The Radiant Thunder Pool had returned to stillness.

Upon its bank, soaked through with demon blood, lay two ghastly corpses.

The Nether-Gloom Spider Emperor's whole body was splayed rigidly open, deep brands covering every inch of it, its interior hammered into utter ruin by spirit-seals.

Not far from it, the Gold-Eyed Lion Emperor lay in a posture of attempted flight, likewise struck from behind by a spirit-seal — and beyond that, its flesh had been flayed by a chaos of blades, leaving gashes deep enough to show bone.

Shen Yi lay on the ground, eyes closed, studying the panel.

【Slew Spirit-Transformation Perfection Nether-Gloom Spider Emperor. Total lifespan: 97,000 years. Remaining lifespan: 14,000 years. Absorption complete.】

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 63,000 years】

There was no telling how many years this old demon had survived within the Thousand Demon Den.

That little lifespan remained was well within Shen Yi's expectations, and he felt no disappointment — after all, the creature's usefulness had never been merely a matter of lifespan.

He now felt a certain impatience to find some deserted place and give the Boundless Dao-Sovereign Palace a proper study.

But for the moment, he couldn't move.

If it were possible, simply using the Nanyang shape-transformation art to impersonate the Nether-Gloom Spider Emperor would have been a fine option.

Yet that road still held certain problems.

The most important was cultivation. At Shen Yi's present strength, however lifelike the shape-transformation art, the demon-force radiating from him would be a world apart — it would be all appearance and no substance.

And second, even if he were lucky enough to become the Nether-Gloom Spider Emperor—

he'd have free run of the Technique-Storing Pavilion, but the doors of every other den would be closed to him forever.

Shen Yi had no wish, for now, to abandon his relationship with the Gold-Winged Demon Emperor.

On the path of cultivation, techniques alone were not enough.

Spirit-treasures, pills, rare treasures of heaven and earth — not one of them could be dispensed with.

"..."

With that in mind, Shen Yi quietly maintained his appearance of a creature at its…