Chapter 166 – Slaying the Pureblood Demon!
"According to our teacher, Earth's lineage develops slowly in the early stages but gains tremendous power later on. But we're aiming to join the core ranks of the company and compete at the highest level—there's no time for slow, gradual growth."
"So the very first thing Hong and I must do is compensate for our physical disadvantages."
"Ah Zhe, you changed your entire race, and Fengzi seized a Golden-Horned Giant Beast body."
Hong interjected, "As for me, my teacher gave me a domain lord-level bloodline potion from the Shadowkill Clan. After using it, it was equivalent to me taking over the body of a Shadowkill clansman."
"Shadowkill Clan?" Luo Feng exclaimed.
Back on Earth, Babata had taught him about "body possession" and mentioned this race.
"It's one of the top ten human bloodlines. When matured to the domain lord level, they possess impressive affinity with the laws of light. They're the elite assassination lineage among humanity—perfectly suited for someone like Hong."
"That does sound impressive," Jiang Zhe nodded with satisfaction.
It was equivalent to the heritage of "Tai Chu's Three Bears"—like Uka's origins.
With such a physical foundation, Hong's growth would undoubtedly be fast.
Jiang Zhe and Luo Feng both turned to look at Thunder God. Given the benefits they'd each received, his shouldn't be lacking either, so what was he worried about?
Thunder God scratched his head and gave a goofy smile. "My teacher offered me two options: either take a bloodline potion or perform a possession."
He felt he was stating the obvious and quickly added, "Specifically, to fuse with the Abyssal Dragon bloodline or to possess a Huo Swa Giant Beast."
"Abyssal Dragon?" Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow.
"Senior Brother, you know about them?" Luo Feng was curious. "Babata didn't find anything in his database."
Jiang Zhe stroked his chin, looking a bit odd. "I have a rough idea."
Hong: ?
Thunder God: ?
Luo Feng: ?
"If we're talking about the same creature, that would be it," Jiang Zhe stopped being cryptic. "In fact, I'll soon be heading off to slaughter over a hundred immortal-level Abyssal Dragons."
Hong and Luo Feng's mouths twitched, and they looked at Thunder God with pity.
Seems like the bloodline you're about to fuse with isn't exactly stellar…
"Hey, hey, why are you two looking down on me? Even the weakest immortal-level Abyssal Dragon is three to five times stronger than a Golden-Horned Giant Beast of the same level—and the strongest could be ten or even a hundred times stronger!"
Luo Feng's eyes widened. "Senior Brother, are you comparing under equal law comprehension?"
Jiang Zhe nodded, poured himself a drink, and downed it.
Luo Feng fell silent.
So it wasn't that your opponents were weak—it was just that you were an absolute monster.
Even more tragic, he himself had become a convenient measuring unit in Jiang Zhe's mouth…
Luo Feng turned to Thunder God and said, "Choose the Abyssal Dragon bloodline."
"Hold on, don't rush it," Jiang Zhe asked, "Thunder God, this fusion—are you sure it won't transform you into one of the Abyssal Dragons completely?"
"Haha, I'm not entirely sure myself, but I have the detailed data on the bloodline potion. You guys can help me look it over."
A screen popped up above the table, showing Thunder God's inbox. The first email contained detailed info on the "Abyssal Dragon Type VI Bloodline Modification Potion."
Luo Feng rubbed his eyes. "Is there even text there? I can't see anything."
Jiang Zhe shot him a look. "Maybe—just maybe—it's because you lack the clearance, so the virtual universe is blocking it?"
Luo Feng: …
Jiang Zhe noticed Hong staring at the screen. He asked tentatively, "Hong, can you see it?"
Hong smiled and nodded. "I can."
"You've got pretty high clearance. Who's your teacher, if it's okay to share?"
"Lord Youhou."
Jiang Zhe simply nodded, not paying it much mind, and continued reviewing the data.
Before long, with Orianna's help interpreting, he figured it out.
"As expected, using this potion won't grant something like possession over an Abyssal Dragon."
"It enhances the bloodline, not changes it."
"I estimate the effect to be… after using it, Thunder God would become one of the famed Dragonmen—a bit like the Yan Poruo Clan, another top-ten human bloodline."
"But the Dragonman form from this potion would be even stronger than the Yan Poruo, though with a time limit."
"In short, it's on par with what Hong received."
Finally, Jiang Zhe concluded concisely, "Purely in terms of value, it's not as good as possessing a Huo Swa Giant Beast."
He then asked Thunder God, "Who did you take as your teacher? Didn't they recommend which option?"
