Chapter 9 : Chapter 9
Chapter 9: A Giant Python with a Body Comparable to the Aperture Opening Realm
Once the Essence Condensation Pill entered his stomach, Lu Zhan finally understood why everyone said its effects were ten times greater than those of a Qi Condensation Pill.
At the same time, the system’s voice rang out.
【Ding! The Slaughter System is at your service wholeheartedly】
【The Host spends 750 Slaughter Points and begins cultivation】
【Ding! The system detects that the Host has taken a Essence Condensation Pill. Cultivation speed increases by 50%】
【Entering the Unceasing Cultivation State...】
【Because the Host has taken a Essence Condensation Pill, you feel a vast surge of Spiritual Power within your dantian. Without hesitation, you guide that power to force open the Du Meridian】
【Under the impact of that powerful Spiritual Power, you advance with unstoppable force, and before long, you open the Du Meridian】
【Congratulations, Host, on breaking through to the seventh level of the Qi Condensation Realm】
【After the Host breaks through to the seventh level of the Qi Condensation Realm, more than half of the immense medicinal power has already been consumed】
【You quickly notice this, so you want to use the remaining medicinal power to force open the Chong Meridian in one final push】
【In the end, effort does not betray the diligent. After meditating in bitter cultivation for three months, you finally open the Chong Meridian】
【Cultivation complete. During this session, you open a total of two of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians】
【Current Realm: Seventh level of the Qi Condensation Realm (80%). I hope the Host keeps up the good work and continues to strive forward, ദ്ദി˶•̀֊•́)✧】
Looking at the system notifications, Lu Zhan felt that although only a few brief lines were displayed on the screen, the hardship behind those words was all too real.
He really had worked hard for this.
Lu Zhan clenched his fist, and his joints crackled. He could feel the powerful strength surging within his body.
The sixth and seventh levels of the Qi Condensation Realm appeared to be separated by only a single level, but this was the dividing line between the middle stage and the late stage of Qi Condensation.
Though he had only advanced by one level, his strength had doubled.
Not long afterward, Lu Zhan finally arrived at the place Li Zeyu had mentioned. It was a lake. The surface of the water shimmered, and several ancient trees along the shore cast their reflections upon it.
From time to time, a few birds perched on the branches, while the cries of cicadas grew ever sharper. Lu Zhan’s sudden arrival shattered the forest’s stillness, and the birds burst into the air in alarm.
Suddenly, the sound of battle came from the distance.
“Damn it, has someone else beaten me to that Demon Beast?”
Lu Zhan’s heart tightened at once.
This was a Demon Beast at the eighth level of the Qi Condensation Realm. If he killed it, the system would surely award him a great many Slaughter Points.
He immediately dashed toward the sound.
Before long, he saw a giant python more than thirty meters long fighting a young man.
That person was none other than Wang Botao, one of the favorites to take first place. But at this moment, he was already covered in wounds and looked thoroughly bedraggled.
“Damn it, how can this Demon Beast possibly be this strong?!”
Wang Botao had been pursuing a Demon Beast at the sixth level of the Qi Condensation Realm all the way here.
Unexpectedly, once he reached the lakeside, it vanished without a trace. Just as he was feeling disappointed, a giant python shot out from the grass.
At first, he had been quite delighted.
But that delight had not lasted long, because the giant python actually possessed the strength of the eighth level of the Qi Condensation Realm.
Meanwhile, Wang Botao himself was only at the seventh level of the Qi Condensation Realm.
At the same level, Demon Beasts were already stronger than humans. And this one was even a full level above him.
He had not hesitated at all and had turned to flee immediately.
That sort of situation was quite common in the assessment. No one could predict whether they would run into a Demon Beast stronger than themselves.
If they did, it simply meant they were unlucky.
But Wang Botao wanted to run, while the giant python clearly had no such intention. It had already marked Wang Botao as its prey.
The python’s relentless pursuit naturally infuriated Wang Botao.
