Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Demonic Cultivator

While regulating his breath, Li Xingyu fervently hoped that the fireball he had launched would continue to burn and press onward toward the man in black, giving him time to gradually restore his vital energy and at least regain some combat strength. Unfortunately, reality does not shift according to one’s wishes. Spell attacks work by channeling one’s vital energy in a particular way; once cast, regardless of whether they hit the target, the energy expended dissipates and the spell vanishes. Though the encounter between the two seemed lengthy in the telling, it was completed in an instant, and Li Xingyu’s fireball faded quickly on the barren mountaintop, with nothing to fuel its flames, disappearing within a few breaths.

As the fireball vanished, the man in black immediately turned his gaze toward Li Xingyu. Sensing the massive depletion of vital energy within him and the unstable aura he emitted, he paused, puzzled as to why Li Xingyu, at the mid-stage of Concentration, had used up nearly ninety percent of his vital energy with just a single attack. Then, realization dawned and he said, “Ha! So, Young Master Li, though your cultivation is profound, you lack experience in wielding spells with your vital energy—and even less experience in combat. Using vital energy in this way, how many attacks do you think you can sustain? Do you believe that the more energy you release, the stronger the spell becomes? That’s only true up to a point; once the spell’s power reaches its peak according to your current energy’s purity, any additional energy won’t increase its effect. Spell power rises with cultivation because the purity and potency of vital energy improves—not simply due to greater quantity.”

Li Xingyu gave a bitter smile after hearing this, acknowledging his lack of experience. Still, he had not yet fallen into despair, and he etched these words deeply into his memory. With a wry smile, he replied, “Though I know you won’t let me go, I must thank you for imparting this knowledge.”

“Indeed, you could have achieved much, but you took what you should not have—and used it. Accept your fate!” The man in black spoke as he strode swiftly toward Li Xingyu. As he approached, he cast another binding spell to restrict Li Xingyu’s movements and circulated his vital energy to its peak, clearly intending to finish this in one decisive strike. His experience was evident; he knew that the longer the battle dragged on, the more unpredictable it would become.

At this point, Li Xingyu no longer had the strength to break free from the binding, though he could still move his limbs slightly. Seeing his opponent draw near, whose twin palms radiated powerful energy even from a distance, Li Xingyu gritted his teeth and made a bold decision. He redirected all the vital energy previously used to envelop the internal energy cluster back to his core, channeling it swiftly through his meridians into his hands. This amount accounted for more than half of his remaining energy. The power he gathered in his palms was immense, and since his opponent had not used a spell, Li Xingyu resolved to rely purely on vital energy for a direct confrontation.

As the internal energy cluster lost its protective vital energy, it began to surge violently, releasing a torrent of spiritual energy into his meridians. His depleted meridians were suddenly flooded, unable to absorb and convert the spiritual energy fast enough, causing them to swell painfully and even crack. Yet Li Xingyu could no longer care about such injuries. He frantically circulated what remained of his vital energy, guiding the spiritual energy to his core for conversion, then channeling the renewed energy into his hands, increasing the power within his palms rapidly.

The man in black noticed Li Xingyu’s sudden transformation, startled by the surge and growth of his vital energy. Though he could not understand the cause, it was too late to withdraw or avoid Li Xingyu’s attack. Fearing that Li Xingyu’s power might soon surpass his own, he further boosted his vital energy, increasing the speed and strength of his assault.

A thunderous crash echoed—Li Xingyu’s body shot backward like a kite with its string snapped. He slammed against a cliff wall over thirty feet away, finally coming to a halt. Sliding to the ground, he spat a mouthful of blood, sensing a thick, sinister energy from his opponent surging into his body through his battered meridians. This foreign energy rampaged through his system, exploiting the damaged pathways. Overwhelmed by exhaustion and the agony coursing through his meridians, Li Xingyu felt dizzy, yet dared not lose consciousness, knowing that if he did, all hope would be lost.

He bit his tongue to force himself awake, then looked up at the man in black. Though the man had not been thrown back, he was also seated on the ground, a trickle of blood at his lips betraying the severity of the clash.

Seeing Li Xingyu survive and remain conscious, albeit bloodied, the man in black was surprised. “I did not expect you to muster such a surge of vital energy for that attack. I truly underestimated you. Though I do not know what happened inside your body to produce so much energy, I am sure that this strike exacted a heavy toll. Now that my demonic energy has invaded your system, even if you have more vital energy left, it will be devoured by my magic. Hahaha… Your flesh will soon be mine.”

“Demonic energy? No wonder it feels so different from vital energy—more violent and domineering. So, you are one of those mysterious demon cultivators spoken of in legend. From your words, it sounds as if you seek my body for some purpose. Would you tell me why?” Li Xingyu asked, both curious and hoping to stall for time so he could recover enough energy to use his trump card.

The man in black saw through his intention but was in no condition to act. He could not explain why Li Xingyu’s vital energy, now within him, was so resistant to being consumed by his demonic energy, its depletion agonizingly slow, and even showing signs of assimilating his magic. Temporarily unable to move, he replied, “Since you are near death, I will tell you. Yes, I am a demon cultivator. As for your body, since you have consumed jade ginseng aged over five hundred years, I can use secret arts to refine it into a pill that repairs and strengthens the demon body for cultivators like myself. Jade ginseng’s primary effect is to enhance the physical body and optimize constitution; the boost to cultivation and help in breaking through bottlenecks is only a secondary benefit.”

“Damn, he really thinks I’m some kind of prize!” Li Xingyu cursed inwardly, feeling the demonic energy devouring his dwindling reserves, while the unleashed spiritual energy raged through his meridians. His internal state was chaotic. “So that’s it. I’ve noticed no one in the Tianfeng family cultivates your methods, so you must have used them, leaving them empty-handed in the end. Aren’t you afraid they’ll turn against you?”

“They are nothing. Once I obtain the pill and repair my demon body, not only the Tianfeng family, but even the entire Heavenly Gift Empire will mean nothing to me.” His eyes glinted with arrogance and fanaticism as he spoke.

By now, a trace of vital energy had returned to Li Xingyu’s core. Without hesitation, he channeled it into his storage ring, focused his mind, and summoned the laser gun.

The man in black sensed the faint wave of vital energy and spiritual awareness, instantly alert. He watched as Li Xingyu retrieved the laser gun from his storage ring, stunned. “A storage ring? I did not expect you to possess such a rare treasure, seldom seen even among cultivators. Truly, you are favored by fortune. But do you think that contraption, resembling a mechanical crossbow, can harm me?” He dismissed the weapon, seeing no trace of spiritual energy characteristic of magical artifacts.

At last, I have managed to update the fourth chapter before midnight, fulfilling the promise of four updates and over ten thousand words today. Writing is arduous, but I strive to deliver the best possible story to all my readers as swiftly as I can. I hope you will continue to support me, vote, and recommend the novel! Of course, if any friends are able to reward me or send flowers, I would be immensely grateful!

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