In the Great Marsh, the mist was dense, and the setting sun spread like blood across the vast surface of the water.
The wind passed without a trace, leaving only a hint of fishy stench slowly dissipating in mid-air.
Not until the mangled corpses of the two demons completely sank to the bottom, swallowed by the churning undercurrents.
Only then did the two members of the Xu Family, young and old, blankly snap back to their senses.
Just moments ago, Uncle Xun had thought she was merely a wet-behind-the-ears slip of a girl who didn't know the height of the heavens, boasting grandly.
But now, having witnessed the scene before him.
This was hardly a case of shameless boasting... she had clearly been modest!
Two Demon Generals at the Chess-Player Two-Piece Realm, who moreover held every geographical advantage in this marshy terrain—even if he, a Chess-Player Four-Piece, were to personally take action, it would have taken a great deal of effort to slay them so cleanly...
From the moment the girl suddenly struck to the fall of the two Demon Generals.
It had been but a few short breaths of time.
Furthermore.
Compared to such appalling methods, the phenomenon of the hundred-mile central palace that filled the sky now seemed less difficult for Uncle Xun to accept.
For someone with such means... having a profound foundation and triggering a hundred-mile phenomenon.
It seemed to make sense.
If not, how could she have achieved such a feat?
While he was still caught in shock and uncertainty.
An indifferent voice suddenly reached his ears.
"What are you still dazed for? Weren't we going to offer birthday congratulations?"
Uncle Xun jolted all over.
"Oh... oh..."
The old man nodded repeatedly, hurriedly dispersing the central palace hall above his head.
Glancing at the old flying boat below, which was already battered and broken from the battle, he didn't dare to be negligent and immediately summoned a brand-new flying boat from his Storage Pouch.
"Daoist Jiang—Senior, please board the boat."
He was clearly at the Chess-Player Four-Piece Realm, yet now he called a girl who was only a Chess Player One-Piece "Senior."
Yet Uncle Xun didn't feel there was anything wrong with that at all.
Possessing such terrifying means to kill across Realms and being able to trigger a hundred-mile central palace phenomenon.
This girl's origins were definitely not that of an ordinary Loose Cultivator.
Perhaps only a Personal Disciple of the Nine Great Dao Sects, or a Prodigy from some hidden ancient clan with a profound foundation, could possess such terrifying depth.
Uncle Xun shook his head inwardly.
No matter who she truly was or what her motives were.
Right now, for the Xu Family, this was a once-in-a-thousand-years Opportunity.
Not offending this living ancestor was naturally the bottom line.
If they could use today's Karma, serve her carefully, and deliberately curry favor, they might truly connect with the power behind her.
Why would the Xu Family ever need to grovel and seek out some demon as a backer again?
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly, her figure floating down to land directly on the flying boat's deck.
Seeing this, Uncle Xun let out a long sigh of relief and subconsciously prepared to form a hand seal to drive the flying boat forward.
Suddenly.
From the deck of the damaged old boat below, a weak voice drifted up.
"Uncle Xun... I haven't boarded the boat yet..."
The hand seal in Uncle Xun's hands suddenly stiffened.
After such a shocking turn of events, his mind had been entirely focused on this unfathomable girl; how could he have spared a thought for his own useless young master?
He hurriedly waved a gentle strand of Qi, sweeping the dumbfounded Xu Linmiao from below into the new flying boat.
As soon as Xu Linmiao's feet touched the ground, his body involuntarily shrank back.
Previously, he had boasted shamelessly about being her backer and protecting her.
Now, looking at the Girl in Black Robes again, how would he dare to run his mouth?
He moved his steps cautiously, keeping a distance of more than half the deck before daring to find a corner to squat down honestly, not even daring to breathe loudly.
He only dared to use his peripheral vision to steal glances at the figure ahead that he could only look up to...
...
The new boat cut through the mist of the Great Marsh.
Jiang Yuechu sat cross-legged in the center of the deck, no longer paying any attention to these two trembling people.
She closed her eyes indifferently.
Her mind sank into her Spiritual Terrace, carefully studying the new function that had appeared on the system panel.
On the system panel, a line of text had strikingly appeared.
