In the darkness, the only sound was Li Xiaotian’s footsteps. It felt like an infinitely vast, empty square enveloped by endless demonic energy.
Li Xiaotian’s brow remained furrowed. Although the concentration of demonic energy around him had increased several times, he had no intention of absorbing it at the moment.
Firstly, while the demonic energy was dense, its quality was the same as what he had used to recover from his injuries, so absorbing more would have little effect.
Secondly, the peculiar environment of this secret realm made him uneasy. The ground was flat, the space was vast, and it was filled with unending demonic energy.
Such a place could be considered a holy land for cultivating demonic arts.
However, it was precisely because of this that he couldn't feel at ease. There were no free lunches in the world, no benefits without a cause.
Yet, the Demon Lord had absorbed the demonic energy here in ancient times without any issues.
This left Li Xiaotian somewhat perplexed. Could it be that the Demon Lord was simply lucky enough to find such a place, devoid of any danger, and containing primordial demonic energy that even extraterrestrial demons desired?
Of course, unless the Demon Lord was withholding some information from him, a thought flickered through Li Xiaotian’s mind, making him consider this possibility.
“How much further? What does primordial demonic energy look like? How will I judge it later?”
Li Xiaotian asked in his mind. He had initially thought primordial demonic energy would be extremely concentrated demonic energy. But the area he was currently advancing through had terrifyingly high concentrations, almost to the point of becoming liquid, thus negating his initial guess.
“It shouldn’t be far. When you see the primordial demonic energy, you’ll know what it looks like. Kid, you’ll need to be a bit faster later.”
The Demon Lord replied lazily, seemingly in a very good mood.
A bit faster? A flicker of curiosity crossed Li Xiaotian’s eyes. Could it be that primordial demonic energy could run?
“Old fellow, how much do you know about Manzhou? The martial artists here seem different from those in other provinces.”
Since there was still some distance to go, Li Xiaotian decided to inquire about Manzhou. The shock he received from the giant Gu Ji still left him somewhat apprehensive.
“You mean the martial artist who almost beat you to death earlier?”
The Demon Lord asked, but after speaking, he seemed to realize something and immediately fell silent.
Li Xiaotian’s mouth twitched, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. Wasn’t he supposed to be asleep earlier? How would he know what Li Xiaotian had encountered?
“Tell me, what’s going on with those martial artists?”
Li Xiaotian spoke proactively, not bothering to expose the Demon Lord.
“Ahem, it’s like this. All the humans in Manzhou believe they are descendants of ancient gods, not ordinary humans.”
The Demon Lord coughed to cover his embarrassment and continued speaking.
“They have two cultivation systems. One is Body Cultivation, which focuses on unlocking the body’s potential and activating its hidden treasures. They don’t cultivate spells, channeling all their energy into strengthening themselves.”
“As a result, as their own strength grows, their bodies continuously enlarge and become stronger.”
“Therefore, the larger their physique, the higher their combat power. That giant you encountered was a Body Cultivator.”
“The other is Witch Cultivation, the complete opposite of Body Cultivation. They only exert a small portion of their energy to strengthen their bodies, but mostly focus on cultivating various witchcrafts.”
“Witch Cultivators can communicate with the power of heaven and earth; their strength originates from the heavens and earth. They can summon rain and wind, move mountains and fill seas, and predict the future. Their strength is immeasurable before they make a move.”
“However, every Witch Cultivator is not to be underestimated, because the conditions to become a Witch Cultivator are extremely harsh, often only one out of tens of thousands can become one.”
“Furthermore, there are many branches within Witch Cultivation. Some are skilled in manipulating the power of heaven and earth, some in the power of life, and some in foresight. In short, Witch Cultivators are even more terrifying than Body Cultivators.”
“You should be fortunate that the young man in purple didn’t have a Witch Cultivator as a bodyguard, otherwise, you might have truly met your end here this time.”
The Demon Lord teased, but then he suddenly remembered that he hadn't acted earlier, and Li Xiaotian must have been harboring resentment. He quickly added.
“Of course, Witch Cultivators hold a very high status in Manzhou. Ordinary people are not qualified to have Witch Cultivators as their guards.”
Li Xiaotian frowned. The martial artists of Manzhou could be considered two extremes: one solely cultivating the body, and the other solely cultivating witchcraft.
This was different from other provinces. Although there were extremes, they were few. Most cultivated both body and magic simultaneously.
“Whether Body Cultivators or Witch Cultivators, their numbers in Manzhou must be very small, right?”
Li Xiaotian asked.
“That’s right, because both systems require a vast amount of resources, and Manzhou is barren, unable to satisfy the needs of its people. Therefore, most people in Manzhou are not much different from those outside.”
The Demon Lord replied, then his heart suddenly leaped, and he became excited, reminding Li Xiaotian.
“We’re here!”
Hearing this, Li Xiaotian’s attention returned. At this moment, the concentration of demonic energy around him was extremely high, with the demonic energy turning liquid, as if he were in heavy rain.
Ahead of him, amidst the rain-like demonic energy, were wriggling, finger-thick, pitch-black liquids, like small snakes, flying about erratically in the air.
“Quick! Go, this is primordial demonic energy! Absorb them quickly!!!”
The Demon Lord urged, growing anxious. His complete revival depended on this primordial demonic energy.
Li Xiaotian also had a look of joy. He felt an intense craving impulse within his body; his blood was boiling, and only one thought occupied his mind.
That was his intense desire to absorb those little snakes, the primordial demonic energy.
*Swish!*
Li Xiaotian’s body instantly lunged forward. He aimed at a black snake, activating his devouring power, preparing to capture it.
However, to his surprise, the black snake instantly flew away before he could reach it. Moreover, all the roughly one hundred black snakes in the vicinity flew away.
“This! Such speed!”
Li Xiaotian exclaimed in surprise. No wonder the Demon Lord had told him to be faster earlier. Without sufficient speed, he wouldn’t be able to capture these black snakes.
However, he had only acted instinctively just now, not at his maximum speed, so Li Xiaotian didn't lose heart.
Ignoring the Demon Lord’s frantic urging, Li Xiaotian attacked again, his body vanishing from its spot.
When he reappeared, one hand had already grasped a black snake, and his Devouring Demonic Skill was operating at full capacity.
*Boom!!!*
Instantly, Li Xiaotian felt his body react as if parched land meeting rain. His blood boiled, his bones and flesh trembled, and his mind felt incredibly stimulated and ecstatic.
Then, as the black snake was slowly absorbed by him, an unprecedented sense of comfort spread through his body. His pores relaxed, giving him a feeling of soaring bliss.
“This is too incredible!”
Li Xiaotian muttered to himself. He felt the power of the black snake nourishing every cell in his body, bringing him immense pleasure.
“Swish!”
Before he had even finished absorbing the first black snake in his hand, Li Xiaotian couldn’t resist reaching out to capture another and absorb it with all his might.
“Hahaha!!! Leave some for me, leave some for this seat.”
The Demon Lord roared excitedly. This time, he was somewhat polite, not snatching the primordial demonic energy Li Xiaotian was absorbing, but asking Li Xiaotian to share some of the energy with him.
Li Xiaotian’s heart stirred. He shared half of the energy with the Demon Lord while his body moved rapidly, using his devouring power to form a large net, capturing the black snakes in the air.