Within the void of the Lightning Pool, Xiao Yan finally managed to suppress his excitement after a moment, his gaze fixed upon the small Yi resting on his shoulder. Few beings, perhaps, could withstand the violent surge of energy from the Black Demon Lightning—save for Yi’s own fiery spirit body. Upon sensing Xiao Yan’s gaze, the delicate filaments of dew at the corner of Yi’s mouth grew even more prominent. With a gentle wipe across her face, Yi swiftly launched herself into the air, appearing above the gathering Black Demon Lightning. A radiant pink flame, radiating a powerful consuming force, expanded outward from within her body. Any Black Demon Lightning that came into contact with this flame was instantly drawn in as if by an irresistible pull—no matter how fiercely they struggled, they could not escape. One by one, they flowed into Yi’s slender form. *Shhhhh!* As the numerous black magical lightning were absorbed into Xiao Yi's body, electric arcs of black energy shimmered across her surface. The black magical lightning entering her body were swiftly refined by the pure, inner lotus spirit flame within her, transforming into the most refined energy and flowing throughout her being. As Xiao Yan was wildly devouring the Black Magic Lightning, Xiao Yan himself also settled into a meditative posture, floating in the air. Within his body, an unprecedentedly refined and robust energy began to surge forth without any prior warning. With his mind firmly focused, he guided this energy along the pathways prescribed by the Burned Technique, eventually transforming it into thick, potent ki that permeated every part of his body. With a slightly narrowed gaze, a lingering glance cast toward the black demonic lightning drifting deep within the void thunder pool, a gentle smile curled at Xiao Yan's lips. Then, his eyes fully closed, he began to refine and absorb the increasingly potent energy surging through his body! Deep within the tranquil Void Thunder Pool, thunder now roars incessantly. Vast black lightning, serpentine in form, surge and howl with immense power, creating a spectacle of universal thunder—ten thousand bolts blazing simultaneously. Before such a magnificent display, even the mightiest Battle Saint feels profoundly insignificant. This kind of consumption is destined to be prolonged, yet fortunately, the Void Thunder Pool—through countless years of evolution—has accumulated a remarkably vast number of thunderbolts. Otherwise, it would indeed have been completely absorbed by these two immense black entities within a short span of time. Nestled deep within the boundless void space, the Void Thunder Pool sees rare visitors. Even some occasional visitors among the Supreme Battle Saints hesitate to enter it boldly. Thus, under undisturbed conditions, Xiao Yan's cultivation progresses remarkably smoothly. As time passes during cultivation, it seems to fly by swiftly—like a mere blink—and a month passes unnoticed. During this month, both the Northern King and Xiao Yi have absorbed countless black demonic lightning strikes. This continuous, boundless absorption has significantly reduced the number of black demonic lightning within the depths of the Void Lightning Pool. Moreover, the benefits gained by the Northern King, Xiao Yi, and even Xiao Yan from absorbing such vast quantities of black demonic lightning have been exceptionally abundant. After being refined by numerous black demonic lightning strikes over the course of one month, the Northern King's body has grown deeper and more profound. The black hue possesses an eerie magical quality—when viewed, it appears as if a constantly rotating black hole, capable of engulfing any attack that strikes it. An unusual glow of black radiates around the Northern King, giving the impression that a thin layer of dark armor has been draped over his body. This armor is deep and somber, imbuing the Northern King with a sense of mystery and strangeness. With the formidable physique of the current Northern King—so powerful that only the word "terrifying" can adequately describe it—this being can hold its own in a full match against a true Six-Star Battle Saint. Moreover, its innate instincts, inherited from the Northern Dragon King's vast experience, will cause opponents to genuinely perceive it as a true Six-Star Battle Saint powerhouse! And as the Northern King's body was strengthened to this extent, it seemed as though it had subtly touched upon a limit—no matter how much black magic lightning it absorbed, the results were merely incremental. Faced with this outcome, Xiao Yan could only shake his head in resignation. Regardless of how perfectly the puppet was crafted, a puppet remained a puppet, and achieving such a level of strength was already an exceptional achievement. As for further enhancement to even greater strength, however, it would surely prove exceedingly difficult. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi, who had undergone a month of relentless consumption, also achieved significant gains. Xiao Yan not only advanced from early to mid-level Five-Star Domain Saint, reaching the peak of mid-level, but was also capable of making a swift leap to late mid-level within a short period—something that was far from impossible. As for Xiao Yi, though her stature remained as petite as ever, subtle streaks of black lightning could now be observed flickering through the pink flames that surrounded her. After absorbing so much black magic lightning, even the pure lotus spirit fire had begun to subtly infuse with traces of black magic lightning, thereby significantly enhancing its offensive power. Achieved quite satisfactory results, yet the issues encountered by Northern King also manifested themselves in Xiao Yan's body one month later. After reaching the mid-stage of Five-Star Battle Saint, Xiao Yan's body seemed to develop a certain resistance to Black Magic Lightning. The once-prominent progress had become much more subtle. As a result, he was forced to step back from his cultivation routine. "Hmm…" A stream of black, electric energy flowed from Xiao Yan's mouth as he stood up. Instantly, crisp crackling sounds resonated within his body, conveying an immense, surging power—like a colossal dragon coiled deep within his muscles. With just a thought, the dragon would rise, its mighty force so overwhelming it would leave onlookers awestruck. "Just a little short of reaching the late stage of Five-Star Battle Saint... too bad." Xiao Yan gently sensed the flow within himself, then shook his head with a touch of regret. With a hand motion, two beams of light—one red, one black—burst forth from the depths of the Thunder Pool, flashing swiftly downward and materializing beside him: the Northern King, who had absorbed a month's worth of black demonic lightning, and Xiao Yi. Xiao Yan’s gaze first swept over the Northern King. Now, the latter’s entire body shimmered with an ethereal glow, as though encased in black crystalline stones—radiating a mysterious aura that steadily spread, so potent that even Xiao Yan could not help but feel a sense of growing danger, unable to overlook it. "Perfect…" With a gentle touch on the Northern King’s arm, Xiao Yan felt the texture of the skin—so solid and resilient that he realized, if a single colossal dragon lay hidden beneath his own flesh, then beneath the Northern King’s skin, there must be ten, or even more! Such a puppet could only be described as perfect. After assessing the Northern King, Xiao Yan turned his attention to Xiao Yi. While her physical form had remained largely unchanged, the faint, shimmering arcs of black lightning subtly visible across her body revealed that, over the past month, she had also reaped substantial benefits from the absorption. "The Northern King has now reached its limit; relying solely on the Black Magic Lightning is no longer sufficient to further enhance it. My body is also beginning to develop resistance to the energy of the Black Magic Lightning, and if I continue to train, my efficiency will drop significantly..." Xiang Yan frowned, pondering deeply. After a moment, he finally resolved to leave. Having been away for a month, the others—Cai Lin and her companions—would surely be concerned. Though this place was excellent, he simply couldn't remain here constantly. "It's time we departed..." Xiang Yan sighed softly, lifting his gaze once more toward the Void Lightning Pool. Just as he was about to turn, the relatively calm pool—having recently slowed its activity due to Xiao Yi and the Northern King ceasing their consumption—suddenly surged with intense vibrations. Instantly, the black lightning across the sky flared and surged, pouring down in waves toward the central dark region deep within the pool. Seeing this scene, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, then furrowed his brow, gazing intently toward the depths of the Thunder Pool. Subtly, a peculiar pressure seemed to spread out from there—a pressure reminiscent of Black Demon Thunder, yet vastly stronger, far exceeding it. Fixing his eyes on that area, Xiao Yan's gaze flickered several times. After a moment, he gradually ascended, taking Xiao Yi within him and placing the Northern King ahead. Then, he stepped steadily forward, moving slowly toward the dark region.