While they hurried to Mount Dali, Li Yuanjiao relayed the crucial information about the pig demon to Yuan Chengdun, who listened intently with a frown on his face.
"Do you have a plan to trap this pig demon?" Yuan Chengdun asked with a serious expression, "While my Immortal Foundation is adept at eliminating monsters, it's not suited for pursuit. I doubt the two of us alone will succeed."
Li Yuanjiao retrieved a green item from his storage pouch and replied, "I have a Foundation Establishment Realm formation plate. Trapping the monster isn't the issue; it's getting it out of the mountain that concerns me."
Yuan Chengdun's face lit up as he assured, "Don't worry, fellow Daoist. Leave that to me."
He surveyed the mountain with Li Yuanjiao before eventually descending into a small valley.
"Does this demon eat humans?" Yuan Chengdun asked.
"Yes," Li Yuanjiao confirmed.
A smile spread across Yuan Chengdun's face as he replied, "Perfect. This will be easy."
He pulled a jade bottle from his pouch and whispered, "The taste of human flesh is unforgettable. Once it's had a taste, it'll come looking for more."
Yuan Chengdun tipped the jade bottle, spilling some dust onto the ground that eventually formed a small mound of red soil. He then took out another jade box and opened it carefully.
Inside lay a small white flower, with white petals on top and green sepals on the bottom. It was about the size of a palm and looked quite ordinary though it was on the verge of blooming.
Yuan Chengdun planted the flower in the red soil and performed a spell. The flower instantly bloomed, its pretty petals now dripping with a reddish liquid. Soon, a peculiar fist-sized skull emerged on the top of it.
Li Yuanjiao looked at him with concern and asked, "Do you think this method will work, fellow Daoist? If the fragrance is too potent, it could attract all the Embryonic Breathing and Qi Cultivation Realm demons in the mountain and cause a huge commotion."
Yuan Chengdun responded calmly, "The Ancient Head Flower isn't that potent, it will only attract a few demon creatures. Just wait and see."
While performing his spell under Li Yuanjiao's gaze, Yuan Chengdun remarked with a smile, "The demon creatures in Mount Dali are nothing like those on the southern border. Most of them are quite foolish, having lived in comfort for so long that they've forgotten how to defend themselves."
Li Yuanjiao asked, "Does the Demon Den not care about this?"
Yuan Chengdun shook his head and replied, "Don't be fooled by the ostentatious display of demon generals outside the Demon Den. In reality, the outer areas are clearly marked. If any peak master from the three sects or seven gates wants to tame or collect these demons, they could do so anytime."
Li Yuanjiao nodded, feeling like a lot of questions in his heart had been answered.
Yuan Chengdun continued, "To those Purple Mansion Realm foxes, these pigs, dogs, snakes, and wolves are nothing more than livestock, much like cattle and sheep raised by mortals."
After chatting for a while, two Embryonic Breathing Realm demons approached. Yuan Chengdun dispatched them with a single palm strike and continued, "Those in the Demon Den kill just as many demons as those outside. In fact, apart from a few species, the ones in the den are even more brutal. There's no restraint among them—it's natural for wolves to prey on deer and foxes to hunt rabbits."
"It's said that immortals and demons in Jiangnan coexist in harmony, which is why the region is so renowned. However, the immortals they refer to are the immortals of the Purple Mansion Realm, and demons are those of the Purple Mansion Realm. What happens among those beneath the Purple Mansion Realm is of no concern to anyone," Yuan Chengdun added with a sneer.
Just then, a demon mist rolled in from the distance. A hoof was still visible through the black mist, and a loud demonic laugh echoed around their surroundings.
"Hahaha... Seems like I've found a treasure today!"
It turned out to be a sinister-looking black deer demon. The demon had just devoured the Ancient Head Flower and was trying to assimilate this newfound power.
Yuan Chengdun and Li Yuanjiao took cover and waited until the demon had fully digested the flower before making a move.
BAM!
Yuan Chengdun struck again with a powerful palm strike. The black deer demon, cultivating in the mid-air, was caught off guard and instantly went lifeless. It plummeted and crashed into the ground with a loud crash.
Pointing at the fallen demon, Yuan Chengdun explained, "This deer demon ate the Ancient Head Flower , so its flesh and blood will be particularly flavorful. We'll just have to drag it back and use it as bait to lure the pig demon out."
Li Yuanjiao understood his plan. Yuan Chengdun's trap was straightforward and likely sufficient for dealing with ordinary demons. However, given his understanding of the pig demon in this mountain, Li Yuanjiao doubted that such a simple trap would work.
Although it was just a dumb pig, it was cautious enough to hide from Li Tongya for years. Hence, Li Yuanjiao believed that it would not be fooled so easily.
Li Yuanjiao cupped his hands and said softly, "That pig demon is cleverer than it seems... I don't think this is enough to make it risk its life."
Yuan Chengdun thought Li Yuanjiao might be overly cautious but was willing to consider his opinion.
"What do you propose, fellow Daoist?" he asked.
"I need to leave for a bit, but I'll be right back," Li Yuanjiao replied then flew into the mountain to look for the White Banyan Fox.
————
In the Vermilion Cave...
The demon den was dim and oppressive, with several blood pools. A burly man was seated in the middle of one of them, and was cultivating in silence.
Each blood pool required the blood of a thousand people to fill, which was a terribly daunting task. Even though it was a demon general of the Foundation Establishment Realm, it had been a long time since it had enjoyed such luxury.
With the Li Family at the foot of the mountain back then, he had to venture into neighboring prefectures to kidnap humans for the sake of his cultivation. However, that was a dangerous endeavor.
Fortunately, the devil plague in recent years had driven down the price of blood qi, easing his plights.
"Which one has died?" he demanded, furrowing his brow.
The pig demon before the blood pool reported, "Great king! I went out of my way to investigate and found that the black deer at the foot of the mountain is dead. No one dared approach... I came here to inform you as soon as I received the news!"
The burly figure rose from the blood pool, anger flashing in his eyes as he yelled, "Where is the corpse?! Don't tell me someone has eaten it without my permission?!"
The pig demon quickly presented the remains of the deer, trying its best not to drool as it replied, "Great king! The black deer must have eaten something... Its corpse smells really delicious!"
The lesser pig demon hauled up the black deer's remains with two of its hooves bitten off.
The Foundation Establishment Realm pig demon paid no mind to this and eagerly devoured it, causing blood to splatter everywhere messily as he bit into the flesh.
"It's truly delicious, but I can't tell what it ate... Send someone to investigate," the burly man ordered, his voice reflecting his satisfaction.
Another demon approached, reporting urgently, "Great king! The White Banyan Fox from the south has sent a message. It claims that a cultivator has died in the mountains and is requesting your assistance in locating him!"
The demon general was taken aback by the news. Ever since the White Banyan Fox had come to his domain, it had been distant and aloof. He was unsure of its background in the den and had only accepted its tributes ceremonially, wary of making direct contact.
Now that the fox had come seeking his help and hinted that it might be a direct descendant of a great demon from the den, the demon general's joy was palpable. Securing such a relationship would alleviate his fears of being overpowered by intruders in the future.
His excitement caused his demonic power to surge, and his face, which had been maintaining a human appearance, reverted to its pig-like form.
Smiling broadly, he exclaimed, "No wonder it tasted so exquisite! It turns out it had consumed parts of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator! Where did you find the black deer? Bring me there immediately!"
Eager to investigate, he quickly conjured up a demonic mist, and, with his subordinates in tow, swiftly flew toward the area outside Mount Dali.