Chapter 455: Golden Crown Demon Venerable — Encounter with Zhong Baisheng Again

Over the next few days, Shen Mo continued testing the curse powder using various methods.

During this period, he even tried burning it mixed with pieces of his old clothing.

However, he more or less figured out the activation conditions of the curse powder.

The chosen clothing fragment wasn’t something he wore regularly.

It had to be something from long ago.

Fortunately, his storage ring was large. He eventually found an old piece of his clothing tucked away in a corner.

Through repeated experimentation, he discovered a method to defend against the curse powder.

The curse powder specifically targeted his primordial spirit.

As long as he continuously wrapped his primordial spirit with Divine Thunder Force, the curse’s damage could be greatly reduced.

If the Nine Nether Iceflame was also housed within his Divine Palace, the process would be even simpler.

All it needed was to spread slightly and envelop his primordial spirit—at that point, the damage from the curse would be reduced to almost nothing.

With this understanding in place, Shen Mo stopped worrying about the matter and resumed cultivating to strengthen his power.

All of it was preparation for the day he would be sent to the fourth level of the Demon Suppression Sea to guard an outpost.

…

“An Zhenyuan was captured alive?”

“Then the task I gave him must have failed.”

Upon hearing the report from his subordinate, An Chen immediately frowned.

“What about the curse powder? Is it still intact?”

The demon beneath him replied gravely, “Reporting to the Lord—it’s gone.”

“An Zhenyuan was caught on the spot by the Demon Suppression Guards of Xuanwu Fortress while waiting for the insider.”

“There was no sign of battle at the scene. We suspect he was surrounded by multiple guard commanders working together.”

An Chen’s brow furrowed even deeper. “Don’t use the remaining curse powder. Wait for my command.”

“Yes.”

“I recall that the three races are building outposts on the fourth level?”

“Yes.”

“How’s the construction progressing?”

The demon replied seriously, “The outpost for Xuanwu Fortress is already complete. The subordinates under the Fifth Lord are currently engaging them in battle. However, they hold strange lanterns that make them immune to the corrosion of demon soil.”

“We estimate that at most in one year, they’ll have a solid foothold.”

“As for the other fortresses, their progress is much slower. Blood God Fortress is the fastest among them—its outpost is nearly finished.”

An Chen said calmly, “Xuanwu Fortress again—always so bold.”

The demon added solemnly, “From what we’ve observed, the Demon Suppression Guards of Xuanwu Fortress appear to have deliberately slowed their construction, but even then, it’s still very fast.”

“That strange lantern plays a huge role in this.”

“We heard from the guards that the lantern was crafted by Shen Mo of Xuanwu Fortress.”

An Chen let out a cold snort. “That Shen Mo again.”

“No matter. He will come to the fourth level sooner or later. It won’t be too late to kill him then.”

“Even if he’s a genius, there’s only a year—how much can he grow?”

“Yes.” The demon paused briefly, then added, “Also… some anomalies have appeared on the seventh level.”

“What kind of anomalies?” An Chen asked calmly.

The demon answered carefully, “A female demon has emerged with extraordinary power. She has already gathered over one hundred thousand lesser demons under her banner. Her cultivation should have reached the Golden Crown Demon Venerable realm.”

“My Lord, should we try to recruit her?”

An Chen raised an eyebrow. “A female demon?”

Among the demon race, males were generally far stronger than females.

The power gap between male and female demons was far greater than among humans, monsters, or flood dragons.

So, the rise of a female demon was something he found quite unbelievable.

Unless that female demon possessed extremely rare talent.

Such a female demon would usually be considered a forbidden treasure by all the Great Demons.

Because possessing one would allow them to produce even more powerful offspring.

An Chen nodded. “Indeed. She can be used for breeding the next generation.”

The demon nodded. “Yes. I will head to the seventh level immediately and convey Your Excellency’s goodwill to her.”

An Chen gave a slight nod and didn’t think much of it.

