While absorbing the mana in the air he felt a strange sensation, it was comforting somehow.
It was like a chill, a coolness on the body.
He was already able to feel better from the heat he had been in for hours but that sensation was long gone and this was different.
It was like taking a sip of cold water and feeling it enter your stomach or entering a cold pool on a hot day.
He felt refreshed and alive!
Soon he found a place where he could cultivate without any worries.
He sat down beside a tree and dove into his cultivation like never before.
As he focused more and felt that comforting chill he noticed a strange thing.
Where previous attempts at manipulating mana took effort and concentration, manipulation of the shadow mana was like breathing.
Literally.
He noticed that every pull he made with his mana control took less and less effort until with the slightest tug he could bring the dark motes of mana into a sucking force.
With how little effort it took to absorb the shadow mana he soon tried to grab more... and more... and even more.
It was like he had become a whirlpool.
The shadow mana in the area was sucked in by his mana control with such little effort that it truly felt as if he were breathing the mana in.
He was so engrossed by this strange feeling that he almost didnt notice that he seemed to be absorbing more mana than he had originally thought.
With every passing moment he saw that mana was appearing in his vision before being sucked into his body.
He tried to extend his senses further and vaguely saw that the mana even beyond his mana sense and mana control rdius was actually being sucked in like a lake draining into a whirlpool.
As he cultivated his mana he slowly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him until he collapsed against the tree.
Amongst the sand were a set of pillars.
One pillar stood reaching the roof with deep carving and intricate designs.
Another twelve were visible of various heights, most reaching the size of a teenager or an adult.
Amongst them all was a small pillar slowly growing, barely at the height of an inch.
~
In a grand castle made of dark stone.
Inside of a room that was as dark as a cave closed from the surface, a pair of red eyes opened.
A wave of mana flowed into the room and soon the door opened.
"I greet you my Queen, how may i assist the Lord of Devils today?"
A woman with deep red skin and blue horns approached a throne made of black glass.
On this throne was a devil with gray skin and jet black horns wearing a well embroidered gown under a fur jacket.
"A member of the infernal race has begun to cultivate shadow magic, find them. Bring them here."
The devil with blue horns bowed before her queen and left before she approached a pair of large demons.
These demons were also female but they carried large weapons that would make orcs salivate over the destructive power.
"You two, the Queen has sensed another infernal who has begun to cultivate shadow magic. Send your armies out to find this infernal no matter the cost."
No titles were exchanged, no pleasantries.
The demons bowed before her before leaving to put the orders into action.
~