Longevity: Starting from Refining Gu

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"Strategist, are we heading to Dragon City now?"

Chen Qing asked warmly. Communicating with Hu Yao's subordinates couldn't be as casual as speaking with his own.

The Monkey finally felt a long-lost sense of respect. Hu Yao was always straightforward, giving commands left and right.

The Monkey didn't get angry; he knew that this was simply Hu Yao's nature,

a matter of instinct.

But now, he truly felt Chen Qing's respect.

Chen Qing seemed to understand that he was the true brain behind this Demon Clan army.

Moreover, the moment he spoke, Chen Qing immediately revealed his future intentions, a true sign of intelligence.

To be valued by an intelligent person made him giddy with joy.

The Monkey immediately cupped his hands, performing a bow with royal courtesy, "Prince Wen, we are on our way to the North, but not to Dragon City, instead to Wangbei City."

Chen Qing didn't mind the Monkey's address; the Demon Clan was rather free-spirited, with kings everywhere.

"Why Wangbei City?"

The Monkey explained, "Prince Wen, you might not know, but in the North, tens of thousands of wolf demons are coming south. Li Chonghuan, leading the cultivators who later entered the Death Realm, has already gone to confront them."

Chen Qing became interested and pulled the Monkey over, sitting beside him and Hu Yao, "Are you saying that we plan to attack Wangbei City from the southern line and break through it together with those northern wolf demons, letting them move south?"

The Monkey thought that speaking with an intelligent person was indeed different, but he also wondered if his lord, mingling with this Prince Wen, might end up unknowingly betrayed.

He recalled the scene where Chen Qing handed a sword to Hu Yao, allowing her to cut off his head.

This was a friendship allowing the other to behead oneself, resembling the bond between fellow disciples of large sects.

In the cultivation world, this was a bond comparable to blood relations.

Thankfully, there was a Prince Wen; otherwise, the Monkey would truly worry about Hu Yao participating in the King Chasing Battle.

Chen Qing's feelings for Hu Yao were quite complicated, with no romantic attachment at all.

It was more of a relationship akin to mentor, father, and brother.

In the Taichu era, he was like their mentor.

In the Taiyi era, he was more like their senior brother.

The Monkey sat on half of the chair and said, "Exactly, letting those wolf demons move south can considerably tie down Da Yan's forces."

"This way, whether Prince Wen returns or we head back to the Northwest, it will be much smoother."

Chen Qing nodded slightly and asked in detail, "What's the situation with those wolf demons? I'm not very clear."

The Monkey stroked an imaginary beard and waved his sleeve, "Prince Wen, you should know that the Demon Clan seldom bands together; generally, everyone operates alone."

"Even great demons usually have no more than a dozen small demons under them."

"In the Demon Clan, only five clans can gather in large numbers: the Wolves, the Ant Clan, the Bee Demons, the Rat Demons, and the White Bone Demons."

"Let's not talk about the Ant Clan and Bee Demons for now, as becoming a demon is too difficult, so they are usually scarce."

"The White Bone Demons are different; they are bone-type Gu turned into demons by attaching to bones, even rarer."

"Every few hundred years, a White Bone Great Saint appears, but even he was slain by Ji Dang."

"The only ones that can maintain a large number for a long time are the Wolf Demons and Rat Demons."

"Rat Demons are always scattered around the world, appearing unpredictably."

"Wolf Demons, however, are mostly found on the snow plains, divided into hundreds of tribes by the Dragon Clan, to prevent them from gathering."

"But now, it seems that things have somewhat exceeded the Dragon Clan's control."

Chen Qing continued to ask, "What are the habits of the Wolf Clan?"

The Monkey said, "Cruel and violent, bloodthirsty and fierce, cunning and changeable, they only trust their own kind and hold grudges intensely."

Chen Qing frowned. Allowing such a group of wolf demons into Da Yan, who knew if it was good or bad.

However, it should be Ji Dang who was more concerned about this issue.

The Wolf Clan and Dragon Clan were known to have a deep-seated feud. With the Wolf Clan's strong retaliatory nature, once they entered the Central Plains, the Dragon Clan would undoubtedly become their primary target.

Chen Qing further asked, "How many demons do they have exactly?"

The Monkey shook his head, "I don't know. Rumor has it there are tens of thousands, but where would so many wolf demons come from?"

"If there truly were tens of thousands, even with the King Gu, Li Chonghuan wouldn't be able to stop them."

"I estimate there are around three thousand."

Chen Qing finally felt relieved—around three thousand, enough to give Ji Dang a real challenge.

"Then I'll trouble the Strategist to settle my army."

The Monkey, understanding, left, and once he departed, only Chen Qing and Hu Yao remained at the bow of the ship. Chen Qing said, "I have learned news of the Dragon Gate."

Zhou Li's Gu was the Dragon Abyss King Gu, having a great connection with the Dragon Clan, so Zhou Li also knew some Dragon Clan secrets.

From Zhou Li's memories, Chen Qing vaguely understood the method to unlock the Dragon Gate, but it still needed verification.

Hu Yao immediately became excited, "News about the Dragon Gate?"

"I now only need the Dragon Gate to be opened and a complete ancient dragon skeleton!"

Chen Qing continued, "Three hundred years ago, an ancient dragon of the Dragon Clan died in battle; its skeleton should be in Dragon City."

"As we head north, if we are lucky, we might manage to obtain that ancient dragon skeleton."

Hu Yao was already becoming impatient. If her lifebound Gu advanced to King Grade, her power would experience a massive boost.

Moreover, she might be the first among the gathering to elevate her lifebound Gu to King Grade!"

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