But for him, the magical combat he was best at had only just begun.
CRACK!
His Profound Armor-clad elbow slammed viciously into the Vice General’s face. A horrifying force surged out, instantly shattering the man’s cheekbone.
Empowered by the Wind-Riding Mountain Patrol Divine Technique, Lin Shu’s figure was like a phantom, weaving unpredictably between the four men.
Fists and palms flew, easily shattering their bones.
In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of the two Demon Generals rushing over to help.
He threw another vicious punch.
The Vice General was sent flying, crashing into the mountainside and causing the already crumbling Qingming Mountain to show signs of complete collapse.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The same dull thuds sounded three more times in quick succession.
"Huh?"
Golden Bear charged over brandishing his great saber, only to find the spot empty.
He looked back, slightly embarrassed, to see that the figures were already on the mountain peak.
’Who the hell can keep up with that?’
He said sheepishly, "I, I wasn’t trying to steal the show. Just thought I’d lend a hand."
Before he could finish speaking, the sound of tearing silk echoed through the air.
Lin Shu reached out and pulled out the long halberd. Red mist swirled around him as he flicked the weapon’s tip, easily severing a head.
The Fierce Lion Burning Blood Technique at Sixth Grade Perfection allowed him to unleash the power of a Mid-stage Core Formation cultivator using only his physical body, without even needing to draw on his Spiritual Power.
Coupled with his sturdy Treasure Armor, which was impervious to lightning and fire, he was like a tiger with wings.
The Vice Generals didn’t even have a chance to flee before the long halberd viciously cleaved through their spines.
Soon, as the figures fell one after another from the mountain peak, the surging black flames finally dissipated. The Red Moon slowly faded from the sky, and everything seemed as illusory as the moon in the water or a flower in a mirror.
The sunset was still a brilliant red, now accompanied by a ground littered with mangled corpses.
From the moment the Demon-slaying Bureau appeared until now, it seemed not even an hour had passed.
Lin Shu landed on Qingming Mountain and nodded toward the stunned Little Demons.
Seeing them staring at him, dazed yet delighted, he realized they weren’t Chang Yi and had to add, "Collect the bodies. Remember to strip off the Profound Armor."
"Oh! Right!"
The Little Demons quickly scattered to collect the corpses and Storage Bags.
Golden Bear dazedly scanned his surroundings.
He wasn’t sure—single-handedly killing five Vice Generals, over a hundred Captains, and a full seven Core Formation True Masters from the Yu Family... What kind of status would all these achievements elevate the Moon-Devouring Demon Banner to?
’The Ten Great Demon Generals?’
At this thought, Golden Bear swallowed hard.
The top ten powerhouses on the Demon Mountain had all personally slain an adult Immortal Descendant.
But if he had to compare, he felt the shock from what Moon-Devouring had just done was even more intense.
The sheer numbers were just so much greater!
"Hah..."
The Qingming Demon General’s breathing was heavy, her expression complex as she looked at the young man before her.
She could tell that all the methods he used were still within the scope of the Middle Third Grade of Core Formation.
But his seemingly inexhaustible reserves... it would probably take three or four of her combined to even compare.
And she was a Late-stage Core Formation expert.
In a situation that defied all common sense, the beautiful woman even temporarily forgot about the Magical Treasure that had interested her most.
"How is Demon General Duan Yue?" Lin Shu asked, strolling closer.
"He should be... fine, I think."
The Qingming Demon General wasn’t entirely sure.
The people from the Demon-slaying Bureau and the Yu Family Disciples hadn’t actually managed to hurt Old Xu.
She glanced up at Qingming Mountain, which had now mostly collapsed.
But it seemed he had been buried alive.
"I’m fine..."
At the entrance of the collapsed cave, Xie Yutang was supporting the old man. Both of them looked as if they had been struck by lightning.
After all, no one had ever seen a Core Formation Cultivator cause such a terrifying, world-shattering commotion.
Xie Yutang was somewhat mentally prepared for it.
But in Elder Xu’s memory, Lin Shu was still the kid who had struggled to fight eight Foundation Establishment Disciples from the Zhao Family.
How had he become so terrifying in just one month?
"That was impressive."
Lin Shu offered a rare compliment.
He had originally thought Elder Xu had been gravely wounded to the brink of death and deliberately let go by the Demon-slaying Bureau as bait.
He never expected to hear from Chang Yi later that Elder Xu had been ambushed, fought one against three, nearly killed one of them, and then swaggered away.
’To have such formidable strength and still resist raising a banner... It could only mean the old man genuinely cared about this group of Little Demons.’
