Although each advancement in realm required several times the resources of a cultivator at the same level, Zhang Fan was not disheartened. Instead, he was quite satisfied.
This indicated that the depth of his magical power far surpassed that of cultivators in the same realm. Zhang Fan estimated that by the time he cultivated to the peak of the Third Tribulation Nascent Soul, with the foundation of his white immortal infant, his magical power's depth and purity would be comparable to a Fifth Tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator.
He retrieved three storage magical treasures from the astral space, which had belonged to Wang Jue Tian and his two companions after their deaths. Zhang Fan took stock and found some unexpected gains.
The spirit crystals in the three storage magical treasures combined exceeded seventy million. The value of spiritual treasures and other items amounted to only fifty million.
Zhang Fan speculated that the three of them might have converted many of their treasures into spirit crystals in preparation for the auction of the withered wood of the Tribulation-Crossing Tree. Ultimately, however, it all served as a stepping stone for Zhang Fan.
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Fan produced the over seventy million spirit crystals, piling them into a small mountain before him. He gazed at the mountain of spirit crystals, his eyes alight with excitement, ready to cultivate wholeheartedly once more.
His Nascent Soul was a white immortal infant, a grade higher than a golden Nascent Soul. Therefore, each breakthrough in his realm demanded several times the resources of cultivators at the same level.
If he were to rely solely on absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth to cultivate, even with the aid of the 'Dark Devour' divine ability, Zhang Fan estimated that it would take him at least a year and a half to cultivate from the early to the middle stage of the Third Tribulation Nascent Soul.
He did not have that much time, so he had no choice but to lavishly use spirit crystals for his cultivation.
...
Three months later, a petite figure darted through the dense forest, pursued relentlessly by a pack of Shadow Tiger-Head Cats.
The Shadow Tiger-Head Cats were entirely black. Their bodies were no different from ordinary wild cats, except their heads were not cat heads but actual tiger heads.
Adult Shadow Tiger-Head Cats could mostly form demon cores, their strength comparable to human Core Formation cultivators. While not particularly powerful among the demon beast races, they were considered quite weak.
However, their ability to survive within the demon beast ranks was due to their unique capabilities.
Firstly, the Shadow Tiger-Head Cats were numerous. In this unnamed mountain range, a typical pack of Shadow Tiger-Head Cats could consist of thousands, an incredibly formidable number.
Secondly, the Shadow Tiger-Head Cats were extremely effective predators. They were adept at moving in darkness and could easily blend into the shadows, making them difficult to detect even for demon beasts at the Golden Core stage.
At this moment, over a hundred Shadow Tiger-Head Cats were chasing Luo Xiaoxiao. They moved rapidly through the dense forest, emitting no sound, like specters flashing past. Luo Xiaoxiao was unable to discern their numbers by sound alone.
Fortunately, she possessed a natural Dark God Body. Although she had not yet condensed a demon core, she had already grasped the True Meaning of Darkness.
With the aid of the True Meaning of Darkness, she was able to steal the Black Obsidian Yuan Crystals, condensed by the Shadow Tiger-Head Cat tribe, right from under their noses.
The Shadow Tiger-Head Cats behind her grew closer, and Luo Xiaoxiao's heart pounded with panic. With her current strength, if she were caught by this group of seemingly cute yet incredibly ferocious Shadow Tiger-Head Cats, even as a natural Dark God Body, she likely wouldn't be able to withstand them.
Suddenly, Luo Xiaoxiao spotted a handsome young man sitting leisurely on a tree in the distant dense forest. Her heart surged with excitement, and she quickly shouted, "Master, I succeeded!"
Hearing Luo Xiaoxiao's cry, Zhang Fan did not intervene. Instead, he watched the scene unfold with keen interest.
"Meow!"
A cat's meow sounded behind Luo Xiaoxiao. Goosebumps rose on her skin. She instinctively turned and unleashed a palm strike, which collided with a swiftly flying cat claw.
Her skin was as delicate as ice jade bones, seemingly able to burst with a gentle touch. However, the sharp claws of the Shadow Tiger-Head Cat grazed her palm, yet failed to break the skin, leaving only a faint white mark.
"Meow meow meow!"
More and more Shadow Tiger-Head Cats rushed forward. Luo Xiaoxiao felt her vision being overwhelmed, the world turning dark, and she could see nothing.
"Darkness should not be your restraint; it is your strength!" As Luo Xiaoxiao's mind reeled in panic, Zhang Fan's voice reached her ears, bringing her to instant clarity.
"Shadow Clone!" Luo Xiaoxiao lightly tapped her feet, employing the Shadow Steps to evade, while simultaneously, a shadow clone separated from her body and retreated in another direction.
What Luo Xiaoxiao was executing was a movement technique that Zhang Fan had taught the Dark Unit on Earth, the Shadow Steps.
Upon activating the Shadow Steps, Luo Xiaoxiao's speed increased by several times. She also conjured a shadow clone identical to her true self, leaving the pack of Shadow Tiger-Head Cats bewildered. Which one was the real body?
In that instant of hesitation, Luo Xiaoxiao, leveraging the Shadow Steps, unleashed unparalleled speed and arrived before Zhang Fan.
"Meow!"
"Meow meow!"
The pack of Shadow Tiger-Head Cats saw Zhang Fan. Their dark cat eyes filled with fear. They appraised Zhang Fan but dared not advance further.
Although the man before them appeared ordinary, the aura he faintly exuded made every Shadow Tiger-Head Cat's heart tremble.
"Hmph!"
Zhang Fan let out a soft snort. An invisible Disintegration Domain spread, and the pack of Shadow Tiger-Head Cats immediately felt as if they were sealed. They let out frightened meows but were unable to move.
Only when Zhang Fan retracted his domain did the pack of Shadow Tiger-Head Cats, as if granted amnesty, disappear from Luo Xiaoxiao's sight like a receding tide.
"Master, the Black Obsidian Yuan Crystal." Luo Xiaoxiao cupped her hands and presented a jet-black stone to Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan took it and weighed it in his hand. "It's ten kilograms. Consider it a pass."
Hearing Zhang Fan's words, Luo Xiaoxiao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. This time, she had finally succeeded.
Luo Xiaoxiao had been cultivating in this dense forest for three months and had undergone four trials. However, this last one was the most intense.
In the previous trials, her master had set her challenge objectives: she had to kill demon beasts one realm higher than her own and obtain their demon cores.
For ordinary cultivators, this objective was as difficult as reaching the heavens. But for cultivators with exceptional talent and natural divine bodies, challenging opponents above their realm was child's play.
Yet, Luo Xiaoxiao had too little cultivation time. Even with a natural divine body, her combat experience was severely lacking. Each trial mission had nearly cost her life.
Fortunately, with the vast amount of spirit pills her master had prepared for her, no matter how severe her injuries, she could recover extremely quickly. After each life-and-death battle, she could feel her realm rapidly improving.
In just three months of cultivation, she had already become a Celestial Realm cultivator, just one step away from condensing her demon core.
...