’Having expectations that are too high and being too concerned with gains and losses is, in the end, a lesser path.’
Xu Chang’an’s original plan was to seize the wealth and resources of the Great Demon Cyan Eagle.
However, the sudden appearance of the Peacock Princess had drastically raised his expectations.
He hadn’t expected so much in the first place, and although he didn’t get the Peacock Princess’s Storage Bag, his gains were actually greater than he had originally imagined.
Setting everything else aside, the value of the Golden Jade Hairpin, a Quasi-Magical Treasure, was enough to make up for everything.
Unfortunately, the Golden Jade Hairpin was one of the Peacock Princess’s prized treasures and was extremely conspicuous.
It was stolen goods that couldn’t see the light of day and couldn’t be sold for cash.
Well, at least not in Peacock Demon City.
’The Demon Path is fraught with hardship and unpredictable changes. One must follow the flow of events and never force things!’
’What I gain is my destiny; what I lose is my fortune!’
Xu Chang’an sighed with emotion for a moment, but his actions didn’t pause in the slightest.
He retrieved the Talisman Treasure, then placed the Quasi-Magical Treasure Golden Jade Hairpin and the supreme-grade Long Sword Magical Artifact into his Storage Bag one by one.
Then, he ran over to the Snake Demon and confiscated the Storage Bag from its body as well.
After a quick search to make sure nothing was missed, he activated a Magical Artifact and flew straight away from the area.
In truth, with the Snake Demon being here, there was probably a secret hideout nearby.
If he had the patience to search the surroundings, he could probably find it.
The hideout likely contained a considerable amount of resources.
However, as a Foundation Establishment Great Demon, he would have certainly kept his most valuable resources on his person.
Even if there were resources in the hideout, there probably wouldn’t be much.
Besides, now that the Peacock Princess had successfully escaped, this place was no longer safe.
To avoid any mishaps, Xu Chang’an decisively gave up on the potential gains within the hideout.
At the Cyan Eagle’s previous hideout, many Qi Refining Old Demons had died on the spot; for instance, the Water Buffalo Demon and the Spider Spirit were killed by the Peacock Princess.
There were also considerable resources to be gathered there.
However, to prevent any unforeseen trouble, Xu Chang’an hadn’t collected those resources in his guise as a Mouse Demon.
After all, the Peacock Princess already knew he had been at the scene.
If he had successfully killed the Peacock Princess, then no other demon would know he had been present.
He would have been able to pocket all the resources from the Water Buffalo Demon and the Spider Spirit.
But now that the Peacock Princess was still alive, if she were to later investigate and find the resources missing, his Grey Rat persona would surely be interrogated.
Therefore, Xu Chang’an had to give up on all the resources on the Water Buffalo Demon and the Spider Spirit.
After flying his Magical Artifact for over thirty miles, Xu Chang’an landed on a desolate mountaintop.
’Let’s see if the resources this Snake Demon accumulated are enough for me to break through to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment!’
With the Snake Demon dead, the Demon Sense imprint left on its Storage Bag was naturally incredibly weak.
Xu Chang’an erased it completely without much effort.
As a Foundation Establishment Great Demon who had spent years knocking around outside Peacock Demon City, the Snake Demon’s net worth was quite substantial.
It was even a bit more than the wealth of the Elephant Demon he had encountered at the Peak of Early-stage Foundation Establishment.
However, the items were quite miscellaneous, spanning numerous categories with a wide range of grades.
Demon Talismans, Magical Artifacts, Elixirs, Cultivation Techniques, Array Flags, Magic, books, and some Spiritual Herbs and Plants, and so on.
The most noteworthy item among them was a well-preserved Vermilion Fruit, brimming with Spirituality.
’Not bad, but it’s a shame there are no supreme-grade Magical Artifacts.’
The combined value of the resources in the Snake Demon’s Storage Bag was substantial, but there were no supreme-grade Magical Artifacts.
It made sense, though. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators usually used a few top-grade Magical Artifacts, or perhaps some fine specimens among them.
An item like a supreme-grade Magical Artifact was already considered an exceptionally good Guarding Method.
The Snake Demon hadn’t been in the Foundation Establishment Realm for long and also lacked the right connections.
Obtaining a supreme-grade Magical Artifact was not that easy!
After taking inventory of the loot from the Snake Demon’s Storage Bag, Xu Chang’an didn’t immediately consume the Elixirs and Spiritual Herbs and Plants to accumulate Energy.
Instead, he took out the Long Sword Magical Artifact and the Golden Jade Hairpin he had obtained from the Peacock Princess.