"There was a suggestion," Thunder God replied. "My teacher is likely the one guarding Earth—Lord Yomeng. She suggested I possess the Huo Swa Giant Beast. It would help my future cultivation, plus her family actually raises some Huo Swa Giants. There's even one at the universe level, perfect for me."
So it's my little senior nephew—looks like I need to make some proper plans for you, Jiang Zhe thought to himself, amused.
In fact, he hadn't told the three brothers that Lord Yomeng was actually his senior sister. Before, he'd only said she was a relatively close elder.
Jiang Zhe mentally reached out to Orianna, sending an email to his Ninth Senior Sister to ask about Thunder God's cultivation plans.
Very soon, he received a reply.
Orianna relayed the message to Jiang Zhe's consciousness. The gist was:
—Recommended path: focus on cultivating the Way of Thunder Fusion; if truly lacking talent, switch to refining the laws of time, with the long-term goal of becoming a Time Sovereign.
Jiang Zhe now knew exactly how to explain the pros and cons to Thunder God.
When he returned to reality, he found his three brothers were discussing whether or not they still wanted to remain human.
Because the Huo Swa Giant Beasts didn't have the Clone secret technique, once Thunder God possessed one, he'd have to live out his days in a giant ape body.
Jiang Zhe: Seriously? This is what's stumping you—whether you'll keep your human shape?
He clapped his hands to get their attention.
"Don't be so superficial. Whether you look human doesn't matter. What matters is your soul."
"I've said this to Luo Feng before—if you're capable enough to break through to become the Universe's Strongest, you'll return to your Earthling form anyway."
"These two options represent two very different starting points for cultivation..."
Jiang Zhe then gave his three brothers a crash course on Demonic Power and the Beast God's Path.
They listened with rapt attention, not daring to miss a single word. These secrets weren't even accessible in the Virtual Universe Company's information banks at their level.
At the same time, their expressions grew complicated.
I mean, what kind of person sets their sights on becoming the Universe's Strongest while still at the universe level?
To them, reaching immortality was the short-term goal, becoming a Sovereign was the long-term one.
As for becoming a Universe Master? Unthinkable. Absolutely unthinkable.
No matter what Jiang Zhe said, the question of "whether to maintain a human form" still seemed very important to them.
"Beast God's Path?"
Luo Feng thought of the Beast God statue Jiang Zhe had gifted him and grew excited.
"Senior Brother, could I also follow the Beast God's Path? According to you, my Golden-Horned Giant Beast clone is perfect for this. Can you teach me how to start?"
His two older brothers' recent fortunes—and Jiang Zhe's casual slaughter of immortals—were putting immense pressure on him.
Luo Feng desperately wanted to grow stronger.
Being left behind by his three elder brothers was something he simply couldn't accept.
Of course, Luo Feng had a good temperament. Someone else might've already become twisted with jealousy.
"Junior Brother, don't rush," Jiang Zhe advised. "Just train steadily. Once you comprehend the first three engravings of the Nine Universe Chaos Tablet, your teacher, True Yan King, will likely guide you onto the Beast God's Path. That's the road he himself cultivates. Plus, our race publicly holds a legacy of the Golden Beast God's Path that reaches all the way to Universe Overlord."
"Senior Brother, understood. I'll keep that in mind," Luo Feng secretly let out a breath.
At least there was a path ahead...
He also caught the deeper meaning in Jiang Zhe's words.
Where there's an official legacy, there's also a hidden one—and the latter must be far stronger.
Could it be a Universe Master's inheritance?
As Jiang Zhe broadened their horizons, Luo Feng's ambitions quietly grew larger too.
Meanwhile, Hong and Thunder God learned more about the Starry Sky Beast Alliance.
Hong, meticulous as ever, pondered aloud. "I've heard how rare the peak bloodlines of starry sky beasts are. Even Teacher Huyan Bo never saw a living one in his lifetime. They're mostly raised free-range below the immortal level, with very high mortality rates... Yet such a force still ranks among the nine top powers of the original universe. Clearly they hold some incredible secrets."
"—Turns out they're descendants of Universe Masters. Not only do they have exceptional physical gifts, but they're also 100% compatible with the Beast God's Path!"
His pupils contracted. "So if Thunder God possesses a Huo Swa Giant and later obtains the complete legacy of the Thunder Beast God's Path, his chances of becoming a Universe Master would skyrocket?"
Under their eager gazes, Jiang Zhe nodded.
Hong and Luo Feng said nothing more. It was now up to Thunder God to decide.
For once, Thunder God was unusually solemn. His eyes shone, flickering with intense emotion.
He was moved.
Whether he could keep his human form no longer mattered.
He wanted to become a Universe Master, to keep pace with his three brothers, to one day dismantle the foreign concessions destined to be built on Earth a millennium later.
