Outer sea, Great Void.
Flying sand formed a screen; shadows hung like curtains.
Blue-yellow light of nurturing earth rolled through the void, rising and falling slowly as though breathing. Amid the interwoven light and shadow, hundreds upon thousands of murky yellow beast mouths and Beast Eyes flickered in and out of sight, like some ancient evil creature roaming the Great Void.
[Nether Sheep Rite] had reached perfection.
The black-robed youth stood in the Great Void, his expression calm, only his eyes shining like murky yellow ghostfire.
The all-devouring manifestation of nurturing earth around him withdrew steadily into his body. When even the last wisp of windblown sand had vanished, a phantom golden bull lay crouched in the shadows behind him.
"How did it go?"
A streak of gold-red light pierced the air. Liu Xiaowen appeared once more, sweeping his gaze around. Seeing that the mountain-sized Wu Earth demon body had disappeared, he could not help showing a trace of astonishment.
"I have refined this demon, bringing my first divine ability to perfection."
Xu Fayan's voice was even, yet carried an almost monstrous wickedness. Even the Constant Light mysterious flames within Liu Xiaowen stirred, eager to burn away the evil.
"Well... congratulations, junior brother."
Liu Xiaowen vaguely sensed that his junior brother's demeanor had changed. He felt more inhuman, almost as though something had just awakened within him and devoured Elephant Key in his stead.
"Not only that. I refined and absorbed Elephant Key's nature and life. He has now become a familiar within my divine ability!"
Xu Fayan raised his hand and slowly closed it.
His shadow stretched endlessly behind him, a deep blood-red hue gradually seeping through it. Strange manifestations appeared within: dense swarms of savage Azure Locusts, and peculiar Yellow Rams lurking in dark, mysterious depths.
At the