124: The Demon Lord Who Overturned the Seas, the Thief Who Stole the World
Deathly silence.
After devouring billions of living beings and turning the entire world into a graveyard, Liu Qingtian did not feel the joy of overflowing power, but rather a chilling void that penetrated his bones. The Demonic Seed slowly pulsed inside his body like a second heart, strong and vigorous, yet only pumping the blood of darkness and deathly silence.
He stood in the center of the desolate land, dark red Demonic Runes covering his entire body. His original form as a demonic plant was completely twisted, now resembling a grotesque tree, symbolizing the End, having grown out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Its branches and leaves were like congealed blood, and its roots were deeply embedded in the lifeless Earth Veins, instinctively drawing the last remaining traces of Turbid Earth Qi from this dying world.
However, the Demonic Seed's greed was boundless. After devouring all living creatures, it set its sights on the world itself.
“Hungry...”
“Not enough...”
“Origin... the world's Origin...”
Mad thoughts echoed in Liu Qingtian's Sea of Consciousness, which was dominated by his Demonic Nature. He raised his head, his dark red Demonic Pupils gazing at the gray sky, as if trying to penetrate this veil of death and see the core Law and energy source supporting this world—the World Origin.
In a World of Absolute Spirit Deprivation, the Origin is usually deeply hidden, maintaining the most basic material rules and cycles. It is extremely obscure and difficult for individual power to touch. But at this moment, Liu Qingtian, relying on the Demonic Seed's extreme sensitivity to Vitality and energy, as well as the massive negative energy and resentment accumulated after devouring billions of beings, vaguely sensed it.
Deepest within the earth, and highest in the sky, there existed an energy core that was weak yet extremely high in essence. That was the world's “heart,” the root source that once nurtured life.
“Seize... it...”
An incredibly clear thought, one that made his Remaining Consciousness tremble, slithered out like a viper.
He wanted to devour this world's Origin! Just like Luo Jiuxuan devoured the Primordial Realm!
The moment this thought appeared, it spread like wildfire, instantly igniting all the Demonic Seed's desires. He seemed to see the Opportunity for a Breakthrough, saw greater power, saw... perhaps the only possibility of escaping his current state as a Walking Corpse?
Although this possibility was minimal, it felt more like continuing to slide down into the abyss of depravity.
He did not hesitate. Or rather, the Demonic Seed did not give him the chance to hesitate.
“Boom—!”
Overwhelming Devilish Qi erupted from Liu Qingtian's body, and a dark red light shot up into the sky, staining the gray heavens of this silent world with an ominous blood-red hue! He forcibly mobilized all the power accumulated from devouring myriad spirits, even burning the Demonic Seed Origin that had not yet fully formed!
Countless thick, dark red root systems, like Coiled Dragons, frantically drilled out from beneath his feet, tearing apart the dry earth, drilling desperately towards the deepest part of the earth's core, towards the sensed Origin! At the same time, dark red willow branches waved across the sky like countless tentacles, stabbing towards the gray firmament, attempting to capture and drag down the Sky Origin that existed on the level of Law.
This was an extremely violent and utterly insane process! Completely disregardful of the world's endurance, solely focused on plunder!
The earth wailed and cracked beneath his roots, revealing bottomless ravines. The sky twisted and shook under his tearing, issuing sounds of unbearable fracture. The entire material structure of the world was accelerating toward collapse due to this savage plundering!
The remaining World Origin sensed a fatal threat and began to instinctively resist and contract. A heavy repulsive force came from the depths of the Earth Veins, and the Sky Law became chaotic and dangerous.
But Liu Qingtian was already insane! He burned the Demonic Seed, squeezing out every fraction of power. Countless twisted Devouring Runes appeared on his roots and willow branches, forcibly breaking through layer after layer of invisible barriers!
“Get out... now!!”
He let out a roar that seemed to tear the Soul, and the Devilish Qi surged to its extreme peak!
Crack—!
It was as if something had shattered.
A pure, heavy, earthy yellow stream of Qi carrying the memories of mountains and rivers (Earth Origin), and a light, lofty, pale blue stream of Qi containing the rules of wind and cloud changes (Sky Origin), were forcibly torn out of the world's core by him!
