Although Li Yuanjiao had mentioned this deer demon to her before, this was the first time Li Qinghong had met the deer demon. Not wanting to reveal too much to him, she kept the explanation of her abilities short.
Realization dawned upon Luken as he said solemnly, "Ah, so Fairy is the Li Family's thunder cultivator... Please excuse my rudeness!"
His attitude became much more respectful as he politely said, "Your Profound Thunderpool is the nemesis of the tiger demon's Hurricane Ghost Yin ... It is as good as caught already."
Li Qinghong slowed down to keep pace with the deer demon.
"Is it really that easy to deal with the Quanwu Demon Den...?"
Luken nodded and explained, "Yue State is unlike the southern border and the Eastern Sea. Mount Quanwu or Quanwu Demon Den is called Mount Zuiliu by the demonic creatures in the southern border." [1]
He then added slowly, "Quanwu was originally the residence of a Purple Mansion Realm demon king. This demon was once the mount of a Golden Core Realm cultivator and had some influence over the southern border and Jiangnan. He lived in Quanwu... Whenever a demon den was destroyed in the southern border, the demon king of Quanwu would entice the suffering demons to Quanwu with pills and elixirs."
"At that time, Dongli Immortal Sect was still around. Yue State had four sects and twelve gates. If a disciple needed to find a mount, kill a demon, practice spells, or refine a dharma artifact, they would go to Mount Quanwu. Later, the demon king disappeared, and the mountain gradually declined after being replaced by Dali Demon Den. Nevertheless, there are still demons seeking refuge on Mount Quanwu from time to time... It became the place where the demons that escaped from the southern border stayed."
After hearing this explanation, Li Qinghong was not surprised one bit and merely remarked, "Ah... so they're demons that have escaped from the southern border. I guess The Azure Pond Sect is leaving them be because this is what they want."
"Yes," Luken smiled, feeling a little emotional as he said, "That place is also a treasure trove. The Azure Pond Sect deliberately kept it, waiting for these demons to escape and take out the treasures. No matter how they are circulated, they will eventually fall into the hands of the three sects, seven gates, and clans."
"Besides, if they catch an important demon, they can use it as a bargaining chip to threaten the southern border. At worst, they can make it into a spirit beast... There are just too many benefits, so they have been secretly supporting it," he added.
Li Qinghong frowned and whispered, "Then doesn't that mean that place is the backyard of the Azure Pond Sect? If we kill the tiger demon, I guess we'll have to take care of things within the sect too..."
Luken was momentarily taken aback, then waved his hand dismissively.
"No worries, I've already investigated and made sure that this tiger demon is a nobody. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare bring you there, Fairy..."
He then grumbled to himself inwardly, How could I not investigate first? Your Li Family has backing in Azure Pond Sect, so there's a way to resolve matters even if you offend someone. I'm just an insignificant deer demon; I can't afford to make enemies!
Li Qinghong considered the implications for a moment and thought, If we can rob it, we won't kill it. It's best to avoid more trouble...
Both of them began discussing significant events from recent years and found the conversation to be enlightening. Ahead of them, Mount Quanwu soon came into view.
While Mount Quanwu was not particularly tall, it was vast and imposing, located near the Mushroom Forest Plain, as well as the Cangwu and Helin Prefectures. Surrounded by a large plain, the mountains stood out prominently, concealing many demons within their depths and making them hard to detect.
As the deer demon led her into the mountain, they wound around until they reached an inconspicuous peak. As soon as he descended, he was surprised.
The cave entrance was wide open, and it was dark and foreboding inside. After scanning with his spiritual sense, Luken said awkwardly, "Fairy, this tiger demon is quite cautious. He's likely moved to a new cave and isn't here anymore!"
"Huh...?"
Li Qinghong was surprised too.
However, Luken rolled his sleeves up and said, "Don't worry; just watch me."
