Chapter 38: Chapter 38: A Change in the Situation
Inside the Spirit Plant Garden, the three Sequence Elders gazed upon the Langlang Mountain Demons scattered across the ground.
They were shocked to find that these Demons were actually still breathing!
Seeing the utter disarray and immense losses all around them, fury surged in their hearts.
But ultimately, their concern for Jin Ling’Er’s safety was paramount, so they didn’t investigate closely.
Urging their Magical Artifacts onward, they flew at incredible speed.
A distance of thirty li was trivial.
It wouldn’t take much time at all!
After a short wait, they estimated that enough time had passed.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The three Sequence Elders flared their Demon Power and flew off in the direction the Lion Spirit had disappeared.
Behind a massive boulder near the Spirit Plant Garden, Xu Chang’an, transformed into a Wild Boar Demon, concealed his aura.
’They’re gone!’
Watching the three streaks of light cross the sky, Xu Chang’an held his breath and focused his senses.
He waited a moment longer, then silently crept into the Spirit Plant Garden.
At this moment, the Spirit Plant Garden was a complete wreck.
Because the three Sequence Elders were anxious about Jin Ling’Er’s safety, no one had been left behind to guard the garden.
Xu Chang’an looked at the vast swaths of devastated Spirit Plants and let out a sigh.
’In the end, I didn’t risk devouring any more.’
The Sequence Elders had been here for a while; they might have gotten a rough idea of how many Spirit Plants remained.
’If I had rashly devoured more, they might not have traced it back to me, but the risk would have been immense!’
Still, due to a fortunate turn of events, his gains this time had been beyond imagination.
Name: Xu Chang’an
Bloodline: Ordinary Grey Rat (Ungraded)
Lifespan: 36 years
Realm: Qi Refining Seventh Layer
Skills: Alchemy (Tier One Low Grade)
Energy: (188/200)
...
He only needed 12 more points of Energy to successfully break through to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer!
Time was limited, so Xu Chang’an didn’t linger.
Instead, he found a suitable spot, reverted to his normal Mouse Demon form, and lay down, feigning unconsciousness.
Lying on the ground, his mind raced, considering whether there were any flaws or loopholes in his actions.
He mulled over the details, re-examining them several times.
Only after confirming there were no issues did he relax and wait for the Elders to arrive.
WHOOSH!
A sound of something tearing through the air rang out.
The Seventh Elder landed, his face grim.
The Fourth and Fifth Elders had already taken Jin Ling’Er back to Golden Yuan Cave on Langlang Mountain to report the situation to the King.
He, on the other hand, had come here to the Spirit Plant Garden to secure the area and get a preliminary understanding of the situation.
Using his abilities, he woke up the crowd of Demons.
Xu Chang’an also took the opportunity to "wake up" with a groan, acting as if his head were splitting.
"Seventh Elder."
The Mountain Goat Spirit, his mind in a daze, saw that it was the Seventh Elder from the Law Enforcement Hall and bowed tremblingly.
This whole ordeal had taken a heavy toll on him.
"What happened!?"
The Seventh Elder’s voice was low, betraying no emotion.
But one could faintly sense a suppressed rage beneath the surface.
If it erupted, it would be a tidal wave of destruction.
The Mountain Goat Spirit dared not delay and immediately explained the entire sequence of events, from beginning to end.
"You’re saying that Lion Spirit appeared out of nowhere!? And as soon as it showed up, it killed the Black Crow Spirit within a few rounds!?"
the Seventh Elder pressed.
"Yes, Seventh Elder."
The Seventh Elder fell into deep thought.
Killing a Black Crow Spirit proved that this Lion Spirit was definitely not a Demon from Black Crow Mountain.
And he was very familiar with that Black Crow Spirit, Black Hair.
He was a veteran elder of Black Crow Mountain with a profound foundation.
For this Lion Spirit to be able to kill Black Hair in just a few rounds...
Although he had encountered the Lion Spirit earlier, they had not truly fought.
It was mostly Jin Ling’Er engaged in Magical Combat with it.
While he had sensed that this Lion Spirit was not ordinary, the feeling hadn’t been strong.
But now, the feat of killing Black Hair in a few rounds provided a direct demonstration of the Lion Spirit’s strength.
