The giant black egg seemed to have suffered massive damage, its very essence deeply wounded. The once thick black mist had largely dissipated, thinning to the point of near transparency. Faintly visible within was a shadowy black figure, seemingly gestating, absorbing nutrients, and refining itself.
The black eye had also disappeared.
"Damn it! A mere ant dared strike at me and wiped out nearly a year's worth of accumulation. That treasure pagoda actually devoured my power of darkness, forcing me to unleash the Eye of Darkness twice. Each use drained even more of my essence. Now I really must enter deep slumber. If not for that, I would've soon regained enough power to walk the Eternal Continent freely."
"This descent cost far too much. I wonder how the others fared. If I fall behind, I'll lose all face."
"This world is filled with slaughter and fear. Darkness is eternal. Light shall fade, and I shall be immortal. My lord will rule all of the Eternal World and dominate the Cangqiong Continent."
Inside the egg, the shadowy figure let out a furious roar.
The choice of Dark City had been deliberate. The city's overwhelming human negativity was ideal for rapidly recovering strength. After a year, progress had been impressive. But then Yi Tianxing appeared—an unexpected variable. He ignored the illusions of the City Lord's Mansion, broke into the sealed chamber, and even possessed a treasure pagoda that could devour the laws of pure darkness.
Most artifacts, upon mere contact, would be corroded by such darkness. But this pagoda devoured it freely. Once darkness entered, it completely vanished—never to be sensed again. The treasure's overbearing nature was terrifying. To deal with it, he had even resorted to the Eye of Darkness, one of his trump cards.
Eye of Darkness (黑暗之眼) — A powerful, secret technique requiring great cost to use. Activating it significantly delays recovery and damages the user's source.
He wouldn't have used it unless utterly forced. But this time, the price had been steep.
"That human cultivator is formidable. Such a tyrannical physical divine ability... Such a dual cultivation talent in both body and qi refinement, with incredible speed and balance. If he fully matures, he'll be a major threat to my lord. It's a pity I couldn't kill him this time. And now, I can't leave. Once the Demonic Rebirth Scripture starts, it must not be interrupted. Or I'll lose everything and face backlash."
Demonic Rebirth Scripture (天魔重生法) — A forbidden technique that recreates one's body. Irreversible once started, and disrupting it causes devastating backlash.
The figure shook its head and laughed bitterly. Strands of black mist began coalescing again, flowing steadily into the egg and wrapping around it layer by layer—a dark, negative energy of peculiar nature.
At this time, Yi Tianxing had already left the City Lord's Mansion and returned to his residence. Inside, he found Nannan still sleeping, and the Ten Thousand Talisman Banner undisturbed. Relieved, he stored the banner back into his body.
"That City Lord of Dark City... that egg must be the result of some eerie secret art. His strength is likely terrifying. Based on what I saw, he's far from his peak—wounded, with less than a tenth of his power remaining. His origin must be anything but ordinary," he mused.
The black eye alone wasn't something an average cultivator could possess. His tone and actions betrayed deep secrets. If not wounded, he wouldn't be hiding inside an egg, nor unable to leave the mansion to pursue.
"As long as I stay away from the City Lord's Mansion, he shouldn't be able to act against me. This test was still fruitful," Yi Tianxing said to himself.
He confirmed the presence of the City Lord and identified him as a hidden, terrifying mastermind behind the city's darkness.
With a thought, his consciousness entered his Sea of Consciousness, descending onto the Heavenly Emperor Pagoda of Primordial Chaos (鸿蒙天帝塔).
There, he saw black cracks across the pagoda's surface. These cracks exuded the lingering force of dark corrosion, remnants of the black eye's attack.
"I don't know if that was a real eye or an artifact, but it even damaged my Heavenly Emperor Pagoda. If I hadn't withdrawn in time, the entire tower might have cracked."
"This is the first time the pagoda has been damaged since its creation."
Thankfully, the chaotic energy within was constantly cleansing and repairing it. The darkness was slowly ground away, and the cracks sealed. Soon, it would be as good as new.
But the gains were considerable.
The internal space of the pagoda had expanded to 1,600 li in diameter. The world's origin power inside was far denser than before. Yi Tianxing had essentially robbed the City Lord of a great deal of energy. The City Lord's furious response confirmed it.
"Good. The pagoda is stronger, the internal artifacts are stronger, and my foundation has deepened."
Knock Knock Knock!
Suddenly, a crisp knock echoed in the night.
"Hmm? Someone this late?" Yi Tianxing narrowed his eyes.
But he didn't believe it was an accident.
"Come in!" he called.
Creaaak—
The door opened. A tall woman in a black palace robe stepped in, closing the door behind her.
She was around 1.7 meters tall, with long legs and a seductive figure outlined by her tight attire. Her every step was flirtatious, her eyebrows filled with allure. Her looks were exquisite.
"A woman?"
Yi Tianxing couldn't help but feel a dryness in his throat. Her charm would tempt any man. But his willpower was firm, and with someone like Cai Yan, a true peerless beauty, by his side, this woman couldn't shake him. Her only edge was her intense seductiveness.
"Who are you? A woman visiting a man's home at night—how improper." His gaze sharpened.
"Qin Hongyi, mistress of the Red Chamber, here to offer a gift. I hope fellow Daoist won't take offense." She smiled.
"Oh? What kind of gift requires a midnight visit?" Yi Tianxing remained wary.
"First, may I know your name?" she asked sweetly.
"Yi. Yi Tianxing," he replied calmly. No reason to hide.
"As I thought. You're clearly not native to Dark City. If you were, I would've heard of you long ago," she said confidently.
"And what if I'm not? Come to avenge that Tiger Gang leader?" he asked with a smirk.
"Of course not. Wu Hai's death means nothing. No one will avenge him. I'm here for... a personal matter," she replied with a soft laugh.
"A personal matter? But you said it was a gift."
"It's both," she said. "Your strength places you at the top of Dark City. No one can match you. I can't even gauge your cultivation. That's why I came. I want to cooperate with you... and offer you a great fortune."
Yi Tianxing's interest was piqued.
"You must know how valuable divine source stones are—far rarer and more potent than spirit stones. A small piece is worth a fortune," said Qin Hongyi.
"Indeed. Divine source stones contain Dao rhymes and are suitable for all cultivators. They're top-tier cultivation treasures," Yi Tianxing nodded.
"Then the fortune I offer... is a divine source mine."