"You're done for. I've already defeated you, so just surrender obediently," Zhou Yan said with a cold laugh.
"Impossible! How could you possibly have such strength?" the Evil Emperor exclaimed in shock.
"Nothing is impossible."
Zhou Yan charged towards the Evil Emperor again, intending to completely crush him.
"Rumble!"
"Pfft!"
The two instantly collided. Zhou Yan's punch shattered the Evil Emperor's chest, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Zhou Yan then struck the Evil Emperor's other leg with another punch. The Evil Emperor let out a howl of pain and collapsed straight onto the ground, unable to move.
Looking at the Evil Emperor's state, Zhou Yan didn't hesitate. He charged forward again and stomped on the Evil Emperor's head, pinning him to the ground.
"Xiao Hei, help me cripple the Evil Emperor. At this point, he probably won't live much longer."
"Alright, Master, don't worry. I'll make sure to handle it and get you the treasures on the Evil Emperor soon."
Xiao Hei readily agreed.
Xiao Hei vanished from its spot in an instant, appearing directly behind the Evil Emperor. It grabbed the Evil Emperor's shoulder with its right claw, then flicked its claw, flinging the Evil Emperor into the air. With a leap, Xiao Hei reappeared above the Evil Emperor, grabbed both of his arms with its claws, lifted him entirely, and then thrust its claws forward forcefully, throwing the Evil Emperor far away.
"Boom!"
The Evil Emperor's body smashed into the ground, causing an entire mountain peak to collapse. He then fell into the rubble, where a violent explosion occurred, reducing him to countless particles of dust.
"Hahahaha."
Watching the scene unfold, Xiao Hei couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The Evil Emperor was dead.
Looking at the dust covering the mountain, Zhou Yan couldn't help but sigh at the tragic end. The Evil Emperor had been heavily injured by him and then finished off by Xiao Hei.
The Evil Emperor was indeed formidable, to have not died immediately in such a state.
However, his death now saved him a lot of trouble.
Zhou Yan walked up to the cave entrance, surveyed it, and then shifted his gaze to the liquid inside, which emitted black smoke and a foul stench. Zhou Yan sniffed it; he had smelled this odor before, but it paled in comparison to the smell emanating from the cave.
Zhou Yan entered and walked to a corner. He picked up a bottle filled with black smoke with his right hand and opened it. Immediately, a plume of black smoke billowed out.
"Huh? This thing is indeed strange. This black smoke is peculiar."
Zhou Yan frowned, then inhaled all the black smoke from the bottle into his nostrils. Feeling the presence of the black smoke, a fiery sensation rose within Zhou Yan. He felt as though his blood was boiling, a feeling that made him extremely uncomfortable, yet his expression remained calm, betraying no outward signs.
"What exactly is this stuff that has such an effect?" Zhou Yan wondered with a frown.
"Master, I sense that this thing is not simple. If my guess is correct, it can definitely enhance physical strength, even increase power levels, and its effects on the body are very significant," Xiao Hei explained.
"This is truly a great tonic for me. I must take it all," Zhou Yan's eyes gleamed with a fervent desire.
"Master, although this thing can help you increase your strength rapidly, it has other uses as well."
Xiao Hei continued.
"Other uses?" Zhou Yan asked in confusion.
"Yes, Master. This thing can significantly boost your power, and it might even allow you to break through the Divine realm and reach the Divine King level, though it comes at a cost."
Xiao Hei replied.
"Divine King level?" Zhou Yan's eyes couldn't help but show a hint of excitement. He hadn't expected his luck to be so good.
This thing was truly extraordinary, capable of allowing one to cultivate to Divine realm strength quickly and even break through to the Divine King realm. If this were true, it would be a tremendous boon for Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan was already at the ninth heaven of the Martial Emperor realm. To take the next step, he needed to convert all his divine essence into divine power.
The method for converting divine essence required divine power of the Divine King level, but this conversion process would take many years. Zhou Yan had already been unable to break through to the Divine King realm for over a hundred years.
Therefore, this thing was extremely important to him. If he could achieve a breakthrough, Zhou Yan believed his strength would undoubtedly advance another level.
"This thing is very important to me. If I can obtain it, I will experience a massive improvement," Zhou Yan mused inwardly.
"Master, I believe this black smoke will be of great benefit to you. I suggest you first use this black smoke to temper your body and enhance your physique, and then I will help you convert your divine essence," Xiao Hei reminded him again.
Zhou Yan nodded, then collected all the black smoke into his storage ring before proceeding to bathe.
As the black smoke entered Zhou Yan's body, it transformed into a black mist and began to roam within him. It then started to temper Zhou Yan's meridians, skin, and blood vessels, making his meridians tougher, his blood vessels more robust, and his muscles and bones more solid. It even strengthened Zhou Yan's body significantly, increasing his physical resilience.
Zhou Yan purified all the black smoke and absorbed it into his body, allowing it to become a part of him.
After completing this, Zhou Yan left the cave.
At this point, Zhou Yan noticed numerous dark holes carved into the mountain walls, excavated by the Evil Emperor. However, Zhou Yan found no trace of the Evil Emperor's corpse on the mountain.
This indicated that the Evil Emperor had indeed escaped, only to be dealt with by Xiao Hei.
Zhou Yan didn't dwell on this place any further and continued deeper. Ahead lay a vast canyon filled with numerous black lava lakes. The black lava within these lakes was black, yet it contained a potent medicinal essence that was highly beneficial to cultivators.
"What kind of ghost place is this?" Zhou Yan muttered with a frown. This place was too bizarre. Zhou Yan felt as if he had entered a labyrinth.
Even Zhou Yan was unsure where this place led.
Zhou Yan pressed forward but soon encountered danger. Countless monsters appeared. These monsters were about three meters tall, entirely black, with ferocious appearances. A single roar from them could unleash sonic wave attacks capable of shattering large stones, a truly terrifying display of power.