In terms of Demigods, Tian Yang was among the strongest. This wasn't something limited to the Human Domain, it held true even when comparing him to the wider 9 Sectors.

To reach this level of power, staying in the Cloud Plane, no, staying in the Human Domain wasn't enough. Tian Yang had lived for around 50,000 years, and in that time, he'd explored the surrounding sectors and even made a name for himself on the Dimensional Leaderboard.

The average Demigods of the Human Domain couldn't compare to him, whether it be in strength or breadth of knowledge. As such, it was natural for Tian Yang to have a greater understanding of the situation than even the Drunken Old Immortal.

Yet, the Void Physique wasn't some common physique that the other sectors had a great deal of information about. Regardless of what he knew, he couldn't compare to Wrath.

The two strongest experts present stood in the sky across from each other. While their eyes remained on Damien's statue, their awarenesses were clashing mid-air. If one of them dared to move, the other would stop them without hesitation.

Tian Yang cracked a half-smile. "What, didn't you want to absorb his power? Now is the perfect time, isn't it? Why are you hesitating?"

"Tch. There is no need for you to provoke me. I am not so foolish as to fall for your little tricks." Wrath spat back.

Tian Yang nodded in disappointment. "I see, so you're just a coward like the rest of them. From how obsessed you seemed with the seed, I'd expect more from you."

"Obsession is one thing, and rationality is another. If I move right now, what end awaits me?"

"Who knows." Tian Yang shrugged. "Don't you want to find out?"

He cracked his knuckles in anticipation. Tian Yang wasn't some kind of savage, but that didn't mean he didn't love battle. In fact, battle maniacs were more common than not in this universe where the fastest path to strength was slaughter.

Only, at his level of power, there weren't many who could challenge him anymore. Even if he wished to go find opponents in the other sectors, they wouldn't accept his challenges. On the precipice of wartime, nobody wanted to waste their strength or risk injury, at least among the Demigods.

Therefore, the only viable enemies for the current Tian Yang were the Nox. Now that he'd found an opponent he'd been waiting so long for, how could he just let him go?

Tian Yang was trying to provoke Wrath into battle mainly to satiate his own urges, but also to protect Damien. At this critical juncture, R?-an Yang didn't want his young disciple to experience any setbacks. If he did, it might leave a permanent scar on his heart.

For Damien whose greatest wish was to be unrestrained, Tian Yang felt a kinship surpassing master and disciple. He truly felt like a grandfather watching his grandson achieve what he could not.

'Work hard and achieve your dreams. As your master, I'll support you from the back and take care of the troublesome matters. After all...'

Tian Yang shook his head and refocused on Wrath. He'd given up ascension due to certain chains holding him in the lower universe. He didn't want to see Damien experience the same fate.

And for that to happen, he'd first help Damien take care of the things that he was still too weak to take care of.

When he reached the level he desired, Tian Yang would be there watching from behind. Damien's glory would be his own.

Thinking this far, he couldn't help but smile.

***

Damien was completely lucid within the cocoon. He could clearly feel the sticky tar-like substance snaking across his skin and devouring it. He could feel the essence attached to this substance penetrating into his body and making changes as it pleased.

It was an extremely uncomfortable feeling. Especially because Damien, the owner of this body, couldn't understand what was happening to him. He could only vaguely feel the movements of the Essence within.

This was similar to the process of evolution Damien usually underwent, but at the same time, it was different.

And after so many years of being forced to use his critical thinking skills, Damien became far quicker in understanding and analyzing. He realized that this was his chance. To throw away everything useless and bring his body closer to the perfection he desired.

However, the cocoon of Void Essence began this process without his control, doing an overall wash to its wishes.

If this continued, Damien would only reach a general perfection. There was naturally a difference between this and Damien's own perception of the concept.

He wanted to reach perfection through his own lens.

Damien began struggling against the essence in his body. Rousing his mana, he attempted to forcefully take control over the Void Essence. But did he ever have such control over it? Even beforehand, he was only borrowing its strength. He had yet to understand its structure enough to wrest its control.

At most, he could take control over a few strands. He would still get the rebirth he desired, but his jurisdiction over its direction would be limited to around 25%.

'...that's more than enough. Even if I'm not actively controlling the rest, it is still working towards what the Void Physique perceived as perfection. If so, I need to make the most out of the 25% I can control.'

The few strands of Void Essence that Damien could move were directed towards a few specific parts of his body. These were Nodal Points as well as areas that had experienced evolution.

His legs that evolved after devouring the first Lightning Wolf, his throat that evolved after devouring the Wyvern, his eyes that evolved after eating that cursed spider, and all the other areas he'd inherited from others began going through drastic changes.

But more than that, he focused his energy on was his Mana Circuits.

With his current state, he wasn't in need of another massive power boost. He'd already received more power than he knew what to do with, and he needed time to adjust to it. If he decided to continue wantonly raising his strength, he would simply become an empty shell who couldn't even mobilize a portion of his full strength, conversely weakening him.historical

Instead, what Damien focused on was ridding himself of problems he had in the past and preparing for problems that might arise in the future.

His physical and ethereal Mana Circuits were one of these. Evidently, his mana wouldn't be the same as it used to be anymore. The pitch-black mana flowing through his Mana Veins was completely different than anything he'd ever seen before.

If this mana continued to grow and proliferate, his body and circuits might not be able to handle it. More than that, as his mana was now intrinsically linked to the Void Physique, Damien needed to make sure it wouldn't rebel against him.

After all, regardless of how long the Void Physique had been with him, Damien couldn't completely trust such a mysterious physique that seemed to have its own consciousness.

Within the cocoon, Damien was quite literally going through metamorphosis.

The man who exited after the process was finished...

Would be a completely different monster compared to the man who entered at the beginning.