The Grey Rat's Demon Path

Chapter 142: Chapter 134: Bear-shaped Puppet, Purple Patterned Luo Wood Root (Part 2)

In an actual fight, this Bear-shaped Puppet could hold its own against a Top-tier Great Demon for a short while, but it definitely couldn’t sustain a prolonged battle.

If the fight dragged on, its Energy would be depleted, and it would become nothing more than a generous gift for the opposing Top-tier Great Demon.

Most of the Great Demons present knew about this aspect of the Puppet, but it didn’t dampen their bidding enthusiasm in the slightest.

After all, it still represented the combat power of a Top-tier Great Demon.

In a critical moment, it could be a lifesaver!

Besides, even if it couldn’t defeat a Top-tier Great Demon, it could surely handle a Veteran Great Demon!

Having such a Puppet to anchor one’s power would be a major deterrent to any surrounding forces!

You might not need to use it, but you absolutely had to have one!

Xu Chang’an had no interest in this Bear-shaped Puppet whatsoever.

His panel required a constant accumulation of Energy, and he was already a massive drain on resources himself. Adding a Puppet to the mix would be completely unmanageable.

When it came time to actually use it in a fight, you wouldn’t be fighting with techniques—you’d be fighting with Demon Stones!

This wasn’t a battle of techniques. It was a battle of resources, of one’s entire foundation!

’Some Puppet Masters use special, costly methods to give Puppets the ability to recharge themselves!’

’Owning a Puppet like that wouldn’t be bad at all! It could serve as a way to protect my own domain!’

Xu Chang’an mused.

He had encountered a Puppet like that in his previous life.

It was a true Tier Three Puppet, capable of processing Spiritual Qi to recharge itself.

When paired with a Puppet Control Technique, its power was comparable to that of a Core Formation Zhenren.

But speaking of which, even among those called Core Formation Zhenren, the actual power they displayed could be worlds apart.

A cultivator at the Peak of Late-stage Foundation Establishment could attempt Core Formation.

If they succeeded, they would enter the Core Formation Realm.

However, among those who had undergone Core Formation, the quality of the Core they formed resulted in a vast difference in their strength.

For instance, the lowest grade of Core Formation Zhenren was one who formed a Gray Core, also known as an Inferior Core.

Calling such a person a Core Formation Zhenren was a compliment. They were generally referred to as Fake Pill Masters.

Those who formed a Core of this quality had essentially no future prospects.

Their lifespan wouldn’t exceed six hundred years, and their combat power was weaker than that of an ordinary True Man.

Furthermore, their Dao Path was basically severed, making it impossible for them to advance any further.

It might even take two Fake Pill Masters working together to match a single, ordinary Core Formation Zhenren.

Of course, even a Fake Pill Master was still far stronger than anyone in the Foundation Establishment Realm and held a significant advantage!

A Core of acceptable quality was called a True Core. They were flawlessly round, though each was unique.

Only a cultivator who formed such a Core could be considered a Core Formation Zhenren in the truest sense.

They enjoyed a lifespan of eight hundred years!

A step above that in quality was the Golden Core.

It gleamed with a brilliant golden light, was flawlessly round, and was incomparably hard.

Such a cultivator was generally not addressed as a Core Formation Zhenren, but as a Golden Core Zhenren!

Their combat power was astounding, their Cultivation far surpassed their peers, and they could even battle those in higher realms.

They enjoyed a lifespan of a thousand years and boundless prestige!

Among the Demon Race, those in the Core Formation Realm were not called Zhenren.

Instead, they were granted the title of Demon King.

When a member of the Demon Race broke through to the Core Formation Realm, a successful breakthrough would also result in the formation of an Inner Core within their body.

This was the source of their Demon Power and the very core of their existence.

If the Inner Core they formed was of inferior quality, dim and lusterless, then even though they were in the Core Formation Realm, they could only be called a Quasi-Demon King.

Only those who formed an Inner Core of acceptable quality, one that was flawlessly round, could be called a Demon King!

As for those who formed a Golden Core, such members of the Demon Race were exceedingly rare even among Demon Kings.

However, Xu Chang’an suspected that the Peacock King had very likely formed a Golden Core!

Of course, this was merely a guess. After all, he had never met the Peacock King, much less seen him in action.

But from the rumors currently circulating, even if the Peacock King hadn’t formed a Golden Core, it had to be a True Core of extremely high quality.

’With the panel helping me achieve a perfect breakthrough, if I undergo Core Formation, it will undoubtedly be a Golden Core!’

A flicker of joy sparked in Xu Chang’an’s heart at the thought, but he quickly regained his composure.

In his previous life, he had formed a Golden Core and even broken through to the Late Stage. His combat power had been sufficient to be considered at the Peak of the Core Formation Realm!

But in the end, hadn’t he still perished, his Dao Path wiped from existence?

Weakness and ignorance are not barriers to survival, but arrogance is!

’Stay vigilant. Always stay vigilant!’

By this time, the bidding for the Bear-shaped Puppet was coming to a close.

"Alright, from booth 017, we have a bid of seventy-five thousand, six hundred Demon Stones. Going once."

"Seventy-five thousand, six hundred Demon Stones, going twice..."

...

"...And three times!"

"Excellent! Let’s congratulate the distinguished guest in booth 017 for winning this Bear-shaped Puppet!"

Seventy-five thousand, six hundred Demon Stones!

That price was basically equivalent to the Talisman Treasure Xu Chang’an possessed!

Operating the Puppet consumed a large amount of Demon Stones.

The Talisman Treasure had a limited number of uses.

The two were roughly comparable, each with its own pros and cons.

The items that came up for auction after the Bear-shaped Puppet were all quite valuable.

Time passed, and items were auctioned off one by one. Even things like Quasi-Third Tier Beneficial Elixirs made an appearance.

The later the auction went on, the more precious the items became, until eventually, significant treasures like Quasi-Magical Treasures started to appear.

One such item sold for the high price of one hundred fifty-six thousand, seven hundred Demon Stones!

Xu Chang’an observed for a moment and, based on the description on the light screen, judged that this auctioned Quasi-Magical Treasure was similar to the Jade Ruyi he had obtained from the little lioness.

In other words, if he were to sell the Jade Ruyi, he could expect to get at least one hundred and fifty thousand Demon Stones for it.

The Peacock Princess’s Golden Jade Hairpin was likely worth even more.

He made a preliminary estimate: it was worth at least one hundred and eighty thousand Demon Stones!

However, this was just Xu Chang’an’s own assessment; there was no guarantee it would actually sell for that price.

But regardless, it meant that, including the Talisman Treasure, Xu Chang’an’s net worth was at least four hundred thousand Demon Stones!

Four hundred thousand Demon Stones!

If he sold everything, he could exchange it all for Elixirs and Spirit Plants.

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