Tao Qian's fragrant Primordial Spirit sat upright on the spirit platform, embracing the "Dao Seed," engaged in the Basic Method of cultivation.
To prevent detection, Tao Qian was truly cultivating the Spirit Treasure Skill.
This is the mystery of the Secret Demon Refining God Skill, allowing a cultivator to multitask with ease. The closing of this secret acupoint doesn't require any complicated procedures; it responds to one's intent.
It can be described as extremely fast, leaving no opportunity for any Outer Realm Heaven Demons to escape in that instant.
Time passed swiftly and unnoticed, and the day was about to end.
Curiously, inside the secret acupoint of the spirit platform, only Tao Qian's Primordial Spirit was seen sitting in meditation.
It seemed there really were no more prey taking the bait?
Seeing this, Tao Qian showed no signs of disappointment and continued to recite the "Spirit Treasure Nine Truths Diagram."
The Dao Seed in his arms indeed had miraculous effects.
Under Tao Qian's concentrated practice, he almost completed another full recitation.
As the final segment neared completion, the Spirit Treasure Source Qi within Tao Qian roared like a great river entering the sea, displaying a grand spectacle.
To the point where his Primordial Spirit seated on the spirit platform could faintly hear the surging great sound, bringing total comfort to the body and evoking a sense of accomplishment peculiar to the success of cultivation.
However, it was at that moment that Tao Qian was most relaxed.
The atmosphere inside the secret acupoint quietly changed.
Various shapes and sizes of "rotten spots" proliferated wildly, instantly filling the entire secret acupoint as if it was a room that had not been cleaned for years. Following that, endless ghosts and Yin Demons emerged silently from the rotten spots. They were all naked, mostly without human form, and the few humanoid ones were nothing more than pale, decaying skin, disheveled hair, exhaling black fog.
None of these Heavenly Demons had the same form.
There were slug-like soft-bodied Demons, Illusion Demons made purely from constantly tumbling rotten black palms, a monster with a head sprouting hundreds of yellow-black tusks, and a bizarre Demon whose seeming jellyfish-like movement was actually due to a rotten heart dragged by several black intestines. Another Demon, whose skin was peeled off and flesh vague...
Because of their appearance, what was once a tranquil spirit platform secret acupoint had instantly become a Demon Realm.
And yet, Tao Qian remained unmoved.
Perhaps it was due to the strange Heavenly Demon that, at some unknown time, had entwined itself around Tao Qian's Primordial Spirit.
It was a woman, or rather, many women.
Her torso was made of snow-white, soft flesh strips covered in pink mucus, and every several inches, a neck would sprout from these strips, supporting a beautiful head. Each of these beauty heads was different and charming in its own right, the only similarity being their vacant expressions.
And at the forehead, there was a black vortex, as if it could suck everything into it.
She wrapped around Tao Qian and slowly moved. Every few breaths, she would change heads to meet Tao Qian's gaze, the vortex wriggling, emitting black light.
It seemed to be because of this that Tao Qian fell into a relaxed state, completely unaware of the abnormality.
Until the last Heavenly Demon, oozing black muck, crawled out from the rotten spots, and as all the black spots were about to merge together, severing the connection between Tao Qian's spirit platform and his body.
Tao Qian, who had remained engrossed in the illusion, finally showed signs of activity.
The closest Female Demon head saw it clearly. The human cultivator who was about to be dismembered and devoured by them suddenly showed a slight change in expression.
The corners of Tao Qian's mouth rose, and joy gleamed in his eyes.
Then, a sudden change occurred.
A dazzling white light, imbued with the rhyme of the Dao, violently unfolded.
In an instant, all connections between this secret acupoint and the Outer Realm were severed.
The rotten spots and filth were wiped away by the white light, disappearing without a trace.
These invading Demons felt as if they had been thrown into a star vortex in that instant; without the supply of Demon Thought, facing shifting stars, all their bizarre and horrifying methods became useless at this moment.
