Chu Feng's previous acquisition of the Nine Heavens Secret Land's power had not been a smooth ride. Before entering the Dominator Stone Tablet, he and Fu Xing had undergone a trial.
The one who had tested them at the time was none other than this burly figure clad in black armor, whose voice, however, was as tender as that of a young boy.
He had assumed that once the trial was over, they would never meet again. Yet here they were, face to face once more.
The other party's cultivation now was just as unfathomable as that of the Spirit God and the Brush God. It was clear that no one in the Nine Heavens Secret Land was ordinary.
"You may call me Black Soul," the black-armored man said.
"Lord Black Soul," Chu Feng addressed him.
"No need for 'Lord'—just Black Soul is fine," the man replied.
"Black Soul," Chu Feng agreed.
"Now that's more like it."
"Come with me. I'll take you to see the Demon God." Black Soul turned and led the way.
"The Demon God?" Chu Feng's eyes filled with curiosity.
"You've already met the Spirit God, yes?" Black Soul asked.
"Yes. It was the Spirit God who brought me here," Chu Feng said.
"This Nine Heavens Secret Land is governed by the Spirit God and the Demon God."
"As for me, I follow the Demon God. Your trial back then was also the Demon God's idea."
"So if anything, you could say you're someone the Demon God has taken a liking to," Black Soul said.
But no sooner had he finished speaking than the Brush God's roar rang out through the void: "Hey, Black Soul, what are you saying? The Spirit God thinks highly of Chu Feng too, you know!"
"Oh, my mistake, my mistake."
"I didn't mean it like that."
Upon hearing this, the imposing Black Soul hastily bowed repeatedly in the direction of the voice.
The comical gesture, combined with the childish boyish voice, was utterly at odds with his dignified appearance.
But soon he leaned in close to Chu Feng and whispered, "Heh heh, that Brush God girl follows the Spirit God, so you can't say anything bad about the Spirit God in front of her."
Chu Feng smiled but said nothing.
Black Soul then suddenly adopted a serious expression and said: "Chu Feng, since you're also a Spirit World Master, let me test you with a question."
"Barrier formations require resources. A Spirit World Master's barrier power can serve as a resource. But if the Spirit World Master wishes to leave and still wants the formation to be maintained for a long time, external resources are needed."
"So—which lasts longer: treasure resources or living resources?" Black Soul asked.
"I don't think you can give a blanket answer. It really depends on the strength of the treasure resources and the living resources," Chu Feng said.
"What if they're equal?" Black Soul pressed.
"Then it would naturally be living resources."
"Treasures, rare natural artifacts—they all have limited power and will eventually run dry."
"But a living creature that possesses barrier power, as long as you keep it alive and draw barrier power from it in an appropriate manner, can provide a continuous stream of barrier power to drive the formation."
"However, while treasures imbued with barrier power or rare natural artifacts are easy enough to find, living creatures that can be used in barrier formations are far harder to come by."
"In terms of rarity, the two aren't even on the same level," Chu Feng explained.
"So what do you think powers this Nine Heavens Secret Land's extraordinarily swift teleportation?" Black Soul asked next.
"Could it be... powerful demonic beasts?"
"Surely it's not the Demon God or the Spirit God themselves?" Chu Feng asked.
In his view, whether it was the Spirit God or the Demon God that Black Soul spoke of, neither of their true forms was an ordinary existence. And since they governed this place, it would be perfectly reasonable for them to possess special abilities related to it.
"Of course not," Black Soul shook his head.
"If it's not the Spirit God or the Demon God, then it must be living resources," Chu Feng said.
"Oh? Tell me your reasoning," Black Soul asked.
"Since you're asking me like that, the answer here must be living resources. And living resources powerful enough to wield such force are invariably also very strong—which is precisely the biggest drawback of living resources. They're extremely difficult to control."