The current Infernal Bloodline generously passed on its memories to Li Xi, but due to Li Xi's insufficient absorption of the bloodline essence, the inherited memories were merely fragmented pieces.
As Li Xi continues to absorb more Infernal Bloodline in the future, he will eventually become a fully formed native Abyssal Imp. If he can evolve to the form of a Balor, establishing dominance over a plane in the Abyss would be an easy feat. At that point, raising a few succubi would be a simple matter!
Imps are inherently fire-attributed lifeforms, constantly dwelling beside volcanoes in the Abyss and using magma as bathing water. Therefore, the most effective way to enhance Li Xi's abilities is through Fire Style Ninjutsu.
Li Xi currently knows only a few Fire Style Jutsu, including those acquired through the lottery and two Shadow Clones, totaling only four types:
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique"
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning"
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet"
"Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet"
Li Xi previously used Fire Style Ninjutsu sparingly because these techniques were primarily for close-range combat. His opponents were either elite among elites or the lowest of the low, so the power of Fire Style was always unsatisfactory. It lacked the range of Water Style and the power of Taijutsu. Even with the Dragon Bloodline's amplification, it was still subpar, leading to it being relegated to the back burner.
However, with the addition of the Infernal Bloodline, the situation has improved.
Fire Style Ninjutsu has transitioned from being an underused, last-resort technique to a moderately utilized one.
Take the Great Fireball Technique, for instance. Without any bloodline amplification, it's merely a three-meter diameter fireball that can incinerate targets about ten meters in front of Li Xi, comparable in power to a mid-level mage.
With the amplification of the Dragon Bloodline, the three-meter diameter ball expanded to six meters, doubling its size, and its range extended to twenty meters.
Now, with the Infernal Bloodline, the six-meter diameter fireball has surged to seven meters, equivalent to the height of a two-story building. Its attack range has also reached thirty meters, comparable to a high-level single-target magic attack—a power that ordinary people would consider invincible.
This doesn't even account for the additional amplification from Matatabi's chakra, which can further increase its size and range.
Considering the significant enhancements to just the Great Fireball Technique, let alone the other Fire Style Ninjutsu.
From now on, Li Xi can openly claim to be a ninja proficient in Fire Style, or perhaps a fire mage.
Furthermore, as his lottery draws increase, he will acquire more Fire Style Ninjutsu, potentially reaching a level surpassing Madara's. He will be able to fight an army single-handedly. Madara Uchiha didn't have as many bloodline augmentations as he does. Li Xi is destined to surpass all ninjas; he never doubts this.
Besides the enhancements to Fire Style, the modifications to his body are also remarkable. First and foremost is the physical defense, which the Infernal Bloodline is proud of and rivals that of dragons, which Li Xi now possesses.
His already greatly strengthened physique has undergone another round of reinforcement. While the improvement might not seem drastic, it's because Li Xi's original body was already that of a monstrous humanoid, with a strong foundation. Furthermore, due to the limited amount of Infernal Bloodline absorbed, a mere fifty drops have not resulted in a massive leap in his physical capabilities.
However, this does not mean that the current evolution has not significantly improved his physique.
Simply being able to match the physical prowess of someone who has opened the second Gate is enough to make Li Xi ecstatic. Especially his hands, which, despite appearing as thin layers of skin stretched over fragile bones, are now equivalent to exquisite weapons. This is very characteristic of Abyssal demons, as their entire bodies are weapons.
This also means that the after-effects of opening the Eight Inner Gates are further weakened. Li Xi even wonders if, when his Dragon Bloodline evolves to Ancient Dragon and his Infernal Bloodline to Balor, opening the Eighth Gate might not require sacrificing his life. But upon reflection, something feels off. The Gate of Death is a jutsu that demands a life as a price. It can only be said that after opening the Gate of Death, with his immense foundation, the power could be world-destroying, but the outcome would still be fatal—he would be utterly annihilated!
However, if combined with the recently acquired Izanagi and the Gate of Death, rewinding time would render the Gate of Death no longer deadly. Could it still be called the Gate of Death?
Another change is that Li Xi now resembles a miniature Imp. Standing at a height of just over two meters, this is minuscule compared to the adult Imp species, whose height reaches twenty meters. It's as if even an Imp infant would be taller than Li Xi. Unfortunately, Imps do not reproduce sexually, so there are no infants; they evolve from lesser demons, dashing Li Xi's hopes of impersonating an Imp infant.
