Recruit demons to become heroes, hunt demons to become gods

Chapter 266 Mutual Calculations Inevitably Lead to Unexpected Trouble

Five hundred miles southwest of Duanwan Gorge lies Yuncui Mountain, where a natural cave called Moyun Cave is located. The Minotaur Demon and his followers occupy Yuncui Mountain, and he himself resides inside Moyun Cave.

Fu Renying and Shi Hao accepted the mission and, taking advantage of the approaching darkness, quietly arrived at Yuncui Mountain, where they first engaged in a fierce battle with the demon army.

The two of them attracted almost all the demon army in one place. Fu Renying held back the demon army while Shi Hao teleported away and went to the Demon Cloud Cave to make a deal with the Minotaur Demon.

Before accepting the mission, Shi Hao and Fu Renying discussed the terms: if Shi Hao could buy him an hour, he would owe Fu Renying a sixth-level favor.

Fu Renying can use this favor to get Shi Hao to do her a favor or exchange it for the treasures and resources he possesses.

Shi Haofei carefully searched for a path into the Demon Cloud Cave in the air, probing the traps set by the Minotaur Demon in various places.

He stood on the clouds, overlooking Yuncui Mountain.

In the twilight, Yuncui Mountain resembled a lurking beast, the purple mist swirling around its peak tinged with a dark, blood-red hue by the setting sun.

The entrance to the Demon Cloud Cave looks like a wound torn open by sharp claws, with jagged stalactites hanging down like fangs, and a fishy, ​​damp smell seeping from the crevices in the rocks.

The minotaur stepped into the cave, his iron club striking the stone wall with a dull thud.

His weapon looked like a golden cudgel, cylindrical in the middle but square at both ends, with strange patterns inlaid on its golden blade.

The golden color shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, as if it contained boundless power. The patterns on the staff resembled ancient runes, exuding a mysterious aura that made one wonder about the story hidden behind it.

The interior of the Demon Cloud Cave is spacious, and the murky water seeping from the cave ceiling accumulates into dark pools among the stalagmites, reflecting the skull lamps embedded in the walls.

The green flames flickering in the eye sockets of those skulls twisted the shadows into menacing monsters, making the minotaur's bluish-gray hair gleam with a sickly sheen.

Suddenly enraged, it kicked over the stone table, and the pottery jar smashed against the rock wall, shattering into eerie totems as fermented animal blood meandered along the stone's texture.

From deep within came the sounds of monsters tearing apart their prey, mixed with the rattling of chains dragging on the ground.

These monsters are the bloodthirsty demon rats, the personal guards of the Minotaur.

From deep within came the sounds of monsters tearing apart their prey, mixed with the rattling of chains dragging on the ground.

These monsters are the Bloodthirsty Rat, the personal guards of the Minotaur. Although small in size, they are extremely ferocious, and their sharp teeth and agile speed make them a fearsome presence on the battlefield.

The Bloodthirsty Rat is not only skilled in close combat, but can also weaken its enemies by secreting venom, making it difficult for any opponent who tries to get close to escape unscathed.

Using these characteristics, the Minotaur deployed the Bloodthirsty Rat in key positions, forming an impenetrable defensive line.

Of course, the greatest strength of the Bloodthirsty Demon Rat lies in its reproductive ability and its talent for devouring.

The bloodthirsty demon rats lost in each major battle could be replenished in a very short time afterward.

Therefore, the Minotaur spared no effort in sending the Bloodthirsty Rat into battle, using their powerful regenerative abilities and bloodthirsty nature to turn the tide of battle.

The Bloodthirsty Rat can not only rapidly replenish its numbers during battle, but it can also gain energy by devouring the blood and remains of its enemies, further enhancing its combat power and making it an indispensable biological weapon on the battlefield.

The blood vessels in the minotaur's single eye throbbed, and its claws unconsciously scratched deep marks on the stone armrest—where the broken horns of the previous cave master still remained.

As the mountain wind swept withered leaves into the cave, it suddenly caught a scent that made its mane stand on end. It was coming from the direction of the Broken Valley, carrying with it the dazzling light of the golden battle axe... the scent of human blood.

