A Compendium of One Hundred Demons: My Path to Immortality in a World of Demons and Monsters

Everyone turned their heads and saw Xu Yuan slowly walking forward from the crowd.

"You?" Lin Xiaotian sneered, "A mere early-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, who gave you the courage to cause trouble?"

Qin Shuang looked at him with some curiosity, but didn't say anything.

A cold glint flashed in Liu Ruyan's eyes, but she remained silent.

Shen Moyan looked at Xu Yuan and suddenly smiled: "Okay, you give it a try."

"Senior Brother Shen!" Lin Xiaotian exclaimed anxiously, "He's only at the early stage of the Qi Condensation Realm—"

"Let him try," Shen Moyan said calmly. "We'll see if it works."

Xu Yuan ignored the gazes of the crowd and slowly walked to the edge of the cold pool.

He crouched down and reached his hand into the pool.

A bone-chilling cold swept over him instantly, but Xu Yuan's expression remained unchanged.

In the [Yin Qi Perception], the Crimson Scale Python was lurking thirty feet below the bottom of the pool, its body swirling with demonic energy, seemingly healing itself.

Xu Yuan withdrew his hand and took out an item from his storage bag.

It was a black crystal the size of a fist—the very one that had been seized from Shan Xiongfei earlier.

This item contains the remnant soul aura of a half-step supernatural being, which has an extremely strong attraction to demons.

Xu Yuan infused his true essence into the black crystal, which immediately emitted a strange fluctuation.

At the bottom of the pool, the Crimson-Scaled Python suddenly opened its eyes!

A glint of human greed flashed in those cold, vertical pupils.

It sensed it; it was the aura left behind by a being stronger than itself!

If it can devour it, it might be able to break through and truly enter the realm of a demon general!

But reason tells it that it's a trap.

It hesitated.

Xu Yuan sensed its hesitation, and a slight smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

He then took out another item from his storage bag, a demon core the size of a pigeon egg, which he had obtained from hunting a Snow Demon Fox.

Xu Yuan squeezed hard, crushing the demon core in his hand, and a dense demonic aura instantly spread out.

At the bottom of the icy pool, the red-scaled python's breathing also became rapid.

The Snow Demon Fox's demon core is also a great tonic for it!

And then there's that black crystal...

Greed finally triumphed over reason.

"boom--!"

The pool water burst open, and the red-scaled python soared into the sky.

It opened its blood-red maw and pounced on Xu Yuan!

On the shore, Meng Hu was terrified and immediately shouted, "Watch out!"

However, Xu Yuan stood motionless, as steady as a rock.

Just as the Crimson Scale Python was about to touch him, Xu Yuan suddenly stretched out his right hand, unleashing the [Yaksha Power] and [Demon Transformation] traits simultaneously, instantly covering his arm with jet-black scales!

A punch was thrown!

"Bang--!"

The fist collided with the python's head, unleashing a deafening roar!

The crimson-scaled python's forward momentum was abruptly halted, its massive body frozen in mid-air, letting out a mournful hiss.

A fist-sized hole appeared on its forehead!

Xu Yuan was also forced back several steps by the recoil, and the scales on his right arm shattered inch by inch, but he smiled.

Because the opportunity has arrived!

A beam of light shot out from between Xu Yuan's eyebrows like a sharp sword, instantly disappearing into the blood hole on the forehead of the Crimson Scale Python!

"hiss--!"

The crimson-scaled python let out a final scream, its massive body crashing to the ground. It twitched a few times and then fell silent.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene.

A look of horror flashed in Lin Xiaotian's eyes, and he opened his mouth, unable to speak for a long time.

Qin Shuang's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.

Liu Ruyan's face turned ashen, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

Shen Moyan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Excellent! Excellent method!"

He strode forward and patted Xu Yuan heavily on the shoulder. "You've really opened my eyes, kid!"

Xu Yuan grinned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

That punch, though seemingly simple, was actually the full force he could muster now.

With the combined effects of various encyclopedia attributes, they barely managed to break through the Crimson Scale Python's defenses.

"Just lucky," he said modestly.

"A fluke?" Shen Moyan shook his head. "You call this a fluke? Then tell me, what's wrong with your arm? And what was that black light?"

Xu Yuan did not answer, but simply smiled slightly.

Shen Moyan stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly lowered his voice: "That thing of yours, is it related to the Netherworld?"

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm: "Young Master Shen, what makes you say that?"

Shen Moyan smiled mysteriously, but did not ask any further questions.

At this moment, the crowd, which had been dead silent for so long, finally reacted and a commotion broke out.

"The Crimson-Scaled Python is dead! That kid killed it all by himself!"

"A single kill by an early-stage Qi Condensation cultivator against a half-step Demon General? How is that possible?!"

"Who is he? I've never seen him before?"

"It's Xu Yuan from the Northern Camp! He's the one who guards Qingyang!"

"So it was him! No wonder..."

Countless gazes fell upon Xu Yuan, some with shock, some with admiration, some with jealousy, and some with... resentment.

Xu Yuan remained calm and walked to the corpse of the Crimson Scale Python, putting it into his storage bag.

This demonic corpse is now his spoils of war.

Just then, a cold voice rang out.

"Young Master Xu, you truly have impressive skills." Liu Ruyan stepped forward slowly, her phoenix eyes filled with coldness. "However, I am curious, what exactly was that black light of yours?"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Everyone looked at Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan glanced at her indifferently: "Miss Liu wants to know?"

"nature."

"Then go find out for yourself." Xu Yuan turned and left. "Remember to let me know when you find out."

Liu Ruyan's face stiffened.

Watching Xu Yuan's departing figure, a fierce, undisguised killing intent flashed in her eyes.

…………

The white-haired old man in the audience took in the whole scene.

He stroked his beard, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

"An interesting little fellow," he murmured to himself. "Early stage of Qi Condensation, yet he managed to kill a half-step Demon General... That black light seems to be..."

He didn't continue speaking, but simply nodded to the middle-aged scholar beside him.

The middle-aged scholar understood and quietly left his seat.

The man in black robes remained motionless, still wearing his bamboo hat, like a statue.

…………

Back at the camp, Xu Yuan entered his tent, sat cross-legged, and began to heal his wounds.

The battle just now had taken a heavy toll on him, and even the bones in his right arm had developed tiny cracks.

But Xu Yuan felt incredibly happy.

At that moment, the Hundred Ghosts Diagram unfolded in his mind on its own.

[Slaying the Crimson Scale Python, a half-step demon general...]

[The Hungry Ghost illustration is being converted...]

[Qi and Blood Essence +387]

[True essence refinement level greatly improved...]

[Seventh acupoint "Yangguan" unlocking progress: 100%]

[Eighth Acupoint "Muscle Contraction" Activation Progress: 100%]

[Progress of opening the ninth acupoint "Central Hub": 12%]

[New Feature: Demon Core Devouring (Can directly devour demon cores to increase cultivation level; cooldown time: three days)]

[Yaksha Oni Encyclopedia Completion Progress: 1% → 17%]

[New Feature: Yaksha Transformation (Can briefly transform into a Yaksha, greatly increasing all attributes, lasting for sixty breaths, with a two-hour cooldown)]

Information flooded in like a tidal wave, and Xu Yuan felt that the true energy within his body was more than twice as strong as before.

Condense the nine orifices!

He was only three apertures away from reaching the mid-stage of the Condensation Aperture realm!

Xu Yuan slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

"This demon-slaying tournament is getting more and more interesting!"