In a newly opened cave behind Qingxu Temple, a deafening roar suddenly echoed. The entire mountain peak trembled slightly, startling birds into scattering. The disciples guarding outside looked at each other, but none dared approach, Elder Brother Luo Feng had specifically instructed that during his experiments, no one was permitted to approach.
Inside the cave, Luo Feng climbed out from a pile of parts, his face covered in dust, but with wild joy. Before him, a peculiar device about the height of a person was slowly operating. The left side of the device emanated pure spiritual energy, the right side was suffused with faint demonic energy, and the two completely different energies intertwined within a complex formation array at the center, ultimately transforming into a pure energy output without specific attributes.
"It succeeded! It finally succeeded!" Luo Feng danced with excitement, completely ignoring his tattered robes.
At this moment, Xiao Qi's voice came from outside the cave: "Second Senior Brother, are you alright here? The whole mountaintop is shaking."
Luo Feng quickly opened the restrictions and welcomed Xiao Qi inside: "Perfect timing! Come see my Spirit Demon Engine!"
Once Xiao Qi entered the cave, he was immediately drawn to the device before him. He could clearly sense that this seemingly crude device was perfectly fusing spiritual and demonic energy, outputting an unprecedented form of energy. This energy was neither spiritual energy nor demonic energy, but a more primordial force.
"This is..." Xiao Qi's eyes showed shock. "How did you manage this?"
Luo Feng proudly pointed to various parts of the device: "Look, the left side is the Gathering Spirit Formation, responsible for collecting and purifying spiritual energy; the right side is the Demonic Locking Formation, used to bind and purify demonic energy. The most critical part is this conversion core at the center."
He pointed to the continuously rotating complex formation array at the device's center: "This is the Chaos Conversion Formation that I designed based on the overseas rune technology you brought back, combined with improvements to our sect's formations. It can break both opposing energies down to their most fundamental particle state, then recombine them."
As if to prove his words, the device suddenly emitted a harsh hum, and the demonic energy on the right side fluctuated violently. Luo Feng's expression changed, and he quickly operated the control console. His hands moved like flies as he input numerous magical incantations into the device, finally stabilizing the fluctuation.
"It is still not stable." Luo Feng wiped sweat from his forehead. "The violent nature of demonic energy is very difficult to completely control. A slight lapse can cause an imbalance and explosion. That is what caused the shaking just now."
Xiao Qi carefully observed every detail of the device's operation, the more he looked, the more he was stunned. Although this Spirit Demon Engine was still very imperfect, the concept it embodied was truly revolutionary. If it could be perfected, it would not only solve the problem of demonic energy pollution but also provide a completely new form of energy for the entire cultivation world.
"To what extent can the output reach?" Xiao Qi asked.
Luo Feng's eyes lit up: "Come sense it yourself."
He adjusted several parameters, guiding the output energy to a testing formation array in the corner of the cave. The array's light blazed brilliantly, and the energy fluctuation it released was actually equivalent to a full-power strike from an early-stage Golden Core cultivator.
"This is only the experimental model!" Luo Feng said excitedly. "If we can solve the stability problem and scale it up, theoretically it could output energy comparable to a Deity Transformation cultivator!"
Xiao Qi contemplated for a moment, then suddenly asked: "How do we solve the demonic energy source?"
"That is simple." Luo Feng pointed to a sealing formation deep within the cave. "Those are some demonic energy remnants collected from various places. But in the long term, it would be best to find a stable demonic energy source."
Just then, the device emitted another unstable hum. This time it was even more intense; the entire device vibrated violently, the runes on its surface flickering uncertainly. Luo Feng's expression drastically changed: "Not good! It is going to lose control!"
Xiao Qi made an instant decision. The Creation Universe Wok flew out. The taiji diagram at the wok's base projected a stream of chaotic energy, enveloping the entire device. Under the suppression of chaotic energy, the violent energy gradually stabilized.
"That was close..." Luo Feng exhaled in relief. "If you had not been here, Sect Master, this cave might not have survived."
Yet Xiao Qi stared at the Universe Wok, lost in thought: "Second Senior Brother, do you think we could use the Universe Wok to stabilize the energy output?"
Luo Feng was stunned, then suddenly realized: "Right! The Universe Wok can melt all things and return them to their origin. It could precisely solve the problem of energy instability!"
The two immediately began discussing improvement plans. Xiao Qi, leveraging his understanding of the Dao of Chaos, proposed several key suggestions; Luo Feng designed specific improvement plans from a technical perspective. They discovered that simply adding a simplified version of the Universe Wok formation at the energy output end could effectively smooth out energy fluctuations.
Three days later, the improved Spirit Demon Engine started up again. This time, the device operated smoothly without any signs of losing control. The output energy was pure and stable, directly usable for powering formations, refining treasures, or even assisting cultivation.
"Wonderful!" Luo Feng's eyes filled with tears of joy. "With this, we can turn those harmful demonic energies into something useful!"
The news quickly spread among the sect's high-ranking members. Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng personally came to investigate, and after seeing it, immediately decided to allocate substantial resources to support this research. Although Third Senior Sister Liu Yun had some concerns about using demonic energy, after witnessing the engine's stability firsthand, she also gave her approval.
One month later, the first practical Spirit Demon Engine was built at Qingxu Temple. This engine was larger and more stable, beginning to provide partial energy for the sect's protective grand formation. What was even more delightful was that during the engine's operation, it also produced a peculiar type of Chaotic Spiritual Energy, which was highly beneficial for cultivation.
"Who would have thought demonic energy could be used this way."
"Second Senior Brother is truly a genius!"
The disciples discussed animatedly, all praising this innovation.
Xiao Qi stood outside the newly built Energy Hall, feeling the smoothly operating Spirit Demon Engine within, his heart filled with deep emotion. Although Second Senior Brother was not skilled in combat, his talent in research was unmatched. This invention not only solved the problem of demonic energy pollution but could potentially change the entire energy landscape of the cultivation world.
Night fell, and the Energy Hall remained brightly lit. Luo Feng, leading several capable disciples, was optimizing the engine further. Xiao Qi did not disturb them, merely watching quietly for a moment before turning to leave.
He knew that this technology still had much room for improvement. But what mattered most was that Second Senior Brother had found his own path. This path might be full of thorns, but its potential was limitless.
The mountain wind passed by, carrying the soft hum of the engine's operation. This sound echoed in the night, as if heralding the opening of a new era.