Beiluo, Lake Heart Island.

  Lu opened his eyes, consciousness returning from the Preach Platform.

  Raised hand—tetrahedral crystal bloomed, suspended.

  His crafted demon crystal.

  Faint demon qi entwined.

  "Crystal done... but how to birth demons?"

  Toyed, pondered.

  Mind sank back—simulated on platform, crystal base.

  Fused beasts—qi tyrannical, shredded brains, berserk irrational—failed evolution.

  Many attempts—Five Phoenixes beasts via simulation.

  No rush—time abundant, fused repeatedly.

  Finally—success.

  Little monkey: qi wrapped, no madness—wisdom gleamed eyes.

  Qi bolstered—robust, Qi Core comparable.

  Excited—first demon after trials.

  Monkey wise—curious yet awed, Lu's terror.

  Wiser, fear deeper.

  Wiped—simulation vivid, not real.

  Manifest reality—energy cost.

  Principle grasped.

  Opened eyes.

  Thousand Blades—breeze rippled lake.

  Spirit Pressure board before—eyes lines danced, post-transformation Five Phoenixes map.

  Divided endless desert: East (Great Zhou), West (Mardon invasion).

  Ignored primitives.

  Fingers stroked map—tapped desert.

  Isolator—demon drop site.

  Via board—transplanted Hanhai island to desert, overlap—oasis.

  No humans—species, monkeys stared: sea gone, yellow sands.

  Lifelong islanders—desert novel.

  Mind—wisp surged.

  Oasis sky: demon qi figure hovered, black heavens.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Demon Lord descended!

  Lu scanned.

  Raised—crystals dense, rain-like.

  Touched beasts—merged.

  Beast eyes cleared—beastial yet smarter.

  Demons: race.

  Chose monkey horde.

  Tetra merged—qi wrapped, wise.

  Knelt pious—Lu god.

  Floated—watched.

  Competition progress—demons for human urgency, mutual elevation.

  His demons—Five Phoenixes; growth feedback, extra qi path.

  Humans spirit, demons qi—both for him.

  Knelt demon monkeys.

  Raised—octahedral.

  Races need ruler—demons worship power, instill.

  Tossed.

  Boom!

  Desert pit—meteor.

  Qi wrapped—unseen.

  "Who fuses pit crystal—Demon King."

  Words—monkey clamor, chitters.

  Rushed out.

  Crystals equal—power matched.

  King: rule oasis!

  Fought—pitward.

  Octa pressure—qi torrents, terror!

  Octa ≈ Golden Core/Heavenly Lock.

  Qi Core monkeys—supreme.

  Lu watched.

  Fighting ceased—some knelt pressure.

  Some pressed.

  Chitters.

  Closer—stronger; many quit.

  One fearless—grabbed.

  Power shed fur, body cracked.

  Wretched.

  No yield—red eyes, chitters.

  Clutched.

  Qi strands—wails skyward.

  Horde stunned—unknown fear.

  Beasts edged watched.

  Qi dispersed.

  Black robust monkey strode.

  Octa fused—flame eyes.

  Fisted.

  Horde cheered.

  Beasts too.

  King born—Lord witness!

  Air.

  Lu smiled satisfied.

  Transmitted furnace-refined demon method—to kneeling king.

  More.

  Forged weapon.

  Boom.

  Oasis center: stone pillar skyward.

  "Qi-conducting weapon—master power, claim..."

  Excited—kowtow, chitters speechless.

  Scanned oasis, monkeys.

  "Here: 'Demon Continent'."

  Wave.

  Outside: monolith—"Demon Continent".

  Infused spirit qi—ignored.

  Cultivate: convert to demon qi—process practice.

  No linger.

  Demon Lord vanished qi.

  Demons prostrated—heads thumped.

  Farewell Lord.

  Lord gone.

  Octa monkey king rose upright—sharp eyes pillar.

  Excited dash.

  Qi from crystal.

  Climbed shrieking.

  Dozens meters—fell, panting.

  Understood: unmastered—no qualify.

  Rose—cultivated transmitted.

  Qi strands—healed.

  Monkeys circled—roars.

  Rose—fist sky, roared.

  King of Demon Continent!

  Octa strongest—undisputed!

  Equal challenger—contest!

  Excited—led horde oasis.

  Sought former bullies: wolves.

  Pummeled!

  Infected wolf alpha—mount.

  Monkeys rampant.

  Tigers subdued.

  No massacre—realm without subjects?

  Monkeys overlords.

  ...

  Beiluo Island.

  Lu recalled Demon Lord.

  Opened.

  Breeze cooled robes.

  Ning Zhao ended practice—near, brewed plum wine, tongs dropped plums.

  "Done?"

  Glanced.

  Near Heavenly Lock.

  Ice attribute—not five, potent offense.

  "Breakthrough near—no rush..."

  "Natural."

  "Accompany, brew for Young Master."

  Smiled.

  Nodded.

  "Natural best—forcing tight not always good."

  Glanced second floor—Little Yinglong rolled eyes, near asphyxiation.

  Sighed—waved rings.

  Flapped up—tongue out, gasped.

  Die leashed than struggle...

  Recall pressure-bearing monkey near-collapse vs. dragon—sighed.

  Difference vast?

  Wings—shoulder lazy.

  Ignored.

  Suddenly.

  System prompt.

  "Host forged 'demon race'—diversified Five Phoenixes, reward 1000 free points."

  Hm?

  No surprise—phoenix rewarded.

  Direct demon race—generous.

  For Lu: decent, once-only.

  "Demons weak—human contact eventual, changes unknown."

  Pondered.

  Collision sparks?

  Monkey king Golden Core—octa incomplete, Nie one-slash; Second Stage crushes.

  Even Nie aside—Overlord, Ning etc. suppress.

  Others Qi Core riffraff.

  Develop stealthily.

  No meddle—extinction only intervene.

  Mind—panel.

  Host: Lu

  Title: Qi Refiner (permanent)

  Qi: 4 (20036/100000)

  Soul: 610 (521 exch: Sense 5)

  Body: 510 (510 exch: Blood 3)

  Spirit: 18790

  Liquid: 2

  World: Mid-Martial

  Free: 1083

  Scanned—frowned; practitioners up, daily more.

  Fourth layer distant.

  1000 free—no hoard, used.

  50/50.

  Soul 500, Body 500—both past 1000.

  Sense 10.

  Mind boomed.

  Body energy surged—jade glow.

  Transformed.

  Strength up—unclear how.

  Leaned.

  Observed changes.

  Suddenly—brow raised, sensed.

  Odd.

  Nie back—trial tower secluded days.

  Du Longyang frantic searching.