Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

"The thing was actually a human?!"

Zhang Jing's gaze slowly fell on the peculiar ram's horn in his hand.

After feeling the strong corroding power within it.

He thought of the half-human-half-sheep monsters that transformed from villagers tonight, as well as the fleeting aura of the ram-headed devil he killed. A sudden enlightenment flashed in his heart.

An inexplicable sense of interest rose in Zhang Jing's heart.

His Divine Sense quickly extended and carefully examined the black ram's horn in his hand.

For a long time.

"It's similar to an Innate Divine Item, but the power within it... it's severely fragmented. It feels like... fragments?!"

A hint of surprise was in his eyes.

For Zhang Jing, who had previously possessed the Innate Azure Cloud Qi and Innate Blood Gold, the concept of Innate Divine Items was not foreign.

This was also one of his main objectives for coming to the Nether Night Realm.

What he didn't anticipate, however.

Was that right after he arrived, he found a trace of an Innate Divine Item.

"Once I take this thing back, even if I can't use it, it should be worthy of some luck movement. It's a pity that I have not found the trace of the Demon Heart Core that Junior Brother Qu mentioned. I hope there will be relevant information about it in the Demon Suppressing Department of Mengyang County."

Zhang Jing thought hopefully.

Then.

He glanced casually at the burly man Xuesuo not far away, gestured with the ram's horn in his hand, and asked nonchalantly:

"Do you call this thing a grotesquery?"

"By your leave."

With difficulty, Xuesuo moved his gaze away from the grotesquery, the black horn in Zhang Jing's hand, and respectfully responded:

"We of the Demon Suppressing Department call things like the ram's horn you're holding, which contain eerie and terrifying powers, grotesqueries. They are believed to be very ancient and supposedly share the same origin with those devils."

"What you're holding wouldn't happen to be—"

He seemed to have guessed something, but stopped himself from saying it.

"Yes, it's the thing left behind by the guy who just died."

Zhang Jing nodded.

"Hiss—, that ram-headed devil was actually a grotesquery cultivator, no wonder it was so difficult to deal with! Half-step Monarch Level, half-step Monarch Level, this is most likely a Monarch Level grotesquery."

After confirmation.

Xuesuo's eyes flashed with a hint of fear, but it quickly turned to relief.

"It's fortunate that you managed to kill him. If he had fully stepped into Monarch Level, then we would be in trouble."

Having said that.

He couldn't help but look at the black ram's horn in Zhang Jing's hand once again, his gaze filled with fervor.

That was a Monarch Level grotesquery!

Those who controlled such an item were invariably at the top-tier of the Monarch Level, dominating over provinces and even establishing a familial bloodline legacy through it.

What a pity—it already has an owner now!

He shook his head with a faint sense of regret.

With this item falling into the hands of Zhang Jing, who is suspected to be an upper-tier Monarch Level existence, the implications are clear without needing to be voiced.

On the other hand.

Zhang Jing's lips curved slightly into a smile.

There was no need for him to hide it, and he did not have the intention to conceal it either.

This item was indeed valuable, yet its level was too low. Unless he could gather all its parts, it was nothing to Zhang Jing.

What was crucial were the reactions of Xuesuo and his companions.

It seemed this grotesquery was exceedingly precious?

Just thinking about it.

Zhang Jing's gaze scanned the faces of the dozen men before him. The hard-to-hide look of envy immediately caught his attention.

"Let's see what fish we can reel in."

His lips curled up slightly, his eyes flashing a hint of faint anticipation.

...

...

Two days later.

In the afternoon, the sunlight was warm, adding a touch of warmth to the cold weather.

In an unassuming courtyard in East City, Mengyang County.

The 'creaking' sound reverberated incessantly.

Following the sound.

A Taishi Chair was rocking non-stop.

Zhang Jing was half-reclining in it, eyes half-closed, his expression calm, exuding an air of leisure.

In a moment.

As he turned to the last page of the ancient book in his hands.

