C11 Demon Core

After walking for some time, Lu Chen came to a sudden halt.

Ahead of him, not too far off, three figures emerged. They appeared to be locals from a nearby city.

"Look, there's someone over there. Let's invite him to join us. The more, the merrier," a young girl in red suggested crisply.

"That's a good idea. The journey is perilous, and with one more person, our chances of success increase," a tall and muscular boy added with a smile.

With that, the trio approached Lu Chen.

Lu Chen looked up at the three individuals making their way toward him—two men and one woman, all quite young. The girl in red was about fifteen or sixteen, the same age as him, while the oldest was no more than eighteen or nineteen.

"Can I help you with something?"

Lu Chen asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

The strapping youth spoke up, "Hello, we'd like to invite you to join us on an expedition to the inner reaches of the Deep Blue Mountain Range. Would you be interested?"

"The inner reaches of the Deep Blue Mountain Range?"

Lu Chen's eyebrows shot up as he inquired, "Why are you inviting me to join you?"

It wasn't that he was overly cautious, but the cultivation levels of these three were impressive. Even the youngest among them possessed the strength of Layer Seven in body refinement, while the other two had reached the astonishing level of Layer Nine. By comparison, the youth of River City paled in significance.

For such a formidable group to invite a warrior of Layer Eight like himself was quite out of the ordinary.

"Hehe, brother, please don't get the wrong idea," the burly youth said with a chuckle. "I am Jiaang Hao from Tian Ling City. A few months back, I stumbled upon an Essence Spirit Fruit Tree in the inner area of the Cang Yuan Mountain Range. At the time, the fruit wasn't ripe, but by now, it should be nearing maturity. That's why I'd like to extend an invitation for you to join us."

"Essence Spirit Fruit?"

Lu Chen responded, visibly intrigued.

The Essence Spirit Fruit was a high-grade spiritual fruit of the human rank, a rare and treasured resource imbued with mild energy. It was highly beneficial for cultivators in the Body Refining Stage, and consuming it could significantly increase the odds of advancing to the next level.

"How strong is the Guardian Demon Beast?" Lu Chen asked, his voice steady, not swayed by the potential rewards.

Jiaang Hao nodded in approval upon hearing Lu Chen's question. Despite Lu Chen's lower level of cultivation, his composure was exceptional.

"Humph! Such a waste of words," the youth in green suddenly interjected with a snort, casting an indifferent glance at Lu Chen.

"Jiaang Hao, I alone am enough for this journey. What use is he, a mere Layer Eight in Body Refining, going to be?" he scoffed.

Lu Chen's brow furrowed at the remark. The others showed varying reactions. Murong Yun, the girl in red, flashed a look of anger; she was only at Layer Seven, and the green-clothed youth's comment seemed to belittle her as well.

Jiaang Hao, meanwhile, appeared embarrassed.

"Brother, don't take it to heart. Lee Tao has always been this way; he didn't mean to single you out," Jiaang Hao said, trying to smooth things over with a smile.

Lu Chen simply smiled, showing he was unfazed.

"I'm Lu Chen. I look forward to working together and appreciate any guidance you can offer," he said, extending his hand to Jiaang Hao.

The allure of the Essence Spirit Fruit was not lost on Lu Chen, who was also keen on exploring the inner reaches of the Deep Blue Mountain Range in search of Divine Weapon Fragments.

"Ha! Absolutely," Jiaang Hao responded with a hearty laugh, shaking Lu Chen's hand. "This is Murong Yun, and that's Lee Tao."

Murong Yun offered Lu Chen a warm smile, while Lee Tao merely grunted in response.

With Lu Chen now part of the team, the four set off toward the inner area.

As they ventured deeper into the Deep Blue Mountain Range, they encountered increasingly formidable Demon Beasts. Yet, before Lu Chen could act, Lee Tao effortlessly dispatched them.

During their journey, Lu Chen learned from Jiaang Hao that the Essence Spirit Fruit was guarded by a Red Scale Armor Tiger at the pinnacle of Rank One, with strength comparable to a human martial artist at Layer Nine of Body Tempering.

