Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 439: Chapter 439. Stealing and Burning

Daimu and Amon returned to their daily activities of playing games. Two and a half months later, Daimu again picked the Longevity Fruit and ate it. After that, the next time Daimu ate the fruit was two months later.

It was less than four months from the promised deadline with Xie Nuli. Amon thought he should take the risk soon.

”Does the Longevity Fruits’ effect get shorter with every consumption?” Amon asked Daimu during one of their chess sessions.

”It does,” Daimu answered. By now, it acted more casually with Amon. ”The effect reduction was less for us, spirit beasts. You humans experience a more significant reduction. In your case, your natural age will increase by thirty years. As for a non-cultivator or someone at the Mortal Stage, they will receive a life extension of ten years when they consume the fruit. When humans consume Longevity Fruit for the second time, their life extension gets reduced by one year. So, you can eat the fruit thirty times before it stops granting any life extension, while non-cultivator and Mortal Stage cultivators can only consume it ten times.”

”For a spirit beast, the reduction is only half a month,” Amon said.

”That is correct,” Daimu confirmed.

”Which means you can only eat the fruit another two times. You have only three months left.”

”That’s correct,” Daimu said again.

Hearing that, Amon thought perhaps he didn’t need to take a risk, after all. Daimu would pass away before the promised deadline to deliver the Longevity Fruit to Xei Nuli. He could just wait until this Ghoul Koiyu passed away and took both mythical trees for himself.

”You are rather calm for someone who knows you are going to pass away soon,” Amon remarked.

”I have delayed it for as long as I can. Believe you me I have tried everything to prevent death. I guess I have simply accepted the reality that it is inevitable. That’s why I’m happy I have you to accompany me.”

”For your final moments, you mean?” Amon asked.

”No. For a companion to the other side. We will go together. I will bring you with me when I pass away,” Daimu answered.

’... I still have to take the risk, after all,’ Amon thought.

”You are speechless. Yet, your expression remains the same,” Daimu remarked. ”Are you so shocked that you freeze? Or are you truly calm about your situation?”

”I don’t really bother about the things I have no power to change,” Amon replied.

”Hm, then we have the same philosophy,” Daimu said. ”Let’s forget about all the depressing thoughts and focus on enjoying the remaining time we have, shall we?”

”Why do you enjoy human’s company so?” Amon asked about a different topic. ”You mentioned a human taught you these games a long time ago. Is it because of that person?”

Daimu nodded.

”Did you use to be a cultivator’s tamed beast?” Amon asked.

Daimu stared at Amon. This was the first time Amon saw true emotion from those golden eyes, a deep sadness.

”I don’t like the term, tamed beast. It sounds so denigrating,” Daimu said. ”The human I mind-linked with was also the person who raised me.”

”He was also the one who taught you formation-making and these human games?”

Daimu nodded. ”We had a special relationship beyond a cultivator and his tamed beast. My kind has an unusually long lifespan. Because of that, he passed away before I did, even when he was a Peak Lord Stage cultivator.”

Daimu turned to the Longevity Tree on the island. ”If I found that tree before he passed, he might have the chance to break through into the Demigod Realm and gain a longer lifespan. It’s such a pity that was not the case...”

”That’s too bad. I’m sorry to hear it,” Amon expressed a fake condolence.

”Never mind, I will soon meet him again in the afterlife. I will introduce you to him. I’m sure you two will get along.”

Amon nodded. He then changed the topic again, ”What about that Aetherium Tree? You found it together with the Longevity Tree?”

”You also know that tree’s name? You are very knowledgeable. The previous humans who stayed with me were completely oblivious to those trees. It was only after they saw me eating the Longevity Fruit that they understood the fruit’s effect. As for the Aetherium Tree, it was here with the Longevity Tree when I stumbled on this place.”

”Did you eat the fruits?” Amon asked.

”I did at first. But considering my end is inevitable, I don’t see the point of continuing to eat it,” Daimu answered.

When Daimu noticed Amon’s eyes on the Aetherium Tree, it added, ”There is also no point for you to eat it. Don’t think about eating many fruits at once to directly increase your cultivation level to have a chance of fleeing. It won’t work. The fruit might be safe to consume, but your body won’t be able to handle eating more than one fruit in a short span of time. It will explode. The Aetherium Fruit is only safe to be consumed once a year.”

That information was not recorded in the Pyramid Legacy’s book. Amon was glad Daimu told him this. Otherwise, he might make the mistake of consuming two fruits at the same time.

Even so, his original plan was now foiled. He needed to think of another. He kept entertaining Daimu for days to come while thinking about a solution.

*

One and a half months later, he observed the lake. He was predicting the time Daimu went for the Longevity Fruit and wanted to see if his prediction was correct. Daimu emerged from the lake around thirty minutes later than his predicted time.

’A margin of half an hour or even an hour should still be okay,’ Amon thought. The coming off from the fruit’s effects should not be that sudden. Daimu’s condition should have been deteriorating for some time before it came out for the fruit, which meant it was in a weakened condition during that period.

One thing that gave him hope was a piece of information recorded about Ghoul Koiyu. The record mentioned that this spirit beast was a great swimmer but not a good flyer. Its flying speed was not faster than a Peak Mystic Stage cultivator. Considering it would be in a weakened condition, its speed would be even slower.

Amon was counting on that for his escape plan. The next time Daimu went for the Longevity Fruit would be his last chance. He would act then.

*

One month later, Amon was cultivating right at the edge of the lake closest to the island. He had cultivated at that spot starting from the second week since he was detained, so Daimu shouldn’t suspect anything.

His eyes were closed. He looked serene while cultivating. Anyone who looked at him wouldn’t think that his mind was currently calculating the timing to the exact second. When the time was one hour before his predicted time, he opened his eyes and poked his body with flashing speed.

At the same time, his body transformed. He used the Body-strengthening meridian points technique together with the Great Virulent Serpent art. He then followed up using the Invisible Sky Steps.

The lake was not that large. The distance from the island from where he was cultivating was only around twelve meters. He covered that gap in an instant. Even so, he sensed extreme danger from inside the lake when he almost reached the island. A tentacle burst out from the water right in front of him.

He used the Invisible Sky Steps to change directions rapidly without sacrificing speed. When he dodged the tentacle, ten long vines appeared from his body. The vines shot forward together with his Xian Cloth. Each of them snatched one fruit from the Longevity Tree’s branches.

His other free hand revealed three exploding talismans. He activated and threw them. The glowing talismans stuck on the Longevity Tree before exploding. The explosion broke the tree and engulfed it with raging flames.

”NOOO...!!!” A thundering voice erupted from inside the lake. The water churned and turned turbulent.

Amon didn’t stay after snatching and burning the Longevity Tree. He felt a powerful killing intent as another tentacle shot out of the water. His danger sense saved him from getting caught. He used the remaining dashes from the Invisible Sky Steps to shoot away. His four flying knives flew out and provided him a foothold to fly away at the end of his Invisible Sky Steps.

He flew straight for the fence that marked the territory. He knew they were illusions, and Daimu’s mind assault power was not as potent as the Pledge Demon’s even when Daimu was much stronger. So, he knew those illusions were not powerful enough to harm him.

He crashed through the illusions and flew higher until he was above the tree’s canopy. He didn’t think Daimu could activate the seal formation again in its weakened condition, but he preferred not to take the chance. The seal formation he experienced before was low-level, so it wouldn’t trap him if he was not inside the forest.

Amon heard a loud splash. He glanced behind and saw a huge pillar of water burst into the sky from where the lake was.

The water forming the pillar dropped back down into the lake, revealing Daimu’s decaying body.