4: First strike! Instant kill! Soul-capturing technique!
Living beings in the deep mountains, if they encounter an Opportunity and learn to consume the Essence of the Sun and Moon, can be called Essence Spirits.
Only when their Cultivation Level deepens further and they develop spiritual wisdom can they be called demons!
The gap between the two is vast; most Mountain Spirits and Wild Ghosts remain ignorant and muddled, possessing only a sliver of instinct until the day they die.
But once a demon develops spiritual wisdom and gains more desires, it will naturally take the initiative to consume the Essence of the Sun and Moon, making its strength much greater.
Xu Qing already possessed spiritual wisdom, and now with a century of profound Cultivation Level, demonization was a natural progression.
"Your 101st Offspring is born. Lower-grade Physique. You have gained half a year of Cultivation Level!"
The System's notification sounded again.
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Somewhere in the jungle, one of Xu Qing's snake wives began to lay eggs.
However, it seemed the Physique was lacking; a dozen notifications rang out in a row, all resulting in lower-grade Physique Offspring, only adding five years of Cultivation Level to Xu Qing.
"The Cultivation Level rewarded for lower-grade Physique Offspring varies—at most half a year, and some even less than a month!"
Xu Qing moved his body, his green scales scraping across the rocks with a crisp sound.
Facing the soft morning light of the sunrise, the pale green behemoth silently entered the depths of the jungle.
The notifications did not stop.
Xu Qing's Cultivation Level continued to increase.
Over the next few days, his strength would continue to grow until all the female snakes had finished laying their eggs.
At that time, Xu Qing would reach a Peak of strength.
His crimson tongue flicked out, gathering information from the air.
Xu Qing found that his current perception was much stronger; nothing within a hundred zhang could escape his awareness.
Fifty zhang to the front right, a wild boar was sleeping in a hollow tree.
Eighty zhang to the left, an unknown strange bird was resting in a tree.
Not just these larger creatures, but even the movements of tiny insects were clearly presented within Xu Qing's perception.
This ability was very powerful, helping Xu Qing scout his surroundings.
After his strength increased, Xu Qing's patrol speed improved significantly.
In the time it takes for half an hour to pass, he reached the limit of his previous exploration.
Before him was a ten-zhang-wide small river; on the opposite bank lay the deeper parts of the mountain forest.
"Your 150th Offspring is born. Bloodline mutation. Guaranteed demonization within a hundred years. You have obtained a Divine Ability: Earthly Fiend Technique—Soul Seizing!"
"Earthly Fiend Technique—Soul Seizing: To search and seize the soul; he who seizes the soul is he who controls Yin and Yang!"
A sharp light glinted in his vertical pupil.
Earthly Fiend Techniques were immortal Divine Abilities. Rumor had it that Earthly Fiend Techniques were the fundamental Origin of many immortal Spells, and ordinary creatures simply had no Opportunity to cultivate them!
Xu Qing contemplated his newly acquired Divine Ability; he understood its profound mysteries and became immersed in it.
After a long while.
"As expected of an immortal method, every aspect points directly to the essence of all things!"
"Time to find some unlucky fellow to test it on!"
A fierce light flickered in Xu Qing's eyes, his snake tongue flicked out, and he was just about to turn back the way he came.
However.
At that very moment.
Within his perception, in the forest on the other side of the river, a large heat source was stealthily approaching the river!
What is that?
It seems to be a demon too!
Xu Qing remained silent, quietly retreating and hiding within a patch of shadow.
Just as his figure completely vanished, a monster covered in earth-colored scales with sharp claws and teeth appeared on the bank.
It began to cross the river, moving very fast; in just a few breaths, it reached the opposite bank.
Shaking the river water off its body, a trace of human-like greed flashed in its small eyes.
It didn't notice Xu Qing and walked straight toward the forest.
"A Pangolin that has become a spirit?"
Xu Qing recognized the monster; to grow to one zhang in size, it must be a Demonic Creature!
A flash of excitement and anticipation immediately surged in his golden vertical pupil.
