Chapter 405: Initial Success
Ah Er finally coughed up the last of the multi-colored ash, his chest and lungs now clear.
Bai Mo pushed open the door of his thatched hut.
He had just shaken the black ash from his clothes when he saw the tiger-headed, snake-bodied Demon Beast not far from his door.
His pupils contracted slightly. Bai Mo walked forward, and after looking it over, he clicked his tongue in admiration.
"What a fine bone structure."
"A Demon Beast like this would be considered a minor lord even in the areas where the Immortal Arrival City Demon Hunting Teams operate."
The young men of Xiaoao Village stood guard nearby day and night, preventing any witless beasts or birds from sneaking a bite of the Demon Corpse.
Seeing Bai Mo emerge, a young man clad in animal skins hurried over and explained what had happened.
"It was your Spirit Beast, Immortal Master…"
When word got out that Bai Mo had appeared, Ah Er was brought back shortly after.
"To think you could take down a Demon Beast like this. Not bad. You're quite the warrior!"
"You haven't been eating for free!"
Bai Mo didn't hold back his praise.
Hearing this, Ah Er gave a simple, pleased smile, looking a little smug.
The young man beside them reminded him,
"Immortal Master, this corpse has been lying here for several days. You see…"
The spot on the tiger's head that Qian Qing and the others had chiseled open was already showing signs of rot and emitting a strange smell.
Bai Mo spoke up.
"You can carve off the meat for yourselves, but the skeleton must be left behind."
The young man's face filled with gratitude. He turned and went to call the other villagers.
Before long, a crowd of villagers arrived with knives and axes and set to work on the Demon Beast's corpse.
Ah Er joined in as well.
'That Demon Beast's snake body is pretty good. Taking a portion for some snake stew sounds nice.'
The scene quickly became a gory spectacle.
Bai Mo looked around but didn't see the two Qian family brothers. He grabbed someone to ask and learned they had gone to scout the surrounding area and set up hidden lookouts.
"Why the sudden need for hidden lookouts?"
The young man he had pulled aside explained,
"The day before yesterday, Dagu Town was attacked by a small beast tide. Nearly thirty Demon Beasts!"
"Fortunately, the Cultivators in town and the reinforcements from Black Mountain City were prepared. They set a trap and annihilated them all."
This news had spurred Qian Qing and his brother into action, mobilizing people to set up the lookouts.
With even small beast tides appearing, one couldn't be too careful.
Since Bai Mo heard there were no major casualties, he didn't pay the matter much mind.
Taking out a Pill—black, and inlaid with flecks of shimmering blue—Bai Mo held it up to his eyes and admired it.
This Outer Pill was ninety percent mineral ingredients, a veritable mineral pill.
The heavy metallic luster on its surface gave it a unique beauty.
"If any more Demon Beasts come down from the mountain, capture them alive. Don't kill them."
Bai Mo casually instructed the young man he had questioned.
"I need them to test a Pill."
The young man's expression immediately turned solemn, and he answered loudly.
"Yes, sir!"
It was clear he was treating Bai Mo's request as a major command.
After two days of being hacked at by knives and axes, the tiger-headed, snake-bodied Demon Beast was reduced to a skeleton.
The villagers, worried the rotting flesh would disturb the Immortal Master, had stripped it clean.
All that remained were a few scraps of meat clinging to the bone.
Bai Mo took out several cyan seeds, each the size of a broad bean, and stuffed them into the crevices of the Demon Beast's spine.
A few days later, fuzzy green shoots poked out from the crevices, and then they began to grow uncontrollably.
In just ten days, the entire skeleton was covered in a dense, parasitic growth of vines.
In some places, the tips of the shoots had even pierced through the bone to burrow inside and feed on the marrow's essence.
The villagers had noticed this long ago and often discussed it in private.
Naturally, Qian Qing and his brother had also heard about it.
They came to visit together and saw the grimly verdant skeleton in front of the thatched hut.