"Ah, me?"
Elder Xu froze, pointed to his own nose, then looked at the corpses littering the ground.
His face flushed red as he waved his hands repeatedly, vehemently denying it. "I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare."
Here at the entrance to Qingming Mountain, probably only one of the Ten Great Demon Generals could bear the weight of those three words, "that was impressive," from Lin Shu.
Lin Shu realized what had happened and shook his head slightly.
What he had just said was truly heartfelt.
Because only he knew just how expensive this magical combat had been; it was far beyond what his own level should allow.
A full nine hundred Sin Coins!
It had nearly driven the Filthy Moon Wolf Lord insane, who was still foaming at the mouth even now.
But the rewards were also plentiful.
The seven Core Formation Disciples were each worth over a hundred Sin Coins, totaling one thousand two hundred. The one hundred and fifty-plus Captains were worth another one thousand three hundred.
The five Mid-stage Core Formation Vice Generals were valued at over three hundred each, adding another one thousand seven hundred.
Even after deducting the cost, he had still earned a full three thousand three hundred Sin Coins!
This trip had really been worth it.
Of course, besides making money, Lin Shu had also vented some of his frustration.
He truly hadn’t expected to witness such an absurd scene when he arrived.
Cultivators being treated as Demons was the work of an Immortal Family.
The Demon-slaying Bureau was only following orders to exterminate demons. At most, it could be seen as a difference in stance; you could even say they were just doing their respective jobs.
When a fight breaks out, there’s no need for words. It just comes down to who has the tougher methods.
But what did the conflict between Immortals and Demons have to do with those refugee Laborers?
"When gods fight, mortals suffer," as the saying goes.
Even a Demon General knew to send the mortals away first so they wouldn’t interfere with the coming magical combat.
Yet these Vice Generals did the opposite, using the lives of mortals to threaten their opponent, and even looked proud of themselves.
Only now did Lin Shu finally understand what Ruan Xiangling had said.
Why she had been worried he would be led astray by the other faction.
"Moon-Devouring Demon Brother, thank you for your help."
The Qingming Demon General suppressed the turmoil in her heart. She first clasped her hands in a salute, then hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Take him in."
"Take who in?"
Lin Shu followed her gaze, which landed on Elder Xu.
"This old fellow has always been unwilling to raise a banner, so his reputation is a bit weak, but he’s actually quite strong. Once his injuries are healed, he’ll definitely be a formidable general under your command, Brother Yao."
The Qingming Demon General first put in a good word for Old Xu, then lowered her voice. "Only a Demon Monarch can remove the Demon-Suppressing Golden Light on him. But since he’s a Scattered Demon, he needs some kind of official status."
"Coincidentally, the children he cares about are all working under your banner now, Brother Yao."
"If the Cloud Dragon Demon Monarch demands too much, I’ll help you gather the resources."
Clearly, the beautiful woman didn’t want to see the old man fall into ruin from his severe injuries.
Unfortunately, he was a stubborn mule. He would never agree to abandon those Little Demons and join Qingming Mountain.
"I have no problem with it."
Lin Shu nodded slightly.
Just based on the fact that the old man had risked coming to inform him about the great calamity three months from now... even if the Qingming Demon General hadn’t said anything, he would never have stood by and watched coldly.
"Wow! Doesn’t that mean Moon-Devouring has two Core Formation Powerhouses under its banner now!"
Monkey exclaimed, his face ecstatic as he held several severed arms.
Just then, a quiet but firm voice came from behind him.
"Three."
Everyone looked back in astonishment. Lin Shu also looked at the girl in the black shirt with some surprise.
Under the young man’s gaze, Xie Yutang shyly bit her lip and said softly, "The commotion just now was too great. I became extremely agitated, and my killing intent rose. It unexpectedly aligned with my Sword Essence’s core intent and sped up my progress."
Lin Shu’s eyes flickered. Now he understood where this new batch of Merit Coins had come from.
The scattered but numerous ones were clearly from the tens of thousands of refugees, including that group of Laborers.
They brought in a total of over one hundred Merit Coins.
Next were several dozen Little Demons, most of whom were likely Qingming Mountain’s Demon Soldiers.
Amounting to two hundred and eighty.
But there were none from the Qingming Demon General, nor from Xie Yutang.
The only two at the Core Formation Realm were likely Golden Bear and Elder Xu. Together, they accounted for seven hundred Merit Coins.
All told, it was over one thousand one hundred.
’Looks like I can have another good round of meditation.’

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