Qi Ping watched the tens of thousands of War Intents—manifesting as True Dragons, Kunpengs, and Starry Tigers—with a heart that surged like a tidal wave. He had never imagined that the very intent at the core of a living being's existence could be transformed into such a terrifying means of attack.
'So, those methods the Demon Race uses to bypass the physical body and spiritual roots... do they belong to this rare category of intent-based attacks?'
Qi Ping had long been puzzled by those unfathomable techniques. Now, he finally understood. These ghost-like, unpredictable intent attacks were truly something few living beings possessed adequate defenses against.
On the other side, once the two seventh-grade vengeful spirits were forced back into their true forms, the onslaught of the Ten Thousand Beasts War Intent did not cease. Instead, the pouncing and killing grew even more ferocious! The beasts seemed charged with a primal hatred and an indomitable will to fight to the death. They tore the bodies of the two seventh-grade spirits piece by piece, their shrill, agonized shrieks echoing through the sky.
In the haze of the battle, Qi Ping sensed a surge of intense, cold fury.
'Is it the mysterious existence that created these sub-bodies?' (TN: "Sub-bodies" refers to fragmented avatars or clones of a higher entity.)
Qi Ping's brow furrowed. Faced with a powerhouse of that caliber, it was impossible not to feel fear. However, having come this far, he had nothing left to lose. Based solely on the Ten Thousand Beasts War Intent he had acquired, his harvest for this trip had already exceeded his expectations.
Less than fifteen minutes later, the two vengeful spirits—which had initially seemed so formidable to Qi Ping—were torn to shreds and completely obliterated by the War Intent. Only then did Qi Ping recall the Ten Thousand Beasts War Intent, drawing it back into the blood-red War Mark etched upon his soul.
'It seems to have grown stronger. Can they grow through slaughter? Or does devouring such existences allow the mark to continuously evolve?'
Qi Ping harbored this question in his mind. The increase in power was significant enough that he was certain his perception was not mistaken.
Simultaneously, the advantage previously held by the black maggot was completely overturned the moment the beasts pounced. With the familiarity of experience, Qi Ping soon executed the creature as well! However, he paid a steep price; his wooden armor was battered and broken, and his energy reserves were nearly depleted. He had to admit that these maggots were frighteningly strong; even a top-tier Integration Stage expert might not have been able to secure a steady victory against them.
Opening the ocean-like pool of spiritual liquid gifted by the bald Golden Crow, Qi Ping drank deeply until he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. This space was located inside the bizarre altar, and clean spiritual energy was exceptionally scarce.
'When I first saw this pool of liquid, I thought that if I could save some, I might be able to accumulate enough to break through to the Great Vehicle Stage. But now, that seems unlikely...'
In this boundless sea of corpses and blood, who knew how long he would have to keep killing?
Originally, Qi Ping thought there were only so many demon beasts the Forest Sea Demon Realm could have lost, but after seeing the carcasses of creatures that clearly did not belong to this realm, he abandoned that notion. The level of abnormality in this space far exceeded his initial estimates. Yet, he could still sense that this space was linked to the laws and aura of the Forest Sea Demon Realm; it was not entirely independent.
"Whatever the case, I'll explore this place first and turn it upside down!"
With that, Qi Ping charged further into the distance.
Along the way, he maintained his Extreme Wood Domain with minimal consumption to kill the maggots while releasing portions of the War Intent to devour any vengeful spirits they encountered. Through this process, he sensed the War Mark growing steadily. Soon, he encountered a group of four seventh-grade spirits and three maggots. After slaughtering and devouring them, the strength of his War Mark jumped an entire level!
Qi Ping was beginning to feel the true prowess of the mark.
'No wonder Resentful Tea is considered a rare treasure among eighth-grade spiritual items. Its rarity as a means of intent-based attack, combined with its ability to grow through devouring, makes it worthy of its reputation.'
Had it not been for the assistance of the War Mark when facing those four spirits earlier, his painstakingly crafted spirit body would likely have been declared scrap by now. Without having refined the Resentful Tea or a similar item, a seventh-grade being entering this place was essentially seeking death.
'But Senior Mysterious Armor said that the War Mark only reveals its true power during the breakthrough to the Great Vehicle Stage?'
Qi Ping did not take those words at face value; he never fully trusted anyone. Since entering the Forest Sea Demon Realm, he realized that if his strength had been even slightly lacking, this precious spirit body would have been destroyed long ago. Even the Resentful Tea was clearly a preparation for this specific trial.
Ultimately, it was a test. He needed to cooperate with the demon realm to obtain resources and establish a trade agreement, and the demon realm was testing if he was qualified to be their partner. There might be genuine appreciation involved, but interest remained the fundamental driver. Qi Ping had no complaints; respect and resources were things one had to earn with their own hands and strength.
As for whether there were hidden dangers within the War Mark, he couldn't be sure yet. But he wasn't worried. Once he grew more familiar with it, he was confident he could combine this power with the pan-natural intent of a Druid to awaken a brand-new Druid class. The Myriad Transformations Druid possessed a terrifying cultivation speed for any type of power; that was his greatest trump card! A power of the War Mark's caliber was the perfect seed for a new class.
Next, Qi Ping unleashed a massacre across the entire sea of rotting flesh. Wherever he went, regardless of the entity, he slaughtered them all.
Meanwhile, outside the bizarre altar, the bald Golden Crow had transformed into a great sun, hovering above. Its terrifying Solar True Fire continuously scorched and suppressed the altar's power. Four chains tightly bound the altar, and the power of the four Ancestral Beast spirits never ceased for a moment. The massive pool of spiritual liquid was receding at a visible rate, as if it were being consumed to suppress some horrific existence.
Only the bald Golden Crow, watching the inscriptions on the altar grow dimmer, revealed a look of intense shock—which quickly turned into delight.
"Brother Qi, I truly underestimated you. If you can solve this problem for my demon realm, I will certainly present a magnificent gift! Even for that little fellow Heitian, what would it matter if I gave him a drop of my heart's essence?"
Back inside the altar, Qi Ping had almost lost track of how long he had been killing. His wooden armor had shattered and been reformed countless times, yet the sea of corpses beneath him still seemed to have no end. However, he wasn't frustrated; in fact, he felt he hadn't had enough. He hadn't experienced this sensation of rapid growth in a long time.
'Although I still haven't reached the end, the density of maggots and spirits is decreasing. This means my slaughter is having an effect. Furthermore, the aura of the Forest Sea Demon Realm is becoming more prevalent. It seems something is about to lose its patience...'