*Name:* Kaelan
*Species:* Crow (Void Monster)
*Life:* Immortal
*Essence:* 1.09 (1)
*Energy:* 1.02 (1)
*Spirit:* 4.01 (2)
Demon Energy was derived from vitality.
As Kaelan gradually converted his Energy into Demon Energy, his Essence improved alongside it.
During the conversion process, the newly formed Demon Energy continuously nourished his flesh and blood.
Even now, Kaelan could clearly perceive the changes occurring within his body.
With every circulation cycle, Demon Energy slowly strengthened him.
After observing the process for some time, Kaelan realised that his panel required another statistic.
A Constitution Stat.
Although Constitution was related to Essence, the two were not identical.
Essence measured the vitality contained within the body.
Constitution measured the body's physical strength and durability.
With a thought, he modified the panel.
*Name:* Kaelan
*Species:* Crow (Void Monster)
*Life:* Immortal
*Essence:* 1.09 (1)
*Energy:* 1.02 (1)
*Spirit:* 4.01 (2)
*Constitution:* 5.67 (0)
His Constitution remained within the Apprentice Tier.
Improving the body required time.
Unlike Energy or Spirit, physical strength could not increase rapidly through cultivation alone.
Before arriving in this world, Kaelan had never paid much attention to his body.
As a Void Monster, he possessed absurd regenerative abilities.
Thanks to his Void Monster bloodline, he could regenerate any part of his body.
Even if only a single cell remained, he could rebuild himself completely.
Because of that, physical injuries had never truly concerned him.
Nor had he ever intended to fight through brute force.
As a result, he had largely ignored the development of his body.
Now, however, things were different.
Demon Energy naturally nourished and strengthened the flesh.
As it circulated through his body, his Constitution improved little by little.
After making several calculations, Kaelan estimated that his current rate of growth would require approximately three years to raise his Constitution to Tier One.
Of course, that estimate assumed his cultivation remained unchanged.
As his Demon Energy increased, the rate of improvement would accelerate.
Furthermore, if he consumed body-refining resources, the process could be shortened dramatically.
After recording the information, Kaelan closed the panel.
He adjusted his body comfortably upon the perch.
Then he turned his attention toward the Energy Bullet Spell.
Transforming the spell proved far easier than he had expected.
The original structure remained intact.
Only the energy circulation pathways required modification to accommodate Demon Energy.
Within a short time, he completed the adaptation.
The Energy Bullet had officially become a spell suitable for demons.
Kaelan retrieved a Memory Seed hidden beneath his feathers.
A thread of Spiritual Power entered the seed.
He carefully imprinted the complete structure of the Energy Bullet Spell into it.
Once finished, he examined the Memory Seed thoughtfully.
He did not immediately leave to sell the spell.
After several calculations, he concluded that doing so would be a mistake.
A single store would likely pay no more than one hundred Intermediate-Quality Spirit Dew for the Energy Bullet Spell.
At first glance, that seemed like a substantial amount.
However, there was a problem.
Any store willing to purchase a spell would require an exclusivity agreement.
After the sale, he would no longer be allowed to sell the spell elsewhere.
In other words, he would receive a single payment and lose every future opportunity to profit from it.
From Kaelan's perspective, that was unacceptable.
The Energy Bullet Spell had cost him nothing except time and understanding.
As long as he retained ownership, he could continue earning from it indefinitely.
Selling it outright for one hundred Intermediate-Quality Spirit Dew would be equivalent to throwing away future profits.
The loss far outweighed the immediate gain.
As for the eight Intermediate-Quality Spirit Dew and thirty-six Low-Quality Spirit Dew remaining in his possession, Kaelan did not include them in his calculations.
Those funds had already been designated for daily expenses.
Food.
Lodging.
Information.
Unexpected purchases.
They were operating capital, not investment capital.
Kaelan tucked the Memory Seed back beneath his feathers.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
If selling the spell directly was not the optimal solution, then he needed another method.
A method that would allow him to profit repeatedly while retaining ownership of his creations.
As the thought crossed his mind, the outline of a business model gradually formed within his head.
Unfortunately, the more he considered it, the less practical it seemed.
If he wanted to maximise his profits, he would need to open a spell store himself.
Only then could he repeatedly sell his spells without signing restrictive agreements.