The Long Sword Magical Artifact gleamed with a cold light, faintly exuding a frosty aura.
Its quality was superb, a fine piece even among supreme-grade Magical Artifacts, and it was worth a fortune!
This longsword alone was probably worth tens of thousands of Demon Stones.
A faint, sweet fragrance still lingered on the Golden Jade Hairpin.
The hairpin had been taken from the Peacock Princess’s hair, so the scent was likely her own.
’A Quasi-Magical Treasure!’
Joy flashed in Xu Chang’an’s eyes.
He already had the Jade Ruyi, and now he had also acquired a Golden Jade Hairpin.
With two Quasi-Magical Treasures in his possession, his Guarding Methods would be sufficient even when he became a Top-tier Great Demon.
For even a Top-tier Great Demon, the power of a Quasi-Magical Treasure could be considered a trump card.
Both the Golden Jade Hairpin and the Long Sword Magical Artifact still had remnants of the Demon Power the Peacock Princess had used to refine them.
If Xu Chang’an wanted to wield them, he would first have to refine away the residual Demon Power and then properly attune them to himself before they could be used.
However, this was not a task that could be completed in a single day; it required continuous refining and Nurturing.
The Long Sword Magical Artifact would be relatively easy, but the Quasi-Magical Treasure would require a great deal of effort from Xu Chang’an.
After inspecting them and confirming there were no tracking marks, Xu Chang’an put them into his Storage Bag one after another.
’My identity as the Grey Rat has already been exposed to the Peacock Princess. To prevent the Demons from Peacock Demon City from searching for me later, these resources need to be stored separately.’
Both the Golden Jade Hairpin and the Long Sword Magical Artifact were items that couldn’t see the light of day.
If he kept them on his person, it would be risky.
Fortunately, as a Quasi-Magical Treasure, the Golden Jade Hairpin could be absorbed into his body for Nurturing, making it difficult to detect.
What he really needed to deal with were the Long Sword Magical Artifact and some of the resources from the Snake Demon.
Xu Chang’an pondered for a moment, then took a pitch-black sheet of talisman paper out of his Storage Bag.
It was the Talisman Treasure!
At this moment, the golden light of the ring carved on the talisman paper was slightly dim.
The battle had been quite fierce, and the Talisman Treasure had consumed a great deal of its power.
Xu Chang’an estimated that the Talisman Treasure probably had about two-thirds of its Spirituality remaining.
’A Talisman Treasure is good, but it’s ultimately not a long-term solution.’
The Spirituality in a Talisman Treasure is finite. Once it’s depleted, the item becomes useless.
Having finished organizing and taking stock, Xu Chang’an no longer hesitated.
He took out the Spiritual Herbs and Plants and Elixirs obtained from the Snake Demon and began to devour them frantically.
A hot current surged through him!
One Elixir after another went down, one Spirit Medicine after another was swallowed.
Energy continuously accumulated, and the numbers on his status panel rose steadily.
The process of consumption and conversion took some time, so it didn’t happen particularly fast.
After nearly half an hour, Xu Chang’an slowly opened his eyes.
’Just a little bit more, and I’ll have accumulated enough!’
’Luckily, I still have you!’
Xu Chang’an took out a wooden box. Inside, a Vermilion Fruit brimming with Spirituality was carefully placed.
Without hesitation, he swallowed it.
A hot current swept through his entire body before slowly receding.
After a long while, Xu Chang’an’s mind focused.
’Break through!’
The numbers on his status panel changed, and then the surrounding Spiritual Qi began to surge wildly.
The aura around Xu Chang’an began to change frantically, climbing higher and higher.
Early-stage Foundation Establishment Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, Peak...
Mid-stage Foundation Establishment!
It wasn’t just a change in his Cultivation Realm; Xu Chang’an’s Demon Body also seemed to be undergoing a strange transformation.
It involved a fundamental improvement and change.
Advancing from Early-stage to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment involved an enhancement of his very essence, enough to alter his lifespan!
Name: Xu Chang’an
Bloodline: Earth Rock Rat (Lower-class Bloodline)
Lifespan: 192 Years
Realm: Mid-stage Foundation Establishment
Skills: Alchemy (Tier Two Low Grade)
Energy: (7/5000)
...
’My lifespan increased by twenty-four years!’
A look of joy flashed in Xu Chang’an’s eyes.
This successful breakthrough to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment had caused a subtle change in his life essence, bringing his maximum lifespan close to two hundred years.
’From a maximum lifespan of twelve years when I first became a Demon to nearly two hundred years now!’
’Improving step by step... it really hasn’t been easy!’
Xu Chang’an sighed.