In the darkness, Li Xiaotian moved forward silently. Around him, dense clusters of black snakes, a handful containing over a dozen, were everywhere.
But he had no interest, let alone the desire to devour them.
The reason was simple: fear! This was likely the blood of an invincible powerhouse. Devouring it might lead to immense trouble later.
Even the Demon Lord was unusually quiet. Although he had once claimed to be able to contend with the invincible, that was merely "contend."
Fighting an invincible powerhouse without falling into a disadvantage counted as contend; enduring a single move from an invincible powerhouse without dying also counted as contend.
In essence, he was far from an invincible powerhouse. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been obliterated in his slumber.
He had always complained about being ambushed, but honestly, even without an ambush, he would have still died.
"Old fellow, you know a lot. Can you guess which invincible powerhouse this might be?"
Li Xiaotian asked. If it were an ancestor of the people from the ancient village, perhaps that person might spare him out of respect for their descendants.
"I'm not sure. This seat achieved enlightenment in the late ancient era. By then, invincible powerhouses were rarely seen. This seat hasn't met many."
The Demon Lord replied, his tone devoid of emotion.
"You say, could it be an invincible powerhouse from outside? I mean, someone from the world of Outer Realm Celestial Demons?"
Li Xiaotian inquired. This was highly probable, as the demonic path's world hadn't existed before. This invincible being was clearly from before the Demon Lord, and the Demon Lord was the progenitor of the demonic path.
"No! Impossible! Although this seat knows little, it's clear that an outsider invincible cannot enter this world. You don't need to doubt this."
As soon as Li Xiaotian finished speaking, the Demon Lord retorted immediately, his tone beyond doubt.
"Alright, so you can't tell me the reason, right?"
Li Xiaotian said helplessly, but he was also relieved inwardly. It was good that it wasn't an invincible being from an alien race. The invincible powerhouses of Earth, he presumed, wouldn't quibble with a junior from later generations.
"Yes, I can't say. Only when you break through to the Heavenly level will you be qualified to know. Not now; your strength is too weak."
The Demon Lord stated without hesitation.
To be qualified to know after breaking through to the Heavenly level meant that to uncover the truth, one must control, or even mobilize, the power of the Great Dao.
Was there a connection?
"Invincible powerhouses are not to be spoken of or thought of. This is both respect and a precaution. Some invincible powerhouses can descend upon a location directly through the thoughts of others. Understand? I can't say more. Figure it out yourself."
The Demon Lord cautioned, sensing Li Xiaotian's curiosity.
Li Xiaotian frowned upon hearing this. It was as good as saying nothing! He already knew these things.
Wait!
Li Xiaotian suddenly stopped, a jolt of shock running through him. He had a guess. Why would the old fellow suddenly say all this?
He carefully analyzed the Demon Lord's words: not to be spoken of, not to be thought of, for respect, for precaution!
Yes! Precaution!!!
Invincible powerhouses could descend through the thoughts of others. This meant that invincible powerhouses from alien races would descend upon Earth through such means!
Upon realizing this, Li Xiaotian was startled and quickly suppressed his thoughts, ceasing further analysis.
"You understand now, don't you? Even the demon race, before reaching the Heavenly level, isn't qualified to know the truth. This is a rule, a universally accepted rule."
The Demon Lord spoke unhurriedly.
"Old fellow, if that's the case, then how can you be certain that the being here isn't an alien?"
Li Xiaotian couldn't help but ask, but he no longer dwelled on those thoughts.
"Heh heh, the invincible powerhouses on our side aren't pushovers either."
The Demon Lord chuckled, not directly answering Li Xiaotian's question.
Li Xiaotian's eyes flickered, and he had a general idea of the reason.
During their conversation, Li Xiaotian gradually relaxed. The oppressive atmosphere of this bizarre space was too much. The thought of approaching the truth made him shudder.
After an unknown duration, Li Xiaotian suddenly halted his steps, his expression drastically changing.
"Old fellow, we are likely about to approach the truth."
Li Xiaotian said. Although he was communicating with the Demon Lord mentally, he intentionally lowered his voice, as if afraid of disturbing something.
"What's happening?"
The Demon Lord's tone became serious.
"I'm feeling a trace of pressure. There's an incredibly powerful existence ahead."
Li Xiaotian explained. Just after he took a step, he felt a slight pressure. Had he not been constantly vigilant, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.
"Continue forward! You should still be quite far. If it's truly an invincible powerhouse, even his corpse's pressure would make it difficult for you to move an inch."
The Demon Lord became serious, his tone grave.
"You must be very far from him now, hence the lack of feeling. As you proceed, the pressure will intensify. Keep moving until you reach a point where you can't advance."
Li Xiaotian nodded silently and continued forward.
The pressure he felt now was like a single strand of hair brushing against his body. But as he advanced, the pressure grew, and the single strand of hair transformed into countless strands.
Gradually, the hairs thickened, becoming numerous ropes. Then, as if possessing intent, the ropes tightened around his body, filling him with a sense of crushing pressure.
Li Xiaotian panted heavily. He didn't know how long he had walked, but it felt as if he were carrying a mountain on his back, his legs as heavy as a thousand pounds.
"Hoo!"
Li Xiaotian exhaled deeply, gritted his teeth, and continued forward. The Devouring Demonic Technique circulated within him, passively absorbing the surrounding black snakes.
It wasn't that he wanted to devour them, but he needed to maintain his state to reach the destination.
Of course, it was also a form of "giving up." Since he had already ingested them, the quantity no longer mattered.
"It's undoubtedly an invincible powerhouse! This seat can only go this far."
The Demon Lord's tone was solemn. With his strength, his own pressure could only bring Li Xiaotian to his current state.
Of course, that was unintentional pressure. If he had intended it, he could have killed Li Xiaotian on the spot with mere pressure alone.
Li Xiaotian didn't respond, continuing to walk forward. Ahead, the darkness was absolute. The black snakes had grown to the size of arms, and deeper in, one could even see what resembled giant pythons, coiled and intertwined.
Invincible! While Li Xiaotian felt nervous, he was also somewhat excited. After all, he was about to witness an invincible powerhouse, the most powerful being he knew of.
Boom!
Li Xiaotian took a step. At this moment, the pressure his body endured was as immense as ten thousand pounds, making it difficult for him to even breathe.
However, this was not his limit; he could still advance.
Li Xiaotian painstakingly shuffled his legs, his speed slowing to that of a normal person's leisurely stroll.
But with each step forward, the pressure he endured doubled.
"Kid, hold on. This is also your opportunity. Don't think about the consequences yet. The pressure from this existence will accelerate the integration of the energy you just absorbed into your body, tempering you."
The Demon Lord said, feeling a sense of wistfulness, unsure whether this situation was a blessing or a curse.
Li Xiaotian did not respond. He could feel the changes in his body. If one disregarded the potential consequences of offending an invincible powerhouse, he had been benefiting since entering this place.