Chapter 32: Venom as a Weapon, the Third Transformation into a Demon

To alleviate the psychological pressure caused by the Black-Spotted Demon Commander, Mo Fan snuck into the spring pool again that night to continue luring the dragon loaches. Having gained experience from the previous two attempts, he became increasingly adept at trapping them. Although the benefits of consuming evolved dragon loaches were greater, Mo Fan could not afford to wait that long; he needed to boost his cultivation as quickly as possible to ensure he had the strength to protect himself in any potential future conflicts.

At the same time, he began to study the "Body Detachment Technique" taught to him by the Ox Demon, Dali. According to Dali, the essence of this technique was to use demonic arts to detach a part of one's own body, then cultivate and nurture it with demonic energy, transforming it into a weapon akin to a magical artifact—often called a "demon weapon." Examples included the dual canine-tooth blades of Laifu the Dog Demon and the pair of horns belonging to Dali himself.

However, Mo Fan felt distressed because he could not think of a single part of his body that could serve as a weapon. After all, his true form was that of a toad; his entire body was soft and flabby, and aside from his tongue and poison glands, he lacked any decent offensive means.

"Does this mean I have to detach my tongue and convert it into a demon weapon?" Mo Fan muttered to himself. The thought was absurdly vivid; if he were to use his tongue as a weapon, he would essentially become a mute. If that weapon were damaged in combat against another demon, would he be mute for the rest of his life? Shaking his head, he immediately dismissed the idea.

Finally, he set his sights on his poison glands. However, his glands were located inside his body and were difficult to detach. The poison sacs on his skin were too dense and irregular in shape to be used as a proper weapon.

"If the tongue won't work, and the glands and sacs are out, then... what about the venom itself?" Mo Fan suddenly had an epiphany. "If I can convert my venom into a demon weapon, could I not command it at will to attack? And if that Scorpion Demon comes to extract my venom again, could I use the opportunity to turn the tables and kill him?"

The thought excited him. The more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed. Yet, execution was easier said than done. The venom on his skin was too abundant, too scattered, and liquid in form, making it impossible to imprint with his demonic energy like a solid object. But Mo Fan believed that the most difficult tasks yielded the greatest rewards.

Without delay, he glanced at the pile of spirit stones. Seeing no dragon loaches had arrived yet, he used his biological instincts to expel venom from one of the sacs on his back. In an instant, a milky white liquid sprayed out.

Before the venom could hit the ground, Mo Fan quickly exhaled a cloud of demonic energy to envelop it. He then began the Body Detachment Technique. The essence of the technique lay in the word "detachment," but to detach without truly severing, he had to leave his unique demonic signature on the object, allowing him to control it like an extension of his own limbs. As long as the signature remained, he could retract the object back into his skin at any time, making it a part of his body once more.

These demonic signatures were essentially runic imprints, formed by arranging demonic energy according to the incantations of the technique. Once a part was imprinted, others could not use it even if it were lost. The drawback was that a demon of higher cultivation could erase the imprint, though it would take significant time and effort. Thus, demon weapons were effectively exclusive to their masters, and through constant nurturing with blood and energy, they could eventually evolve into "Life-Bound Demon Weapons." Such weapons were more powerful but carried the risk that if they were destroyed, the owner would suffer grave injuries as well.

The technique was not difficult. Soon, Mo Fan managed to carve his signature into the drop of venom. However, when he tried to control it with his mind, only a tiny, rice-sized droplet responded. Mo Fan stared in disbelief.

"Damn it, this is my demon weapon?" Mo Fan's face twitched. He realized it was likely due to the liquid state of the venom. "If I keep imprinting, could I convert all my venom into a demon weapon?"

He spent the entire night practicing. To his delight, he discovered that he could indeed continue to imprint, and each new drop of venom merged with the previous one to form a larger, concentrated bead. By the time he finished, his demonic energy was almost entirely depleted.

"Every imprint consumes a portion of my energy, leaving it permanently within the weapon. If I were to convert all my venom, how much energy would that cost?" Mo Fan frowned, chuckling bitterly. It was no wonder he had never heard of a demon using liquid as a weapon. Yet, watching the marble-sized bead of poison dancing around his fingertips at his mental command, his resolve hardened.

"So be it. If I can turn all my venom into a weapon, I could kill anyone with a single strike!"

His eyes shifted to the swarm of dragon loaches gathering on the spirit stones. He had ignored them all night, and now hundreds were feasting. Mo Fan flicked his wrist, and the milky white bead elongated into a fine needle. It pierced through the water and struck one of the loaches. The creature spasmed violently and died within seconds.

Mo Fan retracted the liquid and examined the corpse. There were no physical wounds; the loach’s pupils were merely dilated. It hadn't died from poison, but from terror! "So, the Scorpion Demon was right—my venom is a 'psychic toxin,' or perhaps a neurotoxin. It doesn't act on the flesh directly..."

Realizing the potential of an invisible, psychic-killing toxin, Mo Fan was ecstatic. He opened his mouth and unleashed his innate ability: "Heaven Swallowing!"

In an instant, the hundreds of dragon loaches were devoured. A massive surge of spiritual energy flooded his body—enough for a third transformation. Mo Fan didn't hesitate, channeling the energy directly into his chest.

*Rumble!*

A thunderous sound echoed within him, followed by excruciating pain as his muscles and bones were broken down and reshaped. Mo Fan let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the pool, but the agony soon subsided. He willed his demonic energy to manifest his spiritual form, revealing a sturdy, humanoid physique.

The third transformation was a success!