My Arts Evolve When Perfected

So, sticking to the most primitive method was the best approach.

However, when Xiong Batian heard him, he shivered and was suddenly reminded of a scene from many years ago. The strongest being in this territory, the old Dominator, had been dismembered by a Demon that broke in from the outside, leaving behind barely a drop of blood.

’How can a being from High Heaven say such things without batting an eye? As expected, their power is built on a disregard for life. But... this really might be a way to achieve the Opening of Spirit Veins. It’s said that the Demons from the outside love to bathe in the blood of others...’

Yes, the Demons from outside especially loved to slaughter the Demon Race beyond the Primitive Ancient Forest, dismembering them to refine their blood. A member of the Flying Demon Clan had once seen them using the blood of the Demon Race for a bath, and the victims chosen for these bloodbaths were all beings who had achieved the Opening of Spirit Veins!

’One could say that the Demons from the outside were all incredibly formidable, nothing like ordinary beings who had merely Opened Spirit Veins. They just loved to soak their bodies in the blood of the Demon Race. It’s cruel, but... is it possible there’s some logic to it?’

At first, Xiong Batian had never made the connection, but after Jiang Qiu’s prodding, his mind began to race.

’That’s it! The Demons from the outside bathe in the blood of the Demon Race... Could it be because the blood of the Demon Race can help one achieve the Opening of Spirit Veins?’

’After all, the Demons from the outside are all beings capable of Cultivation, which means they’ve all Opened their Spirit Veins. At least, as far as Xiong Batian knew, he’d never heard of a Demon who hadn’t. What’s more, he’d certainly never heard of a Demon that lacked Spiritual Awakening!’

As all this raced through his mind, Xiong Batian grew excited and prostrated himself once more. "I’m more than willing! Please, my lord, help me achieve the Opening of Spirit Veins!"

"Alright. Tell me about a nearby member of the Demon Race who has already Opened their Spirit Veins. I’ll kill them and Open your Spirit Veins for you at the same time."

Jiang Qiu nodded, indicating this was a trivial matter. ’How hard could it be to kill a Great Demon who has Opened its Spirit Veins?’

’It’s not difficult at all. Even if I were to encounter a Dominator Level being, it probably wouldn’t be dangerous. Those Demons Xiong Batian mentioned, however... they bear watching. To treat Dominator Level beings as prey... their true strength is unknown.’

And so, Xiong Batian quickly described the territories of the few Great Demons he knew who had achieved the Opening of Spirit Veins. They were all in the vicinity, not too far away. Soon, Jiang Qiu had followed him to the edge of one such territory.

"My lord, the one who lives here is my greatest enemy. He’s the Great Demon who achieved the Opening of Spirit Veins and stole most of my territory. He’s also the most savage member of the Demon Race in the area and might even be vying for the Dominator Level. He’s incredibly strong!"

Xiong Batian cautiously described the territory. Despite his mountainously large body, he trembled as if he’d shriveled up the moment he set foot here. It seemed as though an unrivaled demon might leap out from every bush to devour him whole.

Within this territory, Jiang Qiu also sensed something unusual about the aura of the Heaven and Earth Spirit Charm. ’Yes, the Heaven and Earth Spirit Charm here is indeed different from before.’

Jiang Qiu could sense an entity within the territory absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spirit Charm. It was like a colossal beast coiled in place, causing all the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spirit Charm to surge and form a swirling vortex that converged at its center.

’It seems that Opening Spirit Veins truly does allow one to absorb Heaven and Earth Spirit Charm.’

After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Qiu continued forward. His slender frame was so small that Xiong Batian could have crushed him with a single step, yet he looked all the more imposing, his head held high and his chest puffed out.

’Even though he could sense the other party absorbing Heaven and Earth Spirit Charm, what was the difference between that and not being able to absorb it at all if they couldn’t even use it?’

Jiang Qiu smiled faintly and suddenly stopped in his tracks. A bone-chilling wind surged from ahead, making the fur all over Xiong Batian’s body stand on end. He trembled and stumbled two steps backward. "It’s coming! It’s coming!"

Indeed, the very instant that aura washed over them, Xiong Batian felt a boundless terror. He was far too familiar with, and terrified of, this oppressive might.

’He had been tormented by this creature in his youth, and now here he was, stepping into its territory. This was suicide! How could he not be terrified?’

This fear stemmed from a sense of inferiority deep within his bloodline—the innate dread of an ant facing a tiger.

But this time was different. Standing before him was Jiang Qiu, whose back remained ramrod straight and whose gaze was steady, completely unaffected by the oppressive might.

"You stupid bear! I told you this is my territory now. How dare you set foot here again?"

A furious roar echoed out, shaking the nearby bushes. The sheer ferocity of this Demon Race member’s aura was far more than Xiong Batian could bear.

Moreover, a colossal shadow emerged from the deep woods. It resembled a wolf, so impossibly tall it looked like the mount of a god. Just to meet its eyes, Jiang Qiu had to crane his neck. It was simply massive.

In fact, its size was in no way inferior to Xiong Batian’s!

Jiang Qiu had thought Xiong Batian looked enormous, but it now seemed that the Demon Race of this world was simply massive by nature. ’I’m the one who’s too small,’ he mused.

Thinking this, he shook his head. "It’s only a wolf."

His quiet voice was still caught by the enormous wolf. It lowered its head and, after a moment, spotted Jiang Qiu’s figure in the grass. It curled its lips into a cold sneer, revealing fangs that glinted menacingly. "What little insect dares to be so brazen!"

’This world was never short on beings who had gained Spiritual Awakening. It was even possible for a stone to gain it—rare, but it happened. There were even entire races of Stone spirits.’

’And as for tiny things like Jiang Qiu, they were even more common. It ate several of them a day. This was just another morsel to add to its daily rations.’

He held Jiang Qiu in utter contempt. But inexplicably, as his eyes met that placid gaze, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. His very blood seemed to roil in his veins, as if some terrifying power, one that held sway over life and death, was looking down upon him!

’That Jiang Qiu, that little insect... No, he’s not an insect!’

As this thought pierced the great wolf’s mind, an urge to submit and prostrate himself surged up from the depths of his bloodline. He realized it then: the tiny speck before him possessed a bloodline so overwhelmingly superior to his own that he was nothing but a joke. If he did not submit, he would die!

The giant wolf’s mind reeled, and he crashed to his knees with a thud. Just like Xiong Batian before him, there was no hesitation. He now keenly felt the nature of the being he was facing, and yet his heart hammered even faster in his chest!

"M-My lord... you’re not a native of this land, are you?"

The giant wolf was terrified. His only hope was to curry favor with Jiang Qiu and pray his earlier impulsiveness wouldn’t cost him his life. His legs had gone numb, and he truly felt as if some inviolable being from High Heaven was looking down on him. If he dared to push his luck even an inch further, he would be crushed into dust.

Unfortunately for him, all his pleading was for naught. Jiang Qiu had already decided his fate. Before the end, however, Jiang Qiu still had a few questions. "In this area, are there any enemies that you fear?"

’Right now, the most important thing is to grasp the underlying structure of this world. I need to explore it step by step, to understand its systems, to find where the powerful congregate and which races gather where.’

’If I just stay in this little backwater, I’ll probably never complete the Dragon Emperor’s trial. This giant wolf, on the other hand, has at least reached the stage of Opening Spirit Veins. His knowledge is bound to be greater.’

The giant wolf answered in a panic...