After a moment's contemplation, Wei Wen concluded that time travel wasn't a significant issue and promptly shifted his focus to selecting a binding target.
Naturally, he didn't overthink it. Anyone with sense knew that binding the protagonist would yield the greatest benefits. Moreover, given his current power level, interacting with supremely powerful beings was beyond his reach.
"Gulp..."
The Water Rhino King smacked its lips, its massive tongue sweeping across the corners of its mouth. "I just ate one, and I'm hungry again. Who should I devour next?"
As it spoke, the demon turned its head, scanning its surroundings. Instantly, the expressions of the captive tribespeople changed, many eyes filling with dread. They had witnessed this powerful innate monster devouring their clansmen alive. While they were not afraid of death, being eaten was a hellish fate!
"Hmm?" The Water Rhino King's gaze abruptly settled on Wei Wen not far away, its eyes lighting up instantly. "Hah, this human is at the early Innate stage. His skin looks delicate, clean, and youthful. His flesh must be exceptionally tender and delicious."
"Quickly, seize him and bring him to me," the Water Rhino King commanded, drool already streaking from its mouth.
Wei Wen glanced at a certain mid-stage Innate demon beast. With a casual wave of his right hand, a palm strike shot forth, impacting the creature's chest.
Boom!
A dull thud echoed as the great Innate beast was hurled high into the air. Its eyes bulged, mouth agape, face flushed crimson. Blood mixed with shattered organs sprayed out before it crashed to the ground over a hundred meters away, lifeless and motionless—clearly killed by Wei Wen's single blow.
A mid-stage Innate demon, blasted dozens of feet away with one palm?
"Huh?" The great demonic Water Rhino King reacted, its initial surprise giving way to delight. "A genius! Eating one probably tastes even better!"
Swoosh—
Dozens of streams of light materialized around Wei Wen. In an instant, the surrounding great Innate demons staggered and collapsed. One by one, their hearts, heads, or throats were pierced. Blood instantly dyed the ground red; every demon was slain!
"What?!" The Water Rhino King, which had been watching with amusement, suddenly sprang to its feet, its expression drastically shifting.
The power of Wei Wen's sword formation was immense, shocking even the Water Rhino King. Initially, sensing Wei Wen's aura as merely early Innate, it hadn't considered him a threat. Now, however, a trace of fear emerged. Still, it couldn't believe an early Innate human could kill a perfect Innate demon like itself.
Transforming into a black blur, the Water Rhino King charged. Its massive fist, sheathed in thick Stages of ice, smashed directly toward Wei Wen.
'Judging by its speed and strength, the Water Rhino King seems comparable to me, which aligns with my earlier estimates,' Wei Wen thought privately.
Clang!
The SS-Grade Blood Shadow Sword in Wei Wen's hand swung out, meeting the colossal fist head-on.
BOOM!!!
A deafening crash, like a mountain collapsing, erupted. The Water Rhino King was instantly sent flying backward hundreds of meters. The ice encasing its fist exploded, and half of its entire arm was obliterated.
A single strike had crippled the great demon's arm! Wei Wen's formidable strength kindled a glimmer of hope and expectation in the eyes of the captive tribespeople.
'As expected, different worlds have different laws. The power amplification methods from the Swallowed Star are inapplicable here in the Desolate World,' Wei Wen mused inwardly.
"Excellent!" the Water Rhino King roared. "Human, you are worthy of forcing me to reveal my true form!"
A monstrous mist suddenly enveloped the Water Rhino King, rapidly coalescing into a massive demon over thirty feet tall. The water rhinoceros, with its immense physique, relied on frenzied charges; only a Zifu-level expert could confront it head-on.
'A water rhinoceros?' Wei Wen raised an eyebrow. 'I wonder how you taste.'
Schlick—
As Wei Wen willed it, the sharp crimson mixed-copper alloy fragment sliced through the thick hide of the great demonic Water Rhino, tearing open a massive wound.
