After slaying the Old Flood Dragon, Jiang Yuechu did not stay here for long.
She turned and transformed into a streak of light.
Quickly returning to the vicinity of Qingluan Mountain.
A demon soul leaving the body can linger in this world briefly, but ultimately it is rootless and will dissipate with a gust of wind.
For Jiang Yuechu, who was used to living a hard life...
...even with millions of years of Dao Cultivation in her pocket, she would never allow such a waste of heaven's gifts.
Waste is shameful.
The Void Realm trembled.
The figure in black robes turned into a golden line, tearing through the sky as she retraced her path.
In just a moment.
The mountains and rivers came back into view.
Jiang Yuechu showed no hesitation.
With a wave of her wide sleeves...
...surging black mist billowed from her body, enveloping everything below.
Essence blood and residual Primordial Spirit fragments...
...all turned into the purest Foundation, flowing continuously into her body.
She thought that by using the residual fortune of these two Great Demon Emperors, she could break through the barriers of the ninth level of Ascending the Tower in one go and reach the so-called state of Perfection.
But in the next moment...
...Jiang Yuechu stopped her movements, her brow furrowing slightly.
The majestic Qi mechanism surging into her body did not turn into the bricks and stones of her cultivation as usual.
Instead, it merely circulated once within her before spilling out through her acupoints, completely dissipating into the world.
She couldn't retain even a bit of it...
"What's going on?"
Jiang Yuechu lowered her head and looked at her palm.
The towering building inside her was clearly still a tiny sliver away from true Perfection.
Why couldn't she fill it anymore?
Could it be...
...that this Realm of Ascending the Tower Perfection isn't just about stacking Qi mechanisms, but has some other requirement?
She stood quietly in the wind, pondering for a moment.
Since she started on the path of cultivation, she had been a true rogue practitioner.
No famous teacher to guide her, no Dao Lineage Legacy.
Relying solely on brute strength, she had crossed the river by feeling the stones, carving out a bloody path for herself.
She truly knew nothing about the many intricacies of these higher Realms.
Forget it.
Jiang Yuechu shook her head, not bothering to overthink it.
If it couldn't be filled, then so be it.
Anyway, the matters at Spirit Mountain were almost settled.
Once she returned to Chang'an City, she would just grab Thirteen Wu and ask him.
An Immortal Master of the Xuanzhen Grotto-Heaven should know the inside story.
Composing herself, her vast Divine Sense rippled out instantly, sensing the current demonic aura of Spirit Mountain.
Then she gave a light scoff.
It had to be said that when it came to seeking profit and avoiding harm, the demons' ability was quite impressive.
The vast Seventy-two Caves of Spirit Mountain now seemed somewhat empty.
Either some Demon Emperors weren't at Spirit Mountain at all...
...or they had fled at the first opportunity, leaving behind only some useless minor demons.
There really wasn't much to gain.
"Forget it."
Jiang Yuechu shook her head.
Better to do the important business first; she could always flatten Spirit Mountain later.
Since there were no Demon Emperors now anyway, she didn't care if a few minor demons escaped.
With that in mind...
...she waved her wide sleeves, and amidst the rolling black mist, she forcibly extracted the residual demon souls of Jiuying and White Eye, suppressing them within her acupoints.
Then...
Her black robes fluttered.
Her figure turned into a stream of light, heading straight for the back of Qingluan Mountain.
...
A dull sound of breaking air came from the horizon.
A golden line descended from the clouds and landed firmly on the ground.
The air waves rolled, making the gravel on the ground clatter.
Until the dust settled.
Outside the main hall, the crowd that had been waiting for a long time held their breath instantly.
Zhou Xuan hurriedly stepped forward: "Your Highness, all eight hundred and forty-two people of the Pill Cauldron Sect, along with the remaining Pill Furnaces and medicinal ingredients in the storehouse, have been fully inventoried."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly, her gaze moving past Zhou Xuan to the group of people behind him.
The Elders of the Pill Cauldron Sect had changed into relatively clean robes and washed the dirt from their faces.
But their sunken eye sockets, hunched backs, and the deep-seated cowering in their bones were still clearly visible.
Seeing this, the more than eight hundred members of the Pill Cauldron Sect behind them didn't dare to hesitate.
They all knelt down in a heap.
"Greetings to the Grand Princess!"
"This is all that's left?"
Jiang Yuechu withdrew her gaze, her tone indifferent.
Zhou Xuan gave a bitter smile and lowered his head.
"In response to Your Highness, after five hundred years of suffering, those who could survive are all here... Of the original thousands of disciples, those who couldn't endure were simply turned into blood food."
"These eight hundred and forty-two people are now the final Foundation of my Pill Cauldron Sect."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly, not making much of a comment on the matter.
Life and death are fated; that is just how the world is.
Since they had become people of the Great Tang, there would naturally be places for them to shine in the future.
"Then let's go."
Jiang Yuechu waved her hand.
Zhou Xuan was stunned and looked up.
"Your Highness, are we returning to the Great Tang now?"
"*You* are returning to the Great Tang,"
Jiang Yuechu corrected him.
"I still have some private matters to attend to; I haven't finished exploring this Spirit Mountain territory yet."
As soon as she said this...
...the few Pill Cauldron Sect Elders kneeling on the ground looked at each other.
Not finished exploring?
This Spirit Mountain wasn't exactly a scenic spot... what was there to explore?
Zhou Xuan had spent some time in the Great Tang after all, so he had somewhat grasped Her Highness's temperament.
She had a heavy killing intent and disliked trouble.
Taking these eight hundred-plus half-dead burdens along would indeed be a massive trouble.
If they encountered some blind demons again, she would have to worry about their survival.
"Yes."
Zhou Xuan didn't waste any words and directly agreed, then looked at the disciples behind him.
"Everyone, get up. Let's move out."
The eight hundred-plus people helped each other up.
The Elder who had spoken first walked tremblingly to Zhou Xuan's side.
He looked at Jiang Yuechu, swallowed hard, and spoke up boldly.
"Your Highness's life-saving grace is something the entire Pill Cauldron Sect will never forget."
"Once we reach the Great Tang, we shall repay Your Highness's heavenly grace with our utmost loyalty."
Jiang Yuechu glanced at him.
"There's no need for that... Just perform Alchemy well once you return. The Great Tang does not support idlers."
The Elder's face stiffened, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Rest assured, Your Highness. We will risk our old lives to ensure we do not fail your trust."
Jiang Yuechu ignored them and waved her hand, signaling for them to leave quickly.
Zhou Xuan took a deep breath and cupped his fists again.
"Take care, Your Highness. I shall await Your Highness's triumphant return in the Great Tang."
With that...
He summoned several flying boats.
They were all looted from the Grotto-Heaven's Immortal Masters... the various markings and flags on them looked rather comical.
Anyone who didn't know would think the various Grotto-Heavens had gone out on a group excursion.
The crowd had varying expressions, but they didn't ask much and boarded the boats one after another.
As the flying boats slowly ascended, they turned into streaks of light and fled toward the eastern horizon.
The back mountain of Qingluan Mountain finally became completely quiet.
Jiang Yuechu let out a long breath.
Without the burdens by her side, even her breathing felt much smoother.
She turned her head and looked at Running Ox, who had been standing dazed nearby.
The black bull seemed to be suffering from something; his eyes were vacant, and he was muttering, "Big Sis... my Big Sis..."
Jiang Yuechu walked over and kicked him.
"What kind of hysteria are you having?"
Running Ox snapped out of it, his massive body shuddering violently.
On his coarse face, he managed to squeeze out an expression of anxiety that looked worse than crying.
"Your Highness! I forgot the important business!"