As Xu Chang'an continued to gnaw on the Centennial Ginseng, the warm current surging through his body grew increasingly intense.
Finally, the warm current seemed to reach a critical point.
Name: Xu Chang'an
Bloodline: Ordinary Grey Rat (Unranked)
Lifespan: 1 Year
Realm: None
Skills: None
Energy: (2/3)
.....
On his panel, the Energy Value had changed from 1 to 2.
'Almost there, almost there!'
Looking at the Centennial Ginseng in front of him, now less than half-eaten, Xu Chang'an's small, beady eyes filled with excitement.
Once he finished this Centennial Ginseng, he would likely be able to become a Demon directly!
He would embark on the Demon Path!
An ordinary spirit beast would never be able to use just over half a Centennial Ginseng to achieve Becoming a Demon!
But with the panel, it was possible.
No bottlenecks!
No limits!
Just a matter of accumulating Energy!
Time gradually passed. It was hard to say how long.
Finally...
The Centennial Ginseng before him was completely devoured, and the Energy on his panel changed from 2 to 3.
The previously ethereal, frozen Energy panel suddenly became selectable. With practiced ease, Xu Chang'an focused his mind and selected the Realm option.
He felt a buzzing sound ring through his small head.
Then, an incredibly powerful aura erupted from within him, spreading outward uncontrollably.
BOOM!
Mr. Chen Sr., who had been sound asleep next to him, was jolted awake by a wave of heat that surged from his side.
"What's going on!?"
The sight beside him gave Mr. Chen Sr. a shock.
A Grey Rat, five or six times the size of a man's fist, had appeared right next to him.
The Grey Rat's eyes were closed in a very human-like fashion, as if it were sensing something.
Name: Xu Chang'an
Bloodline: Ordinary Grey Rat (Unranked)
Lifespan: 12 Years
Realm: Qi Refining First Layer
Skills: None
Energy: (0/5)
.....
'I broke through!'
Xu Chang'an was thrilled.
Although he had only just set foot on the Demon Path, for him, this was a milestone of great significance.
His lifespan had increased from 1 year to 12 years.
For a Human Race Cultivator, such a lifespan was nothing to speak of, not even matching that of an ordinary person.
But for a creature with the bloodline of an ordinary Grey Rat like Xu Chang'an, it was a breakthrough that shattered the limits of his species.
Although he was reveling in the excitement of his breakthrough, Xu Chang'an was keenly aware of his situation.
Now that he had embarked on the Demon Path, his combat power had increased severalfold.
Though limited by his species and aptitude, his combat strength was still weaker than that of a typical Demon Race member at the Qi Refining First Layer.
Even so, he was no longer someone an ordinary human could threaten.
But that being said, this was still the territory of the Human Race. It wasn't a place he should linger.
Nearby, Mr. Chen Sr. could only watch as the giant Grey Rat suddenly opened its mouth and grinned at him.
"This..."
That grin scared Mr. Chen Sr. out of his wits.
SWOOSH!
Xu Chang'an's massive body became a blur as he shot out of the bedroom.
He was now incomparably faster than before.
BOOM!
The latched bedroom door was smashed open in an instant.
In just a few moments, the massive Grey Rat had vanished from sight.
"Help! Someone, help! The rat has become a demon!"
Mr. Chen Sr.'s terrified cries echoed through the bedroom.
...
News that a rat in Mr. Chen Sr.'s home had become a demon and stolen most of a Centennial Ginseng quickly spread throughout Cyan Peak Town.
It even reached the point where a Cultivator from the Li Family made a special trip to investigate.
As the Cultivation Clan responsible for maintaining order in the surrounding region, the Li Family naturally had a duty to protect mortals.
"There is indeed a demonic aura here!"
A clean-shaven, pale-faced, middle-aged Cultivator stood before Mr. Chen Sr.'s bedroom, sensing the faint traces.
"Judging by the aura, it's a newly-formed Demon at best. How audacious! To dare act so wantonly within the Li Family's domain."