There were plenty of female demons eager to throw themselves at him—he didn’t lack one or two more.

…

A year passed.

Shen Mo opened his eyes, his expression filled with delight.

Another breakthrough!

“With sufficient cultivation resources, progress really is rapid!”

He looked inward to his Divine Palace.

He found that the blood-topped structure above his Divine Palace had transformed from silver to gold.

This meant he had officially stepped into the Golden Crown Venerable Realm.

Even without the merits of crafting weapons like the Flame Floodcloud Warship or the Giant Flood Dragon Cloudship, based on realm alone, he was now at least qualified to serve as a Centurion.

Compared to the days when he lacked military achievements and cultivation resources, his current rise felt like soaring into the sky.

“Judging by the time, it should be about time for me to head to the fourth level of the Demon Suppression Sea and take up post at the outpost.”

Shen Mo stood tall and pushed open the door.

The armory today was much livelier than before.

Perhaps inspired by Shen Mo, even the once-lazy Demon Suppression Guards now showed enthusiasm beyond expectations.

They knew they would never reach Shen Mo’s level.

But if they could repair Blood Energy Cannons or Spiritual Energy Cannons—or even learn to craft them—they could still earn significant merit. That was enough.

Wu Zhanyun and Li Heitan had already become like junior instructors, teaching other guards military engineering techniques.

The armory brimmed with energy and life.

“Commander Shen!”

“Greetings, Commander!”

“Brother Shen, you’ve come out of seclusion?”

The guards all showed respectful expressions the moment they saw Shen Mo and saluted immediately.

Zhang Longxiang had said it himself—seeing Shen Mo was like seeing him.

No guard dared show even a hint of disrespect to Shen Mo, let alone offend him.

Even if Shen Mo wasn’t the petty type to hold grudges, plenty of others would punish anyone who disrespected him just to gain Shen Mo’s favor.

Shen Mo glanced around and smiled, nodding to each one.

Bang.

At that moment, two figures leapt over the armory gate and landed on the open ground.

One was stout and bulky—Deputy Commander Wang Xing’an.

The other had a well-proportioned build—it was an old acquaintance.

Commander Zhong Baisheng.

“Hahaha! Commander Shen, long time no see.” Zhong Baisheng strode forward, laughing as he cupped his hands toward Shen Mo.

Wang Xing’an laughed too, but as he was about to speak, he suddenly noticed Shen Mo’s aura had grown even stronger.

He couldn’t help but admire it in his heart.

Shen Mo wasn’t just gifted in military engineering—his cultivation talent was also one in a million.

Only one year had passed, and he’d broken through again.

Shen Mo nodded. “Commander Zhong, what brings you here?”

Zhong Baisheng replied seriously, “The first outpost of our Xuanwu Fortress is now complete. The nearby demons have been cleared.”

“We also helped two other fortresses establish their outposts.”

“General Zhang believes the major danger has passed, so it’s time to assign you to guard the outpost.”

Wang Xing’an added, “Technically, the transfer could be delayed a bit longer—but the longer we delay, the worse it gets.”

“The demons know that every Demon Suppression Guard must serve five years on the fourth level. The later you go, the more troops they’ll amass to attack.”

Shen Mo nodded in full agreement. “Will the two of you be escorting me?”

Zhong Baisheng smiled. “Of course. For the next five years, as long as you’re on the fourth level, Old Wang and I will be at your side.”

Wang Xing’an cut in, “And your situation is special—you don’t need to stay at the fourth-level outpost continuously for five years.”

“If the demons launch a major assault, we’ll bring you back to the fortress. Once they retreat, you return to the outpost. Accumulate five years like that, and it still counts.”

“This way, your safety is guaranteed even further.”

====================================================================================

Get access to 20 chapters in advance and enjoy 2 daily updates by supporting the series. Available on Patreon: /Alex_Cruise or Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/anish_44

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Madara Web Novel