The old man beckoned a third time. This time, a green apple flew out of the conical flask. The apple was covered with countless human figures of all races, including some never before seen in the Abyss.
"And the envy of all!"
The green apple plunged into the boiling medium, suddenly neutralizing it. The liquid rippled with strange waves before settling. The three-dimensional magic array resembled a vast cauldron, holding a potion of white-gold glowing liquid. Gaia's tiny form bobbed up and down within it.
The old man spread his arms wide. The wide sleeves of his trench coat fell away, revealing gaunt arms with veins bulging like ancient tree roots, faintly glowing with a pale blue light. His arms trembled slightly, as if straining with every ounce of strength to lift an invisible weight:
"An ancient legacy from the Nirvana Divine Realm, transcending the shallow dignity of later divine lineages. Let the supreme power reveal to your devout followers what you deem the humblest miracle—prove that you are omnipotent!"
As he chanted, his emaciated form beneath the trench coat suddenly radiated a blinding light. The glow enveloped the three-dimensional magic array, coiling around it like strands of silver thread. As the light intensified, the medium within the array diminished, merging with the radiance to form a translucent crystalline cocoon encasing Gaia.
"Cough..." The old man coughed violently, his steps faltering. Outside, Victor couldn't help but cry out in concern, "Master!" The old man waved him off. Then, with considerable effort, he pushed into the void. Nine quartz syringes, each fitted with a golden band, flew out from the box. Ancient magical arrays were intricately carved into the fine patterns on the syringes, each containing a silver liquid.
The old man raised his hands, and the nine vials pierced the crystal cocoon, embedding themselves in Gaia's crown, shoulders, kidneys, legs, and feet. The silver liquid slowly poured in, swiftly circulating throughout Gaia's entire body. Gaia's form became transparent, every thread of blood vessel turning silver...
Gaia opened his eyes. Never in this lifetime—no, not even in his previous one—had he slept so soundly. Upon waking, the entire world seemed brighter.
Before him stood the author, an elderly man who looked utterly exhausted, sweat glistening on his eyebrows and beard. He gazed at Gaia with a smile. Strangely, Gaia felt not a shred of hostility toward him.
"What did you do to me?" Gaia asked.
"I waited for you to wake up, simply to tell you I've transformed you into an Infinite Devouring Body. There are things you need to know," the old man replied. Victor stood respectfully behind him.
"Infinite Devouring Body? Sounds powerful. What are its benefits?" Gaia inquired curiously, trying his best to sound like a fourteen-year-old boy.
"Benefits?" The old man smiled, pondering carefully before answering. "Child, the benefits of the Infinite Devouring Body are many. You'll uncover them gradually in time. It's an ancient legacy—even I can't fully explain it. What I can tell you is this: you can inject magical energy mediums without limit. So don't worry about your poor constitution. You have infinite opportunities to reshape your body."
The old man stood up. "Well then, child, I must go. If fate permits, we shall meet again."
Gaia could no longer maintain his act. He sprang to his feet and bowed deeply with utmost respect. "Elder, whether it be a debt of gratitude or a debt of blood, Gaia shall repay it. Please tell me your name." The old man regarded Gaia with interest. "Child, it seems you're not as simple as you appear. You need not ask my name. When your abilities are sufficient, you will know it naturally..."
Gaia's vision blurred, and in an instant, both men vanished. Inside the cave, the campfire crackled and roared. Old Anderson slept soundly. Gaia stared at the cave entrance, overcome by a wave of loss.
The Infinite Devouring Body—could he truly be this fortunate?
In his previous life, he had poured his heart and soul into his work only to face betrayal and treachery. Projects he'd dedicated everything to repeatedly failed due to unforeseen accidents, as if the entire world conspired against him. After meeting his end in that meticulously orchestrated car crash, he found it hard to believe in this lifetime that such selfless kindness existed. Had it not been for Old Anderson's unwavering care over six years, gradually thawing his frozen heart, tonight's encounter would have made him suspect the old man's motives.
Yet even now, he found it hard to believe. He silently resolved to test the truth of the old man's words at the first opportunity.
Gaia was no ordinary youth. Seeing Anderson's deep slumber, he understood the old man didn't want him to know this secret. Setting off early the next morning, he chose not to explain.
The dilapidated carriage waited outside the cave. Old Anderson prepared breakfast for his young master before heading out to feed the horses, ready to continue their journey. As Gaia drank his meat porridge inside, a sudden muffled thud echoed from outside.
