Simply put, under normal principles and within the Living World, the Demon God had fought the Martial Emperor naked. Of course he had been at a disadvantage.
Of course, the Demon God had never said that was why he had lost to the Martial Emperor. He saw defeat clearly—loss was loss, and he did not make excuses. Just as he openly acknowledged that he had once defeated the Space Progenitor, he would not tolerate anyone questioning it.
Yet the story he told gave Lu Li an insight. He realized that no matter how excellent the equipment Chuchu forged for him was, it would be useless on a Tenth Order battlefield.
Therefore, he had to turn those external powers into his own inherent strength.
It sounded simple, but in truth, it was exceedingly difficult.
The Demon God had also said that he could see the Martial Emperor had done something similar, though not to completion. Only a small portion of that power had been incorporated into himself. Most importantly, it was that blade which allowed him to contend with the Demon God beyond conventional laws.
That alone showed how difficult it was. The logic was simple: if the abilities within equipment could be directly absorbed into oneself, why would cultivators still refine magical treasures? Why would mages still need staffs?
Cultivators of every path required external equipment precisely because such external power amplified their own. It might be external power, but it was also power that complemented their own.
As long as one had not reached the realm beyond conventional laws, combining external power with inner strength was the mark of a true powerhouse.
Unfortunately, most external powers could not be brought beyond conventional laws. Only one's own realm and strength could be carried there.
Thus, even knowing how difficult it