The Old Master took out a small black jar, its surface heavily weathered by time. If one were to look at it upside down, they would notice that the jar's shape bore a striking resemblance to a human skull.
The Third Master dipped a brush into the jar. When he withdrew it, the bristles were coated in a stinking, black-red liquid.
He carefully used the fluid to trace patterns onto the Third Young Master’s body, as if he were painting the most exquisite work of art.
“Let me die knowing the truth! Just let me understand why!”
The Third Young Master couldn't help but roar, his body trembling uncontrollably.
No one could be truly fearless in the face of death—not even him, despite having known this day would come for a long time.
The Old Master’s voice sounded weak as he spoke.
“Haven't you already guessed it?”
“To be honest, I sometimes regret it. If I had known you were this clever, I should have used one of the children from the second branch as the vessel.”
“It’s just that I had already snatched Old Third’s body, so using his child was more convenient.”
“Otherwise, I really would have been loath to lose that clever little head of yours.”
The Third Young Master’s mind reeled at those words!
It was one thing to suspect the truth, but it was another thing entirely to hear the confirmation from the man's own mouth!
He looked at the Third Master, who was still painting the patterns, with disbelief.
“No... that’s impossible. If you snatched his body, why does the original body still have a consciousness?”
“How can one person become two!”
“You’re lying! You’re lying to me!”
Hearing this, the Old Master’s expression gradually became grotesque.
“Original body? What original body? Didn't you already guess my true identity earlier?”
“My original body is your great-grandfather! Right now, this body and your father’s body are both just avatars. What is there to not understand about such a simple concept?”
The Third Young Master stared blankly at the Old Master.
“It’s not body-snatching?”
The Old Master’s expression grew even more bizarre.
“It’s something far more useful and direct.”
“You are indeed clever, but unfortunately, your lack of experience has limited your horizons.”
“Transcendent power is far more miraculous than you can imagine, especially the abilities of the high sequences. Otherwise, why do you think they are called gods?”
At this point, he looked at the black jar in his hand with a look of obsession.
“Compared to this power, money, status, heritage, and influence are all nothing but fleeting clouds!”
“But climbing upward is too difficult. I tried many methods, but none worked. Just as I was about to fall into despair, a set of natural transcendent internal organs appeared in Central City!”
“Natural transcendents are born divine.”
“They only need to encounter an awakening catalyst to become transcendents directly. They don't even need rituals or promotion potions!”
“How miraculous. They are truly heaven's most perfect creations!”
“I paid an enormous price to obtain a natural transcendent lung!”
“That is my catalyst! My catalyst to break through to Sequence 4!”
“But this body was too decayed, and Old Third’s body was too mediocre.”
“More importantly, no matter how good those transcendent organs were, they belonged to someone else. What I want are transcendent organs of my own Li family!”
“And so, you became the vessel.”
Hearing this, the Third Young Master began to both laugh and cry. He watched helplessly as the Third Master finished painting him into a small red figure, his body covered in that foul-smelling liquid.
“After I’m snatched... will I still have my own consciousness?”
The Old Master tucked the black jar away.
“Don't you think that losing your consciousness after being snatched is actually a blessing?”
As he spoke, he drew a sharp dagger and aimed it at the Third Young Master’s heart.
Facing his imminent end, the Third Young Master began to struggle frantically, even though he knew it was futile.
Pfft!
The Old Master plunged the dagger through the Third Young Master’s chest. When he pulled it out, blood sprayed high into the air, drenching the young man.
The moment the blood touched the red markings, it was rapidly absorbed.
The Third Young Master’s body convulsed violently. His eyes gradually turned red, yet he continued to glare deathly at the old man.
Then, in perfect synchronization, the Old Master and the Third Master both slit their own throats.
However, no blood sprayed from their wounds. Instead, rows of eyeballs opened up along the gashes.
Seeing this, the Third Young Master struggled even harder.
He wanted to scream, to roar, to say that these monsters weren't his father or his great-grandfather at all!
But his strength was draining away along with his blood.
Gurgle, gurgle...
The red incantations on his body grew brighter, and eyeballs began to sprout from beneath his skin.
Those eyeballs rolled around wildly, filled with greed as they looked at their surroundings!
...
“Hmm?”
On the altar, Yin Yang suddenly looked toward the ancestral hall.
The hungry eyeballs on his altar had become extremely active, struggling with all their might to break free and head toward the hall.
These were the eyeballs he had brought back when he claimed the altar in Huanggang.
Back then, the situation had been urgent, and Yin Yang hadn't had time to clear them out. Since his altar had an assimilation function, he hadn't worried much about them.
But now that the eyeballs were this active, they had clearly sensed their original source!
Yin Yang narrowed his eyes at the thought.
‘That shouldn't be possible. That evil god’s true body is gargantuan; it couldn't have slipped into Huang City without being noticed.’
‘Besides, given its divinity, if it really had come to Huang City, the ordinary citizens would have already started mutating.’
‘But if it’s not the true body, why are these eyeballs so active?’
Yin Yang couldn't help but frown. He hated it when things went off-script, as it was likely to disrupt his plans.
He squinted at the struggling eyeballs, his left hand forming a seal. A variegated, colorful phantom gradually emerged behind him.
That was the divinity Yin Yang had condensed!
Compared to the first time he had used it, the divinity was significantly more solid now. After all, he had sacrificed quite a few demigods.
Because of that, the divinity was quite chaotic, with some parts even conflicting with each other.
Fortunately, Yin Yang possessed a unique ability. After he organized them, these different divinities coexisted relatively harmoniously.
Once the seal was complete, Yin Yang pointed his staff forward.
“Spirit-Snatch!”
The eyeballs rapidly withered as their spirituality was transferred by Yin Yang into the Substitute Life Doll.
The Substitute Life Doll currently hung its head, looking like a hanged man... or a sunshine doll.
As the spirituality was injected, its eyes grew increasingly red.
Yin Yang glanced at the blade-wielding ghost, which was still fighting hard, and struck his staff down again.
“Spirit-Bestow!”
The withered eyeballs returned to their full, plump state, but this time, their owner was Yin Yang.
Fine, nerve-like tentacles grew from the bottom of the eyeballs, and they began to crawl rapidly toward the ancestral hall.
Seeing this, the Eldest Master instinctively moved to stop them.
He didn't know what Yin Yang was planning, but if his enemy wanted to do something, it was his job to prevent it!
Pfft!
The blade-wielding ghost launched a desperate counterattack, swinging its blade at the Eldest Master and forcing him onto the defensive.
However, because of that move, it was struck and shattered by the combined force of Chi Zhu and Ming Yang.
Yin Yang was only Sequence 7; the fact that his blade-wielding ghost had held out against a demigod for so long was already an impressive feat.
Yin Yang looked at the three demigods outside, his smile becoming increasingly eerie. His voice was cold and grim.
“The Shadow Lotus descends, all hearts return!”
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