The reason for this is still the limited amount of Infernal Bloodline Li Xi absorbed. Fifty drops of Infernal Bloodline essence are equivalent to about half an Imp's arm. If he could absorb the bloodline essence of two Imps at once, Li Xi could evolve to a height of twenty meters.
After experiencing the changes brought by the Infernal Bloodline, Li Xi began to activate his Dragon Bloodline and Sharingan Bloodline.
Dragon scales, the size of rice grains, emerged from beneath his skin. This time, they were not bright red but a dark crimson, as if Li Xi had evolved from a young dragon to a mature one.
His dragon wings underwent even greater changes. Not only did their color deepen, but the edges of the wings were adorned with a row of ferocious barbs. Each barb was an inch long, glinting sharply. Any enemy struck by these barbs would suffer a wound deeper than that of a dagger.
Li Xi's temperament had already shifted somewhat after undergoing dragonization, with the Dragon Bloodline influencing him with a degree of bloodlust and lechery. Now, with the addition of the more extreme Infernal Bloodline, his bloodlust seemed to have been amplified further. Previously, it wasn't as pronounced, but now Li Xi constantly felt as though a demon resided within his heart, perpetually seeking an opponent to test his might against, either to tear them apart or be torn apart, a savage impulse that lingered incessantly.
It appears that divine power only eliminated the Infernal Bloodline's superficial chaos and filth; the abyssal will imprinted in their genes is something even divine power cannot eradicate.
There's also something Li Xi is uncertain about: he feels as though the Abyssal curse between his eyebrows has slightly faded after absorbing the Infernal Bloodline, but he wonders if it's merely a psychological effect.
Moreover, a faint voice is calling to Li Xi, like a child far from home hearing their mother's call. The voice is incredibly weak, so weak that even with Li Xi's keen hearing, he considers it a hallucination.
Overall, after absorbing these fifty drops, equivalent to half an Imp's arm, Li Xi's overall strength has increased by about ten percent.
Breaking through the Earth Wall City wall, Li Xi saw the sky again. Looking at the desolate land where every life bore the marks of precarious existence and anxious living, he sighed, "It feels good to be strong!"
...
Ten days later,
Outside Kado City, by the Vampire's Kyoguan (a mound of enemy heads), an ordinary-looking person was observing this magnificent structure. Due to the extreme lethality of sunlight to vampires, the Vampire Kyoguan, which should not have been preserved for so long, was still standing. This was thanks to the marvel of magic; a magic array was providing energy to shield it from the sun, preventing its dissolution.
Anyone approaching the city gate would pause and gaze at this sight, their eyes filled with hatred that time could not diminish. This was not personal animosity but a racial vendetta.
Many residents of Kado City were also recounting the same story to outsiders for the umpteenth time.
"This is how Lord Mourinho, the Dragonborn, and Lord Li Xi, after discovering the vampire lair, launched a midnight raid, successfully destroying the vampires who were planning to blood sacrifice Kado City. They even turned a Level Seven Vampire Duke into a Kyoguan, avenging our fallen compatriots in Kado City. Praise to the two lords! Their courage and righteousness deserve to be sung forever."
Li Xi had become a hero. Bards were already transforming the stories of Li Xi and Mourinho into lyrics, singing them in taverns across various cities.
"The two lords did not stop there; they captured one alive. That vampire endures daily sacrifices to our lords. Everyone can witness it. The priests within the city have assured us that the vampire will live forever."
Li Xi, who had used a transformation jutsu to disguise himself as an ordinary person, never expected that the vampire he casually captured was still alive, about a month and a half after being taken prisoner.
Li Xi had no inclination to watch the various methods of tormenting vampires. He only wanted to return home quickly and share the hardships of their separation with his two lovers.
However, as he approached the city gate, Li Xi noticed something different.
The guards manning the gate were no longer wearing ordinary uniforms but were equipped with gear bearing the emblem of the Konoha Trade Group—the leaf symbol from Konoha's forehead protectors.
This was the trademark of gear produced by the Konoha Trade Group's dwarves, a detail Li Xi had requested out of mischievousness.