Bright red blood gushed forth like a burst dam, revealing glimpses of severed intestines within.
ROAR—!
The water rhinoceros, mid-charge, halted abruptly, unleashing a furious and pained cry. 'I practice the Godfiend Body Refining method; my tough hide is difficult for other great demons of the same level to breach. How is this early Innate human so powerful?'
Its abdominal muscles writhed rapidly, overflowing with Godfiend Body Refining energy. The huge, torn wound began to heal swiftly. Despite its efforts, blood continued to seep out, though not as violently as before.
The crimson mixed-copper fragment leaped up with astonishing agility, spinning and drilling crazily before piercing the lower neck of the water rhinoceros.
Crack!
The top of the Water Rhino King's skull exploded. A stream of light shot more than thirty feet into the air.
'Urk...' The Water Rhino King's eyes widened in disbelief. As an arrogant great demon, it never anticipated meeting its end at the hands of an Innate human.
As a Godfiend Body Refiner, with the robust vitality typical of great demons, it could potentially survive even a pierced heart. But Wei Wen had targeted the true vital point—the head. Without reaching the realm of regeneration from a single drop of blood, a pierced head almost guaranteed death for a Godfiend Body Refiner.
'My strength is likely at the Zifu level,' Wei Wen analyzed privately. The Ki Refining system of the Desolate World's Ji Clan is notoriously weak, as any reader of the novel knows.
For instance, True Immortal / Empyrean God, Daofather / True God, Ancestor Immortal / Elder God occupy the same realms. However, due to the deficiencies in Ki Refining, a first-tier God's combat power is comparable to a True Immortal (third-tier), and a True God's to an Ancestral Immortal (third-tier). The root cause is the absence of a Chaos Immortal in the Three Realms, limiting Ki Refining methods to at most a third-tier Golden Immortal level.
Therefore, Wei Wen's strength was likely on par with early-stage Zifu experts. As a dual cultivator in Ki Refining and Godfiend Body Refining, he was no weaker than an ordinary Zifu practitioner.
"Amazing! The young master slew the great demon!" The tribespeople were ecstatic.
"By the way, where is this place?" Wei Wen inquired simply.
After some questioning, he quickly ascertained his location—Yanbei Territory, coincidentally the very land where Ji Ning's Ji Clan resided.
[Note: Regarding language, either consider it universal, or assume the projection has lived here for 18 years and has complete mastery of it.]
...
Ji Clan, West Mansion.
West Mansion City was a large settlement housing hundreds of thousands. Wei Wen walked along its busiest avenue, a thoroughfare frequented by merchants and practitioners alike. Silently, he made his way toward the Ji Clan's West Mansion.
[You have chosen to bind Ji Ning as a friend. Strength feedback will commence shortly...]
...
Ji Clan West Mansion.
Within a massive cage, Ji Ning was engaged in a one-on-one battle with a monster. This Cage Battle was a rite of passage for important Ji Clan disciples, though nearly half perished within.
The giant crimson serpent couldn't fathom that this human youth, Ji Ning, was using it to practice swordsmanship. Numerous wounds covered its body, yet none were fatal. The boy before it, however, bore only minor injuries... injuries that healed completely in the blink of an eye.
Particularly chilling was the cold, terrifying gleam in the youth's eyes, which made the serpent's heart quail. It understood then—it would likely die by this human boy's hand today.
"ROOOAR—!"
The massive crimson serpent abruptly reared its head and unleashed a deafening roar. It was a roar of utmost frenzy—filled with grief, fury, defiance, and a desperate resolve to perish. Yet, even in death, its innate pride would not allow it to die so ignominiously.
Above the inner city of the Ji Clan, amidst the sea of clouds and mist, one particular cloud was, in fact, the Winged Serpent from Serpentwing Lake.
"Roooar—!"
