"Madman, who is it?"
Linghu Mountain seemed to recall something, his expression suddenly becoming very serious.
Yan Jun solemnly replied, "Mount Qiu Bai - Dugu Wuwang!"
"It's actually that old madman!"
Linghu Mountain took a sharp breath, then turned to Fang Xi and said, "It's best not to go to Mount Qiu Bai..."
"Oh? What's so special about this Dugu Wuwang?" Fang Xi became interested and asked.
"Dugu Wuwang..." Linghu Mountain sighed, "This person rose to fame a century ago, reaching an unprecedented level of talent. It is said that he became a grand master at the age of twenty, undefeated in the world! At that time, his name was Dugu Sheng!"
"Not only that, he was a rare genius, creating supreme martial arts techniques, and was also one of the founders of our Grand Master Association... Even if he was obsessed with martial arts and the path beyond the Martial Saint... perhaps he would have been the first generation leader of the association."
Mentioning Dugu Sheng, even Yan Jun looked regretful.
"A century ago at the age of twenty, he is now eighty years old. Is the association sending us to confirm whether he is alive or dead?" Fang Xi asked.
"There should be such considerations..." Zhou Tong seemed to have some difficulty speaking, but seeing that everyone around was a member of the Grand Master Association, he spoke frankly, "Generally speaking, even if we martial artists reach old age, we can still unleash our full strength... But this senior Dugu is different. After reaching the pinnacle of martial arts, he tried various methods to break through the realm above the grand master level and failed... thus changing his name to Dugu Wuwang! He is the creator of our association's 'Infusing Demon into the Body' technique!"
"As is well known, although some grand masters advocate learning demon techniques, they only simulate it with their qi and blood... Only true madmen would attempt to harness curse power!"
"That's true!" Fang Xi thought of Linghu Yang, the genius martial artist from Yuanhe Mountain, who had done something similar in the past, but seemed more inclined towards cursing people.
"But Dugu Wuwang is different! He believes that only by tapping into the true demon essence can he find hope for a breakthrough... His demon-infusing technique is the most primitive and barbaric, not obtaining curse power from demon servants or the like, but... by consuming or grafting the essence of 'demons'!"
As Zhou Tong spoke, his expression showed some fear.
Yan Jun couldn't help but shudder, "Most of the test subjects who attempted to harness the essence of demons ended up dead... This person, however, locked himself on Mount Qiu Bai, occasionally maintaining his sanity..."
"But a month ago, as his end approached, it seems that his sanity was also becoming increasingly blurred. There has been no news from the grand masters stationed on Mount Qiu Bai, indicating that something has happened on the mountain! The association has therefore issued a mission for other grand masters to investigate... To be frank, a grand master has already fallen..."
"I see..."
After hearing the cause and effect, Fang Xi became even more interested in the Grand Master Dugu Wuwang.
Daring to directly consume or graft the essence of demons? Truly a ruthless person!
Perhaps, this person has truly seen a glimmer of hope for a breakthrough?
...
Mount Qiu Bai.
This mountain is located at the border of Dingzhou and Lanzhou, where demons roam and humans are forbidden to enter.
"Croak!"
"Croak!"
Fang Xi, Zhou Tong, and Yan Jun walked among the rugged mountains as if on flat ground.
They had reached the level of grand masters, pushing the limits of the human body, with every use of their strength precise and efficient.
Just a light touch on a tree branch sent them flying several meters away.
After wandering in the deep mountains and forests for an unknown amount of time, Fang Xi looked up and saw a black and rugged peak rising like a sword into the sky.
Around this peak, there were crow demons circling!
These crows were larger than eagles, all with red eyes.
Suddenly!
A red-eyed crow swooped down, opening its long beak, revealing sharp white teeth inside!
"These demons are indeed foolish!"
Without Fang Xi needing to act, Zhou Tong stood in front of them.
He practiced a martial art called 'Bronze Statue Technique'! It was an extraordinary technique that made his body as hard as bronze, impervious to blades and resistant to fire and water.
Standing in front of them, he was like a bronze wall, his skin turning bronze, allowing the crow demons to claw and peck at him, leaving only faint white marks on his skin that quickly disappeared.
"These birds are not bad. Keeping one for observation daily might help improve Yan's Falcon Fist technique..."
Yan Jun spread his large hand, pouncing out like a bat.
At the same time, his bones and muscles resonated, producing countless bird-like chirping explosions.
"Secret Technique - Hundred Falcons Chirping!"
His hands were like bird beaks, pecking out together, and the crows fell to the ground screaming in agony.
Countless black feathers flew, like a black rain shower.
"Croak!"
As the bodies of numerous demon crows fell, Yan Jun laughed heartily, grabbing one of the most majestic ones.
This demon bird had glossy black feathers and sharp claws, struggling in Yan Jun's grasp, even attempting to resist.
It suddenly opened its beak, and a black worm-like object shot out like an arrow, aiming for Yan Jun's throat!
Chirp chirp!