This indicated that the gear worn by the Kado City guards was all from the Konoha Trade Group dwarves.
But did the Lord's Mansion have that much money?
The Konoha Trade Group's gear was guaranteed to be top-notch, but this also meant it was expensive. After several major wars and the subsequent rebuilding of Kado City, the Lord's Mansion had long been in financial deficit. Where did the less-than-ten-year-old lord get the funds?
Did he sell himself?
Entering the city gate, the beggars Li Xi had seen when he first arrived, homeless and destitute, were gone. Only a few mentally disturbed individuals remained, lying on the ground in a daze.
The pedestrians coming and going were no longer numb and struggling to survive. Instead, their faces carried expressions of hope, and they walked with hurried steps, each radiating vitality.
Li Xi couldn't comprehend what had happened during his absence. The two shadow clones he had created—one busy with missions, the other protecting the two women of his main body—had not paid much attention to Kado City, leading Li Xi to feel a sense of unfamiliarity with it. Was this still the Kado City that had almost become a ghost town?
Previously, outside the gates of Isengard City, Li Xi had marveled at the vibrant crowds of Isengard, thinking, "This is the spirit of a great human city." Unlike Kado City, which was like a dying old man, if it weren't for the Konoha Trade Group's intervention, Kado City would have long since become a ghost town.
Now, looking at it, Kado City wasn't lacking either.
With a mind full of questions, Li Xi headed towards home. However, upon reaching his doorstep, he stopped. On the left and right, whose house should he go to?
Before Li Xi could decide, Ais emerged from the house, clad in a moon-white robe that accentuated her figure. Every graceful movement and smile was alluring. Li Xi, who hadn't experienced intimacy in a long time, was instantly stunned, wondering if his saliva was three feet long.
Ais, looking at the ordinary-looking person standing at her doorstep, recognized him with just one glance and excitedly ran forward, taking Li Xi's hand. "You're back! Why are you standing outside the door like an idiot?"
"How did you know it was me?" Li Xi asked in surprise.
"With those predatory eyes of yours, who else could it be?" Ais grabbed Li Xi's belt, impatiently pushed open the door, and led him inside.
Being a long-married couple, Li Xi eagerly dispelled the transformation jutsu and simultaneously removed their excess clothing.
However, Li Xi failed to notice a small black bat flying away in a huff from beneath the eaves as he rejoiced.
On the highest floor of a tavern on Konoha Street, Sun Sandai, transformed into a small bat, was recounting the situation to her master, Avriel.
Sun Sandai embellished her story, hoping to speak ill of Li Xi to her master. However, after she finished, she saw that her master paid no heed, her face flushing as she left the room at nearly vanishing speed.
She left behind a single sentence for Sun Sandai: "Guard the door. No one is allowed in until I return."
"Yes, Master! If anyone tries to force their way in, they'll have to step over me."
Sun Sandai's fervent declaration went unanswered, leaving her to sit boredly on the table. She couldn't understand why her master wasn't angry upon hearing that her man was in another woman's bed but instead blushed.
Of course, she didn't know what great gift her master had prepared for Li Xi. When Li Xi and Ais, completely naked and in the heat of the moment, saw Avriel suddenly burst in, it was like a bolt from the blue, a tempest. Even the seasoned Li Xi didn't know what to do next, frozen on the spot like a caught thief.
The two tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun rapidly. The speed of the wind and fire wheels was insufficient to describe Li Xi's current inner tension, so much so that his Sharingan eventually evolved into three tomoe.
"Caught in the act" and "caught in flagrante delicto." Li Xi's mind went blank. He didn't even realize his Sharingan had evolved to three tomoe. He was so tense that his 'little Li Xi' almost retracted.
"Why did she barge in at this moment?"
"Isn't the feeling of illicit love supposed to be more exciting?"
"Sister, look at him. He's like an idiot." Avriel chuckled at Li Xi's expression. With two bare, pale figures before her, she could still remain composed, chat, and tease. If not for her face blushing like a monkey's backside, Li Xi would have easily been deceived by her.
Ais shyly covered her proud figure with a silk thin blanket. Although she knew this day would come, she felt embarrassed when it actually happened. She had no idea why she had been so foolish as to agree to do such a thing with Avriel.