The pitch-black deep pool lay still, its surface like a mirror without a single ripple.
The light was dim, the air damp and cold. When Xu Hei arrived here, he instantly lost all contact with the outside world, as if this was a space isolated from the world.
His Divine Sense swept across, revealing only the bottomless deep pool before him and a crooked tree beside it.
"What is this place?"
Xu Hei couldn't help but ask.
"This is the Abandoned Land, a place even the heavens cannot sense," said the Vulture, perching on a branch of the crooked tree.
Xu Hei approached the edge of the pool. The water was eerily calm, giving him the impression that it was not water, but so kind of energy substance.
At this mont, a bald child erged from the pool and said to Xu Hei, "You've arrived."
Startled, Xu Hei quickly retreated, only then realizing that this was the legendary Demon Lord.
"Haha, why so formal? I won't eat you," the Demon Lord laughed heartily.
Xu Hei fell silent.
He felt that this Demon Lord was sowhat different from the senior experts he had imagined.
The Demon Lord before him looked very young, not even ten years old, and it was hard to tell if they were male or female. Even their deanor was childlike.
"Do you know how to play chess?" the Demon Lord suddenly asked, climbing out of the pool.
"No," Xu Hei shook his head.
"Good, then I'll teach you. Co, play a few gas with ," the Demon Lord said enthusiastically, sitting on the ground.
Xu Hei didn't know what the Demon Lord was planning, but in the presence of such a master, he could only comply. He transford into a half-human form and approached the Demon Lord.
The Demon Lord took out a chessboard and a pile of black and white pieces.
These pieces seed ordinary, as if picked up from the human world.
"I'll teach you the simplest ga first. Connect five pieces in a line to win. You go first," the Demon Lord smiled.
Xu Hei picked up a white piece and placed it on the board.
...
In the first ga, Xu Hei lost decisively. But as they played more, he gradually grasped the tricks and started to hold his own, eventually winning more than losing.
Later, he quickly learned other gas, also starting with losses but eventually winning.
In this place, there was no concept of ti. Xu Hei didn't know how long they played, but eventually, no matter the ga, he could win effortlessly.
"Sigh, your talent is truly exceptional, much better than mine," the Demon Lord said helplessly.
As he spoke, he took out a skewer of candied hawthorn and began to nibble on it.
Xu Hei watched in bewildernt.
"Senior, feel free to speak your mind," Xu Hei said, clasping his hands.
"No need to call senior. I'm not a senior, just a poor soul who often loses his mory," the Demon Lord sighed, chewing on the candied hawthorn.
"…"
Xu Hei didn't dare respond and remained silent.
"By the way, aren't you curious how an ancient cultivator managed to live until now?"
The Demon Lord finished the candied hawthorn and leaned lazily against the crooked tree.
The lifespan of those in the Core Formation Stage is five hundred years, two thousand for the Elental Infant stage, and over ten thousand for the Divine Transformation Stage. But no matter how much one extends their life, it's impossible to live from ancient tis to the present.
"I'm not curious," Xu Hei shook his head.
"…" The Demon Lord was speechless.
"You're making it hard for to continue!" the Demon Lord complained. "You should show so curiosity so I can keep talking."
Xu Hei imdiately put on a curious expression.
"Yes, that's better," the Demon Lord smiled and continued, "There are two factors that affect lifespan: natural aging and the laws of heaven."
"Natural aging can be delayed with pills and cultivation techniques, but the effect is ultimately limited."
"The laws of heaven dictate that if you exceed a certain lifespan, the heavens will send divine punishnt, more terrifying than a thunder tribulation. Even if you survive, you must die."
At this point, the Demon Lord looked at Xu Hei.
Xu Hei quickly showed an eager expression and asked, "So what happened?"
The Demon Lord nodded in satisfaction and continued, "So, the Demon Lord of old thought of a solution. He forced all his cultivation out of his body and sealed his mories, using the technique of reincarnation to transform himself into an infant and live a second life."
"Using this thod, he lived through ten lifetis, surviving from ancient tis to the present. And the cultivation he forced out in each life accumulated, becoming more and more, until it ford a deep pool."
The Demon Lord looked back.
Xu Hei also looked at the bottomless deep pool.
"This is... the accumulated cultivation forced out by the Demon Lord over generations?" Xu Hei gasped.
"And I am the eleventh Demon Lord, a newly reborn life, five years old this year."
The Demon Lord took out another skewer of candied hawthorn and bit into it with a satisfied expression.
Xu Hei suddenly understood. No wonder an ancient senior acted like a child.
But he was also puzzled. Why reveal such a secret to him?
