Starting from his vigorous old age, he began to conquer Liaozhai.

To Tu Wanli's left is the bandit's second-in-command, dressed in the armor of the Ming Dynasty's imperial army. He is tall and imposing, and most notably, his right eye is missing a pupil, leaving only a pit. He is nicknamed "Poisonous-Eyed Dragon."

He looked at the enormous Cao Man, his face burning with fighting spirit.

"Stop the soldiers! No one is allowed to disturb the master's alchemy."

Tu Wanli's voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it.

Just as Cao Xiong gave the order to attack, Tu Wanli and the other two leaders of Erlong Mountain each stuffed a black pill into their mouths, and their auras rose steadily.

Tu Wanli, in particular, after consuming the black pill, possessed an aura no weaker than that of someone in the Bone Forging Realm.

Cao Xiong naturally noticed Tu Wanli's subtle actions, and his killing intent intensified.

"Bang!"

Cao Man was the first to clash with Poison Eye Dragon, the second-in-command of the mountain stronghold.

Although Poison-Eyed Dragon was originally from the Ming Dynasty's official army, he used a rather uncommon weapon: the meteor hammer.

Cao Man clenched his fist and collided with Poison Eye Dragon's meteor hammer.

Poison Eye Dragon felt a tremendous force strike him through the meteor hammer, causing him to stagger backward, his face filled with horror.

Cao Man seemed to have the upper hand, but he was not having an easy time either. His meteor hammer had protruding spikes, and when he fought it with his bare hands, the back of his hands was covered with bloody holes.

On the other side, Cao Xiong was fighting with Tu Wanli, the leader of Erlong Mountain.

Cao Xiong used a willow-leaf dagger, while Tu Wanli used a longsword.

Cao Xiong's moves were fierce, while Tu Wanli's swordsmanship was elegant.

"The Dragon Soars Through the Clouds"

"Sword Drawing Technique~"

Both were eager to defeat the other as quickly as possible, and after only a few rounds, they each unleashed their ultimate moves.

Cao Xiong was anxious because there were three leaders of Erlong Mountain. He and Cao Man each had to deal with one, and there was also a third leader who was clearly a martial artist in the mid-stage of the Skin Tempering Realm.

After taking the pill, he actually beat Li Cheng, who was also at the mid-stage of the Skin Tempering Realm, so badly that he vomited blood in just two moves.

Needless to say, the other ordinary officers and soldiers were no match for him.

If this continues, all the officers and soldiers he brought will be killed.

As for Tu Wanli, although taking the Explosive Power Pill could instantly boost his combat power, allowing him to contend with the Bone Forging Realm with his late-stage Skin Tempering Realm cultivation, it was not a complete loss.

However, the effects of the Explosive Power Pill only last for half an hour. After half an hour, the effects will wear off, and he will enter a period of weakness caused by the backlash from the Explosive Power Pill. Not to mention Cao Xiong, even a child could kill him.

A faint light flashed across the surface of the Evil-Smelling Blade, and the longsword in Tu Wanli's hand snapped in two.

"Fleeting glimpses~"

Before Tu Wanli could react, Cao Xiong changed his move, and the Evil-Sniffing Blade sliced ​​across Tu Wanli's neck, separating his head from his body.

[Defeat a late-stage Skin Tempering Realm martial artist, 0.1 fragments]

After dealing with Tu Wanli, Cao Xiong immediately found the third leader of Erlong Mountain, who was killing government soldiers.

Although the third leader also took the pill, his original strength was weaker, only at the mid-stage of the Skin Tempering Realm.

Cao Xiong killed him with ease.

[Defeat a mid-stage Skin Tempering Realm martial artist, 0.1 fragments]

Cao Man also firmly suppressed Poison Eye Dragon. His fists were covered in blood, and Poison Eye Dragon's meteor hammer had been smashed to pieces by him.

At this moment, Poison Eye Dragon's arm was torn off by Cao Man, leaving him with only one eye and one arm.

Cao Xiong stopped paying attention to the battlefield outside the courtyard. After dealing with the third leader of Erlong Mountain, he kicked open the courtyard gate and went inside.

