The Spirit Beast Courtyard was vast, divided into dozens of cells, each holding demons sold to this place.
Through the iron bars, Mo Fan could clearly see the demons’ haggard faces and the scars on their bodies.
Outside each cell hung a sign detailing the demon’s basic information and sale price.
What intrigued Mo Fan most was that the information included the number of humans each demon had killed.
He’d learned this on his first visit, so when he looked at the demons in the cells, there was no pity in his eyes.
According to the Spirit Beast Courtyard, every demon sold here was guilty of heinous crimes, man-eating fiends not worthy of sympathy.
“Clang, clang, clang…!”
As Mo Fan approached, a demon in one cell started pounding on the iron door, making a loud racket while growling at him, “Hey! Human kid, you here to pick a spirit beast?”
Mo Fan glanced at the demon but didn’t speak, his eyes shifting to the information outside the cell.
“This is a jackal demon, fourth-stage demon transformation, slaughtered two human villages, a total of 129 lives!”
“Price: forty-five low-grade spirit stones!”
Bing Qi’s cold voice rang out beside him.
Mo Fan looked at her in surprise, not expecting her to volunteer the information. Did she assume he, as a demon cultivator, couldn’t read human script?
“Thanks!”
Mo Fan turned and thanked her, but Bing Qi showed no reaction, cold as a block of wood.
Mo Fan rubbed his nose awkwardly.
“Hey! Human kid, stop flirting in front of me! If you’re buying a spirit beast, hurry up and buy me!”
“I’m a mighty demon cultivator who bathed two villages in blood. My record’s right there, what’re you hesitating for?”
“Clang, clang, clang…!”
Seeing Mo Fan ignore his earlier words, the jackal demon grew frantic, pounding the door harder.
“This guy… treating slaughter as something to brag about?”
Mo Fan’s brow furrowed as he looked at the jackal demon, grinning, “What’d you just say? I didn’t catch it.”
“I asked if you’re here to pick a spirit beast!”
“If you are, hurry up and buy me. I’ll protect you, little baldhead!” the jackal demon sneered.
“Oh, you guessed wrong. I’m not here to pick a spirit beast…” Mo Fan grinned, his voice turning sinister, “I’m here to pick food!”
“So, you sure you want me to buy you?”
The jackal demon’s anger flared, growling, “Little baldhead, listen up. I don’t care what you’re here for, just get me out of this damned place! Or I’ll slaughter your whole family!”
“Slaughter my whole family?”
“Such admirable courage!”
Mo Fan shrugged, then turned to Bing Qi, “I’ll buy this jackal demon. Let him out.”
“Alright.”
Bing Qi nodded, forming hand seals and pointing at the cell door.
Buzz—
A rune appeared on the door with a faint hum, followed by a “click” as the locked door swung open.
“Hahaha… I’m finally out!”
The jackal demon laughed, waving a hand to unleash a gust of demonic wind that blasted the door open.
In an instant, he was in front of Mo Fan, grabbing for his throat while sneering, “Little baldhead, you’re too easy to fool. Be less kind in your next life!”
“No need for a next life. I’ll set you free now!”
Mo Fan gave a mysterious smile, then opened his mouth.
Divine Ability: Sky Devourer!
In a flash, the ferocious jackal demon vanished into Mo Fan’s mouth, gone from this world!
“You’ve awakened a devouring-type divine ability?”
Bing Qi, who had been icy until now, finally showed a trace of surprise.
“I thought an ice-cold beauty like you wouldn’t be fazed by anything!”
Mo Fan flashed his sharp, white teeth at Bing Qi. Instead of answering, he said calmly, “Let’s keep going. Take me to the next one.”
Following Bing Qi through the courtyard, Mo Fan selected thirty demons.
All were minor demons, reasonably priced, each costing under fifty low-grade spirit stones.
Thirty demons cost him over a thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Yet Mo Fan frowned. Even after devouring thirty demons, he hadn’t broken through, though he was closer to piercing that paper-thin barrier.
He wasn’t sure if the minor demons’ demonic aura was too weak or if he now required a vast amount of it.
After a moment’s thought, Mo Fan turned to Bing Qi, “I heard from the fat shopkeeper that your Spirit Beast Courtyard has two Demon Follower Realm demons. Can you take me to see them?”
“Yes.”
Bing Qi nodded, her cold demeanour returning.
Soon, she led Mo Fan to another cell.
“This is a wolf demon, early Demon Follower Realm, killed the son of a human city lord.”
“Price: five hundred low-grade spirit stones!”
Bing Qi spoke flatly, introducing the demon.
Curious, Mo Fan looked at the scholarly-looking man in the cell and asked, “What’s your name?”
The wolf demon, resembling a scholar, glanced at Mo Fan but didn’t answer, his eyes shifting to Bing Qi with a hint of fear.
“Can you read?” Mo Fan asked again.
“I’m a demon. Why would I need to read?”
The wolf demon stepped to the cell door, his eyes turning to vertical slits as he growled at Mo Fan, baring sharp fangs.
“Let me out, I’ll kill for you, and you give me my freedom!”
Mo Fan smiled and had Bing Qi open the cell door.
The moment it opened, the scholarly wolf demon erupted with overwhelming demonic aura, black mist surging toward Mo Fan. His body grew massive, his head transforming into a wolf’s as he lunged, jaws aiming for Mo Fan’s head!
“Bang!”
The next moment, Mo Fan’s fist sent the wolf demon crashing back into the cell.
The demon collapsed, unable to stand, blood pooling beneath him.
Struggling to his feet, he looked at his chest, where a bloody hole now gaped!
Mo Fan’s right fist was bloodied, but his expression remained calm as he said coldly to the wolf demon, “With strength like yours, you think you’re fit to kill for me?”
“Such power… you’re a demon too?!”
The wolf demon gritted his teeth, his body trembling slightly, a trace of fear growing for the figure outside the cell.
Mo Fan was about to nod but paused, shaking his head, “I’m not a demon. I’m a true demon!”
“An old man once told me that ‘demon’ is the derogatory term humans use for our demon race.”
“So remember this: in your next life, don’t be a man-eating demon. Be a free true demon!”
With that, Mo Fan’s mouth opened, a scarlet tongue shooting out to pierce the wolf demon’s body, dragging it back and swallowing it whole!
A surge of potent demonic aura flooded into Mo Fan’s body, rushing toward the demonic vortex in his mind.
Boom—
Thunder seemed to roar in his ears, his mind clearing as if a window had been opened.
A flash of joy crossed his eyes.
Late Demon Follower Realm!
