Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 101 Iron-Bone Demon General

One day, two days, three days...

On the evening of the fifth day, Yan Chixia returned.

His clothes were tattered, he was covered in wounds, and he was barely breathing.

But his eyes still shone with unwavering determination.

"Master!" Zhou Ning rushed forward and helped him up.

Yan Chixia waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.

"I've injured the Black Mountain Demon, so he won't be out causing trouble for a while. But he won't let this go, so we must be prepared."

He looked at Zhou Ning, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

"Your sword strike wounded him. Although it was only a superficial wound, it shows that you are now qualified to fight him."

Zhou Ning lowered his head: "This disciple is ashamed; I am still too weak."

Yan Chixia shook his head: "You've done very well. The path of cultivation isn't something that can be achieved overnight. You need time and you need to accumulate experience."

He took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning.

"This is the cultivation method of the 'Nascent Soul Chapter'. Take it back and study it. Once you truly understand its meaning, the Nascent Soul stage will naturally come."

Zhou Ning accepted the jade slip and solemnly said, "Thank you, Master."

Yan Chixia nodded, turned and went into the side room to heal his injuries in seclusion.

Zhou Ning stood in the courtyard, gazing at the stars in the sky, his heart filled with unease.

The Black Mountain Demon is not dead yet. He will come again.

The news of the Black Mountain Demon's defeat spread like wildfire throughout the entire northern lands.

Those people who had long been oppressed by the Black Mountain forces, those villages that had been barely surviving under the shadow of the Black Mountain, and those families that had been torn apart by the Black Mountain's iron heel—all shed tears of emotion upon hearing this news.

Some people knelt down and kowtowed, thanking God.

Some people burst into tears, releasing their pent-up fear and sorrow.

Others spread the word, passing on this good news to everyone still struggling in the darkness.

But Zhou Ning knew that this was only a temporary victory.

The Black Mountain Demon was only injured, not dead.

His power remains, his henchmen remain, and his ambition remains.

Once he recovers from his injuries, he will definitely make a comeback.

At that time, it will be an even more brutal war.

Therefore, they must be prepared.

The main hall of Qingfeng Temple was brightly lit by candlelight.

Yan Chixia, Xuanzhenzi, Han Wei, Zhou Ning, and representatives from several other righteous sects sat around a long table.

A map of the North was spread out on the table, showing the distribution of Black Mountain's power, troop deployment, and the location of its various strongholds.

Everyone wore a solemn expression, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

"The Black Mountain Demon has been seriously injured and will not be able to cause trouble for a while."

Yan Chixia spoke first, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"But his men are still active. We must take advantage of his recovery time to weaken his forces as much as possible, destroy his strongholds, and cut off his supply lines."

Han Wei nodded and pointed to several locations on the map.

"These places are the most important strongholds on the outskirts of Black Mountain. Each stronghold is guarded by at least one demon general, with dozens of black-robed men under his command. If we can take down these strongholds, the Black Mountain Demon will be all alone."

Xuanzhenzi said, "We don't have enough manpower. A direct attack is definitely not going to work; we can only outsmart them."

He looked at Zhou Ning: "Young Master Zhou, what are your thoughts?"

Zhou Ning pondered for a moment and said, "I can lead a team to go around from the back of the mountain and raid their granary. Black Mountain has a large population and suffers heavy losses. As long as their supplies are cut off, they will fall into disarray without a fight."

Yan Chixia nodded: "That's a good idea. But the path on the back mountain is dangerous, and there might be an ambush. You have to be careful."

Zhou Ning replied, "This disciple understands."

Han Wei said, "I'll lead a team to launch a feint attack from the front to draw their attention. You guys take the opportunity to attack from behind."

Xuanzhenzi said, "I will stay at Qingfeng Temple to be responsible for liaison and support."

After discussing a few more details, everyone dispersed.

In the days that followed, Zhou Ning spent every day cultivating and preparing for battle.

He practiced the "Demon-Slaying Technique" hundreds of times until each sword strike could unleash its maximum power.

He had mastered the art of sword control to perfection. Both the Qingfeng Sword and the Bixie Sword could fly freely in the air at lightning speed, driven by his divine will.

He could even control three swords simultaneously with his divine sense, although it was still very difficult, but it was already taking shape.

His cultivation level is also steadily improving.

The initial stage of the Golden Core realm has been completely stabilized, and the bottleneck in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm has begun to loosen.

He knew that if he had more time, he could break through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

But he didn't have time.

On this day, Han Wei sent someone to deliver intelligence.

The grain depot on the outskirts of Black Mountain is located in a valley at the northern foot of Qingfeng Mountain.

The demon general guarding the granary was a guy named "Iron Bone," whose cultivation was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and he had more than fifty black-robed men under his command.

The granary was surrounded by traps and array formations, making it difficult to approach.

"Iron Bones?" Zhou Ning frowned.

He had heard of this name before; it referred to a fierce general under the Black Mountain Demon, renowned for his defensive prowess, said to have an iron body that was impervious to swords and spears.

"Not easy to deal with," he thought to himself.

But he did not back down.

Night falls.

Zhou Ning led ten cultivators with higher cultivation levels, setting off from Qingfeng Temple and heading towards the northern foot of Qingfeng Mountain in the dark.

Each of them wore an invisibility talisman, making them almost invisible in the night.

The mountain path was rugged and overgrown with thorns, but they all possessed cultivation and moved quite quickly.

After walking for about two hours, a valley appeared ahead.

The valley entrance is narrow, allowing only two people to pass side by side.

Two men in black robes stood on either side of the valley entrance, holding black spears and looking wary.

"There are guards." Zhou Ning lowered his voice:

"I'll take care of them."

He quietly approached the valley entrance and killed the two men in black robes with a single sword strike.

The sword flashed and disappeared without making a sound.

"Walk."

He led the group into the valley.

The valley was brightly lit.

Dozens of men in black robes were patrolling; some were dozing by the fire, while others were talking in hushed tones.

Deep in the valley, there was a huge warehouse, and standing at the entrance of the warehouse was a burly demon general, none other than Tie Gu.

He was wearing black armor, which was inlaid with several thick iron plates, making it look indestructible.

In his hand, he held a giant black axe, the blade of which was engraved with a hideous ghost head.

After observing for a moment, Zhou Ning found a route that could bypass the patrol.

He led the group, using the rocks and bushes for cover, and slowly approached the warehouse.

Closer, closer.

They were less than ten feet away from the warehouse.

Just as Zhou Ning was about to make his move, a man in black robes suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction where they were hiding.

"Who's there?"

Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat, knowing he could no longer hide. He tore off the invisibility talisman, drew his Qingfeng sword, and charged towards Tiegu.

"Let's do it!"

The ten cultivators behind him also tore off their invisibility talismans and unleashed their supernatural abilities to fight the man in black robes.

Tie Gu sneered when he saw Zhou Ning.

"So you're Zhou Ning? I've heard so much about your audacity, and it's true what they say. But now that you're here, you're not leaving!"

He swung his giant axe and cleaved towards Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning used his lightness technique to dodge the axe.

At the same time, he slashed out with his sword, the golden sword energy heading straight for Tie Gu's chest.

"Ding!"

The sword energy struck the iron-clad armor, sending sparks flying.

Only a faint white mark remained on the armor.