Chapter 663: Great Demon 26

The Golden Ring Snake Emperor chuckled. "It’s the same everywhere. There are plenty of Cultivators in the Upper Realm who neglect their children, aren’t there? It really doesn’t matter if you’re in the Upper Realm or a lower one."

Tan You had no idea that her thoughts were an open book to these Great Demons. She was busy collecting enough data samples to avoid accidentally killing any Half-demons when it was time to actually purify their bloodlines.

The little mouse was trembling inside the array. Though she had a habit of latching onto powerful figures, she knew this was a rare chance to be completely transformed. So, no matter how afraid she was or how pitifully she cried out, she never considered giving up.

Tan You found it unbearable to watch. The little mouse was now covered in blood and on her last breath.

"Should we keep going? Why don’t we let you heal up and continue next time?"

The little mouse took a deep breath, her cheeks twitching. "I want to push through in one go. I have the bloodline of an ancient Great Demon, too. My combat power might be weak, but when it comes to my lineage, I’m not inferior to any other demonic beast."

"If they can do it, so can I!"

Seeing her about to eat a Spirit Fruit to restore her stamina, Tan You quickly stopped her. "You can’t eat that now. Wait until after you get through this ordeal."

The little mouse obediently closed her mouth. She blinked, whimpering, "Huanhuan, it really, really hurts."

Tan You thought for a moment. "Just think about the tribulation lightning from when I had my ordeal. Compared to that, this feels a lot easier, doesn’t it? I had it way worse than you."

The little mouse was instantly comforted. Her slender tail flicked back and forth. "You’re right. This isn’t even real tribulation lightning. I can get through this!"

The words had barely left her mouth when Tan You directed three bolts of Heavenly Thunder to strike. The little mouse shrieked, and her body, which had been struggling to stay half-upright, collapsed flat on the ground.

The Two-Tailed Cat, who was the little mouse’s best friend, couldn’t help but ask worriedly, "She’s not... gone, is she?"

Tan You pressed her lips together as she carefully helped the little mouse purge the superfluous bloodlines. Bai Ze explained, "She’s still alive. The little one has a resilient spirit."

After a great deal of effort, Tan You helped the little mouse expel the excess bloodlines. The black-and-gold mouse, originally the size of a millstone, shrank smaller and smaller until it was only palm-sized.

Her fur, once a mix of black and gold, had turned completely golden. But the little mouse was now drained of both life force and blood, leaving her golden coat exceptionally dull. Regardless, she had successfully passed the ordeal and reverted to her ancestral form, becoming a Treasure-Seeking Mouse.

With a casual beckon of her hand, Tan You brought the palm-sized mouse flying to her. The little mouse barely managed to lift her eyelids; only after seeing it was Tan You did she relax and fall unconscious.

Tan You stroked the mouse’s chilly little body and sighed. "She’s going to need a long time to recover."

Bai Ze’s right hand brushed over the little mouse’s fur. "She’ll be fine. In all the world, no one is better at healing themselves than a Treasure-Seeking Mouse. Once she wakes up, she’ll know exactly how to nurse herself back to health."

High in the sky, the man in golden clothes breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the little mouse with the dull fur. "It’s so difficult for our Treasure-Seeking Mouse clan to survive. I never thought this little one would actually make it through."

"I must thank your junior for this."

The Golden Ring Snake Emperor was delighted, but she maintained a composed expression. "That is a bond they formed themselves. Still, I find it odd that a snake and a mouse can get along so well."

The man in golden clothes smiled. "They are demonic beasts, not mindless animals. There’s a difference."

Down below, the bloodline purifications continued. Eventually, Tan You could operate a hundred arrays simultaneously, dramatically increasing her speed. Meanwhile, within the Ten Directions Mountains, nearly every demonic beast at the Sixth Rank or higher had passed through one of Tan You’s arrays.

Tan You herself had also collected a large quantity of demonic essence blood.

Bai Ze, who understood Tan You’s intentions best, couldn’t help but smile. "Are you collecting all this essence blood for the Half-demons?"

Tan You didn’t deny it. "I am. With only half a bloodline, their survival would be difficult even if they fully became demonic beasts. If we’re going to do this, we should do it right. When the time comes, if their elemental nature is compatible, we can give this essence blood to the Half-demons."

"No one has a problem with that, right? This essence blood is useless to all of you anyway."

For once, Cang Long was generous. "I have no objections. It’s useless to me, anyway."

The rest of the demonic beasts had no objections, but the Red Flame Tiger hesitated for a long moment before speaking. "Let’s say a Half-demon fuses with the essence blood of a demonic beast from the Tiger Clan. Does that make them one of my people?"

Tan You understood. "If the clans are unwilling to accept them, they can stay and live in our Demon Market. The Demon Market doesn’t turn anyone away; we can support however many come."

The Red Flame Tiger breathed a sigh of relief and scratched his head. "Jin Huan, it’s not that I’m being cruel, but demonic beasts have their own way of thinking. It’s better for them to live here with you than to return to a clan only to be ostracized and oppressed."

"You know, being a Clan Leader isn’t easy."

"I get it. I understand completely." And how could she not? The demonic beasts of the Demon Market had once been subjugated by Cultivators. In the eyes of the indigenous demonic beasts of the Ten Directions Mountains, they were nothing but former slaves to Cultivators, so of course, the native demons couldn’t accept them.

The native demonic beasts of the Ten Directions Mountains instinctively looked down on those from the Demon Market. It was only the presence of Bai Ze and Tan You—and now, Tan You’s command of various arrays—that kept these local demons in check.

If a large number of Half-demons suddenly arrived in the Ten Directions Mountains, the local demonic beasts would likely riot in protest. Tan You had no desire to stir up conflict. ’Why cause unnecessary trouble?’

Cang Long said, "It’s for the best if Jin Huan takes them. It saves us the headache. But let me be clear: when it’s time to purify the Half-demons’ bloodlines, I won’t be there. They’re not my people, after all."

But Tan You was no pushover. The smile on her face cooled. "This is an internal affair of my Demon Market. It wouldn’t be appropriate for outsiders to observe."

’You can’t be too polite to these demonic beasts,’ she realized. ’The moment you are, they treat you like a pushover.’ So now that Tan You’s expression had turned cold, the other demons looked a little awkward and soon dispersed.

Bai Ze poured Tan You a cup of tea. "Why be angry? You can’t treat demonic beasts the same way you treat Cultivators. The Demon Clan reveres strength; they aren’t going to concern themselves with morality."

Tan You knew Bai Ze was comforting her. "I understand now. I was looking at it the wrong way. I thought that since they can all take human form, they could be reasoned with. It seems that was just my own wishful thinking."

"Demonic beasts are demonic beasts. Even if they cultivate, they won’t restrain themselves with the same principles as Human Clan Cultivators. Looking at it now, it’s no wonder the Heavenly Dao favors the Human Clan."

A peal of thunder rumbled in the sky, but Tan You paid it no mind. "Forget it. It’s not my place to comment on such things. If I can find a future for the Half-demons in my lifetime, then I’ll have a clear conscience."