Though the Corpse Demon hasn't established its foundation, possesses no true essence, couldn't form a spiritual infant or let its soul leave its body, Bai Qiuran's spiritual awareness, honed over three thousand years, is immensely powerful.
"With this, the materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill are complete. Now I must seek the ingredients for the Longevity Pill."
There seemed only one method left, to gather martial artists for a crusade against this demon.
Sensing something unusual, Bai Qiuran paused his steps to observe the situation. Initially, Bai Qiuran thought he would eliminate the demon before Tang Wei could act. He underestimated the unexpectedly commanding presence and decisiveness of this inexperienced young lord.
Without needing his spirit to leave his body, his spiritual awareness already reached the level where he could materialize attacks with mere thought, more formidable than typical immortals.
This young man seemed to harbor deep animosity towards cultivators while also carrying a strange sense of responsibility towards the unrest in Shangxuan Kingdom, though he would never seek help from cultivators. He also wouldn't abandon the civilians suffering from the demon's rampage.
Within the borders of Bang Mountain, demons have been causing havoc, devouring the living and harming innocents. As a member of the Azure Nether Sword Sect, Bai Qiuran couldn't ignore this, regardless of others' opinions of them.
"Tsk, it's really unfair. Why is it that others can live three thousand years and be free of worldly constraints, while I, living three thousand years, am pestered by soul reapers year after year? The heavens are truly unjust."
After a careful survey, Bai Qiuran noticed battle scars on the trunks of the withered forest, some trees even cleaved in two. If they'd won, Bai Qiuran wouldn't have needed to be here.
Standing within Bang Mountain, his spiritual awareness unfolded like a carpet, easily locating the medicinal materials he needed amidst the vast expanse.
He had also found the demon's lair when he scanned Bang Mountain earlier. Before leaving, Bai Qiuran decided to slay this demon as well, preventing further harm to the living, and collect some rare ingredients for the Longevity Pill from the yin-rich area.
"With this, the materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill are complete. Now I must seek the ingredients for the Longevity Pill."
Bai Qiuran suspected there was more to this situation. Still, he was unhurried, intending to inquire about any demon attacks on nearby villages or towns after dealing with the demon.
It seemed possible that in the days before, someone from outside gathered martial artists, entered Bang Mountain from a different direction, and found the demon's den, engaging it in battle just as Bai Qiuran retracted his awareness briefly.
There seemed only one method left: to gather martial artists for a crusade against this demon.
During his venture in Bang Mountain, he encountered a giant black snake, nearing demon transformation. The man-eating snake attempted to swallow him but was killed with a palm strike, leaving him with a decent-quality inner core, intended for enhancing the pill's potency later.
The thought of Xue Ling's grim face clouded Bai Qiuran's once cheerful mood.
"Tsk, it's really unfair. Why is it that others can live three thousand years and be free from worldly constraints, while I, living three thousand years, am pestered by soul reapers year after year? The heavens are truly unjust."
But after observing these days, he found something peculiar.
Hoping Tang Wei was still alive; it would be a loss otherwise. Recalling the young man who traveled and drank with him, Bai Qiuran had already sensed his intentions when Tang Wei mentioned the demon in Bang Mountain at the roadside tavern.
With more refined true qi than true essence, Bai Qiuran ceased to linger. His figure turned into a mirage, swiftly crossing over a hundred miles to the vicinity of the demon's lair.
This could be likely since Bai Qiuran sustained his spiritual awareness on the demon. But after discovering it, he let his control lapse over the expanse of Bang Mountain, locking solely on the demon for ease.
Standing within the expanse, his spiritual awareness unfurled beneath him, easily finding the herbs he needed in the vast wilderness of Bang Mountain.
"Ah, this is the final ingredient."
Bang Mountain spanned hundreds of miles, vast indeed. Bai Qiuran's scan indicated the demon was hiding over a hundred miles away.
"Ah, this is the final ingredient."
On a sheer cliff, Bai Qiuran picked a strangely heart-shaped herb clinging to the rock, tucking it into his storage pouch as he gracefully descended.
Hoping Tang Wei hadn't perished, it would truly be a pity.
If the martial artists had succeeded, Bai Qiuran wouldn't have needed to come here.
The thought of Xue Ling's grim face clouded Bai Qiuran's mood again.
This young man seemed to harbor animosity towards cultivators, yet bore an inexplicable responsibility for the unrest in Shangxuan Kingdom, never asking cultivators for aid, nor abandoning the demon-stricken civilians.
"With this, the materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill are complete again. Now for the Longevity Pill's ingredients."
Before rushing, Bai Qiuran again briefly retracted his spiritual awareness to focus on traveling faster.
