Chapter 30: A Golden Elixir Swallowed into the Belly

"Roar, roar, roar..."

A succession of roars echoed from the depths of the great mountains.

It was a creature as massive as a lion, possessing fangs and a coat of golden fur as smooth as silk. Its countenance was both majestic and terrifying.

"Heavenly Crow King, you just wait for me."

With a fierce bellow, the lion erupted with a terrifying suction force. This was the Lion-Elephant. It was currently attempting to break through to the realm of the Demon King. Unlike Yu Qiye’s experience, which involved the descent of lightning tribulations, the Lion-Elephant had chosen the path of evading the Three Calamities. The lightning calamity could be delayed for up to five hundred years.

At this very moment, "Boom..."

A terrifying suction burst forth, and a massive vortex of spiritual energy manifested in the heavens and earth. At the center of this vortex stood the Lion-Elephant. Its body could be seen visibly swelling, and its golden fur stood on end.

...

Time flowed slowly, and no one knew how long had passed before the terrifying commotion finally subsided.

"Roar..."

The Lion-Elephant let out a long howl, a look of excitement appearing on its face. It had broken through. It had truly broken through. It had stepped into the realm of the Demon King.

"So this is a true Demon King."

The Lion-Elephant could hardly believe it. Its demonic power had surged several times over, its physical body had improved significantly, and even its soul had been greatly refined. No wonder a mere crow spirit could crush it after reaching the Demon King stage.

"Heavenly Crow King, you only bullied me by relying on your Demon King cultivation, didn't you? Now that I am also a Demon King, once I stabilize my realm, I will show you what true cruelty is!" The Lion-Elephant’s expression turned savage.

"Show me what true cruelty is?"

A faint voice drifted from not far away.

"Who is it?"

The Lion-Elephant was startled and instinctively looked back. Behind it, a figure had appeared, though it was unclear when. He was lean, with wings on his back and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Heavenly Crow King, how could you be here?"

The Lion-Elephant was stunned, and even more so, panicked. This was a secret place for its breakthrough that it had searched for with great difficulty. How could the Heavenly Crow King have found it? If he had launched a surprise attack just now, it would have surely perished.

Yu Qiye did not respond. He could hardly say, "With the Demonic Seed, I can find you no matter where you hide at the ends of the earth."

Looking at the Lion-Elephant, which had now stepped into the Demon King stage, Yu Qiye knew it was time to harvest. However, at that moment, a smile appeared on the Lion-Elephant's face.

"Since you’ve found me, good. That saves me the trouble of looking for you."

The Lion-Elephant shifted its form, transforming into a burly, two-meter-tall man. As he raised his right hand, a massive hammer manifested in his grasp. "This time, I will make you realize that letting me go was the most foolish decision of your life."

The Lion-Elephant roared and charged toward Yu Qiye.

...

However, the moment the Lion-Elephant drew near, Yu Qiye narrowed his eyes. Looking closely into the creature's eyes, one could see a phantom resembling a black heart flickering slightly. That was Yu Qiye communicating with the Demonic Seed inside the Lion-Elephant.

"Roar..."

The Lion-Elephant, about to reach Yu Qiye, suddenly let out a miserable shriek. Its entire body began to convulse before it collapsed to the ground. If someone were to look inside its body at that moment, they would see countless black threads spreading like a spiderweb. It was the Demonic Seed expanding.

"You... what did you do to my body?"

The Lion-Elephant seemed to realize what was happening, its face turning ghastly pale.

"You didn't think I would let a tiger return to the mountain, did you?"

With a mocking, cold sneer, Yu Qiye raised his right hand and reached toward the Lion-Elephant.

Boom!

A terrifying suction force erupted, and the Lion-Elephant's entire body began to distort.

"Roar, roar, roar..."

Following a series of mournful cries, and to Yu Qiye's astonishment, the Lion-Elephant's entire body twisted continuously until it condensed into a black mass, gathering in the palm of Yu Qiye's hand. It looked like a pill—a black pill. Shockingly, it was pulsing like a beating heart.

"A Demon King-level Demonic Seed."

Looking at this "black pill," a thought crossed Yu Qiye's mind: *“Swallow a black pill into the belly, and from this day forth, my fate is mine, not heaven’s.”*

With a smile in his heart, Yu Qiye opened his mouth without hesitation.

"Crunch..."

A crisp sound rang out, and an extremely rich and pure energy spread through his body, surging toward his limbs and bones. His demonic power increased at a speed visible to the naked eye. Yet, that was not the most terrifying part. What was truly incredible was that his physical body was also steadily improving. His bones seemed to harden, and his flesh and blood seemed to grow...

...

Noticing this, Yu Qiye immediately retreated to the depths of the secluded valley where the Lion-Elephant had been in seclusion and began to circulate the Eight-Nine Profound Art.

...

The Eight-Nine Profound Art was a supreme cultivation technique. It not only contained countless divine abilities and secret arts but could also temper the body repeatedly until one reached the state of flesh-and-blood sainthood. The cultivation of the physical body was divided into nine turns. The first was the beginning, and the ninth was the ultimate. It was said that upon completing the nine turns, one’s body would become sanctified, possessing power that reigned supreme in the world.

Now, Yu Qiye sensed an opportunity to push his physical body further. Although he possessed the trait "Indestructible Golden Body," making his physique extremely formidable, that was more of a talent—a natural strength. It did not mean his body lacked room for further improvement. On the contrary, the potential for growth was even greater.

For others, completing one turn of the Eight-Nine Profound Art would increase their physical strength by two or three times, perhaps from fifty to one hundred or one hundred and fifty. But because of his "Indestructible Golden Body" trait, his baseline might already be one hundred to one hundred and fifty; if that were increased by two or three times, it could reach three hundred or more. This was the difference in innate potential.

"Could it be that this Demonic Seed will become the catalyst for me to master the Eight-Nine Profound Art?"

Lost in thought, Yu Qiye sat cross-legged and began to further digest the Demonic Seed formed from the Lion-Elephant. Before long, every pore on Yu Qiye’s body opened, and countless wisps of dark light intertwined and converged. His entire body began to emit a hazy, dark glow. At this moment, he looked less like an immortal or a Buddha, and more like a "demon."

...

However, it was not just his body that was growing, nor was it just his demonic power.

"Screech..."

A cry emanated from the depths of his bloodline—the cry of the Golden Crow, the manifestation of his lineage. Wisps of golden blood converged, flowing against the current within Yu Qiye's veins, transforming into a golden divine bird that rushed straight toward the Demonic Seed inside him.

"Screech..."

As it cried out again, the golden divine bird opened its mouth at the Demonic Seed and unleashed a suction force. Visibly, wisps of golden light surged from within the Demonic Seed. It was devouring the most ancient and mysterious bloodline power within the Lion-Elephant.

...

Three days later, a cry resounded from the bottom of the valley. Accompanied by this, a black-clad figure sitting cross-legged slowly opened his eyes.

Boom!

Divine light surged from his eyes. At that moment, it was as if the first ray of dawn had descended upon the world, illuminating the entire valley.