Chapter 882: Dialogue with the death demon lineage

In the Void Realm, a continent formed from blood and bones suddenly appeared.

This was the materialization of a Demon of Death of the Third Rank.

"How should I address Your Excellency?" Li Qi looked at the Third Rank Demon of Death in front of him.

He carefully scrutinized the other party.

It was indeed the appearance of a young girl… Her black hair swirled like clouds, her ears, nose, hands, and feet were all picturesque, her eyebrows, eyes, mouth, and teeth were perfectly proportioned, without need for embellishment; a hairpin and an earring, worn as she pleased, were naturally fitting. When she walked, those who didn't know would call her a celestial being.

Of course, those who knew also understood that she was truly a celestial being, and one of the very formidable ones among them.

According to the customs of the Demonic Dao, this should be the form he considered 'easy to converse with'.

Hmm… in other words.

The other party judged that this posture would make it easier to talk to him and soften his attitude.

Damn it, I've been underestimated!

As Li Qi thought this, the Demonic Dao cultivator also spoke.

"Call me, Lou Neifa," the other party introduced himself.

"Lou Neifa, that's truly… straightforward," Li Qi put aside his previous scattered thoughts and replied.

The so-called 'Lou Nei' refers to the uncontrolled leakage of various Qi within the human body.

In all Cultivation methods, there is a concept of 'stopping leakage', which means preventing things like breathing, movement, and injuries from causing one's Origin Qi and Cultivation to leak out, leading to the constant need for repair of the human body's Inner World. This constant expenditure gradually depletes one's Lifespan.

This process of depletion is 'Lifespan'; once it's gone, one dies.

For cultivators who have just begun Cultivation or whose Cultivation is still shallow, if they don't understand how to stop leakage and cannot protect their life essence, their entire Cultivation is like boiling a cauldron over fire, but the cauldron constantly leaks water, like boiling an empty cauldron with water and fire, which instead tortures oneself. Not only does Cultivation not improve, but it also quickly harms one's life.

However, generally speaking, cultivators above the Seventh Rank can master the method of stopping leakage, or have found a way to continuously replenish their Inner World. In any case, they will no longer die from the natural flow of Lifespan.

And for this Third Rank Demon of Death, his origin was very straightforward: his method of promotion was 'complete leakage'.

Perhaps within the Divine Ability of this Third Rank entity, all living beings would be like deflated balloons, their vitality and Lifespan rapidly leaking from the flaws in their bodies.

"So, Lou Neifa, you said you could help me find a breakthrough point in the Desire Realm. Do you know what kind of situation I need to break?" Li Qi asked.

"Of course, Yin Demon personally spoke and told us not to bother with you, preferably to leave you hanging, let you wander around the Desire Realm, with no way to ascend to heaven or descend to earth, unable to find any clue for a long time, and finally return in disgrace," Lou Neifa said with a chuckle, clearly not nervous.

"Yin Demon personally spoke, and he's a Second Rank. Aren't you afraid?" Li Qi retorted.

"If Demon of the Five Aggregates spoke, I would naturally be afraid. But Yin Demon… what can he do to me? On the contrary, if I can obtain the Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance in your hands and study it, I might even be able to touch his tail," Lou Neifa replied.

Lou Neifa's calm expression and confident tone made Li Qi nod involuntarily.

Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of the Demonic Dao, speaking and acting so arrogantly.

Demonic Dao cultivators indeed have this style. Never mind whether something can be done, but they are certainly arrogant. Those who can Cultivate the Demonic Dao are absolutely self-centered. Their attitude towards other powerful individuals does not carry the respectful meaning of 'Senior'; they basically view them as 'people stronger than me'.

However, it is precisely because of this that many things, even divisions and internal wars, occur within the Demonic Dao.

But the Demonic Dao itself never cares about these things, and the Four Demons don't bother to manage them at all.

Of course, they couldn't manage them either. The Demonic Dao is completely a scattered mess. Everyone's cooperation relies on violent oppression. As for common interests or such things…

Even Shamanes don't care much about interests, let alone the Demonic Dao…

In the eyes of high-ranking Demonic Dao cultivators, there has never been any interest. If anything, a 'fun' activity that everyone enjoys is more likely to unite the Demonic Dao.

For example… the Human-Shaman War.

High-ranking Demonic Dao cultivators intervening in it was definitely for some fun.

But when it came to certain detailed issues, like now, the number of Demonic Dao double-crossers was ridiculously high.

"Since that's the case, then I'm relieved. So, Lou Neifa, how will you help me? And how will you gain my trust?" Li Qi asked.

"That is indeed a problem. Let's be open and honest then. Both you and I have mastered the Demonic Dao's Dao. Let's directly merge into one," the other party extended a hand and said cheerfully.