Logically, such a secret should be kept hidden. This was a loophole in the laws of heaven. If everyone did this, wouldn't it cause chaos?
"What do you want, Senior? Just say it," Xu Hei said.
"Hey, what's with you? I'm just chatting with you. Do I have to want sothing?" the Demon Lord complained.
Now it was Xu Hei's turn to be at a loss for words.
He couldn't believe it. Such an earth-shattering secret, revealed so casually, how could that be possible?
"By the way, I haven't gone out to play in a long ti. Co with for a bit."
The Demon Lord grabbed Xu Hei and flew into the sky.
The Vulture naturally took flight, its body enlarging, and the two of them sat on its back.
Xu Hei really didn't know what the Demon Lord was up to. But if he truly was just a five-year-old child, such behavior wasn't surprising.
"Why did you choose to accompany you instead of soone else?" Xu Hei couldn't help but ask.
"Oh, don't ask so many questions. As long as you accompany for a round, I'll answer one question for you, any question. Is that okay?" the Demon Lord said impatiently.
Xu Hei had no choice but to agree.
The Vulture Ku Ming flapped its wings, flying like lightning, leaving the Abandoned Land and entering the outside mountains.
As soon as the Demon Lord and his party arrived in the outside world, a rumbling sound ca from the sky, far more terrifying than the thunder tribulation Xu Bai had just experienced, a thousand tis more terrifying.
Xu Hei couldn't help but tremble, looking up in shock.
"I'm just going out for a round, just one round!" the Demon Lord said to the sky.
At that mont, the destructive aura disappeared, relieving Xu Hei of his pressure.
However, the experience had truly frightened Xu Hei, filling his mind with various speculations.
Thus, Ku Ming carried the two of them, flying towards distant mountains and rivers, towards human cities.
...
Deep in the East Sea, high in the sky.
A large group of figures gathered here, suspended in mid-air. Among them were humans and demonic beasts, all powerful, the top experts of the East Sea, with more than ten at the Elental Infant stage.
At this mont, everyone's gaze was fixed on the spreading black pollution.
After several days of experints, they confird one thing.
Any creature that approached the polluted area would be absorbed and unable to escape, eventually turning to dust.
Those at the Foundation Establishnt Stage could withstand it for one breath, those at the Core Formation Stage for ten breaths. No one at the Elental Infant stage had tested it, but their magical treasures could last half an incense stick's ti before shattering.
Additionally, they discovered the nature of this black pollution—
This black pollution was like an energy opposite to True Essence, called "Anti-True Essence." When it ca into contact with True Essence, they would cancel each other out.
According to this property, if they could forcefully inject enough True Essence into it, they could slow the spread of the pollution and neutralize it.
In this way, if they had enough True Essence and continuously injected it, they might even open a path, possibly reaching the source of the pollution and sealing it.
This was the only plan.
However, injecting True Essence? Even if all of them at the Elental Infant stage combined, they could only create a path less than a hundred feet long, unable to reach the destination before exhausting themselves to death.
This situation was unsolvable; they had to find another way.
"An energy completely opposite to True Essence, this is clearly ant to destroy the world."
"Damn it, this must be the work of the Sea God Sect!"
"Why did it co so quickly?"
Everyone fell into despair.
Compared to humans, the demonic beasts living in the ocean were even more desperate. This was their ho; how could they abandon it? Leaving would an certain death!
"There must be a turning point! Since this Anti-True Essence is also energy, it can't be infinite. First, return and set up formations to guard your respective islands!" the scholar said solemnly.
"Yes!"
Everyone responded in unison.
...
After seven days, Xu Hei and the Demon Lord had traveled through the mountains and rivers of the Qin Kingdom.
From the imperial city to the streets and alleys, peaceful areas to war zones, they left their footprints everywhere. Xu Hei didn't understand what the Demon Lord wanted, but he accompanied him through this journey.
The Demon Lord acted just like a child, playing and eating, even learning to gamble, stopping just short of visiting a high-class brothel.
Speaking of brothels, the Demon Lord waved his hand repeatedly, "No, no, you can go there, but I can't."
"Why?" Xu Hei asked curiously.
"I'm a woman; how can I go to a brothel?" the Demon Lord replied.
Xu Hei was speechless.
"However, as a marine creature like , gender can change constantly. So can even reproduce asexually. To ensure the survival of the species, gender isn't fixed," the Demon Lord said to himself.
Xu Hei was stunned on the spot. Although he didn't understand, he was greatly shocked.
"Alright, we've played enough. It's ti to fulfill my promise. You can ask one question, and I will answer without reservation!" the Demon Lord said.
Xu Hei took a deep breath and asked seriously, "I want to know, what is the Dragon Vein?"
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