Peerless Demon Immortal

Five years later…

Deep within the Demon Forest, the sound of three loud crashes echoed as a massive tree, five meters thick, toppled to the ground. Standing before it was a towering gorilla.

This gorilla, standing four meters tall, was a mass of rippling muscles, its fur a glossy black, and its large eyes full of life and intelligence. At this moment, it was beating its bare chest excitedly, producing a resonant thumping sound, while emitting deep, guttural noises.

This gorilla was none other than the ape spirit. After five years of cultivation, he had become a full-fledged demon beast and was on the brink of a breakthrough to become a true demon. His rapid progress was entirely due to the Defying Destiny Technique and the old demon. Without the old demon’s transformation of his body and the Defying Destiny Technique, the ape spirit’s cultivation speed wouldn’t have been so astonishing.

Not only did he benefit, but the caterpillar also gained significantly. Two years ago, the caterpillar had already received the basic cultivation method of the Defying Destiny Technique, which the ape spirit taught him after three years of acquaintance and trust. This allowed the caterpillar’s cultivation speed to skyrocket, reaching a bottleneck in just two years, and he was also on the verge of becoming a demon.

In these five years, the ape spirit not only focused on cultivation but also practiced throwing stones whenever he had the chance. His relentless efforts bore fruit, and since his stone-throwing skills improved, the surrounding trees had been unfortunate victims, with one or two falling almost every day. The massive tree that had just fallen was the result of the ape spirit’s stone-throwing prowess, creating a large clearing around the cave and exposing it completely. However, given the strength of the two demon beasts, they could now dominate the outskirts of the Demon Forest, with no other demon beast daring to challenge them.

At this moment, the caterpillar returned from hunting. Compared to five years ago, the caterpillar had also undergone significant changes. His body, originally six meters long, had grown by a third to nine meters, with a waist circumference of six meters. His spines now gleamed with a metallic luster, reflecting the sunlight with a cold glint. Hanging from them were a wild boar and two deer.

He tossed the wild boar to the ape spirit and placed the two deer beside himself. The wild boar was as thick as a barrel and weighed several hundred kilos, yet the ape spirit caught it effortlessly. Since starting cultivation, fruits alone could no longer satisfy his body’s needs, forcing him to adopt a carnivorous diet, which contributed to his growth.

The ape spirit devoured the wild boar in no time, and once satiated, he and the caterpillar began their daily ritual of absorbing essence. The caterpillar joined him, activating the Defying Destiny Technique.

Golden ethereal light clusters descended slowly, swallowed by the ape spirit and the caterpillar. Their bodies emitted a gentle golden light, particularly intense around their lower abdomens, where a silver light, representing the moon essence, shone brightly.

Since the two demon beasts began cultivating together, they discovered that their combined efforts doubled their cultivation speed. If the ape spirit absorbed sun and moon essence at three to four times the rate of an ordinary demon beast, doing so with the caterpillar doubled that speed again, explaining their rapid progress.

On this day, as the two demon beasts cultivated as usual, they felt something different. Their internal power seemed uncontrollable, as if it were about to erupt.

The ape spirit realized this was a sign of an impending breakthrough and was overjoyed. The caterpillar felt the same, and the faint golden light around them grew stronger. The golden light clusters descending from the sky increased in size and speed.

The ape spirit inhaled the sun essence deeply, using his mind to guide the surging sun essence within his body, circulating it repeatedly according to the Defying Destiny Technique, simultaneously transforming his body. His four-meter-tall frame visibly expanded, his fur gradually turning silver-gray, and his muscles bulged, while his nails elongated. He soon entered a state of unity of self and the external world.

Simultaneously, the caterpillar underwent a dramatic transformation. As he absorbed the sun essence, his body shrank instead of growing. Enveloped in golden light, the light’s coverage gradually reduced until it formed a four-meter-long, two-meter-wide golden cocoon. The ethereal light clusters from the sky, descending rapidly, formed a golden path enveloping both demon beasts.

Breaking through in the Demon Forest was inherently risky. Demon beasts typically sensed an impending breakthrough and sought a hidden place to avoid interference from others, which could ruin their progress. However, the caterpillar and ape spirit’s breakthroughs came too suddenly, leaving them unprepared. The celestial phenomenon would undoubtedly attract more demon beasts, even members of the demon tribe. In their current state, even a demon beast could end them.

The caterpillar understood the danger but knew the breakthrough couldn’t be stopped. He could only hope for a smooth transition. The ape spirit, unaware of the forest’s perils due to the old demon’s protection, eagerly embraced the breakthrough.

With his senses closed, the ape spirit felt as if he were in a hot spring, his body enveloped in warmth. Waves of energy washed over him, invigorating every cell, accelerating their division.

Suddenly, a cool energy replaced the warmth, coursing through his body. His previously enlarged frame began to shrink, as his cells and bones condensed, enhancing his physical strength, making his muscles more defined.

During this process, the ape spirit noticed not only the sun and moon essence within him but also a new, unfamiliar energy. This white energy, unlike the sun and moon essence, had no distinct attributes and didn’t conflict with them.

This was undoubtedly spiritual energy. Both cultivators and the demon tribe required this energy for cultivation. Spiritual energy was fundamental to all life, belonging to no specific attribute, allowing any being to absorb and utilize it.

As the spiritual energy circulated within him, it was absorbed by the glowing cluster in his Dantian¹. Over time, the sun and moon essence diminished, while spiritual energy took precedence, repeatedly cleansing his body. This process required no cultivation method, as it seemed an innate ability passed down through the ages. Once inside, the spiritual energy naturally followed a specific path.

As the glowing cluster in his Dantian absorbed more spiritual energy, its color unified from gold and silver to white, gradually becoming mist-like. Within this white mist, a small point of light began to form.

This tiny white light, though minuscule, voraciously consumed the incoming spiritual energy, as well as the sun and moon essence, yet remained unchanged in size.

The ape spirit felt his body filling with unprecedented power, his muscles seemingly rejoicing, and vague memories in his mind became clearer. He knew some of the old demon’s inheritance restrictions were lifting, filling him with excitement.

He didn’t know how long it took, but suddenly the light in his Dantian exerted a tremendous suction force. The spiritual energy, which had been trickling in, now surged into his body like a breached dam, rapidly cleansing every corner. The speed increased several times, overwhelming his body with excruciating pain. He wanted to scream, but his voice seemed trapped in his throat.

The glowing cluster in his Dantian absorbed all the spiritual energy, expanding slightly for the first time. The surrounding white mist thickened, resembling cotton around the light.

Finally, the ape spirit’s body reached saturation, unable to absorb more spiritual energy. The glowing cluster in his Dantian shone brightly, absorbing the viscous mist and all the spiritual energy throughout his body, releasing a dazzling light.

As the light faded, the ape spirit saw a tiny white bead, the size of a grain of rice, suspended in his Dantian. The bead was silver-gray and murky inside. He knew this was his demon core, signifying his entry into the realm of cultivation. As his cultivation progressed, the demon core would grow larger and become crystal clear.

Footnote:

Dantian(丹田):In Chinese cultivation novels and Taoist practices, the Dantian refers to an energy center or “field of elixir” located within the body. Typically situated in the lower abdomen, it is considered the core of life force and spiritual energy, playing a central role in meditation, martial arts, and cultivation practices.