The courtyard is divided into two sections, front and back. The front courtyard is clearly where bandits gather, with more than ten square tables set up.

Cao Xiong continued walking without stopping, crossing the front yard and reaching the deepest part of the courtyard.

A pungent smell of blood wafted from a house on the far side of the backyard.

Holding the Evil-Sniffing Longsword, Cao Xiong approached the room step by step.

"Who's there? Didn't I tell you not to come in while I'm refining pills?"

When we were still four or five meters away from the room, an angry voice came from inside.

His voice was hoarse, and he seemed listless.

Cao Xiong took two quick steps and kicked the door open, revealing several corpses lying on the floor.

All the victims were young, appearing to be only seven or eight years old. They hadn't bled dry yet, indicating they had been killed not long ago.

Behind the corpse was a black alchemy furnace about one meter high, and a Taoist priest dressed in a gray robe was stuffing a child's corpse into the furnace.

"finally found you!"

Cao Xiong's voice was as cold as an iceberg.

The alchemist suddenly looked up, his expression changing drastically.

"Tu Wanli, that good-for-nothing."

"Do you want to see him? I'll take you there right away."

"Using humans to refine pills is a capital offense!"

Cao Xiong stepped over the corpse and got closer and closer to the Taoist priest.

The Taoist priest suppressed his fear and said, "What's the rush? Do you know what I'm doing? Refining elixirs, immortal pills."

"All things in the world are equal. What's the difference between using humans to make elixirs and eating dog meat?"

"If you spare me, I promise you I'll give you half of this batch of pills. These are top-quality Qi-Nourishing Pills made from virgin boys and girls."

"Eat it, and you will be able to break through to a higher level in martial arts and increase your lifespan by several years."

"Aren't you tempted?"

By the end, the Taoist's expression had become frantic, and a look of longing appeared on his face.

Cao Xiong's face was so dark it was almost dripping with water. "So it was you who ordered the bandits to plunder the people?"

"Hehe, of course it wasn't me. What difference would it make if you killed me? Those mortals will eventually die. These 100,000 mountains are vast and boundless."

"Do you think you can protect those ordinary people just because you killed Tu Wanli? You think you're strong, but in the eyes of powerful cultivators and demon kings, you're nothing more than a grasshopper a little bigger than an ant."

At this point, the Taoist's expression had calmed down. "Let me tell you, my master is a great cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm, and behind my master is the most powerful tree demon in this area of ​​thousands of miles."

"By cooperating with me, you can obtain elixirs that will make you stronger, and you will have the opportunity to become a cultivator like me."

"So it was the Tree Demon Granny."

Only now did Cao Xiong realize that the source of all this was the Tree Demon Granny.

"Huh? You actually knew that."

The Taoist priest's face showed surprise, then elation.

"It's good that you know; I was really afraid you knew nothing at all."

"Are you done talking?"

Cao Xiong's voice was calm, but anyone could hear the suppressed anger in it.

"How……"

"Whoosh~"

Cao Xiong swung his sword and killed the Taoist priest, giving him no further chance to speak.

[Kill a mid-stage Qi Awakening Realm cultivator, 0.5 fragments]

After the other officers and soldiers entered the courtyard, Cao Xiong had the children's corpses in the alchemy room cleaned up.

Now, we understand the purpose behind the bandits' recent frequent raids on the people.

These people conspired with the wicked, aiding and abetting evil; they deserve to die.

After clearing the battlefield at Erlong Mountain, Cao Xiong told everyone to rest on the spot and wait for Wang Er, Qiu Ming, and the others to join them.

Cao Xiong also allowed the robbed people to stay at Erlong Mountain for the time being, and waited for him to eliminate all the bandits before bringing them back to Guobei County.

Three days later, Wang Er, Qiu Ming, and Yu Tong led the remaining officers and soldiers of the First Banner to Erlong Mountain.

Just as Cao Xiong was preparing his next plan, Erlong Mountain suddenly shook as if an earth dragon were turning over.