"My cultivation level is inferior to yours, but I'm not mentally unstable."
With a wave of his hand, a coffee table appeared out of thin air, covered with cups and glasses.
"No way, you didn't even try to cover it up? You just poured deadly poison directly into the cup?"
Looking at the glass of bubbling green poison on the table, Xu Long's face was full of pain.
Anyone with eyes can see there's something wrong with this stuff; no one in their right mind would drink it.
"We're enemies, isn't it normal for us to poison each other? It would be abnormal if we didn't!"
The person opposite smiled wryly, seemingly unaware of how foolish they had been.
"You don't need to ask my name, nor do you need to inquire about my background. I will absolutely not tell you that my name is Sha Bi, much less that I am a stone demon."
This was said by Sha Bi very solemnly.
Xu Long: "???"
This is insane!
I haven't even asked you anything yet, and you've already told me everything!
Is he playing me for a fool, or is he simply not very smart?
" Sha Bi, right...?"
Xu Long frowned, preparing to make his move.
How did you know my name is Sha Bi?
Upon hearing Xu Long's words, Sha Bi asked with a puzzled expression.
Xu Long: "I... never mind..."
I think I understand now. This Sha Bi is probably just intellectually challenged.
Among all kinds of practitioners, humans and many other intelligent beings are the ones who ultimately embark on the path of cultivation.
With the right techniques and the right qualifications, getting started is not difficult.
Next came some of the more intelligent animals.
For example, foxes and Monkey.
Next up are those really, really stupid animals, like huskies.
To date, Xu Long has never seen a husky that has become sentient, nor has he ever even heard of one.
If animals becoming sentient is merely difficult, then plants have had incredible good fortune for eight lifetimes.
A plant, fortunate enough to grow in a place rich in spiritual energy, fortunate enough not to be eaten by animals, fortunate enough not to die prematurely due to its short lifespan, and fortunate enough to awaken its intelligence.
Until it becomes fully sentient and possesses the ability to protect itself, any mishap during this process will lead to utter destruction.
Plants that become spirits are generally much more powerful than animals, and at the same level, they can even be said to be overwhelmingly superior.
After all, cultivation is difficult, and their numbers are far fewer than those of animals.
Heavenly Dao will surely provide some form of compensation!
If the transformation of plants into spirits is due to accumulating good fortune over eight lifetimes, then the transformation of inanimate objects like stones and metals into spirits is simply a case of God taking a nap.
For something without life to develop sentience is practically the treatment of a protagonist.
Although extremely difficult and rare, these inanimate objects that become spirits are all incredibly powerful.
His physical body is so abnormal that he is invincible among his peers without any special training.
Ancient bloodlines and supreme techniques are nothing compared to these kinds of demons.
However, there are always trade-offs. While these things are powerful, they often come with some kind of mental problem.
To put it nicely, it's a case of feigned wisdom and not getting bogged down in details. To put it bluntly, it's like a bear's mother Open Gate for another bear—utterly stupid.
Take this Sha Bi for example, he really is a Sha Bi out of the ordinary!
Xu Long simply couldn't believe that there could be such Sha Bi person in this world!
Oh, it must be a stone demon!
"So, why did you meet with me? Just to tell me your name is Sha Bi?"
Xu Long's words were loaded with meaning, but Sha Bi clearly didn't catch it.
"Although I don't know how you know I'm from Sha Bi, I still hope you'll leave. I don't want to be your enemy, but if you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for being impolite."
Sha Bi contained three parts request and seven parts threat.
If it were anyone else, Xu Long might have been a little angry.
After all, it had been many years since anyone dared to speak to him like that.
But the person in front of me is an idiot...
Bah, it's a Sha Bi!
He simply couldn't bring himself to be angry!
"Give me this fragment of the small world, and I'll leave immediately. Don't worry, I won't kill you."
Xu Long took a step back.
The opponents he encountered were either cunning and treacherous or ruthless and vicious.