As a peak Innate-level great demon, the Winged Serpent possessed hearing of extreme sensitivity. This was the cry of its own offspring, a sound it knew intimately. How could it possibly fail to hear it?
The Winged Serpent had, in truth, been hovering over the inner city for some time, searching intently. However, being several li away, even its keen eyesight could not encompass everything.
Now, having confirmed the direction and approximate distance, it immediately pinpointed the sound as originating from the Ji Clan's West Manor.
The Winged Serpent transformed into a streak of light, shooting directly toward the West Manor.
…
Within the cage.
"So you wish to die? Then die!"
Hearing the crimson serpent's roar before him, Ji Ning understood its unyielding stance.
A flash of sword light, and the serpent's head was pierced!
"Good." Ji Ning looked at the massive corpse and began to analyze the battle's outcome.
"The Thunderflame Sword Art is indeed immensely powerful. It blasted such a huge hole straight through the serpent's chest and abdomen, nearly cleaving its body in two."
"As for the Merciless Waterflow and the Thunderflash Flint... in essence, they share the same core principle—speed!"
"The relentless speed of Merciless Waterflow leans toward the ethereal, while the speed of Thunderflash Flint embodies the violent aesthetics of swiftness."
"The penetrating power of the Raindrop Pierces Rocks sword technique is excellent. With a single move, it easily pierced through the serpent demon's skull."
At that moment, the Winged Serpent saw Ji Ning pointing his sword at the body of the great crimson serpent and instantly flew into a rage.
"Human! Pay with your life for my child!"
The violent air currents generated by the Winged Serpent's high-speed dive caused Ji Ning, still trapped within the cage, to look up in alarm.
The endless, palpable killing intent radiating from the Winged Serpent terrified Ji Ning, making him realize one thing with crystal clarity... this creature was far stronger than he was.
"No! I have to run!" Ji Ning turned to flee but helplessly remembered he was confined within a cage!
"Father!" Ji Ning shouted. Then, erupting with all his strength, he struck directly at the thick, dense iron chains above the cage.
Although the speed of sound transmission was fast, it would still take time for his father, Ji Yichuan, to arrive. At the Winged Serpent's speed, his father would undoubtedly be too late.
"Pay for my child's life!" The swooping Winged Serpent's crimson eyes fixed on Ji Ning like those of a madman.
"It's too late. I can only rely on myself now." Ji Ning instantly understood this and prepared for a desperate counterattack.
Unfortunately, whether in Ki cultivation or body training, Ji Ning was merely at the Houtian level, no match for the Winged Serpent. He immediately utilized his movement technique to dodge.
"No..."
A powerful sense of reluctance surged in Ji Ning's heart. In this life since his reincarnation, he had gained a healthy body, loving parents, and the precious opportunity to control his own destiny and embark on the path to immortality.
He had dedicated himself to cultivation until now... everything was just beginning. He was truly unwilling to perish like this!
"Move!" Ning's powerful survival instinct awakened. He frantically executed the his Windwing Evasion.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
The wind howled. The Windwing Evasion was performed at an extreme speed. Ning's figure became like a wisp of blue smoke, whistling through the gale!
…
[Your bound friend, Ji Ning, has comprehended the Windwing Evasion. Your understanding of the Wind Origin Law is continuously improving. Congratulations on comprehending the first level of the Wind Domain (True Meaning of the Raging Wind).]
He had grasped the first level of the Wind Domain?
Wei Wen found this breakthrough somewhat unbelievable.
Domains might not be a monumental achievement in the Swallowed Star, as many Universe-level experts mastered them.
But if placed at the Planetary level, it was the mark of a monster—a heaven-defying monster!
Take Hong, the strongest man on Earth. The very reason he could be called invincible at the Planetary level was because he possessed a Domain! Even if Thunder God was physically stronger and had greater raw power, he would still be toyed with by Hong.
And now, Wei Wen directly possessed a Domain due to Ji Ning's feedback, sending waves of ecstasy through him.
