"The central threat in the Green Rock Lake has been killed. Multiple late stage Demons and over fifty initial stage Demons. A full battle report will be sent after we secure the spiritual vein." Bao Zhan reports into a communication talisman, then stows it away.
His physique is no longer active, and there is a fatigue in his eyes and even footsteps.
"This is very strange… I can usually sense blood demons, yet the one in the lake was invisible to my senses. We truly would have all been doomed if it wasn't for you."
His gaze moves from the center of the lake, then back toward me.
"Vice Captain, take the rest of the stewards back to the vein and use up your earth mound talismans to secure it. I'll be having a word alone with Li Hao."
The chatter ceases, and the green robed man leads the rest of the grey robed stewards away from this battlefield full of craters and flickering leftover flames and static. Once they're out of sight, we stand on opposite sides of the enormous crater still slowly filling with water.
"Your Martial Warrior physique is just the surface of your secrets it seems…"
He bends down to examine the residue of azure lightning still crackling in the melted dirt.
"This energy is strong enough to injure foundation establishment cultivators. No orphan turned steward of the Azure Cloud Sect should have these capabilities."
A vibration starts to ripple off of his body, and for the first time I feel his acquired physique inside my spiritual senses. Its intricacies vibrate with the sharp intent that is similar to the ones of my Martial Warrior Physique, but unlike my physique, his is interwoven with the warmth of his soul.
Having the small fragment of metal in my hand just seconds ago, I subconsciously make a connection.
"You have saved our lives and killed many demons. My only objective is to serve the Azure Cloud Sect. If you have any hidden allies that would harm this sect, you will be my enemy no matter the past."
I let out a sigh and let my cloak slip back into my storage.
Then, I begin collecting some of the nearby initial stage demon corpses.
"I work alone. I do not owe any hidden force favors… Though, I am willing to owe you one."
There's another silence between us for a few seconds as I stow away over a dozen mangled demonic bodies, swords, and storage rings.
The intensity of his outward aura lessens. "What are you asking me to do?"
I shrug. "As you can see, I prefer to be underestimated. Having two late stage demon kills on my record would put a bigger flag above my head than I desire."
I walk around to his side of the crater and finish picking up the rest of the bodies.
A thud sounds between us as I release the burnt and mangled headless blood demon before Bao Zhan.
"Mark him as your kill. The other one has no physical remains to give you."
The squad captain looks down at the blood demon, equal in strength to the one he spent all of his energy to kill alone. Even in his exhausted state, his eyes linger on the hole in the demon's chest for a few seconds.
"Very well. Whatever keeps us alive. My only condition is easy, one I already proposed. It is that you join the Combat Peak under my recommendation when this is all over. We're rewarded greatly if stewards we bring in perform well."
I step back and let him collect the corpse, but shake my head.
"If it's my best option, I'll agree. If not, I'll pay you back with something of equal value. I'm not fond of directly tying my future path to the conditions of others."
The dark skinned team captain lets out a chuckle. "Fine, but to keep up with the past reports, you're still getting credit for the mid stage demons in the ambush."
"Acceptable. Thank you, squad captain." I reply with the formal clasped hand bow of respect, then walk off back toward the enormous Green Boulder.
Bao Zhan's updated communication signal blends in with the sound of earth mound talismans being used in quick succession all over the back side of this lake.
–
Night falls soon after the battles ended, and large earth mounds have been erected in the water and on land to surround the high grade vein entirely. This back half of the Green Rock Lake has been completely fortified against attacks from any direction.
Guard shifts rotate on and off like usual, but in the morning once a new black bird comes, our orders are different than expected.
We're given even more earth mound talismans and ordered to fortify the entire Green Rock Lake, the entire shoreline and surrounding open grass clearings. It's going to be built into a larger camp to house multiple traveling squads.
–
Five full days pass.
Many squads arrive at this lake, bloodied, injured, and battle worn.
Some help with construction, while others are just tasked to rest and leave the next morning.
The undeveloped lake turns into multiple large camp sites, filling with caves, tents, and leftover rations and provisions from other squads. The center of the spiritual vein behind the Verdant Steel Ore is mostly preserved for the mid stage and late stage captains that arrive in need of a place to cultivate and regain their energy.
The low grade and mid grade veins in smaller camps may be enough for stewards, but they are not enough for the outer sect disciples.
On the first few days, I restock my reserves of stone bullet and incineration talismans, and recharge my Azure Lightning Attack Talisman in private.
However, for the following days, I allow my upgrade cards to stack inside my storage.
There are many squads that openly trade low grade pills and weapons, but none have been carrying Martial Root Pills on them.
"If you're ever relocated to the Stone Valley Stronghold, they might have them. My squad just made the three day trek down from there after losing too much ground in the north." one passing green robed vice captain replies, finally giving me a clue.
Once I start mentioning this place, a few other passing squads know of this stronghold and agree that if anywhere, they would have them.
I feel more content practicing these movements without any extra pills, now knowing it may be possible to get some before this war is over.
When I'm not on guard duty or touring new squads around, I also examine the loot I've gained from the demons I've killed.
From the thirty initial stage demons, it is more of the same. There are fragments of the illusory demon's concealment art and blood demon manuals. I hold hundreds of blood qi pills and long black swords. The three mid stage demons don't have anything of interest either, just more of the same…
When I crack open the late stage blood demon's storage ring, I find a well preserved blood demon booklet and almost a thousand blood qi pills.
After flipping through this booklet and comparing it to the one I found on the Blood Demon in the Ravine, I find that they're nearly identical. Back then I wasn't a mid stage qi refiner and couldn't mentally withstand even opening this blood red book.
Yet now I can withstand the first few pages. They outline how to refine blood qi pills using raw spiritual stones, a few assorted herbs, and the fresh blood of a living cultivator.
It makes my head ache from reading too long, and I quickly realize why there are no blood demons below the 4th level of qi refining. It simply requires a stronger psyche that an initial stage qi refiner cannot withstand.
At this thought, I crack open the final 9th level Illusory Demon's storage ring and find nothing inside but a small brown piece of animal hide with a map of the undeveloped land on it. There are markings of many of the Azure Cloud Sect's fortresses, including ones that my squad built.
Even the Stone Valley Stronghold is drawn, along with many that I have never heard of.
A large black mountain at the center of the map has a red circle around it.
This, and the small silver piece of metal pulled out from the Blood Demon's dantian are all that I'm interested in during my time here at Green Rock Lake.
While I can't find any clues about this map, I do discover a few things about this shard of metal.
The first is that it cannot be upgraded by one of my cards. This tells me it is considered at least a 2nd tier inferior quality item.
The second is that the warm soul-like aura I feel is innate within the metal.
I try imprinting it with my qi, and nothing interesting happens at first.
Yet, once I try to send continuous streams of my qi through it, the energy that flows back into me feels as though it's just been through an extremely rough and detached version of my Jade Purity Soul Scripture.
My hypothesis is that this metal can act as a pseudo soul for a demonic cultivator whose own soul is too injured or chaotic. The last words of that Illusory Demon come to mind, as he asked me what kind of artifact I was using to not face backlash from the use of demonic arts.
Now, I start to wonder how unique my [Un-Ranked] cultivation technique might be. It is the only item I've ever drawn from a mysterious lottery draw after all…
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Author's Note:
One chapter of Five Element Overlord will be posted every weekday: M,T,W,TH,F.
If you'd like to support me, and read 30+ chapters ahead of the public release schedule, my patreon is linked in my bio:)
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