He landed, listened attentively, and conversed with the surrounding trees for a while. After walking more than ten li, they spotted a mountain persimmon tree hidden among the vines with yellow fruits hanging from its branches.
Luken performed a hand seal, and almost instantly, the fruits jumped off from the branches one by one and chatted for a moment. With a smile, the deer demon turned to Li Qinghong and said, "Fairy, the tiger demon has gone north."
"Good!" Li Qinghong praised, her gaze shifting to the yellow mountain persimmon's branches and leaves. A rustling noise ensued.
Luken listened for a moment and then relayed the message to her with a smile, "She said she is thirty-seven years away from gaining sentience and begs Fairy to spare her life and a hundred years of hard work..."
Li Qinghong had indeed considered bringing the spirit mountain persimmon back with her. Hearing Luken's message, she paused in surprise.
"I can't believe it has intelligence! Fellow Daoist, you can communicate with plants and trees?! How many spirit trees like this are there?"
"Not many..." Luken replied, but continued regretfully in a soft voice, "What good is gaining sentience? She needs thirty-seven years to become a Qi Cultivation Realm spirit root. After that, she will require hundreds of years to achieve the Foundation Establishment Realm... Having to live under the mercy of others for so long with spiritual awareness will just increase her suffering."
Li Qinghong observed the tree for a while, realizing an Embryonic Breathing Realm spirit root was indeed not that useful to the Li Family compared to one that would be of the Qi Cultivation Realm. With that in mind, she said softly, "Then I'll come back in thirty-seven years..."
With a wave of her hand, a formation plate flew out of her pouch and landed in front of the tree. A small Embryonic Breathing illusory formation sprang up around it. She flipped her hand and inserted three Spirit Stones, enough to sustain it for many years.
Luken stroked his beard, watching from the side. Li Qinghong smiled and added, "With the current situation, I may not be able to wait for thirty-seven years. By that time, my Li family's descendants will come."
"You're being too modest, Fairy. You are blessed and have the potential to reach the Purple Mansion Realm," Luken commented, shaking his head.
The two of them continued riding the wind together, conversing until they soon arrived in front of a small hill. Luken glanced at it and whispered, "Yes, it should be here."
Li Qinghong addressed him directly, "How do you plan to handle this, fellow Daoist?"
"I'm afraid the tiger demon will escape, and it will be difficult to pursue it. Although we are swift in riding the wind, the tiger demon's Hurricane Ghost Yin is equally fast. Why don't I go in first and engage it? Once the monster has exhausted most of its strength, you can intervene and catch it off guard, Fairy. Your thunder technique is powerful and we'll surely succeed," he suggested.
Li Qinghong was not entirely convinced by his proposal. She sighed inwardly, If only I still had Kong Tingyun's Emerald Jade Plate formation artifact with me... It would make things so much easier!
However, Luken had already flown forward, wielding an ax that shimmered with turquoise light. In an instant, it grew to the size of a house and came crashing down onto the low hill, shaking it with a thunderous rumble. Rubble cascaded down instantly, and a thick layer of dust filled the air.
I knew it, these demons lack legacies and rely solely on their brute strength and dharma artifacts which is quite simplistic... This technique seems to have been developed by himself, and it's not half bad.
Luken had indeed crafted the ax in his hand himself. He had likely read a few low-grade manuals on refining artifacts and dedicated years to mastering it. However, it still could not compare to the Duruo Spear she wielded.
Awoooooooooo...!
A tiger roar echoed in the air, and a powerful man with a bare upper body rose from the mountain. Black mist swirled around him as he bellowed in a deep voice, "Demon general! We are never enemies; why come to my den and provoke me?!"
Luken, who had been kind and respectful in Li Qinghong's presence, now revealed his arrogant side and sneered.
"Hand over the treasured panacea you possess and save ourselves from a fight! If you refuse to comply, I'll have to kill you and take it myself!"
1. Mount Zuiliu can be interpreted in two ways—Mount Flowing Sin or Mount Refuge ☜