Demon lifespan vanished like water.

The demon core in his mouth melted rapidly into vast demonic force.

The Nine Transformations’ greatest strength was that each breakthrough raised the original ceiling of the current realm.

The sixth transformation had cost over five thousand years, and had required only a single White Deer core to succeed.

By comparison, the cultivation stored within the blue-faced lions’ cores was several times more concentrated than the White Deer’s — and according to the panel’s notifications, a single core was nowhere near enough.

【Year 3,200 — you successfully tame the blue-faced lion demon’s demonic force, and move on to the second core—】

With the sixth transformation’s powerful frame already in place, the absorption efficiency had multiplied several times over.

The second lion core was processed quickly.

Shen Yi looked at the panel — still no breakthrough — and after a moment’s hesitation, added the White Jade Rabbit’s core as well.

Two against one. Hard to lose.

He was less interested in the rabbit demon’s illusion ability than the lion demon’s yin-wind divine ability.

Three core-nurturing demon lords’ lifelong cultivation was condensed together. The immortal-demon taking shape was extraordinary.

Three newly-born demon consciousnesses were fighting desperately under pure instinct.

【Year 7,900 — the great lion raises its massive head. The blue-faced, fang-baring visage inspires dread. It makes no sound — only sweeps its imperious gaze across the six immortal-demons already confined within the body, and thereby announces who this frame belongs to.】

Becoming the Immortal Lion — blue-fanged face communing with the underworld, yin-wind and corrosive rain shaking heaven and earth. Knowing heaven’s mandate, understanding yin and yang. The devouring maw severs life and death; wind and rain flatten cities and leave only departing souls.

【Immortal-Demon Nine Transformations: Seventh Transformation】

Shen Yi closed his eyes. Another formidable immortal-demon confined within him.

Feeling its overbearing dominance, he felt something quietly appreciative.

As it happened, demon lifespan was still relatively plentiful.

He pushed the derivation further.

【Year 829 — you use the death-essence to erase the immortal lion’s consciousness and take this power fully as your own.】

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 9,166 years】

Demon cores painstakingly accumulated, spent clean in an instant. Demon lifespan cut in half.

What came back was a strength inside the body like a vast ocean — inexhaustible.

He closed a hand briefly. Body refinement’s changes were real and immediate in a way that always gave him the most solid feeling.

“Have to keep moving.”

He picked up both lion carcasses and ran the Unfettered Wind-Riding Art again.

The reason he’d come to Tingyang Prefecture in such a hurry was straightforward. His core-nurturing breakthrough — the demons had no idea it had happened yet.

That was an extraordinarily valuable window.

The moment word got out, they weren’t fools. Maybe they wouldn’t try to organize an ambush, but they would definitely pull together and stay close to each other — to avoid having their cores picked off one at a time.

And the direction they’d most naturally seek shelter from was the Howling Moon Demon King.

So of course — kill as many demon lords as possible before that side caught on.

Tingyang Prefecture. Yongan City.

In the room behind the Division compound, Lin Baixi sat quietly as Xiao Qiangwei changed her dressings.

“I genuinely don’t know what you’re in such a hurry about.”

Looking at the deep gash occupying nearly half the forearm, Xiao Qiangwei exhaled. “Your elder brother finally has a day to rest. You could at least sit with him.”

In the courtyard, You Longtao held his teacup and looked at the sky.

He hadn’t experienced quiet like this in a very long time.

However temporary.

But the moment he thought of Shen Yi currently somewhere in demon territory, an inexplicable guilt rose in him.

Perhaps he’d only find real ease once Tingyang Prefecture was truly stable.

After a moment, he set down the cup. “Senior Xiao — could I trouble you to look after her for a while.”

“Are you going somewhere again?”

Xiao Qiangwei looked at him helplessly. “I can’t manage her.”

“Sitting still makes me feel unsettled.” He exhaled, not mentioning Shen Yi. He knew how much pressure his martial junior sister was under right now. The feeling of being completely unable to help — he’d lived through that many times.

Then — a dense shower of blood qi fell into the courtyard.

All three faces changed simultaneously.

The next moment — two enormous blue-faced lions dropped from the air.

And were caught casually by one hand a breath before they hit the ground.

“…”

You Longtao watched Shen Yi drop both demon lords at the entrance, give a small bow in his direction, and walk into the building.

“What was it you wanted to say? Go ahead.”

He sat down across from the two women and poured himself a cup of tea.

Xiao Qiangwei’s mouth opened. She looked at the demon carcasses outside with a blank expression. Then at the sky, which had just recently gone dark.

“I—”

Lin Baixi looked up in a daze, her mind a thoroughly confused mess.

So that was why he hadn’t left anything behind before going. Because there was no need.

He’d been planning to be back before nightfall.

Three core-nurturing demon lords dead in one day in Tingyang Prefecture.

“Shen — Shen — this—”

You Longtao crouched at the entrance, staring emptily, one hand pulling absentmindedly at a lion’s mane.

He genuinely could not work out how this had happened.

These two demon lords, with whom he’d been in an extended standoff for so many years — appearing in front of him this way.

“What should I be doing right now?”

He thought for a long moment, then stood and looked at the young man inside.

“…”

Shen Yi found that the question had been asked in complete sincerity.

A Demon Suppression General was asking him what he should be doing?

“Guarding Tingyang Prefecture?” He wasn’t entirely certain.

You Longtao let his hands drop. He looked at the demon carcasses on the ground with a genuinely puzzled expression.

“But — who am I guarding against?”

At that, a flicker of puzzlement moved through Shen Yi’s eyes too.

What kind of reasoning was this.

Did he need someone to teach him how to take it easy at work?

“Hff.” You Longtao recognized his own state, gave a rueful laugh, and rubbed his brow.

The weight he’d been carrying for years — set down without warning. And he couldn’t feel the relief. Only confusion.

Too fast. Not even time for a proper reaction.

“You two talk. I’m going for a walk.”

He stepped out into the quiet street, and his footsteps gradually became lighter.

“So—?” Shen Yi looked at Lin Baixi again.

“I — I—”

She pressed her lips hard together. The young man could kill two core-nurturing demon lords in half a day. By comparison, she wasn’t sure she had anything worth taking up his whole evening over.

She took out the delicate silver bell and placed it carefully on the table.

That was all Lin Baixi had wanted to say, really. She was working hard to close the distance. And she wanted him to share in that small happiness.

Shen Yi looked at the bell on the table and thought for a moment.

He took a thread of the blue-faced lion’s blood qi from his waist and placed it into her bell.

Back then — a Threshold-stage fox demon’s life had brought him two Jade Liquid realm supreme techniques. That bell had been with him through the flood dragon lord, the caiman, all the way to the Condensate stage.

He’d owed something for a long time. Now that he finally had the means to give something back.

(End of Chapter)