There's nothing to say about that kind of person; it's either you die or I live.
But when he encountered an idiot like Sha Bi, Xu Long actually felt a pang of pity.
Unfortunately, Xu Long's good intentions were ultimately misunderstood.
Instead of being grateful, Sha Bi started cursing at him.
"You stole my things and then expect me to give them away. My name is Sha Bi, and I'm not a complete idiot! You..."
laugh!
Before he could finish speaking, a sword light appeared out of thin air and cleaved Sha Bi in two.
My good intentions have been misunderstood; since they don't appreciate it, there's no need to waste any more time.
Xu Long wasn't the type to be long-winded or indecisive. He would try to reason with people if possible, but if reasoning didn't work, there was no need to waste time.
Just kill him, and that'll solve everything!
With the disappearance of Sha Bi, the surrounding landscape began to collapse completely.
The tables and chairs all drifted away like snowflakes, eventually disappearing without a trace.
Everything around them returned to its original pitch-black state.
Xu Long stood in front of the courtyard, his brows furrowed in deep frown.
He arrived at the courtyard again and again and again and again!
This was the fourth time he had entered the courtyard, or rather, he had never been able to get inside.
"Interesting! Very interesting!"
Xu Long sneered, already feeling a bit annoyed.
I've never dared to confront him directly, only resorting to these annoying tactics to irritate him; I'm afraid he has some kind of mental illness.
"Since you refuse to come out, I'll force you. Anyway, these fragments of small worlds are indestructible. Let me see how sturdy you are."
Xu Long snorted coldly and swung his sword.
Sizzle!
Sword light danced, transforming into a spiderweb that enveloped the courtyard.
This was created using some unknown method, and it is not the original fragment of the small world, so naturally it cannot withstand the erosion of the Power of Oblivion.
With a single sword strike, the courtyard seemed to have undergone the erosion of millions of years in an instant, turning into ashes and disappearing, leaving only boundless darkness and a faint curtain of light.
Protected by the Power of Oblivion, I entered the light barrier directly.
This attack aims to strike at the heart of the enemy's defenses and catch them completely off guard.
However, things took an unexpected turn. After passing through the light curtain, Xu Long felt as if he had completely lost his senses.
He seemed to be descending, but all around him was darkness, nothing at all.
The release of psychic power created a deathly silence around them, a chilling and desolate atmosphere permeating the darkness, like a graveyard abandoned by the world.
"Ah!"
A piercing scream suddenly erupted from not far away. The sound was heart-wrenching and agonizing, filled with indescribable pain and despair. It was so moving that even Xu Long felt a strange sense of empathy.
The screams grew louder, more numerous, and closer together.
If it were an ordinary person, they would have already begun to feel dazed, but who is Xu Long? He is a man who would rather piss in the latrine than face outwards.
Trying to confuse him? That's wishful thinking!
In this world, only big breasts can make Xu Long feel dizzy.
And that was before; now Xu Long is completely spoiled by Weak Water and the Red Queen.
It can be as big as you want, and in whatever shape you want.
She's just a woman, nothing special!
Ignoring the screams around him, Xu Long strode forward.
It seemed as if we had passed through another barrier, and suddenly the scene before us changed.
The earth was pitch black, the sky was obscured by red clouds, and a scorching heat permeated the air.
The flames raged on, and a huge black pot sat atop the fire, bubbling with boiling oil.
Several ugly little devils were stirring the oil in the pot with forks.
The fork kept stirring, and something seemed to be floating and sinking.
And those piercing screams from before seemed to have come from inside.
The oil in the pan kept bubbling, and something seemed to float and sink in it as the fork stirred it.
Xu Long peered into the oil and saw that those writhing in the frying pan were clearly people struggling to survive!
" The Netherworld Underworld? Are you kidding me? The Earth Realm and the Human Realm are separated, so where would the Netherworld Underworld from? Could it be that this small world is a shattered Netherworld Underworld?"