It turned out that Shi Hao's intrusion brought the wind from outside into the Demon Cloud Cave, and the Minotaur sensed Shi Hao's presence in the wind.

Once, a fierce battle took place between demons and human cultivators in the Broken Valley. Shi Hao, wielding a pair of golden battle axes, left a deep impression on the minotaur demon.

The pair of golden battle axes gleamed with a mysterious light, each strike containing boundless power, as if capable of cleaving through space itself.

Each swing of Shi Hao's sword was accompanied by a thunderous roar, causing the surrounding rocks to crack and dust to fly everywhere.

Although the Minotaur was incredibly strong and powerful, and had no fear of Shi Hao, who had only recently broken through to the Void Refinement Realm, he paid special attention to Shi Hao, who could wield the Golden Battle Axe, believing that if Shi Hao grew up, his strength would not be weaker than his own.

The battle lasted for several hours. In the end, Shi Hao, with his superb martial arts skills and unwavering will, defeated his opponent and severely injured him, winning this fierce duel.

“Human, you have guts! You are one of the few humans who dare to break into my cave, and you are the weakest among them.”

When the Minotaur realized that the newcomer was Shi Hao, he did not attack immediately, but instead offered words of praise.

He possessed extremely high intelligence, just like the human powerhouses, and understood that Shi Hao was not there to cause him trouble. Moreover, Shi Hao was someone the Minotaur remembered, so he gave the other party a chance to show his sincerity.

"I've heard that the Bull King has a fondness for beautiful women, so here I am sending you one of the five beauties of my Demon Hunter Sect."

As Shi Hao spoke, he looked towards the cave entrance. Just then, the Minotaur's lieutenant came in to report on Fu Renying and Shi Hao's intrusion into the camp.

This lieutenant is also a human-bodied bull-headed demon, but unlike the bull-headed demon, who only has a pair of bull horns and other human features, the lieutenant has a bull's head and bull face all over his body.

The lieutenant's bull head not only had sharp horns but was also covered with tough hide, making it even more difficult to break in battle.

In addition, the deputy general is also at the Refinement Realm. His bull-like eyes are piercing and can detect the enemy's subtle movements, allowing him to react quickly.

Its nostrils are wide open, giving it a keen sense of smell, enabling it to detect the faintest changes in scent on the battlefield.

The lieutenant's broad snout revealed sharp fangs, showcasing its formidable attack power.

Overall, the vice commander's bull-head features give him stronger defense in battle. As the vice commander of the Minotaur, he can be used as a meat shield to some extent, making him an indispensable presence on the battlefield.

The Minotaur's lieutenant knelt on one knee, glanced at Shi Hao, and continued reporting to the Minotaur Demon:
"My king, a beautiful woman has walked right into our trap, offering herself up for our bedchamber. Shall we invite her up for your perusal?"

His words sounded no different from those of a human cultivator, and even a bit like a scholar showing off his knowledge.

The Minotaur immediately understood what Shi Hao meant by "one of the five beauties".

The Minotaur waved his hand, and his lieutenant left on his own. Then he said to Shi Hao:

"Not enough! How can I, the King, trouble myself to personally collect such a gift?"

"Of course, it's my fault. However, please forgive my lack of strength, Ox King. I wanted to capture her and present her to you, but I was worried that I was too weak and might hurt her during the capture."

If her appearance were harmed, leaving a scar on her delicate skin, wouldn't that be a case of good intentions gone wrong? If we could borrow the Bull King's Universe Ring, we could surely present her to him unharmed, ensuring her beautiful face remained flawless and presented perfectly before the Bull King.

After recounting his entire story in a roundabout way, Shi Hao finally revealed his purpose in seeking out the Minotaur.

The Minotaur knew that human cultivators liked to play these tricks, and immediately realized that Shi Hao wanted to use his trick of getting something for nothing on him.

His scarlet eyes flashed with a fierce light, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. He immediately roared, "What audacity! You've got the guts of a leopard!"

