"The Black Demon Thunder..." Xiao Yan's steps halted just outside the area of the black lightning, his eyes fixed upon the dense clusters of black thunder within, a streak of admiration flickering across his gaze. Who could have imagined that the Black Demon Thunder—normally summoned only through the crafting of ninth-rank pills—could appear in such overwhelming numbers here? Indeed, the heavens are truly full of wonders. This Black Demon Thunder—Xiao Yan was not unfamiliar with it. During his alchemical training at Xiao Dan Tower, he had summoned such thunder before. Yet, compared to the black thunder emanating from the depths of this Void Thunder Pool, that earlier instance had seemed rather modest—like a minor talent facing a grand master. Fortunately, Xiao Yan's current strength had vastly surpassed his earlier days; otherwise, confronted with such a multitude of Black Demon Thunders, he would have had no choice but to flee early. This observation lasted nearly an hour. Only after confirming that no unforeseen incidents would arise did Xiao Yan finally ease his breath, and with a subtle shift of his mind, the Northern King immediately stepped forward, advancing steadily toward the heart of the Thunder Pool. The Black Demon Lightning just touched the northern king's arm, yet his body—so solid as black iron—suddenly emitted an unusual suction force, drawing the lightning directly into his very being. "Shhh-shhh-shhh!" As the lightning was forcibly pulled into his body, the northern king's hair instantly stood on end, like needles pricking through it. Waves of black lightning spiraled around him, flashing wildly, and a series of strange sounds echoed through the otherwise quiet depths of the thunder pool, standing out sharply. Under such intense refinement, the originally dark physique of the Northern King grew even more somber, his muscles densely packed and radiating a tangible sense of power. "The effect is quite good..." a surge of Black Demon Thunder energy fully dissolved into the Northern King's body, a result that brought a sense of satisfaction to Xiao Yan. Yet, before his smile could fully form, his body hairs suddenly stood on end. He lifted his head slightly and observed that vast black lightning arcs, like great dragons, encircled the Northern King, their crackling sparks flashing with a violent, almost paralyzing force. "Well, he's still drawn to it..." Xiao Yan shook his head in resignation. Then, with a sudden mental effort, the Northern King, enveloped by the multitude of Black Demon Thunder, forcefully stepped into the void, his body surging forward like a projectile. "Boom!" The Northern King's actions undoubtedly ignited the stalemate on the ground. Immediately, numerous black magic lightning surged simultaneously, great bolts of black thunder racing at an astonishing speed to catch up with the Northern King and striking him with tremendous force. "Boom!" One black magic bolt slammed into the Northern King's body, then vanished instantly, absorbed directly into his form. Yet the sheer impact still hurled him thousands of feet away. The power was so immense that Xiao Yan could hardly contain his astonishment—even a typical one-star Domain Saint would likely have struggled to withstand such a blow. Fortunately, the Northern King's physical strength had now reached an exceptionally formidable level. Though hurled thousands of feet, not a single strand of his hair was disturbed. Under Xiao Yan's control, he settled into a meditative posture, calmly enduring the relentless onslaught of the massive black magic lightning bolts... "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Deep within Leichí, a resounding roar continues to echo. One after another, black magical lightning surges forth, each resembling a mighty dragon, relentlessly charging toward the Northern King. Yet every time these black lightning strikes make contact with the King's body, a flash of black light follows, and they vanish instantly. As a result, the black lightning arcs shimmering across the Northern King's form grow ever denser and more concentrated. Beyond that region, Xiao Yan gazed in admiration, his voice filled with murmurs of praise, yet within his heart he felt an unparalleled sense of ease. The physical strength of the Northern King had even surpassed his expectations—already exceptional, the body of the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon lineage was renowned, and this Northern Dragon King stood as a true standout. After consuming the flesh and blood of the two southwestern Dragon Kings, he had further ascended in strength. Indeed, if one solely compared physical prowess, even Zi Yan might find herself slightly outmatched by this mutated Northern Dragon King. Of course, Xiao Yan knew that once Zi Yan fully activated her Dragon Phoenix bloodline, no one in the world would be able to rival her in physical strength. Having undergone such successive enhancements and then refined by the pure, cleansing flame of the Jinglian Demon Fire, the Northern King’s body had become truly formidable. Thus, despite absorbing numerous black demonic lightning strikes, he remained far from reaching his limits. Such puppetry was truly outstanding—compared to the celestial demon puppet from the former Dao-creating Master's relic, which had once held the Great Heavenly Dao of Transformation, this one was merely a pile of scattered, crumbling debris. The body was the most crucial element in crafting a puppet, and once perfected, the puppet could no longer utilize qi, relying solely on its physical form. Yet, how easily one could find a body as formidable as that of the Northern Dragon King? The true strength of the master of that relic's domain likely still fell far short of the Northern Dragon King's, and thus, the materials chosen for the puppet were naturally no better. Such a subtle black demonic lightning wave posed no harm to Xiao Yan naturally, yet at the very moment of contact, the pink flame on his body curled and surged, directly absorbing the black demonic lightning. "Ah..." This sight made Xiao Yan momentarily stunned. As he prepared to check the lightning's destination, he suddenly became aware of an unusually pure energy surging from within him, spreading throughout his limbs and body. What struck him most was that as this pure energy flowed through his meridians and muscles, it carried a subtle tingling sensation—like a gentle current seeping through—invigorating every organ in his body, and instantly bringing forth an extraordinary sense of comfort and joy. "This... is the absorption power of 'Xuzhong Tunyan'!" The sudden surge of energy left Xiao Yan momentarily speechless. "Iwa... delicious..." A flash of fiery light erupted on Xiao Yan's shoulder, and there, materializing with a small, plump, endearing presence, was Yi—her bright, sparkling eyes fixed on the distant black magic lightning. A translucent thread appeared at the corner of her mouth, which she quickly wiped away. With a gentle suction, an eerie consuming force surged forth, instantly sweeping the cluster of about a dozen black magic lightning bolts like a gale, rushing directly toward Xiao Yan. They were then completely swallowed by Yi's mouth on his shoulder. "Sssshh!" "Devouring ten or so black demonic lightning strikes in a single breath, small Yi's body also flickered with black electric arcs. At the same time, an astonishing, pure, and powerful force surged unexpectedly from Xiao Yan's body, spreading throughout his limbs and throughout his entire frame. This time, Xiao Yan clearly understood the origin of this energy, and his heart immediately began to race. The black demonic lightning was exceptionally violent—though its energy was remarkable, he had never imagined absorbing it before. Even with his pure lotus demon fire, he had never considered such a possibility. Yet now, with Yi's newfound ability to absorb and assimilate the void and consume the flame, she had managed to achieve this! 'Gurgle...' Xiao Yan's throat slowly rolled, as the energy causing a tingling sensation throughout his body gradually dissolved into him. He realized that since stepping out of his demon fire realm, his strength had remained unchanged—now, it was slowly but steadily increasing once again!" Xiao Yan raised his head slightly stiffly, gazing at the dense, overwhelming waves of black magical lightning stretching out in the distance. A sudden, intense warmth surged in his eyes—thanks to Xiao Yi's ability to refine and absorb them, what once appeared to ordinary mortals as deadly scythes of death now seemed to him the most perfect nourishment in the universe. "These are all mine!" Xiao Yan greedily licked his lips, a low, joyful roar rising in his throat.