As far as Old Demons at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer went, the Toad Spirit's experience in Magical Combat was considered extremely strong.
Years of fending for himself, fighting his way up one step at a time through countless life-and-death battles, had allowed him to accumulate a wealth of experience in Magical Combat.
But compared to Xu Chang'an, who possessed the memories of a Core Formation Ancestor from a past life, the Toad Spirit simply wasn't in the same league.
Beyond the meticulous planning of every step, executing the plan as envisioned required an extremely high level of skill.
The special technique to control the Money Shield, making its display of power terrifying.
The ability to direct three Sharp Forks to attack separately while simultaneously being distracted.
Casting Magic at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer with the power of the Sixth Layer, and at a speed matching a Late-stage Qi Refining spell.
The Concealing Breath Method, which left the Toad Spirit completely unaware.
The sudden casting of the Bursting Spell and the precise control of its angle.
The use of an Escape Demon Talisman for a precise landing.
And the seamless transition to execute the final magical attack.
Each of these requirements demonstrated that an ordinary Demon was utterly incapable of pulling off such a scheme.
He fled several miles in one go, then climbed up an incredibly thick, ancient tree.
Concealed by the dense foliage of the canopy, Xu Chang'an sat cross-legged on a branch and began to take stock of his haul.
'A Middle-grade Magical Artifact, the Yuanbao Seal!'
'A Middle-grade Magical Artifact, the Illusory Bell!'
The Yuanbao Seal wasn't nearly as damaged as the Toad Spirit had claimed at the small trade gathering.
On the contrary, the Yuanbao Seal was in excellent condition.
Evidently, as his ultimate Guarding Method, the old toad naturally cherished it immensely.
As for the Illusory Bell, it had just been acquired in the trade, so its condition went without saying.
Leaving aside everything else, the haul of two Middle-grade Magical Artifacts alone was enough to satisfy Xu Chang'an.
His risky move had paid off!
Still, if you frequent the riverbank, your shoes are bound to get wet.
In the future, it would be best to avoid such things unless absolutely necessary.
'Come to think of it, my original plan was just to deal with the three little 'tails' following me and build up my resources a bit.'
'I never expected that by a twist of fate, I'd get the chance to ambush and kill a Late-stage Qi Refining Old Demon.'
'The workings of fate are truly mysterious!'
'It seems this was fated to be mine!'
Xu Chang'an mused to himself.
Besides the two Middle-grade Magical Artifacts, the Toad Spirit's Storage Bag contained plenty of other goodies.
Over a hundred Demon Stones, four Low-grade Magical Artifacts, various Tier One Low Grade and entry-level Demon Talismans, Elixirs, and some miscellaneous junk.
And... six bottles of Clearing Qi Pills, perfect for cultivating at the Late-stage of Qi Refining!
In addition to all that, there was also an Array Flag.
'It can be used to set up a Tier One Middle Grade Defense Array!'
Counting the two Middle-grade Magical Artifacts, the Toad Spirit's fortune was truly immense.
Then again, the Toad Spirit had only amassed such wealth because he had previously teamed up with the Hedgehog Spirit to ambush and kill the Mountain Boar Demon, claiming half of its accumulated wealth.
All the Toad Spirit's painstaking scheming had, in the end, only served to benefit Xu Chang'an.
'This haul is incredible. The various Magical Artifacts, Elixirs, Demon Talismans, and the Array Flag... all told, they're worth more than fifteen hundred Demon Stones.'
'At my previous rate of accumulation on Langlang Mountain, this would have taken me decades to gather.'
'Just as a horse can't get fat without extra rations at night, a Demon can't get rich without a windfall!'
'With this, my resources are probably even greater than those of the Elder Level Demons on Langlang Mountain.'
With two Middle-grade Magical Artifacts in his possession, Xu Chang'an's arsenal of Guarding Methods was due for an upgrade.
An ordinary Demon, while maintaining the ability to cast spells normally, can generally only control one Magical Artifact at a time.
If they went all out, throwing caution to the wind, they could simultaneously control two Magical Artifacts.
Therefore, the average Demon typically keeps two or three Magical Artifacts in reserve as backups or replacements.
Any more than that would be pointless.
