My Arts Evolve When Perfected

Xiong Batian was a bit stunned when Jiang Qiu asked him how many Celestial Realms there were, but he still honestly shared what he knew. "This is the First Celestial Realm. As for how many more there are above us, I don't know. The highest I've heard of is the Thirty-Three Celestial Realms. That's where gods who have existed since before the dawn of time reside.

The Thirty-Three Celestial Realms hold authority over almost all the other Celestial Realms. Any being that descends from there must abide by its Laws. It is a place of supreme existence.

However, I have no idea if there are even higher Celestial Realms above that..."

Xiong Batian's experience was shallow. He didn't know much and had never even seen a being from the Second Celestial Realm. Even his meager bloodline inheritance wasn't enough to contain any deeper information.

As for the First Celestial Realm, he had never actually set foot outside this forest. He had no idea what the outside world was like.

Under these circumstances, he couldn't really offer Jiang Qiu much guidance, so his words were quite vague.

But Jiang Qiu more or less understood. 'I'm in some kind of tower-like dimension. I'll probably have to ascend level by level to uncover the final truth and obtain the ultimate inheritance.'

'The fact that even someone like Xiong Batian knows about the Thirty-Three Celestial Realms must mean they're incredibly influential. Once I get there, I'll probably be able to find out more.'

But for now, the most important thing was to figure out this world. So, Jiang Qiu asked again, "Besides you, are there any other beings in this place? Like settlements or something similar?"

'So far, the first being I've encountered since hatching is from the Demon Race. And it already possesses a certain level of intelligence. Even if its IQ doesn't seem very high, it at least meets the conditions for forming groups.'

'There's a high probability that there are quite a few members of the Demon Race nearby. And as long as there are, I should be able to gather more information one way or another.'

'As for being afraid of the Demon Race, or feeling like my own status doesn't fit in?'

'What a joke. I'm a member of the Dragon Race now. Why would I be wary of the Demon Race?'

'Besides, "Demon Race" was just a term the Human Race used to use for other non-human races. This Bear Demon might belong to its own separate group, not affiliated with any others.'

'Furthermore, this isn't Blue Star. Nothing I'm seeing here has any connection to the 'Chen' Dragon's Kunlun Demon Clan. There's no need to feel so estranged.'

Xiong Batian, of course, had no idea what he was thinking. He just felt that this being was so powerful that if he didn't give him the answers he wanted, he might die. So, he answered obediently, "In the Primitive Ancient Forest, there are no distinct settlements. Everyone controls their own territory and hunts within it. It's only outside the Primitive Ancient Forest that beings have formed settlements called cities. But I've never been out there. The people in those cities are very fierce, and they don't allow us to leave..."

At this point, the Bear Demon's tone turned bitter. He had once desperately wanted to leave the Primitive Ancient Forest and see the outside world. But one day, he discovered that a Great Demon he greatly feared had been killed by the outsiders. The experience left him with a deep-seated trauma, and he truly didn't dare to venture out anymore.

The people outside weren't even human. Their favorite thing to do was to cut off our flesh and skin and make it into all sorts of coverings to wear on their bodies. They'd even polish our bones and claws, wear them as armor, and use them to stab us or block our attacks.

They were the Demons among Demons, with not a shred of humanity!

Forget skin and bones—they wouldn't waste a single thing, not even the organs or flesh. They would carve everything up completely and eat it!

Their bodies weren't even that big, yet their appetites were huge. It was hard to imagine what kind of environment could have spawned them.

It was this group of beings from the outside that terrified the entire outer region of the Primitive Ancient Forest. Many creatures were forced to migrate deeper into the woods, but even more terrifying existences lay sleeping in the depths. No one dared go too deep, so everyone was squeezed into this zone between the outer and middle layers, each fighting to control their own territory.

Life was hard. He already had to live in constant fear, terrified that the Demons from outside would charge in and skin him alive. On top of that, he also had to fend off members of the Demon Race who tried to invade his territory.

Some Great Demons were just passing through and wouldn't deign to look twice at his shabby patch of land, so they paid him no mind. He'd just break out in a cold sweat until they were gone. But other, slightly more powerful members of the Demon Race were genuinely trying to seize his territory. Because of them, he had lost a fair bit of land, which was why his territory had shrunk to this tiny piece!

Yes, this area was his territory, but it was a poor one.

To the naked eye, you could see how the towering ancient trees blocked out all the sunlight, making it impossible for fruit to grow underneath. There were only a few mushrooms to eat and the occasional mouse. It was hard to imagine how he maintained such a massive body on that diet!

In reality, he often snuck out to steal food, but it was very risky. Sometimes he came back with nothing, and other times he'd get a beating. Life was exceptionally bitter.

Now, after finally getting his paws on an egg, he had been desperate to eat it. But he had no way of breaking it open before, and what's more, he felt a strange, terrifying pressure from the Dragon Egg that made him too scared to even get close.

And now, Jiang Qiu had hatched, yet he still hadn't taken a bite. Instead, the tables had been completely turned. In an instant, he realized his territory was probably doomed.