Corrupt Creations

Velgor already had assimilated a drop of the source blood of a Shadow Demon once, right in the beginning of his cultivation path and doing it again, would actually be detrimental to his health. More than a single drop of that blood, could cause many complications for a person, due to the differences in constitution between the beings. Actually, assimilating a second drop of source blood was so dangerous, that even at time like this, Velgor didn't think of doing it.

However, there was another way... Velgor didn't need to assimilate it in order to get more powerful, he just had to drink that blood. Drinking it, would make it possible for him to extract the power while not touching the source. The extracted power would add to his own for a brief moment and vanish after some time, increasing the intensity of his powers, but not raising the quality of it. All in all, it would act as a buff for the individual that drank it.

As for the process of assimilating the source blood of a Shadow Demon, it would give the practitioner the possibility of acquiring an affinity with dark elemental abilities, as well as acquiring some innate abilities the Shadow Demon had. That's why trying to assimilate another drop of source blood, would actually be biting more than what one can chew. That person would most likely get overloaded with power and die, since it wouldn't be a temporary boon, but a permanent one.

When walking the cultivation path, you should walk it on your own. Too many interferences from the outside, like assimilating too many source-blood drops, was like trying to go the inverse way.

Seth kept looking at Velgor's distant figure, taking that opportunity to use his Evergreen Essence at its maximum, healing his wounds and getting to a condition where he would be able to fight once again.

But while he was still concentrated on doing that, he saw Velgor's body standing up from the ground and extending his remaining arm forward. Suddenly, a blob of darkness appeared on top of his palm, making Seth feel a bone-chilling sensation.

Seth had already seen that dark blob once before. Actually, his darkness affinity had come from a similar blob of darkness. That was the source blood of a Shadow Demon, from where the Demonic Shadow Royal Clan extracted the source to create their warriors.

However, differently from the source blood he had assimilated, Seth realized that the concentration of darkness and the thickness of that source blood was at least several times higher. No... Actually, the quantity was several times greater, not the quality; but it gave him the wrong impression that it was better than the other ones he had seen before.

Seth speculated that there were at least ten to twenty drops of source blood accumulated together in that blob of darkness and it was most likely, the whole inventory that the Royal Shadow Clan had left behind. He knew that if Velgor were to try assimilating that source blood, it was akin of him trying to commit suicide, so he initially was kind of relieved.

But Velgor's next actions made him realized things were a lot more complicated.

Velgor didn't think twice, before swallowing that blob of darkness down his throat. There was a dark light in his eyes and a sinister smile on his lips, that made it seem he had just eaten a delicious snack. In reality, he was wasting resources, but for his vengeance, everything served.

Swoosh!

Just as he finished swallowing that source blood, it entered his system and initiated a very aggressive strengthening process. Even though he wasn't assimilating that source blood, its properties were not compatible with his human-like demonic body and some out of ordinary things began to happen.

"Argh!"

Thick black lines suddenly appeared on the surface of Velgor's skin and a sinister layer of darkness circled his whole body, getting attracted by the sudden rise of affinity with that element.

"ARGH!!!"

Velgor's entire being started to pass through a process of transformation, with his internal and external organs getting darker. At a certain point, a smoky shadow started to leave from his pores and his appearance was getting closer and closer to one of a realm Shadow Demon.

Differently of what it appeared, he wasn't feeling any pain, but getting free of it. His eyes had turned completely black and on his wounded shoulder, a huge quantity of darkness was accumulating. It was as if it was trying to form something there, form a new limb for him.

While all of that happened, his Demon Lord prestige skyrocketed. His Mana Sovereign middle-stage Realm aura kept increasing in thickness, almost reaching the late-stage realm. Luckily for Seth, that source blood was not strong enough for it to make an advancement of that level.

However, it could be seen that his new strength would be way more terrifying than what he had displayed till that moment.

Seth had no way to stop that transformation, so instead of wasting his time trying to do that, he concentrated on healing his injury faster, reaching a point that it was already possible to battle once again.

But at that moment, an energy explosion occurred around Velgor.

Boom!

Darkness started to spread, covering the whole area. If Seth wasn't a master in that particular element as well, he would have been blinded by how obscure the whole area had become.

Velgor's figure was now thoroughly covered in shadows and in place of his lost arm, there was a mass of dark matter, acting like a limb. The pain he was feeling had completely vanished and his affinity to darkness had transcended the realm he was previously in.

Suddenly, Seth heard a sinister voice coming from inside that dark area.

"Ahahaha!!! Now, you're finished! With this power, not even if you were to use those flames again, you would be able to defeat me!"

Seth stood up and pulled his greatsword out of the ground. He knew things would be way more complicated now and he had to be prepared.

Suddenly, Velgor's figure vanished in a flash of a black light. His body completely merged with the environment and even Seth wasn't able to feel his presence anymore. It was like he had really become a Shadow Demon, perfectly turning in a shadow; incorporeal and illusory.

However, Seth still had the supreme ability called Soul Sense. When he activated it, he was perplexed to realize that Velgor's body was actually merging with the darkness in that area, swiftly moving through the ground towards him.

Before Seth could properly react, shadowy filaments left from the floor and coiled around his legs, chaining his body in that place.

Velgor's figure materialized behind of him, and that new limb made of dark matter, lashed itself towards his back, bringing forth the sinister new powers of his transformation. That limb expanded while using darkness as its fuel, swiftly reaching the opponent.

Seth ignited crimson flames around his whole body and weapon, destroying those filaments binding him and at the same time, turning around to defend against Velgor's attack. When that strange black limb met his greatsword, he felt a tough impact that almost made him lose his balance.

In normal conditions, Seth wouldn't have been affected by that, but at that moment, his body was weaker than normal.

Velgor noticed that and decided to use it to his advantage. The dark elemental energy spread around the environment gathered on his special arm, increasing the pressure Seth was feeling until it reached a critical point where he couldn't handle.

The whole floor beneath him cracked, before Seth's greatsword was sent flying away, getting knocked off of his hand and exposing his body to Velgor's attack.

'Shrouding Light!' Seth chanted inside his mind, creating a hardened cocoon of darkness to protect his already damaged body, but unfortunately, even that wasn't enough to stop Velgor's new powers.

Boom!

Velgor's arm smashed right on top of that cocoon, swiftly destroying it and striking Seth's real body.

Pah!

Seth spat a mouthful of blood and he was sent flying away. If he wasn't being protected by that layer of darkness, he wouldn't leave out of this situation only suffering a simple impact injury like that. But even so, other than suffering that strong hit that did a bit of internal damage to him, his previous injury opened up once again and blood started to come out.

Seth's situation was getting more and more difficult and this time, he felt that things kept going on like that, he could end up suffering a fatal wound. However, there wasn't much he could do. Even his weapon was knocked off of his hand and he was practically unprotected now.

Velgor knew about the level of a threat Seth posed to him, even at the state he was in at that moment, so now that he had disarmed and injured him, it was his best chance to end it once and for all.