Earth Vein Baleful Qi

A streak of azure light tore through the firmament, shooting toward the west like a lightning bolt. He Yu rode his demon cloud, feeling the fierce, biting wind rush against his face, and felt an incomparable sense of exhilaration. This sensation of high-speed flight was truly magnificent. Watching the mountain forests, rivers, peaks, deep springs, and brooks rapidly recede beneath him, He Yu was suddenly struck by the feeling that although the world was vast, he was free to roam it at will.

The distance of thirty thousand li was quite long, but in the face of the speed of He Yu's demon cloud, it was nothing at all; he would arrive in a short while.

At this moment, He Yu pondered the goal of his trip. The Golden Radiance Region? It was ten li in circumference, and anything that approached it suffered damage from pitch-black smoke. All of this left He Yu without the slightest clue. Although he considered his cultivation to be invincible in the current Primordial World, he could not help but treat this strange, smoke-filled region with caution.

Whoosh!

The sound of breaking air suddenly ceased as the demon cloud hovered in mid-air. Looking down at the massive, crude village below, he saw that he had arrived at the territory of the Hedgehog Demon King. In the distance, another massive, crude village was the territory of the Violent Crocodile Demon King.

Descending from the demon cloud into the village, He Yu's massive demon form immediately threw the countless minor demons into a panic. Upon realizing it was He Yu, they immediately knelt in terror to pay their respects. Simultaneously, minor demons went to report to the demon officials. As a vassal lord enfeoffed by He Yu, the Hedgehog Demon King not only had numerous minor demons under his command but also possessed a score of demon officials to manage various trivial matters.

"This subordinate pays respects to the Great King! May the Great King enjoy eternal life and fortune!" A fat, white giant pig walked over on its two hind legs, knelt to kowtow, and cupped its front hooves in a salute. Following behind it were over a dozen various demon officials, all of whom followed suit and bowed with utmost reverence.

"You need not stand on ceremony; rise and speak!" He Yu declared with supreme majesty, his entire body radiating an unparalleled aura of dominance. He was no longer the person he once was; having served as a demon king for some time and ruling over the Primordial World, he had gradually cultivated an aura of absolute supremacy.

"Yes!" Zhu Ba bowed respectfully. After rising, he kept his torso half-bent, gazing at He Yu with reverence. It was not his first time seeing He Yu, but he was deeply shocked nonetheless. Not long ago, He Yu's demon form had been less than one-tenth of its current size. What kind of concept was that?

The Great King's cultivation has become increasingly terrifying; I fear it has already reached the heavens and spanned the earth! He is truly worthy of being the number one powerhouse of the Primordial World! Zhu Ba sighed inwardly.

Observing the scene, it was clear that Zhu Ba was the leader of the demon officials. Given that he was also a pig demon, He Yu's heart stirred, and he roughly guessed that he must be related to the Hedgehog Demon King. He paid no mind to this, however; it was merely a matter concerning ants.

"This King asks you: what is the deal with that Golden Radiance Region and the black smoke that harmed the Hedgehog Demon King? Tell me everything you know!" He Yu asked directly. Since Zhu Ba was the second-in-command under the Hedgehog Demon King, he naturally knew quite a bit. Once he understood the situation, he could head over there!

Hearing He Yu's inquiry, Zhu Ba dared not delay. "Reporting to the Great King, some days ago, my master and the Violent Crocodile Demon King accidentally discovered a canyon filled with golden radiance. Out of curiosity, they led a few of us minor demons to investigate. Upon entering the canyon, we saw a Golden Radiance Region ten li in circumference. Subsequently, two streams of black gas emerged from it. That gas was pitch-black and as thick as a bucket; the moment it appeared, it transformed into two black rainbows and struck the two masters. Both masters immediately fell into a coma. We brought them back, and they have yet to wake up. Their bodies are swirled with black gas, their breath as thin as gossamer, and they are extremely weak."

"Oh? Lead the way; let this King see exactly what kind of gas is so formidable." He Yu felt a surge of joy. With the Hedgehog Demon King surrounded by black gas, it was the perfect opportunity for him to study it. As the saying went, one must know oneself and the enemy to be invincible!

At He Yu's command, Zhu Ba dared not dally and immediately began to lead the way, while the other demon officials followed with fawning flattery.

Not long after, He Yu was led by Zhu Ba to the central grand hall. This was the heart of the giant village; the hall was magnificent, covering dozens of li and standing nearly a hundred zhang high. Although it was not worth mentioning compared to He Yu's own royal palace, it surpassed many buildings in the Demon King City. The hall was quite crude, merely an imitation of the architecture in the royal city, so it was naturally not particularly exquisite.

