Stronger by Killing

Chapter 335 - 269: New Turmoil in Great Desert City

Mo Jingzhou nodded slightly and said, "You could call it a demon, but it’s different from those ever-changing immortal demons in folklore. This demon, more accurately, is a spirit.

Originally just ordinary wild beasts, they obtained certain opportunities and underwent mutations. They can absorb primordial qi in certain ways to transform, with their blood and qi condensing like a furnace, comparable to martial arts experts, and should be called spirit monsters or exotic beasts.

Such exotic beasts are rare, possessing strong spirituality. When they mutate to a certain extent, they gather a pill inside them like the one in your hand. It’s akin to how a martial artist’s dantian can gather true essence, but those exotic beasts transform primordial qi into a very special type of energy.

This energy has no defined name, but the effects are similar to a martial artist’s true essence. Most spirit monsters are very violent and are generally called beast pills."

Gu Zhan asked, "Is this thing useful?"

"I’ve never heard of it being useful," Mo Jingzhou said. "It’s very rare. I’ve encountered such exotic beasts only a few times in my life, and even fewer have been able to gather such a beast pill. But it’s a pity; the tiger you killed could have been a great companion.

These exotic beasts have extremely long lifespans. In the Medicine King Valley, there’s a spirit monster, an elephant, that’s lived for nearly two hundred years, guarding the valley’s forbidden grounds, and it’s more valuable than an ordinary martial arts grandmaster."

Gu Zhan shook his head and said, "Couldn’t tame it, that tiger sought death. It came to fight me to the death right after I killed Tian Ze."

Mo Jingzhou nodded and said, "These exotic beasts when tamed, although they have spirituality, are very pure and loyal, never heard of betraying their master. To have such an exotic beast submit is a rare fortune."

Gu Zhan felt deeply and said, "More reliable than most people."

With that said, Gu Zhan looked at the beast pill in his hand and said, "I thought it was a good thing, but it seems to be useless."

"Not necessarily," Mo Jingzhou said. "You can keep it for research. I’ve heard a legend; over in Liangzhou, there’s a mysterious sect. Each generation produces a grandmaster, all very fierce and violent. It’s said they master the usage of beast pills, though it’s never been confirmed."

Gu Zhan toyed with the beast pill and asked, "Dragon King, you’ve seen so much in your life, have you ever seen a demon?"

Mo Jingzhou said solemnly, "You mean the legendary ever-changing demon?"

Gu Zhan nodded.

Mo Jingzhou shook his head and said, "In my youth, I traveled far and wide, saw many strange things, and heard many tales of demons, but never witnessed one. However, your question reminds me of something peculiar."

Gu Zhan’s eyes lit up.

Mo Jingzhou slowly said, "About fifty years ago, during my prime years, I was leading a group of brothers traveling the world. We once witnessed a flood dragon crossing the tribulation at a place called Dragon-locking Pool in Qingzhou."

Gu Zhan raised an eyebrow, startled, "Are dragons real?"

Mo Jingzhou furrowed his brow slightly and said, "I don’t know the truth. Thinking back, my cultivation might have been too low, maybe I mistook a grandmaster’s dharma aspect for a dragon. After all, I haven’t heard of any real dragons in all these years.

It was a stormy night with thunder and lightning. We were taking shelter in a landlord’s house when we suddenly heard a dragon’s roar. Our curiosity piqued, we hurried out and followed the sound to a mountain stream. We saw the Dragon-locking Pool’s water rising skyward, like a dragon absorbing water.

In the flashes of lightning, I vaguely saw a flood dragon flickering amidst the thunder, and it soared into the sky. At the last moment, I saw a white dragon head flash across the night sky before everything returned to calm."

Gu Zhan asked in confusion, "Was it really a dragon?"

"I don’t know," Mo Jingzhou said. "At that time, I was young, only an Innate Martial Artist with little knowledge. I assumed it was a divine phenomenon. Later, after cultivating the Water Manipulation Skill, I always fancied controlling water to form a dragon.

After achieving fame and success, I went back to investigate, even diving into the Dragon-locking Pool myself. It’s just a small pool, two or three zhang deep, incapable of housing a legendary dragon.

So, I suspect a grandmaster was breaking through, causing illusions, which seemed like a divine event to someone like me back then. It’s a common misunderstanding, considering even now, displaying a Dharma Golden Body to a general martial artist could be mistaken for divine signs."

Gu Zhan pondered for a moment and slowly replied, "That does make sense."

After a pause, Gu Zhan asked, "By the way, I’d like to learn about the Supreme Grandmaster and Land Immortal realms."

Mo Jingzhou thought for a moment and said, "Let me first talk about the Supreme Grandmaster.

The Supreme Grandmaster is the Third Realm in the Divine Thought Realm. This realm is essentially a breakthrough in energy and a transformation of one’s qi and blood, similar to transitioning from Postnatal to Innate, where one’s physique and qi undergo significant changes.

However, there’s a peculiar change, even now at the Third Realm Peak, I still haven’t figured it out."

"What change?" Gu Zhan asked.

Mo Jingzhou slowly raised his hand, gently placing a finger on Gu Zhan’s forehead, softly saying, "Close your eyes, observe your Spirit Platform in silence, and use your divine sense to follow my guidance. What do you see?"

Gu Zhan slightly closed his eyes and slowly said, "I see your dantian, true essence depleted, and qi and blood in disarray."