He also forged small flowers, similar to the Poison Domain created by Wang Julong’s poppy flowers. Even the Earthen Spears were ford from Yan Xiaobao’s spiritual essence.
This is the power of inscriptions. With the right materials and resources, anything can be created. The strength of this attack was roughly half the intensity of an attack cultivated by soone with elental affinity, but it made up for the lack of force with versatility.
Being an inscriber, he heavily relied on preparation before any battle. While he had so abilities that could be utilized in combat, they were weaker than his inscriptions and couldn’t sustain his survival long-term.
Yan Xiaobao placed all his mory stones onto a belt that he had purchased at a high cost, feeling as though he carried an abundance of storage stones. However, when compared to Deng Wu, this was insignificant.
Deng Wu’s earrings were crafted from polished blue storage stones. His rings were made from storage stones. His necklace, too, was forged from storage stones. Even his robes, belt, and gloves were adorned with polished gemstones, each embedded with multiple mory stones. To say Deng Wu had a pile of storage stones would not be an exaggeration.
Despite owning so many storage stones, Deng Wu was perfectly aware of which items were stored in which stone and whether one storage stone was nested inside another.
Xu Yue had long since given up trying to comprehend the extent of Deng Wu’s power. Instead, whenever requested, he simply provided spiritual energy that seed to diminish each ti.
Deng Wu was a necromancer, but necromancy wasn’t his only source of strength. It was much like Wang Julong splitting her cultivation between healing and offensive arts.
After finishing the last few inscriptions, Deng Wu stowed them in specific storage stones. Then, he retrieved three other stones, withdrawing beast cores and magical crystals, organizing them by size as he went.
tal affinity specialists could refine internal energies within beast cores to amplify the damage caused by their inscriptions, utilizing this energy to enhance their attacks significantly.
Beast cores and gemstones also served other purposes, but for Deng Wu, their most crucial function was augnting his inscriptions, as it could save his life as well as his friends’ lives.
While Deng Wu was preparing for battle, Sha Yun sat beside Yan Xiaobao in ditation. Her lower body had completely transford into stone, while the human part remained untouched. Her brows furrowed deeply as she exerted herself, dripping with sweat while striving to achieve a higher level of fusion with the earth.
Xie Lan surveyed her newly assembled group, noting how every mber dove into cultivation the mont they entered the courtyard, giving her an odd feeling.
No cheering, no celebration—just an eerie calm, as though they had never won the semifinals of the rcenary Tournant, where most others would have been overjoyed.
Xie Lan wasn’t just surprised by their behavior; she marveled at Wang Julong’s efficiency in healing Yan Xiaobao. The longer she spent ti with this group, the more awestruck she beca by their abilities.
The man Hui Yue had always opposed—well-known in the rcenary world—possessed near-impossible survival skills in close combat. Yet here stood Yan Xiaobao, a young man who appeared sowhat frail, but had erged from the deadliest combinations unscathed.
Surviving tornt and simultaneously claiming victory proved Yan Xiaobao had resilience far greater than his appearance suggested. However, a tough physique alone wasn’t sufficient. It was evident he had sustained serious injuries, but after Wang Julong released spiritual energy infused with the wood elent, all those wounds vanished.
Xu Biao already knew where this group of four had originated, yet he withheld the information from Xie Lan, leaving her to wonder whether these four surpassed ordinary Master-level cultivators entirely. If that were true, Yan Xiaobao had every reason to trust in his strength.
Xie Lan took one last glance at the young cultivators behind her before slowly exiting the courtyard, heading toward Xu Biao’s office to relay the day’s events, including handing over a storage stone that docunted her mory of the entire battle.
....
Yan Xiaobao had been ditating for so ti when he suddenly sensed subtle shifts in the environnt around him. Shocked, he opened his eyes, only to find the host of the rcenary Tournant re inches away from him.