Immediately, his muscles tensed, and his massive fist made a low whistling sound in the air, preparing to teach Shi Hao a lesson...

"Wait! I can swear an oath to exchange Fu Renying for the Qiankun Ring with the Bull King."

Shi Hao realized he hadn't thought things through and almost been misunderstood by the Minotaur, so he quickly retreated while loudly explaining.

His heart was pounding, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He was afraid that his mission would fail at the last minute, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

The minotaur's scarlet eyes were fixed on him, as if it wanted to devour him.

Shi Hao's voice echoed in the empty cave, attempting to quell the other party's anger.

He genuinely intended to exchange Fu Renying for the Qiankun Ring from the Minotaur.

To him, Fu Renying was only good-looking; the two did not have a deep relationship.

In reality, their relationship was limited to being fellow disciples of the Demon Hunter Sect, but they were not from the same faction within the sect.

If he could exchange it for the Qiankun Ring, he would make a huge profit, because he knew many of the Qiankun Ring's secrets and value.

His emphasis on the Qiankun Ring is evident; he even went so far as to betray his own people, demonstrating his ruthless nature in achieving his goals.

The Qiankun Ring may seem ordinary, but it actually contains hidden secrets.

The ring is engraved with obscure and incomprehensible patterns, resembling coiled dragons and snakes, or appearing and disappearing like clouds and thunder, making it impossible for people to understand what they are.

Although this object was heavily sealed, it still exuded a certain sharpness.

For an ordinary cultivator, it is equivalent to a mid-grade sixth-rank offensive weapon. If activated at full power, it will emit a faint blue light and produce the sound of wind and thunder.

What's even more alarming is that beneath the seal of this Qiankun Ring lies an unknown and terrifying power.

According to Shi Hao, once this item is unsealed, even those renowned divine weapons will pale in comparison.

However, the method of sealing has long been lost, and for thousands of years, no one has been able to fathom its true meaning.

However, Shi Hao obtained an ancient book that contained a method to unlock the Qiankun Ring.

This ancient book records ancient secret techniques, said to have been written by a powerful being from ancient times, and contains boundless wisdom and power.

Shi Hao studied it carefully and discovered that the process of lifting the seal required the use of an eighth-order spiritual vein to provide rich spiritual energy, as well as a specific rune array.

Following the instructions in the ancient book, he collected the necessary spirit beast blood and other materials, and carefully arranged the rune array.

On the night of the full moon, he placed the Qiankun Ring at the center of the formation, and with the help of the gathering of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, he was able to successfully break the seal.

The cultivators knew that this method was not easy to master, let alone that it had been lost for a long time. Therefore, Shi Hao felt that he could take advantage of the situation and had been eyeing the Qiankun Ring.

When the Minotaur heard that Shi Hao was willing to swear an oath, his interest was piqued, and he immediately stopped his plan to attack.

He knew that if Shi Hao could swear an oath, it must be sincere, which was a rare opportunity for him.

A sly glint flashed in the Minotaur's eyes as he secretly plotted how to use this opportunity to examine the remains of his own human cultivators.

He felt that he could use this as leverage against Shi Hao in the future.

He slowly approached Shi Hao, his tone tinged with mockery: "Since you're willing to swear an oath, I'll give you a chance. But you must know that once an oath is made, it cannot be taken back."

Shi Hao nodded firmly, his eyes revealing an unwavering determination. He knew that only through this method could he gain the Minotaur's trust and thus have a chance to acquire the Qiankun Ring as soon as possible.

"Alright! Then let's swear an oath."

……

After Shi Hao solemnly made his vow, the Minotaur threw the Qiankun Ring to Shi Hao as promised.

After all, to bind Shi Hao to the oath, the Qiankun Ring must be handed over to him; otherwise, the oath would not be effective.

The Minotaur Demon was delighted to see someone using human cultivators to deal with humanity itself, let alone Shi Hao's attempt to capture a beautiful woman and offer her to him.

After obtaining the Qiankun Ring, Shi Hao immediately sat cross-legged and began to combine the Qiankun Ring with his own power.