Zhang Jing slowly opened his eyes.

"In the Nether Night Realm, devils are ranked from low to high as spirits, demons, Big Demons, and Magicians, roughly corresponding to the levels of soldiers, generals, princes, and the highest Monarch Level in the cultivators. Generally, the higher-level devils are more powerful and much more numerous."

"Devil cultivators, cunning cultivators; is this their main cultivation system? It doesn't sound quite right."

Zhang Jing shook his head slightly.

But he didn't take it too seriously.

After all, the cultivation method of this world had been revealed by Xuesuo before.

He had expected this.

However…

"The so-called remnants of devils mentioned here, according to the descriptions, should be the Demon Heart Core. So, only demons and higher beings leave this behind after death? No wonder that guy left nothing behind except the strange item, a ram's horn, when he died."

"Seems like I was half a level short."

Zhang Jing couldn't help but laugh in spite of himself.

Then.

With a 'pop', he threw the ancient book on the table in front of him.

The 'creaking' sound of the bamboo chair echoed again.

As if he were waiting for something.

…

…

The Demon Suppressing Department in Mengyang County.

In a brightly lit room.

A handsome man in a red and silver python official robe was carefully arranging a pot of unknown bright red flowers in front of him, a faint smile on his lips.

Behind him.

Xuesuo, who had not yet fully recovered, was quietly kneeling on the ground, not even daring to gasp for air.

Time ticked away.

"How is that person now?" The man's gentle voice broke the silence in the room.

The voice surprisingly gave off a feminine tone.

At the sound of his voice.

Xuesuo trembled and immediately replied in a deep voice:

"Reporting to the general, Sir is still in the courtyard every day looking at ancient books, there is no other movement. The several tests you've ordered have been done, he should not be a demon."

"That's good."

The red-robed man paused his actions and then said in a flat tone:

"Since there's no problem, I'll go visit him personally. Oh, you said, he acquired a General Level strange object two days ago?"

"General, I saw it with my own eyes."

Xuesuo lowered his head.

"Within two days, he should not have had time to refine and recognize it as his own."

A glint flashed through the eyes of the man in the red robe, a spark of excitement rising in his heart.

He had already reached the limit of the high-level Generals, and needed only one more step to enter the ranks of the Princes, to become a true high-ranking official in the Demon Suppressing Department and dominate a state. At that time, his power and lifespan would also make a quantum leap.

But this step may be close at hand, and yet seemed as if an unbridgeable gap separated it, stumping countless heroes and talents since ancient times.

Unless the power cultivated in oneself is derived from a Big Demon.

Otherwise, one can only make it through with extensive accumulation.

How difficult it is, can hardly be described to outsiders.

For him.

The arrival of this strange object could not have been more timely!

"General, Sir is a high-level General. If we want to get that strange object from him, we may need to take the long view."

Xuesuo on the ground seemed to guess something and timidly reminded.

"There are differences even among high-level Generals! I can make him honestly work for the Demon Suppressing Department. After all, that demon was originally a mission of the Demon Suppressing Department, to put it fair, that strange item, the ram's horn, should at least partially belong to Demon Suppressing Department."

"If he turns it in, the Demon Suppressing Department of Mengyang County will undoubtedly have one more foundation, and one more path of cultivation for the General Level Cunning Path, which is good for everyone."

"As a reward for the mission, you also have the right to use this strange object for cultivation."

The man in the red robe said righteously.

Upon hearing these words.

Xuesuo's breathing involuntarily quickened.

Without much thought.

"General, I'll try to persuade Sir right now and strive to get him to hand over the ram's horn to the Demon Suppressing Department," Xuesuo said enthusiastically.

"No, you show me the way, I'll go over now!"

"After all, he's a high-level General, and he should be accorded all the due respect and etiquette. Oh, dispatch someone to inform the other two Generals! Today is the day our Mengyang's fourth General is born, how could they not be present to witness it?"

The man in the red robe said seriously.

"I understand!"