And so, man and beast began to fight.
But the longer Wang Botao fought, the more alarmed he became, because to his horror, he discovered that he could not even break through the python’s defenses.
By this point, three of his ribs had already been broken.
But the giant python was completely unharmed.
Then, in a single moment of carelessness—
This is bad!
He cried out in alarm, and the giant python’s tail struck him squarely.
He was sent flying backward and slammed into a large tree.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Wang Botao coughed violently, a Teleportation Talisman clutched in his hand.
He was hesitating.
He could not defeat this giant python, and he could not escape it either. It now seemed that abandoning the assessment was his only remaining choice.
Inside the Demon Extermination Bureau, many people had also noticed this scene.
They could not help sighing.
“What a pity. Wang Botao is truly too unlucky. He’s currently second on the leaderboard.”
“Didn’t any of you notice? Isn’t that giant python a little too absurdly strong?”
“That is true. The seventh and eighth levels of the Qi Condensation Realm both belong to the late stage of Qi Condensation. There should be a gap, yes, but not so large that he cannot even break its defense.”
“Perhaps that giant python encountered some fortuitous opportunity.”
“Wait, look. That expert named Lu Zhan has also reached the giant python.”
“He did not get lost, did he?”
“I do not think so. He is probably heading straight for that giant python.”
“It’s over. He may be strong, but he is absolutely no match for that giant python.”
“If a prodigy like Lu Zhan gets eliminated, do you think the Demon Extermination Bureau might recruit him through special admission?”
“Hmph! Just because he has a little talent and strength, he dares charge recklessly around the Demon Nest. If he gets eliminated, then he deserves it. As for special recruitment, that is pure fantasy. The Demon Extermination Bureau is not lacking in geniuses.”
“I suggest you show a little kindness. Brother Lu broke through three levels in a single day. Even in the talent-filled Demon Extermination Bureau, that kind of aptitude is rare.”
……
In the observation area, Li Cunguang raised his brows when he saw this.
“Old Zhao, isn’t that giant python’s physical body abnormally strong?”
Zhao Jun stared at the giant python and fell into thought. Only after a while did he say gravely, “It must have swallowed some kind of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.”
“If I remember correctly, there is a Vajra Fruit Tree in the Demon Nest.”
“When I saw that the Vajra Fruit had not yet ripened, I did not pick it. I thought I would leave the examinees a bit of good fortune. I never expected that beast to get there first.”
Li Cunguang was somewhat speechless.
“That giant python’s physical body should now be comparable to that of the Aperture Opening Realm, should it not?”
“That was not leaving the examinees a stroke of fortune. That was setting them an ordeal far beyond their level.”
Zhao Jun smiled bitterly. “Let us not even talk about that now. Lu Zhan seems to have his eye on that giant python. What should we do if he gets eliminated?”
To be honest, it would be a pity if a talent like Lu Zhan were not brought into the Demon Extermination Bureau.
Li Cunguang frowned. “It is still too early to discuss that. If it really comes to it... do we not still have three special recruitment slots?”
At those words, Zhao Jun nodded.
“That is true. Using a special recruitment slot on that boy would hardly be a waste.”
Inside the Demon Nest, Wang Botao heard the sound of approaching footsteps. It was not hard to guess that someone had come to hunt the giant python.
“That Demon Beast is not something you can kill. You should run while you still can.”
He had originally thought it would be Shangguan Ling who had arrived, but after seeing that it was an unfamiliar face, he could not help feeling disappointed as he offered the warning.
“And you, when you’re about to be beaten to death by this giant python, are still trying to stop me?”
When Wang Botao heard that, he nearly coughed up blood from anger.
He had offered a kind warning, only for this man’s words to be so infuriatingly sharp.
“I do not care if you want to hunt this giant python, but let me warn you: although its realm is only the eighth level of the Qi Condensation Realm, its physical body is already comparable to that of an Aperture Opening Realm Demon Beast. If you die in a moment, do not blame me.”