"Jie jie... then just be obedient," Tian Zui said with a wicked smile and nodded. "Alright, in the next two days, prepare yourself well. As for you, also be ready. Your soul is too weak—during the metamorphosis, you'll suffer a great deal of pain."
Snap!
As soon as he finished speaking, Tian Zui's soul was shaken and shattered into fragments, returning to his body, falling silent once more.
He had no means to restrict Fang Heng.
Fang Heng said nothing and sat down cross-legged.
He was well aware that Tian Zui hadn't left any restrictions on him at all—he hadn't even taken him seriously.
A person at the True Martial realm simply didn't need any precautions when dealing with someone in the Void Martial realm.
"Looks like I'll have to fight for my life."
Sitting cross-legged, Fang Heng thought to himself. He would never hand over his body. First, he couldn't accept that he was born with sin. Second, his body was his own—if he gave it up, would he even still be himself?
His senses expanded quickly and entered his heart, where a bluish-green orb emitting white light resided.
"The Lord of the Star Palace once told me: if I ever find myself in danger, I can use the Star Pearl to escape. But it will consume a huge amount of soul power... I don't know how much."
Furrowing his brow, Fang Heng remained confident in his soul's strength—but only compared to others in his realm. When it came to the Star Pearl, he knew nothing.
"Forget it. No matter what, I have to give it a try."
With that thought, his soul power surged toward his heart and lightly touched the Star Pearl.
Hum!
A buzzing sound echoed through his soul. In an instant, Fang Heng's heart stopped beating.
Right then, a cold aura appeared. Fang Heng's eyes shot open, and he found himself staring into his own—now filled with malice and cunning.
"Kid, your heart just stopped for a second. What happened?"
Fang Heng said nothing, his expression flat. "Nothing."
Tian Zui's gaze flickered, and with a swish, his soul reformed and drifted toward Fang Heng.
"Tell me the truth."
"I said—it's nothing." Fang Heng's eyes turned cold. "What? You want to touch me? I'll tell you right now, if you lay one finger on me, everything I promised earlier will be void."
Upon hearing that, Tian Zui's eyes glimmered.
Fang Heng's heart tensed, and his inner power surged again.
He knew Tian Zui was dangerous—far more than he had expected. Even his heart had stopped. That meant real danger was here.
Knowing Tian Zui's temperament, there was bound to be trouble.
"Heh heh…"
Suddenly, a sinister laugh echoed. Fang Heng's brow furrowed as Tian Zui chuckled.
"Touch you? Why would I touch you? After all, your body is already mine," he smirked. "Fine. Do whatever you want. But I warn you—if you try anything funny, you'll regret it more than anything."
Snap!
As he spoke, Tian Zui's soul shattered once again and returned to his body.
Seeing this, Fang Heng exhaled deeply and said no more.
Explaining was pointless. To someone like Tian Zui, words were meaningless. He only believed in himself.
Only those who placed absolute trust in themselves and remained vigilant could reach that level.
Still, there was a silver lining. When Fang Heng had contacted the Star Pearl earlier, his perfect bloodline had calculated the soul energy required to use it once. Now, he just needed to focus for two full days. By then, his soul energy should be enough to use the Star Pearl once.
Fang Heng closed his eyes and began to plan.
Back when he was born in the Star Palace, he had witnessed the might of the Star Pearl—it could destroy everything. If he used it, Tian Zui would stand no chance.
But... it could only be used once.
"Looks like, at the critical moment, I'll have to use it." Fang Heng's eyes glinted. He had only one chance. He couldn't kill Tian Zui, but Tian Zui would definitely kill him.
After pondering for a while, Fang Heng grew increasingly anxious.
He couldn't think of a better plan. He had only one shot, but it was far too risky.
Tian Zui was a terrifying True Martial Tier 7 expert. One chance—could he make it work?
"No, I have too many responsibilities. I can't afford reckless risks." Fang Heng shook his head and stood up.
Sitting still wasn't helping. He decided to walk around and look for inspiration.
Unexpectedly, Tian Zui didn't stop him at all—he was free to wander the hall.
After walking for a bit, Fang Heng's expression remained calm, but his fists clenched tighter.
He could tell—there was no exit. The surrounding space was unusually solid, not like ordinary space outside that could be torn apart.
Frustrated, Fang Heng sat down again, glancing around the hall before closing his eyes once more.
That was when his gaze stopped.
He saw a golden eagle waking up nearby.
"Opportunity!" Fang Heng's heart stirred. "That golden eagle is the queen of the Golden-Winged Roc clan—noble and proud, yet it's been abused by Tian Zui. If I can win it over, and we kill Tian Zui together, its power will rise drastically!"
With that in mind, he stood again and walked toward the eagle.
The golden eagle also rose, staring coldly at Fang Heng.
A man and an eagle—neither spoke.
