After listening to Yin's explanation, Yang Kai gave a slight nod. The current state of the Myriad Demon Cave was essentially the same as the whale-like devouring of all the World Yuan Qi across the entire Cloud Shadow Continent — naturally, it would turn this place into a holy ground for Cultivation.
Over the next few days, this phenomenon grew ever more pronounced. The World Yuan Qi converging from all directions grew stronger by the day. With the Myriad Demon Cave at the center, within a radius of ten li, countless demons sat cross-legged in silent meditation, diligently circulating their profound arts, greedily boosting their own strength.
Lao Ke, Yin, and Corson took turns standing watch. While one kept an eye on the Myriad Demon Cave, the other two would seek out favorable spots to sit and cultivate.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, had nothing to do. The Cultivation conditions here were excellent, but the World Yuan Qi of the Demon Realm wasn't particularly suited to him. After observing for several days, there were still no signs of the Myriad Demon Pill forming. The initial curiosity had worn off, replaced by a creeping boredom — he would have been better off back at the World Gate, contemplating the Laws of Space.
But leaving now might mean having to come right back, so he could only wait with what patience he could muster.
Gazing at the Myriad Demon Cave as it devoured the ambient Yuan Qi from every direction, Yang Kai thought that if he sent the Dharma Body in, it should reap considerable benefits. The efficiency of all the demons Cultivating here would multiply severalfold, and with the Dharma Body's Heaven Devouring Battle Law, the effect would likely be even greater.
Once the thought took root, it became impossible to suppress. He could barely contain his eagerness to throw the Dharma Body in and test the results.
He glanced around and spotted Lao Ke standing guard not far away, with the other demons assigned to monitor the perimeter scattered about in their usual manner. No one was paying him any attention. His figure flickered, and he vanished from where he stood.
To avoid raising any suspicion, Yang Kai traveled a hundred li away from the Myriad Demon Cave, found an unoccupied stretch of land, and released the Dharma Body.
With a thought, the Dharma Body understood his intent. Its enormous frame sank soundlessly into the earth and began approaching the Myriad Demon Cave from underground.
A short while later, Yang Kai returned to the area near the Myriad Demon Cave. Lao Ke glanced at him with a hint of curiosity but didn't dare ask any questions.
Yang Kai assumed an air of utter boredom, sat cross-legged, and appeared to be resting with his eyes closed. In truth, he was closely monitoring the Dharma Body's movements.
A thousand zhang underground, the Dharma Body moved swiftly. Soil and rock posed no obstacle whatsoever, and in no time it had reached the vicinity of the Myriad Demon Cave. After a brief pause, it burst through the final layer of defenses in one surge and entered the cave itself.
The moment it did, Yang Kai's spirit stirred. The Dharma Body was formed from a sliver of his consciousness animating a Stone Puppet's body, so whatever the Dharma Body experienced, he felt firsthand.
At this moment, the interior of what had seemed an unremarkable cave was awash with a kaleidoscope of colors. The entire Myriad Demon Cave had become like a living organism, pulsing ceaselessly. With each pulse, it swallowed a massive volume of World Yuan Qi.
More than that, Yang Kai faintly sensed that something else was being drawn into the cave along with the Yuan Qi. However, separated by the layer of the Dharma Body's consciousness, he couldn't make out exactly what it was.
Fortunately, the Dharma Body's entry hadn't triggered any anomalies — otherwise, he would have been exposed for certain.
After lingering briefly, the Dharma Body shot straight toward the deepest reaches of the cave. The further in it went, the more inconceivable the stored energy became. Along the cavern walls, there were growths resembling tumors — roughly the size of a fist, undulating with the cave's pulsations, as though beating like hearts.
These fist-sized tumors were neither flesh nor stone, strikingly bizarre in appearance, yet Yang Kai could clearly sense the terrifying energy contained within each one.
Unable to determine what these growths actually were, the Dharma Body didn't dare touch them lightly.
After a while longer, the Dharma Body reached the very bottom of the Myriad Demon Cave. Here was an enormous space already saturated with an almost unimaginable concentration of World Yuan Qi. The Yuan Qi that had gathered here had nearly condensed from mist into a liquid state, leaving droplet-like formations clinging to every surrounding wall.
Finding a spot, the Dharma Body sat down cross-legged and activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Its massive body instantly became a bottomless abyss, devouring the Yuan Qi of this place wholesale.
Moments later, a faint smile curved the lips of Yang Kai, who sat outside with eyes closed in feigned repose. Just as he had predicted, Cultivating inside the Myriad Demon Cave yielded astonishing results. If the Cultivation speed of Lao Ke and the others was several times their normal rate, then inside the cave, it was likely dozens of times — perhaps even a hundred times over.
Such terrifying efficiency was probably achievable only by the Dharma Body. Anyone else, even given the same conditions, without the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to rely on, would be unable to devour a meaningful amount of World Yuan Qi and would simply waste the opportunity.
As time passed, the reserve of World Yuan Qi accumulated within the Myriad Demon Cave showed no sign of diminishing, though the rate of increase had slowed considerably — after all, the Dharma Body's devouring speed was anything but slow.
Through the Dharma Body, Yang Kai continued observing the conditions inside the cave, hoping to uncover its secrets.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he suddenly sensed something. A soft sound of surprise escaped his lips. This drew Lao Ke's attention from his nearby vigil. Lao Ke turned to look, and after watching for a long while without seeing any further movement from Yang Kai, he finally looked away.
Yang Kai hadn't noticed Lao Ke's attention at all. His entire focus was immersed in probing the mysteries of the Myriad Demon Cave.