Xu Long thought about it for a moment and immediately dismissed the idea.
That's impossible. If it really were the Netherworld Underworld, there wouldn't be just a few little ghosts.
When he stepped in, the bigwigs of the Underworld should have noticed.
Given his past life's identity, it would be both reasonable and logical for him to come and meet me.
"Heh, such a trivial skill, yet you dare to show off your limited abilities before an expert! Shatter!"
With a loud shout from Xu Long, his psychic power began to spread in all directions.
A visible ripple appeared out of nowhere in the incredibly horrific Hell, and the surrounding scenery melted away as quickly as winter snow under the scorching sun.
In just two or three breaths, the terrifying Hell had vanished from sight, returning to complete darkness.
Xu Long remained calm and continued walking forward.
Although he couldn't see anything around him, his senses told him that moving forward was the right thing to do.
Sure enough, after walking about fifty steps forward, a glimmer of light quietly appeared.
Like the dawn that pierces through the heavens and earth, it guides a lost Mind Stone.
Like a lighthouse in the eternal night, it shines with the light of hope.
"This place is really strange. It's filled with suggestions targeting the soul. The slightest lapse in concentration will lead to disaster. Even Mahayana Stage expert would be doomed if they weren't careful. Luckily, I've successfully condensed my will, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable."
Xu Long pondered to himself, sensing that something seemed amiss.
This place is far more dangerous than the Dream Realm.
Following the direction of the light, Xu Long kept getting closer and finally saw the true face of the light.
It was a magnificent palace, radiating dazzling light, with countless twinkling lights illuminating the surrounding area for hundreds of meters.
"Another illusion?"
Xu Long let out a soft exclamation. He discovered that in addition to the power targeting the soul, there was another force slowly eroding his physical body.
This slowness is only directed at him.
If it were an ordinary person, they would probably die instantly.
The Body of Oblivion is a special constitution that is perfectly compatible with the Power of Oblivion; it is unique in the Three Realms.
If even he has difficulty carrying it, then there must be a problem.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Xu Long carried it with ease, and the strange energy was eroded in the opposite direction by the Power of Oblivion before it could even invade his body.
"This power... it seems somewhat familiar..."
Xu Long murmured to himself, feeling as if he had seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it.
In this situation, it's likely that this energy has a very weak connection to something he's seen before. Because the connection is so small, he only feels familiar with it and can't identify what it is.
Moreover, the palace felt strangely familiar.
Xu Long rubbed his chin, looking into the darkness behind the palace. He felt as if a colossal beast was lurking in the shadows, ready to devour its prey.
"Wait, isn't this the Dragon Palace from Journey to the West? It's just not underwater, and there's no Turtle Prime Minister. Oh, and no coral or mountains of gold and silver."
Xu Long suddenly realized what was going on and instead of rushing inside, he began to survey his surroundings.
Just as in the legends, the palace was resplendent with gold and unparalleled in its luxury.
The priceless luminous pearls, each larger than a fist, are incredibly rare in the world, yet they are inlaid throughout the entire roof.
The surrounding stone pillars, adorned with coiling dragons carved from single, massive pieces of agate, were paved with white jade and emerald. Anything here, even a random piece, could provide for an ordinary person for generations, demonstrating the sheer extravagance of the place.
These things are no ordinary objects; they all contain a very rich spiritual energy.
Even the pebbles scattered on the ground are equivalent to High-Grade Spirit Stone.
Xu Long tried to lift the small mountain of gold, but found it to be incredibly heavy; even with his strength, he couldn't budge it.
"This place should be connected to the entire fragment of the small world. To remove it, we must completely control the entire small world."
Xu Long looked ahead and, besides the treasures around him, he also faintly sensed a calling.
It was even stronger than when it was outside in the courtyard!