Recoiling backward instinctively, Yan Xiaobao’s eyes widened as blue flas ignited in his hands. A sudden sense of danger and helplessness overwheld his senses. Trusting his intuition, Yan Xiaobao summoned the affinity he shared with Lan Feng, creating a fire far more destructive than anything he’d ever summoned.
Upon seeing the blue flas, a flicker of surprise appeared in the smiling host’s eyes, though he showed no signs of moving.
"I apologize for startling you, child," the man finally spoke, his voice tinged with laughter. Yan Xiaobao squinted, his blue fla steadfastly burning in his hand.
"Relax, I don’t intend you any harm," the man said further, his face lit by a broad grin, the corners of his eyes crinkled in genuine amusent. "Besides, if I wanted you dead, you would already be dead."
Recognizing the truth in the man’s words, Yan Xiaobao slowly extinguished the blue flas in his hand and motioned that they should move elsewhere, so as not to disturb Sha Yun’s focus.
As they moved to a quieter area, Yan Xiaobao couldn’t help but notice the host’s eyes briefly rest on the Dragon Army insignia on his chest.
When the host saw this, he smirked knowingly but said nothing further until after they sat.
"I am Zhou Long, captain of all Dragon Clan mbers in this Demon Residence Cave," he introduced himself, prompting Yan Xiaobao to nod in response, "Yan Xiaobao," he replied.
"Have you ever wondered why this place is called the Demon Residence Cave?" Zhou Long asked with curiosity, a faint smile gracing his lips. Yan Xiaobao frowned as he pondered the na but ultimately shook his head. The na suggested a powerful Demon Beast lurking within the cave, but it wasn’t sothing he had actively considered before.
"Good, very good," Zhou Long said with a smile. "Long ago, a Demon Beast was discovered in this cave. For years, we dared not establish any strongholds, as the Demon Beast could annihilate everything we built in an instant. Unfortunately, we had too many citizens, and within a few years, we were forced to inhabit every underground cave available."
Zhou Long shot Yan Xiaobao a long, enigmatic glance before continuing, "You understand this, of course," he said, "as it’s standard knowledge for everyone within the caves." Yan Xiaobao laughed quietly, neither affirming nor refuting the statent.
"In any case, it’s been centuries since we decided to live in the caves, and the Demon Beast has yet to reappear," Zhou Long sighed deeply as he gazed skyward. "The beast has slumbered for a millennium. If it wakes now, it will be at its weakest."
"I’m seeking powerful rcenaries and Dragon Clan mbers to join in slaying the beast. Those who participate and survive will earn remarkable credits within the Dragon Army Corps. If you’re interested in joining us, you might even receive a recomndation letter for Dragon Corps headquarters."
Yan Xiaobao cast a sharp glare at the man, wondering just how much he truly knew. However, his scowl was answered only with a calm smile and serene, confident eyes.
The man stood from his seat and began to walk away, yet suddenly stopped. Turning back to Yan Xiaobao, he said, "If you survive tomorrow, co find . I’ll share more information with you."
With that, Zhou Long quietly departed from the courtyard, leaving a bewildered Yan Xiaobao behind.
Yan Xiaobao squinted at the courtyard gate where Zhou Long had vanished. The circumstances too conveniently aligned. Xu Biao knew Yan Xiaobao was investigating knowledge about the Dragon Army, and now here appeared Zhou Long, the captain of the entire Dragon Army within the Demon Residence Cave, preparing to hire Yan Xiaobao and his companions for a pivotal mission that promised all the credibility he needed—not only for entering the next tunnel but for access to every corridor within the middle cavern.
Yan Xiaobao narrowed his eyes, sensing that sothing didn’t quite add up. At the sa ti, it was a rare opportunity. Ultimately, it boiled down to how well they could prepare in advance.
Following Zhou Long’s visit, Yan Xiaobao couldn’t regain his calm. No matter how much he dwelled on the matter, the pieces simply didn’t fit. It was as though everything was proceeding too smoothly—sothing that had never happened without external forces manipulating the scene.
...
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