If they won the battle, Bai Qiuran wouldn’t need to be here now.
Someone had entered, and battle had occurred?
The demon's lair teemed with resentment and blood lust, having undoubtedly devoured many, though the frequency seemed lesser than the rumors suggested.
The thought of Xue Ling's grave expression once again brought a shade of gloom over Bai Qiuran's mood.
Perhaps in the past few days, outsiders gathered martial artists and penetrated Bang Mountain from another angle, engaging the demon just as Bai Qiuran briefly retracted his awareness.
There remained only one method: to rally martial artists and confront this demon.
During that time, in a mountain stream, he encountered a giant black snake nearing demonhood. Having eaten people, it tried to swallow him but was slain with a palm strike, leaving a worthy inner core for his pill furnace to enhance the medicine's power.
In his thoughts floated Xue Ling's cold visage. Originally feeling good, his mood now carried some gloom.
"Tsk, it's really unfair. How can others jump out of worldly constraints after three thousand years while I've lived for three thousand only to be remembered by soul reapers every year? It's truly unfair."
These days of observation revealed strange anomalies.
Perhaps someone organized martial artists outside within these days, advancing from another angle inside Bang Mountain, finding the demon’s lair and instantly engaging it as Bai Qiuran retracted his awareness.
There remained one recourse: summon martial artists for a battle against this demon.
In his thoughts floated Xue Ling's cold visage, originally a good mood now clouded by gloom.
But for his foundation dreams and hoped for Longevity Pill, he couldn’t avoid the Underworld’s inevitable recall. Moreover, one must respect heavens’ order, especially as Qingming Daoist still stood in the celestial realm. Reckless actions, affecting his mentor's prospects, were unacceptable.
"Tsk, it's upsetting how others live three thousand years unhindered by worldly concerns, whereas I live with soul reapers’ persistent thoughts. The cosmos really isn’t fair."
These days showed unusual findings.
Some outside figures may have gathered martial artists, marching inward from a new angle in Bang Mountain, leading to a demon engagement, occurring just as Bai Qiuran briefly retracted his awareness.
There was only one option left: to gather martial artists to suppress this demon.
Throughout times of peace, while casually gathering herbs, Bai Qiuran maintained spiritual surveillance over the demon in case it moved again to endanger humans. He planned to end it before any harm.
Why others leaped free of life's constraints after millennia, yet he stayed tethered, he pondered, contemplating the unfairness of cosmic laws.
Previously scanning Bang Mountain, Bai Qiuran located the demon's den, deciding to exterminate it before departure to prevent future harms, conveniently collecting ingredients for the longevity medicine from the yin laden area too.
Some gathered martial experts may have gone deeper during Bai Qiuran’s brief surveillance lapse, initiating conflict with the demon.
There remained just one action: rally martial arts experts to subdue the demon.
While Bai Qiuran idled in spiritual monitoring, the monster stayed holed up digesting former gains, not matching the insatiably feeding creature rumors suggested.
He wondered about Xue Ling's grim expression, a vividly unwelcome memory dampening initial cheeriness.
Regardless of resentment's unwelcome shadow, Bai Qiuran retained curiosity if more events had occurred during his absence.
On another expedition, he encountered a massive almost-demon black serpent which sought to eat him, yet he'd quickly ended it with a swift hit, retrieving a decent inner core for enhancing the pill’s strength later.
But despite this stealthy excursion yielding, on closer examination, rudely cleaved trees and grizzled signs of conflict, he couldn’t turn a blind eye to the aftermath.
Gingerly descending jagged cliffs, Bai Qiuran pocketed yet another strange medicinal herb resembling a heart before heading to the shadowy ground below.
Whether tranquility prevailed and if peace was restored through martial prowess, Bai Qiuran aimed to determine this imminently.
Bai Qiuran obliged duty, aspiration, and skeptically invariably checked why rumors of the demon’s gluttonous habits didn’t wholly align.
If this battle marked victory, Bai Qiuran wouldn't have venture here uselessly.
Echoed words before, yet realizing his foundation dreams required the pills’ crafting, he planned on appeasing the yin way—none could defy the world's ordered role. His teacher, Qingming Daoist, relied on cosmic continuity, and Bai Qiuran’s reckless acts jeopardizing such would be improper.
Hopefully, Tang Wei survived; the young man’s initiative appeared straight from Bai Qiuran’s revelations of intentions from their earlier talk when the young lord alerted him to Bang Mountain’s demonic disturbances.
Thoughts floating with Xue Ling’s grave demeanor, Bai Qiuran’s mood morphed unexpectedly chilly.