"The main reason why a small world that has not yet taken shape is coveted by Saint is that many extremely precious natural treasures will be born in the process, which cannot be obtained in the normal world. Although we don't know what these things are or what their specific effects are, they are definitely all good things."
Xu Long pondered for a moment, then made up his mind.
"A palace has been born within this small world, and there's a 99% chance that living beings exist there. Perhaps they are natives, or perhaps they are the world's consciousness, which is the Heavenly Dao. But in any case, I have to go in and take a look. If there are no unexpected circumstances, the thing that's blocking my way is also inside."
With that thought in mind, Xu Long no longer hesitated and stepped forward.
puff!
A faint sound came from beside his ears. Xu Long felt as if he had passed through a tough barrier, and in the blink of an Kung Fu Hustle, he had arrived in another world.
Looking up, I saw a very spacious hall, at least dozens of times larger than what I had seen from the outside.
Unlike its luxurious and magnificent exterior, the side hall was unusually spacious inside; even with Xu Long's eyesight, he couldn't see the end of it.
Just as Xu Long was observing, a notification from the Main God suddenly sounded in his mind.
[Side Quest: 1. Defeat the five Innate beings of the Five Elements metal, wood, water, fire, and earth)! Completing the quest will reward you with the Essences of the Five Elements!]
[Side Quest: 2. Defeat the Yin-Yang Innate Beings! Completing the quest rewards you with the Essence of Yin and Yang!]
" Yin-Yang and Five Elements? Innate beings? It seems I guessed right, there really are good things here, and natives too!"
Xu Long chuckled softly, finally understanding what was going on.
Just as he had expected, this place was indeed full of treasures.
However, there are seven hurdles to overcome before you can obtain it.
There was no time for him; as a surge of spiritual energy appeared from all directions, a light drizzle began to fall.
Xu Long couldn't help but marvel; this wasn't rainwater, but liquefied spiritual energy.
Good heavens! Even the water is precious!
Xu Long exclaimed in surprise, his gaze sweeping over the scattered water droplets, and decided to collect them all.
"They're all mine, all of them are mine!"
With a roar to the sky, Xu Long pounced on Little Red Riding Hood, who had been stripped naked, like a big bad wolf, and began to wreak havoc.
Cough cough...
Take a deep breath...
It's unclear whether this level is a test or a special bonus; the so-called " Innate beings" were shattered upon landing, and many were devoured before they could even recover.
Xu Long absorbed the water droplets quickly, but there were simply too many of them. Just as the True Qi within Xu Long's body was about to reach saturation, the enormous Innate being finally gathered all the scattered water droplets and transformed into a gigantic humanoid shape.
"Human, can you get off me?"
A deep, muffled voice came from beside him. Xu Long looked up and met the eyes of the Innate being. Two large and two small creatures stared at each other, one standing upright, the other crawling on top of the other and biting fiercely. The atmosphere was extremely strange.
"Uh, sorry! I misbehaved a bit!"
Blushing slightly, Xu Long released his hands, but before leaving, he didn't forget to take another bite of the water-attribute Innate creature.
"Strange human!"
The water-attribute Innate being didn't seem to mind Xu Long's actions. After wriggling its body a few times, it looked directly at Xu Long and said, "If you want to obtain the treasures here, the method is simple: just defeat me. Of course, if you're still hungry, then keep eating!"
This water-attribute Innate being was like a Gwen Stacy- hearted person, always calm and peaceful, and didn't get angry even when Xu Long nibbled away at many of the water droplets on its body.
The body of the water-attribute Innate being is somewhat bulky, standing over ten meters tall and more than ten meters in diameter.
Its body is transparent, with a round head and belly. To describe it in one sentence, it's as thick as a vat but not as tall as one. It's all about its buttocks and waist.
Despite its bulky build, this water-attribute Innate being was surprisingly fast, covering over ten meters in a single stride and instantly arriving in front of Xu Long.
"I'm going to attack!"
