The Demon Lord's Invasion

Chapter 6: Forging

“Pfft!” Jiang Tang landed a verbal blow on the fleeing earth wolf, and instantly, the three-hundred-jin beast collapsed onto the sandy ground. Dongfang drifted leisurely above the coyote’s corpse and said in a flat tone, “It’s truly astonishing. The primordial energy in this world is so powerful that even in such harsh conditions, these creatures can grow this large. Is this coyote’s size the result of evolution or genetic inheritance? I’ll definitely have to study this later. Hand it over to me.” Jiang Tang shot Dongfang a sidelong glance and grumbled, “If I hand it over to you, what am I supposed to eat?” “I just need some materials for my research—the toughness of the skin and flesh, the hardness of the bones. I need precise measurements for these.” “I really don’t get people like you,” Jiang Tang said, shaking his head as he began to butcher the carcass. “Even if you knew, what good would it do? You’d still end up getting killed by my spit.” “Jiang Tang, you’re so stupid…” “Get lost.” Although he wasn’t fond of Dongfang, Jiang Tang still cut off the flesh, bones, and other parts Dongfang needed and handed them over. As he dealt with the corpse of the outer-world wolf, Jiang Tang gazed at the setting sun and said, “Just beyond that lies Green Moon Lake. Past Green Moon Lake is the heart of the Sand Sea, which is teeming with demon beasts—especially insects like the Netherfire Ants, Bone Spiders, and Blood Mosquitoes. Rumor has it that these three types of demonic insects aren’t native to this realm, but are creatures from the Demon Realm that tore through the void to get here.” “Tear open the void? Could it be that cultivators can actually open wormholes?” Dongfang ran his small hand over his delicate chin, looking deep in thought. Jiang Tang tapped him on his shiny head and said, “You’re thinking too far ahead. Wormholes? What about spaceships? Even if their physical bodies could fly off this planet, they’d definitely be torn to shreds by the vacuum—no, not even shreds would remain.” “No, that’s actually a possibility. When one’s power reaches a certain level and their own gravitational pull is strong enough to counteract the vacuum of space, it’s not impossible to survive in the cosmos. Have you heard of water bears?” Jiang Tang didn’t want to talk to this guy; it would make him look too ignorant. It was night, with a full moon hanging high in the sky, its silvery glow bathing the entire desert. Jiang Tang lay fast asleep in the small hut formed by the wolf-shaped golem, while Dongfang sat on a ground dragon leg inside the hut. To Jiang Tang, it looked more like fur—only as thick as a thumb and as hard as iron. Two days later, Jiang Tang was holding a slender, curved dagger in one hand, examining it repeatedly, when Dongfang suddenly floated over. Looking at the last remaining ground dragon leg, he said, “Leave this one for me to study.” “Alright. Alright,” Jiang Tang replied as he pulled out a few more Earth Dragon legs. However, these legs emitted no Yuan Power fluctuations—they had become lifeless objects, mere husks whose quality had long since been reduced to the first tier. They were far inferior to the previous three, which Li Yishang had severed and which still retained their peak second-tier quality. “Give me a few of these for research as well. And as for that Earth Dragon armor—it seems each piece has a different hardness—so take a small sample from each one for me to study,” Dongfang added. “Sure. I’ll give you everything—I don’t need it anyway.” Jiang Tang really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “And the Blood Essence of the Netherfire Ants and the Black Crystal.” “Get lost.” “Jiang Tang, you’re so stupid…” “Stop pushing your luck. Once we reach the depths of the Sand Sea, these things will be all over the place. If you’re so capable, go get them yourself.” “No pain, no gain.” Dongfang remained as shameless as ever. “Fine, fine, you win!” After taking the Netherfire Ant essence and black crystals out of his storage pouch, Jiang Tang sulkily crouched down on the ground and began sharpening his curved blade. He’d spent two years hunting ferocious beasts and demonic creatures in the Sand Sea, and the meager savings he’d painstakingly accumulated were almost entirely gone this past month! It’s easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go from extravagance back to frugality. With a spendthrift fellow villager like this to support, if this deep expedition into the Sand Sea yielded no rewards, Jiang Tang didn’t plan on returning alive anyway—so why hold on to him? The next day, a wolf-like golem—five chi tall at the shoulder and ten zhang long—sprinted wildly across the desert. “We’re far enough—why haven’t you made your move yet?” The small figure from Dongfang sat on the wolf’s hindquarters, his smooth little head gazing up at a streak of black light soaring through the azure sky. “Stop blabbering—I get it.” Jiang Tang twirled the bone spear in his hand, resting it on his forearm and aiming upward. He suddenly channeled Yuan Power into his eyes; just as a cold gleam flashed in his gaze, his right hand—as if ablaze—erupted in a ball of white flame. But almost instantly, the white flame was absorbed by the talismanic array on the spear’s butt. “Boom!” In the blink of an eye, a mournful cry rang out from the horizon ahead, and the soaring golden eagle plummeted to the ground. The wolf-shaped golem immediately bolted away like a wild beast. “Is that a demon bird?” Dongfang Cangying asked, his voice betraying a hint of excitement despite the creature’s massive size. “No, just an ordinary ferocious bird. However, judging by its reddish feathers, it’s almost ready to advance to a First-Tier Crimson Flame Eagle. What a pity,” Jiang Tang said, shaking his head. Dongfang quickly said, “I’ll take a look at it first.” “Suit yourself.” Jiang Tang wasn’t about to miss out on a bite of meat. Dongfang immediately began measuring the Blue Eagle’s carcass—the length of its wings, the size of its beak, and the hardness of its talons—and didn’t finish until nightfall. Jiang Tang showed no intention of rushing him, because just over ten li away lay Green Moon Lake—the true realm of demon beasts. Therefore, he planned to rest right there and restore his body to peak condition. As day turned to night, a new day dawned over the Sand Sea. This day was also the most infuriating one for the cultivators of Earth City—they were so furious they were cursing their mothers. Powerful cultivators had arrived—and in droves. They all knew these people had come for the Earth Dragon, but if they already had such clear objectives, why were they still competing for the Sand Sea’s pitifully scarce resources? Without a shred of restraint, they ventured deep into the Sand Sea in droves. In just a few days, the corpses of Blazing Wind Horses, Howling Wind Wolves, Crimson Flame Eagles, Fire-Poison Snakes, and all manner of demon insects had piled up like mountains in Earth City, where they were being sold off on a massive scale. This is undoubtedly the greatest catastrophe the Sand Sea’s demon beasts have faced in thousands of years—and a catastrophe for low-level cultivators as well! The Sand Sea is a breeding ground for the weak—those without innate talent, family connections, or powerful backers. Those who come here cherish this land deeply, for none of them can guarantee a promising future. If they end up living in misery, what will become of their children? In this nurturing ground for the weak, moderate hunting of demon beasts is enough to allow many to reach the Qi-Martial Realm, after which they can leave—either to venture out on their own or to join a sect and survive by aligning themselves with a powerful clan. If even this cradle were to disappear, what would become of the nearby cultivators? What would the future hold for them?