If he just persisted a while longer, even Hong would no longer be his match.
After all, Hong was far inferior to Wei Wen in terms of force multiplication and spiritual force amplitude.
Thanks to repeated feedback, Wei Wen's force multiplication had already exceeded 10-fold, and his spiritual force amplitude had now reached 18-fold.
As for the world's second-ranked Thunder God... he was likely no longer a match either.
But after a burst of excitement came a period of sagely boredom.
After all, his vision differed from that of Hong and Thunder God, and the goals he pursued were different. At the very least, his aspirations surpassed theirs!
Because in the novel, this character, Wei Wen, could practically achieve immortality by just lying down.
Perhaps for Hong and Thunder God, natives born on Earth, becoming a Star-level existence was an immense luxury.
But for Wei Wen, achieving immortality was the lowest, most basic goal!
At the very least, he had to become the strongest in the universe, or even transcend the Origin Continent and become a Lord of Chaotic Origin—that might be Wei Wen's true ambition.
Of course, while his ambition was grand, he still had to work diligently, step by step.
"Now that Ji Ning has broken through, the battle should be over." Wei Wen couldn't help but show a trace of excitement as he watched Ji Ning in his moment of epiphany.
Wei Wen casually pointed a finger. A stream of blood-red light streaked through the void, striking the Winged Serpent's head with the force of Thunderflash Flint.
He saw the Winged Serpent's tail lash out violently, but it merely swept past Ning, striking the thick rock wall of Dragon Castle instead.
"Escaped?" The Winged Serpent was startled. "You got lucky once. Do you think you can escape a second time?"
"Hmph!" The Winged Serpent raised its wings again, preparing for another strike.
Although Ji Ning had made a breakthrough, no matter how strong, he was still only at the Houtian level. The Winged Serpent could overpower him with sheer force.
"It's over!"
Ji Ning watched as darkness swept across everything before him.
The enormous black shadow of the serpent's tail completely enveloped Ji Ning. His movement technique was superb, but his speed was insufficient to evade this blow.
"Pfft!"
Suddenly, Ji Ning heard a faint tremor. He looked at the Winged Serpent before him in astonishment.
He saw the serpent's several-hundred-meter-long body lose all support and plummet suddenly before his eyes, raising another huge cloud of dust.
The Winged Serpent died without even knowing how it was killed or who killed it—an utterly ignoble death.
As the dust settled, Ji Ning quickly spotted Wei Wen ahead and understood that the Winged Serpent had been slain by him.
…
In the distance, Ji Yichuan was practicing with a long blue sword, thrusting at a wooden stake. Beside him was Ji Ning's mother, Yuchi Xue.
"Hmm?" Ji Yichuan and Yuchi Xue simultaneously turned their heads in one direction, instantly sensing a violent disturbance in the airflow.
"It's coming from the direction of the West Manor's Dragon Castle cage."
Ji Yichuan and his wife transformed into streams of light simultaneously, leaping onto the roof with a whoosh and speeding toward Dragon Castle.
They saw... a colossal flying demonic Winged Serpent in the sky above Dragon Castle, and below it, Ji Ning, covered in the blood of the crimson serpent.
The distance was too great; they couldn't make it in time. Yuchi Xue was so anxious that tears streamed down her face!
But before they could rush over, they were shocked to discover the Winged Serpent falling powerlessly, dropping like a lifeless corpse.
Dead?
Ji Yichuan and Yuchi Xue were not unfamiliar with this Winged Serpent.
To kill the Winged Serpent so silently required at least Zifu-level strength. Since when did the Ji Clan have a Zifu-level powerhouse within their territory?
One must know that even within the entire Ji Clan's West Manor, powerful Zifu individuals were exceedingly rare.
In any case, a Zifu-level existence represented the pinnacle of power in the entire Yanshan region.
As a mysterious Zifu-level expert appeared, Ji Yichuan and Yuchi Xue hurried over.
…
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