C17 The God Slaying Spear Killed the Sixhead Flood Dragon

In the Three Realms, numerous Great Experts were covertly observing, yet they remained hidden for the time being. Among them were the Seven Monsters of Plum Mountain, each a formidable Great Demon at the Golden Immortal Stage. Ye Fann, confident in his abilities, nonetheless could not assure victory against all these Great Demons. To safeguard his identity, he altered his appearance to prevent any Demon Kings who might escape from spreading word of his actions.

Having taken these precautions, Ye Fann delved into the depths of Plum Mountain. At its summit, he sensed several exceptionally strong demonic auras, though he wasn't certain if Yuan Hong was present. To avoid prematurely tipping off his adversaries, he refrained from deploying his Spiritual Sense to probe the area. This was a departure from his past approach as commander of the Devil Subduing Army, where he would have charged in directly.

As expected, Plum Mountain was actively recruiting Demon Soldiers, with the minimum requirement being the Human Immortal Stage, mirroring the Heavenly Court's criteria for enlisting Heavenly Soldiers. This standard was exceedingly high, considering the vast number of Demon Clans, not all of which possessed significant strength. For instance, of the ten million Demon Soldiers Ye Fann had previously led, only about one percent boasted power beyond the Human Immortal Stage. Recalling his past life's memories, he knew that assembling a force of a hundred thousand Human Immortal Stage Grass Soldiers and twelve hundred Earth Immortal Grass Soldiers constituted a formidable power.

Despite the high threshold set for the recruitment of Demon Soldiers at Plum Mountain, the Seven Monsters' strength was undeniable. As seven Demon Kings at the Golden Immortal Stage, they could indeed offer sanctuary to other Demon Clans. Consequently, a continuous stream of Demon Clans heeded the call from all directions. Ye Fann allied with a few Demon Clans that met the criteria and together, they ascended towards Plum Mountain's peak. With each step upward, the Spiritual Qi grew richer until, upon reaching the summit, Ye Fann found the concentration of Spiritual Qi nearly matched that of the Heavenly Court.

It was nearly as magnificent as the Heavenly Court itself.

That must have been the draw for the Demon Clans to come here.

At the mountain's entrance, over a hundred Demon Clans stood guard.

The leader was a formidable Demon Bear.

With a single glance, Ye Fann discerned its level of cultivation.

It was a Genuine Immortal!

Inside, countless Demon Clans bustled about.

Ye Fann's spiritual sense spread out, revealing there were at least eighty to ninety thousand of them.

It looked like he was among the last to arrive.

"Name and level of cultivation!" demanded a Demon Clan member at the Earth Immortal Stage.

"Mu Shi, early Earth Immortal," Ye Fann replied.

He had taken the form of a humanoid vine demon, complete with a purple gourd atop his head, modeled after the appearance from his past life memories.

The Demon Clan member glanced at the gourd on Ye Fann's head and said, "Alright, you may pass. Next!"

As Ye Fann moved through the checkpoint, he felt the probing spiritual sense of the Demon Bear sweep over him.

The Demon Bear then rose from the massive stone it had been reclining upon, murmuring, "I've discovered quite the promising talent!"

Ye Fann had kept his divine power at the early Earth Immortal Stage, but thanks to his Red-Horned Horse Monkey essence and his practice of the Nine Circles Profound Arts, his divine power was exceptionally solid, far surpassing that of other Demon Clan members at his level.

"Mu Shi, hold up a moment!" bellowed the Demon Bear from behind Ye Fann, the sound reverberating and buzzing in the ears of the surrounding Demon Clans.

Ye Fann paused, his demeanor unflustered.

With his cultivation level and the shielding power of the Heaven Shrouding Map, he was confident no one could detect his true nature.

"What is it?" Ye Fann inquired.

The Demon Bear swaggered over with a lumbering gait, casting a large shadow that blocked the sunlight from reaching Ye Fann.

"Kid, you have an extraordinary physique, the mark of a one-in-a-million cultivator," the Demon Bear proclaimed.

"Do you want to take me as your master?" the bear demon asked, hands on his hips and his voice booming like thunder.

Ye Fann heard this and had to stifle a laugh. The bear demon before him was so deluded that he wanted to take Ye Fann as his disciple, completely unaware that Ye Fann could easily dispatch him with just a flick of his finger. Ye Fann remained silent, prompting the bear demon to continue.

"Kid, I'm a formidable Genuine Immortal Stage expert and currently serve as a Demon General under the Seven Demon Kings of Mei Mountain," the bear demon boasted. "Even in the Heavenly Court, with my skills, I could hold a high office!"

He stood there, chest puffed out and nose in the air, wearing an expression of utter self-satisfaction, clearly expecting Ye Fann to look at him with awe. But Ye Fann was unmoved, lost in thought.

"Kid, if you acknowledge me as your master, I'll teach you the Black Bear Body Forging Technique, and your physique will be as robust as mine!" the bear demon insisted, clearly impressed with Ye Fann and offering another incentive.

"If I were as strong as you, I'd have been killed long ago," Ye Fann thought to himself, finding the bear demon's display as ridiculous as an ant flexing its muscles to a dragon. When the bear demon seemed ready to continue boasting, Ye Fann quickly interjected, "Let me think about it."

He didn't outright refuse the offer. Considering the nearly one hundred thousand demons on Mei Mountain, he needed a strategy, and who knew when he'd get to meet Yuan Hong otherwise...

"That's the spirit. My strength will surely convince you to accept me as your master," the bear demon said, convinced the deal was done. He grinned broadly, his mouth as wide as a hippo's.

Ye Fann rolled his eyes inwardly. "Someone find a decent place for my disciple to stay," the bear demon ordered another demon, "or I'll eat you alive!" The sheep demon, upon hearing this, trembled in fear.

He approached with a forced laugh. "Disciple, find yourself a place to settle in. I'll come to find you once I've finished my business." Ye Fann remained silent. Yet, this incident clearly demonstrated the immense intimidation exerted by the seven Demon Kings. Even the black bear demon, who was typically nonchalant, didn't dare to abandon his duties. This, however, suited Ye Fann just fine. The black bear demon was like an annoying fly, constantly buzzing around his ears. If Ye Fann couldn't stand it any longer, he might just find a secluded spot to squash him.

The goat demon, coerced by the black bear demon's threat, managed to secure a rather decent lodging for Ye Fann. It wasn't on par with the residences of the Heavenly Court, but compared to the small demons living in caves, Ye Fann's accommodations were practically a "loft."

"I've heard there are seven Golden Immortal Demon Kings around here. Are they all up on the mountain now?" Ye Fann inquired, seeking information from the goat demon.

"Ah, the movements of the seven Demon Kings are unpredictable; I really couldn't say," the goat demon replied. Though he held a managerial position, he was not privy to the dealings of the Seven Monsters of Plum Mountain. Ye Fann, upon hearing this, was even more convinced he had made the right decision. Mixing with the lesser demons on Plum Mountain, he might never learn of Yuan Hong's whereabouts.

In the dead of night, Ye Fann was deep in his cultivation, utilizing the Immortal Pill, when suddenly his loft began to creak and shake violently, as if on the verge of collapse. He quickly ceased his practice and turned towards the door. As expected, the next moment, the black bear demon barged in, grumbling, "This old goat is really asking for trouble. How can a cave compare to this place? Tomorrow, I'll have him for breakfast!" Ye Fann just rolled his eyes, but he could understand the sentiment.

​