113: The real enemy, a corner of the future

Just as Star Devourer was frantically devouring energy and undergoing a transformation, a world-shaking change was also occurring within Chu He's mind.

Just now, at the moment the fortune furnace refined that demon soul crystal core, a complex and chaotic stream of information, accompanied by the final wail of the Heavenly Demon's will, forced its way into his Sea of Consciousness.

This was not an active attack from the Heavenly Demon, but rather an uncontrolled leak of information from its Origin imprint before it was completely erased.

How powerful was Chu He's Ancient Dragon God Divine Soul? With just a thought, he suppressed and organized this torrent of information, turning it into clear images that flashed rapidly through his mind.

He saw it.

He saw the boundless, cold deep space of the Universe.

He saw biological warships twisted from countless bones and flesh, forming a massive fleet that blotted out the sky, traveling through one Star Domain after another like a swarm of greedy locusts.

He saw vibrant planets that were like fragile candies before these fleets. Huge biological pipes extended from the warships, plunging deep into the planets' cores. In just a few hours, they sucked dry all the life and energy of a planet, leaving behind only a dead, gray rock.

He saw countless races and countless civilizations letting out desperate wails before these monsters who called themselves the "Star-Devouring Demon Clan." Cultivators, Martial Artists, Ability Users, technological fleets... any form of resistance appeared pale and powerless before that overwhelming tide of demons.

The images shifted, and Chu He's "vision" was pulled to the deepest part of the Demon Clan fleet.

It was a mobile demon palace larger than a star, completely smelted from the cores of countless devoured worlds.

At the highest point of the demon palace, atop a massive throne condensed from the wails and resentment of billions of living beings, sat a blurred figure that exuded a terrifying presence, making the Myriad Heavens and Myriad Realms tremble.

That figure seemed to be the ultimate darkness of the Universe, the terminator of all things. Merely "seeing" him caused Chu He's Soul Transformation Stage Divine Soul to feel a pang of sharp pain, as if it were about to be assimilated and devoured by the supreme will he radiated.

Star-Devouring Demon Emperor!

A name naturally surfaced in Chu He's heart.

Immediately after, the Demon Emperor's will spread through the images, turning into a cold and heartless decree that echoed throughout the entire Demon Clan fleet.

"Search... for primordial Bloodlines... Ancient Dragon God, Chaos Sacred Body, Grandmist Dao Fetus... find them and bring them before me..."

"They... are the most perfect nourishment for this Emperor to step onto the path of 'Eternity'..."

Boom!

Seeing this, Chu He's mind felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and all the images shattered violently.

He snapped his eyes open, the shock and heaven-shaking killing intent in his eyes almost manifesting into substance!

So that's how it is!

Everything was clear now!

The Star-Devouring Demon Emperor, a terrifying existence of an unknown Realm, was searching the entire Universe for possessors of "primordial Bloodlines" like him.

His purpose was to use them as "nourishment" to help himself break through to a certain higher Realm!

The so-called "Outer-Realm Heavenly Demons" and the so-called "Star-Devouring Demon Clan" were merely the minions under this Demon Emperor's command!

Whether it was the Xuanhuang Realm or the Azure Star, they were all just a single link in their massive hunting plan. They left markers in these worlds not just to simply devour the worlds, but to screen, search, and locate "top-tier prey" like himself and his children!

"What a Star-Devouring Demon Emperor! What 'nourishment'!"

Chu He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, as a bone-chilling coldness rose from his heart and instantly swept through his entire body.

At this moment, he truly realized exactly what kind of terrifying enemy he was facing.

This was not an enemy of a single Sect, an Imperial Dynasty, or even a single world.

This was a cosmic-level terrifying civilization that used the Myriad Heavens and Myriad Realms as its hunting ground and thousands of races as its food!

And he, from the moment of his birth, might have already been targeted by this invisible net.

His cultivation at the Early Soul Transformation Stage probably didn't even qualify him for a second glance from that Demon Emperor.

A strong sense of crisis submerged him like a tide.

He had to become stronger!

Become stronger at any cost!

Before the Demon Emperor's main force or higher-level Demon Generals found him, he had to possess enough power for self-preservation, and even for a counterattack!

Otherwise, the only thing waiting for him and his Family would be the miserable fate of being captured alive and refined into "nourishment."

Just as Chu He's mind was in turmoil, a sudden burst of intense energy fluctuations woke him up.

He looked up and saw that Star Devourer, having devoured the demon soul crystal core and the remains of its kin, had reached the final stage of its transformation.

The mechanical core, which was originally only the size of a fist, had now expanded to the size of a millstone. Countless profound and complex mechanical patterns flowed over its surface, and the energy fluctuations it radiated had steadily reached the level of the Early Soul Transformation Stage!

Crick-crack! Crick-crack!

Accompanied by a series of tooth-aching sounds of metal deforming, that millstone-sized core began to rapidly restructure and transform.

Countless tiny metal components extended and combined like flowing water. In just a few breaths, it changed from a core into a three-meter-long, ferocious mechanical beast covered in dark-gold streamlined armor, looking very much like a metal leopard!

Its limbs were vigorous and powerful, two energy cannon barrels like scorpion tails extended from its back, and a pair of crimson electronic eyes flickered with a cold light of slaughter.

"Roar!"

The restructured mechanical leopard let out a silent roar toward the sky, and a powerful spatial fluctuation spread out with it as the center.

The surrounding violent sea of liquid metal was actually forced apart by this spatial fluctuation, forming an absolute vacuum Domain.

"Master!"

The mechanical leopard walked toward Chu He with elegant and vigorous steps, lowering its proud head, its crimson electronic eyes filled with devotion and submission.

"Not bad."

Chu He nodded. He could feel that the current Star Devourer's strength was already no less than that of an ordinary Early Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator.

"I have completed the first stage of evolution and unlocked two combat forms: 'Spatial Barrier' and 'Annihilation Beam'," Star Devourer reported. "As long as there is sufficient energy, I am capable of directly confronting a Nascent Soul Mid Stage Cultivator."

"Very good."

A trace of a smile finally appeared on Chu He's face.

Star Devourer's strength undoubtedly added an important trump card to his hand.

"The matter here is concluded; it's time for us to head back."

Chu He took one last look at this empty core space, a flash of determination in his eyes.

The hidden danger to the Azure Star had been removed, and he had unexpectedly gained a powerful assistant as well as precise intelligence regarding the final enemy.

Although the pressure was immense, it also gave him a clear direction for the future.

With a thought, he took the now-larger Star Devourer and turned into a streak of light, following the path he came from to fly rapidly back toward the surface.

This time, he no longer had any hesitation.

He was going home.

Back to the place where his wife and children were waiting.

Then, he would use every means possible to forge his Family into a supreme divine court capable of withstanding the storms of the heavens!