After returning from the Black Domain, Nie Li remained haunted by the Demon Lord's unfathomable, oppressive presence. He knew clearly that his strength still had enormous shortcomings, leaving him ill-equipped to weather the storms ahead. He immediately summoned Lu Piao, Du Ze, and his other companions, bringing his younger sister Nie Yu along as well. They found a quiet spot and sat cross-legged. Once everyone had arrived, Nie Li wasted no time merging with the Fang-toothed Panda Demon Spirit and began devouring vast quantities of Demon Spirit power.
During the process, the surging spiritual energy proved impossible to contain completely. Most of it escaped his control, only to be firmly confined within the surrounding area by the array Nie Li had prepared. Lu Piao and the others held their breath and focused, circulating their cultivation techniques as they absorbed as much of that pure, escaping energy as possible, hoping to break through their cultivation barriers and rise another level. As Nie Li devoured more and more Demon Spirits, the Tiger-Toothed Panda's level soared, but this placed him under an immense strain. A Demon Spirit Master's cultivation and that of their merged Demon Spirit had to complement each other. Too great a disparity would send the Demon Spirit beyond their control, and the slightest mistake could plunge them into eternal ruin.
Just as Nie Li was struggling to hold on, the mysterious vine in his Soul Sea suddenly stirred. Its tendrils unfurled and wrapped around both the Shadow Demon and the Tiger-Toothed Panda, instantly strengthening his connection to the two Demon Spirits and stabilizing the situation on the brink of losing control. More wondrous still, after absorbing a little of Nie Li's Soul Power, the vine actually returned nourishment to him, slowly nurturing his Soul Sea and making his Soul Power