"Anderson?" he called out. There was no response. Gaia stepped outside, puzzled. Beside the old horse, Anderson lay motionless on the ground. Gaia gasped in shock and rushed forward.
Before he could reach Anderson, a tremendous force suddenly lifted him into the air. He kicked and struggled, but it was useless. "Let me go! Let me go! You killed Anderson! I'll make you pay for this! Even if you're dead, I'll make your kin pay!"
The figure holding Gaia paused, slightly startled. "Kid, you've got some serious killing intent. Hahaha, I like it! Don't worry, the old man isn't dead."
The man was tall and lanky, standing over two meters tall. His massive head was covered in red hair and beard, and his triangular eyes, a deep brown, gleamed with sinister cunning.
He dragged Gaia back into the cave. "Heh heh, kid, I'll tell you this: Hoganberg here has killed more men than you've ever seen. Only men who dare to kill are real men. To possess such killing intent at your tender age—impressive, very impressive. If circumstances weren't so dire, I'd genuinely consider taking you as my apprentice. What a pity... what a pity..."
He plopped down on a boulder inside the cave, then frowned and stood up. With a casual flick of his wrist, he swept at the stone.
This seemingly effortless strike produced a sharp metallic clang. A crescent-shaped blade of fighting energy, as large as a washbasin, sliced through the boulder's surface, leaving it smooth as glass!
Hoganberg sat cross-legged on the stone bench he'd just fashioned, while Gaia floated mid-air, bound by a golden aura of fighting energy. The golden aura was brutally potent; where it touched Gaia's body, it felt like razor-sharp blades slicing into his flesh, causing him to tremble in agony.
The old man Hoganberg seemed thoroughly amused. Sitting back, he slapped his thigh and roared with laughter: "Hahahaha! That old codger, Joivila! We've battled all our lives. He's never been my match in combat, yet his luck always beats mine. He actually managed to learn the legacy of the Infinite Devouring Annihilation Body. And that stubborn old fool..."
He rose again, hands behind his back, swaying his head as he paced two circles.
"Boy, I followed that old codger Joivila for five years before he finally took pity and modified an Infinite Devouring Body for me. It's not that I couldn't spare another five years—it's just that this old man lacks the patience. So, kid, don't blame me." He swayed his head, speaking with smug satisfaction.
Gaia endured the pain in his body, glaring coldly at him. "What do you want?"
Hoganberg clicked his tongue. "Good lad. So young, yet with such a chilling gaze. If you were allowed to grow up, you'd be a true killing god! Ah, what a pity."
He sighed deeply, head bowed, before suddenly lifting his gaze. "Kid, ever heard of a Living Body Succession? Right, at your age, you probably haven't. Let me tell you this: if your power is immense—so immense that... I can't even describe how powerful—just incredibly powerful. Your lifespan becomes nearly infinite, but your body can't keep up. It ages, and you need a new body to survive. That's when you find someone, transfer all your fighting energy into their body, then your soul obliterates theirs, completely taking over their body. That's living inheritance."
Gaia felt a chill in his heart. "You want to perform living inheritance on me?"
"Hahahaha! Kid, you're starting to suit my taste more and more. That's right—I want your body. You felt it too, didn't you? My Battle-Nature Fighting Qi is simply too overbearing. An ordinary body—even that of a high-level professional—would shatter and die the moment it was infused. Only the infinite devouring body of Qiao Yiwela could withstand my Battle-Nature Fighting Qi. Kid, you can only blame your own bad luck. But honestly, trekking out in this bitter cold with just an old servant, not even staying at an inn—your life must be a hardship. Better to die young and find release!"
Hogberg finished speaking, then flicked a finger. Gaia's golden battle qi snapped taut, stretching his body into a wide-open "大" character as he floated suspended in midair.
Hoganberg whistled sharply. A metallic clang echoed as two armored skeleton soldiers, shields and blades in hand, materialized at the cave entrance. Clearly, Hoganberg had summoned them to guard his position.
With everything arranged, Hoganberg's sinister eyes fixed on Gaia: "Boy, since we get along so well, I'll be quick about this to spare you some suffering."
He drew a leather belt from behind his back and casually spread it open on the stone bench. Nine stark white bone spikes were inserted into it—one end sharp, the other carved with a hollowed-out spherical ornament.