174: After sharpening their weapons and preparing for battle, they ventured deep into the demon realm.

Although the late-night assassination attempt was unexpectedly thwarted by Gongsun Yu, those four well-trained, death-defying Golden Core Peak assassins, and the forces potentially involved behind them (Heavenly Frost City, Mo Qianchou, or other unknown enemies), hung like a sword of Damocles, making Lin Xuan and the other four feel an imminent pressure.

Strength! They had to increase their strength as soon as possible!

The remnant map of Qiwu Valley and the token jade talisman gifted by Daoist Master Miao Dan indicated the direction for their next step. The Ten Thousand Monster Mountain Range, a place where danger and opportunity coexisted, might be where the nirvana flower was waiting for them.

Over the next few days, Lin Xuan and the other four barely stepped out, focusing all their efforts on preparing to head deep into the Ten Thousand Monster Mountain Range.

Lin Xuan first used the large quantity of Materials he already had on hand, along with those exchanged from the Marvelous Elixir Pavilion, to start Alchemy. He did not refine Medicinal Pill to increase his cultivation, but rather various pills for life-saving, healing, recovery, and dealing with special situations.

"spirit recovery pill" and "Life-generating Creation Pill" were used for rapidly recovering spiritual power and injuries; "Miasma-avoidance Pill" and "Clear Heart Pill" were for dealing with the toxic miasma and mind-bewitching Qi that might exist in the Ten Thousand Monster Mountain Range; "Breath-concealing Talisman" and "Vajra Talisman" were for concealment and defense. He even used the System to deduce and attempt to refine a few batches of more potent "Primordial Spirit-Deriving Pills," which could stimulate potential in a short time to unleash combat power far exceeding his usual level, though the side effects were not small, serving as a final trump card.

Su Wanqing was responsible for organizing and strengthening everyone's Magical Artifacts and equipment. She fused some meteorite star steel obtained from Starfall Valley into Gongsun Yu's thunder urgency sword, improving its quality and allowing it to better bear the Chaos Thunder Gang. She also helped Yun Shang re-refine her Flowing Cloud Star Gauze and Star-Fixing Hairpin, enhancing their defensive and sensing capabilities. For Qu Feiyan's crimson serpent whip and yaoguang immortal sound zither, she also offered many suggestions based on her insights into Taiyin Sword Intent, making their usage even more treacherous and unpredictable.

Qu Feiyan utilized her skills as a Saintess of the Demonic Path, using the Materials on hand to concoct many strange poisons, hallucinogenic smokes, and one-time-use malicious Magical Artifacts. In her own words: "To deal with those blind Prodigies and riffraff, sometimes these are more effective than direct combat."

Gongsun Yu focused all her energy on familiarizing herself with and consolidating her newly Breakthrough cultivation and the "Chaos Thunder Gang Seal." She no longer pursued Move with massive destructive power, but instead repeatedly practiced the condensation speed, morphological changes, and power control of the thunder seal. Under Lin Xuan's guidance, she was now able to stably condense a Chaos Thunder Gang seal the size of a fist. Although she could not yet split it into thousands, its power in a single strike already far exceeded that of an ordinary Mid-stage Golden Core, sufficient to threaten Late Golden Core Stage or even Golden Core Peak Cultivators.

Yun Shang diligently studied the "Star Ancient Scroll" and, relying on her Star Spirit Body, drew many simple star position maps to be used for orientation if they lost their way or encountered illusion formations.

Five days passed in a flash amidst tense and fulfilling preparations.

On the morning of the sixth day, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

In the small courtyard of the Listening to Bamboo Pavilion, the five were fully equipped and ready to set off.

Lin Xuan wore a neat cyan robe, his aura restrained, his eyes sharp. Su Wanqing still had her face covered with a white veil, her plain white dress spotless, with the frost silence sword on her back. Qu Feiyan had changed into a set of dark red tight-fitting clothes convenient for movement, outlining her explosive figure; the crimson serpent whip was wrapped around her waist, and the yaoguang immortal sound zither was stored in her storage ring. Gongsun Yu was in a purple tight-fitting outfit, heroic and spirited, with the thunder urgency sword hanging at her waist, and faint electric light circulating around her body. Yun Shang wore that Flowing Cloud Star Gauze, dotted with starlight.

"Are you all ready?" Lin Xuan's gaze swept over his four companions.

"Yes." Su Wanqing nodded coldly.

"I've been waiting for ages. This big sister wants to see just what is so amazing about that Ten Thousand Monster Mountain Range." Qu Feiyan licked her red lips, her alluring eyes flashing with excitement and Battle Intent.

"Big Brother Lin, I'm ready!" Gongsun Yu nodded forcefully, her small face full of determination.

"I'm ready too, Senior Brother Lin." Yun Shang replied softly.

"Let's go."

Without alerting anyone, the five quietly left the Listening to Bamboo Pavilion, passed through the awakening streets of Tianshu City, exited the east city gate, and transformed into five beams of escaping light of different colors, speeding toward the Ten Thousand Monster Mountain Range in the northeast.

