An endless sea of forest stretched as far as the eye could see. A light breeze rustled the branches, raising waves of green across the treetops that rolled toward the horizon.
Here and there among the forest, waterfalls resembling the Milky Way cascaded down, their thunderous roar accompanied by mist that filled the air. The falling water shrouded the lake below in a hazy veil, making it look like a fairyland.
On a massive boulder by the lake, a black-robed young man sat cross-legged, his hands forming cultivation seals. The space around him rippled faintly as wisps of energy emerged and continuously poured into his body.
"Myriad Devouring Art, devour!"
Xiao Yao shouted softly, his hand seals moving faster and faster. The energy pouring from the surrounding space grew increasingly dense. No longer mere trickles, it surged into Xiao Yao like a tide, while his body devoured and refined it all like a bottomless black hole.
As Xiao Yao absorbed energy at an ever-increasing pace, the surrounding energy converged wildly toward him like an energy tide.
For a time, the space around Xiao Yao was flooded with powerful energy fluctuations. Light flickered everywhere, dreamlike and illusory.
After an hour of cultivation, the energy around Xiao Yao gradually faded. His eyelashes trembled a few times before his eyes slowly opened. A flash of violet light passed through his dark pupils as he exhaled a breath of turbid air.
Xiao Yao carefully sensed the surging Dou Qi within his body and murmured, "After more than a month of accumulation, my Dou Qi has finally broken through. My cultivation has reached Eight-Star Dou Zong. It is time to cultivate that soul technique."
Xiao Yao slowly rose from the boulder by the lake, his gaze lingering on the tranquil, rippleless surface. After a long