Demon beasts inherently possess formidable physiques, making them a challenging match for ordinary warriors of the same level. Thus, to confront or slay a demon beast at the peak of Rank One's late stage, at least two warriors at Layer Nine of the Body Tempering Realm would be required.

"*Roar!*"

Suddenly, a deep and ferocious roar erupted from the grass nearby. A black shadow sprang forth, lunging towards the last of the four with the speed of lightning. It was Murong Yun.

"Watch out, it's a late-stage Rank One Demon Beast, the Dark Shadow Leopard!"

Jiang Hao bellowed, his footsteps pounding the ground as he rushed to assist.

But the Shadow Leopard was too swift, its attack too abrupt. In an instant, it was upon Murong Yun, its gaping maw and razor-sharp fangs glinting ominously, as if her fate was sealed.

"Bam!"

With a muffled thud, the Shadow Leopard was sent hurtling through the air by a punch, crashing into a massive tree, its condition unknown.

"Haha... Lu Chen, well done!"

Witnessing the scene, Jiang Hao was momentarily taken aback, then burst into laughter, giving a thumbs up to the young man who had shielded Murong Yun.

"Thank you!"

By now, Murong Yun had regained her composure, expressing her gratitude with a pale face.

Had it not been for Lu Chen, who had dashed to her side in the nick of time and repelled the Dark Shadow Leopard, she couldn't even begin to imagine her fate.

"Hehe, it was nothing!"

Lu Chen responded casually, then turned his gaze to the distance where Lee Tao, the man in green, had just decapitated the Shadow Leopard with a single sword strike.

Previously, Lu Chen had restrained his power to conceal his true capabilities, exerting only half his strength. Yet even at half strength, his potent Yuan Qi allowed him to inflict severe damage on the Shadow Leopard with that single punch.

"Chi!"

Lee Tao's sword thrust through the Shadow Leopard's belly, carving a gash several feet long, from which a thumb-sized green bead tumbled out.

"Demon Core!"

Lee Tao's eyes lit up with delight at the sight of the green Demon Core. He had approached the situation with a try-and-see attitude, never expecting to actually come across one.

A Demon Core is created when a Demon Beast absorbs the essence of heaven and earth, condensing it within its body, akin to the dantian found in human martial artists.

Legend has it that only Rank Two Demon Beasts can produce a Demon Core. While not impossible for Rank One Demon Beasts, it's exceedingly rare. So, stumbling upon one today was a cause for celebration.

Lee Tao took a deep breath, calming his excitement, and reached out to snatch the Demon Core. He was about to tuck it away when he was interrupted.

"Lee Tao, what do you think you're doing? The Dark Shadow Leopard was wounded by Brother Lu Chen. The Demon Core rightfully belongs to him."

Jiaang Hao had spotted the Demon Core and, seeing Lee Tao's move, immediately intervened.

Unfazed, Lee Tao continued. The idea of handing over the Demon Core to someone at Layer Eight of Body Tempering was laughable to him.

The value of a Demon Core was beyond measure; even a Rank One Demon Core was worth at least a thousand taels of silver. Considering that a second-tier family in River City didn't even make that much in a year, the worth of a Demon Core was unquestionable.

Only after securing the Demon Core in his pocket did Lee Tao retort with a sneer, "True, Lu Chen injured the Dark Shadow Panther, but I was the one who killed it. Therefore, the Demon Core is rightfully mine."

"Lee Tao, have you no shame?" Murong Yun was visibly upset by his words. If it hadn't been for Lu Chen's timely intervention, she might have perished at the claws of the Dark Shadow Leopard.

Yet now, Lee Tao was brazenly trying to claim Lu Chen's Demon Core for himself.

Lee Tao just laughed coldly, ignoring Murong Yun. He turned to Lu Chen with a scornful look. "Kid, you might have driven off the Shadow Leopard at Layer Eight of Body Tempering, but claiming you injured it? Isn't that a bit absurd?"

"Lee Tao, do you think we're all blind?" Murong Yun's face turned beet red, incredulous that Lee Tao would stoop so low just for a Demon Core.

He was trying, in just a few words, to completely discredit Lu Chen's achievements.