...….
Half a year later, on the day that a certain immortal-like man turned 22, a particular phenomenon occurred inside the Heaven Exploding Cave Abode.
WAAA!
The energies being released from Azmodeus's body would typically be enough to alert all those within a thousand-mile radius. However, luckily for him and his peaceful life in a cave, he had set up a number of Late-Earth Rank Formation Arrays all around the Cave Abode.
They actively worked in not only gathering Qi but also concealing everything that happened within from the outside world.
In addition to the Aura Concealing Arrays, he had also obtained the assistance of an Early Void Refining Realm Drake that he had met and befriended while taking a stroll outside his cave abode.
This Drake was enormous, but through the use of a few size-reducing Runes, it was quickly brought down to the size of a household pet.
And the best part was that it had the special, innate ability to shroud everything within its immediate vicinity!
Azmodeus had, of course, taken the ability for himself after touching the Drakes body and rolling a roulette a few times. But it was a Trait that could only be used while not cultivating, so the assistance of the Drake was still necessary.
On a side note, this Void Refining Beast was also the first Spiritual Beast to be contracted by him using his newfound Late-Earth Rank Spiritual Beast Profession and 'Beast Taming Essence' technique.
Normally, one would need to use exorbitant amounts of high-level herbs in order to attempt to tame a Spiritual Beast, and they needed to be of a specific type. However, with this 'Beast Taming Essence' technique, all of the specifics were no longer necessary…
Then again, not everything was good about Beast Taming. After all, the Beast Tamer contracted a beast, that beast would thus gain the ability to directly communicate with their master and partner.
And in the case of a previously lonely female dragon, it meant nothing but trouble for the man who just wished to peacefully cultivate…
Speaking of the devil…
"Azmodeus… Hungry… Eat…"
"..."
Azmodeus looked in the direction of a short dragon girl as he responded, "Then go out and eat something."
"No," she replied while swinging her black-scaled tail behind her.
Those big, bright, purplish obsidian-colored eyes stared up at the cultivating immortal-like man. While laying over his left thigh, she said, "You me, eat."
"I'm cultivating right now-"
"Here's food… Let's eat," she interrupted him while bringing out a picnic basket from thin air.
"I can't-"
"We eat… Here."
She tossed a slab of raw animal meat in his direction before sitting comfortably in his lap, taking advantage of the moment when he wasn't paying attention.
*Pat*
Azmodeus caught the piece of bloody meat. After which, be blankly looked at the girl who had somehow made her way into his lap.
"What're you doing, Nao Long?"
Nao Long looked up at her master before responding, "Eating… Here, you eat too."
*Stuff*
She put a slab of bloody meat in his mouth with an adorably innocent look on her face.
"..."
Azmodeus didn't even have the words to describe his disgruntlement. Therefore, he simply sighed before taking the meat out of his mouth and continuing his cultivation with the dragon girl munching away on his lap.
Four months prior to this point in time, outside a large den oozing of a mysterious and terrifyingly domineering aura.
"Hmm… I feel like there's something quite powerful in here—something that is somehow related to the dragon species," Azmodeus mused.
He stared up at the entrance to a cave over one thousand meters in height.
"There must surely be something special inside this place—something that is even capable of hiding away from my divine sense."
Following these words, he leisurely walked into the massive cave entrance before finding himself inside an even larger and more expansive series of tunnels.
"Now… Which way do I go…?"
He looked left, and he looked right.
After repeating that a few times, he decided to go in blind as he put his finger up to the air and let it choose his fate.
Thereafter, Azmodeus started walking down the middle path—a path that had some form of steam blowing through the tunnels.
"Is this some form of mist? Or maybe…"
RAWRRGHH!!
He was interrupted by the thundering roar of a beast that sounded unlike anything he had ever heard before!
Ahhh… So this is a monster's lair, and it appears to be the lair of something extraordinarily powerful.
Azmodeus couldn't discern the exact strength of this unknown monster, but he knew that it was at least in the Early Void Refining Realm. Which, even for him, would make for a troublesome foe.
Hmm… Should I go further in, or should I head back now and call it a day…?
He pondered the matter for a second before ultimately deciding to venture deeper into the dimly lit cavern, hoping to find out exactly what possessed such a soul-wrenching roar.
If I can hunt a dragon, then I should be able to obtain an absurd amount of Evolution Essence, which will do nicely when it comes to stacking my wealth.
One would normally think that he'd have some grand purpose for going into dangerous situations head-first, such as acquiring materials to save his grandma or risking his life for his race!
But nah… Azmodeus was just being a loot goblin…
Nevertheless, a few minutes passed. During which, he made it a few miles deep into the middle path of the cavern.
And it was at this moment that he realized…
"I'm lost…"
"Was it this way…? Or should I go back the way I came and hope to find a different path?"
Azmodeus looked around the jagged rocks that surrounded him on all sides with the exact same shapes.
Understanding that this place was some sort of test, his eyes brightened up!
"It must surely be a test… A test of the mind… But how should I go about overcoming such a challenging trial…?"
He appeared to have become delusional after spending such an extended period of time cultivating inside a cave. As a result, he even began to believe the notion that something he got himself into was some form of 'test'.
But regardless of his delusional tendencies, Azmodeus continued down the path he was originally trotting on, heading deeper into the cavern, feeling the 'mist' in even greater quantities.
...…..