C2 Demon Refining Spell(1)

The triangular metal piece was no larger than the size of a palm and was as light as it was durable. Lee Yi had never encountered such a material before. Oddly enough, there were inscriptions on the metal, obscured by a peculiar grime that resisted all attempts at cleaning.

It appeared that the grime wasn't on the surface but rather embedded within, like a mist shrouding the inscriptions.

"What does it say?" Lee Yi wondered, scrubbing furiously.

A sudden pain shot through his finger; he had scrubbed so hard that a sharp edge of the metal had sliced it open, and blood began to flow.

A single drop of blood landed on the metal and vanished in an instant.

The metal then emitted a green glow, and an ancient whisper resonated in Lee Yi's ears. The voice was so profound, it seemed tangible, with each note striking deep into his ears and etching into his mind.

"Ahh!"

Lee Yi clutched his head, overwhelmed by an excruciating pain that felt as though his skull might burst.

Then, a golden light illuminated his mind, as if someone were inscribing words directly onto his brain with a sword.

The pain ceased, but his body turned rigid and numb. His blood ceased to flow, and his heartbeat stilled.

After what seemed like an eternity, the golden light slowly receded. Lee Yi's body regained sensation, but he remained motionless, for an ancient script had been engraved in his mind.

'The Demonic Refining Art!'

"This ancient technique is unparalleled... Practicing it allows one to refine all the demons in the world, extract their blood essence, claim their magical powers, and assimilate the strengths of countless demons into oneself. It is powerful enough to turn heaven and earth upside down, granting immortality!"

Humans cultivate magical power, while demons cultivate their own magical powers. Some formidable demons are innately equipped with overwhelming abilities, capable of catastrophic feats with a mere gesture.

In battles against demons, humans are typically outmatched, often requiring large groups to slay a single demon, all because of the demons' possession of magical powers.

Lee Yi's eyes widened in disbelief, and it took him a moment to regain his composure. He pinched his thigh hard, confirming he wasn't dreaming.

"Is there really such a technique in this world?"

As he grappled with his astonishment, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from above the cave. Lee Yi swiftly tucked the metal piece into his pocket and leaped to the ground. A disciple approached, his face obscured by a white cloth, arms outstretched, carrying a wooden bucket sealed tight. It appeared as though the bucket contained wild beasts or venomous snakes, and he seemed terrified they might escape.

Lee Yi kept his head down, intent on slipping away unnoticed.

"Hey, doesn't the smell bother you?" the man asked, surprised to see that Lee Yi wasn't covering his nose.

Realizing the man assumed he was there to dispose of waste, Lee Yi didn't want to arouse suspicion and responded, "You get used to it after a while. What's in your bucket?"

"Sigh, it's just my bad luck. A few days ago, Senior Brother Zhang from the Pill Refining Room had this wild idea. He somehow acquired some demon snake blood, thinking he could refine it for pill-making. But you know how it is—the snake's entire body is deadly toxic; a single drop of its blood could kill ten people. Is it really that easy to refine? Now it's all a mess, and they've got me dealing with it," the man grumbled.

Lee Yi's mind raced with thoughts. The demon snake was a winged creature capable of flight, notorious for its lethal poison. While it wasn't a demon beast possessing magical powers, it was still one of the most formidable among its kind.

"The Demon Refining Technique claims it can refine all the demons in heaven and earth. Could it possibly refine this demon snake blood?" Lee Yi pondered for a moment, his eyes alight with possibility. He then offered, "Senior Brother, since I'm already accustomed to the smell here, why not let me take care of it for you?"

The man's face lit up with relief. "Really? That would be fantastic. Just make sure to dispose of it far away and be extremely careful not to get any of that poisonous blood on you, or the consequences could be dire!"

With that, he handed the wooden bucket to Lee Yi, expressed his gratitude, and hurried off as if worried Lee Yi might change his mind.

Lee Yi didn't venture far. After leaving the valley, he found his way to a nearby secluded forest. Taking a deep breath, he pried open the lid of the wooden bucket, only to be met with a pungent, fishy stench that made his head spin. He hastily retreated several yards and took some time to catch his breath, feeling much better afterward.

"The toxicity of this Demon Ming Snake's blood is staggering; just a whiff can poison someone. I'm not sure if the Demon Refining Art can purify it," Lee Yi thought, his confidence waning.

"Still, I have to at least try!" he resolved, and began to delve into the intricacies of the Demon Refining Art.

Lee Yi was naturally perceptive, but his lack of status in his family had hindered his progress in cultivation. The Demon Refining Art, however, was exceptionally complex, requiring unconventional thinking that diverged significantly from his usual studies.

After four hours of intense focus, he was still baffled, as if trying to decipher an arcane text. But his determination was unyielding. The more he failed to understand, the more he refused to give up. After a relentless half-day struggle, inspiration struck: "This technique dismisses the traditional path as worthless, almost heretical. I'll never grasp it with conventional thinking. Maybe if I set aside my preconceptions, I'll see it in a new light."

With this new approach, he revisited the text and, before long, began to discern some patterns.

To the average person, these insights might seem absurd, but Lee Yi paid no mind. He traced the threads of logic, exploring relentlessly until the early hours of the next morning. Finally, he exhaled a sigh of relief, having gained a preliminary understanding.

Initially, the cultivation method appeared riddled with flaws, but once he grasped the underlying principles and fully comprehended them, all the gaps were seamlessly bridged, revealing a flawless, extraordinary technique. "Perhaps only a being of ancient power could have conceived such a wondrous skill!" Lee Yi marveled inwardly, thoroughly convinced of its merit.

Approaching the wooden barrel, the once-deadly vapors of the blood had no effect on him. Under the influence of the Demon Refining Art, they were transformed into strands of pure life essence, integrating into his very being.

Staring into the barrel at the blood of the Fearsome Snake Demon, Lee Yi steeled himself and plunged his hand into the viscous liquid.

A wave of intense, searing pain shot through his palm and spread across his entire body in an instant. Lee Yi felt as if he had plunged his hand into the heart of a volcano, with molten lava slowly consuming him.

The venomous blood of the Fearsome Snake Demon was known to corrode even magical power, so what chance did mere flesh and blood stand?

The excruciating pain nearly caused Lee Yi to lose consciousness. He could sense the Fearsome Snake's blood eating away at his body.

But once he steadied his spirit and invoked the Demon Refining Art, the demonic blood met its match. It began to recede at a visibly rapid pace.

Bursts of potent life essence flooded into Lee Yi, fortifying his muscles and bones, cleansing his body, and expelling every impurity. What emerged was a black, grimy substance.

His physical form underwent relentless transformation, growing increasingly pure and robust.

This metamorphosis was akin to a second development, not in stature but in essence. Having merged with the Fearsome Snake's blood, his lineage was no longer purely human but a hybrid of human and demon. He could continue to cultivate his magical power as a human while possessing the formidable physique characteristic of demons.

Time became irrelevant as Lee Yi meticulously refined every drop of the Fearsome Snake's blood until none remained.