "Of course we have some. But the process of fusing with and devouring these bloodlines brings immense pain that you must overcome yourself. After all, they were stripped from Great Demons and contain enormous power."

"My advice is not to be hasty and try to achieve everything at once. Taking it one step at a time, making gradual progress, is the safer path."

Old Niu poured cold water on her suggestion. "That’s as good as saying nothing. This little whelp isn’t going to be so obedient. He’s dying to tear Shi Miao limb from limb right now. You think he can possibly calm down and cultivate slowly?"

’How could she not understand that? Of course she did. To watch your enemy thrive while you remain so weak, to know that even a thousand years of cultivation might not be enough for revenge... Now that an opportunity had presented itself, he had to grasp it, no matter the pain. If she were in his position, she would make the same choice. Ultimately, it all came down to the powerful drive of hatred.’

Qing Ming shifted his head. ’I can’t believe they saw right through me.’ But it was just as the Great Demons had said: all he could think about was growing strong quickly so he could kill Shi Miao.

After some more thought, Tan You said, "I’ll give you a tiny sliver of the Qingming Snake bloodline first. For now, focus on digesting and absorbing it. As for how to fuse a Great Demon’s blood essence, I’ll need to research that further."

"We’ve only just solved the issue of your bloodlines going berserk. I can’t just watch you throw your life away."

The deer-horned youth teased, "Jin Huan, you’re so benevolent. Sometimes I feel like you’re not even a demon beast."

Tan You found this amusing. "That’s a biased thing to say. The distinction between a Cultivator and a demon beast isn’t about race or bloodline, but about having a moral code. Something that acts purely on instinct is a wild animal. But a Cultivator without morals—what’s the difference between them and a wild animal?"

The deer-horned youth chuckled. "You always have a point."

Tan You deadpanned, "That’s because my words have reason. I don’t enjoy lecturing; it makes me sound condescending."

Bai Ze finally spoke. "Are you still planning to rely on an Array? I don’t think that’s a good idea. Fusing bloodlines involves tremendous trauma and pain. It would be best to have the protection of the plant clan."

Tan You couldn’t help but sigh at the mention of this. "That’s why I say the plant clan is overly cautious. The old tea tree told me he would have an answer in three days—how many ’three days’ have passed since then?"

"We’ve already resolved the issues with our young demon beasts, yet we’re still waiting for an answer from them."

Old Niu offered a fair point. "The plant clan has a difficult time growing. It’s not wrong for them to be cautious."