The water-attribute Innate being gave a reminder, and its semi-transparent palm slammed down, splashing up a cloud of water vapor.
"Good timing!"
Upon seeing the attack from the water-attribute Innate being, Xu Long roared and swung his World-Breaking Blade, which instantly pierced through the fat body of the water-attribute Innate being.
He didn't use the Power of Oblivion. This fat water monster was quite docile; defeating it was enough, there was no need to kill it.
Once he takes control of this small world, he'll let the water monster live here.
"What a sharp sword! It's even more powerful than Xiao Jin's. But water is the softest thing; the sharper your sword is, the less useful it is!"
As soon as the water-attribute Innate being finished speaking, a large slap landed hard on Xu Long.
puff!
A muffled thud rang out, and Xu Long, who had raised his fists to take the attack from the water-attribute Innate creature head-on, froze.
This powerful slap was far more fragile than it appeared; it not only failed to harm Xu Long in the slightest, but was also transmitted directly to him.
Splat!
The slap landed, scattering water droplets everywhere.
What's going on?
Xu Long was completely bewildered. He wiped the wetness off his face and stared blankly at the Innate water-attribute being.
"Oh dear, I've been sleeping a lot lately, I forgot I'm not very good at fighting!"
The water-attribute Innate being gathered up the scattered water droplets, and a blush appeared on its translucent face.
"How about this? I'm not good at fighting anyway, so let's just not fight! As long as you can defeat me, you'll pass the level."
"This works?"
Looking at the water attribute innate creature with a serious look on his face, Xu Long really didn't know where to start complaining.
Such a simpleton would definitely not survive for long in the ancient times when powerful beings were everywhere.
Water-attribute Innate beings are, to put it simply, spirits formed from a mass of water.
His body contains an extremely abundant amount of water-attribute spiritual energy; even a small amount of it would be a priceless treasure.
Having finally gotten such an opportunity, Xu Long certainly wouldn't waste it.
Therefore, he threw himself directly at the puddle of water and began to suck it in.
His cultivation level is currently stuck at the Late Body Integration Stage, and his soul is also stuck, preventing him from advancing further.
Whether it's spiritual energy or soul energy, it's a bottomless pit.
There are still some Spirit Stone in the storage space, but absorbing those is far less easy than absorbing those from this Innate being.
It is gentle and moisturizing, and is immediately transformed upon entering the body.
Such a treasure is beyond description; the word "amazing" alone cannot suffice.
Unlike other cultivators who can only absorb spiritual energy of fixed attributes or convert spiritual energy without attributes, Xu Long is not like other cultivators.
For him, anything that contains spiritual energy is acceptable.
There are no taboos; even poisonous substances don't matter.
Xu Long's combat power is extremely strong. In the Late Body Integration Stage, he can fight against experts in the Mahayana Stage, even though he is two major levels higher, and can even gain a slight advantage.
However, this was followed by enormous consumption.
Each upgrade requires tens or even hundreds of times more spiritual energy.
The resources required to advance from the Body Integration Stage to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage alone are enough for an ordinary cultivator to go from zero to mastery.
However, these are all minor matters. As long as you are strong enough, you can simply take whatever you need.
Resources are finite, but people are Wuxian.
To become powerful, you must fight and compete.
It has nothing to do with good or evil, or right or wrong.
This is the nature of the world: the strong prey on the weak, and only the fittest survive.
If I don't kill you, you'll kill me.
Even if there are rules on the surface, the law of the jungle still prevails in reality.
Since morality and law cannot fill an empty stomach, when hunger strikes, no amount of nonsense matters.
If you want to eat your fill and survive, this is the only way.
"Mmm... Ah... Oh..."
"Stop chewing! I give up! I give up!"
The water-attribute Innate creature could not withstand Xu Long's frenzied absorption, and its originally bloated body quickly became thinner.
Moreover, his internal energy was rapidly decreasing.
In less than twenty breaths, only about 30% of its original weight remained.