C1466 Devilization

The translucent, fiery red pill furnace was a sight to behold, its surface shimmering with a mesmerizing array of colors.

The vibrant, five-colored liquid within it seemed to be brimming with mystery, as if it harbored magical powers.

Yet, Zhong Chichen, immersed in the liquid, wore an expression of agony.

He appeared to be trapped in a profound nightmare, struggling desperately to break free, but he was unable to awaken.

His exposed skin, like the liquid enveloping him, displayed a spectrum of colors with seven-colored lights drifting within. Upon closer inspection, these lights were slowly shifting.

Yu Yuan, whose main body had lost its connection with the Yin God, did not immediately associate the colorful liquid with the Colorful Lake.

After observing for a while and realizing that his eyes alone could not reveal much, he decided to directly inquire with Du Yazi, Tong Rui, and Ye Hee.

"Sect Master Zhong mentioned he was afflicted with a terrifying poison, one he couldn't neutralize on his own. Yet, he was confident that the toxic fumes of the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea could counteract the poison, aiding in its dissolution within his body," Du Yazi explained.

"At his behest, I arrived at the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea in advance... I chose this location. He was pleased with it upon his arrival."

"In the subsequent days, he employed a method I had neither seen nor heard of to purge the poison from his system. He would draw in the colorful miasma and toxic clouds from the air, merging them into his body. The technique he used to cleanse the poison seemed to me like a wondrous spell."

"He claimed he was purging the foreign toxins from his body through his cultivation practice, but during this process, he..."

Du Yazi paused, casting a wary glance at Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed. "Don't leave me hanging!"

"He started to resemble you from before!"

With a clenched jaw and a resolute gaze, Du Yazi continued, "He became volatile, extremely impatient. But, it wouldn't be long before he regained his composure. Once calm, he would offer me a heartfelt apology, attributing it to the side effects of the technique."

Tong Rui and Ye Hee chimed in at that moment, corroborating his account.

Yu Yuan's expression darkened as he turned to glance at Loong Jie.

Loong Jie let out a sly chuckle and nodded in agreement. "The Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea is unique because it serves as a portal from the Foul World beneath us to the surface. All the miasma clouds, to varying degrees, carry the corruptive power from below. You're right; since he has absorbed the poisonous miasma into his body, he's inevitably become tainted."

"Including his soul."

Pausing briefly, Elder Loong continued, "From my perspective, his soul has been even more severely corrupted. The malevolent and wicked thoughts that were provoked in him are a hundredfold what you endured. The difference is that he had already embarked on the path of cultivation and is no ordinary practitioner, which is why he was able to withstand it."

"And you? You stood no chance, succumbing in mere moments."

Loong Jie laid bare the harsh truth.

Fong Zhong gave a slight nod, sharing Loong Jie's assessment.

"Furthermore, due to the presence of the Ghost Witch Reincarnation Formation, the Yin energy that poured in was actually incredibly pure. That array caused you to be overwhelmed by evil thoughts and intentions, yet it ended up enhancing your three souls—those of heaven, earth, and humanity." Loong Jie flashed a wide grin. "Your fellow disciple wasn't as fortunate as you; the filth he took in wasn't purified at all."

"Sect Master Hong! You?" Du Yazi gasped, a realization dawning on him. "Is that what happened to you before?"

Yu Yuan responded with a cold snort, offering no reply.

Tong Rui and Ye Hee wore expressions of deep contemplation. They glanced at Zhong Chichen, then thought back to the rumors surrounding Yu Yuan, piecing together their suspicions.

In turn, their perception of Yu Yuan softened somewhat.

"Go on, keep talking."

Loong Jie, clearly intrigued, prodded Du Yazi to continue. He then flicked his fingertips, sending out several strands of golden lightning, fine as threads, attempting to breach the pill furnace.

Sizzle sizzle!

A fierce blaze erupted, enveloping the pill furnace and shattering his golden lightning.

The old dragon grimaced, ready to gather more strength for another attempt.

"Hold on, give me a moment of peace."

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed in annoyance at the interruption, shooting Loong Jie a stern glare.

Loong Jie relented and opened his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I was merely trying it out. Rest assured, I won't harm your esteemed senior brother."

The old lascivious dragon's compliance took Du Yazi, Tong Rui, and Ye Hee by complete surprise. Once they learned of Loong Jie's identity, their demeanor towards him shifted to one of considerable respect.