Although the Qiankun Ring was in his hands, it truly belonged to him only after he captured Fu Renying and handed her over to the Minotaur.

Otherwise, the Minotaur might renege on his promise, snatch back the Qiankun Ring, or even make him suffer the consequences of his actions. Furthermore, according to rumors, the Minotaur is very sincere in his dealings with human cultivators and never easily breaks his promises, which makes many cultivators willing to cooperate with him.

However, Shi Hao knew that the Minotaur's personality was fickle, and he might betray his promise once he found something profitable.

Therefore, he must complete the task as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the Qiankun Ring.

With these understandings, Shi Hao dared to take the risk and make this deal.

Even if a deal cannot be reached, Shi Hao is confident that he can escape from the Minotaur.

The biggest guarantee in this deal is that Shi Hao refines the Qiankun Ring.

Shi Hao once obtained an ancient fragment in the Illusionary Immortal Ruins, which recorded the secrets of the Qiankun Ring.

This item is truly an extraordinary divine weapon, not only possessing the ability to cultivate both soul and martial arts, but also containing the secrets of creation—its interior forms its own world, even more expansive than that eighth-grade secret realm.

It's laughable that people didn't even realize it possessed the qualities of a Soul Weapon, let alone discover that there was another world within it.

Shi Hao learned from the tattered bamboo slip that the most wonderful thing about this ring was that it could be quickly refined with one's divine soul.

Once the life-bound soul imprint is imprinted, even if others hold it in their hands and play with it, it is ultimately just temporarily safekeeping for Shi Hao.

He refined the Qiankun Ring into his own natal soul weapon. Even if the Qiankun Ring is in someone else's hands, its true master still belongs to him.

In other words, even if Shi Hao cannot capture Fu Renying as the Minotaur, he can simply return the Qiankun Ring without having to fulfill his oath.

This was also a way out he deliberately left himself when he made his vow.

In fact, the Minotaur had also discovered his escape route, but he didn't think that Fu Renying could escape with his and Shi Hao's help, so he didn't pay much attention to Shi Hao's little scheme of leaving him an escape route.

Shi Hao refined the Qiankun Ring into his own natal soul weapon in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

If he possessed the peak cultivation of the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, he would be confident enough to use the Qiankun Ring to turn the tables and kill the Minotaur.

If they could simply kill the Minotaur, the oath they had made would no longer need to be fulfilled.

This was also a loophole in the oath, which the Minotaur was even more dismissive of. He didn't think Shi Hao had the strength to do so, especially since this was his territory and he had an absolute advantage.

"Let's go!"

Seeing Shi Hao stand up, the Minotaur impatiently urged him on.

The two disappeared from the Demon Cloud Cave in a flash, and instantly arrived at the camp where Fu Renying was fighting the demon army.

"I'm leaving!"

When Fu Renying saw Shi Hao and the Minotaur appear together, she let out a sweet shout, as if to greet Shi Hao, and quickly left the battlefield, inadvertently gaining the upper hand.

Of course, it was also because Shi Hao hesitated for a moment and did not immediately attack Ren Ying that she had the opportunity to seize the initiative to escape.

Shi Hao hesitated for two reasons.

Firstly, the Qiankun Ring is essentially in his possession. It is only temporarily in the hands of the Minotaur. Once the human cultivators and the Minotaur's demon army are at war and the Dao oath is no longer binding them, Shi Hao can summon the Qiankun Ring back into his hands as soon as the Minotaur takes it out.

Secondly, Fu Renying had come out on the mission with him, and no matter what excuse he used, he couldn't escape being accused of betraying his own people.

Once his reputation is ruined, he will be isolated, both within the Demon Hunter Sect and the entire demonic faction.

Given these two reasons combined, it was impossible for him not to hesitate.

Shi Hao not only hesitated at first, but also became conservative when he made his move.

He intended to teleport in front of Fu Renying to intercept her, but instead of immediately using the Qiankun Ring he had just acquired.

