Chapter 85: A Tremendous Surge in Power—A Dragon!

“Chief Bai, drink up…”

On the Broken Peak Platform of the Great Wild Mountain, the lair of the wolfish monsters of Langlang Mountain, the four monster leaders sat around a roaring bonfire. The tiger demon Da Chui raised his bowl and spoke.

“Haha, Bai Lang must still be thinking about that weapon the general just bestowed upon him…” The stag demon Da Jiao snapped a tiger leg bone between his teeth, the sound echoing in the night.

Lu Fei paid no mind to Da Jiao’s teasing. With a smile, he shook his head, clinked his wine bowl against Da Chui’s, and drained it in one gulp.

The Black Iron Staff, a magical artifact bestowed upon him by General Bai, had been given as a public reward. Ordinary little monsters saw nothing unusual about the black staff—just another mundane weapon. When they saw Lu Fei singled out for a reward, and the general openly praised his accomplishments, they only thought the general favored Chief Bai Lang more, and that the reward had not come easily.

But the leaders knew better. They envied not only General Bai’s regard for Bai Lang but also the reward itself.

Ordinary monsters didn’t grasp the difference between that black staff and any other long rod. The leaders, however, knew well. The black staff was once General Bai’s own weapon before his promotion to Monster Marshal. That alone set it apart. Besides, it was a magical artifact.

A magical artifact—by definition—is an object forged with materials imbued with the spirit of heaven and earth, activated only by true power. That power, called “spiritual force” by humans, was known to monsters as “demonic force.”

Such artifacts were exceedingly rare and difficult to forge. Once completed, their power and capabilities far surpassed ordinary weapons. But to wield them, one needed to channel the spiritual energy of the world.

Monsters were born of nature, ignorant and wild, stumbling into enlightenment and then onto the path of cultivation. Most never reached the rank of Monster General, nor did they have the written records and traditions of humankind. Thus, among the quickly changing ranks of monster packs, most died never knowing what a magical artifact even was.

Only those who reached the rank of Monster General began to touch the world of cultivation and the knowledge that came with it. Only then did they realize the importance of magical artifacts.

A suitable artifact could double or triple a monster’s strength—or more. Lu Fei himself only learned of magical artifacts after becoming a Monster General. Before that, no one in his circle could have told him, as they simply didn’t have access to such things.

Once he opened his eyes to their existence, his desires grew. But monsters were poor! He didn’t know about other packs, but as far as Langlang Mountain was concerned, only two of the ten leaders possessed magical artifacts—so he’d heard from his peers, though perhaps some hid theirs.

This alone spoke to their rarity and value.

To be publicly awarded such a weapon by General Bai was enough to make all the other leaders green with envy.

Most monsters were straightforward by nature. They liked what they liked. Just as, after Lu Fei returned to the fire, the three others eyed him with envy, and Da Jiao teased him—such things were commonplace.

Lu Fei didn’t mind. He hadn’t expected the general would bestow upon him the very staff he once wielded. Though he had hoped for it, when it actually happened, he was still shaken, deeply grateful, and elated.

But such feelings he kept to himself. He didn’t want to act like the cat who got the cream, especially when the general’s favor toward him was already so obvious. It was best not to draw any more attention or provoke jealousy.

So, to Da Jiao and the others, he simply laughed off their jests.

Seeing Lu Fei was unwilling to discuss the matter, the three leaders quickly changed the subject—to that bear leader they all got along poorly with.

“Did any of you see Fang?” asked the fox demon Hu Cong, gnawing on a roasted wing.

“Fang? The tiger who lost a tusk—the second brother of the bear leader?” Lu Fei asked, tearing a length of tender snake meat from the spit, chewing thoughtfully.

Hu Cong nodded, “That’s him…”

Lu Fei shook his head. “Didn’t see him…”

Da Jiao finished the juices from a large tiger’s head, then replied, “He’s likely dead. On the battlefield, that old rat general from Windy Ridge killed many of our leaders.”

“Lucky I ran when I did, or I’d be meat on the grill right now,” said Da Chui, the tiger demon, unconcerned by Da Jiao’s habit of eating their own kind.

“I saw it too. I was on the valley’s edge when that rat came for me. I escaped into the woods just in time…”

Da Jiao continued, “Then the rat general turned on our own general—but back then, he wasn’t a general yet.”

Da Chui said, “Besides the general, Old Long-Whiskers also broke through during the battle. I’m envious. Now he’s commander…”

Seeing the conversation straying, Lu Fei asked, “With Fang dead on the battlefield, Bear only has one sworn brother left. Do you know how strong they are?”

Hu Cong replied, “Bear’s third brother, the ox demon Long Tail, is average but hot-tempered. As for Bear himself, he’s very strong. Though he became a leader around the same time as me and Da Chui, he’s already close to a mid-stage Monster General.”

“But now, Bai Lang, you—”

“Just call me Bai Lang…” Lu Fei interrupted with a smile. “I’m more used to that.”

Hu Cong laughed, “Then we’re all equals…”

Da Chui added, “Exactly! Names are best. Mine’s got a nice ring to it…”

Lu Fei ignored Da Chui’s dry humor.

Hu Cong went on, “Bai Lang, you don’t need to fear him now. If anything, he should fear you…”

Lu Fei shook his head, “I never feared him…”

“Besides Fang, we lost two other leaders as well,” Da Jiao interjected.

“I know, Black Ox didn’t make it back—what a waste. I was hoping to get him to buy the drinks after the battle…”

“And Big Fang, the elephant demon…” Da Chui added. “He could hold his liquor, and his temperament was the best. I enjoyed drinking with him—what a shame…”

At this, the surviving leaders fell silent, a sense of comrades lost settling over them.

A young, plaintive roar broke the silence.

All heads turned.