The Demons quickly realized and roared, "It's a trap."
As the saying goes, cornered beasts will still fight, let alone a group of cunning and cruel Outer Realm Heaven Demons. All roaring in unison, they lunged at Tao Qian. Their methods of attraction, demonization, and illusion were in vain; they still had their physical claws and tusks. Even if they had to bite and gnaw, they would tear this human cultivator's Primordial Spirit into dozens of pieces and devour it completely.
Only to find out the next moment, they were not faced with the panicked expression of the Human Cultivator.
Instead, they saw Tao Qian, radiating a brilliant smile while looking at All Demons, eyes filled with undeniable satisfaction.
With the Secret Demon Seal in hand, he easily dragged the "Enchanting Soul Demon" off his body, crushed it into a sugar pill, and swallowed it.
Then, he explained to the Demons:
"A seasoned angler knows when to wait and when to reel in."
"I didn't have much experience myself, just fished a lot, so I came to know some patterns."
"There's nothing to it, only practice makes perfect."
"It's just that I didn't expect such a great catch in this last net."
"My Primordial Spirit is at its weakest and most famished. Therefore, I will not stand on ceremony with you."
As he spoke, Tao Qian stood up with the terrifying Dharma Seal and confronted the oncoming group of Demons.
His words and actions stopped All Demons in their tracks.
How ferocious; are you the demon or are we?
But the Demons weren't foolish; seeing Tao Qian's posture and the closing spirit platform, their connection with the Outer Realm severed, they all knew they had encountered a dangerous foe and had stepped into a trap.
For a moment, every Demon turned to flee from Tao Qian, each employing their methods in an attempt to leave the secret acupoint.
Some Demons exploded into numerous bugs, seeking cracks to escape.
Others turned into wisps of black smoke, attempting to drift away.
Some Demons, out of desperation, started to devour each other voraciously, as if trying to create a stronger Heavenly Demon on the spot.
However, their efforts were futile.
Tao Qian laughed heartily, with Flashing Instantaneous Movement he punched each one, continuously swallowing "sugar pills," and his shivers were unremitting. His Divine Soul rapidly grew stronger, in turn, enhancing his control over the Secret Acupoint Platform.
Easily separating the Demons devouring each other, he shook his head and said:
"You covet my body, my Dao Seed."
"But little do you know, I covet your divine souls to strengthen my Primordial Spirit."
"This secret acupoint was created by the Secret Demon Refining God Skill; it seals in all the demons, you can't escape, so just be good and become my cultivation resources."
As Tao Qian uttered these words, he advanced, his Dharma Seal exploding, and then he refined one demon after another.
However, this time he hadn't devoured many before he felt his Primordial Spirit stagnate and a strong sense of fullness emerge.
In fact, Tao Qian involuntarily let out a "burp."
With a swoosh, he stopped his cruel demon refining methods, and an expression of helplessness immediately appeared on his face.
"Have I reached my limit?"
Although these questions were asked, Tao Qian knew this was the reality.
Upon reflection, he had been luring and feasting on demons for three days straight, and unconsciously, indeed he had eaten quite a bit.
Moreover, looking at his Primordial Spirit, it was plump and full of Spirit Light; wasn't this overindulgence?
Tao Qian's pause was a great joy for the group of demons.
Although they were all inferior demons, they were attuned to the consciousness and thoughts of living beings and could tell, even without Tao Qian explicitly saying so, that this human cultivator, who seemed even more of a demon than them, appeared to have devoured too many Heavenly Demons, causing his Primordial Spirit to reach satisfaction and incapable of eating anymore.
Of course, if he really wanted to consume more, he could, but there would be a risk to his life.
Such a fierce person wouldn't lack even that small amount of willpower.
Therefore, one demon summoned the courage to say:
"True... True Master, I see you have already consumed enough resources this time and lack the strength to eat more. Why not let us leave?"
"Mortals have a saying: 'Do not drain the pond to get all the fish.'"
