My Beasts Grind Proficiency For Me-Chapter 158 - 63: The 9-Son Demon Mother
Black Wind Mountain was located in Lizhou, north of the Liao Kingdom.
The mountain was treacherous, with towering ridges, steep cliffs, and ravines so deep they seemed bottomless. Ten years ago, hunters and herb gatherers still roamed its slopes, but in recent years, it had become all but deserted.
The villages within the mountains either vanished without a trace or their inhabitants had moved away entirely, abandoning Black Wind Mountain.
Even the outlying towns and villages were largely abandoned. For miles around Black Wind Mountain, not even the cry of a rooster could be heard, only rows upon rows of burial mounds.
A skeletally thin Daoist ambled along a dirt road overgrown with withered grass. He rode a fine steed with a glossy coat, a Long Banner resting on his shoulder.
Nine sheep trotted clumsily behind him. They were plump, with lightly curled wool, and looked quite charming.
The withered grass on both sides of the road had grown taller than a man. The earthen walls of abandoned villages were crumbling and decaying, eroded by rain and overgrown with roots.
A patch of withered grass suddenly rustled, and a rat the size of a large dog scurried out. Its eyes were blood-red, its fur as stiff as steel needles. It was clearly a Demon Rat.
Even three to five Postnatal Martial Artists would be gnawed to the bone if they ran into this Demon Rat.
Seeing the Daoist, his fine steed, and the nine plump sheep, it salivated with greed. It opened its massive maw, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth, and prepared to pounce.
But one of the sheep was even faster. It stomped a hoof on the Demon Rat’s head, so hard the rat’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, then opened its mouth and began to chew. The other sheep swarmed in, scrambling over each other for a piece.
Piercing SQUEAKS echoed from within the flock, accompanied by the sounds of tearing flesh, chewing muscle, and gnawing bone.
After all, there wasn’t much meat on a single Demon Rat, and the flock quickly devoured every last scrap.
When the flock dispersed, all that remained on the dirt road was a foul-smelling pile of intestines and a few strands of rat fur. The sheep looked just as innocent and adorable as before, but a cruel and sinister light glinted in their rectangular pupils.
"You greedy little things. Didn’t even leave a single bite for me."
The skeletally thin Daoist brandished his whip, and the sheep bleated in fright. Only then did he lower it and continue on his way.
The horse and sheep seemed to amble along, but they moved with incredible speed. In the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, they had crossed the meadow and entered Black Wind Mountain.
The forests and thickets of Black Wind Mountain were so dense that the path disappeared, yet the Daoist rode on as if on level ground. He passed through the jungle, crossed deep ravines, and finally vanished into a shroud of mist.
A cave emerged from the mist. Carved above the entrance were the two words: Ascension Cave.
A Child with an indigo complexion and a large, black birthmark on his face was guarding the cave. When he saw the Daoist, he looked as though he had seen a ghost, but he steeled himself and came forward to greet him.
"Senior Brother, you’re back."
The Daoist gripped his banner.
"How is Master?"
The Child shuddered.
"The Nine-Child Demon Mother cried out in hunger, so Master cut off Fifth Senior Brother’s arm to feed it."
"I see."
The Daoist dismounted and shook his Long Banner. A stream of black gas shot from the steed’s body and flew into the banner’s surface. The horse deflated like a punctured pig’s bladder, shrinking into a palm-sized paper horse that the Daoist tucked into his sleeve.
He herded the sheep into the cave.
The rugged cave twisted and turned. After about sixty yards, it opened into a vast cavern, nearly half an acre in size. The cavern had been renovated; it was dry and well-ventilated, lit as bright as day by candles made from a type of yellow grease.
Seven Cultivators who practiced Demon Skills were meditating within the cavern, absorbing the Muddy Qi. They looked more like ghosts than men. One of them was missing his left arm, which had been severed at the shoulder and was now crudely wrapped in a bandage.
When they saw their senior brother herding the sheep inside, they looked immensely relieved.
"Eldest Senior Brother!" "Eldest Senior Brother! You’ve returned!"
The Daoist leaned on his banner.
"Fifth Junior Brother, Master cut off your arm because I was late. Do you hate me for it?"
A look of terror crossed Fifth Junior Brother’s face, and he cried out in his own defense.
"I wouldn’t dare! Eldest Senior Brother! I wouldn’t dare!"
"You wouldn’t dare? That means you do."
As he spoke, the Daoist shook his Long Banner. A Beast Demon flew from it, transforming into a cloud of black gas that pounced on Fifth Junior Brother.
A few breaths later, all that was left of Fifth Junior Brother was a husk of skin and bone. His flesh, blood, and the Demonic Qi in his body had been devoured by the Beast Demon. The empty remains drifted lightly to the ground.
"Bury him."
The Daoist raised his banner. Black gas billowed from the bodies of the nine sheep as the Beast Demons flew out and returned to the banner’s surface.
With the sound of tearing paper, the paper sheep, now devoid of the Beast Demons that possessed them, ripped apart. A dozen or so children tumbled onto the ground.
They had all been drugged into unconsciousness. They didn’t even stir as they hit the ground, remaining fast asleep.
The Daoist carefully straightened his robes, approached a set of large, red-lacquered doors, and said respectfully,
"Master, I have returned."
A few breaths later, the large doors swung open on their own. The Daoist stepped inside. It was a smaller cavern, its floor paved with neat tiles fired from Profound Evil Stone. Awakening Incense burned, releasing a peculiar fragrance that brought clarity to the mind.
In the center of the cavern was an Array Map drawn with fine sand mixed with human blood and various rare Spiritual Materials. A Great Tripod stood in the middle of the array. Demonic Qi roiled within it, and every so often, a small, plump infant’s hand would reach out, trying to climb out, only to be dragged back by Lock Chains formed of Demonic Qi.
The Daoist glanced at the Demon Shadows, a flicker of greed in his eyes. Those were the Nine-Child Demons, summoned from beyond the heavens. To master the Nine-Child Demon Mother Scripture, one had to first summon these demons. It was an art immeasurably more profound than the Beast Creation Scripture he himself cultivated.
"How much ’blood food’ did you acquire today? The Demon Mother has been restless lately. She must consume a Child every three days to be suppressed."
A withered old man sat cross-legged before the tripod, his voice like the grinding of metal on stone.
"The Law Enforcement Team’s patrols in Longwu Marketplace have grown stricter. I was only able to bring back seventeen," the Daoist said, hesitating for a moment.
"I also heard some news in the Marketplace. A few days ago, during the Lengquan Three Friends’ birthday celebration, a Daoist showed up at their door and slaughtered all of them, along with their guests. An expert from the Six Great Sects has come to the Liao Kingdom. Perhaps we should lay low for a couple of months and avoid the heat?"
The withered old man flew into a rage, his eyes flashing with a baleful green light.
"Lay low? Why should we lay low? Once I have completely subjugated this Nine-Child Demon Mother, what Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the entire Liao Kingdom could possibly be my match! If I ever run into him, I’ll tear out his heart and feed it to my Demon Child!"
The Daoist’s eyes widened in horror. A hand emerged from the void, clamped down on his master’s forehead, and with a single twist and pull, tore the old man’s head from his shoulders.
Amidst a swirl of mist, the figure of a Daoist materialized, calmly inspecting the head in his hand.
"I’m standing right in front of you. Let’s see you try and tear out my heart."