Da Chui, most familiar with the sound, frowned, “Where’d that tiger cub come from?”

“I’m raising a little Brain Tiger,” Lu Fei grinned. “Let’s leave it here for today, we’ll drink again next time.”

With that, Lu Fei stood and walked toward where his subordinate little monsters had gathered.

As soon as his figure appeared, Wandashan Number One, who had been lying beside the cat demon San Niang, bounded over and nuzzled Lu Fei’s ankle, whining softly.

Lu Fei stroked Wandashan’s head, then surveyed the crowd.

Within the area claimed by the Langlang Mountain pack, a glance told Lu Fei roughly how many monsters remained. Including the leaders, there were about eighty left. Before the battle, they’d numbered over one hundred sixty—more than half lost.

Yet even with such losses, Langlang Mountain fared better than Snake Coil Mountain, where barely fifty survived. The other two generals’ packs had hundreds still alive, but their losses were greatest, given their pre-battle numbers were ten times Langlang Mountain’s.

In terms of high-level fighters, however, Langlang Mountain fared worst—even their chief, Black General, was gone. Thankfully, Bai Commander had stepped up, breaking through to Monster Marshal and assuming command. Otherwise, the pack would have scattered.

Lu Fei sat by the fire with the crow demon Redskin and the Yellow Brothers.

Wandashan squeezed in beside him. The crow demon’s eyes lit up, eager to pet Wandashan’s head, but now Wandashan wouldn’t allow it, baring his teeth in warning.

“Big Brother, look…” The crow demon complained, “I’m the only one he won’t let touch him.”

“Then don’t touch him,” Lu Fei replied, biting into a rack of lamb Redskin handed him. “Or, if you really like tigers, go raise one yourself.”

“Good idea…” The crow demon’s eyes sparkled. “Then they could be companions…”

Ignoring the crow demon’s muttering, Lu Fei ate roasted meat while quietly summoning his virtual system panel.

Lines of pale, glowing calligraphy appeared before his eyes:

[Host: Lu Fei]
[Realm: Early Monster General (27@…]

When the king revealed his true form—a terrifying black dog, larger than Godzilla in an Earth film—Lu Fei had been stunned, then numb, then awed. His sense of the possible scale of power had been stretched again and again.

He already knew that immortals existed in this world, but seeing such strength with his own eyes was something else entirely.

Having witnessed such power, Lu Fei held a new level of respect—even awe—for his mysterious system panel.

“My cultivation has improved…”

“It must be the result of eating roasted monster meat earlier…”

“My soul power experience rose by a hundred sixty—that must have come from the little monsters I killed yesterday…”

“The staff proficiency improved well, but it’ll slow down now. Maybe I should ask the general about staff techniques…”

Just as the thought formed, Lu Fei realized something was off. Reflecting more deeply, he saw he’d become a bit heady from the general’s favor.

General Bai admired him, valued him, even gave him his own weapon. Lu Fei’s gratitude was only right. If the general chose to teach him a spear technique from the armory as before, wonderful. But if not, he must not ask for it.

Otherwise, what would he become—taking the general’s consideration for granted?

No, perhaps after he’d earned more merit, then he could ask. But not now.

At this realization, Lu Fei felt his mind clear, his spirit lighter. Indeed, frequent self-examination and reflection aided the path of cultivation.

With this new insight, his attention returned to the system panel.

Looking at the staff technique in his abilities, he realized he didn’t necessarily have to rely on General Bai for staff techniques. Long staves were popular among monsters; perhaps one of the other leaders excelled with one. Or, he could visit a nearby human village or town to learn—or seize—a technique. With his current strength, as long as he was cautious and didn’t cause trouble, he should be safe.

He continued reading.

He noticed the greatest change was to the storage power “Within an Inch,” which now showed as “Proficient.” He had three soul power points remaining.

Three points—not few. He could advance three powers to proficiency and greatly boost his strength. After all, “Within an Inch” had already proven invaluable.

But three points weren’t many either—just enough for one round of upgrades. The Monster Breathing Method, already at “Small Mastery,” required more than three for the next advance.

What to enhance this time?

He quickly eliminated options: Monster Breathing Method required too many points. In the abilities list, only Spear Technique was worth considering, but staff technique would gain little without a set of forms—better to wait until he had one.

So, the main focus was his powers. “Celestial Wolf Devours the Moon” and “Within an Inch” were both at proficiency now; upgrading them would cost three points each, and for now, they sufficed.

That left “Ambush,” “Earth Dive,” “Whisper,” and “Inch Step.”

After careful thought, Lu Fei willed his consciousness and tapped the plus sign after “Inch Step,” the most agile of his powers.

[This upgrade consumes one soul power. Proceed?]
[Yes/No]

“Upgrade!”

Instantly, new knowledge flooded his mind—insight into the “Inch Step” technique.

Satisfied, Lu Fei turned to the next upgrade.

He didn’t hesitate long. With a thought, he upgraded “Earth Dive.”

[This upgrade consumes one soul power. Proceed?]
[Yes/No]

“Upgrade!”

“Earth Dive” flashed in his mind—the suffix changed to “Proficient.”

Upgrading “Inch Step” served offense, while “Earth Dive” was a lifesaver, useful for escape.

With one soul power left, Lu Fei decided to save it. His remaining powers could wait. Now, he could look for an offensive power to enhance. Next, he’d ask his six subordinates about their abilities—if any suited him, he’d claim and upgrade it.

“Big Brother…”

“Big Brother…”

A soft nuzzle and familiar voice at his side jolted Lu Fei from his reverie. He stroked Wandashan’s head and turned to Redskin, who had spoken.

Just then, a sharp voice piped up beside him, “Chief Bai, the general wants to see you…”

—A Dreaming Cat in the Deep Sea