The venerable elder of the Nagas, a pure-blooded Golden Dragon, held a renowned reputation across the Boundless Great World. Anyone of significance was aware that if not for the cosmic checks and balances, this elder dragon would have ascended to a Tenth Level Dragon God, reigning supreme at the pinnacle of the Boundless Great World, on par with the mightiest of beings.

His debauched and profligate behavior was merely a result of his awareness that the Nagas' time had yet to arrive, leading him to squander his days.

Thus, it was somewhat unexpected to see such a distinguished being dutifully heeding the commands of Yu Yuan.

"Those colorful liquids," Du Yazi explained, "were refined by Sect Master Zhong from the toxic smog and miasma clouds during his cultivation. He claimed that immersing himself in them would prevent his body from being corroded by the internal toxins."

"He chose to enter the pill furnace of his own volition; no one coerced him," Du Yazi added.

"The issue is that the longer he practiced, the more severe the erosion of his soul became. At one point, I couldn't sense the presence of his Yin God or Yang God at all, as if they had been dissolved by the toxins."

"Yet, without regular cultivation, his internal organs would indeed begin to decay."

"He was caught in a dreadful and inescapable cycle. Without cultivation, the toxins within him would cause his body to deteriorate. When he did cultivate, the miasma clouds from the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea could counteract the internal toxins, but they would wreak havoc on his intellect and soul."

"In the beginning, he required only six months of cultivation, with his mind briefly losing control. Over time, the intervals shortened to two months, then to a fortnight. Eventually, he spent the majority of his time practicing that technique. When he awoke, the periods of lucidity exceeded those when his soul was in disarray."

"After he regained consciousness, he insisted we cover the lid of the pill furnace. He warned us that if he lost control and attacked, we should either flee or, depending on the situation, end his life."

"…"

Du Yazi let out a heavy sigh.

Tong Rui and Ye Hee, who both devotedly served Zhong Chichen, fell silent as well.

Clearly, none of them wanted any harm to come to Zhong Chichen, and they were quietly searching for ways to alter his dire state.

Despite trying numerous methods, they saw no improvement and could only watch helplessly as Zhong Chichen deteriorated with each passing day.

"I was at my wit's end, which is why I brought Sect Master Hong here. When it comes to poisons, Sect Master Hong is a true master. Sect Master Zhong... falls short in that regard." Du Yazi bowed respectfully to Yu Yuan, his face breaking into an obsequious smile.

Yu Yuan found Du Yazi's sycophantic expression extremely irritating. "I wasn't spared either!"

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The old libertine clapped his hands vigorously, his gaze fixed on Zhong Chichen inside the pill furnace, but his words were directed at Yu Yuan, "Yu Yuan, what extraordinary qualities do you and your brother possess?"

Yu Yuan was taken aback, "What do you mean by that?"

"One was favored by the Ghost Wizard Sect, who went so far as to lay out the Ghost Wizard Reincarnation Formation and create the Reincarnation Pill to assist your rebirth as a human." The old lecher's eyes gleamed, "The other was selected by an Earth Demon and given the unparalleled Devil Spell to transform humans into Earth Demons."

"Hahaha!" Loong Jie let out a sinister laugh, pointing at Zhong Chichen in the pill furnace, "Do you realize what he'll become if this continues?"

A shiver ran through Yu Yuan.

"He will turn into a demon!" Loong Jie declared emphatically.

"He will turn into a demon!"

Fong Zhong and the others exclaimed in horror, each voice louder than the last.

Loong Jie's laughter subsided, and his expression turned grave, "Yu Yuan, the practitioners of the Ghost Wizard Sect are fundamentally human and depend on human bodies. That's why they need you to be reborn and join their sect in human form, to become one of them."

After a brief pause, Loong Jie spoke again, "An Earth Demon doesn't require a physical form; a sufficiently strong soul is all that's needed."

"Your senior brother was afflicted with a certain poison. He was advised to counteract it with the lethal toxins from the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea, using poison to fight poison. Unbeknownst to him, he was inadvertently practicing a Devil Spell. The miasma he ingested was laced with impurities, gradually corrupting his soul with demonic energy."

"When the day comes that his three souls morph into an Earth Demon, the existence of his physical body becomes irrelevant."

"Once transformed into an Earth Demon, he can completely take over and refine a new body. He can also assess whether his original body is worth transforming into a Demon Body."

"Earth Demons are liberated from the constraints of the flesh, so the transition from human to Earth Demon usually involves forsaking one's corporeal form."

"When the physical body perishes, the soul is reborn, paving the way for its evolution into the soul of an Earth Demon!"

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