After a brief pause to recover from his earlier efforts, Vlad slowly opened his eyes, his expression calm yet resolute. Now that he had successfully extracted the Legendary Demon’s soul, he needed to advance the Demon Cage Runic Formation inscribed upon his chest, upgrading it from the previous High Champion Tier to one capable of containing a Peak Sage Tier demon soul.
Thankfully, this stage of the process was significantly more straightforward than the arduous and dangerous extraction of a Legendary Demon’s soul. Even if he failed at engraving the upgraded formation, the consequences wouldn’t be catastrophic; Vlad could calmly restart the inscription process until it was correctly completed. Understanding this allowed him to act confidently and decisively.
Without hesitation, Vlad focused intensely, channeling energy into the existing High Champion Tier formation engraved over his chest. A faint glow illuminated the runic lines as he dismantled the previous formation, carefully unraveling each rune with precise mental control. Soon, Vlad felt the formation deactivate entirely, and the runes dissipated harmlessly along with the High Champion demon soul inside it.
Exhaling slowly, Vlad immediately commenced the reconstruction of the Peak Sage Tier Demon Cage, following the meticulous guidance provided by his A.I. Chip.
The required materials were incredibly rare and precious, some impossible to locate back in Terra. Fortunately, the spoils harvested from the Vorometallicae Sages he previously defeated had provided all the necessary components.
Carefully, Vlad summoned the precious materials from his spatial ring, laying them out methodically as he prepared to begin the inscription.
With flawless precision and absolute concentration, Vlad engraved new, intricate runic patterns onto his chest, each line shimmering with subtle energy. His eyes narrowed in intense focus, knowing even minor errors could weaken the entire formation. Minutes stretched slowly into twenty, then thirty, as Vlad painstakingly etched the last of the Peak Sage Tier runes, carefully ensuring each stroke was perfect.
After more than half an hour of intense, meticulous work, the final rune shone brilliantly upon completion. Vlad exhaled deeply, satisfaction evident in his eyes. He could clearly sense the refined power emanating from the newly crafted Demon Cage Runic Formation.
"Perfect," Vlad murmured with quiet excitement, feeling the strength and stability of the formation was more than powerful enough.
After taking a brief moment to steady himself, Vlad took hold of the Legendary Demon’s extracted soul, gently guiding it toward the newly enhanced Demon Cage. The formation responded instantly, glowing intensely as ethereal tendrils emerged, grasping and merging with the demon’s essence.
Immediately, Vlad clenched his teeth tightly as an immense wave of fiery pain coursed through his entire body. Every muscle tensed as the power of the demon’s soul surged aggressively within him, flooding through his veins like molten metal.
Despite the overwhelming agony, Vlad remained perfectly still, refusing to surrender to the pain and do anything that could hinder the process. Five minutes of excruciating torment passed as he fought to control and stabilize the powerful soul. At last, a resonant vibration emanated from his chest, followed by a crisp sound echoing clearly in his ears.
A controlled explosion of energy radiated outward from Vlad’s body, shaking the laboratory slightly. The small yellow cat, white werewolf, and light-fire dragon watched in stunned amazement as Vlad’s aura soared dramatically, indicating a significant leap in his physical and energy cultivation.
However, this powerful evolution was only the beginning.
Before the eyes of the astonished Depravitas, Vlad’s body began undergoing profound physical changes. His skin shifted texture, becoming crystal-like and reflective, eerily similar to the appearance of the Legendary Demon he had just consumed. The Sky Seed Depravitas stared in amazement, curious about the properties this new crystal-like physique might possess.
Before they could fully grasp the nature of this transformation, Vlad’s body shuddered faintly and vanished without warning, leaving behind neither a trace nor sound. Moments later, he reappeared silently at the opposite corner of the laboratory, shocking everyone.
It was clear Vlad had gained an extraordinary ability from the demon’s soul. Without pausing, he continued testing this newfound power, blinking in and out of existence multiple times, each disappearance and reappearance impossible to predict or trace. Even the keen senses of the Sky Seed Depravitas, empowered by their A.I. Chips, found it challenging to track him accurately.
Eventually, Vlad returned before his companions, a triumphant grin lighting his face as excitement coursed through his heart.
"Hahaha! Absolutely perfect!" Vlad declared, the thrill evident in his voice. "This Legendary Demon’s physiology gave him remarkable spatial affinity, and now that I have his soul inside me, that power is mine!"
Fafnir, Ouroboros, and Jormungandr exchanged glances of amazement, fully understanding the significance of Vlad’s revelation.
The Law of Space was universally acknowledged as one of the most formidable and versatile abilities available, standing far above most other Laws. However, the inherent complexity and difficulty of mastering spatial manipulation made even rudimentary proficiency incredibly rare. Yet now, Vlad had seemingly gained an innate edge, allowing him to bypass years, perhaps decades, of painstaking cultivation.
Suddenly, realization dawned in Jormungandr’s mind. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, fixing sharply upon Vlad. "Wait a second, boss. Did you actually choose the Voidborn Embodiment Cultivation Technique from the Legendary Level in the library?"
Before Vlad could respond, Ouroboros immediately interjected with incredulous disbelief, "Brother, please! There’s no way Master would’ve chosen something as flawed as that, especially when two perfectly powerful and stable Legendary techniques were right beside it!"
Fafnir nodded vigorously, clearly agreeing with Ouroboros’s assessment. All three had previously reviewed the Legendary Level cultivation techniques in detail, each distinctly recalling the mysterious warning about the Void Embodiment’s instability and flaws. It was a path that only someone truly reckless—or outright insane—would willingly select.
Yet, as they observed Vlad’s complicated expression, disbelief gradually appeared on their faces. Realizing their suspicions might be accurate, Fafnir couldn’t help blurting out incredulously, "Teacher... are you really that crazy?"
Vlad laughed softly, clearly unconcerned by their bewilderment. "Let’s not worry about small things. Time is precious right now; we have much more pressing concerns. Although, I admit, choosing Void Embodiment was somewhat reckless initially. But after acquiring the demon’s spatial abilities, my decision suddenly looks much less insane, doesn’t it?"
The other Depravitas, shaking their heads with mild disbelief, exchanged resigned glances. Indeed, Vlad was undoubtedly bold, perhaps dangerously so. Yet his boldness had frequently led them to spectacular gains.