Leaving the small courtyard where Thirteen Wu was located.
Jiang Yuechu was in no hurry to set off immediately.
This trip to Spirit Mountain and then to Wuxiang Mountain had taken most of the day, and she hadn't had time to carefully tally the gains from this journey yet.
Returning to the Quiet Palace deep within the Imperial City.
Jiang Yuechu dismissed the maids on her left and right and sat cross-legged alone on the couch.
Her mind sank into her body, and the painted scroll slowly unfurled before her eyes.
[Current Dao Cultivation: 4,723,540 years]
Looking at this string of numbers on the panel.
A strange look flashed deep within Jiang Yuechu's eyes.
Previously at Wuxiang Mountain, in order to deal with that old Daoist, she had gone all-in with her entire savings of over two million years.
She thought she would be poor for a while.
Who would have thought.
With one punch, the entire Wuxiang Mountain was obliterated.
Disciples of various Dao Lineages, large and small—the more prominent ones gave a thousand or two thousand years, while the lesser ones provided dozens or hundreds of years.
All in all, it added up to an income of about three hundred thousand years.
As for the remaining massive amount of income...
Jiang Yuechu was lost in thought.
It seemed that within Wuxiang Mountain, there were far more demons hidden than just that old dog Hunyuan.
This wave, far from being a loss, had actually earned her a fortune.
Her gaze moved away from the Dao Cultivation column.
It fell back upon the Demon Scroll.
Currently, the only things needing an upgrade were the White Eye Demon Emperor and the "Seven Whites Body Breaking Method" with the 'Rarity' prefix.
This Cultivation Technique was originally obtained by recording the White Eye Demon Emperor.
If she directly used Dao Cultivation to upgrade the Demon Scroll, she wondered if the Cultivation Technique would be upgraded along with it?
Try it first.
With a slight thought.
Dao Cultivation was like water from a breached dam, crashing into the scroll of the White Eye Demon Emperor.
[Consumed 1,300,000 years of Dao Cultivation. Successfully upgraded White Eye Demon Emperor to dotting the eyes.]
A cold notification sounded in her mind.
Immediately following that.
[Obtained Demon Gift]
[Rarity · "Seven Whites Body Breaking Method" (Minor Achievement)]
Jiang Yuechu's eyebrows twitched slightly.
As expected.
She secretly felt fortunate.
Fortunately, she didn't pour it into the Cultivation Technique first; otherwise, with the rules of this panel, it might have swallowed the Dao Cultivation without offering a refund.
Since the path was correct.
She no longer had any misgivings about the remaining Dao Cultivation.
Jiang Yuechu pondered for a moment and mobilized her Dao Cultivation again.
[Consumed 1,800,000 years of Dao Cultivation. Successfully upgraded White Eye Demon Emperor to Heavenly Accomplishment.]
The scroll trembled violently.
The phantom of the White Eye Demon Emperor roared silently toward the heavens within her Sea of Consciousness.
The pale single eye at the center of its brow fully opened.
[Obtained Demon Gift]
[Rarity · "Seven Whites Body Breaking Method" (Perfection)]
Boom.
A loud explosion occurred within her Sea of Consciousness.
Gold and white lightning slurry instantly overflowed from her body. Rolling thunder surged frantically around Jiang Yuechu, illuminating the entire high tower as bright as day.
Her black robes rustled loudly in the lightning.
She slowly opened her eyes, lightning flickering deep within her pitch-black pupils.
She looked indifferently toward the night sky.
Rumble.
A vast expanse of gold and white lightning surged out from her eyes, instantly tearing through the thick curtain of night above Chang'an City.
The lightning raged forth with a terrifying momentum.
The deafening roar of thunder instantly spread throughout the entire city of Chang'an.
Inside and outside the Imperial City.
Countless citizens who had just fallen asleep were startled awake.
All looked at the sky in horror.
Demon Suppression Headquarters.
White Jade Tower, draped in an outer coat, rushed out of the main hall. You Wujiang and Gu Wanlan followed closely behind, landing in the courtyard.
The three of them looked up at the rolling thunder high in the sky.