He had just obtained a powerful Divine Ability and was worried about having no way to test it; now, a Demonic Creature had delivered itself to his door.
He was in no hurry to strike; the Pangolin was being stealthy, perhaps it had some scheme.
Xu Qing quietly followed, wanting to see what the other party intended to do.
At the same time.
The Pangolin ahead seemed to have found its target, and its movements suddenly quickened.
It moved with extreme speed, turning into an afterimage as it rushed into a patch of grass, its sharp claws rapidly digging into the ground.
"Hiss..."
A sharp hiss rang out.
A large black-and-white snake was pierced by the sharp claws.
The large snake had a triangular head; it was a venomous snake, and it was struggling for its life.
But its fangs couldn't penetrate the Pangolin's scales at all, leaving only two white marks.
A trace of contempt flashed in the Pangolin's eyes as it grabbed the large snake and stuffed it into its mouth, its expression quite enjoyable.
Is this fellow specifically here to eat snakes?
It seems he's encountered a natural enemy.
That large snake was about one zhang long, and there were faint fluctuations of mana within it; it clearly had some Cultivation Level.
Xu Qing decided to stop hiding.
In his memory, there were several snake wives nearby who had not yet laid their eggs.
The ones in their bellies were the source of his Cultivation Level, Spells, and Divine Abilities; they were his lifeblood and could not be lost to this Pangolin's mouth.
He no longer concealed himself, poking half a head out from the shadows.
The Pangolin, having just swallowed a large snake, suddenly turned its head.
When it saw Xu Qing, it was immediately overjoyed.
Among Demonic Creatures, strength is often distinguished by the intensity of the Evil Qi on their bodies.
The green snake not far away didn't have a hint of Evil Qi on it, and judging by its head, its body size was not small; perhaps it was some kind of rare species!
It must taste very good!
The greed in the Pangolin's eyes grew even thicker, saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth.
Little did it know.
Xu Qing's Cultivation Level and mana were the purest power rewarded by the System; he had no need to fight and consume other Demonic Creatures, so naturally, he didn't have much Evil Qi.
But that didn't mean his strength was weak!
"Hiss hiss..."
The Pangolin let out a roar and lunged at Xu Qing.
But when it got close to Xu Qing and saw that massive body coiled in the shadows, exceeding three zhang, a thick wave of horror instantly surged in its two small eyes.
In the next instant.
A green shadow flickered, striking the Pangolin heavily.
Boom!
The Pangolin was instantly sent flying, its body hurtling back like a cannonball until it knocked down several large trees before slowly coming to a stop.
"Hmm?"
Xu Qing's vertical pupils narrowed.
The Pangolin curled into a ball, its thick scales helping it block the fatal blow.
Its body stretched out again, its expression turning from terror to pleasant surprise.
This pure snake seems to have only brute strength and no Spells!?
It suddenly felt like it had survived a disaster, and greed resurfaced in its eyes.
If it could eat this green snake, its own cultivation would surely skyrocket!
The Pangolin was ecstatic, a blood-red color appearing on its claws as Evil Qi flowed.
But, before it could launch an attack.
A sense of dread originating from instinct surfaced in the Pangolin's heart.
In the distance, the giant snake opened its bloody maw, and a spark of fire lit up between its sharp teeth!
In the next moment.
A dazzling flash of electricity suddenly burst forth in the jungle!
Boom!
Strands of lightning descended.
The Pangolin's layer of hard scales, which had saved its life many times, was instantly charred black!
A shrill scream echoed through the jungle.
It rolled desperately on the ground, its body crushing the charred scales into powder, skin splitting and flesh gaping to reveal bright red meat.
The electric current drilled into the wounds, sizzling, and soon a scent of roasted meat wafted out.
"Have mercy! Have mercy!"
The Pangolin screamed for mercy.
Xu Qing moved his body, coming before it, and said indifferently: "I ask, you answer."
The Pangolin nodded repeatedly, not daring to hesitate for a moment.