In the massive square in front of the hall stood a giant statue. The statue was tall, mighty, and exuded an aura of dominance; it was the exact likeness of He Yu. Surrounding the statue were numerous elite minor demons standing guard. These minor demons were armored and armed, disciplined and orderly, clearly having undergone long training. The faint aura of slaughter about them also indicated they had experienced bloody battles.

Seeing this, He Yu could not help but feel a sense of melancholy. In his past life, he had heard plenty about the benefits of the power of faith. It was said that as long as there were devout believers offering worship, one could gather the collective mental energy of the masses for one's own use, which was considered quite sharp. Now that he ruled the Primordial World and had countless demon subordinates, he naturally could not help but want to try it. Unfortunately, the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment!

Sigh! It seems the talk of faith from my past life is either a lie or it simply does not exist yet. The Primordial World was not yet complete, and the Heavenly Dao had not yet emerged; perhaps that was one reason why the power of faith could not be collected!

He Yu's melancholy stemmed from the fact that his current momentum would soon be broken. Once the Era of Giant Beasts arrived, he, the number one powerhouse of the Primordial World, would very likely fall to the very bottom, unless he also transformed into a giant beast. But that was clearly a path to self-destruction; unless absolutely necessary, it was definitely not an option!

The perimeter of the hall was also heavily guarded. These minor demons did not recognize He Yu, but with Zhu Ba leading the way, they proceeded without obstruction, and the group successfully entered the inner chamber of the hall.

Upon entering the inner chamber, He Yu instantly saw the Hedgehog Demon King lying on a massive stone bed. He looked like a wild boar from his past life, but was several degrees more ferocious and sinister. His body was about five zhang long, and his black bristles stood upright like sharp spikes, looking fierce and terrifying. Yet, at this moment, his face was twisted in pain, and his entire body was surrounded by wisps of black gas.

This... this gas? The moment He Yu's attention focused on the black gas surrounding the Hedgehog Demon King, he was greatly shocked. His cultivation was extraordinary, and his consciousness energy was terrifying. His five senses were so sharp they had reached a frightening level, and even his sixth sense had been slightly developed. At this moment, he clearly perceived the horror of the black gas!

It was thick, dense, gloomy, immense... and possessed a baleful aura that was terrifying to the extreme!

Upon seeing the black gas, He Yu had a feeling as if it were the origin of the earth itself, as if it were the very source of the land!

Earthly Baleful Qi? He Yu had read many ancient texts in his past life and had studied the Heavenly Stellar and Earthly Baleful energies extensively. Comparing them now, he immediately discovered that the gas surrounding the Hedgehog Demon King was Earthly Baleful Qi. Moreover, since the Primordial World had just been born, the purity and density of this Earthly Baleful Qi were a hundred times stronger than in later ages, extremely close to the source of the Earthly Baleful Qi itself.

The sharpness of the Earthly Baleful Qi was also terrifying. The Twelve Ancestral Witches of Pangu were born from Pangu's heart blood combined with the source of the Earthly Baleful Qi. This source could also be called the source of Yin Turbid Qi, which corresponded to the source of Heavenly Stellar Yang-Clear Qi; the two were on par with each other, neither superior to the other!

Could it be that the Golden Radiance Region connects to the earth's veins? He Yu pondered. Earthly Baleful Qi resided deep within the earth. In terms of the Primordial World, it was impossible to trigger it unless it was emitted through the seventy-two naturally formed earth veins. However, no one knew how long these veins had been closed, and the Earthly Baleful Qi they emitted would usually be contained by the veins themselves.

I've struck gold! I've really struck gold this time! Earthly Baleful Qi! He Yu was immensely excited. He naturally would not absorb the Earthly Baleful Qi to strengthen his physical body; it was not as gentle as the Heavenly Stellar Qi and was incredibly overbearing. Once it entered the body, it would assimilate one's consciousness, causing the three souls and seven spirits to fuse with the physical body, at which point one would no longer be able to use Daoist arts or divine abilities. He was not a member of the Witch Clan! The Witch Clan possessed the legacy of Pangu's blessings and had a certain affinity with the Primordial World; their bloodline inherited Pangu's rules and divine abilities, whereas he was far inferior in that regard.

Although he could not use the Earthly Baleful Qi to strengthen his constitution, He Yu had other plans. His entire body was covered in four hundred and eighty million black spikes; these spikes could be strengthened using the Earthly Baleful Qi.

Using Earthly Baleful Qi to enhance the power of the spikes, and later absorbing Heavenly Stellar Qi to strengthen my crab shell—to combine the Heavenly Stellar and Earthly Baleful energies in one body, how sharp that would be! Thinking of this, He Yu was incredibly agitated.