You Wujiang's expression was grave as he said slowly, "Commander, such a celestial phenomenon... could an external enemy have infiltrated Chang'an?"
White Jade Tower frowned deeply, carefully sensing the aura contained within that lightning.
A moment later.
His tensed shoulders relaxed.
He waved his hand: "Everyone disperse."
Gu Wanlan showed a look of confusion.
White Jade Tower pulled his collar tight, his voice tinged with helplessness: "It's Her Highness's aura... send the word down. Have the Demon Suppression Guards patrolling the streets of each district reassure the people. Just say our Demon Suppression Division is practicing lightning methods, and tell everyone not to panic..."
"..."
...
"Neighbors and friends, put your hearts back in your chests! Don't panic! Don't be in chaos!"
Two Demon Suppression Guards dressed in black robes with red patterns were carrying lanterns and shouting in the streets and alleys.
Within the walls of the districts on both sides, heads poked out from window cracks.
Many people hadn't even had time to put on their outer robes, wearing yellowed undergarments and shivering in the autumn wind.
"Official Sir Li, that thunder just now was eerie. My old sow was so scared she started foaming at the mouth. Is it really not some demon attacking Chang'an?"
The old Demon Suppression Guard called Official Sir Li immediately glared at him: "Relax your heart! This is the lords of our Demon Suppression Division practicing lightning methods!"
"Practicing lightning methods?"
"Isn't it though!"
The younger Demon Suppression Guard beside him immediately understood and took up the conversation: "For the eternal stability of the Great Tang's territory, and so everyone can sleep soundly at night, the lords are working day and night, forgetting food and sleep! Even in the middle of the night, they don't stop..."
The citizens looked at each other. Although being disturbed in the middle of the night was quite a hardship.
Once they heard the Demon Suppression Division was behind it, the panic in their hearts mostly dissipated.
"So it's the lords practicing their skills."
"Goodness, with this commotion, I wonder if someone is about to achieve Ascension in broad daylight."
"The Demon Suppression Division is mighty!"
Someone led the way, and sporadic cheers actually rang out in the market district.
The two Demon Suppression Guards looked at each other and let out a long sigh of relief.
At least they managed to fool them...
...
The lightning gradually ceased.
Jiang Yuechu composed herself, her gaze falling back onto the panel before her.
[Current Dao Cultivation: 1,623,540 years]
After the repeated consumption of over 4.7 million years of Dao Cultivation, she still had over a million left in her savings.
She did not choose to continue adding points.
When away from home, the world is unpredictable.
She had to keep some trump cards after all.
Keeping this million-plus years of Dao Cultivation on her—just in case she really provoked some Chess Playing Great Power she shouldn't have—would at least give her some means of resistance.
She indifferently withdrew her gaze.
With a flick of her wrist.
She pulled a square golden seal from her storage Magic Treasure.
This item was the spoil of war seized when she killed that Demon Emperor Crimson Heaven back at the Lu family. Seized along with this golden seal were those nine Flying Swords.
Jiang Yuechu looked down at the golden seal in her hand.
Some time had passed since she last used Flesh and Bone as Furnace to devour those nine Flying Swords... she could probably continue using it now.
Her mind was set.
She no longer hesitated. The blood and Qi in her body suddenly circulated, washing through her Meridians with a crash.
[Flesh and Bone as Furnace]
Jiang Yuechu's palm suddenly exerted force, her five fingers gripping the golden seal.
Boom.
A dull vibration spread through the hall.
Vast blood Qi surged from her palm, completely swallowing the golden seal.
The golden seal, which was originally emitting a faint light, had its light quickly suppressed under the devouring of the blood Qi.
The seal's body disintegrated inch by inch, turning into the most pure essence, merging entirely into her four limbs and hundred bones through the acupoints in her palm.
Between her flesh and blood, an extremely heavy aura was born.
A moment later.
Jiang Yuechu slowly looked up.
She indifferently raised her right hand and pressed her five fingers down into the Void Realm.
Earthy yellow light flourished from her palm, the blinding radiance instantly filling the entire palace.
In mid-air.
A massive phantom of a golden seal condensed out of thin air.
Carrying an extremely terrifying and heavy pressure, it pressed straight down.