Now, perched at the very peak of the world, Yanwei felt indifferent to the presence of rank 9 cultivators—let alone the few rank 8s scattered below. Boredom had completely overtaken him; he was, in every sense, utterly bored.

He wondered, “Why did I even strive to reach this peak? Is this truly how those who have attained the pinnacle of existence feel? Even if I had achieved the unparalleled glory I dreamed of as a child, would I feel any different?”

Was this it? He had reached the summit, but all he found was emptiness.

Suddenly, his storage ring trembled. A faint vibration—small, yet powerful enough to pull him from his spiraling thoughts.

Startled, he reached for the source of the disturbance, and as he pulled the object out, his heart skipped a beat.

It was the tablet—the very same artifact that had accompanied him since his days as a rank 2 cultivator. A mysterious relic from an ancient secret realm, long dismissed as a meaningless trinket.

And yet, at this moment, it resonated with him.

Two words glowed on its surface:

“Rank 10.”

A shiver ran down his spine. His fingers trembled. His pulse pounded furiously.

A long-lost smile crept onto his face—serene yet filled with untamed hunger. If anyone had seen it, they might have mistaken it for the tranquil smile of an immortal. But beneath that beauty lay madness, an unquenchable thirst.

Two words.

Two words that shattered his boredom.

Two words that ignited something within him.

Two words that held the promise of more.

“Rank 10…” he whispered, tasting the words like divine scripture.

Was it real? Was it a trick? It didn’t matter. It was hope. A demon who had consumed countless lives, who could devour rank 8 cultivators whole, who could eradicate entire cities without hesitation… was suddenly driven mad by just two words.

Even if it was a lie, he would tear apart reality itself to prove it wrong.

The Descent into Madness

Unsure of where to begin, he turned to the only thing he truly trusted—experimentation.

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At first, he tested his dantian, seeking flaws and limits, but found none. Next, he delved into the depths of his spiritual soul, dissecting his very essence, but no answer lay there either. Then came his own human body, breaking it down piece by piece, yet still, he found nothing.

So he expanded his scope.

Humans were too frail, too limited. He needed something more.

He hunted the strongest demons, dissecting them while they screamed. He captured ancient monsters, feeding them poisons, forcing evolution, watching them twist into something beyond comprehension. He gathered the remnants of long-extinct races, reforging their broken DNA with his own energy.

What was the limit?

Where did perfection begin?

His experiments became legend. Some whispered his name with reverence, others with hatred. But no one could ignore him.

Then, after a hundred years of relentless research, he found the answer.

Not a perfect answer, but a beginning.

A path.

The Path of the Devourer.

A road with no return.

For a brief moment, he hesitated.

“Am I crazy for doing this?”

He chuckled.

“No… this is the only path worth taking.”

What was the alternative? To grow old? To rot in stagnation?

No, if the heavens refused to grant him a way forward, he would devour the heavens themselves.

The Birth of a Monster

With newfound resolve, Yanwei poured every last resource he had into creating a container—a vessel capable of holding his new power.

He starved entire kingdoms of their precious materials. He plundered rank 5 and rank 6 sects, breaking their defenses as if they were made of paper. He stole divine treasures meant for saints and turned them into fuel for his own evolution.

Finally, after years of toil—

It was complete.

The ultimate body. The perfect organism. The first step to something greater.

Yanwei laughed, his voice echoing across the land.

“I finally did it! A path of my own! So what if the gods stand in my way?! They will crumble beneath my feet!”

His laughter grew louder, filled with boundless ambition.

“Isn’t this what I wanted?! To carve my name into the history of this world?! To create an unparalleled glory—not as a hero, but as the one who would defy the heavens themselves?! The one who would defy fate itself?!”

Then, he made his move.

The Declaration That Shook the World

His voice boomed across the continent, a divine decree laced with the weight of his power.

“Now, let the showdown begin! Every race on this continent that can hear me—gather in my territory on December 31st! I have grand gifts awaiting you! Those who refuse to come will not only dishonor me but will also incur my wrath!”

The world descended into chaos.

Every rank 9 from every race was in an uproar.

“This Yanwei is unbelievably arrogant! He even dares to threaten entire races?!” bellowed Changkong, a high elder of the human race.

Another rank 9 sneered, “We should join forces and wipe him out before he causes more trouble!”

Yet, another voice countered, “No… it’s too risky. Even if we manage to kill him, how can we be sure none of us will perish in the process? If that happens, our enemies will pounce on us immediately.”

Changkong’s eyes narrowed. “We wait. We see what game this demon is playing.”

And so, the world held its breath.

For the first time in centuries, the balance of power was shifting.

The Dawn of a New Era

Meanwhile, in the depths of his lair, Yanwei gazed at his new vessel—his creation, his masterpiece.

The beginning of something that should not exist.

The dawn of something beyond human, beyond demon, beyond the very laws of existence.

Yet, despite his success, he sighed.

“I’m so poor… I even had to rob rank 5s and 6s just to finish this.”

He shook his head. “Well, at least it’s complete. But I still need more resources to cultivate…”

He smiled.

And soon, he would take them.