The vines on it were full of life, which, combined with the skeleton that still had dark red strands of flesh clinging to it, created an indescribably dissonant image.
"What kind of plant is this? I've never seen anything like it…"
Qian Chen whispered.
Qian Qing shot him a glare. "Shut up!"
Qian Chen pouted but said no more.
'These Cultivators from sects are so strange,' he thought to himself, 'always pulling out some weird thing or another.'
'That Demon Beast's skeleton is no ordinary thing. It would be more than enough to forge weapons from.'
'But under the parasitic growth of these green plants, it seems incredibly fragile.'
Before they could call out, Ah Er happened to push the door open.
Seeing the two of them, he turned his head and called back into the hut.
Bai Mo walked out and immediately saw a large, red-furred rat struggling in Qian Qing's grasp.
"I heard the Immortal Master wanted a Demon Beast to test a Pill, so I went into the mountains and brought one back for you."
Bai Mo looked the large rat up and down, then pressed and squeezed it a few times with his hands.
"A decent physique?"
Qian Qing nodded.
"When I found it, the creature was tunneling through rock, so I figured its physique must be good."
Bai Mo took out the Outer Pill and stuffed it into the large rat's mouth.
With a casual squeeze of its jaw, the red-furred rat breathed out a gust of foul, meaty breath that was unbearably stinky.
But at least the Outer Pill wasn't chewed to bits. The muscles in its throat convulsed, and it slid down into its stomach.
"So this is the Pill the Immortal Master prepared…"
Qian Qing watched the process and took in the Outer Pill's appearance. Just as he was about to ask a question, he suddenly felt the hand holding the red-furred rat grow scorching hot.
In less than two breaths, the heat turned into a burning sensation.
"SQUEAK!"
The large rat thrashed uneasily, its red fur whipping about wildly.
Qian Qing felt its immense strength and a hint of pressure, so he looked over at Bai Mo.
Bai Mo said calmly, "Let it go."
Qian Qing quickly dropped his hand, letting the red-furred rat writhe on the ground.
Visibly, its body began to swell, the contours of its muscles becoming more and more pronounced.
"SQUEAK!!"
It let out one last, shrill cry and lunged at Qian Qing.
POP!
Its flesh abruptly exploded, creating a small shower of blood.
Qian Qing, who had raised a hand to block, froze, his expression stiff.
Qian Chen was also stunned.
"Immortal Master, this…"
Bai Mo crouched down, retrieved the Outer Pill from the pile of minced flesh, and crushed it easily between his fingers.
All that was left in his hand were black and blue fragments, like pieces of a gemstone.
"This Demon Beast couldn't withstand the Pill's potency. Its body collapsed, leaving it in this state."
Qian Qing spoke with difficulty.
"Then my grandfather…"
"He can handle it," Bai Mo interrupted.
When it came to the physical body of a Core Formation Cultivator, he was far more knowledgeable than the two brothers.
"Let me adjust the formula, refine a few more batches to get the feel for it, and it should be about ready."
Qian Qing said hurriedly, "My grandfather is old and frail! His physique is probably not much stronger!"
Bai Mo said, "You underestimate Senior Brother. Once you witness the power of a Golden Core, you will no longer have such worries."
And even if something did go wrong…
As long as Qian Tong didn't shatter into eighteen pieces on the spot, Bai Mo was confident he could pull him back from death's door.
The two Qian family brothers exchanged a look, hesitated for a moment, then both nodded.
"Since the Immortal Master is confident, then it's settled."
"We have already reported this matter to the family. If you succeed, the family will certainly reward you handsomely!"
Bai Mo waved his hand dismissively.
"As you've seen, my using your family's materials for experiments is not entirely without selfish reasons…"
Qian Qing said, "That is a small matter. All that matters is that the Immortal Master can help our grandfather."
"Mm."
Bai Mo thought for a moment.
"Bring me two more sets of the previous materials. That should be about enough."