The Ten Thousand Monster Mountain Range, located at the border between the Eastern Domain and the Southern Frontier, was a massive mountain range that stretched for an unknown number of thousands of miles. Here, ancient trees towered into the sky, and Demonic Qi permeated the air; it was a paradise for the Yao Race and a forbidden zone for Human Race Cultivators. Ordinary Cultivators only dared to Move around the periphery, gathering some low-grade Spiritual Plant and hunting some weak Yao Beast. As for the depths of the mountain range, even old Nascent Soul monsters dared not easily set foot there.

Following the guidance of the remnant map, Lin Xuan and the other four did not stop at the periphery but headed directly deep into the general direction of Qiwu Valley.

Once they entered the mountain range, the surrounding environment changed instantly. Towering ancient trees blocked the sun, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate; the light in the forest was dim, and the air was filled with a rich scent of vegetation and faint Demonic Qi. All sorts of strange insect chirps and beast roars came from all directions, carrying a primitive wildness and danger.

Lin Xuan spread his Divine Sense to its maximum range, combined with the System's scanning, to carefully avoid the territories of some obviously powerful Yao Beast and naturally formed dangerous areas. Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan were on the left and right, responsible for flank security. Gongsun Yu and Yun Shang were protected in the middle.

Even so, they hadn't even gone a hundred miles deep before they encountered their first decent-sized attack.

A group of nearly a hundred "Ghost-Faced Bats"—pitch black, with wings on their backs, capable of spitting corrosive acid from their mouths—screeched out from a dense forest, pressing down like a black cloud! The individual strength of these Ghost-Faced Bats was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but their numbers were vast, they were death-defying, and the sonic attacks they formed could disturb one's mind!

"I'll handle this!" Before Lin Xuan could make a Move, Gongsun Yu shouted, leaping out from the crowd. She quickly formed seals with her hands, and a seal the size of a fist, flickering with Chaos Thunder light, instantly condensed in her palm!

"Chaos Thunder Gang, disperse!" She pushed the thunder seal forward. The thunder seal did not explode directly but suddenly split into dozens of small, purple electric snakes, which, as if possessing life, accurately shot into the densest part of the Ghost-Faced Bat swarm!

"Chi chi chi—!" The electric snakes darted, and thunder light exploded! The Ghost-Faced Bats that were hit didn't even have time to scream before they instantly turned into charred remains! More importantly, the aura of destruction contained within the Chaos Thunder Gang had a strong suppressing effect on such sinister Yao creatures. The remaining Ghost-Faced Bats, sensing the terrifying aura, emitted panicked shrieks, immediately breaking formation and fleeing in all directions.

With one blow, the bat swarm was routed!

Gongsun Yu retracted the thunder seal, breathing slightly, but her small face was filled with the excitement of her first victory.

"Well done. Your control of power is much more proficient than a few days ago." Lin Xuan nodded approvingly.

Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan also cast looks of approval.

Encouraged, Gongsun Yu felt happy and became even more determined to Cultivate hard.

Continuing forward, they encountered several more waves of Yao Beast attacks along the way, including "Iron-Armored Earth Dragons" that were good at burrowing for sneak attacks, and "Soul-Bewitching Yao Vines" that could release hallucinogenic pollen, all of which were quickly resolved by the group working together. Lin Xuan intended to train the team, especially to let Gongsun Yu and Yun Shang gain more practical combat experience, only stepping in to provide guidance or resolve fatal crises at critical moments.

As they went deeper, the strength of the Yao Beast they encountered became stronger and stronger, and Yao Generals at the Golden Core Stage began to appear. The miasma and poisonous fog in the mountains and forests also became increasingly dense, requiring them to constantly circulate their spiritual power to resist, or take Miasma-avoidance Pills.

Comparing the remnant map with the star position map, they were getting closer and closer to the core area where Qiwu Valley was located. The Demonic Qi in the air had also become more pure and ancient, faintly bringing a heart-palpitating pressure.

"Be careful, we may have approached the territory of some powerful Yao King." Lin Xuan reminded them with a grave expression.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a deafening roar suddenly came from deep within the dense forest ahead! The sound wave swept over them like a physical force, shaking the surrounding ancient trees until they trembled, causing fallen leaves to fly everywhere!

A terrifying Demonic Qi that far exceeded the Golden Core level and reached the Nascent Soul level erupted into the sky from the valley ahead, like a volcanic eruption!

"Not good! It's a Nascent Soul Great Yao!" Qu Feiyan's expression changed slightly.

At the entrance of the valley ahead, a colossal creature slowly revealed its form. It was a Yao Beast covered in dark golden scales, shaped like a giant tiger, with a single horn on its forehead—the Golden Scaled Hou! Its body was the size of a small mountain, and its cold, vertical pupils, filled with cruelty and greed, locked firmly onto the five "little ones" who had intruded into its territory!

"Humans... how dare you intrude into this King's territory... Just right, you shall serve as this King's blood food today!"

The Golden Scaled Hou spoke in human language, its voice like grinding metal, carrying the immense pressure of the Early Nascent Soul Stage, as it approached Lin Xuan and the other four step by step, each step making the earth tremble slightly!

The real test had finally arrived.