"I can feel it; the bottleneck is loosening."
In the Central Plains, within a powerful sect, a middle-aged man dressed in purple robes stood atop a mountain peak, his eyes slightly closed, carefully sensing the changes in the world following the anomaly.
"But that's not enough. This little change alone is not enough for me to break through."
The middle-aged man in the purple robe opened his eyes and shook his head, but he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.
After all these years, he had been stuck at the peak of the Innate Realm, and no matter how he cultivated, his cultivation level could not be improved.
Now that we finally see hope, how can we not be overjoyed?
After the initial joy, the middle-aged man in the purple robe looked in a certain direction, his eyes filled with hatred.
"It is said that the rules in the four secret realms are different from those in the outside world, so they are not bound by the laws of heaven and earth and can break through to the realm above the innate level."
This is why the four secret realms are so mysterious; anyone who emerges from them can stir up the world and command the awe of all sects.
But now, the world is undergoing a transformation, and the shackles are about to be broken. At that time, the natural advantages of the four secret lands will also disappear.
"The Cloud and Water Secret Realm—one day, I, Long Tian, will storm into this secret place and crush you all under my feet to avenge the loss of my wife!"
Jeju Island.
A remote, abandoned village.
A strange man with disheveled hair, an old face, but an unusually strong body was attacking several young martial artists who were bound hand and foot in front of him.
Then, upon hearing those nine sounds that resonated with the heavens and earth, he was overjoyed.
"Hahahaha... The sound of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, this world is really about to be revived, I have really waited for it, I have really waited for it!"
Heaven has been kind to me! Heaven has been kind to me! I've finally made it to this day!
In my final reincarnation as the Ten Directions Demon Lord, I was not killed by the ravages of time, and I was granted such a great opportunity.
The world is reviving, spiritual energy is returning, yet the path of immortality is still extinct in this world. This is my greatest opportunity, my greatest opportunity ever!
The strange man roared wildly to the sky, appearing completely insane. Several young martial artists standing nearby trembled and shook, wondering what kind of madness this demon was going through this time.
But the next moment, the strange person suddenly looked at them.
"With the revival of heaven and earth imminent, I must restore my cultivation to the Innate Realm as soon as possible and truly master the Blood Refining Demon Art. Only then will I have enough resources to compete for those opportunities."
"Ah! Senior, spare me! Spare me!"
Several young martial artists screamed in terror when they saw the strange man's blood-red eyes.
But all of this was in vain. The strange man completely ignored their cries and grabbed one of the girls by the head.
The demonic power was activated, and streams of blood energy were drawn out and absorbed into the body.
The girl, on the other hand, was in great pain and aged rapidly at a visible pace.
Not long after, when the strange man released his hand, the girl's body collapsed to the side, her face withered and her life gradually fading away.
"Senior Brother, save me..."
The girl murmured something before her breath finally faded away.
"Junior Sister!!!"
This terrifying scene terrified the other young martial artists, who screamed even more frantically in their fear.
But no matter how much they struggle, their fate is sealed.
As the strange man's palm continued to fall, one martial artist after another was quickly drained of their life force and died.
As the last young man's life force was drained and he lay dying, boundless regret welled up in his heart.
I knew it long ago, and I should have listened to my master's teachings and stayed in the sect these days.
However, he was overconfident in his strength and thought that with the sword formation of him and his fellow disciples, they could easily kill this demon and restore the sect's prestige.
Who would have thought that this demon would be so terrifying, breaking their sword formation in just a few moves and then abducting them to this place to kill them with evil magic.
"Junior brother, junior sister, I'm so sorry..."
The young man murmured to himself, filled with endless regret, and breathed his last.
The strange man listened to the young man's words without any change in expression.
He had heard similar words countless times.
Throughout his long life, he had done things that were far more cruel than this.
Crushing a few small insects was nothing to him; it couldn't possibly stir any emotion in him.
He sat cross-legged, circulated his internal energy for a while, and absorbed the essence and blood he had obtained. However, the strange man frowned.
"These few good-for-nothings have such poor aptitude that they can't even improve my physical constitution by a single point."
It seems that ordinary martial artists are no longer of any use to me; only those once-in-a-century cultivation geniuses can continue to improve the aptitude of my body.
"Yun'er, Yun'er! Where are you?"
Just as the strange man was pondering, an anxious shout interrupted his train of thought.
The newcomer's voice was powerful and carried for miles, clearly indicating that he was a master of the Innate Realm.
Without hesitation, the strange man immediately concealed his aura, used his movement technique, and left silently.
Even now, he still finds it very difficult to deal with martial arts masters at the Innate Realm level.
He hasn't mastered the Blood Refining Technique yet, so he'd be at a disadvantage if he faced the enemy head-on.
"Hmph! Once I've mastered my demonic arts and broken through to the next level, I'll definitely capture a few Innate Realm cultivators to feast on and satisfy my cravings!"
Forced to leave by a mere Innate Realm cultivator, the strange man's heart was filled with resentment.
"Ah! You demon! I, Li Jiansheng, swear that no matter where you go, I will surely kill you with my sword!"
Just ten breaths after the strange man left, an extremely mournful roar echoed from the abandoned village.
The strange man, who had already fled far away, merely showed a hint of disdain upon hearing this roar.
"More and more innate realm cultivators are being sent out by various sects and aristocratic families. Those talented martial artists are also hiding in their sects and not coming out. This Jizhou is no longer a suitable place to stay. It's time to change places, but where should we go?"
Putting what had just happened out of his mind, the strange man continued to ponder.
"If I want to continue to improve my physical constitution, I must continue to absorb the blood and marrow of young genius martial artists and seize their foundation for my own use."
The young martial artists in Jeju have been terrified of me and will not be traveling outside for some time, but other states are not in such a state of panic.
I heard that in the neighboring Cangzhou, a true martial arts genius emerged two years ago. At only seventeen years old, he was already ranked among the top on the Hidden Dragon List.
There are even rumors that he might be the legendary chosen one.
The more the strange person thinks, the brighter the light in their eyes becomes.
"As heaven and earth revive and spiritual energy reappears, many chosen ones born with destiny will also emerge in response to this great change in the world."
If I could seize the foundations of these peerless geniuses, I would surely be able to forge an unparalleled innate talent!
With this as the foundation, the strongest magical foundation will be laid, and becoming a demon ancestor will be a piece of cake!
That kid from Cangzhou, I think his name was Lu Qing, right?
My first sustenance on my path to ultimate power will begin with you!
