Bai Qi did not finish speaking and deliberately paused.
Just as Bai Qi had expected, upon hearing his words, the already furious Di Kui became even more enraged. He stomped his right foot on the ground and declared, "Mere humans are like ants that can be crushed with a flick of the wrist, mere maggots. Even if you put on a shell, you're still the same."
With that, Di Kui wasted no more time. He leaped and burrowed underground, speeding towards the distance.
As an Earth Demon, Di Kui lacked the ability to fly, but his speed underground was no slower than Xi Mu's speed in the air.
This time, Bai Qi did not intervene. Even though he knew Di Kui still held a portion of his anger, Bai Qi made no move to stop him. He merely stood in place, watching Di Kui depart.
After Di Kui had completely disappeared from sight, a slight smile curved Bai Qi's lips. He murmured, "Di Kui, no, all demons have underestimated humanity."
"How is it?"
As soon as Bai Qi's voice faded, Ke Laiwen, who had been gone for a long time, reappeared before him.
"Yes, my lord, the tracker has been successfully installed."
Bai Qi's conversation with Di Kui was not solely to enrage the demon and ignite his hatred for humans. It was also to stall for time, allowing Ke Laiwen to stealthily install the tracker on Di Kui.
As a colossal being, Di Kui naturally paid no attention to the diminutive human. It was precisely because of this oversight that Ke Laiwen was able to silently attach the tracker to his body.
"Very good." Bai Qi nodded and then tossed a small bottle to Ke Laiwen.
Upon catching it and seeing the contents of the palm-sized bottle, Ke Laiwen's face instantly lit up with uncontainable joy.
The bottle contained nothing less than concentrated dark energy, processed by Bai Qi.
As one of the earliest humans to follow Bai Qi and one of the few high-tier combatants Bai Qi initially possessed, Bai Qi had invested considerable effort in Ke Laiwen.
Ke Laiwen, in turn, responded with his repeated perfect performances and absolute loyalty, making Bai Qi feel that this human was worth continued investment.
Initially, Bai Qi had merely used ordinary magic to strengthen Ke Laiwen's physique, followed by elixirs.
Of course, all of this was earned by Ke Laiwen himself.
However, as Ke Laiwen's strength increased, ordinary means were no longer sufficient to aid his growth. Thus, Bai Qi resorted to the simplest and most brutal method of reinforcement: dark energy.
Prior to this, due to the peculiar nature of dark energy, it had almost exclusively been used by demons or dark creatures born from its influence. There was no precedent for humans using dark energy to strengthen their bodies.
For Ke Laiwen, it could be described as a gamble.
After explaining the risks and benefits to Ke Laiwen, the latter decisively agreed.
Ke Laiwen understood clearly that power came at a price, and the greater the price, the greater the power gained.
Thus, Bai Qi began his experiments on Ke Laiwen.
At first, Ke Laiwen was merely exposed to environments with a small amount of dark energy, allowing it to subtly influence his body.
This process lasted for about a month. Afterward, diluted dark energy was injected into Ke Laiwen's body, enabling further fusion and thus enhancing his physique.
This process was undoubtedly agonizing for Ke Laiwen. Dark energy seeped into his body through every pore, wreaking havoc within him.
However, after enduring this pain, Ke Laiwen's strength had undergone a qualitative leap.
Though he still possessed a human appearance, this was merely an illusion. In essence, Ke Laiwen had transformed into a dark energy being. According to the novel network, his strength, speed, and reaction times now surpassed most of Bai Qi's dark energy creatures. Even the Wolf King Harry could not withstand three moves from a fully powered Ke Laiwen.
More importantly, Ke Laiwen still had significant room for growth, making him highly worthy of Bai Qi's continued cultivation.
Upon receiving the bottle of concentrated dark energy, Ke Laiwen, filled with surprise and joy, did not hesitate. He uncapped the bottle and downed the entire contents in one gulp.
*Crack!*
As the dark energy entered his body, an intense stinging sensation shot through Ke Laiwen's entire being. The bottle fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Ke Laiwen himself curled up on the ground, clutching his head and letting out pained roars, beads of sweat the size of soybeans dripping onto the floor.
Previously, Ke Laiwen had only encountered diluted or normal dark energy. This time, however, it was concentrated dark energy that Bai Qi had specially treated, even mixing in trace amounts of dark energy with his own aura.
As a result, the effects were immediate and potent after Ke Laiwen consumed it.
Ke Laiwen's body began to change at a visible rate.
First, his height. Ke Laiwen was already not short, standing around 1.9 meters. Now, under the influence of the dark energy, his height surged to 2.6 meters, making him a veritable giant.
Along with his height, his muscles also grew, making Ke Laiwen appear even more formidable.
Then, his eyes began to glow red, his pupils transforming into terrifying vertical slits. Dark green scales sprouted in various parts of his body. Two additional arms emerged from his ribs. His fingernails grew longer, harder, and sharper.
Finally, a thick, powerful tail grew from his backside, also covered in scales.
"Master, I..."
Awakening from the pain, Ke Laiwen stood up. Looking at the changes in his body, he was unsure whether to feel happy or distressed.
He was happy, of course, because he had gained a significant increase in power. The high-concentration dark energy had greatly enhanced his body, while the dark energy bearing Bai Qi's aura had awakened the beast within him, granting him more bestial traits.
Ke Laiwen could now see in thermal imaging like a snake. His extra pair of arms were from a spider, and his four hands could also shoot webs from their wrists to restrain enemies. His strong, powerful tail was incredibly agile, arguably acting as a fifth limb. The scales on his body could even withstand ordinary bullet fire. Lastly, and most importantly, Ke Laiwen had gained a powerful regenerative ability; even if an arm were severed, it could regrow like a gecko's tail.
However, this transformation had turned Ke Laiwen into a complete monster.
Bai Qi, sensing Ke Laiwen's worry, produced a cross necklace and handed it to him. "Wear this."
As Ke Laiwen put on the necklace, a miraculous event occurred. The changes caused by the dark energy rapidly receded. Even the two extra arms and the tail retracted.
Looking at Ke Laiwen, aside from his increased height and intimidating musculature, he appeared no different from a normal human.
"Th-thank you, my lord."