The moment these two Origin Qi Streams appeared, the world's rate of decay suddenly accelerated! Mountains and rivers collapsed faster, and huge cracks began to appear in the sky, as if it would completely disintegrate the next second!
Greedy red light burst forth from Liu Qingtian's eyes, and the Demonic Seed vibrated with joy! He opened his “giant mouth” (formed by countless interwoven willow branches) and, like a whale swallowing the ocean, frantically sucked the two streams of Origin Power, representing the world's root source, into his body!
“Rumble—!!!”
At the moment he devoured the Origin, the world let out its final lament, then fell into absolute, Eternity silence. Stars dimmed, Myriad Things Returned to Ruin, and all matter, having lost the support of the Origin, began its slow, irreversible disintegration into fundamental particles.
And Liu Qingtian, the instant he devoured the World Origin, his Demonic Seed was like the recipient of the most perfect nourishment. It suddenly swelled and solidified, finally achieving complete Fusion with his remaining tree heart, his shattered Golden Body Fragments, and all his Devilish Qi!
A terrifying power, far more immense and vast than the Golden Body Realm, capable of overturning rivers and seas and shaking the stars, erupted violently from within him!
Dark red Demonic Light shot straight into the cosmos, reflecting the surrounding disintegrating space in a bloody red hue! His body further swelled and deformed in the Demonic Light, becoming more hideous and inhuman, exuding an Aura of Destruction that made all things tremble!
Fuhai Realm! Achieved!
Moreover, this was a Fuhai Demonic Realm forcibly achieved through the most extreme and evil Demonic Path method: devouring the living beings and Origin of an entire world!
Power, a strength never before experienced, filled his limbs and bones. It felt as if a simple movement of his hand could trigger Stellar Tides and overturn thousands of miles of mountains and rivers.
However, Liu Qingtian stood rooted to the spot, motionless.
He lowered his head, looking at his completely demonized shell, which was entwined with the world's wails and endless Death Qi. He felt the cold, tyrannical Demonic Essence within his body, filled with the desire for destruction.
He succeeded. He achieved the Fuhai Realm, possessing the power he had once dreamed of.
But what was the cost?
He slaughtered billions of innocent lives, turning a world that might have had its own civilization and history into a cold tomb. He plundered the world's Origin and became a World Thief.
He recalled Luo Jiuxuan's indifference and sense of entitlement when devouring the Primordial Realm. At that time, he was filled with rage and resentment, viewing him as a Mortal Enemy.
But what about now?
To survive, and for power, he had done exactly the same things as Luo Jiuxuan, perhaps even more despicable! Luo Jiuxuan devouring the Primordial Realm might have followed the cruel logic of the Eighth Realm's destiny. But he, Liu Qingtian, committed this monstrous crime purely out of Selfish Desire, just to cling to life!
He had become the kind of person he most despised and hated.
No, he was even more despicable than Luo Jiuxuan. Luo Jiuxuan was a high and mighty Dominator, indifferent to all beings. But he, Liu Qingtian, had crawled up from the dust, only to crush more dust with his own hands, climbing up over countless corpses... a Devil Head.
“Hehe... Hahaha...”
Hoarse, twisted laughter, full of self-mockery and despair, erupted from the trunk of this Sea Overturning Demonic Tree, echoing through the silent ruins of the slowly disintegrating world. It sounded especially grating and desolate.
He had gained power, but lost everything. Dao Heart? It had shattered the moment he was Entering the Demonic Path. Conscience? Drowned by endless blood. Homeland? The Primordial Realm was destroyed. Future? Nothing but darkness.
He stood atop the mountain of corpses and sea of blood he had created, having become a thorough monster, one he himself felt disgusted by.
Destiny seemed to have played the most vicious joke on him. He desperately tried to break free from Luo Jiuxuan's Shadow, but ultimately lived to become his most extreme reflection—and perhaps even surpassed him.
The power of his Demonic Nature surged within him, tempting him to move on to the next world and continue this endless cycle of devouring and plundering.
Yet, that trace of remaining consciousness and regret belonging to “Liu Qingtian” was like a dying candle in a gale, barely visible before the overwhelming Demonic Might and endless darkness.
Where was the road ahead? Was salvation... still possible?