After a while, a green light flickered from Fang Heng's eyes and shot into the eagle's body.
The golden eagle's eyes shimmered, but it didn't resist. It understood this was Fang Heng's way of initiating mental communication.
"How about this—you help me at a critical moment, and I'll give you your freedom?"
The eagle sneered in response.
Fang Heng understood its meaning—it didn't believe he had the power to challenge Tian Zui.
"Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. When the time comes, you'll decide."
Without another word, Fang Heng turned and sat back down cross-legged.
He had used up nearly all his soul power just to say that one sentence.
He couldn't do anything else now. He could even feel his heart stop again. He had no more chances to speak.
"Everything depends on you now. But I believe—when it matters most, you'll help me."
Fang Heng thought quietly, no longer thinking, focusing on storing up soul energy while reading the latest chapter of Zhu Gangxi.
Watching the meditating Fang Heng, the golden eagle's eyes flickered.
It was the descendant of the Golden-Winged Roc, a being born to soar above the nine heavens and command all below.
Now, it was treated like a pet, forced to act like a dog or cat, merely to amuse a tyrant.
Tian Zui's happiness was the only thing that kept its pain at bay.
This was the life it now faced.
But when had the descendant of the Golden-Winged Roc ever been so pathetic?
It had tried to die many times to preserve its pride and the name of its ancestors.
Each time, Tian Zui had stopped it—then punished it with even worse torment.
It had forgotten what hatred even felt like.
Until Fang Heng's words… reminded it of who it really was.
A Golden-Winged Roc!
It would become a Golden-Winged Roc once more!
Pride and hatred surged like a tide, fast and fierce!
Its body trembled faintly.
After a long while, it looked deeply at Fang Heng.
Fang Heng, eyes closed, felt a ripple of joy in his heart.
He knew—the golden eagle had agreed.
Of course, this agreement was only valid if he truly seized the advantage in the coming battle.
"Even so, it gives me a sliver of hope. With the help of the Star Pearl, I can catch Tian Zui off guard, maybe even seriously injure him. And if the eagle strikes at that moment—our chances will be much higher!"
Fang Heng thought silently, his heart full of resolve.
As long as there was a glimmer of hope—he would never give up. That was the source of his confidence and the foundation of his achievements.
"On the edge of life and death… in two days, the truth will come to light. Let's see if a prisoner like me can shake the heavens."
…
Time flew by—and two days passed quickly.
Inside the dark hall, a sudden sound pierced the air.
A green light shot from a massive ground pillar and condensed into the form of a middle-aged man.
What a monstrous sin this was!
"Wake up."
Tian Zui's calm voice rang out. Fang Heng slowly opened his eyes.
"Anything to say?"
Seeing Fang Heng's gaze, Tian Zui asked lightly, "Master, your advisor has already hung up on the latest chapter call."
Fang Heng remained silent.
It was over. There was nothing left to say.
"Alright then." Tian Zui nodded with a smile. "Don't worry. Once I take your body, anyone who has wronged you—whether organizations or clans—I'll destroy them for you. Your friends and loved ones will be protected. A hundred years later, when you return, I won't interfere at all."
Hearing that, Fang Heng nodded calmly.
But deep down—he sneered.
Of course, he knew Tian Zui was only trying to lull him into obedience.
"Your soul is strong, so I'll use my power to guide it out of your body. Don't resist. The pain is inevitable," Tian Zui said flatly. "One last warning—if you resist, your body will reject me. I'll never be able to enter again. In that case, there's no point in keeping you alive. Do you understand?"
Fang Heng nodded silently.
"Good. Let's begin!"
With a shout, Tian Zui struck from afar and grabbed hold of Fang Heng's body.
Hum!
Fang Heng's body trembled as green light shot from the top of his head. His face twisted in agony.
Having your soul torn out was a pain no mortal could bear.
"Hang on!"
Tian Zui growled, fire flashing in his eyes. "It'll be over soon."
Fang Heng didn't resist—he let Tian Zui continue.
Finally, when the last wisp of light was pulled away, Tian Zui's soul and consciousness surged into Fang Heng's body!
His eyes snapped open, and he stood.
Boom!
A dark aura erupted from his body, and his power instantly surpassed his original Void Martial Stage Two—reaching at least Stage Five!
"Ha ha! Hahahaha!"
Mad laughter burst from his mouth. The gentleness in Fang Heng's eyes was gone—replaced by cruelty and evil.
"I am sin! And I am finally free!"
His terrifying voice shook the hall. Beside him, the golden eagle's eyes filled with despair.
It had truly believed Fang Heng would use a powerful technique.
But now, it knew—Fang Heng was just another weakling after all.
"…Are you sure you're free now?"
A calm voice echoed in Tian Zui's—no, Fang Heng's—mind.
And in that moment, the laughter came to an abrupt halt. His whole body froze.
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