152: Chapter 152 Xiong Kuo

After that.

A full cup of tea's time later, this pressure slowly dissipated.

Inside the stone cave, the Iron-Backed Bear King sat cross-legged on the ground. His charred fur had fallen off, and his newly grown fur was pitch black as ink, shimmering with a cold, metallic luster.

The Iron-Backed Bear King opened his eyes, his bronze bell-sized eyes filled with excitement. He shouted in a muffled, guttural voice: "Grandfather, I have achieved a Breakthrough!"

Tieshan turned around, a trace of gratification flashing in his eyes, but he quickly returned to his cold and stern expression. He nodded, his voice indifferent.

"Not bad, but do not get carried away. The Third Rank is only the beginning."

"However, according to the rules of our Iron-Backed Bear clan, since you have become a Third Rank, you should have your own name. From now on... you shall be called Xiong Kuo. I hope you can... carve out a new path for yourself."

Xiong Kuo stood up, patted his belly, and said in a muffled voice: "Rest assured, Grandfather."

"Hmm."

Tieshan did not speak. He turned and walked toward the cave entrance. After two steps, he paused, not looking back, his voice deep and calm: "I will speak to Madam Hua about this. During this time, you must Cultivate well and don't disgrace the Iron-Backed Bear clan."

Xiong Kuo nodded hurriedly, "Rest assured, Grandfather!"

Tieshan said no more. His figure flashed, turning into a streak of black light, and vanished into the night.

Only Xiong Kuo remained in the stone cave. He stood where he was, looking in the direction where his grandfather had vanished, and was silent for a moment. Then he turned around, walked back to the depths of the cave, sat down, closed his eyes, and began to consolidate his cultivation.

Tieshan stepped out of the cave, his figure turning into a streak of black light in the night sky, flying toward the outskirts of Taiyue Mountain.

Passing through the dense forest and crossing the mountain stream, the silhouette of a bamboo forest gradually appeared in his field of vision.

Under the moonlight, the bamboo shadows swayed.

Lady Hua sat on a bluestone, Demon Power flowing around her.

Tieshan landed outside the bamboo forest and strode in, his tall figure casting a shadow under the moonlight.

"Madam Hua."

Lady Hua lifted her head upon hearing this, looking at Tieshan. There was a trace more respect in her eyes than when she looked at other Third Rank great demons.

She stood up, her bare feet stepping on the bluestone, and bowed slightly. Her voice was cold and languid, but her tone carried a hint of reverence: "Grandfather Tieshan, you have actually come out as well."

Tieshan shook his head and sighed, his voice deep and calm: "I had to move. You all have really been making quite a fuss lately."

Lady Hua smiled faintly, sat back down, and dipped her feet into the spring water, causing ripples. Her voice was cold and languid: "We have no choice but to make a fuss. Even the slightest hope must be fought for."

Tieshan did not speak. He walked to the side of the bluestone, sat down, looked at the moon above the bamboo forest, and was silent for a moment.

Then he spoke, his voice deep and calm: "How is the situation outside? I heard that a very restless little fellow has come here."

The corners of Lady Hua's mouth curled up slightly, and a trace of amusement flashed in her eyes.

"Yes, that little fellow caused quite a scene at the Human Race's Immortal Market a few days ago and even killed a Golden Core from the Xuanyi Sect. It seems he is injured now and is recuperating inside."

Tieshan's brows furrowed slightly, his voice deep and calm: "Killed a Human Race Golden Core? That crow, what is his background?"

Lady Hua shook her head, her voice cold and languid: "I don't know, but from him, I see a chance to break free from these shackles."

Tieshan was silent for a moment, then spoke, his voice deep and calm.

"You are certainly bold."

Lady Hua smiled and said nothing. Tieshan asked again: "What about the rest? Is there any movement from the Human Race?"

Lady Hua put away her smile, her voice cold and indifferent.

"The Human Race is not peaceful either. It seems some people from a Demonic Sect are active among them. After learning that the Xuanyi Sect's combat power had greatly diminished, they attacked them frantically, which is why these immortal sects are so well-behaved now."

"It has been half a year, and they haven't come to Taiyue Mountain to cause trouble. It's not that they don't want to, but that they likely don't have the time."

Tieshan nodded, stood up, and brushed the dust off his body, his voice deep and calm: "That's good. The trial in four years won't be peaceful. Let them fight each other like dogs first."

Lady Hua lifted her head, looking at Tieshan, her voice cold and languid: "Grandfather Tieshan, do you not plan to meet that crow?"

Tieshan shook his head.

"No need."

"It's not as if I haven't taught Geniuses of the Yao Race before; you are one, and that kid Afeng is another."

Once these words were spoken.

The scene fell silent for a while.

Then, Tieshan looked at Madam Hua.

"Have you made up your mind this time?"

Madam Hua did not hesitate at all.

"I have made up my mind."

"Good."

Tieshan nodded. "Then this old man will also state his position. You may... proceed with peace of mind."

"As for matters inside the mountain, leave them to me."

As his voice faded, Tieshan's figure had completely vanished.

Lady Hua watched Tieshan's back disappear into the bamboo forest, was silent for a moment, then withdrew her gaze, dipped her feet back into the spring water, and closed her eyes.

The bamboo forest returned to quiet, with only the rustling of wind through the bamboo leaves and the gentle tinkling of the spring water.

The moonlight shone on her face, and the petal silhouettes in her eyes trembled slightly; it was unknown what she was thinking.

...

Time passed bit by bit.

In the blink of an eye.

Another half a year or so had gone by, which shows how severe Wu Li's injuries were this time.

Fortunately, after such a long time, he had recovered as before, and the spiritual liquid in his Storage Ring had been used up.

"That's about it."

Wu Li exhaled a breath of turbid air, put away the empty Storage Ring and Storage Pouch, and took out the gray-brown Storage Pouch from his Stomach Storage.

Su Wanyue had not deceived him on this point.

The blood crystals were still there, though the quantity was not as high as Wu Li had expected, with only thirty-six of them. However, the power of each one was incomparably rich, much stronger than the kind Wu Li had first encountered.

He opened the pouch, took out a blood crystal, and held it in his palm.

The dark red crystal was the size of a fist, its surface smooth as a mirror, with blood-colored light faintly flowing within it, emitting a rich power of souls.

Wu Li stared at the blood crystal, his blood-red pupils reflecting the dark red light.

Thirty-six of them, each one of higher quality than the one he had obtained at Wanhui Mountain, and with a denser blood baleful power.

But he knew clearly in his heart that the higher the quality, the heavier the resentment contained within the blood crystal.

The pain, fear, and unwillingness of the living beings whose essence blood had been drained and refined into crystals were all sealed within these small crystals.

To refine the blood crystal, one must first crush those resentments.

Wu Li took a deep breath, held a blood crystal in his palm, closed his eyes, and probed it with his Demon Power.

The soul power inside the blood crystal surged out like a tide, thick and rich, but at the same time, countless shrill cries exploded in his mind.

Those resentments, like maggots on a bone, clung tightly to his spiritual sense, attempting to erode his consciousness.

Wu Li's brows furrowed slightly. He circulated the Blood Eye Pagoda Sutra, and blood-colored scriptures emerged from beneath his feathers, suppressing those resentments.