"Great King!" Zhu Ba asked in a low voice. Seeing He Yu staring blankly after seeing the Hedgehog Demon King, Zhu Ba felt quite uneasy, fearing that the Hedgehog Demon King might die. One had to know that all his glory and status stemmed from the Hedgehog Demon King!

"Hmm? You all leave; this King will see if I can eliminate this black gas!" He Yu commanded coldly. He had always been cautious regarding matters of cultivation and would not allow others to pry; these were the very foundations of his survival.

"Yes, yes, this minor demon withdraws!" Hearing He Yu's cold command, Zhu Ba's face turned pale. Trembling with fear, he hurriedly bowed and left, and the demon officials behind him followed suit in a rush.

Seeing the demons depart, He Yu looked at the Earthly Baleful Qi surrounding the Hedgehog Demon King with burning intensity.

He circulated his demon energy to protect his body, leaving only his spikes exposed. He did not know the power of the Earthly Baleful Qi at all, so it was better to be cautious. If the Earthly Baleful Qi were to enter his body, his path to the Great Dao would truly be over!

He projected his consciousness to guide a tiny wisp of Earthly Baleful Qi toward a spike on his giant pincer. The moment the Earthly Baleful Qi touched the spike, it immediately merged into it. After absorbing the Earthly Baleful Qi, the spike instantly shimmered with a black, dazzling light, and a faint baleful aura permeated it. The Earthly Baleful Qi rapidly fused with the spike, enhancing its power. Within a few breaths, the fusion was complete, and the spike's hardness and sharpness were greatly increased.

Seeing that it was indeed effective, He Yu was overjoyed. He expanded his consciousness and guided the energy repeatedly. As he guided it, wisps of Earthly Baleful Qi merged into each spike. Although there was quite a bit of Earthly Baleful Qi surrounding the Hedgehog Demon King, after He Yu's absorption, it all vanished before long.

After absorbing all the Earthly Baleful Qi from the Hedgehog Demon King, the hundreds of spikes on He Yu's two giant pincers had been strengthened several times over. The harvest was substantial!

This Hedgehog Demon King is finished. With the Earthly Baleful Qi entering his body, his demon energy, consciousness, and soul have all fused with his demon form. In the future, although his strength will be at the mid-stage of the Golden Core, he will basically have no room for improvement. He Yu felt a bit of pity for the Hedgehog Demon King. Then, a thought occurred to him: under the influence of the Gods and Devils' aura in the near future, this Hedgehog Demon King's strength would likely skyrocket! It was highly possible he would reach a peak position among the giant beasts, but unfortunately, since his consciousness had fused with his body, he would no longer be able to control the source.

After being transformed by the Earthly Baleful Qi, what if he absorbs the Gods and Devils' gas? He Yu felt a bit uneasy. What if the Hedgehog became terrifyingly powerful?

Now that the Earthly Baleful Qi is cleared, I still don't know what the golden radiance is. It seems I need this pig to help. He Yu sneered inwardly. He had already made up his mind: neither the Hedgehog Demon King nor the Violent Crocodile Demon King could be left alive. Before the Gods and Devils' aura descended, they had to disappear completely, annihilated into nothingness within the Primordial World. He Yu could tolerate giant beasts being powerful, but he absolutely could not tolerate any giant beast whose strength surpassed all others.

"Ah? Gr... Great King!" With the Earthly Baleful Qi absorbed, the Hedgehog Demon King gradually opened his eyes. He immediately saw He Yu beside him. That massive, familiar demon form, with its demon energy as deep as the sea and as vast as the starry sky, immediately left him terrified. He hurriedly scrambled down and bowed in salute.

"This...!" The Hedgehog Demon King, kneeling in a bow, was stunned. Had he recovered?

"This subordinate pays respects to the Great King! Thank you, Great King, for saving my life!" The Hedgehog Demon King's heart stirred, and he concluded that it was He Yu who had helped him. He was filled with both gratitude and excitement.

"Very well, you are fine now. Quickly lead this King to that canyon!" Seeing the Hedgehog Demon King's expression, He Yu felt a bit strange. Had he saved him? If he hadn't absorbed the Earthly Baleful Qi, over time, the Hedgehog would have absorbed it himself, and his strength would have been even greater!

"Yes!" Hearing that He Yu wanted to go to the canyon, the Hedgehog Demon King immediately responded. As for the danger? Seeing He Yu's demon form, which had grown more than ten times larger, the Hedgehog swallowed hard, his heart filled with envy and reverence! He no longer worried about any danger. With the Great King taking action, was there still such a thing as danger?