"Everyone, is anyone interested in joining me to find a mountain and claim it as our own?"
As they left the Red Cloud Mountain Gate, a Yellow Wasp Spirit blocked the demons' path.
This Yellow Wasp Spirit, as it happened, was also from Cyan Mountain.
His aptitude was considered top-tier among those with Inferior Bloodlines, just a single step away from a Low-Class Bloodline.
Furthermore, his cultivation had reached the Qi Refining Second Layer, making him a formidable figure among the demons.
It was clear that the Yellow Wasp Spirit was still bitter about failing to join Red Cloud Mountain.
Xu Chang'an didn't respond.
The Demon Path was arduous. Establishing one's own mountain was far easier said than done.
Setting aside the first three cultivation necessities of wealth, companions, and techniques, even finding the last one—a suitable location—was no simple feat. It was incredibly difficult to find a place with abundant Spiritual Qi.
Any place with even a meager amount of Spiritual Qi had long since been claimed by other demons.
To claim a mountain of one's own, one would undoubtedly have to carve a path through blood and fire.
The other demons, however, seemed quite interested in the Yellow Wasp Spirit's proposal.
Quite a few of them stopped in their tracks to discuss it with him.
The Yellow Wasp Spirit glanced at the departing Xu Chang'an.
As fellow Cyan Mountain Demons who had traveled the entire way together, they had become somewhat familiar.
'To have earned Bai Yuhu's favor and be treated so differently, he must be outstanding in some way.'
He wanted to ask him to stay, but since every demon had their own aspirations, he ultimately said nothing.
"Grey Rat, where do you plan to go now?!"
A Bear Demon caught up and walked to Xu Chang'an's side, asking the question.
He was a Black Bear Demon with an Inferior Bloodline, also from Cyan Mountain.
They had all gotten to know each other fairly well over the past few months of travel.
Right now, the Black Bear Demon's face was remarkably expressive, almost human.
He had traveled all the way from Cyan Mountain to Red Cloud Mountain, only to be rejected at the Mountain Gate. The Black Bear Demon looked as though his dreams had been shattered.
"I don't know," Xu Chang'an replied, shaking his head slightly. "I'll just take it one step at a time."
'I already have a plan,' he thought, 'but it's not something I can just say out loud.'
"If I can't join Red Cloud Mountain, does that mean I have to go back to Cyan Mountain? My ma said the Spiritual Qi there is thin. It was hard enough just Becoming a Demon. There's no way to keep cultivating there."
The Black Bear Demon's face was a mask of misery.
The Spiritual Qi on Cyan Mountain was indeed thin. While not making cultivation impossible, it was extremely difficult for demons with Inferior Bloodlines to make any progress.
As he walked down from Red Cloud Mountain, Xu Chang'an happened to see a large group of demons arriving. They were travel-worn and looked as though they had also come from a great distance.
Their faces were alight with excitement, their eyes filled with anticipation...
'Whether it's the Human Race or the Demon Race, this world is full of disparities.'
Xu Chang'an didn't watch any longer and quickened his pace down the mountain.
The Black Bear Demon beside him remained lost in his disappointment, unable to snap out of it.
"Greetings, everyone coming down from Red Cloud Mountain! Any interest in joining my Wolf Fang Mountain?"
As they reached a clearing, a formidable Wolf Demon suddenly appeared before them.
His thirty-foot-tall frame was even more imposing than that of the Pig Demon at the Red Cloud Mountain Gate.
'Late-stage Qi Refining!' Xu Chang'an was secretly alarmed.
The demon wasn't revealing his aura, so Xu Chang'an couldn't sense his exact cultivation level, but he was certain he was no weaker than the Wild Boar Demon.
"Wolf Fang Mountain? Where's that?"
There were still some simpletons among the demons. Despite having become demons, their Spiritual Wisdom was limited, and they spoke without any tact.
"Head east from here for over two thousand li, and you'll find Wolf Fang Mountain," the Wolf Demon explained with a hearty laugh.
After a brief exchange, the demons understood the situation at Wolf Fang Mountain and the wolf's intentions.
