After a good while, the crimson glow on the Demon and Monster Core finally faded.

The bright red Demon and Monster Core had changed, becoming translucent.

The foul, bloody stench vanished. Not only was there no stench, but there was also a faint, unusual fragrance, creating an impulse to take a bite.

[One Initial Realm Demon and Monster Core has been successfully enhanced. You have obtained one pure Initial Realm Dragon Essence.]

’Hmm?’

’Dragon Essence?’

Fang Xing was a little surprised.

’It seems like the demonic nature within it was enhanced away, and the Demon’s Residual Thought was cleansed.’

He looked at the Initial Realm Dragon Essence before him.

’A pure Dragon Essence... that’s basically a super Great Nourishing Pill.’

’I wonder how effective it is.’

Breathing in the unusual fragrance, Fang Xing could feel the vast energy contained within it.

After taking another sniff, Fang Xing swallowed it in one gulp.

A pure Initial Realm Dragon Essence, free of demonic nature, meant there was no need to worry about side effects.

The moment he swallowed it, a Dragon’s Roar seemed to thunder within his body.

Instantly, he felt an immense power coursing through him from head to toe.

CRACK CRACK CRACK!!!

His bones, his flesh and blood—at this moment, they seemed to be undergoing some kind of metamorphosis.

The Dragon Qi in his body was seemingly triggered, absorbing the new energy rapidly.

The vast energy contained in the Initial Realm Dragon Essence was immense.

Not only could the Dragon Qi absorb it, but his body could also be tempered and changed by the Dragon Essence.

His entire body felt like it was "stuffed to the brim."

Fang Xing immediately sat down cross-legged.

The Longevity Technique and the Dragon Roar Heart Method.

He used both to absorb the energy simultaneously.

The Dragon Essence had no effect on improving the Red Fire Divine Skill, but it was highly effective for the Longevity Technique and the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt.

Dragon Qi swirled and True Qi surged. The entire room was enveloped in a powerful aura.

RUMBLE—!!!

The blood flowing in his veins was like a torrential river, surging and scouring everything in its path.

The Dragon Essence Power permeated his entire body, from his limbs and bones to every bit of flesh and sinew, tempering them all.

He remained seated cross-legged.

Fang Xing pushed both Divine Skills to their limits, absorbing the power of the Dragon Essence.

...

「A day passed in the blink of an eye.」

In his residence, Fang Xing sat on his bed, not having moved an inch all day.

Only after absorbing the energy for a full day with his two Divine Skills did he start to feel a bit more comfortable.

Opening his eyes, Fang Xing slowly exhaled.

’This Initial Realm Dragon Essence is so powerful...’

Fang Xing could feel the Dragon Essence inside him. After a full day, he had only absorbed a small fraction of it.

But even that small fraction had caused his True Qi to skyrocket.

It had reached the First-Layer Extreme.

The True Qi in his Dantian was several times stronger.

He felt that it wouldn’t be long before breaking through to the True Qi Second Layer would be no problem at all.

His sinews and bones grew stronger, and his flesh and blood were enhanced.

It was as if he had undergone a complete metamorphosis.

The strength of his Flesh Body had increased by at least Ten Thousand Jin of Divine Power!

His pure physical strength had now reached 25,000 jin.

The Divine Power of Two Tigers and Five Oxen!

He was only four oxen short of the Nine Oxen and Two Tigers Strength!

Pure physical strength.

He felt as if he could shatter anything.

Not only that, but his Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt had also progressed significantly, advancing from the Early Stage of the Third Layer all the way to the Third Layer Extreme in one go.

Once he fully absorbed the power of the Initial Realm Dragon Essence, entering the second stage of the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt would be no problem at all.

Compared to the medicinal effects of a Yellow Dragon Pill, this was faster by more than just a little.

’These 10,000 Enhancement Points were well spent.’

Fang Xing’s eyes shone brightly.

Exchanging 10,000 Enhancement Points for such a huge boost was simply fantastic.

Advancing a realm in the True Qi Realm required a massive amount of resources.

Take Shen Ye, for example. Even now, he had yet to reach the First-Layer Extreme.

Compared to him, Fang Xing’s progress wasn’t just one level faster; it was in a different league entirely.

’The Dragon Essence still has a lot of power... It seems my Cultivation and Martial Arts can both improve even further.’

Looking within himself, he "saw" that the Initial Realm Dragon Essence had only shrunk slightly. A large portion of it still remained.

With the Dragon Essence Power in his body, he didn’t even need to eat.

Calming himself, Fang Xing called up his panel to take a look.

Name: Fang Xing

Cultivation: True Qi First Layer!

Enhancement Level: Three-Star (27%)

Enhancement Points: 29,032

’The Dragon Essence can save a lot of resources. I wonder if other Demon and Monster Cores will also become Dragon Essence after being enhanced... ’

Fang Xing was curious.

’If I get the chance, I’ll definitely have to try it.’

’Even if they don’t turn into Dragon Essence, the result surely won’t be too bad.’

He felt like he was looking at a wide, open road to success!

’If I can kill enough Great Demons, I’ll be able to take off completely.’

He could save a lot on enhancing Treasure Medicines and Elixirs.

Enhancing a Demon and Monster Core... when compared to a Dragon Essence, the Dragon Essence was definitely more powerful.

Not only could it help him advance, but his Flesh Body could also undergo a metamorphosis, unlocking his life’s potential.

However, Great Demons weren’t cabbages; you couldn’t just run into them anywhere.

Besides, he currently lacked the strength to defeat a truly powerful Great Demon.

He was still a long way off.

’If I run into a Demon King, I’ll be completely toast.’

’A suitable Great Demon as a target...’

’Right now, I can only handle Initial Realm Great Demons.’

’The gap in power level is too large for a Middle Realm Great Demon.’

Pushing aside his distracting thoughts, Fang Xing walked out of his courtyard and stretched his limbs.

He took a moment to feel his newfound strength.

He was also thankful he had obtained the Profound Flood Dragon’s Inner Core; otherwise, he would have missed this great opportunity.

In his eyes, Demons and Monsters were not just Enhancement Points; they were opportunities.

...

「Time flowed like water, and half a month quickly passed.」

Fang Xing spent most of his time cultivating at the Observatory.

He almost never went out.

His subordinates didn’t disturb him. Basically, apart from major missions, his time was very relaxed.

He was no longer needed for ordinary missions.

His subordinates could handle them.

Although the treatment for a Vice Commander wasn’t as good as a Commander’s, it had one advantage: it was a relaxed position.

Shen Ye oversaw the big picture.

Fang Xing only needed to act when a major mission required it.

In half a month, Fang Xing finally finished absorbing all the power from the Initial Realm Dragon Essence.

His Cultivation naturally broke through to the True Qi Second Realm, and his True Qi was refined to be even purer.

Besides the breakthrough in his Cultivation, his Martial Arts also saw a breakthrough.

His Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt entered the Fourth Layer, and with the help of the Dragon Essence Power, he reached the Fourth Layer Extreme in one go.

He had crossed into the second major stage of the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt.