Besides Alchemy, Xu Chang'an also found a Concealment Spell in his past life's memories and began to practice it.
Drawing on the experience from his past life, Xu Chang'an progressed extremely quickly.
In just a few short months, he had successfully mastered it.
He was now incredibly proficient. Once cast, it was difficult for anyone below the Late-stage of Qi Refining to see through his true Cultivation.
Even those at the Late-stage of Qi Refining would find it difficult to notice without a careful inspection.
This was the source of Xu Chang'an's confidence, allowing him to dare break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer.
Elder Demons at the Late-stage of Qi Refining weren't so easy to come by.
And even if he did, they wouldn't take any interest in a mere Mouse Demon like him.
On the surface, he was just a Little Demon with poor aptitude who had gotten lucky and broken through to the Qi Refining Second Layer.
Besides concealing his Cultivation aura, Xu Chang'an had other tricks up his sleeve.
...
Time trickled by, the years rushing past.
「Two years passed in the blink of an eye.」
Xu Chang'an and the other Little Demons had fully integrated into life on Langlang Mountain.
With proper places to cultivate and a stipend of resources, many of the newly joined Little Demons broke through to the Qi Refining Second Layer.
Not long ago, the Black Bear Demon, Xiong Da, had broken through to the Qi Refining Third Layer.
He became the star of their cohort within the Langlang Mountain Demon Army.
The Qi Refining Third Layer was considered serviceable!
His rank was now second only to a Little Flag of the Demon Race, making him a veteran Little Demon on Langlang Mountain.
「Mountain Patrol Hall, inside a cave」
Xu Chang'an let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes.
'Two years, and my Stealth Technique has finally reached a new level!'
His semi-annual stipend—three Demon Stones and a bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills—allowed him to accumulate 8 points of Energy.
Over the past two years, he had accumulated more than enough.
The only reason he hadn't yet broken through to the Mid-stage of Qi Refining was that he was waiting for his Concealment Spell to make another breakthrough.
'With my aptitude, advancing this quickly would inevitably attract the attention of observant demons!'
Now that his Stealth Technique had improved, he could power it with his Qi Refining Fourth Layer Cultivation.
As long as a Foundation Establishment Great Demon didn't personally inspect him, he was confident that even a veteran Old Demon at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer would have trouble discerning his true Cultivation.
With a Spiritual Condensation, his panel changed.
A surge of aura pulsed, and Xu Chang'an's Cultivation smoothly advanced to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer!
Although the Fourth and Third Layers of Qi Refining were only one level apart, it marked the difference between the Middle Stage and the Early Stage.
An ordinary demon with average aptitude would need the help of a Tier-Breaking Elixir to even have a chance of breaking through.
But now, with the power of his panel, Xu Chang'an ignored bottlenecks and aptitude, breaking through smoothly and without any hindrance.
With a series of CRACKLING POPS, Xu Chang'an's body underwent a massive transformation. His size alone grew to that of a normal human infant.
At the same time, his body became much tougher and his fur grew soft and smooth—a huge change from before his breakthrough.
'So this is the Mid-stage of Qi Refining!'
Xu Chang'an carefully savored the changes.
Name: Xu Chang'an
Bloodline: Ordinary Grey Rat (Ungraded)
Lifespan: 18 years
Realm: Qi Refining Fourth Layer
Skills: Alchemy (Tier One Introduction)
Energy: (3/50)
...
After breaking through to the Mid-stage of Qi Refining, Xu Chang'an clearly felt that the Energy he converted from Qi Nourishing Pills alone was much less effective than before.
Based on the elixir's previous potency, he should have accumulated more than ten points of Energy.
But in reality, he only gained 3 points.
'Looks like I need to switch to a different elixir,' Xu Chang'an sighed.
The elixir suitable for the Mid-stage of Qi Refining was called the Qi Replenishing Pill.
It was much more precious than the Qi Nourishing Elixir.
A single bottle cost three Demon Stones.
'Unfortunately, my cultivation is officially only at the Qi Refining Second Layer. Buying Qi Replenishing Pills would be too conspicuous!'