In the next moment, a surge of qi appeared, like a neck guard, deflecting the arrow.
Yan Jun's expression darkened, "Showing no gratitude, these wild demons are hard to tame, wasting my goodwill!"
Crack!
He exerted force with his right hand, breaking the neck of the demon crow.
"Old Yan, you don't keep birds, give it to me..."
Fang Xi smiled faintly, collecting the bird corpses on his own.
The demon bird materials in his hands, whether feathers or flesh, disappeared in an instant.
This scene made Yan Jun and Zhou Tong's pupils shrink, but they wisely did not inquire about the secret.
After all, Fang Xi was too powerful!
Every grand master had secrets, and delving too deep could lead to an endless confrontation!
Fang Xi calmly watched the two grand masters fighting monsters, while he collected some materials.
When he had collected enough, the group of crows became much smarter, flying away in the distance and no longer coming down to their deaths.
"Haha... ordinary little demons, not worth mentioning!"
Zhou Tong laughed heartily.
With his mastery of the Bronze Statue Technique, even facing a demon king wouldn't be too difficult.
However, at the next moment, a white bird dropping fell from the sky and landed on his face.
"Ah ah ah... I'll kill you all!"
Zhou Tong's face instantly turned red like a pig's liver. He roared while picking up a stone from the ground and hurling it forcefully into the sky.
Crack!
The stone, enveloped in qi, shot out like a projectile from a strong bow, making a piercing sonic boom and causing significant damage.
In a moment, a crow was hit and fell from the sky, landing right in Fang Xi's hands.
"Ah... this face is ruined..."
He thought to himself, speechless, and quickly followed the two grand masters up Mount Qiu Bai.
...
The pitch-black mountain was extremely steep, with no paths for people to walk on.
In the crevices of the cliffs, one could faintly see countless white bones.
Some looked like the bodies of various beasts and birds...
Some looked like... human bones!
The three grand masters paid no attention, leaping and soaring to the mountaintop.
At the peak of Mount Qiu Bai, there was a flat open space with a thatched cottage, where several black crows were perched, preening their feathers.
Upon seeing someone approaching, they immediately let out hoarse and unpleasant cries, fleeing in fear.
"Is this... the residence of Dugu Wuwang?" Fang Xi asked Zhou Tong.
"No... it's the residence of the grand master who guards Dugu Wuwang... There's no one here, it seems something has happened!" Yan Jun's expression turned grim as he led Fang Xi to the back of the thatched cottage.
Behind the cottage, the mountain rocks became even darker, exuding a metallic sheen.
Fang Xi deliberately stepped on it, leaving only a shallow imprint on the black rock.
"This rock is incredibly hard?" He couldn't help but be shocked.
After all, even if he didn't exert his full strength, a piece of bluestone should have cracked.
"In this mountain, there may be a rare iron ore... The mountain is extremely hard." Zhou Tong explained to Fang Xi, "It's precisely because of this that the grand master Dugu chose this place as his self-sealing location..."
Next moment, a small hill appeared in front of Fang Xi.
The entire mountain was concave in the middle, forming a cave.
What was even more astonishing was that thick iron chains, as thick as an adult's thigh, crisscrossed the area, extending into the cave.
It seemed as if they were binding not a person, but some kind of ferocious beast!
"Croak!"
A black crow flew past the mountaintop.
In the next moment, it panicked and let out a mournful cry, as if caught by an invisible hand and pulled into the cave from above.
The sound of gnawing and devouring immediately followed...
"Great technique!"
Fang Xi's eyes lit up at the sight.
Clearly, the sealed Dugu Wuwang inside the cave was using a technique similar to remote absorption, drawing blood from outside the cave daily to feast upon inside.
To achieve such a distance and level of control, the use of True Qi at the Martial Saint level was absolutely at its peak, almost reaching a divine level of skill!
"Not good!"
On the other side, Zhou Tong picked up a half of a jade flute on the ground, his expression turning extremely grim, "This is the personal weapon of the scout sent out by the association before - Yu Xiao Dongmen. This person is probably in a precarious situation!"
"Roar!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a beast-like roar echoed from the cave!
The roar was heart-wrenching, making everyone who heard it feel incredibly oppressed.
Fang Xi even immediately thought of the demon tree in Heishi City, his expression becoming extremely serious.
'This is indeed a ruthless person who dares to consume the essence of demons, incomparable to Linghu Yang!'
As he muttered to himself...
Crack!
A figure had already swiftly pounced out of the cave, moving like lightning!
"Ha!"
Zhou Tong roared and activated his technique to the limit, seemingly turning into a bronze statue, slapping the pouncing figure.
Crack!
The figure was easily slapped away.
Yan Jun's pupils shrank to the size of needles, seeing that it was not Dugu Wuwang who was knocked away, but a half-dead body!
"Ah!"
In the next instant, with a blast of the iron chains, thick as thighs, they whirled like dragons, striking towards the three.
Fang Xi had just taken two steps back when he heard a scream!
It was Yan Jun!
(End of this chapter)