A Yuanfu realm demon core was worth ten thousand primeval stones.
In the Great Chu Empire's martial clans and families, Yuanfu realm experts were ancestor-level personnel, acting as the pillars of their clans.
Chen Fan could kill first-level Yuanfu realm experts despite being a mere Qi Grandmaster.
“Regretfully, besides the demon core, I kinda rendered the other parts of the Devil-Faced Spider King valueless.” Chen Fan glanced at the Devil-Faced Spider King’s corpse and shook his head with a look of pity.
Every part of a tier-two demon beast was regarded as a treasure. For instance, the Devil-Faced Spider King's legs, comparable to fine iron, were premium materials for weapon refinement, each worth several hundred primeval stones. Unfortunately, he had destroyed them all.
“What a waste,” Chen Fan smiled bitterly, “I wonder how Senior Sister is doing?”
He activated his primeval qi, spreading the wide Wings of Rain Dragon on his back. With a flap, a whirlwind emerged, carrying him away.
This fight helped Chen Fan gain a profound understanding of his current strength. Cold determination flickered in his eyes as he muttered, “Just wait, Wang Fuchen and Zhong Li. You might think Senior Sister and I are dead, but wait for my surprise. Especially you, Wang Fuchen. You won't leave Dragon Mountain Blessed Land alive!”
Qin Yao continued her relentless fight against the swarming creatures inside the Devil-Faced Spider nest. Despite their lacking cultivation levels, the Devil-Faced Spiders charged at her fearlessly, their spider silk forming a sharp, inescapable net that enveloped her.
Countless Devil-Faced Spider corpses littered the ground—over twenty by a rough estimate—all felled by Qin Yao's prowess.
Xiaofan went chasing after that Devil-Faced Spider King. I wonder if he caught up to it. Qin Yao looked at the nest entrance as a light flashed in her eyes.
She knew Chen Fan had learned Wings of Rain Dragon and could fly like Yuanfu realm experts. However, the Devil-Faced Spider King was a tier-two demon beast, so it could fly at a breakneck speed.
Nonetheless, she wasn’t worried about Chen Fan. If he could not handle the Devil-Faced Spider King, the creature wouldn't have attempted to flee in the first place.
Suddenly, a whirlwind stirred, lifting sand and rocks as Chen Fan entered the nest.
He looked around and saw that Qin Yao was still busy killing the Devil-Faced Spiders, so he promptly joined the fray, his powerful attacks effortlessly annihilating the creatures.
In mere moments, the dozen or so Devil-Faced Spiders fell under the combined assault of Chen Fan and Qin Yao.
“Xiaofan, did the Devil-Faced Spider King escape?” Qin Yao asked.
As Chen Fan had returned quickly, she subconsciously assumed he had failed to catch up to the beast.
Chen Fan smiled at the question and took out the Devil-Faced Spider King’s demon core. “How could I let it escape? Take a look at this.”
Qin Yao's eyes gleamed with excitement. “Xiaofan, you're truly remarkable, defeating even tier-two demon beasts. Does that mean first-level Yuanfu realm experts stand no chance against you?”
Chen Fan replied, “Not exactly. Ordinary first-level Yuanfu realm martial artists are no match for me, but I can’t easily kill the stronger first-level Yuanfu practitioners.”
Two factors led to Chen Fan’s victory: his superior strength and the fact that the Devil-Faced Spider King did not know martial arts. The spider had fought him, relying solely on its natural abilities and strong physique.
Demon beasts’ physiques were inherently stronger than human martial artists’, giving them a significant advantage. However, in terms of martial arts, they were at a disadvantage.
However, Chen Fan’s physical prowess resembled that of a beast in human form. So, the Devil-Faced Spider King had no apparent advantages, making its defeat by Chen Fan unsurprising.
Had Chen Fan fought Wang Fuchen, they would likely have fought to a draw, each unable to gain the upper hand.
After all, Wang Fuchen was the number one disciple of the Floating Cloud Sword Outer Sect and practiced powerful sword techniques. He was much stronger than the Devil-Faced Spider King.
“Being able to kill a first-level Yuanfu realm with only Qi Grandmaster cultivation is already impressive. People’s jaws would drop if word of it spreads outside.” Qin Yao laughed.
The difference in power between the Qigong and the Yuanfu realms was like an unbridgeable chasm.
Not even Wang Fuchen could do something as heaven-defying as killing a Yuanfu realm powerhouse when he was a Qi Grandmaster.
Chen Fan could only do so thanks to the unique combination of his divine cultivation technique and his powerful physique.
Dealing with the spider’s silk and legs would have been troublesome without his tough physique. Without a weapon on him, his hands would have been tied when fighting the Devil-Faced Spider King, and he could have failed to kill it.
“Xiaofan, let’s go look for a way out. Only a few days are left until our Dragon Mountain Blessed Land training ends. We need to ascertain the current situation outside and whether anyone has obtained the Ice Jade Snow Lotus,” Qin Yao said.
Chen Fan shook his head. “No hurries, Senior Sister. Although I can kill ordinary first-level Yuanfu realm experts, I can only fight geniuses like Wang Fuchen to a draw at best.
“He dares capture you to threaten me, nearly killing me. Senior Sister, even you had to jump off the cliff after me. That counts as indirectly killing you. I definitely won’t let him go. My hatred will only be relieved after I kill him.
"But I'm not completely confident in taking him down yet. Before we go out and exact our revenge, I must refine this demon core and raise my strength further!”
Qin Yao nodded, not objecting to his idea.
Chen Fan wasted no time and casually tossed the Devil-Faced Spider King's demon core into his mouth as if it were a piece of candy.
“Xiaofan, you...” Qin Yao’s expression immediately changed at the sight.
She had expected him to refine the demon core bit by bit; unexpectedly, he swallowed the demon core as is.
Even Yuanfu realm powerhouses would be astonished under such circumstances, thinking he was a demon, as even they couldn’t directly swallow demon cores.
These cores contained demon qi, a foreign primeval qi that clashed with their own, risking damage to meridians and dantians. At worst, it could lead to an explosion, turning them into ashes.
Let alone Qi Grandmasters, even Yuanfu realm experts would only dissolve the demon cores using their primeval force, spending much time grinding away at it and slowly absorbing the essence within.
Alchemists and Weaponsmiths, on the other hand, used their dan furnaces to refine demon cores into pills or weapon materials, extracting and refining the demon qi properly.
No one would even think about swallowing the demon core as Chen Fan had done, as it was no different from seeking death.
Qin Yao's expression darkened at the sight, realizing the risks involved in such a reckless action.