The scenery of Langlang Mountain was pleasant and exceptionally beautiful.
It was dotted with cave abodes, halls, and mountain peaks.
Along the way, Xu Chang'an also saw some Spirit Fields.
The most basic Spirit Rice was planted on them, and he could vaguely make out some Demons toiling away.
According to Steel Fang, Langlang Mountain also had Spirit Gardens and Spiritual Springs.
The Spirit Garden, in particular, was supposedly full of good things.
The very heart of Langlang Mountain was a place called Golden Yuan Cave.
That was where the Foundation Establishment Great Demon Jin Yuanba and his inner circle resided. Aside from the serving Demons, only Late-stage Qi Refining Elders and Direct Lineage descendants were qualified to enter.
Xu Chang'an and the other demons, of course, were not qualified to go there.
They were settled in Pinglang Valley on the mountainside, almost ten miles from Golden Yuan Cave.
Pinglang Valley was full of houses and residences.
Steel Fang led Xu Chang'an and the other Little Demons through the area, encountering many other Demons along the road.
These Demons looked at Xu Chang'an's group with curiosity.
Many were whispering amongst themselves, apparently discussing the newcomers.
'Most are at the Qi Refining First and Second Layers, but there are quite a few at the Third Layer as well.'
Xu Chang'an's expression remained calm as he followed the large group, secretly sizing everyone up.
Pinglang Valley seemed to be a gathering place for Little Demons; so far, he hadn't spotted any Mid-stage Qi Refining Demons.
'That makes sense. A Mid-stage Qi Refining Demon would be considered part of the core fighting force on Langlang Mountain. They wouldn't be here.'
On Langlang Mountain, once you stepped into the Late-stage of Qi Refining, you could be called an Elder.
You could command Stewards and take charge of your own territory.
At the Qi Refining Eighth Layer and above, an Elder's title would be prefaced with a number, ranked according to their demonstrated combat strength.
Like the Third Elder they had met earlier in the clearing on the mountainside.
In other words, aside from the Foundation Establishment Great Demon Jin Yuanba, the Third Elder's combat strength was ranked third on all of Langlang Mountain!
Pinglang Valley covered a huge area, so there was no shortage of living space.
Therefore, Xu Chang'an was extremely lucky to get his own private quarters.
Although the place wasn't large and had no courtyard, the best part was that he lived alone and had his own private space.
This left him quite satisfied.
After receiving the Demon Token that served as proof of identity, Xu Chang'an officially became a proud Little Demon of Langlang Mountain.
A Little Demon at the Qi Refining First Layer.
Above Little Demon were ranks like Little Leader, Little Flag, Standard-Bearer, and Vanguard.
These belonged to the domain of the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, which was still a distant prospect for a Little Demon who had just joined Langlang Mountain.
There were many jobs for Little Demons, generally divided into miscellaneous tasks, guard duty, mountain patrols, and Skills.
These roles were ranked by status, with Skills being the highest. This was for those with a talent for learning skills like planting, inscription, Array Formation, and Alchemy.
The lowest status, naturally, belonged to the servant Little Demons.
Xu Chang'an and the other demons had only just joined Langlang Mountain today, so their duties and obligations had not yet been specified.
Their specific roles would be assigned in a few days.
...
Xu Chang'an sat in his room like a Human Race Cultivator, his hind limbs crossed and his forelimbs resting peacefully.
In front of him were a Book, a bottle of Elixirs, a Token, and...
a Demon Stone!
Sun and Moon Swallowing Technique!
This was the Cultivation Technique Xu Chang'an had chosen from Langlang Mountain's Library Hall.
The Cultivation Technique was ordinary; its effect was only slightly stronger than the Demon Race's instinctual absorption of qi.
Its advancement was average, but its saving grace was that the technique was moderate and peaceful, and the aura it produced was gentle and long-lasting.
It was widely recognized among the Demon Race as a gentle Cultivation Technique.
Compared to those powerful and astonishingly deadly Cultivation Techniques, this one even had the effect of nourishing one's health and extending one's life.
With the help of his panel, Xu Chang'an wasn't particularly concerned with a Cultivation Technique's potential for advancement.
His Bloodline aptitude didn't even qualify as Inferior, and his base race was utterly insignificant.
Although he had embarked on the Demon Path, his lifespan was a mere twelve years.
And that was his theoretical lifespan. If he was belligerent and frequently engaged in battle, he probably couldn't even be guaranteed those twelve years!
If he wanted to extend his lifespan, he had only two options.
Break through to the Mid-stage of Qi Cultivation or change his Bloodline aptitude.
The former was manageable with his panel's help, but the latter would be extremely difficult given his current Cultivation.
Therefore, a moderate, peaceful Cultivation Technique that could nourish his health and extend his life was the perfect choice for Xu Chang'an!
The Token was the Demon Token that proved his identity, allowing him to move around within permitted areas.
A bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills and a Demon Stone!
This was his stipend from Langlang Mountain, which he could collect once every six months.
As for living a comfortable life on Langlang Mountain—exchanging for Spirit Rice, Spirit Plants, and Elixirs to aid his cultivation, or for Weapons and even Magical Artifacts...
...all of it required extra effort on his part.
Spirit Rice and Spirit Plants weren't cheap, and even the lowest quality Magical Artifact cost at least twenty Demon Stones.
Half a year's stipend was just one Demon Stone. At his current rate, just to own a Magical Artifact, he would have to struggle for at least ten years.
And that was assuming he didn't exchange for any other cultivation resources!
'The Demon Path is a hard one!'
Xu Chang'an sighed.
'Life is this hard even after joining a faction. One can only imagine the plight of an ordinary Independent Cultivator Demon!'
At least, he no longer had to worry about his cultivation environment.
The bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills contained ten pills.
Consuming Qi Nourishing Pills would greatly accelerate a demon's cultivation.
POP!
With a crisp sound, Xu Chang'an popped the top off the bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills.
A clear fragrance wafted toward him.
After swallowing a Qi Nourishing Pill, Xu Chang'an felt a warm current surge through him. His pores opened wide, and it felt as if the surrounding Spiritual Qi became easier to absorb.
He sensed the effects for a long moment before sighing in admiration.
"This is really good! If I could take these continuously, my cultivation progress would be more than three times faster!"
However...
He wasn't swallowing the Qi Nourishing Pills to aid his cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, he swallowed another.
Ordinary members of the Demon Race were limited by their cultivation and physical bodies; they couldn't use elixirs without restraint.
But for Xu Chang'an, it was no problem.
The warm current surged through his body, only to dissipate in an instant, as if it had been absorbed by something.
Name: Xu Chang'an
Bloodline: Ordinary Grey Rat (Unranked)
Lifespan: 12 years
Realm: Qi Refining First Layer
Skills: None
Energy: (4/5)
...
'Four Energy Points!'
A glint flashed in Xu Chang'an's small eyes.
Swallowing two Qi Nourishing Pills had brought his accumulated Energy to 4 points.
'It must be because of the medicinal herbs I ate on the way!' he thought.
Without hesitation, he downed another Qi Nourishing Pill.
The warm current appeared again and began to surge!
A fourth! A fifth! A sixth!
By the time he swallowed the seventh pill, the Energy Points on his panel had reached 5.
'By that calculation, it takes about five Qi Nourishing Pills to accumulate 1 point of Energy!'
Looking at the three remaining Qi Nourishing Pills, he did not take them.
On the panel, with the 5 Energy Value points now full, the previously illusory and frozen energy section became selectable.
As long as he wished, he could break through to the Qi Refining Second Layer at any time!
But breaking through right after arriving would be too conspicuous.
Xu Chang'an did not act, deciding to put it off.
He could break through his Cultivation at any time.
The urgent priority now was elixirs, Spirit Plants, medicinal herbs... all these cultivation resources!
As long as he had enough resources, his progress would be terrifyingly fast!