A common technique used by the Demonic Dao. The Demonic Lords of City of Dreams also used this method to combine their powers.

Of course, when this move is used now, it's not just about combining power, but directly turning two minds into one, so there are no secrets between them.

However, it won't be such a close Fusion. It's probably just the surface thoughts merging. Their minds won't become one, but their thoughts will be completely integrated. Whatever you think, whatever I think, will be completely exposed.

This is a method exclusive to the Demonic Dao and the Spirit Dao.

Coincidentally, Li Qi possessed both Demonic Dao and Spirit Dao characteristics, allowing him to engage in this kind of exchange with the other party.

If it were a Human or a True Dragon, they wouldn't be able to use this Divine Ability.

This suggestion was perfectly fine, it's just…

Li Qi frowned slightly and said to the other party, "Hmm… then change your body."

"Change my body?" Lou Neifa was puzzled, not understanding what he meant, but he immediately transformed, becoming another completely different young girl.

"Was there anything special about my previous body? Did it trigger your demonic thoughts? I just followed your thoughts. My deduction told me that that posture would make it easier to talk to you," Lou Neifa, who had changed bodies, asked.

It seemed he genuinely valued Li Qi, otherwise, with the temperament of a Demonic Dao cultivator, he would never have said so much.

Li Qi didn't explain, but said, "No, this one won't do either. No female bodies. Change to a male, or even a monster is fine."

Lou Neifa looked Li Qi up and down, his expression clearly becoming subtle.

"Although the tastes of Third Rank cultivators are all very strange, according to my deduction, Li Qi, you should belong to the relatively normal kind… Oh well, these aren't important anyway."

As he spoke, he didn't delay. Anyway, external appearance was just a thought away for a Demonic Dao cultivator. His body rapidly transformed, turning into a slimy, eight-tentacled giant monster.

Li Qi looked at the extended tentacle and frowned slightly: "No… this one won't do either. Change again."

"Are you messing with me?" Lou Neifa showed a hint of anger, and the surrounding continent began to riot because of it.

A trace of anger from a Third Rank cultivator was enough to shake tens of millions of light-years in the Desire Realm, where spiritual power would completely materialize.

Of course, the前提 is that they don't restrain themselves, but most Third Rank cultivators restrain themselves quite well. After all, casually displaying power seems quite tasteless, even Demonic Dao cultivators would find it too shameless.

The Heavenly Demon lineage was an exception.

The Heavenly Demon itself cared even less; every time it appeared, it brought immense casualties, even causing chaos in Chang'an. In its eyes, there were no rules or shame; it was a pure Incarnation of chaos.

Li Qi also felt a bit embarrassed, but he truly couldn't accept these forms, so he said, "No… Although I'm very sorry, I really can't accept it. Just change into a fish or something ordinary."

"That last one was a fish," Lou Neifa said with a cold gaze.

"An ordinary fish," Li Qi said.

So Lou Neifa transformed again, this time into a Merfolk.

With a magnificent tail and a slender figure, it seemed to be a male Merfolk, but due to the Merfolk's ambiguous gender, it was hard to tell. It looked quite alluring.

No matter how one looked at it, this perfectly met Li Qi's requirements: male, and a fish.

"No, this one won't do either," Li Qi immediately shook his head.

"Li Qi, I think respect is essential for communication," Lou Neifa's eyes turned cold, and the next moment, the surrounding Demonic Qi began to cover his body.

An anomaly began to appear: the sound of blades cutting echoed near and far, and the cries for mercy were as noisy as a marketplace.

The number of those killed was countless; heads flew everywhere, bloated and white from drowning, limbless and bleeding, those whose limbs were severed but not dead still twitched, bones and flesh scattered everywhere. Eyes gouged out, bellies cut open, tendons severed, bones extracted—it was all that could be seen.

Immediately, a sea of blood surged around, with bloated corpses floating on the water, making it impossible for boats to paddle. Grease floated on the surface of the water, a bloody stench assailed the senses, Evil Qi shook the heavens and earth, ghostly wails were incessant, and the cruelty was indescribable. His body had already transformed into a colossal Demonic Monster, wreathed in black Qi, brimming with Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance, with eight arms and three heads, two wings growing from its ribs, and the heads of all living beings hanging from it.

Upon seeing this, Li Qi immediately clapped his hands, applauding with delight: "Yes, yes, yes! This is it! This is exactly what I needed!"

After speaking, Li Qi extended his hand, and his body was immediately enveloped by thoughts and intentions, a sign of Fusion.

When Lou Neifa saw Li Qi like this, the surrounding sea of blood receded.

As long as Fusion was possible, he didn't care what state he was in.

