Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Goldbones were one rank weaker than Plague Armor Demons.

Thus, in normal circumstances, Goldbones would yield to Plague Armor Demons, avoiding a meaningless fight. The vast majority of fights took place between demons of the same level.

The creatures of the demon world had established their own kind of order within the chaos.

But occasionally, some demons would come forward and bravely challenge the hierarchy and those in power.

Some would succeed, and some would fail.

The Plague Armor Demon narrowed its eyes at the Goldbone, letting out a cackle.

Waving his fist, he said, “Lowly creature, you dare to challenge a demon above you? You think that you can win just because I can’t use my Black Death?”

The vast majority of gathering places had a common rule: demons were allowed to fight with each other, but large-scale and recklessly damaging spell arts were not allowed so as to avoid irreparable damage to the town. As for what counted as large-scale and recklessly damaging, this depended on one’s strength. If one was stronger than everyone in the town put together, then even using the World-Destroying Black Hole might only be considered “small-scale” and “low-damage”.

While the Plague Armor Demon was strong, he was no match for Furyhorn, so his Black Death was considered a large-scale damaging spell art.

A Plague Armor Demon that couldn’t use the Black Death was much weaker, and this demon considered it the reason that this Goldbone dared to challenge him. He would use his fists to let this guy know why exactly he was also called an “Armor” Demon.

Numerous glossy pieces of armor appeared all over his body, turning him into a metallic beast, and then he bellowed and charged.

The Goldbone snorted in disdain and casually threw a punch.

Despite the fierce appearance of that armored fist, it was easily defeated by that simple punch.

The Plague Armor Demon’s body flew through the air like a punctured sandbag, black blood spilling out from it. His tough scales didn’t seem to have suffered any external damage. Instead, the jets of blood were punching their way out of his body, leaving the spectating demons gobsmacked.

“Restrain yourself. This isn’t the power a Goldbone should have,” the “Boneless Banshee” Huangfu Meng on the side warned with a frown.

The “Goldbone” Tang Xuanyu smiled. “What are you afraid of? We’re going to kill them all in the end anyway.”

They had infiltrated the town primarily to gather information and see if there were any valuable treasures or resources here. A challenge from one of God Phoenix’s subordinates would clearly be more believable if there was wealth to be stolen rather than just a senseless slaughter.

Thus, Tang Xuanyu wasn’t really taking this infiltration mission seriously. As he said, since they were going to be killing anyway, it was enough to leave behind a few survivors that could testify to their identity.

Huangfu Meng was unconvinced. “You’re going to die eventually, so why don’t you die right now?”

Tang Xuanyu looked at his junior sister in surprise.

Huangfu Meng sternly said, “Master often says that when you’re at your post, you do whatever that post calls on you to do. Even if you’re going to reveal yourself one second later, you should be playing your role to the utmost in the present. You are a Goldbone, so you should fight like one!”

“That’s… so annoying.” Tang Xuanyu slapped his head in frustration.

But he was helpless against his junior sister’s stubbornness.

Meanwhile, the Armor Demon stood back up.

Tang Xuanyu strode over, a thick arm transforming into a golden spear that he stabbed into the Armor Demon’s body, nailing him to the ground. He turned to Huangfu Meng and said, “This is the right way, yes?”

Huangfu Meng helplessly looked away. She knew that Tang Xuanyu was throwing a tantrum. After all, in doing this, he was on the verge of breaking Meteorville’s other rule: no killing.

The nailed Plague Armor Demon’s body was still twitching, his tenacious demonic vitality keeping him alive for now. He desperately tried to pull out the spear in his body, but he couldn’t pull it out no matter what he did. All he could do was beg for mercy as blood spewed out of his mouth and stained the ground beneath him purple.

Tang Xuanyu coldly watched the demon struggle, enjoying his pain.

This wasn’t because Tang Xuanyu was too coldblooded and heartless. It was just that he already knew how cruel and ruthless demons were as a race and saw how they treated humans.

Even the most kindhearted person would lose all sympathy for such wicked creatures after experiencing that dark side of the world.

Tang Xuanyu felt only immense joy as that Armor Demon struggled in pain.

“Enough!” Huangfu Meng interrupted Tang Xuanyu’s pleasure. “If you don’t stop now, he’ll die. Are you really planning to break the rules right here?”

Tang Xuanyu glared at the Armor Demon for a few more moments before finally stopping.

As he drew back his golden spear, sparing the Armor Demon, the Armor Demon glanced at Tang Xuanyu in terror before running off.

