Chapter 99: Your Demonic Core Is My Demonic Core

After encountering demonic beasts several times in two consecutive days, Ning Zhuo finally turned his suspicious gaze toward his own cargo ship.

He suspected that there was something unclean hidden within the ship, which was constantly attracting the river beasts.

Ning Zhuo first had the crew check the magical tools at the bottom of the ship that scattered beast-repelling scents across the river surface.

After confirming that there was no problem with them, he began to search the cargo ship step by step.

First was the deck, then the cabin, the mast house, and so on.

In the end, Ning Zhuo’s gaze landed on the cargo hold.

Aside from the cargo hold, all other suspicious places had already been cleared.

If there was still a problem somewhere on the ship, then it could only be in the cargo hold.

Ning Zhuo’s expression grew heavy.

Could it really be that thing inside the cargo hold that was drawing the river beasts?

But no, that thing had clearly been sealed tightly before departure.

In theory, it should have been impossible to detect.

However, the appearance of so many demonic beasts around the ship was absolutely not a trivial matter.

Ning Zhuo thought for a moment, then decided to go investigate the cargo hold himself.

The ship was about to dock soon, and he didn’t want any unexpected incidents in these final moments.

It was better to check ahead of time.

Mo Lin, who had just finished killing a beast and dyeing the river surface crimson, silently crawled onto the ship to rest.

He happened to see Ning Zhuo’s movements.

It wasn’t as if Mo Lin didn’t know Ning Zhuo was suspicious.

After all, for the past two days he had been circling the ship, hunting beasts, not even deliberately concealing his form.

He simply hadn’t cared much.

Even if Ning Zhuo discovered him, at worst, Mo Lin would just swallow everyone aboard the ship whole.

Yet Ning Zhuo’s cautious demeanor, as he moved toward the cargo hold after finishing his search of the entire ship, stirred Mo Lin’s curiosity.

What was going on?

Could it be that something was hidden in the cargo hold?

Mo Lin followed behind Ning Zhuo, stealthily heading toward the cargo hold.

......

Inside the cargo hold were countless densely packed crates.

Ning Zhuo opened them one by one, carefully inspecting their contents.

Mo Lin, watching secretly from the shadows, saw the crates opened and was stunned to find them all filled with gold, silver, and jewels—bright enough to blind an ordinary person’s eyes.

But precisely upon seeing the treasure, Mo Lin furrowed his brow—strictly speaking, snakes had no brows; rather, Mo Lin creased the top scales above his eyes.

Several small scales pinched together, expressing his doubt.

The treasures in this cargo hold were indeed valuable, but in Mo Lin’s eyes, they were ultimately mundane.

Were they really worth a Profound Rank cultivator like Ning Zhuo being so cautious?

Mo Lin concluded that the treasure was likely there to cover up something else, deliberately making the cargo hold appear stuffed to the brim.

Sure enough, as Mo Lin expected, Ning Zhuo merely gave the treasure crates a cursory check before finally opening the very last crate.

Inside the ordinary-style crate were, again, many jewels.

But when Ning Zhuo brushed them aside, what appeared underneath was a much more finely crafted box.

“Black-Iron Spirit-Sealing Box.”

Looking at the box before him, Ning Zhuo drew a deep breath.

He once again checked carefully to ensure no one was spying around—Mo Lin had already concealed himself in time.

Ning Zhuo then placed his palm upon the box, channeling his own unique spiritual power into it.

Everyone’s spiritual power was as unique as their fingerprints or pupils.

The Black-Iron Spirit-Sealing Box, a magical treasure, responded only to a specific person’s power to open or close.

It was an excellent anti-theft device.

Under Ning Zhuo’s input, the box slowly opened.

At once, a refreshing fragrance spread throughout the hold.

The scent was light and elegant, never overwhelming.

Even Mo Lin couldn’t help but inhale it twice more.

When his gaze fell upon the contents of the box, even though he already knew that anything capable of making an Upper Profound cultivator so nervous must be extraordinary, he still gasped inwardly.

Inside the Black-Iron Spirit-Sealing Box rested a white pearl.

No—calling it a pearl was not quite right.

More accurately, it was a pill, larger than ordinary elixirs.

A Earth Rank Demonic Core!

The moment Mo Lin saw the white orb, the thought burst instinctively into his mind.

A demonic core was something that appeared when a demonic beast advanced into Earth Rank.

It contained most of the beast’s cultivation and was its fatal weakness.

If an Earth Rank beast’s core were forcibly removed, it would be no different from death.

At the same time, if someone managed to extract a core intact, they could obtain a portion of the beast’s cultivation.

If one did not absorb the core but instead refined it into a weapon, there was a chance of producing an Earth Rank treasure—just like the Golden Circlet Mo Lin had recently devoured.

Thus, at the sight of the core, Mo Lin’s eyes flared with heat.

What had begun as idle curiosity now turned into burning desire.

Lately, he had encountered several Earth Rank beings: the Mountain Lord, Jingchen, Zhu Dongfeng, and the Nether-Tailed Profound Fish.

But he had only devoured Jingchen, and one Earth Rank treasure, the Golden Circlet.

Who knew how much he craved more Earth Rank prey?

He simply hadn’t had the chance.

And now, right before his eyes was an Earth Rank Demonic Core!

If Mo Lin could swallow it, he would at least reap gains comparable to the Golden Circlet.

Others might worry that absorbing a demonic core could waste much of its energy due to incompatibility, but Mo Lin had no such concern.

For him, devouring a core meant absorbing it one hundred percent.

Therefore, the instant he saw that Ning Zhuo was hiding such a treasure in the cargo hold, Mo Lin decided he would safeguard it properly—

Leaving it in the hold was too dangerous, too easy for others to find.

But if the core were placed inside his stomach, Mo Lin guaranteed no one would ever find it again.

But before he could act, Ning Zhuo suddenly snapped the box shut with a “pa!”

“Strange... I don’t sense any leaking aura. The Black-Iron Spirit-Sealing Box clearly conceals it well.”

“Why then do beasts keep appearing around the ship?”

Ning Zhuo scratched his head, puzzled.

“Forget it. The ship is nearly at its destination anyway. For now, I’ll keep this thing on me personally.”

With that, Ning Zhuo carried the box on his person and left the cargo hold.

But this made Mo Lin unhappy.

Your demonic core is my demonic core.

If you take it away, what about my demonic core?

Originally, Mo Lin had intended to stay hidden on the ship a little longer, wait until they reached the Yongzhou Chamber of Commerce, and then devour the crew as thanks for giving him a free ride.

But now that Ning Zhuo was about to take away his demonic core, Mo Lin could not delay his actions.

By his estimate, after over a day’s travel, they should already be near the Yongzhou Chamber of Commerce anyway.

Thinking thus, Mo Lin left the cargo hold, no longer concealing his form.

He instantly expanded back into his original size and lunged straight at Ning Zhuo!