The only exception would be preparing an extra Magical Artifact of a special type to supplement their abilities.
But Xu Chang'an, with his vast experience and memories of a past life as a Core Formation Ancestor, was different.
While still maintaining the ability to cast spells normally, he could control two Magical Artifacts at once with power to spare.
In a short burst, he could control three Magical Artifacts at once.
And if he went all out, he could even control four!
This meant...
Four for a full burst, plus one or two in reserve as backups.
Routinely, Xu Chang'an would need to have six fully refined Magical Artifacts prepared.
Currently, he possessed two Middle-grade Magical Artifacts and six Low-grade Magical Artifacts in total.
This gave him plenty of options to choose from.
'That's a matter for later, though.'
'Right now, there are more important things to do.'
Six bottles of Clearing Qi Pills and a three-hundred-year-old Profound Ginseng lay before him.
Clearing Qi Pills were Elixirs meant for cultivation at Late-stage Qi Refining, their effects far stronger than Qi Replenishing Pills.
But for a cultivator in the Mid-stage of Qi Refining, consuming Clearing Qi Pills for cultivation would be quite dangerous.
That was why very few Demons dared to consume Cultivation Elixirs meant for a higher Realm.
For Xu Chang'an, however, this wasn't an issue.
He first picked up the Profound Ginseng and devoured it.
Then, he downed the Clearing Qi Pills one after another, like popping beans into his mouth.
A hot, swelling current surged through him, feeling as if it would burst his body apart.
But in the blink of an eye, the heat found an outlet and began to recede.
'As expected of a three-hundred-year-old Profound Ginseng that has developed Spirituality. Its effects are truly remarkable.'
'And the effects of the Clearing Qi Pills truly can't be compared to Qi Replenishing Pills.'
'The effect from six bottles is this potent!'
'Far beyond my expectations! Now...'
Xu Chang'an focused his mind. As his status panel changed, his aura transformed as well.
'Qi Refining Sixth Layer!'
Name: Xu Chang'an
Bloodline: Ordinary Grey Rat (Ungraded)
Lifespan: 18 Years
Realm: Qi Refining Sixth Layer
Skills: Alchemy (Tier One Low Grade)
Energy: (3/150)
...
'No wonder it's a bottleneck from the Middle to Late Stage of Qi Refining. The vast majority of Demons in this world simply can't break through without relying on Tier-Breaking Elixirs.'
'Those who manage to break through to Late-stage Qi Refining without Elixirs are all geniuses among the Demon Race!'
Breaking through from the Early to Middle Stage of Qi Refining without Elixirs, while uncommon, is still considered somewhat normal.
But when it comes to breaking through from the Middle to the Late Stage, the number of Demons who can do so without Elixirs plummets.
Speaking of which, the young lady of Langlang Mountain, the Canary Jin Ling'Er, was one such individual who broke through to Late-stage Qi Refining on her own.
The status panel itself revealed the difficulty of breaking through to the Late Stage of Qi Refining.
The required Energy Points had jumped from 80 to 150.
To put that in perspective, breaking from the Qi Refining Third Layer to the Fourth Layer only required 20 points.
The jump from the Fourth Layer to the Fifth required 50 Energy Points, and from the Fifth to the Sixth, 80 Energy Points.
In other words, the difficulty of breaking through from the Middle Stage to the Late Stage was equivalent to the difficulty of advancing from the Third to the Sixth Layer combined.
And that was just a simple addition of numbers. A true breakthrough was far more complex than mere accumulation.
Xu Chang'an's gaze was sharp as he looked straight ahead.
Under the moonlight, the old forest seemed exceptionally desolate.
'Tonight's haul far exceeded my expectations. Not only did I gain a wealth of resources, but I also successfully broke through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.'
'It's time to head back to Yellow Wasp Mountain. Xiong Da is still waiting for me there.'
'But before that!'
'There's still a little something I need to take care of.'
He hadn't forgotten the three 'little tails' that had been following him. And...
...that Dog Demon from Ruyi Pavilion!
He had only conducted a normal transaction, yet the other party had dared to plot against him.
Though he hadn't suffered any actual losses, that was beside the point.
'A scheme was made, and revenge must be taken!'
'As for this little rat, I repay every grievance and avenge every wrong!'