C9 The Universe in the Cave

Upon realizing that these flying demonic beasts were innately as powerful as a Level Three Demon Soldier, Zhang Lingfeng was inwardly astounded and couldn't help but feel a sense of injustice.

Back when he first set foot in this alien realm, he was nothing more than a lowly Flower Snake.

Delving into the Golden Eagle King's background, Zhang Lingfeng was thrilled to discover that it possessed a core of golden essence. This was the very reason he had been braving great dangers, leveraging his status as a Level Ten Demon Soldier to seek out and challenge Second Grade Demon Generals—all for the sake of that precious origin power.

Finally, after such a long search, he had struck gold.

"Listen up, big rooster, hand over your essence nice and easy, and Grandpa Snake might just let you live. Otherwise, I swear I'll pluck you bare."

Zhang Lingfeng couldn't help but feel smug about his plan, even as he unleashed a piercing roar and initiated the assault.

Aside from the Golden Eagle King, whose prowess was on par with that of a fledgling Demon General and warranted some caution, the other Golden Eagles—mere Level Three to Nine Demon Soldiers—were beneath Zhang Lingfeng's notice.

With his array of divine powers and his formidable defense, he could effortlessly annihilate any demonic beast of equal rank.

The Golden Eagle King may have had a multitude of underlings, but with only a handful at the Level Ten Demon Soldier rank, they posed no real threat to Zhang Lingfeng.

After all, a swarm of ants is no match for an elephant.

Meanwhile, the Golden Eagle King was seething with rage at the sight of an unwelcome intruder on its turf.

Seeing the audacious Snake Demon brazenly provoke and attack, fury blazed even hotter in its piercing eagle eyes.

With a commanding screech, the Golden Eagle King signaled its minions to strike.

It held back from engaging directly.

After all, to the King, Zhang Lingfeng, merely a Level Ten Demon Soldier, was hardly worth its time.

"Ha, you think you can underestimate me, big rooster?"

Zhang Lingfeng was irked by the scene unfolding before him. As he watched the onslaught of ordinary Golden Eagles swooping in, a glint of savagery sparked in his gaze.

"Explosive Flame!"

With a low growl echoing in his mind, Zhang Lingfeng whipped the Demonic Energy within him into a frenzy.

Balls of fire, scorching hot and packed with terrifying power, erupted from Zhang Lingfeng's gaping maw like cannonballs, hurtling towards the swarm of beasts.

Feathered demonic beasts, much like spirit creatures of the woodlands, harbored a deep-seated fear of fire.

The Golden Light Eagles struck by the Explosive Flame burst into flames, swiftly turning to black ash that scattered on the wind.

Even the Level Ten Golden Light Eagles, though not killed instantly by the blast, soon had their feathers incinerated, their massive bodies crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact, critically wounded and stripped of any will to fight.

In this manner, Zhang Lingfeng dispatched the lesser minions with ease, expending little effort.

It was only when the Golden Eagle King, in a towering rage, recognized Zhang Lingfeng's formidable prowess and initiated a vicious assault.

The Golden Eagle King, with its royal lineage, was inherently more powerful than its common demonic counterparts.

Coupled with its status as a First Grade Demon General, its battle prowess was nothing short of fearsome.

Particularly alarming were its eyes, capable of emitting rays of such penetrating force that Zhang Lingfeng had to remain vigilant in their duel.

After clashing for more than a hundred exchanges, Zhang Lingfeng, far from being a pushover, drew upon every trick in his arsenal and ultimately triumphed over the Golden Eagle King.

To date, this hunt was the most grueling challenge Zhang Lingfeng had faced since arriving in this world.

The Golden Eagle King, though merely a First Grade Demon General, boasted a combat strength on par with a typical Second Grade Demon General.

The fight was fraught with danger, but the prize was worth it, as Zhang Lingfeng finally secured the coveted item.

[Ding! Demon Core of the Golden Eagle King devoured. 1,500 Energy Points and one Origin Force Point awarded.]

[System Alert: Due to mission constraints, the host cannot merge Energy Points and Origin Force Points. Items will be temporarily stored in the System Backpack.]

[Ding! Demon Core of a Level 10 Demon Soldier devoured. 400 Energy Points awarded and stored in the System Backpack.]

After clearing the battlefield, Zhang Lingfeng consumed all the Golden Eagle Demon Cores, amassing a significant number of energy points in the process. However, due to the constraints of his mission, he was unable to use these Demon Cores to enhance his cultivation, which left him feeling somewhat disappointed.

As Zhang Lingfeng was about to depart, a thought struck him. He recalled that many demonic beasts establish their lairs where natural treasures flourish, using the spiritual items found there to accelerate their cultivation. Curious, he decided to investigate the Gold Eagle King's lair.

Upon a thorough search, he made an astonishing discovery: nestled deep within the lair was a cluster of golden spiritual grass, each blade over a foot long. While most of the grasses were of the first tier, a few had attained the second tier. What caught his attention most, however, was a particular stalk imbued with the same Origin of Metal found in the Gold Eagle.

The presence of such an abundance of first and second tier spiritual grasses in the cave defied logic. The fact that some contained the same metallic essence as the Gold Eagle convinced Zhang Lingfeng that this was no mere chance occurrence. He surmised that the unique geographical conditions of the area must be responsible.

His research led to an even more startling revelation: a sizable metal vein lay concealed within the cave. It seemed likely that this vein was responsible for the proliferation of spiritual grasses and had even facilitated the Gold Eagle King's advancement to the rank of Demon General.

With clarity dawning upon him, Zhang Lingfeng's eyes shone with excitement, his emotions surging. If this metal vein could spawn grasses with the metal attribute's origin, it might also harbor the essence of the origin power itself.

Resolved, Zhang Lingfeng wasted no more time. He once again repurposed his tail as a makeshift shovel and set to work mining the metal vein with unyielding determination.

Having spent considerable time studying the infinite plunder evolution system, Zhang Lingfeng was intimately familiar with its workings. He knew that any heavenly treasure, be it Spiritual Material, Spiritual Water, Spiritual Wood, or ore, could be devoured and absorbed, fueling his own evolutionary progress and cultivation.

"Ding! Devouring a low-grade black iron ore, energy points increased by 30, stored in the System Backpack."

"Ding! Devouring a mid-grade black iron ore, energy points increased by 80, stored in the System Backpack."

"Ding! Devouring a high-grade black iron ore, energy points increased by 200, stored in the System Backpack."

...

In this manner, Zhang Lingfeng mined and devoured the ores, ensuring not a single resource was squandered.

"Ding! Devouring a premium black iron ore, energy points increased by 1000, and a strand of metal attribute origin power obtained, stored in the System Backpack."

Time passed indeterminately until another crisp system alert prompted Zhang Lingfeng to instinctively halt his excavation, his senses slightly electrified.

"At last, another origin power is mine. My hypothesis was correct; this metal vein must contain more origin power. Onward!"

The system prompt echoed in his mind, invigorating Zhang Lingfeng and driving him to mine with even greater fervor.

It took an entire day, but Zhang Lingfeng finally exhausted the vast metal vein.

Having consumed a vast array of black iron ores of varying quality, his System Backpack now held an astonishing 80,000 energy points.

Regarding the origin power, he had found 15 strands within the vein.

Coupled with the origin power gained from the Golden Light Eagle King and the spiritual grass, he had amassed a total of 17 strands of origin power in just a few days.