If he had used the Qiankun Ring immediately to launch a soul attack and catch Fu Renying off guard, and with the Minotaur Demon finishing her off, Fu Renying would have been doomed.

He only needs to manipulate the Qiankun Ring to use the soul-binding technique, which will neither harm Fu Renying nor prevent her from being trapped.

Unfortunately, he feared that if he revealed the soul weapon attributes of the Qiankun Ring, the Minotaur would change his mind and might instead attack him, demanding to know the secret of the Qiankun Ring.

Fu Renying reacted differently from Shi Hao's mistake. She decisively self-destructed her clone, blasting Shi Hao away from blocking her way.

Her self-destruction not only sent Shi Hao flying, but also shocked the Minotaur, causing him to pause his pursuit.

The Minotaur was worried that if he stood in front of Fu Renying, he would also suffer the same self-destruct attack.

Fu Renying's action demonstrated her high level of...

Chao's combat intelligence and resolute attitude forced the enemy to reassess her level of threat.

The Minotaur's hesitation gave Shi Hao a chance to catch his breath, while also making the others realize that they had to be more cautious in dealing with Ren Ying.

In fact, with precautions in place, Fu Renying's self-destruction wouldn't pose much of a threat to the Minotaur. But the Minotaur wasn't worried about that; what he was concerned about was the pity that such a beautiful woman like Fu Renying had perished right before his eyes.

Fu Renying is not only beautiful, but also has an admirable decisive character, which makes her choose to self-destruct without hesitation in times of crisis, in order to perish together with the enemy.

However, this action made the Minotaur feel regretful. He knew that a talent like Fu Renying was rare, and if he could capture her alive, it would definitely add endless help to his side.

Therefore, the Minotaur did not want to press too hard at the beginning and hoped to find an opportunity to capture Fu Renying alive.

He knew that Fu Renying was not only flawless in beauty, but also outstanding in wisdom and courage.

Minotaur believes that Fu Renying's decisive character and extraordinary courage are qualities he admires and aspires to possess.

If I could recruit her, not only would I be able to enhance my strength, but I would also have such a beautiful woman by my side. What a wonderful thing that would be!

Fu Renying's looks and decisive personality were very much to the liking of the Minotaur.

He secretly considered that he would rather Fu Renying escape this time and catch her again when they met, than have her self-destruct and die now.

The Minotaur was convinced that Fu Renying’s wisdom and courage would eventually become his trump card, and her beauty would become the source of his pleasure.

Thus, Fu Renying secured a chance for herself to break out of the encirclement.

At this point, neither the Minotaur nor Shi Hao believed that Fu Renying could really escape.

On one hand, he was too weak and alone when facing the Minotaur and Shi Hao; on the other hand, she used her clone to self-destruct and attack Shi Hao, which was a case of hurting the enemy a thousand while losing eight hundred of her own.

Because the self-destruction was too hasty, she couldn't just let the clone's physical body self-destruct; she had to let the clone's soul self-destruct as well, which resulted in the main soul being injured.

Furthermore, her true self would inevitably be affected to some extent when she self-destructed.

All these good things were destined from the beginning.

Fu Renying's rescue and subsequent misfortune stemmed from her scheming against Shi Hao.

Before she was seriously injured, she escaped to the Dragon-Blocking Valley, where, under Dou Eqing's guidance, she caused the Minotaur to fall into the trap prepared for Shi Hao.

"Shi Hao! It's not too late to turn back from the wrong path. If you join us in destroying the Minotaur, it will be a great achievement. Otherwise, if we kill you here as well, it won't be fair to the sect!"

After figuring out what Shi Hao had done to Ren Ying, Dou Eqing decisively came up with a strategy to use Shi Hao's power against the Minotaur.

Because they hadn't expected the Minotaur to walk into their trap, and the trap's limited killing power posed little threat to the Minotaur, its main purpose was to trap the target before they could attack.

This trap was set up based on the Four Symbols Formation and the Sacred Formation battle formation.

Dou Eqing considered that the Soul Refining Evil Armor and the five female cultivators at the Void Refining Realm, while there were fewer than four male cultivators at the Void Refining Realm, they could not be integrated into the Four Symbols Formation Saint Transformation Battle Formation. This resulted in the inability to use the Four Saint Swords, making the battle formation's attack power insufficient, and only those not in the battle formation could launch attacks.

Neither Hong Duxiu nor Ye Xieshun could break through the Minotaur's ultimate defense with a single attack, but did they have a combined martial art that could combine their strength to attack together?

Neither Dou Eqing's nor Guo Jia's attacks could attract the attention of the Minotaur, let alone cause him any real harm.

Moreover, the trapping well constructed by the Four Symbols Formation and the Holy Battle Formation could only hold the Minotaur for a limited time, because his attacks were too powerful and greatly depleted the resources of the five women who were fighting for this battle formation.

If it weren't for the synergistic defense provided by the Soul Refining Evil Armor, even with the combined strength of the five of them through the battle formation, they would still be injured every time they tried to fend off the Minotaur's charge.

The combat power varies greatly at each level of the Void Refinement Realm, yet the five women were still two minor realms apart from the Minotaur Demon.

Zhou Yutong, Luo Qian, and Luo Qian had only spent a short time in the Void Refinement Realm, so their attacks were hesitant and their resistance was somewhat lacking.

Therefore, even though the battle formation unites the five people into a whole, the individual situations within the formation are still different. Just like the barrel principle, how long the battle formation can last depends on Rosie, who has the weakest resistance.

Therefore, Dou Eqing wanted to pull Shi Hao into the attack on the Minotaur together.

Because Shi Hao had a hunch that there was a trap ahead, and he had been slightly injured by Fu Renying's clone's self-destruction, he caught up with the Minotaur more than a minute later.

When he discovered that the Minotaur had fallen into the trap, he stopped more than 600 meters away from Dou Eqing and his group, carefully observing the surrounding environment to make sure there were no other hidden dangers.

Shi Hao knew that Fu Renying and Dou Eqing's alliance was not accidental, and that there might be a bigger conspiracy behind it.

He decided to hold back for the time being and wait for the best opportunity to take action, so as not to fall into the same trap.

Shi Hao betrayed Fu Renying to the Minotaur, perhaps partly because he suspected Fu Renying of colluding with Dou Eqing to harm him.

After all, Qiu Shaozhen had met with Dou Eqing before, and Fu Renying soon asked him to take on a mission together. He couldn't help but let him have his suspicions.

Through repeated observations, Shi Hao discovered that Fu Renying's behavior was quite different from before, and she often exhibited some abnormal actions, which further increased his suspicions.

He hadn't expected that Dou Eqing could find so many experts at the Void Refinement Realm to deal with him, a total of seven.

If it weren't for the Minotaur's intervention, I would have been the one falling into the trap, and the consequences would have been unimaginable.

These experts at the Void Refinement Realm are all exceptionally powerful, not only possessing cultivation levels comparable to his own, but also each with their own unique abilities. He is all alone; how can he possibly withstand them?

Dou Eqing clearly assessed him as a very high threat, which is why he was willing to use such a large amount of resources.

The appearance of the Minotaur disrupted Dou Eqing's plans, but it also made him realize that the enemy he faced was far more complex and dangerous than he had imagined.

However, Dou Eqing's sudden invitation to join the attack on the Minotaur has left Shi Hao in a difficult position.

After all, he had betrayed his fellow disciples before. If Fu Renying were to relay this message back, he might not be able to maintain his position in the Demon Hunter Sect, and his family would also suffer a major blow.

The Demon Hunter Sect is known for its strict discipline and cruel punishments. Once betrayal is discovered, not only will the individual's future be ruined, but the family will also be implicated, and may even suffer annihilation.

However, if they help them fight the Minotaur now, they worry that they might be plotted against by Dou Eqing and his gang afterward.

Dou Eqing appears to be a cunning and manipulative person, skilled at manipulating others. Shi Hao knows that if he falls into Dou's trap, the consequences will be equally unimaginable.

(End of this chapter)