[Available Demon Bodies: Green Toad General, Red Toad General]
She glanced at her Dao Cultivation again.
[Current Dao Cultivation: 16,938,165 years]
Jiang Yuechu's brow furrowed imperceptibly.
Slaying those two toad Demon Generals earlier had only brought in a bit over 970,000 years.
Yet to reconstruct these two demon bodies, it had cost a staggering 2,154,328 years.
Such consumption.
It had already far exceeded the amount required to record demons in the past.
Usually, recording a demon consumed a number of years similar to what the demon provided.
Even if it occasionally exceeded it a little, it would never be this exaggerated.
It was almost more than double!
"I hope you don't disappoint me..."
Jiang Yuechu composed her thoughts.
After a brief hesitation, she tried to guide it with her mind, sending one of the demon bodies named Green Toad General straight toward the only dao chess piece deep within her Qi Sea.
Within the Qi Sea.
The sheath-holding black figure standing below the dark red palace, its entire body tightly wrapped in black mist, suddenly felt a resonance.
Light shone brilliantly.
The black figure began to tremble violently, and the surrounding black mist churned and surged along with it.
This commotion.
Lasted for the duration of a stick of incense.
The light gradually faded.
The black figure returned to a deathly silence.
Jiang Yuechu looked at the system panel, which still displayed the words "Not Activated," and her brow furrowed even deeper.
What was going on?
No reaction?
She looked closer.
In the row of available demon bodies on the system panel, the name of the Green Toad General had vanished without a trace.
Since it was consumed.
It shouldn't be useless...
Could it be that the quantity was insufficient?
Jiang Yuechu sighed softly in her heart.
She tried sending the remaining demon body of the Red Toad General into her Qi Sea as well.
As expected.
The black figure reacted violently once again.
This time, the commotion was far grander than before.
The churning black mist was torn apart inch by inch.
That sheath-holding black figure whose face had always been obscured finally became clear within the radiance.
The black mist receded.
Revealing a new appearance.
It had bulging round eyes and a protruding wide mouth.
Its entire body was covered in black patterns and dark spots, and its back was filled with poisonous lumps and pustules.
Its two arms were thick and sturdy, and its legs were coiled and ready to spring.
It held the Lihuo Golden Sheath tightly in its arms, looking every bit like a fierce and sinister general.
As the demon body completely solidified.
On the system panel, the characters shifted and changed.
The words [dao chess piece: Prison-Suppressing Sword Guard (Not Activated)] shattered with a bang.
In their place was a brand-new line.
[dao chess piece: Prison-Suppressing Sword Toad]
And at this moment.
Another phenomenon occurred within the Qi Sea.
From the newly activated Prison-Suppressing Sword Toad, a vast expanse of deep blue light surged forth.
The Girl in Black Robes sitting cross-legged in the center of the flying boat's deck suddenly jolted.
She suddenly opened her eyes.
In her deep, pitch-black eyes, a surge of deep blue color gushed out.
Boom.
A dazzling beam of deep blue light shot up from Jiang Yuechu's crown.
Piercing straight into the clouds.
Above the Great Marsh, the sky, which had turned dark due to the setting sun, was instantly torn apart by this blue light.
Clouds within a hundred-mile radius churned violently.
High in the heavens, distant celestial music began to play softly.
It was ethereal and clear, cleansing the Divine Soul.
Along with the sound of celestial music, countless phantoms of immortal cranes condensed out of thin air from the clouds.
They circled and danced around the pillar of blue light that shot into the sky.
Their clear cries rang out, echoing through the clouds.
Such a world-shaking phenomenon instantly startled the two people on the flying boat.
Xu Linmiao, hiding in the corner, opened his mouth wide and stared blankly at the scene, while Uncle Xun, who was at the bow focusing on the hand seals to drive the boat, felt his wrist jerk.
He nearly steered the flying boat headfirst into the water.
The old man looked up in shock.
His clouded eyes stared at the churning blue light and circling immortal cranes in the sky, his breathing becoming rapid: "This... immortal cranes gathering to offer blessings, celestial music playing in celebration... has a... spirit grade dao chess piece been born?!"