180: Brothers' Gathering
After finishing the Artifact Refining, three days had passed. The Ink Scale Demon General had finally emerged from seclusion and invited him to a banquet the day after tomorrow. He didn't wait until then, but went over directly the next day. Given their relationship, it was only right to go early; arriving on the day of the event like other Cultivators would have been too formal and distant.
As soon as he arrived, he was spotted by the Clam Maiden. Her status had risen along with his, and she was now a Cultivator at the Qi Refining Great Perfection. However, her respect for Gu Yuchuan had only deepened, and she immediately welcomed him with great care.
He took a quick look around and found that the Ink Scale Demon General faced a similar problem as he did: their natural talents were too great and their progression too fast, leaving their subordinates unable to keep up. Aside from themselves, there was no one else in their households who could hold their own. Gu Yuchuan had exhausted many resources just to cultivate Pei Yu, which had already cost him immense effort. Here, the Ink Scale Demon General was the same; he had nurtured a Crab General who was now only at the First Layer of Foundation Establishment.
In his entire territory, besides the Ink Scale Demon General himself, only this Crab General was a Foundation Establishment Stage expert. Just like in Bright Stream, things only looked good on the surface, while in reality, there were many gaps to fill. They could only rely on time to slowly build up. Nowadays, even if a Demon General came to seek refuge and join their ranks, they would have to be cautious.
After all, every Demon General had fought their way up. If they were willing to serve under someone else, they wouldn't have waited until reaching this Realm to find a lord; they would have done so during the Qi Refinement Stage. Therefore, directly recruiting Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators was quite risky, as it was difficult to guarantee their loyalty.
Thus, even if cultivating their current subordinates cost much more and was far more difficult, both Gu Yuchuan and the Ink Scale Demon General would continue to do so. This was undoubtedly more beneficial for the future.
Upon entering the main hall, he saw the Ink Scale Demon General and the Black Tortoise Demon General. He wasn't surprised; the Black Tortoise Demon General was involved in administration and was naturally more adept at handling such affairs. If Gu Yuchuan knew to come a day early to help, the other would certainly know as well.
"Congratulations to Second Brother for successfully emerging from seclusion, stabilizing your Realm, and familiarizing yourself with your Bloodline. From now on, a Golden Core is within reach, and the Nascent Soul is just around the corner."
Although the Ink Scale Demon General had a constant smile on his face, he quickly waved his hands: "You shouldn't say such things lightly. My cultivation is currently a layer lower than yours. On the contrary, I see you are already accumulating for the Golden Core Stage. Perhaps among the three of us, the first to become a Golden Core Demon King will be you, Third Brother."
The Black Tortoise Demon General's eyes dimmed slightly, but he didn't show his emotions. He even joked: "You two should stop the mutual flattery. You are both prodigies, and now it seems I, the Eldest Brother, am being left behind. It looks like I must also continue to work hard in my cultivation and strive for the day when I can also ascend to the Realm of a Demon King."
Gu Yuchuan understood the meaning behind the Black Tortoise Demon General's words and was willing to state his position. After all, the Black Tortoise Demon General had helped him a lot, and since they were sworn brothers, their Luck was linked to some extent. The other's advancement would benefit them all. Furthermore, the other was in administration and not in the same system as them. Gu Yuchuan's experience from his previous life told him how important it was to have someone in the political arena.
His tone became much more solemn: "Eldest Brother, please rest assured. We three brothers are of one mind and will certainly advance and retreat together. We cannot help Eldest Brother seek the Golden Core Realm right now, but once Second Brother and I have advanced, our status will be different, and the resources we can access will naturally be different as well. At that time, we will definitely help Eldest Brother advance. We are brothers; we will not leave you behind."
Although the Ink Scale Demon General didn't speak, he nodded heavily. The Black Tortoise Demon General's eyes suddenly moistened: "Good brothers, I won't say words of thanks, as that would seem too formal. However, if you ever need anything in the future, no matter how difficult, I will not refuse."
This conversation further warmed the brotherhood between the three of them. As they reached the inner part of the hall, the Black Tortoise Demon General did not sit down: "Alright, you two stay here and enjoy yourselves. Leave the banquet matters to me. You two aren't very good at these things. This is the banquet for Second Brother becoming an Exotic Beast, and from now on, his status will be completely different. It must be handled well and on a large scale. I'll go oversee it personally to avoid any embarrassment. I'll be going now."
After saying that, he left directly. The other two then stayed there to discuss the Dao. They both followed the path of Dragon Transformation, but their attributes were somewhat different. Gu Yuchuan's was primarily the Water attribute, while other things like lightning were inherent to his Bloodline and he wasn't particularly proficient in them. However, the Ink Scale Demon General primarily focused on Wind and Thunder attributes, and his techniques were very powerful. Their discussion was of great benefit to both of them, and they were naturally willing to engage in it.
They chatted until evening, both feeling that their application of Spells had become more proficient and their combat power might have even increased slightly. However, since they couldn't cut loose here, they had no way to truly spar, which was a bit frustrating. But as night fell, the Clam Maiden came to lead Gu Yuchuan to the guest room.
The layout of this guest room was of a very high standard. Since the Yao Race began their counterattack against the Human Race, some of the humans' aesthetic preferences had spread to the Yao Race. In daily life, more emphasis was placed on comfort. Previously, the room arrangements of the Yao Race lacked such decorations, comfortable blankets, and bedding. Now, this small guest room looked like an official's bedroom. Although not magnificent, it was grand and comfortable; at the very least, Gu Yuchuan was very satisfied. He felt he would sleep very happily in this environment.
He slept until the next day and was woken up by the noisy sounds outside. Although it was still very early and there was a long time before the banquet at noon, preparations had already begun outside. This was unavoidable, as guests had already started to arrive. They couldn't be left waiting outside; it would be too rude to make those who came to congratulate and attend the banquet wait. That simply wouldn't do.
Having been suddenly woken up, Gu Yuchuan couldn't go back to sleep. He simply got up and began to recite the Golden Light Incantation. With how busy today would be and not knowing how much wine he would have to drink at the banquet, this might be the only time he could practice the Golden Light Incantation. He didn't want to waste time. After reciting it twenty times, he tidied up and prepared to head out. Since he was essentially half a host, he should go out and take a look.