This Cultivator was a disciple of the Li Family. Though from a branch family, he had embarked on the path of cultivation and was a Third-Layer Qi Refining Cultivator.
In the lands of ordinary mortals, he was already considered a regional Immortal Master.
...
Xu Chang'an neither knew nor cared what happened at the Chen Family estate.
The day he achieved Becoming a Demon, he immediately left Cyan Peak Town and headed for Cyan Mountain.
He wasn't some clueless rookie who had just started cultivating, oblivious to the dangers.
To leave traces of his aura behind and then loiter in Human Race territory would be a death sentence—a blatant show of disrespect for the Li Family.
Now that he was a Demon, the only logical course of action was to flee deep into the mountains and seek out the territories of the Demon Race.
For a Little Demon like him who had just embarked on the Demon Path, trying to survive in Human Race territory was practically impossible.
One wrong move, and he'd be slain by some self-righteous hero, skinned, dried, and turned into medicinal ingredients.
After wandering through Cyan Mountain for half a month, Xu Chang'an had finally found an opportunity.
He was now part of a group—a group made up entirely of members of the Demon Race.
The group consisted of a dozen or so Demons, led by a black-feathered Black Chicken Spirit.
This Black Chicken Spirit was no ordinary character; he was a Mountain Patrol Envoy from Red Cloud Mountain.
Well, he was a self-proclaimed Mountain Patrol Envoy.
It was not an official appointment.
Nevertheless, Xu Chang'an and the other members of the Demon Race treated this Black Chicken Spirit with the utmost respect.
The reason was simple: the Black Chicken Spirit possessed a bona fide Qi Refining Sixth Layer Cultivation.
In a place like Cyan Mountain, where demons were few and wild beasts ran rampant, such power made him an unrivaled overlord.
Aside from the Black Chicken Spirit, the group also included a Leopard Spirit, a Wild Wolf Monster, a Bear Demon, and others.
These were all members of the Demon Race native to Cyan Mountain, having achieved Becoming a Demon through years of patient accumulation or a stroke of luck.
They had happened to be recruited by the Mountain Patrol Envoy from Red Cloud Mountain, who was gathering Little Demons to accompany him.
The Demon Path is fraught with hardship. Without a lineage or resources, it's practically impossible to forge a path on one's own.
Speaking of Red Cloud Mountain, it was a true hegemon in the region, possessing a fearsome reputation.
This reputation wasn't just for show; it was forged in the blood and fire of countless battles by the many members of the Demon Race under its banner.
Before Red Cloud Mountain, the cultivating Li Family was nothing more than a tiny ant.
Red Cloud Mountain was a major power within the Demon Race.
Three Demon Kings anchored its destiny, a dozen or so Quasi-Demon Kings held dominion within, hundreds of Great Demons congregated there, and the number of Little Demons under them was beyond count. Its fame was truly well-deserved.
With his memories from a past life, Xu Chang'an understood this very clearly.
Demon cultivation, like immortal cultivation, required wealth, companionship, cultivation arts, and a proper location—not a single one could be missing.
The hardships of cultivating alone were truly beyond words.
In the mortal realm, Spiritual Qi was scarce, making cultivation exceedingly difficult.
Meanwhile, the places rich in Spiritual Qi had long been occupied by various major powers.
He had only just embarked on the Demon Path. Although he had his panel and the accumulated experience from a past life, he knew that achieving success on the Demon Path in the body of a Grey Rat would not be a smooth journey.
Therefore, he had to join a major power.
Although it came with many restrictions, it was undoubtedly far safer than cultivating alone.
"Little rat, you look new. You didn't achieve Becoming a Demon here in Cyan Mountain, did you?"
Just as Xu Chang'an was lost in thought, a voice spoke up beside him.
He turned his head and saw a fox whose fur was as white as snow.
A Bai Yuhu, a Middle-class Bloodline!
It even ranked among the top tier of Middle-class Bloodlines!
The bloodline of the Demon Race was akin to the Spiritual Root of a Human Race Cultivator.
The stronger the bloodline, the easier it was to cultivate, the greater the innate talent, and the more powerful the combat strength at the same realm.