’A Great Seal shaped like a Yuanbao, a bell-like Magical Artifact... Just what power do they belong to!?’
After some thought, he came up with no useful clues.
The Seventh Elder’s gaze once again fell upon the Demons present.
"The Spirit Plants have been severely damaged. To prevent anyone from hiding them for personal gain...
All Demons, take out your Storage Bags and submit to an inspection!"
’As expected!’
Xu Chang’an remained outwardly calm as he, along with the other Demons, took out his Storage Bag to be inspected by the Seventh Elder.
Right now, his Storage Bag contained nothing more than a few Demon Stones, Demon Talismans, and two Magical Artifacts.
These were all above-board resources that could withstand scrutiny.
His true foundation and recent gains, including the Storage Bags from the Black Crow Spirit and Jin Ling’Er, had already been properly hidden away.
After inspecting all the Demons’ Storage Bags and confirming nothing was amiss...
The Seventh Elder spoke to the Mountain Goat Spirit.
"You will manage the initial cleanup here and await further instructions from Elder Peak."
"Yes, Seventh Elder," the Mountain Goat Spirit replied respectfully.
’Some Lion Spirit appeared out of nowhere and threw everything into chaos. I’ll report to the King first, then we’ll make a plan!’
This battle had consumed countless resources and vast amounts of Demon Power.
The mountain’s foundation had been severely depleted!
But...
Recalling the might the King had displayed when the Black Crow King led the Black Crow Mountain Demon Army in their siege...
The Seventh Elder’s heart couldn’t help but burn with excitement.
The impact of the Lion Spirit incident was temporarily suppressed by this feeling.
Langlang Mountain is destined to prosper!
WHOOSH!
The Seventh Elder urged his Magical Artifact on, transforming into a streak of light as he flew toward Golden Yuan Cave on Langlang Mountain.
...
’I’ve passed this test, for now!’
Confirming that the Seventh Elder had flown far away, Xu Chang’an breathed a small sigh of relief.
Under the Mountain Goat Spirit’s unified command, he immediately joined the other Demons in cleaning up the Spirit Plant Garden.
"So many Spirit Plants, all ruined!"
"A two-hundred-year-old Fleeceflower Root, and he only ate half! What a crime!"
"And this Vermilion Fruit...唉, such a reckless waste!"
Gazing at the utter mess before him, the Mountain Goat Spirit sighed at the heavens.
Hearing this, Xu Chang’an, who was standing nearby, felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
Time had been tight. Naturally, he had to maximize his efficiency by specifically devouring the most valuable parts of the Spirit Plants.
As night began to fall, Langlang Mountain sent a few more Demons over to help take inventory of the remaining Spirit Plants.
At the same time, a piece of news was delivered.
The Black Crow Mountain Demon Army had besieged Langlang Mountain.
The King had emerged from seclusion and, within a few rounds, had forced the Black Crow King to retreat, displaying his divine might!
The news greatly invigorated the Demons.
The restoration and inventory work in the Spirit Plant Garden continued for several days.
Xu Chang’an acted no differently from any other Demon, following the rhythm of the group and doing trivial tasks.
As the restoration and inventory work neared its end, the work in the Spirit Plant Garden gradually returned to its usual routine.
Xu Chang’an also occasionally inquired about news from the main mountain.
He heard that Black Crow Mountain had completely withdrawn its forces, and the Demon Power that had been sent as reinforcements to the front lines was being gradually recalled to the mountain.
The previous siege by Black Crow Mountain had caused considerable losses within the mountain.
That various caves, halls, and buildings were more than half destroyed was a minor issue.
The main problem was that many Arrays, including the core Array, had been severely damaged.
Thus, the top priority was to restore everything as quickly as possible.
Within Langlang Mountain, everything was in a state of disrepair, waiting to be rebuilt.
Various affairs were in disarray, and every peak, hall, and valley was incredibly busy.
As for the Spirit Plant Garden, Elder Peak had only sent Demons to catalog the remaining Spirit Plants and calculate the losses.
For now, they couldn’t spare any attention for other matters here.
Xu Chang’an was naturally delighted by this.
After a few more days, he concealed his aura and quietly slipped out of the Spirit Plant Garden.
His spoils of war and his hidden foundation were still stashed outside!
