"I can feel the Celestial Thunder Veins and the Profound Yin Veins in my body now... Huh..."
Su Xiaobai ran his vital energy through his meridians, and he could sense not just the robust and tempered pathways, forged by the scorching heat of Infernal Flames, but also his veins, pulsating with an ethereal might.
In the depths of the Celestial Prison, he had been able to sense only fifty-four of his Celestial Thunder Veins, but now he could perceive the complete set, all fifty-six, intertwining with his essence.
It was an extraordinary phenomenon to possess both classes of veins within his mortal coil.
His constitution, too, was no longer human. He had become a Frostwraith Demon, bearing a mutated bloodline of the Ice Demonic Physique.
This Ice Demonic Physique, capable of freezing time itself, was a rare subset of the original Devil Bloodline, which had once clashed in the great war of the Primordial Era, fought between gods and demons.
The Devils, dwellers of the Abyssal Depths, were neither purely demon nor god.
They thrived in the extreme depths of the abyss, absorbing the profound Yin Qi and nurturing themselves with the essence of death.
As for how Su Xiaobai obtained the eternal Ice Demon Bloodline, he had no inkling. "Could one of my parents have had a demonic constitution?" he muttered bitterly, a flicker of curiosity and unease over his face.
A sudden thought jolted Su Xiaobai, sending an icy shiver down his spine.
Although Immortal Rain Valley harbored both righteous and heretical sects, the White Cloud Star was an unforgiving realm that tolerated no hint of demonic taint.
Even the slightest whisper of his demonic physique could lead to his exile, or worse—obliteration.
Indeed, it was a fortuitous twist of fate that had led him to Immortal Rain Valley.
The echoes of the primordial war still reverberated through the Great Heavens, which had been shattered into four distinct realms.
The progeny of gods and demons now coexisted in a tenuous truce, their ancient grudges buried but never forgotten.
According to the vision bestowed upon Ning Gufan, Heaven was a realm filled with myriad celestial beings.
Even Immortal Rain Valley was a kaleidoscope of diverse races, where one's lineage was of little consequence.
In this realm, only the mighy fist — of one's cultivation dictated respect and authority.
"So many treasures are missing..." Su Xiaobai murmured, his brows knitting together as he scrutinized the golden spatial ring.
Despite the Evil Empress's claim that it held nothing of value, it was evident she had plundered everythin of value.
Nearly all the immortal techniques and divine artifacts had been spirited away.
A bitter taste filled Su Xiaobai's mouth, yet he understood that those items were of little use to him now.
The true boon was that the ring still harbored many profound and mystic techniques he could cultivate and master.
The spirit stones had been depleted, deepening Su Xiaobai's frown. "What a stingy bitch..." he muttered through gritted teeth.
His eyes then caught sight of a small circular green emblem on the spatial ring.
A slow, cunning smile spread across his face. "This must be the legendary Bastard Cauldron Ring. Now that I am its master, they should recognize me... As long as I..."
Su Xiaobai's joy stemmed not from the thought of the supreme beauties within the ring but from their immense power.
With such formidable cultivators at his command, or through advantageous trades, could he not dominate the entire White Cloud Star?
However, as his consciousness delved into the ring, his fists clenched in fury.
The entire world within the Cauldron Ring was ablaze, reduced to a hellish inferno.
A torrent of rage surged through him.
The Evil Empress had been more ruthless than he could have imagined.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
Just as Su Xiaobai was about to curse the Evil Empress and her nine generations, the howls of savage demonic beasts echoed from the forest behind him.
The air thrummed with their primal fury. Realizing the imminent danger, he quickly decided to leave the area and descend from the mountains.
He needed to reach a nearby settlement to gather information about this world and plot his next moves.
His cultivation had been restored, yet he lacked the necessary techniques.
Though his spatial ring now held mystic rank techniques, stopping here to practice them would render him easy prey for a demonic beast.
The cultivation techniques in his previous world were limited to the rudimentary 'Mortal Techniques' for beginners, which he now practiced, and the more advanced 'Profound Grade' Techniques, wielded by Star Guardians and higher beings.
However, in this new world, there existed 'Mystic Grade Techniques', capable of tapping into the 'supernatural forces' of the heavens and drawing strength from the stars and the sun itself!
Above these were the Immortal Techniques, practiced by immortals, all of which had been stolen by the Evil Empress.
Though he could not currently learn these techniques, their future value in trade was immense.
The loss stung, but not as deeply as it might have, given his current limitations.
Su Xiaobai felt adrift as he traversed the mountain wilderness, hunting wild beasts for food.
Each day spent in survival was a day lost in cultivation.
He did not feel safe enough to practice with his current strength, nor did he have a clear path forward.
The forest was a sprawling labyrinth of ancient trees, their towering canopies blocking out the sky, casting the underbrush in perpetual twilight.
Vines hung like serpents, and the air was filled with the scent of damp earth and decaying foliage.
Mysterious rustles and distant roars were a constant reminder of the hidden dangers lurking within.
After eleven days, Su Xiaobai finally reached the Red Flame Fortress, a small trading hub bustling with activity.
The fortress loomed ahead, its red walls glowing in the setting sun, giving it the appearance of being bathed in flames.
The streets were crowded with merchants hawking exotic wares, cultivators bartering for rare treasures, and street performers displaying their mystical arts.
Standing at its entrance, Su Xiaobai now wore a white jade linen robe adorned with intricate blue embroidery.
The people around cast disdainful glances at him.
"Another young master come to indulge in frivolities..." muttered one passerby.
"Look at his attire, must be from a wealthy clan," another scoffed.
"Bet he doesn't know the first thing about real cultivation," a third sneered.
Yet, beneath the facade of a pampered noble, Su Xiaobai's heart turned cold.
He had merely changed his clothes because his earlier attire was torn, but these bastards were acting envious?
Used to this tone, Su Xiaobai firmly believed that people bullied the weak and feared the strong.
His eyes scanned the crowd, seeking out the weakest target.
His gaze settled on Shang Bao, a merchant at the Qi Consolidation realm, who had been stuck at this level for fifty years due to his abysmal talent.
Fatty Shang was a portly figure, his large belly protruding comically over his belt.
Su Xiaobai approached him, smiling.
"Courting death," Fatty Shang muttered under his breath, inwardly stunned that a brat at mere Qi Refinement dared to pick a fight with him.
Su Xiaobai stopped right in front of Fatty Shang, their eyes locked together.
However, right then—pointing at Shang Bao's legs, Su Xiaobai called out, "Fatty, your spirit stones have fallen."
"What!? My spirit stones... where?" Fatty Shang instantly panicked and glanced down, his big bulging stomach getting in the way.
At that precise moment, Su Xiaobai channeled all his energy into his legs.
"Fatty send to heavens Technique!"
In the next instant, a howl reminiscent of a distressed pig echoed through the marketplace, but Su Xiaobai had already vanished into the crowd.
"Did you see that?" one bystander whispered, eyes wide.
"Who was that brat?" another murmured.
"Serves the fatty right, hogging the market all these years," a third added with a chuckle.
"That was the Fatty Kick Technique? I've never seen it used like that!" a cultivator laughed.
Shang Bao, now sprawled on the ground, struggled to get up, his face a mix of humiliation and rage. "Bastard!"
The onlookers snickered and whispered among themselves, enjoying the spectacle.