NOVEL NEXT Chapter 155: The Collapsing Pig
"So, what's the deal with Grandpa Tree? Isn't he the strongest in the Western Wilderness?"
Wang Wu couldn't help but ask.
"He used to be. Thousands of years ago, it was Grandpa Tree along with other wise leaders of various races who initiated the plan to learn from the strengths of the Human Race, which indeed maintained the Western Wilderness's prosperity for tens of thousands of years. It's said that at its peak, lands stretching tens of thousands of miles east from the Great Snow Mountain were all under the rule of the Western Wilderness."
"But nowadays, as you can see, the Human Race has already encircled the Great Snow Mountain. The once extensive Western Wilderness has transformed into ten cultivation cities of the Human Race. The expansion of the Human Race is truly too fast. If this continues, we might have to flee to the North Wilderness or South Wilderness to stay alive."
"Is there an end to the Western Wilderness?" Wang Wu asked again.
"Of course, there is an end. Heading west from Heavenly Dao Mountain, after approximately five hundred thousand miles, it's said to reach the Endless Sea. But the Western Wilderness is so vast, most of it is still under the rule of the Ancient Tree Race. They've formed the unique Black Forest, a place where only the Ancient Trees and their companion races can survive, overshadowing all others."
"Grandpa Tree is just one of the more open-minded Ancient Trees, willing to coexist peacefully with the Demon Race. But to be honest, we of the Demon Race are also slowly developing the Black Forest. In the eyes of the Human Race, where we live is the Western Wilderness, but to us, the Black Forest is the true Western Wilderness."
"Alright, stop asking. Such unnecessary questions, let me ask you, what's your current strength like? Do you have any plans to join the Celestial Dao Mountain Academy?" Old Niu's sister asked irritably.
"I—I still need to think about it." Wang Wu hesitated, the situation in the Western Wilderness making him very uneasy, especially after encountering that Human Race Celestial Realm Great Cultivator, Lu Wuchen. He was truly very unsettled.
He even just wanted to find a place to hide.
"What's there to consider! This is a gift from the Mad Tiger King! You have no idea how precious this opportunity is. At the Celestial Dao Mountain Academy, you have the chance to learn the methods of demon cultivation, which is very beneficial for enhancing our bloodline purity and increasing our bloodline growth limits..."
"Okay, think about it yourself! We shouldn't call you three the Three Heroes of the Western Wilderness anymore—let's simply call you the Three Losers of the Western Wilderness! Three good-for-nothings!"
Old Niu's sister dropped these words and then gave Old Niu a heavy punch before turning to leave.
After she left, Old Niu and Little Wild Boar seemed to come back to life, gathering around Wang Wu in a nearby open space, and the first thing Old Niu said almost scared Wang Wu to death.
"Third Brother, what should we do? I suspect there's a Human Race spy in our team, namely what they call a Spirit Beast."
"What? Old Niu, you need to speak with evidence!" Wang Wu steadied himself. Despite being horrified, he knew he couldn't lose his composure at this time.
"I don't have evidence. I told my sister, but she didn't believe it and even beat me up."
"Then is it possible that you suddenly heard you were the true successor of Black Mountain after experiencing a great change? Got a bit carried away?"
"Carried away, my foot! I'm not some flashy but worthless parasite; I have real talent and knowledge! Third Brother, let me tell you some good news: I've successfully condensed the Acupoint Opening Demon Pill, haha! Look at the form I've transformed into now—isn't it just like? I'm telling you, after condensing the Acupoint Opening Demon Pill, I've also mastered the Transformation Technique. You two need to keep working hard."
"Once we can all transform into human forms, we can sneak into the Human Race's territory to learn their knowledge. We must understand why the Human Race has grown so strong. Alas, if this keeps up, the Western Desolate Demon Race will become history."
"Why does the Human Race need Spirit Beasts? Is it because Spirit Beasts are more obedient?" Wang Wu asked, perplexed. Just a moment ago they were demons, but once they fell in with the Human Race, they became Spirit Beasts—how could the Human Race be so trusting?
"I know, I know!" Little Wild Boar answered eagerly. "Because Spirit Beasts are demons with changed blood. After the blood change, the Human Race supposedly sets restrictions and blood arrays within their bodies, ensuring they remain loyal to a specific individual and their associated cultivation city for life."
"Although the blood change leads to loss of freedom, it greatly extends one's lifespan. For example, as a demon my lifespan is less than a hundred years, but becoming a Spirit Beast allows me to live at least a thousand years. So you know, many demons willingly become Spirit Beasts like fools."
"The key is that after the blood change, it's hard to detect any immediate change, so they're no different from ordinary demons. This is why Big Brother's worried because even the Ancient Blood Demon Race might not be able to resist this temptation—they might believe that the transformation of demons into Spirit Beasts is an inevitable trend."
"Let me give a simple example. I had to work hard to cultivate to the Seventh Grade and condense the Acupoint Opening Demon Pill just to barely gain a lifespan of four hundred years. Now if a Human Race Cultivator comes to me and says, 'Report the positions and lists of other Ancient Blood Demon Races to me, and I'll give you a blood change, turning you into a Spirit Beast that can live a thousand years.' You tell me, can I refuse?"
"Ah!"
Wang Wu stared in shock at Little Wild Boar. Damn, you haven't already done this, have you!