“A beautiful strike. Twelve Jailstones, and she’s yours!” the Goldgrubber shouted in excitement. “I love a generous victor!”

As for Tang Xuanyu’s suspicious behavior, this merchant seemed to have not noticed in the slightest.

Even the other demons were silent, treating this as normal.

“Perhaps I’m not as generous as you think,” Tang Xuanyu answered. “I’ll pay eight more Jailstones and take the rest of the female cultivators.”

He gestured at all of the other female cultivators standing behind the Goldgrubber, and even included the one that had already been sold off. Since he had encountered humans here, he couldn’t just ignore them.

The Goldgrubber’s breathing became heavy.

Furiously glaring at Tang Xuanyu, his eyes almost spitting flame, he shouted, “I refuse!”

“You had best agree. If nobody else here bids against me, they’ll be mine anyway,” Tang Xuanyu gruffly said.

“No! I refuse this deal!” the Goldgrubber roared, his small body suddenly erupting with black smoke that covered him and the female cultivators behind him as he attempted to get away.

This was the special transportation ability of Goldgrubbers, allowing them to freely travel about the Primordial Fog Domain and refuse all extortionate deals.

Tang Xuanyu smiled. “You can’t leave.”

The black smoke came together and then dispersed.

The Goldgrubber was still there, confusion on his face. “What’s going on?”

This was the first time he had failed to leave when he wanted to.

“I said that you can’t leave.”

He threw twenty Jailstones at the merchant and reached for the female cultivators.

“Don’t even think about it!” The Goldgrubber opened his mouth wide and spat out a pile of metal.

This metal fused together into the air, transforming into a metal giant that immediately punched at Tang Xuanyu.

The Goldgrubber smugly said, “Don’t think that we’re completely powerless!”

Goldgrubbers ate metal, but unlike the Bone Demons that used this metal to strengthen their bodies, they extracted the essence of these metals and stored it within their bodies, nurturing it into these powerful metal monsters.

But using the metal monster came at a great cost, so Goldgrubbers sought to become successful merchants, trying to generate enough wealth to support the massive amounts of metal they needed to eat.

This metal monster was the equivalent of a Heart Demon cultivator, and its massive metal fist was infused with unstoppable might.

Of course, it was puny in front of Tang Xuanyu’s eyes.

With a light grunt, he punched out with his golden arm. Boom! The metal monster’s chest caved in, and it arced through the air.

And this was only 1% of Tang Xuanyu’s strength.

Before the metal monster could get back on its feet, Tang Xuanyu shot over, his arm transforming into a hook that dug into the monster’s head and tore it open.

This monster was no human, and it could survive even with its head shattered. With a roar, it punched at Tang Xuanyu again, but Tang Xuanyu simply took the blow and tore open the monster’s neck. He reached into the wound and pulled out a light golden liquid.

This liquid was like a goo, giving off a glossy luster as it sat in Tang Xuanyu’s hand.

“It’s Rainbow Flowmetal!” Tang Xuanyu said in delight.

Fiends had pellets, sprites had cores, ghosts had essences, and monsters had marrows. Rainbow Flowmetal was an extremely rare kind of monster marrow.

The metal monster raised by the Goldgrubber’s innate secret art actually contained Rainbow Flowmetal! Didn’t this mean that every Goldgrubber was a walking treasure?

Truly, while the Primordial Fog Domain was a desolate place, it still had its own rare resources. One just needed eyes sharp enough to see them.

Tang Xuanyu laughed and put away the Rainbow Flowmetal. While he had a rather carefree and guileless nature, he still understood the principle of exploiting others to one’s own advantage. Without any need to be taught, his mind was already racing with ideas, and he now categorized Goldgrubbers as money trees growing in his backyard.

“My baby!” the Goldgrubber wailed in grief.

The monster marrow was a monster’s life, and without the Rainbow Flowmetal, the metal monster died on the spot, so the Goldgrubber’s grief was understandable. But he also knew that there was nothing he could do about the situation, shouting, “I’ll remember you!”

He transformed into black smoke and fled, but this time, he only took the twenty Jailstones and not the female cultivators.

Tang Xuanyu didn’t give chase. After all, without the metal monster, the Goldgrubber had no value. He glanced at the female cultivators and said, “Starting from now, you are all this demon’s slaves. Come with me.”

He turned to leave the town.

He had originally come to start a massacre, but now that he had encountered these human cultivators, their rescue came first.

At this moment, a booming voice said:

“You broke my place’s rules and want to leave?”