However, he still commented, "To be honest, your reaction doesn't seem like a Shaman; it reminds me of the Heavenly Demon lineage, equally bizarre and unpredictable, or perhaps… a psychopath."

"Ah… I can understand your feelings about that, but please believe that I truly have my reasons. Don't worry about those; let's just fuse," Li Qi nodded in agreement, with a bitter smile, and extended his hand again.

The Demonic Monster also extended its hand, and the two touched.

Their physical bodies melted, and the two merged into a single mass, forming an energy vortex that continuously expanded outwards.

The vortex continuously expanded, within which words surged into waves, thoughts flew into torrents. The vast waves of the torrents, immense and reflecting shadows, showed countless light streams gushing forth, like surging waves reflecting the evening glow, and distant shores clarifying the sky.

Vast and remote, its Qi soared above the purest heavens.

Darkness and light moved together, beasts roared and Dragons soared.

Purple stars rotated with a clang, and yellow scales shone brightly.

Flying flood dragons coiled mysteriously, and hornless dragons ascended to the celestial sphere.

Within the energy torrent, various phenomena were born. Dao Resonance transformed into myriad forms, billions flowing with its divine wisdom. It was like the anomalies of Dragon fire and bird water, the types of cloud Phoenix and Qilin insects, the shapes of sprites and all kinds of monsters, and fleeting images that arose from wind and clouds, and transformed from gold and jade.

Infinite scenes were born through the sun and moon: solar flames emerged from ice-wood, Yin insects were born in fiery mountains, crowds with reversed intestines and inverted tongues manifested, and scenes of shedding bones and Dragon flesh were born from wind and clouds, nurtured by rain and dew.

All of this was because their superficial thoughts had merged.

A 'violent' mental storm swept through the Void Realm, and electric-like thoughts continuously collided, forming lightning bolts that spanned the sky, from which various phenomena continuously emerged, finally subsiding into calm.

When everything returned to calm, fifteen years had passed.

After fifteen years, the energy vortex began to clearly separate, gradually forming two black and white halves, like a Taiji diagram. The difference was that in a Taiji diagram, there would be the other's fish eye, representing a 'you in me' structure, but theirs was not like that. They were completely separate, black and white not intermingling, fiercely repelling each other, and finally completely separating.

After completely separating, the two energy torrents each transformed back into their original appearances.

Li Qi was still himself, while Lou Neifa was in the form of the eight-armed Demonic Monster.

The two did not approach each other again. Anyway, for them, this distance was no different from being face to face. Although they were several light-years apart, it was merely 'a step away'.

They could hear each other speaking at this distance; there was no need to get closer to talk.

"So, I've basically understood the situation. The current state of the Desire Realm… is very subtle," Li Qi suddenly couldn't help but exclaim.

"The Heavenly Demon has never been so active in the past tens of millions of years. Demon of the Five Aggregates has already appeared and begun to gather the combat power of the entire Five Aggregates Devil lineage. Demon of Affliction has joined the Human-Shaman War… Are only your Demon of Death lineage idle?" Li Qi suddenly felt a throbbing in his temples.

The activity of the Demonic Dao was beyond imagination. The reason he was ignored was not just because the Heavenly Demon had given a warning, but because Demonic Dao cultivators above the Third Rank were all very busy.

The Five Aggregates Devil lineage had already been personally summoned by Demon of the Five Aggregates. Demon of Affliction had led people to participate in the Human-Shaman War, and his reason for participating was completely unknown… but he just went.

And the Heavenly Demon, that psychopath, also began to appear frequently, so much so that the Buddhist Sect started to get nervous. The existing problems between the Buddhist and Demonic Daos were already significant. Now, with the Heavenly Demon jumping around, it was likely to trigger a second Buddhist-Demonic conflict.

The Human-Shaman War itself was already quite large-scale, involving the Human, Shaman, and Dragon forces. If a Buddhist-Demonic war were to break out now, then five out of the Nine Lands Under Heaven would enter a state of war…

It felt like a very big problem.

Moreover… even Li Qi knew that with so many wars, the Martial Artist Dao Orthodoxy was already quite eager. As a Dao Orthodoxy born only for battle, the Martial Artist Dao Orthodoxy itself showed great interest in all battles. This Human-Shaman War was even a double-sided bet, with Martial Artists helping both Humans and Shamanes.

At this point, Lou Neifa suddenly added, "Saying we're idle isn't quite right. Look, the Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance that has been in the Desire Realm for who knows how many years has been activated—"

"Yes, and… the number of Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance holders has sharply increased. It's clear that the deaths caused by overly large-scale wars have already made the Demon of Death lineage restless. Your daring to come to me despite the warning is a sign that the Demonic Dao is very likely to fully commit."

"Ah, my head hurts," Li Qi covered his forehead.