C48 Scouting the Purple Flame Lion King's Cave

Chen Wu's strategy was deceptively simple, hinging on a secret hidden within the clothes he had discarded. He had made use of a common medicinal herb known as Earth Root, typically found in the mountains and used to treat feelings of internal cold. Its effects were straightforward: consumption would raise one's body temperature, induce profuse sweating, and create a sensation akin to having ingested a copious amount of chilies, leading to boiling blood and a loss of emotional control.

However, in small doses, Earth Root was ineffective against Demonic Beasts. Therefore, in addition to training his Demonic Pet, Chen Wu had been deliberately gathering this herb in significant quantities, knowing it would affect the beasts if he collected enough.

But Earth Root alone wasn't sufficient. Chen Wu also possessed the hallucinogenic Bewitching Powder, a remnant of the Flower-demon that had proven to be of great assistance to Yun Su. The powder's primary effects were to cause hallucinations and numb the mind, which would have little impact on High-grade Demonic Beasts under normal circumstances. But when these beasts were already suffering from heightened body temperatures and discomfort to the point of irrationality, the Bewitching Powder acted as a potent catalyst, plunging them into a frenzy, perhaps even convincing them that they were engulfed in flames, burning from the inside out.

Chen Wu's sprinkled powder on his clothes was a clever ruse as well. Known as beast luring powder, it was an aromatic substance made from spiced meat, typically used as bait for hungry Demonic Beasts. In this context, it was as irresistible as a vision of an enchanting, tender-hearted beauty to a man parched from eight hundred years of celibacy, or a life-saving spring to someone dying of thirst.

The inevitable outcome was that all the Demonic Beasts saw the Shadow Bat as the most exquisite prey, descending into a frenzied scramble for it. The unfortunate Shadow Bat didn't even have a chance to take flight before it was pummeled by relentless energy attacks, plummeting tragically to the ground. What followed was a savage struggle, with various Demonic Beasts tearing into it. Even the Purple Flame Lion King, in its eagerness to claim the prize, engaged in a ferocious battle with other beasts, unleashing a burst of purple flame that scorched the surrounding attackers. Some beasts, seizing the moment, ripped off large chunks of the Shadow Bat's wings, greedily chewing them before being fatally attacked by their competitors.

Hu Liang's face had turned ghostly pale. How could his Shadow Bat possibly fend off such a horrific onslaught? The presence of the Bronze Grade 7 Purple Flame Lion King and two Grade 6 Blood Wolves that had emerged from nowhere made the situation dire. In less than ten breaths, they had shredded the Shadow Bat to pieces!

Hu Liang, reeling from the death of his Demonic Pet, spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground with eyes red and veined, emitting a low growl like a madman. "You little bastard, I swear I'll kill you... Kill you!"

From the moment Chen Wu released the powder to its activation, and his subsequent escape, only two minutes had passed. Initially, Hu Liang was stunned, clueless about Chen Wu's machinations. But by the time he realized the Demonic Beasts had fixed their bloodthirsty gazes on his Shadow Bat, it was too late. The Shadow Bat had missed its chance to flee. Within a mere two and a half minutes, Hu Liang could only watch from a distance as his Demonic Pet was viciously dismembered, unable to intervene in time.

"Big brother, what happened to you? Big brother!" The panicked shouts of the Hu Family echoed in his ears. With a final roar of rage, Hu Liang summoned a small, cunning creature and commanded through clenched teeth, "Kill them all!" Then, he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Hu Liang had not focused on nurturing his Zodiac Demonic Pet as most did, lacking a strong foundation. Even with an inheritance, he couldn't secure a more formidable Demonic Pet. Thus, the seemingly weaker Shadow Bat was, in fact, his Zodiac Demonic Pet, while the Nine-eyed Mink, a Vice Pet acquired by a stroke of luck and with exceptional talent, had been his focus. The death of his Zodiac Demonic Pet and the resulting Blood Contract backlash had left him mentally devastated.

Chen Wu might not have realized that the revenge trap he meticulously set up to eliminate Hu Liang's Vice Pet had actually taken out his Zodiac Demonic Pet!

At that moment, seizing the opportunity provided by the chaos of the battle outside, Chen Wu stealthily made his way into the lair of the Purple Flame Lion King. His objective was straightforward: to see if he could find a Cub of such a formidable Demonic Pet.

Armed with a Fairy Ball, Chen Wu could afford the luxury of an additional Demonic Pet without occupying any space in his Demonic Pet Space. While not available for immediate summoning, it was a significant advantage. The Fairy Ball was also incredibly convenient to use, and once he had tamed a creature, it could serve as a powerful secret weapon.

Chen Wu recently took a moment to check on the Purple Flame Lion King and was quite pleased with what he saw.

[Creature]: Purple Flame Lion King

[Attributes]: Beast, Fire

[Type]: Double Evolution (Little Flame Lion to Purple Flame Lion King)

[Skills]: Flame Gushed Out, Intimidation, Smashing Claw, Fire Shield

[Potential]: Silver Level

[Bloodline]: Nine-Headed Flame Lion (Dilute)

[Level]: Bronze Grade 7

[Status]: Mentally Disoriented

The Purple Flame Lion King is an evolved form of the Little Flame Lion. Typically, it's quite challenging for Demonic Beasts to undergo a second evolution. They must inherently possess a very potent High-grade Bloodline Power, and the Heaven-earth Materials And Treasures that can stimulate Bloodline Evolution are exceedingly scarce. These treasures are top-tier Spiritual Materials, so rare that they are beyond price, and even Level 2 and Level 3 Demonic Pet Masters can only dream of acquiring them.

However, when a Demonic Beast does evolve, it almost always transforms into a much stronger entity.

While a Little Flame Lion isn't particularly valuable, a cub descended from the Purple Flame Lion King is exceedingly precious. Moreover, Chen Wu's system has revealed that the bloodline of this Purple Flame Lion King is at least as strong as that of his own Little Flame Firefox, if not stronger.

Therefore, if he can contract a young Purple Flame Lion, Chen Wu's trip will have been a resounding success!

Inside the pitch-black tree hollow, visibility was nonexistent.

The forest, being remote, had a temperature a few degrees cooler than the surface year-round.

Truthfully, Chen Wu was puzzled as to why the Purple Flame Lion King, a Fire-type, would choose to establish its den in such a place.

But the immediate priority was to thoroughly search the Purple Flame Lion King's den before it regained consciousness!

Chen Wu entered with caution, the harrowing ordeal in the Three-tailed Firefox's den still fresh in his memory. He hadn't anticipated the presence of a vixen, which nearly resulted in a disastrous setback.

Luckily, there was no vixen in the Purple Flame Lion King's cave. However, it was clear there were no cubs either. Despite the Purple Flame Lion King's dominion over this territory, the Purple Flame Lion is a rare species. Without a mate, it cannot breed.

Chen Wu didn't come away empty-handed. At the very least, he stumbled upon some treasures within the Purple Flame Lion King's lair.

"Fire-type Purple Flame Flowers and Blazing Vines—both excellent medicinal herbs for fire types, nurtured by the constant emanation of power from a Fire-type Demonic Pet. Yet, they're of no use to me."

Chen Wu's eyes then fell upon something intriguing.

A delicate jade pendant, still radiating intense heat, turned a corner of the cave into a sweltering furnace.

"A Fire-type Treasure Weapon!"

Chen Wu exclaimed in delight!