The problem was obvious.
One spell was not enough.
A spell store with a single product would quickly become a joke.
He would need an entire collection of spells.
More importantly, opening a store required money.
Possibly connections as well.
At the moment, he possessed neither.
Even worse, opening a spell store would likely attract the hostility of existing merchants.
Spell stores would not appreciate a newcomer taking away their customers.
Conflict would become inevitable.
Kaelan immediately dismissed the idea.
Money was important.
But not important enough to delay his cultivation.
His goal was transcendence, not business dominance.
In the end, although selling the Energy Bullet Spell to a single store would result in some losses, it remained the most practical solution.
At least for now.
However, Kaelan did not immediately leave to sell the spell.
Instead, he began creating more spells.
When he finally visited a spell store, he intended to arrive with enough products to purchase the Shadow Demon Hand Spell.
At a minimum, he wanted five additional spells.
The more spells he possessed, the greater his bargaining power.
The greater his bargaining power, the higher the price he could demand.
As for simple techniques such as the Energy Sword Spell or the Energy Arrow Spell, Kaelan never considered creating them.
Those were merely basic applications of Demon Energy.
Any spell store worth its name would already possess countless variations of such techniques.
Creating them would be a waste of time.
Instead, he focused on improving the Energy Bullet Spell.
His goal was simple.
The Energy Missile Spell.
The core principles remained identical.
Compression.
Propulsion.
Explosion.
The difference lay in scale.
The Energy Bullet emphasised speed and penetration.
The Energy Missile emphasised destructive power.
Kaelan spent several days refining the concept.
The projectile grew larger.
Its structure became more stable.
Multiple explosive layers were incorporated into its interior.
The propulsion system became stronger.
The detonation sequence became more complex.
Again and again, he modified the spell.
Again and again, he tested its theoretical framework.
Eventually, the spell reached a satisfactory state.
The Energy Missile Spell was complete.
Unlike the Energy Bullet, which measured less than a quarter of a meter in length, the Energy Missile measured nearly two meters.
It possessed significantly lower speed.
In exchange, its explosive force had increased dramatically.
Satisfied with the result, Kaelan decided it was time for a field test.
He left the inn.
Passing through the city streets, he headed toward the city gates.
The guards barely glanced at him.
After leaving the city's suppression array, Kaelan spread his wings and took flight.
He travelled far from the city.
Over forests.
Across rivers.
Beyond mountain ranges.
Only after confirming that no powerful Transcendent beasts were nearby did he stop.
A remote valley stretched beneath him.
Steep cliffs surrounded the area.
The location was perfect.
Hovering high above the valley, Kaelan circulated his Demon Energy.
Dark energy gathered before his beak.
Layer upon layer compressed together.
The process continued for several seconds.
The amount of Demon Energy required far exceeded that of the Energy Bullet.
Gradually, a massive projectile formed before him.
Nearly two meters long.
Covered in dark violet patterns.
Its surface gleamed like polished metal.
The surrounding air distorted from the density of energy contained within it.
Kaelan examined the spell one final time.
Then he released it.
Boom!
The Energy Missile shot forward.
Unlike the Energy Bullet, it did not travel as a streak of light.
Instead, it resembled a siege weapon launched through the sky.
The missile tore through the air while leaving a visible trail behind it.
A moment later, it struck the centre of the valley.
Silence lasted for a fraction of a second.
Then the world exploded.
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed through the mountains.
The ground shook violently.
Stone shattered.
Trees disintegrated.
A pillar of fire and dust erupted into the sky.
The shockwave spread outward in every direction.
Cliffs cracked.
Boulders tumbled down the mountainsides.
Birds fled in terror from forests miles away.
Kaelan watched the destruction through his Spiritual Perception.
When the dust finally began settling, a massive crater occupied the centre of the valley.
The surrounding landscape had been completely transformed.
Kaelan's eyes narrowed.
The power exceeded his expectations.
If a Tier One Demon General suffered a direct hit, survival would be difficult.
Even a peak Tier One Demon General would likely suffer serious injuries.
However, the spell possessed obvious flaws.
The casting time was too long.
The projectile was too slow.
And the energy consumption was excessive.
Against a prepared opponent, landing a direct hit would be extremely difficult.