'In two years, no suitable opportunity has come up for me to naturally reveal my talent for Alchemy. What a shame…'
'My Alchemy studies have progressed extremely quickly. If it weren't for a lack of practical experience and resources, I'd probably be close to the skill level of a First-rank Lower Grade Alchemist by now.'
'I'll just have to wait. An opportunity is bound to show up eventually!'
The Demon Path was long and required patience.
'Getting Qi Replenishing Pills is out of the question for now!'
'But I can save up Demon Stones and find some means to protect my Dao!'
Life on Langlang Mountain was calm and stable for now, completely uneventful.
But the Demon Path was fraught with hardship, and the outside world was ever-changing and unpredictable.
You never knew when danger might suddenly appear.
He didn't even have a Magical Artifact yet. And while he had experience with Magical Combat from his past life, he hadn't fully recovered those abilities.
Magical Artifacts, Demon Talismans, Healing Elixirs...
Since he would be living on Langlang Mountain for the foreseeable future, things like a Storage Bag weren't an immediate priority.
Xu Chang'an plotted to himself.
...
「Two months passed in the blink of an eye.」
"The King has sent me to patrol the mo~untain~
Hey-ho, hey-nonny-no~"
Among the trees on the mountain path, a short grey rat ambled along, standing upright like a man.
With a Command Flag on its back and a Steel Fork in its hand, it walked with a majestic gait.
It was none other than Xu Chang'an.
Thanks to his Concealment Spell, even though he had broken through to the Mid-stage of Qi Refining, his apparent size remained the same as before.
"Patrol the South Mountain, then the North, I go~
Hey-ho, hey-nonny-no~"
Xu Chang'an was in a good mood. After nearly three years on Langlang Mountain, he had completely adapted to its rhythm.
His patrol shifts rotated between day and night.
Today, it was his turn for the night patrol.
Patrolling didn't just mean watching over the peak of Langlang Mountain itself.
It meant covering the entire surrounding area.
Report anything suspicious immediately.
Deal with any potential dangers immediately.
Announce any powerful threats immediately.
And so on and so forth...
It really wasn't a job for a dim-witted Demon.
There were quite a few Mountain Patrol Little Demons like Xu Chang'an.
Each shift had at least a dozen Little Demons on patrol.
Tonight, Xu Chang'an was assigned to patrol the southeastern region of Langlang Mountain.
Langlang Mountain was part of a branch of the Red Cloud Mountain Range. The area was remote, and even Cultivators rarely set foot here.
Forget Cultivators—on his daily patrols, he rarely even saw any unfamiliar Demons.
He generally only encountered the wild beasts of the forest.
'On the path of cultivation, Spiritual Qi is indispensable.'
'A place rich in Spiritual Qi is, without a doubt, a place the Demon Race will fight over.'
'The Demon Race's territorial instincts and concept of ruling one's own mountain are extremely strong.'
The main job of Mountain Patrol Little Demons like Xu Chang'an, besides maintaining basic order, was to drive away any unfamiliar Little Demons.
This prevented any extra drain on the Spiritual Qi.
HOOT HOOT HOOT!
Even though it was night, the forest was filled with the continuous chirping of insects and calls of birds.
A gentle breeze brushed against his face. Listening to the surrounding sounds was genuinely pleasant.
Despite the constant noise, Xu Chang'an found it exceptionally serene and peaceful.
'The Demon Path is long. Besides cultivation itself, sometimes you need to stop and admire the scenery.'
He recalled his past life. He'd had the panel then, too. He'd rushed about constantly, through a world of slaughter and bloodshed, fighting for every opportunity, all for the sake of his Dao Path!
Sometimes, being too obsessed, he had ignored other things.
Now that he had become a Little Demon, his Mental Realm had found some peace.
The goal wasn't to fight for every passing moment, but to simply seek the Dao!
A small stream trickled past him, glistening in the moonlight.
The angular little stones at the bottom of the stream scattered the current.
Nearby leaves and blades of grass swayed gently in the wind.
Everything was so beautiful!
TSSSK! TSSSK! TSSSK!
A piercing sound suddenly rang out.
Xu Chang'an's expression instantly tensed.