They'd enjoyed the benefits of their race, and they were willing to give back—to surrender treasures, secrets, anything.
But not through such humiliation.
Anyone familiar with Hanxia's history before the Great Nirvana, especially those of Yanhuang blood, knew what a disgrace that was.
"Thunder God, don't act on impulse. Think this through carefully," Jiang Zhe cautioned. "The Beast God's Path can only take you to the level of Universe Master. To restore a human form beyond that, you'd have to switch paths, blaze a new trail, and break through again.
"On the other hand, choosing the Abyssal Dragon bloodline lets you keep a human shape and train as one of humanity's top bloodlines, with a small chance of other fortuitous encounters. For instance, I myself gained enormously in the Abyssal Dragons' habitat."
"In short—this is everything I can tell you. The choice is yours alone."
"Thunder God, think carefully. Don't make a rash decision," Luo Feng added.
"Ah Zhe… thank you," Thunder God said earnestly.
Meanwhile...
"High-tier immortal commander-level comprehension, 250-fold life gene level—altogether nearly 80,000 times a world lord's power…"
"What a pleasant surprise."
"I didn't expect to find such a weak pureblood demon even in the First Abyss."
Jiang Zhe stood atop the Void Core, surrounded by eight dark-purple star-like orbs crackling with thunder. They traced profound arcs through the air as they chased a black-horned demon.
There were twelve such dark-purple stars in total.
Eight orbited Jiang Zhe, while four were already pursuing the demon.
They smashed down.
Sometimes the demon narrowly dodged. Other times, they shattered its godly body, inflicting grievous wounds.
Time-Space Tri-Shift!
First Shift—Roaming Stars!
Because this was a pureblood demon, Jiang Zhe didn't need to preserve its heart or stop it from self-detonating. So he didn't bother using the Blood Transformation Blade for a swift kill.
Instead, he chose to wield his treasures, honing his techniques.
The demon's shattered godly body struggled to reassemble, its face contorted in terror.
"One strike—and I've already lost 6% of my immortal body?!"
"No! I don't want to die!"
"Damn it, the wormhole is still over two million kilometers away. I have to reach it!"
It fled desperately.
Boom!
Boom!
The dark-purple stars crashed into it again and again.
They were so fast, the demon couldn't even reform its godly body before being smashed apart once more. It was like being camped at a resurrection point.
After being obliterated four times, the demon could practically hear death whispering in its ear.
It didn't yet have the law comprehension to forge an undying body—its spiritual imprint and cells hadn't fused perfectly. After a few brutal kills, it would truly die.
It didn't even need to lose 50% of its mind-body.
"You've forced me!" the black-horned demon shrieked.
"You're coming with me!"
Its body rapidly reformed, and it howled—then charged Jiang Zhe, detonating its entire remaining immortal body.
The godly power accumulated over countless years—equivalent to nearly 80,000 times a world lord's might, just shy of pinnacle king level—erupted in a devastating explosion.
At that instant, its destructive force nearly rivaled a full strike from an invincible king.
RUMBLE!!!
The space for millions of kilometers around was instantly torn to shreds, a raging torrent of spatial debris.
Jiang Zhe had anticipated the demon might self-detonate. Seeing the signs, he used the Void Core to dodge.
At the same time, he fully activated his Panling Battle Armor, deploying all three of its forms.
A near-million-fold world lord-level strike!
The armor absorbed all but one-thousandth of the impact. What remained—less than 1,000 times a world lord's power—struck Jiang Zhe's body, now amplified to nearly 30,000 times by physical resonance, barely more than a tickle.
Even so, Jiang Zhe was blasted over a thousand kilometers before he came to a stop.
Jiang Zhe recalled the twelve scattered orbs, which reformed into a bracelet on his wrist.
He savored the recent explosion.
"Lucky that demon's godly body wasn't of particularly high quality—just an immortal commander's. If it were genuinely near peak king level, that self-detonation would've been in the tens of millions times world lord range."
"A high king with 30,000 times world lord power—just one-thousandth of their self-destruction would rival a full normal strike. At the epicenter, the energy could hit 30 million times… terrifying!"
"Even if the Panling Battle Armor shaved it down to a thousandth, that would still be enough to seriously trouble me."
He slipped back into a "deep symbiotic state," now boasting 3,000 times world lord power at peak ninth stage, with 60-fold soul resonance and 9-fold body resonance.
Jiang Zhe shivered. He'd definitely be more cautious of demon dukes' self-detonations going forward.
"Next time, I won't just rely on my battle armor—I'll hide inside one of these heavy treasure orbs. Material attacks are nearly negligible inside."
"These twelve beauties aren't just top-tier mind weapons; they're also palace-class heavy treasures."
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