Wolf Fang Mountain was overseen by a Foundation Establishment Great Demon, with hundreds of Little Demons under his command and countless ordinary beasts. It was considered a well-established power in its own right.
This Wolf Demon was here to recruit members for their Demon Army and expand Wolf Fang Mountain's influence.
If a faction wanted to thrive, fresh blood was essential.
In addition to raising their own, recruiting from outside was indispensable.
Rather than scouring the lesser mountains, it was far more efficient to come to the foot of Red Cloud Mountain and recruit the demons it had rejected.
Red Cloud Mountain was a great power with high standards. What they deemed unworthy, other factions were more than happy to take.
And sure enough, a short while later, three more factions arrived, in addition to Wolf Fang Mountain.
Without exception, the representatives sent to recruit were all Late-stage Qi Refining demons.
"Grey Rat, which faction are you going to join?"
What a twist of fate; who would have thought they would run into an opportunity like this?
The indecisive Black Bear Demon immediately turned to Xu Chang'an.
Xu Chang'an was wary of them, as their origins were unknown.
However, as more and more factions arrived to recruit, his worries began to fade.
'This must be the standard recruiting practice for these factions,' he figured.
After listening to the pitches from the various factions present, he weighed his options and made his decision.
"Elder, how may I address you?"
Xu Chang'an was quite courteous, mimicking a human by standing up and bowing with his hands clasped.
Before him was a Canary spirit.
Though canaries are known for being small, this one had a physique much larger than that of an average adult human.
"My name is Jin Dashan, an Elder from Langlang Mountain. Are you interested in joining us, little friend?"
Though Jin Dashan's name was rather crude, his speech was surprisingly refined.
'It seems the Demon Race can truly contend with the Human Race. Their cultural foundation should not be underestimated,' Xu Chang'an thought to himself.
He hadn't been cultivating in this new life for long, and he still hadn't fully accepted his identity as a member of the Demon Race.
"Elder Jin, what are the benefits of joining Langlang Mountain?" Xu Chang'an asked bluntly.
"Upon joining, you may choose a Cultivation Technique suited to your foundation, and you will be provided with a place to cultivate. Furthermore, Langlang Mountain will grant you permission to exchange for resources. As long as you accumulate enough merit points, you can trade them for any cultivation materials you need.
Of course, joining Langlang Mountain comes with obligations as well as benefits. You will be required to follow the mountain's arrangements and carry out certain duties."
'A Cultivation Technique!'
A flicker of movement crossed Xu Chang'an's beady little eyes.
Although he possessed numerous memories from his past life as a Core Formation Ancestor, most of them were cultivation methods for the Human Race. Very few were suitable for the Demon Race.
'If I can get a Cultivation Technique, that would be excellent.'
Even with the help of his panel, cultivation itself was still essential.
Up until now, he had mainly been cultivating by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.
With his Inferior Bloodline aptitude, the effects were minimal.
But the Cultivation Technique was secondary. The most important thing was that he was currently weak and needed to weather the coming storms. During this transitional period, he urgently needed the backing of a faction.
"Elder Jin, I am willing to join Langlang Mountain," Xu Chang'an said.
"Excellent," Jin Dashan said with a smile.
This was the first demon he had managed to recruit today.
Compared to factions like Wolf Fang Mountain, Langlang Mountain was still somewhat weaker.
And on top of that...
At this thought, a flicker of worry crossed Jin Dashan's face.
Jin Dashan continued his recruitment efforts until sunset.
It wasn't just Xu Chang'an's group; two more batches of rejected demons arrived after them.
In total, Jin Dashan managed to recruit five or six Little Demons.
It was clear that Jin Dashan was in high spirits, likely pleased with his haul.
What Xu Chang'an hadn't expected was that the Black Bear Demon had also joined Langlang Mountain. 'I really thought he would choose Wolf Fang Mountain!'
After all, Wolf Fang Mountain was stronger and had a deeper foundation.
"Everyone, you're in luck. Today is the last day Langlang Mountain will be recruiting for our Demon Army.
You won't have to wait long. We'll meet up with the other recruits shortly, rest for a bit, and then you can all follow me straight back to Langlang Mountain."