Crack! Crack! Crack!
Li Xiaotian bent over, his entire body's bones snapping under the terrifying pressure. Although they could repair quickly, the current oppressive force was too immense, and his just-healed body was crushed again.
Blood seeped from his body, making him look like a man covered in blood.
"Old man, why haven't you arrived yet?"
Li Xiaotian struggled to speak, his voice slow. He could barely move an inch, and with every step forward, his body would be destroyed, only for him to desperately recover.
The path ahead remained dark, the only difference being that the small black snake had transformed into a giant python.
Each giant python contained a terrifying amount of energy, but Li Xiaotian could no longer absorb it. His body had reached its limit, unable to take in even a single wisp of demonic energy.
Simply put, he was stuffed.
"Soon, kid, hold on!"
The Demon Lord's voice was also grave. The fact that Li Xiaotian had reached this point without reaching the end could only mean that the owner of this oppressive force was stronger than he had imagined.
"Pfft!"
Suddenly, Li Xiaotian spat out a mouthful of blood. His legs instantly exploded, and the flesh and blood of his body gradually turned into bloody water.
His body had reached its limit and could go no further.
Li Xiaotian felt a sense of impending death. He gritted his teeth, painfully dragged his body back, and immediately sat down cross-legged to recover.
"I can't move anymore, old man, do you have any solutions?"
Li Xiaotian gritted out, his eyes filled with shock. Were invincible powerhouses this terrifying? He hadn't even seen a shadow of the opponent, and his body was already giving out.
If it weren't for the rich energy in this place aiding his recovery, he would have been half-crippled by that last exertion.
"I am also powerless. If I were to help you, it would only bring you more dangerous enemies."
The Demon Lord's tone was bitter. If he made a move, he would surely be noticed by the one who had killed him, and then, they would both be truly finished.
"Then what should we do? Are we going to retreat?"
Li Xiaotian roared in frustration. He had finally come this far, only to leave without understanding anything. He was unwilling to accept this.
"No, there is one more method, but I don't know if you can endure it."
The Demon Lord suddenly thought of something and continued without waiting for Li Xiaotian's reply.
"Forge the Golden Body! Your physique is not weak, but compared to true body cultivators, there is still a significant gap."
"And among body cultivators, with physique as the core, they forge steel tendons, iron bones, and bronze skin! Using the body as a cauldron, they forge the Golden Body!"
"If you want to advance further, you must increase your strength, and the fastest way currently is to improve your physique."
"My demonic art itself can strengthen the physique. Your current body is not far from steel tendons, iron bones, and bronze skin. And this place, with the aura and pressure of this existence, and his blood energy, is a very suitable location for forging the Golden Body!"
"How do I do it? Is it dangerous?"
Li Xiaotian immediately interrupted the Demon Lord upon hearing this, his tone urgent. He was about to collapse.
"It's very simple. Use the oppressive force to shatter every part of your body, then absorb the blood energy to recast your body. Repeat this process, constantly refining every piece of flesh, every bone in your body."
The Demon Lord spoke, knowing that Li Xiaotian couldn't hold on much longer, so he kept his explanation brief, then added.
"The danger is immense. One wrong move, and your body and soul will be destroyed!"
Li Xiaotian's eyes narrowed sharply. This was playing with fire! To uncover a truth, he was gambling his life. The risk was too great.
If he failed, body and soul destroyed, he would have nothing left, not even ashes.
"Kid, setting aside everything else, do you want to become stronger? If you miss this opportunity, there will probably be no other place in this world that can provide such a venue for you. You must know that forging a Golden Body is difficult. Even in ancient times, those who achieved it were few and far between. Shattering the body is easy, but recasting it requires resources that even a hegemonic power cannot provide."
The Demon Lord spoke, stating facts, but also withholding some information from Li Xiaotian.
For example, with him around, even if Li Xiaotian failed, he could still protect him.
However, forging the Golden Body was like tempering the body a thousand times, an agonizing process that required immense willpower to succeed.
If Li Xiaotian knew he had a fallback, he might not be able to endure the pain of forging the Golden Body.
Li Xiaotian frowned and retreated several steps, easing the pressure on his body.
Of course, he wanted to become stronger. With the world perfected, his enemies were becoming more formidable one by one. If he didn't become stronger, how would he protect himself, his wife and daughters, and his Dragon King Hall?
"Old man, let me ask you a question. Is the Golden Body strong? How strong?"
Li Xiaotian asked, wanting to know if it was worth taking the risk.
"Strong! Forging the Golden Body, using the body as a weapon. Heavenly weapons are powerful, aren't they? But ordinary heavenly weapons are like scrap metal before a Golden Body expert. A Golden Body expert's physical defense is comparable to a top-tier heavenly weapon, existing at the same level as my demon sword."
"Do you remember that giant who shattered your long saber with two punches earlier? He can only be considered to have bronze skin and iron bones, not even a pseudo-Golden Body. If you achieve the Golden Body, you'll be able to blast him apart with one punch!"
The Demon Lord said, knowing that Li Xiaotian had already made up his mind. Now, he needed to add some fuel to the fire and provoke him.
"Defense comparable to a top-tier heavenly weapon! Blast the giant with one punch!"
Li Xiaotian's eyes sparkled with light upon hearing this. This was practically a human artifact!
"Let's go for it!"
Li Xiaotian roared and immediately took several steps forward.
"Pfft!"
Li Xiaotian's body instantly erupted into a mist of blood. His legs snapped, and the bones in his body broke one after another.
But then, he circulated his cultivation technique, frantically absorbing the surrounding blood to recover his body.
His bones began to heal, and his flesh and blood regenerated, only to be destroyed again in an instant.
Two extreme forces coexisted, one destroying, the other regenerating.
Li Xiaotian remained silent, his teeth also undergoing cycles of destruction and rebirth.
Sometimes, when the absorption of energy was slightly slower, Li Xiaotian would be left with only a head or a single palm.
"Heh heh, kid, let this old man add some more fuel!"
The Demon Lord suddenly spoke, and immediately, Li Xiaotian let out a scream of agony.
"Ah!!! Old man, what are you doing!!!"
Li Xiaotian roared, as the blood energy he used to recover his body began to burn, causing him pain several times greater than before.
"This can save time. Don't worry, I won't harm you. I just thought you could endure it, so I did this."
The Demon Lord said, inwardly shocked by Li Xiaotian's perseverance. His suggestion for Li Xiaotian to forge the Golden Body was essentially forcing him into it, as the location was so ideal that he thought of this method.
However, the ancient Golden Body experts, how many years did each of them spend tempering and honing their bodies to forge the Golden Body?
If Li Xiaotian wanted to forge the Golden Body in a short period, it was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
He had already prepared himself to help Li Xiaotian at a critical moment, but who would have thought that this brat was so ruthless to himself, stubbornly enduring it all.
However, while shocked, the Demon Lord also felt a sense of pride. After all, Li Xiaotian's excellence was his disciple's, and as a master, he was bringing honor to himself!