Upon hearing this, Tao Qian, who was frustrated with his own lack of stamina, couldn't help but laugh.
Looking up, he saw a group of demons huddled in a corner, shivering, looking quite pitiable.
But, this act had no effect on Tao Qian. Outer Realm Heaven Demons have never had the concept of 'kindness' or 'pity'; they are essentially special beings born from the evil thoughts and sinister intentions of all life in the Outer Realm, each unique but sharing common traits: cunning and ruthless, always thinking of devouring and seizing bodies.
Their current posture was also an illusion.
However, this demon did make some sense; he couldn't eat anymore, and these demons couldn't be stored, and he was unaware of other uses for them, such as Refining Treasure or transforming them into Divine Skills.
His thoughts surged, and suddenly an inspiration struck him.
Tao Qian let out a sly chuckle, eyeing the crowd of devils while recalling the many Books of Skills he possessed, to see if there were any that used demon heads as materials.
Tao Qian might have been doing it on purpose because, as he thought, he mumbled aloud.
"It wasn't easy to lure you into my net using the Dao Seed's fragrance as bait, and to let you escape now, I would indeed suffer a great loss."
"Since I can't eat you, let's see if I can refine you."
"Let me see, hmm, the Power Demon Mountain Opening Technical? Are there any from the power demon kind among you?"
Tao Qian asked, and the demons showed signs of happiness.
Some of the less intelligent ones patted their chests, proudly saying, "True Master is too kind to us, we are the most inferior demons, and that power demon is of not low rank among Heavenly Demons. if one truly came, it could devour us all in one gulp."
As soon as it finished speaking, it faced the wrath of other demons.
Tao Qian wasn't too pleased either; this demon was essentially belittling Master Tao.
Narrowing his eyes in thought, Tao Qian then said, "The Demon Eye Shadowing Technique? Do any of you possess demon eyes?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the demons looked at each other and then heaved a collective sigh of relief.
"Replying to True Master, we do not."
"To have demon eyes that can be plucked out to assist the True Master in cultivation, one must at least be of a 'Demon Eye' level Heavenly Demon, no worse than power demons. We are too inferior to produce demon eyes."
As they said this, the group of Heavenly Demons actually strangely began to celebrate their own weakness.
If it was otherwise, they might not be able to preserve their lives.
Just as they were thinking this, suddenly they heard a new voice coming from Tao Qian.
At some unknown point, Tao Qian's avatar in the Iron Buddha Temple had taken out the Exotic Fire Elixir Scroll obtained from Shan Jiu and turned to the fifth page to look at an elixir recipe.
And inside the Spirit Platform Secret Acupoint, Tao Qian was looking at the demons with a gleeful expression, saying with ill-intent:
"I have this Exotic Fire Elixir Scroll which can summon the Outer Heaven Flame Essence Strange Fire to refine disobedient, terrifying, and strange things into elixirs."
"There is an elixir recipe called 'Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Pill' within it, and you all are just the perfect main ingredients."
To the demons, Tao Qian's words were like a bolt from the blue.
Immediately, the previously elated demons plunged into horror.
Their expressions were even more fearful than when they faced the danger of being exploded by Tao Qian's Secret Demon Seal.
Just as Tao Qian was puzzled by this, all of a sudden, a bloodied Human Demon walked out from among the group.
It seemed to muster up its courage to propose to Tao Qian:
"True... True Master, we wish to make a deal with you."
"Oh, what kind of deal?"
Tao Qian, muttering about alchemy, suddenly became interested upon hearing this.
This Human Demon and the rest of the demons seemed extremely sensitive and fearful of the words "Outer Heaven Flame Essence," and they were shaking in terror at the mention of the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Pill.
Avoiding Tao Qian's scrutinizing gaze, they revealed the deal.
"We know that human cultivators like you are usually interested in techniques, Divine Power Skills, and such."
"We can offer you some in exchange for our lives."
Tao Qian developed a genuine interest, staring excitedly at the Human Demon and group of demons.