"Third Brother, what kind of look is that? I'm only giving an example. I'm also thinking of telling you and Big Brother to stop being stubborn, stop thinking about sneaking into the Human Race's territory to learn their knowledge, stop dreaming of defeating the Human Race and restoring the Demon Race's glory. Even I want to be a Spirit Beast. Remember, I'm just using an example, but every low-level Little Demon in the Academy, who doesn't want to be a Spirit Beast! Big Brother, I don't believe you haven't thought about it."
"I—I indeed had those thoughts during a time of self-abandonment." Old Niu responded helplessly, "But later I found out I'm from the Ancient Blood Demon Race, if I still want to be a Spirit Beast, then I'm just a foolish cow, aren't I?"
"That's right; there are so few from the Ancient Blood Demon Race, what can ordinary little demons do? It's a great trend because there's just no fighting against the Human Race's infiltration, everywhere are little demons wanting to be Spirit Beasts. The Human Race only needs to beckon slightly and a bunch will want to be Spirit Beasts."
"To say something pessimistic, today it is the Great Snow Mountain, and I feel that tomorrow it will be Heavenly Dao Mountain. The Academy has indeed provided us with a wider world, but it has also dazzled us. Demons must be in a wild state, and can't think too much. Knowing too much is like a mouse that has eaten forbidden fruit, and it can never go back."
The Little Wild Boar became more pessimistic and more depressed as he spoke.
Old Niu quickly advised, "Second Brother, don't think like that. It's actually easy to solve. You still have me and Third Brother. At worst, if you have a daughter in the future, I'll marry her, or if I have a daughter, you can marry her. If Third Brother has a daughter, let your son marry her. That way, wouldn't your descendants also become Ancient Blood Demons?"
"Niu Huanxi, shut up, will you? Is what I'm talking about the same thing as what you are talking about? And how could it be the same thing! The point is not there, but that my dao heart has collapsed. My mindset is ruined, and I can't go back anymore. I was supposed to be an innocent Little Demon, but so much has happened now. I didn't know about any of it before, or I could happily go to die. It'd be great if I died under the sword of a Celestial Realm Great Cultivator. But now I can't go back, I can't go back, do you get it?"
The Little Wild Boar broke down and cried.
Old Niu looked to Wang Wu for help, but Wang Wu just remained silent. Until the Little Wild Boar had cried almost enough, he finally spoke slowly.
"Do you know? It's the same for the Human Race. If you told them that just by betraying their own race, their understanding, their morals, they could live an extra hundred years, no, even if it were just fifty years, most of them would be willing. Even if it meant turning into a demon and falling to the Eternal Purgatory, they would still be willing."
"In comparison, the temptation you endure is obviously greater. Ten times the lifespan, yet your dao heart is only broken. That's quite remarkable."
"Third Brother, what are you trying to say? Are you mocking me in a roundabout way?"
The Little Wild Boar angrily looked up.
Wang Wu shook his head, his gaze calm. "Actually, I want to say, though I don't know much about the Ancient Blood Demon Race, even the ordinary Demon Race's bloodline might achieve great things. Little Pig, you weren't even afraid to be a spy for the Human Race, or a spirit beast, so are you brave enough to make a bet with me?"
"Bet on what?"
"Bet that even an ordinary Demon Race bloodline can also reach the peak of this world."
"But how could that even be possible?" This time it was Old Niu who answered quickly.
Wang Wu just looked at him and smiled. Indeed, even the Ancient Blood Demon Race wasn't confident, was it?
"Old Niu, you can follow along in the bet too!"
"Why not? I'll bet!" Old Niu boisterously declared.
"I—fine, rather than ultimately failing and becoming a spirit beast or a traitor to the Demon Race, I'd rather die a step earlier. Third Brother, tell me, how should we bet? If I lose, I have one request, that you must kill me with your own hands, because I truly can't do it myself. I'm certain I will betray, I will become a traitor to the Demon Race!"
The Little Wild Boar began to cry again, his understanding of himself was quite clear.
"Alright, now I need a place where we absolutely won't be disturbed. Is this place safe?" Wang Wu asked.
"It's absolutely safe, but if any of those bastards we're traveling with are potential traitors inclined towards the Human Race, then it won't be safe. But I know a place, come on."
Old Niu turned his head and dashed into the old forest, excreting a heap of cow dung, and countless vines sealed off the surroundings, leaving a space about 300 square meters.
"Don't worry, Third Brother, don't give me that suspicious look, okay? In this vast land, where can you find a more suitable valley, a hidden cave, it has to rely on my secret technique. I'm telling you, right now you could kill a pig here, and no one outside would hear the noise or smell the blood."
"Pah, why not say kill a cow instead!"
"Second Brother, stop bickering. Third Brother, show us what you've got, let me, Old Niu, be enlightened today! Seventh-Grade Bull Demon, invincible!" Old Niu shouted exuberantly, extremely arrogant, and utterly defiant.
Wang Wu glanced at him, nodded, so be it, as you wish.
In a flash, the Companion Demon Vine activated, with a flash of blue light, a slender demon vine shot out like lightning, wrapping around Old Niu's neck, with the barbs instantly popping up, piercing directly.
The next second, the demon vine retracted, but the 100 points of paralyzing poison had already quickly been injected, causing 1000 points of paralysis damage, and at least 100 seconds of paralysis effect.
"You're—"
Before Old Niu could finish his sentence, there was a thud, and he collapsed, foaming at the mouth, limbs twitching.