Chapter 31: Treating Me Like a Beggar?

"Ding!"

"Five first-tier medicinal pills, including three Spirit Replenishment Pills and two Blood-Shocking Pills, have arrived! They have been placed in the host's storage ring!"

Jiang Xuan was awakened from his slumber by the system's voice. The rewards were a bit late today, but that was of no consequence.

"Spirit Replenishment Pill: Can be used to replenish spiritual energy when it is severely depleted or during serious injury."

"Blood-Shocking Pill: Can cause the blood within the body to churn and burn, boosting the user's combat power to a certain extent, though it carries slight side effects afterward."

These pills aren't great. No wonder they are only first-tier and come with side effects...

Jiang Xuan grumbled to himself, then opened his eyes and looked outside.

The clash of spiritual energy, the burning passion, and the roars filled the air. At this moment, the Empress and the Demon Lord were sparring with their subordinates.

The surrounding spiritual herbs had already been sought out several times; they had scoured every nook and cranny. Third-tier herbs were present, but not many. As for the others, they were mostly first or second-tier, of which they had collected plenty—their inventory was well-stocked. Even the storage rings were now one per person.

For now, the top priority was to raise the cultivation levels of these subordinates as quickly as possible. Having been besieged by the Seven Great Clans, they were acutely aware of their own insufficient strength. Therefore, Jiang Xuan had authorized them to stop hunting for resources and focus entirely on improving their cultivation. At the very least, he needed them to reach the ninth tier before he himself advanced to the second stage of the Great Demon level.

"Hmph, Lan Bao, with this move, I shall surely leave you defeated and in shambles!"

"Flower-mouth, flower-mouth, all you have left is that mouth of yours!"

"Xiao Cui, although we are best friends, it is best to give your all during sparring!"

"That goes without saying, Xiao Mei. If you can't hold on, just beg for mercy, and I shall show some restraint!"

"Ha! You had better worry about yourself first!"

Jiang Xuan stepped out. In the sky, a dozen giant eagles collided, their spiritual energies tearing at one another, the shockwaves gently ruffling Jiang Xuan's bangs. He stood with his hands behind his back, nodding in satisfaction. While not exactly "training through war," combat was indeed of immense help for cultivation. After exhausting one's spiritual energy and replenishing it, the capacity would only grow.

"Feel free to attack, all of you. Even with your full strength, you will find it hard to overcome my Dragon-Elephant."

"Hmph! Empress, if we manage to break your Dragon-Elephant, what then?"

"Hahaha! If I am defeated, I shall share half of my resources for the next three days among you!"

"Good, you said it!"

Before the Dragon-Elephant, the three giant eagles—Glutton, Fatty, and Xiao Lan—were full of confidence. Who would turn down more resources? The Empress, meanwhile, remained composed, the Dragon-Elephant gathering before her with an aura that seemed to look down upon the world.

The battle ignited instantly. The Dragon-Elephant, mighty and imposing, soared through the sky, its claws and massive feet constantly trampling the three eagles, who cried out in distress.

"Demon Lord, you are too underhanded! We haven't even started fighting properly, and you've already made us attack each other!"

"That's right! That 'Great Evil Rebound' of yours almost made me kill myself! You're cheating!"

"Cheating? Trash who cannot even control their own emotions and desires deserves to be toyed with by me!"

"However, since you are unconvinced, I shall not unleash my phantoms. Come at me, all of you!"

The Demon Lord was full of bravado, intending to engage his subordinates in close-quarters combat. Confidence stems from strength. As the fight broke out, wails soon echoed through the air. Fighting him were Su Feng, Qiao'er, and the Grumpy Kid. It was again two males and one female, a similar lineup, and they were faring just as miserably. The strength of the Empress and the Demon Lord was a complete dimensionality reduction; they moved through the flock of eagles like dragons in the water.

"Subordinates! Cultivate well! Your big brother is going out to hunt; don't run around and cause trouble for me!"

"Safe travels, Big Brother!"

The fierce battle ceased instantly, and all the giant eagles respectfully called out to Jiang Xuan. Jiang Xuan nodded in satisfaction and transformed into a streak of azure light, darting away. After he left, the battle resumed...

Jiang Xuan didn't need to worry too much about their cultivation; these subordinates were all quite motivated, which was a good thing. However, as their cultivation levels rose, the resources they required also increased.

"They've worked so hard today; I should reward these rascals."

Lurking in the dense forest, Jiang Xuan locked his gaze onto an eighth-tier Mountain-Hardened Leopard. Given his subordinates' current levels, they would need at least three such eighth-tier demonic beasts of a certain size to satisfy them. If they were sixth or seventh-tier, they would need at least five to replenish their spiritual energy and obtain enough blood essence. The quality of the meat didn't matter; the focus was on blood essence and spiritual energy. The higher the beast's cultivation, the more potent these would be.

"Who's there!"

The Mountain-Hardened Leopard, resting on a tree branch, suddenly lifted its head, scanned its surroundings, and let out an angry shout. The next second, Jiang Xuan appeared in its line of sight.

Having crept up to near face-to-face range—one on the ground and one in the tree—even if the leopard wanted to flee, it was a fool's errand.

"You! Jiang Xuan!"

"Big Brother! Spare me! I don't want to die!"

"I have elderly parents and young children; I still want to go to the Heng Domain!"

"Please, I beg you! If you let me go, all these spiritual herbs are yours!"

Seeing that figure in azure, the eighth-tier leopard already knew it couldn't escape. After all, the one standing below was a genuine Great Demon! And not just any, but the Jiang Xuan who had single-handedly fought back the Seven Great Clans!

Looking at the dozens of spiritual herbs dropped by the leopard, Jiang Xuan rolled his eyes.

"You're too poor. This isn't even enough to send off a beggar!"

"I... I really have only this much! Please, don't kill me!"

"I... I am willing to be your subordinate! I'll follow you for the rest of my life!"

The leopard, seeking a chance at survival, jumped down from the tree and knelt before Jiang Xuan.

"Get lost. You want to freeload? However, it's your bad luck to have run into me."

"I have already promised the Seven Great Clans that I wouldn't kill the innocent, and my daily hunting has always been restrained. Since you've crossed my path, there's nothing I can do."

As soon as he finished speaking, the leopard greased its feet and vanished into the dense forest in a flash. It wasn't stupid; since Jiang Xuan had said that, when else would it run?

"Ah! Help! Help—! Pfft!"

A bolt of energy pierced through the thicket, tearing through vines and dead branches, forming a line of fire that passed through the leopard's body and came to an abrupt stop. Jiang Xuan walked over slowly, reached the corpse, picked it up, and tossed it into his storage ring.

"So, you are Jiang Xuan?"

A chill ran down Jiang Xuan's spine. This aura—it was a Great Demon! And not just one, but two of them!